Others complaining about children on the cruise

[sns1009]

We just took our first cruise on NCL in January. We had a wonderful time and my 4 year old had the time of his life. We are planning to do another cruise next year. Problem is on our last roll call and on the one I’m looking at for next year people make comments about hoping there aren’t a lot of kids on the ship.

Has anyone else had this problem? My little guy doesn’t like people dressed up as characters so that rules out Disney plus we love NCL! Just makes me feel bad knowing there are people that don’t want kids around during their vacation. I guess I can understand but it's not like our child is running wild!

[cb at sea]

Ignore those comments....your child will NOT cause any of them a problem...and they know it.

On cruises, if you choose not to bring kids, it's extremely easy to avoid them...if you're a family, then that's what the cruise is all about! Everyone can do as they please. Not one soul without a child will be called upon to care for or look out for anyone else's kid. No worries.

 

Ignore those people!

[Mom2B&Z]

We just took our first cruise on NCL in January. We had a wonderful time and my 4 year old had the time of his life. We are planning to do another cruise next year. Problem is on our last roll call and on the one I’m looking at for next year people make comments about hoping there aren’t a lot of kids on the ship.

 

Has anyone else had this problem? My little guy doesn’t like people dressed up as characters so that rules out Disney plus we love NCL! Just makes me feel bad knowing there are people that don’t want kids around during their vacation. I guess I can understand but it's not like our child is running wild!

Yes I've had the problem and basically I ignore it. NCL is widely known as a line catering to families, so if people don't want children on the cruise, pick another line, KWIM? On the roll calls I'm very upfront that I have children, young ones at that, who will not be spending all of their time in the kids club, but rather enjoying the ship and the vacation as part of our family.

I wouldn't worry too much about what a few people on a roll call say, there will be thousands of people on the ship and many will be happy just to be on vacation.

[ashmac8]

I agree with b&z's mom. I have been very up front on our roll call that I am bringing my 5 year old who will likely be with my husband and I most of the time. Due to his late bday he is not in kindergarten yet so we are taking one last trip when it is convenient to us and not the school system :)

 

Haven't been beaten up by others but there are obviously things that I won't be doing on the cruise since I have my son with me. As a matter of fact they joke that ey'll be able to pick me out easily since I am the only one with a preschool aged child.

 

For the grouches on the general boards I generally ignore them.

 

Ashley

[Warm Breezes]

We have been on 9 cruises over the last 10 years. Our kids were 4 and 7 on our first cruise. 2 of our cruises were on NCL. We have NEVER had any issues. Cruising is a great family vacation. Go. Have fun. Don't give another thought to these people as you will probably never even see them and if you do...who cares.

[chipmaster]

Lots of whiners on the internet, and here on CC they complain about cruisline xyz service, food, formal night dressing, and kids...

 

Don't worry just go have a good time as others said :D

[TheCalicoCat]

I don't let anyone's perceptions about kids dictate my choices.

If the cruise line allows you to book your child, then you child is welcome - no matter anyone elses opinion.

 

In this venue (anonymous) people will complain about kids, smoking, wheelchairs, seniors, drinking too much, hogging chairs by the pool, etc.

 

On our last cruise, we took a box of diapers so it was obvious that a child was in tow. Halfway through the cruise our neighbors admitted that they were worried when they saw the box - but in fact they had no problems & said that they would not have even known that a child was next door if they hadn't seen the diaper box.

 

Meanwhile, when he acted up at dinner, I took him to our room & my husband brought my meal to me...

[Dawn1004]

Cruising is a fantastic way of holidaying for the whole family, the kids have so much fun, learn lots from visiting different places and cultures, so many memories are created.

[Rounder]

We just took our first cruise on NCL in January. We had a wonderful time and my 4 year old had the time of his life. We are planning to do another cruise next year. Problem is on our last roll call and on the one I’m looking at for next year people make comments about hoping there aren’t a lot of kids on the ship.

 

Has anyone else had this problem? My little guy doesn’t like people dressed up as characters so that rules out Disney plus we love NCL! Just makes me feel bad knowing there are people that don’t want kids around during their vacation. I guess I can understand but it's not like our child is running wild!

 

On feeling bad. Sit down till the feeling goes away. ;) Some people just like to complain.

 

Enjoy your family and your cruise. They grow up way too fast. :D

[GXmanDC]

I don't think you should worry. I think most parents are very aware of their children and quickly act to correct or minimize any behavior that would disturb others. Unfortunately there are a few oblivious parents out there that don't monitor their children and I imagine the negative comments are from people who have cruised with them.

[cello56]

I think when most people say they hope there are not a lot of kids on their cruise, what they are really saying is "I hope there are not a lot of poorly behaved kids." on their cruise. Yes, I know, there are lots of poorly behaved adults too, but the kids tend to stick out as there are fewer of them.

