Child in Q4 cabin on QM2

[KizuriSeascape]

My travel agent advises me that Cunard does not permit a 1 year old to travel in the Q4 penthouse on the Queen Mary as a third passenger for a world cruise.

 

 

This strikes me as a little odd – as there should be plenty of space. Has anyone else experienced this? Is there a misunderstanding somewhere?

[Pies4u]

Absolutely no idea.

 

However, got to ask, what on Earth would possess anybody to even contemplate taking a 1 year old child on a world cruise? That's got to be the most bizarre thing to do.

 

The potential welfare/health/medical issues alone make it a non-runner, surely?

 

That is just plain weird. Can't get my head around that - at all.

 

As to any such policy, if it exists, being odd - really? It's nothing to do with space in the suite!

[KizuriSeascape]

Absolutely no idea.

 

However, got to ask, what on Earth would possess anybody to even contemplate taking a 1 year old child on a world cruise? That's got to be the most bizarre thing to do.

 

The potential welfare/health/medical issues alone make it a non-runner, surely?

 

That is just plain weird. Can't get my head around that - at all.

 

 

Good thing you don't have to get your head around our decision then, eh! We’re happy with our plans, though!

[bkecky]

My travel agent advises me that Cunard does not permit a 1 year old to travel in the Q4 penthouse on the Queen Mary as a third passenger for a world cruise.

 

 

This strikes me as a little odd – as there should be plenty of space. Has anyone else experienced this? Is there a misunderstanding somewhere?

 

That does sound odd... in the Cunard FAQs it states that the minimum age for travel is 6 months and on transatlantics it is 12 months. So providing your baby is over 12 months then it shouldn't be an issue. Best bet is to ring Cunard directly, I think. :confused:

[BlueRiband]

I agree with bkecky - call Cunard. A world voyage tends to get special treatment due to its cost, length, and multiple destinations.

 

This has nothing to do with stateroom size but may have everything to do with the child's age. Very young children tend to be at high risk of infections. Should your child (or anybody else) require hospitalization the ship will only provide care until the next port were one would be disembarked and transported to a land based hospital. Some of these destinations are not exactly known for medical tourism. (I'm sure you already have thought about that and would arrange for air evacuation should that situation arise.)

 

Also, many countries on require vaccinations for travel to some areas and at age one year your child may be too young to undergo the necessary immunizations.

[Pies4u]

Good thing you don't have to get your head around our decision then, eh! We’re happy with our plans, though!

 

Thought you would be. (Why does that not surprise me?)

 

Any chance of an answer to the question(s).

[pepperrn]

My travel agent advises me that Cunard does not permit a 1 year old to travel in the Q4 penthouse on the Queen Mary as a third passenger for a world cruise. This strikes me as a little odd – as there should be plenty of space. Has anyone else experienced this? Is there a misunderstanding somewhere?

I am not a parent... but should the amount of space in a cabin be the only consideration?

Like others above, I can think of a few other issues, but maybe they don't matter/are incidental as long as there is "plenty of space"?

As I said, I am not a parent, and therefore may have my priorities all wrong.

Edited June 19, 2014 by pepperrn

[MeredithFairfax]

Absolutely no idea.

 

However, got to ask, what on Earth would possess anybody to even contemplate taking a 1 year old child on a world cruise? That's got to be the most bizarre thing to do.

 

The potential welfare/health/medical issues alone make it a non-runner, surely?

 

That is just plain weird. Can't get my head around that - at all.

 

As to any such policy, if it exists, being odd - really? It's nothing to do with space in the suite!

 

Am I missing something here? It might not be everyone's choice but is it 'bizarre' or 'weird'?

[Gilpet]

I'm unfamiliar with the Q4 Penthouse but the name "Penthouse" makes me wonder if there are stairs/different levels within the stateroom. If this is the case I don't think it surprising that Cunard wouldn't allow young children in these staterooms purely for safety reasons.

 

Gill

[Pies4u]

Yes, it is plain weird.

 

I posed the question, what would possess you to place a 1 year old in that situation? No response as yet.

