Starting to feel paranoid about first cruise. Reassurance needed..

[Laurie7724]

So we decided to take our 6 year old grandson on a cruise. We are first time cruisers and very excited about it. Just finished booking the Carnival Magic and now the nerves are setting in. I keep thinking about my grandson slipping off the boat and falling into the water. Especially now with the latest over-boards that have happened. So I start looking at pictures of the Magic waterworks area. From what I see there is just a regular railing around this area? Is there any kind of glass in between those rails? And how high are they? I would think around a child's area like this there would be floor to ceiling walls but it doesn't seem that way by the pictures. It looks like the rails are far enough apart where he could slip through. Of course he will never be out of our site but still worried. We also booked a cove balcony which I know has a lock on the door and he will not be allowed out on it without either myself or my husband yet now I am starting to worry about that also. Those rails also look like they are far apart! He is a tall 6 year old at about 49 inches in height. He is not a rambunctious child but nonetheless I am still worrying myself sick! Looking for some reassurance from all you experienced cruisers to help put my mind at ease. :eek:

[Doggielover68]

Thousands and thousands of cruisers vacation every day without incident. The stories you hear of people falling overboard are not usually purely "accidents." With supervision and common sense, there really is nothing to worry about. The only thing to worry about is an addiction to cruises. Your bank account will not be pleased!

 

 

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[bury me at sea]

Oh my goodness. Relax. People do not and cannot fall overboard. Something has to happen to cause going over the railings.

 

Register your grandchild for camp on-line. Care for him as you would at home. The main dining room has a good kids menu. Soft serve ice cream is free all day.

 

The Magic is a great ship for families.

 

Read the Funtimes every night and you will find plenty to do to keep all of you happy. I think you are giving him a wonderful gift.

[Chervil]

When you think of all the people you have heard going overboard, how many of those were children?

 

The rails on most cruise ships are around 42" tall and even though it may not be evident from the photos, there is a sheet of plexiglass at the lower rungs of most railings to keep the kids from slipping through.

 

As long as you keep an eye on him, he will be fine!

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Also, as a tip, if you have the soda package, get some root beer and then hit the self serve ice cream for a Root Beer Float!

I didn't see anywhere on board that served them so we made our own!

[Joebucks]

Cruise ships have certain safety standards to meet. No matter what you do, you can't prevent idiots from trying to stand on them. Relax and enjoy the vacation.

[Shaded Lady]

We are taking our 9 YO grandson on a cruise next year... I'm more worried about him at that age than I would have been when he was 6! At 6 he was still listening to everything Grandma said and did what he was told. Now, he's convinced he knows everything and he's invincible!

 

The only thing that allows me to sleep at night is 1) knowing his parents will be on the cruise, so whatever happens, I'll just blame them LOL! 2) the ship is well-prepared to deal with daredevil kids, and while accidents can happen, the big things, like falling overboard, are VERY hard to accomplish.

 

So relax and enjoy this wonderful experience with your grandson. You're building memories that are just so precious!

[E@syPe@zy]

I think if you look at the photos in this link you will see very clearly that the water works area for small children is very well enclosed.

https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/DP/deckplans/slideshow-deckpics.php?ship

 

Put your swim suits on and enjoy your grandson having a blast. Everything will be fine. He will have so much to do that at night he will be worn out and sleep all night.

[Keith1010]

You will be fine.

 

Just took three grand children on a cruise. One was 5 and 1/2 and always runs around and did very well.

 

Have a wonderful time. It will be great.

 

Keith

[chengkp75]

So we decided to take our 6 year old grandson on a cruise. We are first time cruisers and very excited about it. Just finished booking the Carnival Magic and now the nerves are setting in. I keep thinking about my grandson slipping off the boat and falling into the water. Especially now with the latest over-boards that have happened. So I start looking at pictures of the Magic waterworks area. From what I see there is just a regular railing around this area? Is there any kind of glass in between those rails? And how high are they? I would think around a child's area like this there would be floor to ceiling walls but it doesn't seem that way by the pictures. It looks like the rails are far enough apart where he could slip through. Of course he will never be out of our site but still worried. We also booked a cove balcony which I know has a lock on the door and he will not be allowed out on it without either myself or my husband yet now I am starting to worry about that also. Those rails also look like they are far apart! He is a tall 6 year old at about 49 inches in height. He is not a rambunctious child but nonetheless I am still worrying myself sick! Looking for some reassurance from all you experienced cruisers to help put my mind at ease. :eek:

 

The railings are at least 42" high, and any open railings will have the horizontal rails set about 10" apart. The railings in the waterworks area have closely spaced vertical balusters. The railings at the ship's side and many areas of internal railings have tempered glass below the top rail. It appears from photos that I see, that the railings around the waterworks area at the ship's side appear to be about 6-8 feet high, and tempered glass to keep water spray from other areas of the ship (balconies below).