 

I think if parents ensure that their children are behaving properly, and the parents are respectful of the ship rules and show common courtesy, then most people are happy.

 

I have an issue with parents who feel it is their right to bring their child into the adult only pool areas. Or bring their kids to adult activities that are clearly marked for over 18 like The Quest. My activities should not have to be 'toned down' because someone else decided to bring an impressionable child.

On our Freedom of the Seas cruise there were parents who thought it was fine to allow their five year old to play on the grand staircase in the main dining room each and every night. Staff were having to navigate around this kid who was up and down the stairs and laying on them, and playing trucks on them. That was not acceptable behavior, and it was right in front of where I was sitting each night.

 

Well behaved, polite children will always be a welcome addition on any cruise I am on, and I bet most others feel the same. :)

[nlt46]

I agree that the people are really talking about "kids gone wild!" I have been on cruises where kids took over the elevators, punching every button regardless of what they needed. Where kids have blocked the stairways and refused to move to let adults travel up or down. This is what they are referring to. Your 4 year old will not be running up and down the hallways at 2:00 am screaming and knocking on random doors. It just won't be happening. I would love to cruise next to you all.

 

Nancy

[G&TQ]

IMO it is not the children that are the problem. I have never had a problem with people vacation with children of all ages. My problem is parents taking a vacation from parenting while bring their children on vacation. It is the children who's parents cop the attitude of well they deserve a vacation as an excuse for rude unacceptable behavior. Now our first cruise was a prime example some kids started a food fight I got a hamburger to the lap. Although I was in the pool area I was not in a swimsuit. A man I assumed was the dad said well they are on vacation. No apologies, no offers to have my clothes cleaned. That behavior is not acceptable at anytime or place. Go on your cruise with you child and have a great time just don't stop parenting.

[sarahc78]

Lots of whiners on the internet, and here on CC they complain about cruisline xyz service, food, formal night dressing, and kids...

 

Don't worry just go have a good time as others said :D

I agree. While on vacation I really could care less what people wear lol I always find it so odd that people get their BP up over whether or not someone wants to dress for formal night lol

 

As long as your child is well behaved it shouldnt be an issue at all.

 

We took 4 of our 5 children w/ us last year on Celebrity and I was nervous the ENTIRE time that our kids would disrupt someone else's vacation because of a lot of post here on CC about kids on cruises. They actually were quite well behaved. We had no issues at all. After having done it once now I know this go around in May will be much more relaxing.

[Onessa]

While they may not speak up on the M&M boards, you will also find that there are many people who like to have (well behaved) kids on cruises with them. Chatting with younger tablemates, making faces at a baby when we are in line, etc. can be fun. It is also interesting to get a five or six year old's perspective on the trip!

 

Don't let the naysayers get you down and have a great familiy trip!

[fritolayNY]

So true! What fellow cruisers on the boards should be complaining about are the parents not the kids. My children will be cruising with me and I always expect good behavior. I've taken many of my children's friends out who are usually unruly with their own parents but with clear expectations and rules they are angels with me. Blame the parent not the child. Oh and remember have fun and ignore the those who always find the need to complain. I've found that being really polite to them really pisses them off.:eek::p

[katyjeka]

Short story - We were on NCL Dawn with our 3 dd's. We went to the evening show(7 PM) and found seats. Well, the 2 couples that were in front of us looked back, sighed, and changed seats. I felt pretty bad at the time. The show starts and our girls don't make a peep.(They always enjoy the shows on the ships) On the other hand, the couples that moved had to dodge people getting up and down, and had to listen as the couple seated by them yelled for some people who were late arriving. Shows over, and the older gentleman who had moved looked at us and said, we should have stayed where we were at!!! Point of the story, I've seen as many adults misbehaving as children, and I no longer feel guilty enjoying my family on a cruise. If your not comfortable around children, and can't afford to cruise an upscale line that caters to adults, stay home.

[Daisyloo]

I think when most people say they hope there are not a lot of kids on their cruise, what they are really saying is "I hope there are not a lot of poorly behaved kids." on their cruise. Yes, I know, there are lots of poorly behaved adults too, but the kids tend to stick out as there are fewer of them.

 

I think if parents ensure that their children are behaving properly, and the parents are respectful of the ship rules and show common courtesy, then most people are happy.

 

I have an issue with parents who feel it is their right to bring their child into the adult only pool areas. Or bring their kids to adult activities that are clearly marked for over 18 like The Quest. My activities should not have to be 'toned down' because someone else decided to bring an impressionable child.

On our Freedom of the Seas cruise there were parents who thought it was fine to allow their five year old to play on the grand staircase in the main dining room each and every night. Staff were having to navigate around this kid who was up and down the stairs and laying on them, and playing trucks on them. That was not acceptable behavior, and it was right in front of where I was sitting each night.