 

From a health, welfare, safety perspective it is not something that most parents I know would even consider. The experience is also entirely wasted on such a young child, so that can't possibly be part of any justification for subjecting a small baby to such risk. Thus, it is both bizarre & weird.

 

It is a cue for the "each to their own" brigade (welcome!) and, the self indulgent - see the OP's " we are happy with our plans" remark. None of that will ever make it a sensible, practical or responsible decision however you dress it up. It may be why Cruise lines have to impose some restrictions!

Edited June 19, 2014 by Pies4u

[Theodorable]

"Yes, it is plain weird.

 

I posed the question, what would possess you to place a 1 year old in that situation? No response as yet.

 

From a health, welfare, safety perspective it is not something that most parents I know would even consider. The experience is also entirely wasted on such a young child, so that can't possibly be part of any justification for subjecting a small baby to such risk. Thus, it is both bizarre & weird.

 

It is a cue for the "each to their own" brigade (welcome!) and, the self indulgent - see the OP's " we are happy with our plans" remark. None of that will ever make it a sensible, practical or responsible decision however you dress it up. It may be why Cruise lines have to impose some restrictions! "

 

 

 

I have never heard such nonsence. If the OP wants to take their child on a world cruise why on earth not. There is a good medical facility on the ship. The OP would not be considering this if their child was not perfectly healthy. I think it is a wonderful thing to do and would do it in a heartbeat if I was in the position to do it.

Edited June 19, 2014 by Theodorable

[Summergee]

Would Cunard allow a baby in a lower category cabin, eg ocean view?

[pmb1]

Come on, folks, let's stop bugging KizuriSeascape about why these parents want to travel with their one year old child. It's none of our business. I think that it would be exceeding bizarre and weird if they wanted to leave their child behind, don't you?

 

Despite the name, the Q4 penthouse cabins on QM2 are all single level; they're big Q5s with an extra half bathroom. And, most curiously, they don't have the separate dressing table that the Q5s have.

[Morgans]

If the Penthouse is only for 2 passengers, they won't allow 3 no matter what their age (even if the baby sleeps in a cot). You will have to find a stateroom that accommodates 3. We have had this problem too.

[KizuriSeascape]

Wow! Had no idea the thought of a 1 year old on a world cruise would cause such controversy!

I called Cunard, and they said my agent was mistaken, and the child would be welcome in the Q4 Penthouse for the world cruise.

Needless to say, we’ve got wonderful worldwide health insurance, and will take all practical safety precautions (as in everyday life..).

I was fortunate enough to travel the world throughout my childhood, and am delighted that my child will be able to do the same. For us – a family of pretty intrepid travellers – a cruise is a sanitized and safe way to enjoy travel with a baby.

I think it’s important to remember that there’s more than one method or model of parenting. We feel very lucky to have this sort of lifestyle, and are sure that the kiddo will be enriched.

For those who are freaking out – normal life rules apply – if you don’t like the sound of it – don’t do it yourself!

[bkecky]

Wow! Had no idea the thought of a 1 year old on a world cruise would cause such controversy!

I called Cunard, and they said my agent was mistaken, and the child would be welcome in the Q4 Penthouse for the world cruise.

Needless to say, we’ve got wonderful worldwide health insurance, and will take all practical safety precautions (as in everyday life..).

I was fortunate enough to travel the world throughout my childhood, and am delighted that my child will be able to do the same. For us – a family of pretty intrepid travellers – a cruise is a sanitized and safe way to enjoy travel with a baby.

I think it’s important to remember that there’s more than one method or model of parenting. We feel very lucky to have this sort of lifestyle, and are sure that the kiddo will be enriched.

For those who are freaking out – normal life rules apply – if you don’t like the sound of it – don’t do it yourself!

 

Glad you got it sorted. They wouldn't accept infants on board at all if there were such a big risk. As it is they provide food, a nursery, cots, etc. I think most people here were just trying to offer some suggestions as to why you got told that/point out some considerations and didn't mean it personally. Sadly that can't be applied to all. Hope you have a wonderful time though! I've seen families with babies on board before and they seem to have thoroughly enjoyed the experience together. :)

Edited June 20, 2014 by bkecky

[Theodorable]

I hope you and your family have an amazing time.....I am very envious

[paulista1950]

Am I missing something here? It might not be everyone's choice but is it 'bizarre' or 'weird'?

