Blue bands for kids

[mrs and mrs]

I've seen a few adults wearing them. Usually those of a certain age and impairment.

 

 

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wouldn't worry me if i had to wear one,mine would read Handle with Care,psychopathic but friendly.

[mamkmm2]

Last Carnival ship I was on, anyone under 16 was given a band and told to wear them during the entire cruise or get stopped by crew and returned to their parents.

 

Remember folks, this really isn't about your parenting, and isn't about what your kid may or may not like, it isn't about what is convenient, or whatever. It is absolutely about the cruise line protecting itself from legal battles because of accidents, etc. You really think they would spend all that time and money on armbands if they didn't feel they had to? :rolleyes:

Edited April 29, 2016 by mamkmm2

[ceilidh1]

I get the Disney bands as they have a chip in them that allows you to locate them. However, I'm not sure I really understand the purpose of the paper ones. On Princess, at least, if the kids are in the kids club and there is an emergency the parents are instructed to meet in a certain location - not at their muster stations. Are the bands are to enable staff to identify muster stations for kids not in kids club but without their parents? I would hope that these kids are of an age where they know the location of their muster station and wouldn't need to have a staff member take them there - after all, they have been allowed to roam the ship freely up until that point! Am I missing something? Do parents of YOUNG kids allow them to wander unattended? Not criticizing, just curious!

[mrs and mrs]

I get the Disney bands as they have a chip in them that allows you to locate them. However, I'm not sure I really understand the purpose of the paper ones. On Princess, at least, if the kids are in the kids club and there is an emergency the parents are instructed to meet in a certain location - not at their muster stations. Are the bands are to enable staff to identify muster stations for kids not in kids club but without their parents? I would hope that these kids are of an age where they know the location of their muster station and wouldn't need to have a staff member take them there - after all, they have been allowed to roam the ship freely up until that point! Am I missing something? Do parents of YOUNG kids allow them to wander unattended? Not criticizing, just curious!

 

Apparently not.The kids you see,roaming the hallways at night,playing in elevators,acting up in the adults pool area,crowding and jumping into spas,sitting at the pool bar ordering drinks(im lead to beieive,havent seen this one),helping themselves to food in the buffet,with there hands.Swimming in the main pool with diapers on,are all figments of our imagination and are the children of responsible parents.

Edited April 29, 2016 by mrs and mrs

[mamkmm2]

I get the Disney bands as they have a chip in them that allows you to locate them. However, I'm not sure I really understand the purpose of the paper ones. On Princess, at least, if the kids are in the kids club and there is an emergency the parents are instructed to meet in a certain location - not at their muster stations. Are the bands are to enable staff to identify muster stations for kids not in kids club but without their parents? I would hope that these kids are of an age where they know the location of their muster station and wouldn't need to have a staff member take them there - after all, they have been allowed to roam the ship freely up until that point! Am I missing something? Do parents of YOUNG kids allow them to wander unattended? Not criticizing, just curious!

 

They claim it is an age identifier and "for safety purposes." My guess is that there has been problems with some unaccompanied young people and that the band could very well be an excuse a crew member needs to step in without really drawing attention to the behavior so much. If you read all the rules and regs it clearly states that cruise lines reserve the right to restrict children and their movements on board for safety reasons.

 

Between pedophiles, sleezy pick up artists, underage drinking, drownings, and injuries the cruise lines are simply leery of minors. Or should I say the insurance companies of the cruise lines are leery of minors. Those kids programs weren't designed altruistically to keep the poor kiddies from being bored. Nope, they are a way to corral the age groups that can be problematic and give the grown ups more time to put things on their tab ... like the casino and the bars which the kids aren't supposed to be in in the first place.

 

The bands with a tracker on them is probably the way all of the ships will be going eventually but until they do, the band is at least an identifier so no one can say, "Whoops. I didn't know s/he was underage. My bad." :mad:

[mrs and mrs]

Finally some intelligence from someone who views the world as it really is:)

Im really amazed at how some people think that the real world ends when they step on a ship.WRONG,ships are and can become an activity for undesirable and criminal behaviour. I suggest if people have a prob with this,check out,website.International Cruise Victims or stroll off and pick up a series of books called Overboard.Enjoy,:),and especially read about the litigation cases against cruise lines and the methods that they use to prevent these.You are on the money my friend,but dont take my word for it.

