Children misbehaving on Voyager

[poncho1973]

Some of us little old ladies ARE lawyers...! I applaud OP for making sure that RCL is aware of the problem, and not just leaving it on the ship. If a particular ship's Security and Pursar's Desk aren't responding to a problem effectively, RCL has no way of knowing unless passengers follow up when they're off the ship. Maybe they need more training, or maybe their staff was short-handed. Either way, unruly kids on cruises can definitely give a cruiseline a bad rep.

 

A lot of people play lawyers on internet forums. Apparently, Google search and attitude > highfalutin schoolin' and learnin'. At least in their eyes.

 

:D

[Got2Cruise]

How was this group of ten kids out of 1500 pax able to find you wherever you went?

Edited July 26, 2016 by Got2Cruise

[MikeNJ1109]

There's never any excuse for idiots behaving badly. If what was described by the OP actually occurred as described (and I have no reason to doubt their description), then there is plenty of blame to spread around, from the parents to RCL security.

 

That said, my wife and I have cruised many times over the years and have seen more instances of ADULTS acting like morons (nee "Drunk and Disorderly") than children acting out -- and frankly, most of the kids we've seen on board have been very well behaved and having a great time (as they should), and under proper supervision by their parents.

 

Lucky? Perhaps, but that's been our experience.

 

Michael

[Tommy3putts]

Some of us little old ladies ARE lawyers...! I applaud OP for making sure that RCL is aware of the problem, and not just leaving it on the ship. If a particular ship's Security and Pursar's Desk aren't responding to a problem effectively, RCL has no way of knowing unless passengers follow up when they're off the ship. Maybe they need more training, or maybe their staff was short-handed. Either way, unruly kids on cruises can definitely give a cruiseline a bad rep.

 

 

 

Has the OP by posting the issue here three months later really made RCI aware of the problem? Venting here is one thing, but if it were as bad as the OP made it sound, I'd have certainly elevated this fairly quickly post cruise.

 

Agree with a previous poster, a smartphone video can be your best friend in these cases.

[ozscot01]

Looking at the timeline this certainly seems to have been a cruise in Australian waters and I'm frankly astonished that it was allowed to continue. Your average Aussie adult is nowhere near as reluctant to become involved in these situations as are other nationalities. We're not quite as PC or afraid of litigious parents.

Having cruised on Voyager just last year we had no such issues and In fact had a passenger confined to his cabin, security posted outside, for a number of sea days. He was met by police at the next port of call.

Children were promptly dispatched from the Solarium, called on for running around the pool and certainly did not patrol the ship in groups.

It seems that the OP was exceedingly unlucky, both in encountering this group and in the security staff on board at the time.

To the other poster concerned about cruising Singapore to Sydney, please don't be. The number of children onboard repositioning cruises is generally much lower.

As an aside, the national sport of Australians is actually having fun, and many of us manage to do that while sober!!

[Embl]

To those who doubt, that's fine. To those who are incredulous, that's fine too. Nothing will change the fact that this situation happened exactly as posted.

Edited July 26, 2016 by Embl

[cruising sister]

To those who doubt, that's fine. To those who are incredulous, that's fine too. Nothing will change the fact that this situation happened exactly as posted.

 

I believe you that this happened. As a pediatrician I deal daily with parents who refuse, are afraid or are in denial of their children's behavior. Kids are fast and strong and ships aren't that big. I have sailed during spring break and have had no problem and will continue to cruise when convenient for me.

[payitforward]

Why do I get the feeling that some of the people saying this could not have happened, or that a small group of children can't bully and intimidate are the same people who let their own kids run wild on the ship while feeling certain that they're little angels?

[Reader0108598]

I believe you that this happened. As a pediatrician I deal daily with parents who refuse, are afraid or are in denial of their children's behavior. Kids are fast and strong and ships aren't that big. I have sailed during spring break and have had no problem and will continue to cruise when convenient for me.

 

Careful ,you may be accused of being an internet pediatrician! :D

[Reader0108598]

Why do I get the feeling that some of the people saying this could not have happened, or that a small group of children can't bully and intimidate are the same people who let their own kids run wild on the ship while feeling certain that they're little angels?

 

Because ,you are very perceptive....lol:D

[kearney]

Juniors Mom & Dad would probably sue you for filming the little angel, with out their permission.

 

In our society they would win!:(

 

Reader

 

Good point.... I hadn't thought about that....

[makiramarlena]

I'm fascinated enough by threads like this to occasionally read them. I get to wonder what goes on inside the heads of such intolerant people.