 

People who have gone overboard from cruise ships have either been "helped" over by someone, or have decided to climb on the railing to jump overboard, or who have climbed up and sat on the railing and fallen off. It is almost impossible to "accidentally" fall overboard.

[Cruisin 4 Ever]

I can totally understand your fear. It's scary to be responsible for your grandchild when it seems like there is some potential danger. My daughter is 24, we cruise all the time and I still remind her every time not to think about doing selfies on a railing or sit on the railing for any reason. LOL

I have NEVER heard of a child falling off a ship. In every case where someone has fallen off, they were sitting on the rail (which your grandson would be too small to even climb up on), were drunk, jumped off intentionally or was pushed off. This will not happen with your grandson. There is NO ROOM between the slats to get through even for a thin 6 year old. I have seen some VERY active children on cruises, and again, none were able to fall off the ship.

You are going to have an amazing time. He will be safe. Make sure you sign him up for the kids club to get a little down time for the grandparents. He will be very well supervised while he is in the kids club.

I hope you have a fantastic time with your little guy!!

[Crusin Karen]

When you think of all the people you have heard going overboard, how many of those were children?

 

The rails on most cruise ships are around 42" tall and even though it may not be evident from the photos, there is a sheet of plexiglass at the lower rungs of most railings to keep the kids from slipping through.

 

As long as you keep an eye on him, he will be fine!

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Also, as a tip, if you have the soda package, get some root beer and then hit the self serve ice cream for a Root Beer Float!

I didn't see anywhere on board that served them so we made our own!

What the others said about safety. I have 6 young grandchildren of my own and can understand your "fear" but he will be fine and you will have memories to last a lifetime. I envy you! Another fun "ice cream float" idea: get a tall plastic glass from a bar on Lido, fill 1/2 with lemonade and 1/2 with vanilla soft serve. YUM! Have a wonderful cruise!

[marshhawk]

What they said. I was six when we moved overseas, and we moved by ship. One, the size of the ship is intimidating enough to a child to keep him close. There are activities (camp Carnival) where he can spend his day with kids his own age, doing and making age appropriate things. Gives you some downtime to not be watching him 24/7. (when I was little it was movies, and tea time, and little parties...cruising has come a long way). Make sure you do plan shore excursions for the family, that when you are off the ship, your little one is seeing the countries you are visiting. Traveling in the best education.

 

Nope, except for one child falling in the ship, I have never read about a sober thinking person falling off the ship.

[sanger727]

You can’t ‘slip off the boat and fall into the water’. The only way to fall over a railing is to climb on top of it and lean over. This happened to a child not too long ago in the atrium. And it happens time to time to adults. But generally that’s due to people trying to hurt themselves or being drunk and stupid. Stress to children to NEVER climb up a railing. Outside of that, you won’t have any problems.

 

 

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[katrina915]

You will have a great time. Just be extra careful at the pool. Can get crowded.

 

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[Caaake]

My boy has been cruising with his grandma since he was 3 or 4. You and your grandson will be fine and have a wonderful time!

[evandbob]

Best safety measure for kids is to supervise them closely, utilize the kids' cruise programs, and make sure all their vaccinations are up to date prior to sailing. Teach them (I know, I know, they probably won't listen, so you have have to actuallyt help them do it) to wash their hands often and thoroughly. Have them wear the safety vests provided in any of the pools, and keep them out of the hot tubs.

[heids32]

We will be taking our 4th cruise with kids in a couple of weeks, our youngest was 10 for his first one. I understand your concerns! Even though I know the railings are sufficient I still worry - as moms/grandmas that’s our job[emoji6]. Even at 13 & 15 you can bet I will remind them of ‘safety rules’ again even though they may roll their eyes me. As others have said, it is very unlikely to accidentally fall over. I am sure you will have a great time and make a lot of wonderful memories!

 

Heidi

 

 

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[Daphne'sMom]

I really think you will feel more comfortable once you are on board and see how everything is setup first hand. My Mother was always concerned about someone going overboard or falling off the edge of the ship. I finally convinced her to accompany me on a Mother/Daughter cruise last year. She had a great time (thank-you Splendor staff!), and apparently now feels it is safe enough that she is taking the whole family on a cruise this spring:D This will be the first cruise for 6 family members including my 5 year old grandson. He is super active but I am not concerned other than the first day when he will want to see & do everything all at once while experiencing bouts of selective hearing;p And even then I won''t be worried about his safety so much but that he will be running in front of people, being super loud an other 5 year old behaviors...

