Holiday Aloha on the Island Princess 12/22/05 to 1/6/06: A Review

[Franknca]

Another thing that irks me about the situation (besides Princess staff members' inaction) is that these kids' actions lends credence to many people's poor attitude about kids on cruiseships in general.

 

I agree. Our 5 grandchildren are well behaved and really enjoy cruising. However, unless we are traveling with them, we take cruises outside the time frame when schools would be out. In fact, we leave tomorrow and will be boarding the Sea Princess for a 14 day Caribbean cruise on Saturday.

Frank

[Sea-FAB]

You can see more examples of the ways this family hassled other passengers and crew members on the 12/22/05 IP roll call and in the review that Viva02 posted.

 

Does dropping tons of money in the casino give these parents the right to ignore their kids? This doesn’t speak well of Princess.

And lest you think this is a slam about Hispanics' date=' my daughter’s school is half Hispanic (through the mandate for the LAUSD for magnet schools in this area). Her schoolmates are well-behaved, friendly, caring...unlike the gang mentioned. I would imagine these parents would expect their kids to be polite to everyone else onboard and participate in the kids’ program, which exists, in my view, to keep kids active in the cruising experience and keep them from becoming bored, as well as giving parents the chance to enjoy time alone or indulging in adult activities such as the gambling, adult-oriented show, dancing, etc.

 

The only time I read anything about rules regarding children (besides no kids in the first few rows during shows) as I can remember was in the first day’s Patters about the pools: "Children must be supervised by an Adult at all times."

 

No wonder people are kvetching about not wanting to be on a cruise with many kids. I have never ever had a problem with children on a cruise before. And it makes me mad that this group of kids will make it difficult for the great kids who behave on vacation.

 

In the light of last year’s problems, Princess came up with the youth security. But Princess did not grant them any real authority. Princess should have come up with a policy about unsupervised kids and communicated it to any parents in the cruise docs. As I said before, make parents sign a pledge that their children will not be damaging property, will not be out of their cabin after midnight (New Years Eve can be an exception if they’re at the parties or with parents), and will be respecting other passengers and crew members.

 

And if this is the same family as was on the 2004 cruise, shame on Princess for inflicting them on a whole new group of passengers. They would know if it’s the same people so that wouldn’t be an excuse.

 

I would bet 99 per cent of the members of this board feel a major part of their cruising experience is meeting new people from all over. This family seemed more interested in themselves. Maybe someone should advise them just to rent a yacht for themselves so they don’t have to associate with the rest of us. And they can torment the crew without it affecting anyone else.

:mad: :mad: I was on the 2004 X-mas cruise and there was a group of children that where totally out of control, doing some of the same things you have said, also tossing deck chairs and a wheel chair into the pool. One night, setting on our balcony I had a drink rain down on me. I was hoping that Princess would do something that would control the problem. Like you said, it is not the children, it is the parents who refuse to control their children. Sea/Fab

[Franknca]

:mad: :mad: I was on the 2004 X-mas cruise and there was a group of children that where totally out of control, doing some of the same things you have said, also tossing deck chairs and a wheel chair into the pool. One night, setting on our balcony I had a drink rain down on me. I was hoping that Princess would do something that would control the problem. Like you said, it is not the children, it is the parents who refuse to control their children. Sea/Fab

 

From what I can tell, it happens every year and Princess does little or nothing about it. I think they had more security this past year, but it will keep happening until Princess has the guts to put these people ashore in Hawaii to find their own ways home. They don't need to kowtow as the holiday cruise always sells out at twice the going rate.

Frank

[Cruisin' Chick]

I'm just wondering which cruise this family is going on this year as the Island is sailing to the Mexican Riviera for a week around Christmas before continuing the Hawaiian run. Also wondering if this change was due to this family or they felt they can make more money this way.

[Franknca]

I'm just wondering which cruise this family is going on this year as the Island is sailing to the Mexican Riviera for a week around Christmas before continuing the Hawaiian run. Also wondering if this change was due to this family or they felt they can make more money this way.

 

I wasn't aware of this change in itinerary but then I don't ever plan to do a holiday sailing again. It looks to me like they are wanting to break the holiday into two sailings - one for Christmas and one for New Years. That way they can charge more for both trips. I preferred the one we took that included both Christmas and New Years.

Frank

[watergal]

Wonderful, well written review! We're on a November sailing and quite looking forward to some of the excursions but wanted to comment on your observations/experiences of the kidlets onboard. Having experienced something similar onboard a Costa cruise several years back, DH and I vowed we would never sail another cruise ship during a holiday season. Small children had the run of the casino, disco, major walkways, etc., and nothing was done about it by staff or security. Shrugged shoulders. C'est la vie. Perhaps their 'vie' but not mine. It escapes me why some parents feel it's their god given right to allow their little darlings to do as they please. We've all become so politically correct that these infantile antics are allowed to continue and we seethe in silence for fear we upset the politically correct 'boat.' No more. I've paid good money to enjoy a long awaited holiday and will absolutely not tolerate bad behavior - not in my home; not on my holiday. And my children are quite well adjusted with wonderful children of their own, who are considerate of others, thank you.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Thank you for your kind words. I recall reading that Costa doesn't have a kids' program. I think that unsupervised kids who are bored are going to run around causing problems. They need activities, they need their parents watching them (maybe better parenting would have kept a couple of boys out of the spa area on the Diamond last month) when they aren't in the fun zone, they need rules and guidelines of behavior.