Yes it is

 

"I think it’s important to remember that there’s more than one method or model of parenting."

Of course there is, and some of them dangerous for the child

 

"For those who are freaking out – normal life rules apply – if you don’t like the sound of it – don’t do it yourself!"

Key word here: YOURSELF, not to a one year old child

 

"If the OP wants to take their child on a world cruise why on earth not."

Read the posts and you'll find a few reasonable why nots.

[Salacia]

Wow! Had no idea the thought of a 1 year old on a world cruise would cause such controversy!

I called Cunard, and they said my agent was mistaken, and the child would be welcome in the Q4 Penthouse for the world cruise.

Needless to say, we’ve got wonderful worldwide health insurance, and will take all practical safety precautions (as in everyday life..).

I was fortunate enough to travel the world throughout my childhood, and am delighted that my child will be able to do the same. For us – a family of pretty intrepid travellers – a cruise is a sanitized and safe way to enjoy travel with a baby.

I think it’s important to remember that there’s more than one method or model of parenting. We feel very lucky to have this sort of lifestyle, and are sure that the kiddo will be enriched.

For those who are freaking out – normal life rules apply – if you don’t like the sound of it – don’t do it yourself!

 

Hi KizuriSeascape. Happy to read that your question has been answered directly by Cunard. I hope you understand that the posts given by experienced Cunard passengers were posted in good faith, however challenging those posts might appear. You see, we've seen too many passengers who have booked voyages based on certain expectations that ignore the reality of the situation - which is not to say that you are ignoring the reality of taking a one year old on a world cruise.

 

The world cruise you are booking is three months or more, yes? I was trying to think about how many diapers a one year old needs to pack for that amount of time. Then I wondered about the necessary immunizations, in addition to anti-malaria meds.

 

Sadly, what the world was when you were a child traveling the word is not the world today (speaking only from a health perspective). New and emerging diseases combined with increase in diseases that we thought were eradicated (such as polio) present a danger to world travelers, most especially young children.

 

And then is your comment, which is of concern:

 

 

"a cruise is a sanitized and safe way to enjoy travel with a baby."

 

From my personal experience: no cruise ship is sanitized -and it is unrealistic to expect that a ship could be sanitized. Ask frequent passengers about outbreaks of illness on board, and chances are you will find that respiratory and gastrointestinal illness are not uncommon - it goes with the territory when thousands of people from various ports are in a closed environment for days, weeks or months.

 

 

Best wishes.

Salacia

[Salacia]

Glad you got it sorted. They wouldn't accept infants on board at all if there were such a big risk. As it is they provide food, a nursery, cots, etc. I think most people here were just trying to offer some suggestions as to why you got told that/point out some considerations and didn't mean it personally. Sadly that can't be applied to all. Hope you have a wonderful time though! I've seen families with babies on board before and they seem to have thoroughly enjoyed the experience together. :)

 

Hi bkecky. In all fairness, cruise lines accept passengers of all ages, with the expectation that they will exercise due diligence prior to booking. Any risk taken is our choice. That seems fair enough to me. BTW, here is what we all agree to when booking: http://www.cunard.com/legal-information/

 

A question regarding your comment that "As it is they provide food, a nursery, cots, etc."...would you please refer me to the site where you found that information? I couldn't find any information about baby food, nursery, etc on the Cunard website. Thanks, -S.

 

P.S. I did find this limited statement: "We provide supervised activities for children aged two to 17 years throughout the day, and also offer free group supervision in the evening" quoted from http://www.cunard.com/frequent-questions/

Edited June 20, 2014 by Salacia

[Host Hattie]

 

A question regarding your comment that "As it is they provide food, a nursery, cots, etc."...would you please refer me to the site where you found that information? I couldn't find any information about baby food, nursery, etc on the Cunard website. Thanks, -S.