 

Well behaved, polite children will always be a welcome addition on any cruise I am on, and I bet most others feel the same. :)

 

Ditto!!!;)

[seacat65]

As long as they are well behaved, there should be no problem whatsoever.

 

Enjoy your cruise. You have every right to be there, as well as the rest of us. :)

[beachchick]

Yes I've had the problem and basically I ignore it. NCL is widely known as a line catering to families' date=' so if people don't want children on the cruise, pick another line, KWIM?[/b'] On the roll calls I'm very upfront that I have children, young ones at that, who will not be spending all of their time in the kids club, but rather enjoying the ship and the vacation as part of our family.

I wouldn't worry too much about what a few people on a roll call say, there will be thousands of people on the ship and many will be happy just to be on vacation.

 

True, but they also advertise to couples who are looking for a romantic getaway, single friends looking for fun, a girls/guys adventure, retired people looking to relax, etc. They don't only cater to families and families with children should respect that as well. In fact, many couples on cruises are taking a couples break from their own well loved children. I've long said and believed that cruising can be fantastic family vacation. As long as there is respect among all passengers, there is no reason why everyone can't have a fantastic cruise.

 

You're quite right that families are a big demographic and that people shouldn't cruise on any mainstream line if they don't want to be around any children. I think it's possible that the reason it's coming up on a January cruise roll call is that some people prefer to cruise when there are fewer children onboard. Most of them try to book during times when school is usually in session, so it's not unreasonable that there might be some discussion about it.

 

I think it's also true that most people who worry about children onboard are worrying about the parents who treat a cruise as a break from parenting, the crew and other passengers as babysitters, and the ship as one big unrestricted playground for their children. It's sad that the small number of parents who allow their children to run wild (which you just know they do on land too) affect how many react to children in general. When they're young, it's rarely the child's fault. When they're old enough to know better, it's more a mix of parents not parenting and older children knowing they can get away with whatever they want.

 

We've never had any significant issues with children on cruises. Not once. The "worst" thing I can relate is one I've mentioned before: Two young teen girls on one of the treasure hunts, in a hurry, running around a corner, not paying attention. They ran right into me in the passage way and nearly knocked me down. But they stopped, asked if I was okay, and apologized. I smiled and sent them on their way (after a tiny reminder to be careful around those corners). While I don't doubt the stories of those who've had cruises affected negatively by out of control children, I think those are the exception and not the rule. I also think those cruises are more likely to happen during school breaks.

 

It's a perfectly valid desire to cruise when their are fewer children onboard. But there's no reason to assume that those who are onboard are going to cause a problem. IMO (and to repeat), respect all around is key to everyone having a wonderful cruise. It wouldn't hurt to remind those on the roll calls who are whining in advance that they might want to wait until children actually act up before they complain. People don't get to have a fit because they think some child they don't even know might be a problem. That's like assuming all adult cruisers will be loud obnoxious drunks.

 

Go have a great cruise and ignore the blathering complainers. As long as you know you're children are behaving appropriately, they have no business being rude or nasty to you.

 

beachchick

[slo mo]

We just took our first cruise on NCL in January. We had a wonderful time and my 4 year old had the time of his life. We are planning to do another cruise next year. Problem is on our last roll call and on the one I’m looking at for next year people make comments about hoping there aren’t a lot of kids on the ship.

 

Has anyone else had this problem? My little guy doesn’t like people dressed up as characters so that rules out Disney plus we love NCL! Just makes me feel bad knowing there are people that don’t want kids around during their vacation. I guess I can understand but it's not like our child is running wild!

I'm in my 60's and have never had children,but I love the kids being

on board.Cruised with kids in my family,and really had a great time.

Were they always perfect NO.When they acted up in MDR they were

removed until they got over their problem.

A little guy on the Miracle last year was such a doll everyone loved

stopping by to say hi.

I think what people don't like are bad parents.You can't really blame

a child being a child,but their parents should take action when their

child is in distress.

Children just put a smile on my face.

Go and have a great cruise with your little one.

[4spring]

I agree with all the posters that this feedback you've encountered on other boards is probably meant for "kids gone wild" & parents that don't reign their kids in when needed. You don't sound like that type of parent & your child doesn't either. Enjoy your cruise & all the memories you'll have as a family traveling together.

[bean24]

We are booked on my 2 yr old sons 3rd cruise, his first was with all my siblings and their kids we had 6 with 4 under 3, never a problem, we dealt with it if a child had a problem. OTOH my mom was on a cruise a few years ago, where a large group had problems with their teenagers running wild, it was so bed the captain put 3 families off in St. Maartin and they had to find their own way home. Those are the kids people don't want to cruise with

 

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[bean24]

Oops meant so bad not bed

 

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[TheBrowns]

Pose you will always get the wingers about kids on board :(...