Should I take ds7 on the 8 hour excursion?

[HamOp]

No parenting advice here. You know your Son better than anyone.

 

1. Book a seat on the tour for your Son.

2. Once on board, take a read on the staff at Club Hal to see what your comfort level is.

3. Discuss with staff your scenario and ask for advice as to:

- communications options between ship and tour if they need to contact you. Will you have a cell phone?

- their commitment to the care of your child during your absence (food/drink/oversight) and their commitment to care for him until your return should the tour run late

4. If any answers or attitude from HAL creates concerns in the option to leave him on board, then take him on the tour.

5. Only after you get to your comfort level to leave him, then cancel his seat on the tour and make the appropriate arrangements with the Club Hal staff.

 

I look at this as similar to the service airlines provide for travelling minors. I would go along with this idea only because both the tour and the Club HAL facility is operated and promoted by HAL. I suspect they have had these types of questions before so you need to consult with them before making your decision. Good Luck and enjoy your cruise. It sounds awesome!:)

 

No more calls, folks. We have a winner. This is the best answer. Period!

[whogo]

HAL policy is: "Parents, guardians and chaperones are responsible for overseeing the conduct of minors in their care. As such, minors may not be left unsupervised on board the ship." (http://www.hollandamerica.com/cruise-vacation-planning/PlanningAndAdvice.action?tabName=Shipboard+Life&contentMenu=Onboard+Services)

 

I doubt if leaving him in Club HAL will suffice for supervision, since: "The program has an open door policy, which means participants may come and go as they please. All activities are supervised; however, the Club HAL Director is not responsible for any child if he/she chooses to leave the activity."

This is the winning answer, it is against HAL's rules. You'll have to hire a sitter if you leave him aboard. Although there are probably ways to break the rule, I wouldn't do it. I would like to think that gangway security would not let you leave a child on board and that their ID scanning software would see that you didn't.

[Viesczy]

If the chickabiddy would be miserable on the tour and loves the ship experience, let them enjoy themselves.

 

I don't get the idea that the child's age is a worry being alone on a ship? It isn't like it is the first time out in the world and kids of that age are far more capable of action than many adults give them credit for. Personally I know of children that age and younger tending to family farms, working the animals, caring for horses including using twitches on the warmest of horses... all done with little supervision and often w/o any help.

 

They are missing out on a great excursion!

 

Derek

[Orlando Greybeard]

One thing to be said about the Istanbul tour is that it is NOT sitting on a bus for three hours each way to see a site that takes two hours to go through. Yes there is a lot of walking on this tour but if your son has enough energy that would not be a problem. Good luck!

 

Just a few amplifications of what my DW said. First off we did a private tour that went from about 2 in the afternoon until about 6 PM and we extended it until about 9 PM by seeing the Whirling Dervishes. I wear a pedometer and for the day was walked a little over 7 miles. We were in our early 60's and exercise regularly so the walking wasn't strenuous for us; it is fairly flat terrain where we went. Our tour started at the Hippodrome, then to the Blue Mosque, to Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, the Basilica Cisterns, a madrasah, the spice market, and finally to the Whirling Dervish. We then walked to the train stop for a ride back to the ship where we had to walk a bit from the train stop to the pier. It is an exotic city and one that is so different from anything you would have seen on the cruise. We were not sure we were going to like Istanbul before we landed but after walking around it was definitely a high-light of our cruise. Hope this helps, Jim

PS. One thing to consider is a private tour that can be tailored to you situation in real time.

[junglejane]

No parenting advice here. You know your Son better than anyone.

 

1. Book a seat on the tour for your Son.

2. Once on board, take a read on the staff at Club Hal to see what your comfort level is.

3. Discuss with staff your scenario and ask for advice as to:

- communications options between ship and tour if they need to contact you. Will you have a cell phone?

- their commitment to the care of your child during your absence (food/drink/oversight) and their commitment to care for him until your return should the tour run late

4. If any answers or attitude from HAL creates concerns in the option to leave him on board, then take him on the tour.

5. Only after you get to your comfort level to leave him, then cancel his seat on the tour and make the appropriate arrangements with the Club Hal staff.