[MawganTr]

Sounds similar to wearing bands in an all inclusive hotel - children and adults. It may not be ideal but necessary.

 

 

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[ceilidh1]

They claim it is an age identifier and "for safety purposes." My guess is that there has been problems with some unaccompanied young people and that the band could very well be an excuse a crew member needs to step in without really drawing attention to the behavior so much. If you read all the rules and regs it clearly states that cruise lines reserve the right to restrict children and their movements on board for safety reasons.

 

Between pedophiles, sleezy pick up artists, underage drinking, drownings, and injuries the cruise lines are simply leery of minors. Or should I say the insurance companies of the cruise lines are leery of minors. Those kids programs weren't designed altruistically to keep the poor kiddies from being bored. Nope, they are a way to corral the age groups that can be problematic and give the grown ups more time to put things on their tab ... like the casino and the bars which the kids aren't supposed to be in in the first place.

 

The bands with a tracker on them is probably the way all of the ships will be going eventually but until they do, the band is at least an identifier so no one can say, "Whoops. I didn't know s/he was underage. My bad." :mad:

 

Thanks - this makes far more sense to me than simply saying that the bands are to identify muster stations. Maybe if this was stated upfront more parents would be comfortable having their kids wear them. I, personally, have no problem with the bands (though my youngest is driven to distraction with his sensory issues - he is the kid that needs every tag cut out of his clothing...sigh) but I also don't allow my kids to roam freely onboard - if they are not in the kids program, they are with me!

 

I also think that the locator bands that Disney has are an absolute necessity for that particular line - the number of kids in their clubs and around the ship scared the heck out of me! At least I felt "safe" in the knowledge that if we did happen to get separated I would be able to track them down!

[cruisingram1]

It's been three years since our last RCCL cruise so can't speak for the other lines and things could have changed. But no one has ever indicated to us that the bands were for anything other than muster station identification in an emergency. They might serve a secondary purpose, but that purpose was never verbalized.

Parents are told (again on RCCL and I can't speak for the other lines as I don't recall those exact instructions) that in the event of an emergency, parents are to go to their muster station and their children in kids club would be brought to them. I just can't imagine tens of parents running around the ship trying to locate their children, cross crossing each other as they searched around. This seems like the most workable situation. (I think tracking devices are pretty useful too.) I certainly would not want to rely on the memory of a 5 year old to tell a counselor where they are supposed to be. I would think a 5 year old would be panicking if they saw people running to muster stations and crying for their parents. As for those kids who are out on deck alone, there are workers who can direct them to the right station.

My grandchildren were told this is the ships rule. You wear them if you want to go to kids club. They have been on 8 and 9 cruises from the time they were babies and never removed a band. They looked pretty beaten up after 7 days but you could still tell where the child belonged.

[LMaxwell]

Have not brought our son on Princess yet, but they did this on carnival and MSC. Since he was an infant they put it on his ankle. Had no trouble with it at all and never occurred to me to be "offended" by it. On each line the purpose was quickly and clearly explained and on the band went.

[ceilidh1]

I like that this thread has made me think of the "what ifs" that I haven't really considered before as my kids were too young to be anywhere other than kids club without me. On Princess, the kids club has specific instructions on where to meet n an emergency - assuming your child is at the club, you would go to this place and collect your child before going to your muster station. The child would remain under the supervision of a kids club staff member until collected by parents. I had never really thought about what happens to older kids who may not be in the club or have sign out priviledges, etc. I would hope that they would be old enough to know the location of the muster station, but it really does make me more aware of the fact that it is so important to instill that emergency plan into my kids minds should it ever be needed! I'm sure my 9 year old would do just fine, but the 5 year old would have no clue!

[sunsurf]

Dumb idea. No kid is going to keep a wristband on and intact for two weeks.[/OTE]

 

Both of mine did...for 10 days.

[sunsurf]

Ugh I hope this goes away before we sail this summer. A lot of other lines do this and my kids hate it as would I. No way would I want to wear a scratchy plastic bracelet 24/7 for a week.

 

But it's not "scratchy". It's like one of those bracelets when you go to an all inclusive. It's a great idea imo.