 

We seem to know that what ever behaviour was being exhibited here that it fell short of the point of any substantive intervention from the ship's staff. So, we're somewhere between the gay banter of young children enjoying themselves and the limit of behaviour that adults are held to.

 

Here we have some people whose holiday was enormously supported by the financial contribution of others (they were not on a private charter) and they're complaining that they couldn't have the holiday they might have chosen had they paid for the entire experience themselves.

 

Shared environments implies a shared experience. You get what those around you choose to contribute. There are limits and these were worked within.

 

It's tough luck really and it's hardly surprising the cruise line is trying to ignore you.

 

You can vote with your feet if you want to. If enough follow you then you might effect change. If you're walking alone you'll have the opportunity to learn something about yourselves.

 

As for our family we choose cruise lines aligned to our tastes. For example, we don't travel on P&O Australia since there's far to many drunk Australian's for our liking (being drunk is the national pastime in New Zealand and Australia - and it's an extremely popular pastime at that). For us, a screaming happy kid (using any language) is vastly preferential to a drunk adult.

 

this would make sense if the OP's first post indicated that he or she was being intolerant of happy screaming young children rather than what sounds a lot like a group of bored teenagers who have decided that being abusive to other passengers is fun. Which does crop up occasionally on cruises. there's at least one allegation that they pushed an elderly woman down. Swore at them, etc.

 

Of course if you want to avoid such things entirely the only real way to do it is to plan to take your cruises at times of year where there are the fewest number of passengers under the age of 18 (such as while most of them are in school) because cruise lines don't really want to go after the families once the parents have made it clear that their kids are free to do whatever they want. I think this is likely to happen in instances where ship's officials speak to the parents and the parents tell them to bug off. At that point, it is going to take a lot to get anything done.

Edited July 27, 2016 by makiramarlena

[TC1957]

I have a question. Who gives a rats rear what adults have done on other cruises? It is completely irrelevant to the events that seem to have occurred on THIS cruise. The "Well, they did it" excuse is for kindergarten kids...adults should understand that people should be held accountable for their actions and just because someone isn't doesn't mean we stop holding all others accountable.

 

As for what RCI can do three months later? Oh, I don't know...maybe let the OP know they actually care about their passengers safety and want them to have a WOW experience while on THEIR property, apologize for the on-board staff that apparently didn't do their jobs and assure them they would look into the matter and stress that such instances are not to be tolerated...even providing additional training where necessary.

[marbat105]

I find it surprising, and sad that none of your fellow passengers were willing to intercede on your behalf. If we, especially my DH had witnessed that, we would have spoken up. Have done it before and will do it again. Bullies usually scatter when called on their behavior. And parents too.

[Reader0108598]

I find it surprising, and sad that none of your fellow passengers were willing to intercede on your behalf. If we, especially my DH had witnessed that, we would have spoken up. Have done it before and will do it again. Bullies usually scatter when called on their behavior. And parents too.

 

 

 

I second this post :).Although it would have been I ,who interceded before DH :D,

 

Reader

[Reader0108598]

I have a question. Who gives a rats rear what adults have done on other cruises? It is completely irrelevant to the events that seem to have occurred on THIS cruise. The "Well, they did it" excuse is for kindergarten kids...adults should understand that people should be held accountable for their actions and just because someone isn't doesn't mean we stop holding all others accountable.

 

As for what RCI can do three months later? Oh, I don't know...maybe let the OP know they actually care about their passengers safety and want them to have a WOW experience while on THEIR property, apologize for the on-board staff that apparently didn't do their jobs and assure them they would look into the matter and stress that such instances are not to be tolerated...even providing additional training where necessary.

 

 

 

lol :D "rats rear" .......love it!

 

Also think you are spot on. Make them accountable!!

[toxicfairy]

The sad part is these children have the same parents that if something was to happened to their " little angel" would have sued the pants of the cruise line. You hear all the time how a child "fell"over the railing or "slipped" into a pool. We all know you have to climb o be lifted over the railings. But the family always sues. What if one of these elderly people was to have had enough and decided the next time "little johnny demon spawn" and his band of misfits was to run by and "bump" him or his wife , He tripped him ? The kid would have gotten hurt and the parents would be outraged. Those same Parents that don't care who their kid is hurting as long as mommy and daddy can enjoy their cruise they paid for. My dad is "Elderly" thank God he wasn't on that cruise ...that would have been the WRONG elderly person to mess with. He would have dragged the bugger kicking an screaming back to the parents cabin! Dad doesn't mess around when it come to kids and manners.