 

I look at this as similar to the service airlines provide for travelling minors. I would go along with this idea only because both the tour and the Club HAL facility is operated and promoted by HAL. I suspect they have had these types of questions before so you need to consult with them before making your decision. Good Luck and enjoy your cruise. It sounds awesome!:)

 

This is great advice. Boulders, I haven't got experience with Club HAL but have taken my kids on two Med cruises, one when our youngest was 7 and recently when she was 10. On both cruises there was one port where we left DD in the kids' program while we went on a 6-8 hour excursion. Both times it was at her request because she was sick of ancient ruins. In each case, I agreed to it after meeting the youth staff, inspecting the facilities and asking them to explain their procedures, and informing them of my intentions. If you do that and you are comfortable with the youth staff, and DS is also comfortable with them and the plan of action, then go ahead.

[mearsfansinboise]

When we were in Cabo - on a Disney cruise though - we left the kids on the ship for about 3 hours. Too long and you start to worry. Conversely, we took the kids - ages 6 and 8 at the time - on an excursion that was about 6 hours-ish. They did fine. Although it was on bus with stops here and there...and there were other children on the tour as well. I don't think I would leave my kids on the ship that long...it's just too long. And only you know of the child will be able to handle the excursion - enjoy, behave, not get too tired, etc. If there's any hesitation there at all, I would move off that excursion idea and on to something else. JMO.

[2cruisecats]

We did this tour with HAL a 2 years ago. One of the best we have ever done. It is a very long day with lots of walking. At some sites there are long lines and huge crowds. Then you reach Topkapi Palace -- so quiet and restful as you are the only ones there. I'd book your son on the tour. You will have been on many long tours before you get to Istanbul and will be able to tell if he's ready for this. He's well travelled -- explain the tour and ask him. If you feel the answer is "no", even after the ticket cancel deadline, cancel his ticket. When we did the tour there was a wait list as many didn't realize, until they got on the ship, that HAL is the only one getting into Topkapi on that day.

[sail7seas]

This is great advice. Boulders, I haven't got experience with Club HAL but have taken my kids on two Med cruises, one when our youngest was 7 and recently when she was 10. On both cruises there was one port where we left DD in the kids' program while we went on a 6-8 hour excursion. Both times it was at her request because she was sick of ancient ruins. In each case, I agreed to it after meeting the youth staff, inspecting the facilities and asking them to explain their procedures, and informing them of my intentions. If you do that and you are comfortable with the youth staff, and DS is also comfortable with them and the plan of action, then go ahead.

 

 

What happens if the child has a serious accident or becomes very ill while parents/guardians are off the ship for 8 hours? This young child is surely going to be crying for Mom and/or Dad and what happens in terms of medical treatment authorities?

 

I am asking out of real interest. How would the situation be handled? I am sure the ship is not going to let the child bleed to death but who gives consents/how?

 

Who hold the child's hand? :confused:

 

I imagine the ship will reach the parents through the tour company? Does the whole bus load return or are the parents on their own to get back ASAP?

[Typhoon1]

Find something shorter. Eight hours is too long, even for an adult.

[Cuizer2]

Find something shorter. Eight hours is too long, even for an adult.

 

Well, that is it then. Nobody is going. They are going to cancel the tour.

[andeesue]

As a third-grade teacher, I'm around kids that age all day (and I love that age!). There is such a variance of attention span and interest among them (as there is for any demographic, adults included!). Your kids sound well-traveled (lucky them!), so you know what best works for them. You've gotten great advice from those that have been on that particular excursion, and from those that have had similar experience. Enjoy the cruise.

[Oviedo32765]

Find something shorter. Eight hours is too long, even for an adult.

 

Can you tell my boss that?!? :confused:

 

These 8 hours work days are killing me. :D

[andeesue]

Can you tell my boss that?!? :confused:

 

These 8 hours work days are killing me. :D

 

Boy, ain't that the truth?! And a 5-day work week is way too much, as well! That's why I LOVE retirement! That's something to look forward to!