 

P.S. I did find this limited statement: "We provide supervised activities for children aged two to 17 years throughout the day, and also offer free group supervision in the evening" quoted from http://www.cunard.com/frequent-questions/

 

This is on the Cunard UK website

 

Night Nursery

 

The Night Nursery is a quiet area created to enable an infant to sleep. It is open from 6.00pm to 11.00pm. This facility is available to children aged 12 months to 23 months and operates on a first come first served basis. In order to avoid waking other children we kindly ask you to settle your children before bringing them to the Night Nursery and ensure that they are settled to sleep before leaving them. Please ensure you sign your child both in and out with the Nursery Staff on duty and that you inform them of your whereabouts throughout the evening, you will also receive a pager should we need to contact you. This service is complimentary.

 

 

 

Each ship has the following number of beds and cots onboard:

•Queen Mary 2 has 6 travel cots (small beds in replacement where suitable)

•Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth have 3 cots in the Night Nursery.

 

Yes we can provide Hipp Organic baby food jars - Stage 1 (4 months +) and Stage 2 (7 months +) in an assortment of savoury and dessert flavours. Alternatively, we can puree/mash adult food from the main restaurant menu.

 

For younger babies or passengers requiring an alternative brand they will need to provide their own. All baby food requests are subject to availability and we cannot guarantee particular brands

 

Please ensure you advise our Customer Contact Centre 0843 374 0111 (calls charged at local rate) of your requirements at time of booking.

 

There is no extra charge for arranging baby foods and the above options can be taken to your cabin.

Bottle warmers and sterilisers are available upon request.

[Salacia]

Thanks Hattie. -S.

[Morgans]

Glad you have your stateroom sorted. Just to be aware that it is possible that on a world cruise your baby could possibly be the only one on board. We completed a good size portion of a world cruise this year and there was only one baby on some segments, and none on others .This could work to your advantage in that there will be no queues for the night nursery should you wish to use it but there will be no children of similar age for your little one to inter act with. The nurseries on boArd are good and the one on Queen Mary has a large outdoor area to utilise but there is no pool ( as I recall) for babies still in nappies . You may wish to bring a small paddling pool with you for use in hot weather for this reason.

[Salacia]

My travel agent advises me that Cunard does not permit a 1 year old to travel in the Q4 penthouse on the Queen Mary as a third passenger for a world cruise.

 

 

This strikes me as a little odd – as there should be plenty of space. Has anyone else experienced this? Is there a misunderstanding somewhere?

 

I just realized you previously posted a thread to ask about the 2017 World Cruise http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2058431

 

On this thread, you are asking about the 2015 World Cruise, correct? :confused:

[bkecky]

Hi bkecky. In all fairness, cruise lines accept passengers of all ages, with the expectation that they will exercise due diligence prior to booking. Any risk taken is our choice. That seems fair enough to me. BTW, here is what we all agree to when booking: http://www.cunard.com/legal-information/

 

A question regarding your comment that "As it is they provide food, a nursery, cots, etc."...would you please refer me to the site where you found that information? I couldn't find any information about baby food, nursery, etc on the Cunard website. Thanks, -S.

 

P.S. I did find this limited statement: "We provide supervised activities for children aged two to 17 years throughout the day, and also offer free group supervision in the evening" quoted from http://www.cunard.com/frequent-questions/

 

Hi Salacia,

 

Yeah, sure. There are a few links there referring to babies from the FAQs so posted them all in case they are of interest to the OP.

 

Nursery - "The Play Zone is a permanently supervised play area, for toddlers and children aged between 6 months* and 7 years, on all ships. *Infants aged 6 months and 2 years are welcome to participate in the Children’s programme with parental supervision."

https://ask.cunard.com/help/cunard/life-on-board/childrens_club

 

Food - "Yes we can provide Hipp Organic baby food jars - Stage 1 (4 months +) and Stage 2 (7 months +) in an assortment of savoury and dessert flavours. Alternatively, we can puree/mash adult food from the main restaurant menu."

https://ask.cunard.com/help/cunard/life-on-board/baby_food

 

Baby equipment - (referring to bottle warmers, sterillisers, booster chairs, high chairs, baby baths) https://ask.cunard.com/help/cunard/life-on-board/travel_cot

 

Baby changing facilities - https://ask.cunard.com/help/cunard/life-on-board/baby_changing

 

Baby lifejackets - https://ask.cunard.com/help/cunard/fleet/Life_jackets