Edited February 4, 2018 by Daphne'sMom

[jjcruiselover]

We have taken our 9 year old granddaughter on 13 cruises (mostly without her Mom) and I have never had a worry about the railings or her falling overboard. I worry more now that she is older and loves to spend more time in the pool than the kiddie area of the waterworks. The pools get very crowded and it is hard to see what is going on in the water all time.

Be sure to take him to the kids club the first day so he can make friends early in the cruise. If he likes it, like most do, he will want to spend a lot of time there and it will free up your time to do things you are interested in doing. We love the time we spend with our granddaughter but also like to enjoy doing things that are boring to her.

If he doesn't like to sit a long time for dinner, the kids club have a meal time with the other kids and you can enjoy a leisurely adult dinner. My girl loves the dining room and insists we go every night. She loves prime rib,pork chops and the desserts. Be sure to try the banana split on the kids menu as it is awesome and many adults order it without kids at the table.

We love having her with us and being able to spoil her at the same time. Go and enjoy and I am sure when you come home you will wonder what your were worried about in the first place.

[Laurie7724]

Thank you everyone for taking time out to reply to my post. You all have definitely made me feel much better and put my mind at ease. Thanks again :)

[Sun4Me2Please]

I think I may have posted to a different post of yours about being nervous about the Cove Balcony. Your Grandson will be fine. You need to take a few deep breaths and not work yourself up over it. You want to enjoy your cruise as well. This will be our 3rd Cruise with our Granddaughter she is 7, tall for her age as well. She was 3 1/2 years old on her first cruise, and loved it! Once we got her to try Camp Carnival we had to pry her away some evenings. (we always stayed together during the day hours) She was 6 1/2 last year and still had a great time. She even went to CC on the sea days for an hour or so. She decided to have a few dinners with her CC friends that she met, and also would play with them if they were out and about on the sea days. Your Grandson will be fine, just remember to enjoy yourself as well! Have fun :)

[Cuervosar]

So we decided to take our 6 year old grandson on a cruise. We are first time cruisers and very excited about it. Just finished booking the Carnival Magic and now the nerves are setting in. I keep thinking about my grandson slipping off the boat and falling into the water. Especially now with the latest over-boards that have happened. So I start looking at pictures of the Magic waterworks area. From what I see there is just a regular railing around this area? Is there any kind of glass in between those rails? And how high are they? I would think around a child's area like this there would be floor to ceiling walls but it doesn't seem that way by the pictures. It looks like the rails are far enough apart where he could slip through. Of course he will never be out of our site but still worried. We also booked a cove balcony which I know has a lock on the door and he will not be allowed out on it without either myself or my husband yet now I am starting to worry about that also. Those rails also look like they are far apart! He is a tall 6 year old at about 49 inches in height. He is not a rambunctious child but nonetheless I am still worrying myself sick! Looking for some reassurance from all you experienced cruisers to help put my mind at ease. :eek:

 

Just make sure to keep the kid in a PFD with a leash attached at all times and you’ll be fine.

[coevan]

funny, I've seen it and I hate it. Never saw those when we were kids, we held hands

[MissesB4409]

Hello. So I am going on my 5th cruise in May, but my first one with my boys who are 4 and 6. I totally understand your worry. I don't know why on Earth I did this, but one night decided to read about people falling overboard and accidents on cruise ships. I ended up awake most of that night wondering if we made a mistake booking a cruise with the kids. Then I realized that I was overreacting. Almost all of the incidents with people going overboard involved alcohol. It was usually a domestic fight or suicide. And the ones that were actual accidents, were because someone sat up on the railing trying to get a good picture or something. Basically, as long as your grandson isn't trying to climb the railings or sit on them, you will be fine with no worries. My 4 year old thinks he is a monkey and tries to climb and jump off of everything. I already know I am going to have to keep a very watchful eye on him, but not worried about anything happening under normal walking or viewing circumstances. Also, I did read about 2 kids who fell over the atrium railings/stairwells, so if you worry about your grandson climbing railings, also pay close attention to him inside as well.

[famof4togo]

We cruised with my son last year (he was 6) and will cruise again next month with him at 7...your grandson will be fine...I was worried too prior to taking him but there is no reason for to worry...my son wouldn't even go near the edge out of his own fear and even if he did he wouldn't have fallen over...they are much too preoccupied with all the fun activities etc so be interested in the rails at the edges of the boat...

 

One piece of advise...I did take him to kids club reluctantly the first time (had to bribe him with $20 for the arcade just to go) and when we went to pick him up we were 5 minutes early and he asked us to come back in 5 minutes because he was having too much fun to leave just then and wanted to go every waking hour after that night...so even if he doesn't think he wants to go to Kids club or he's shy etc....I suggest having him go the first night to see if he enjoys it as much as my son did...