[Grego]

Thank you Cruisin Chick for taking the time to write this extensive report. It answered a lot my questions regarding this particular voyage.

 

Our path is different from yours in that we visit Maui first then Oahu, Kauai, Kona and Hilo. I do hope that we take a clockwise path around the Big Island as we are on the Starboard side so the night viewing can be done from the cabin.

 

Greg

[happy cruzer]

Thanks for all the details. I really enjoyed your review.

 

A little off topic, regarding the toilet paper. I think the ships use that kind because of the special vacuum plumbing on the ship. Someone thought to bring their "good" stuff from home once and caused a big problem in the system.

 

Regarding the unruly kinds, I don't think the passengers should have to get involved in confrontations. Years ago I was on a heavily discounted cruise that had serious problems mostly related to families getting into confrontations and some people took it dangerously far. That's an old story but it makes me understand how upsetting that situation can be.

 

Again thanks for the great detailed review.:)

[Cruisin' Chick]

I'm glad I was able to help. I was working on an abbrevated version to submit for the main reviews section but unfortunately got too busy to finish it. Then I figured it was way too late to submit it.:o

[DesrtDrmr]

Thanks, Cruisin'Chick for the detailed review. It brought back so many nice memories of what has been our favorite cruise. I'm glad that we went in the Springtime, though, after reading about the gang on the Island's Christmas Cruise for the last three years. We were celebrating our 40th Anniversary, and so enjoyed the sea days, our Cruise Critic group, and the activities which you have mentioned.

It sounds like your daughter enjoyed the cruise despite her nasty encounter, and I wish we had discovered cruising when our now grown children were little..........what great family memoiries!

I'm looking forward to your NEXT cruise............and the review. :)

[cruisequeen10]

Thanks for the review. Now I am getting excited about this cruise. We are actually going on this cruise because it is my Sister and BIL's 10th wedding anniversary and they asked my mother and I to join them. I have been on a Christmas cruise in 1998 on the old Crown Princess to the Caribbean. There was a lack of the christmas spirit and festivities. They did a Christmas day dinner, but that was about all. Not too many decorations. Santa did appear, late because of someone fighting on the pool deck (he also doubled as the security person) for the kids. Regarding the shows, do they still do the "London Pub Night" and "If I were not upon this ship".

[senior lady]

We were on this cruise last month. It was a great cruise.

 

They haven't done "English Pub Night" for many yrs. Depending on the CC they usually do a "crew entertainment night" which includes the "famous........ If I weren't upon this ship" I can see that skit over and over again and still laugh!!!

 

On our Island cruise the CC didn't do it. I asked Billy why and he didn't have a reason. I told him that lots of people were disappointed.

 

 

As the Diamond is doing the 15 day Hawaii cruise this fall, things may be different.

 

Have a great cruise!!!

[mauiedin87]

Just read your very long and detailed Hawaii Trip Review and really enjoyed it. We took that cruise in March this year. Since we are retired (from teaching), we no longer have to travel over holidays when there are loads of unsupervised kids on cruise ships. On our last Panama Canal cruise 5 years ago (over Christmas/New Years), Celebrity's Infinity had 500 unruly Mexican pre-teens and teens on board which caused close to a mutiny among the passengers. The complaint lines at Passenger Services got very long! It got so bad, a number of families were kicked off the ship at various ports along the way. Wondering of those were the same people! It certainly soured us forever from taking another Celebrity cruise! Our next one is on the Island Princess 19 days out of L.A. (and returning to L.A.!) early next year.

[suziehmkr]

They haven't done "English Pub Night" for many yrs.

 

I was on the same cruise as Patty (2005/2006 holiday cruise)... and they did do the English Pub Night... They may have called it something else, but it was hilareous. It might have been because the Asst CD was British... but we thought it was very funny adult comedy.

 

OK - I looked it up - it was the London Pub Night... @ 10:15 on one of the sea days coming back from Hawaii. Again, I don't know if they only brought it back because Leah was British (she hosted it and I don't know what ship she is on now)... but it was funny!

[senior lady]

Like I said, I really think it depends on the CD. That's what makes cruising so great.. You can go on the same ship over and over again and with a different CD It can seem so different.

 

Our last 4 Princess cruises haven't had the "pub" night, just the crew night. Except for the Island Princess last month. It didn't have either!!!

[Cruisin' Chick]

Didn't go to the Pub night. We saw the salute to Broadway and a show by a guitarist/comedian. Also listened to some of the lounge musicians. Of course, hubby brought his guitar onboard, so some people got to hear his playing (Mommykim did give him a tip:p ).