[snoopy5386]

But it's not "scratchy". It's like one of those bracelets when you go to an all inclusive. It's a great idea imo.

 

Still not something I'd want to wear or want my kids to wear 24/7, especially while sleeping. Or for that matter when we are all dressed in our finest for formal night I don't want some silly plastic bracelet in our formal pics. My kids are either with me or in the kids club so I don't see the need. If they were old enough to be on their own, then they'd be old enough to know their muster station.

[LMaxwell]

I think you mind more than your kids will. It's really not a big deal

[sabookkeeper]

I think you mind more than your kids will. It's really not a big deal

Perhaps if the parents were more positive about these wrist bands the children would not have such a problem with them.:confused:

[Roatanfans]

Nope- my kids hated them from the moment they were on- they are just like hospital bands in that they are not comfortable, but a hardish papery plastic. If they actually had a locater chip and were a soft, stretchy plastic- that worked like a cruise card for id purposes, I would be fine- these were uncomfortable (had no stretch to them unless you pulled on them which permanently deformed them). Not a well thought out process. I've seen the Disney bands and they would work much better then these!

[moki'smommy]

Nope- my kids hated them from the moment they were on- they are just like hospital bands in that they are not comfortable, but a hardish papery plastic. If they actually had a locater chip and were a soft, stretchy plastic- that worked like a cruise card for id purposes, I would be fine- these were uncomfortable (had no stretch to them unless you pulled on them which permanently deformed them). Not a well thought out process. I've seen the Disney bands and they would work much better then these!

 

Disney started off with the hospital band type in 1998...My daughter hated them and only wore them in the programming. They then went to the big, heavy, clunky ones that many kids objected to due to the weight before they finally moved into the current model that is lightweight and like the "magic bands" used in the parks and hotels. They are made with a mechanism that allows them to be removed easily for sleep, etc. if desired. Again, they are mandatory in the programming. They are much better than anything I've seen on other lines.

[sunsurf]

I think you mind more than your kids will. It's really not a big deal

 

THIS! Lol it's a blue wristband...on a childs wrist. It's there for a reson.

I can't imagine what else people complain about if they complain about something so minuscule

Edited May 2, 2016 by sunsurf

[shredie]

THIS! Lol it's a blue wristband...on a childs wrist. It's there for a reson.

I can't imagine what else people complain about if they complain about something so minuscule

 

Well, here we go. Every thread ends up the same way. Someone makes a remark about something they don't like, and then the self-righteous start piling on. Do you have children? Have you cruised on Princess since the start of this (apparently) trial period? Is it the case that you NEVER complain about anything (except, of course, to complain about other people's complaints)?

[LMaxwell]

Well, here we go. Every thread ends up the same way. Someone makes a remark about something they don't like, and then the self-righteous start piling on. Do you have children? Have you cruised on Princess since the start of this (apparently) trial period? Is it the case that you NEVER complain about anything (except, of course, to complain about other people's complaints)?

I have kids. They've worn the bands. Neither child nor parent complained. This is not self righteous or bashing. It's pointing out that these bands don't bother kids. It's a very trivial thing to get worked up over especially when the purpose of the band is for safety precautions. Just let it go and accept it.

 

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[shredie]

I have kids. They've worn the bands. Neither child nor parent complained. This is not self righteous or bashing. It's pointing out that these bands don't bother kids. It's a very trivial thing to get worked up over especially when the purpose of the band is for safety precautions. Just let it go and accept it.

 

Thanks for making my point (as usual.) I am not the OP, but I do believe her when she says the bands bothered her kids. I guess she forgot to check with you first since you are omnipotent and know what does and does not bother all children on earth.

 

It is possible to object to the bracelets in their current form and not, at the same time, object to keeping track of kids. It seems to me the numerous do-gooders in this thread who suggest that anyone who objects to the material of the bracelet is an unfit parent are the ones who are getting their panties in a knot.

Edited May 3, 2016 by shredie

[LMaxwell]

Thanks for making my point.

 

Not by a long shot, but thanks for playing.

[shredie]

As. Usual.

[DashOhQ]

Carnival would have these bands. My daughter didn't seem to mind. Our last Carnival cruise was in 2002 so I don't know if they're still being used.

 

They still were in summer 2014....