Ship departs Port without Parents, What Happens to Child on-board!?

[StormTight]

Okay ... we've all chuckled, laughed, and made comments about those late-comers at a port that just missed getting on-board ... and ship is seen leaving without them.

My question is ... does anyone have first-hand knowledge of how the cruise line handles a (their) child that was on-board, such as, left in the child's "day-camp" while the parents were off ship?

Please, not looking for snide remarks about the parents "failure", as my question could encompass many other unusual circumstances ... just a real parents' worst nightmare ... just wondering if anyone has first-hand knowledge of the facts of what / how the cruise line handles that child!

 

Thanks!

Edited July 9, 2019 by StormTight
clarify question.

[Essiesmom]

At least one ship has left parents behind, but I believe that was because there was extended family onboard that could be responsible for the kids.  If that was not the case, I think there would be an all out effort to find the tardy parents.  EM

[DarrenM]

If its noticed early enough I believe the children are thrown overboard, as long as they can swim.

[Cruseforme]

Actually, this question was asked 2 years ago, when this occurred on a cruise ship.  The cruise lawyer, and cruiseline in question answered that they will get the parents back onto the ship ASAP, however, it it at the parents cost.  It cost these parents $20k to get an emergency shuttle to the ship, and were reunited with their 2 children within hours. They were charged after the trip, and tried to get out of paying, but were unsuccessful .   

[DarrenM]

On a serious note, what self respecting and loving parent would leave a child on a cruise ship whilst they go off enjoying a new City/port/island??????

[DarrenM]

I mean, I am sure my children would have loved to see a new place just as much as I would, and would get just as much enjoyment from it.

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

30 minutes ago, DarrenM said:

On a serious note, what self respecting and loving parent would leave a child on a cruise ship whilst they go off enjoying a new City/port/island??????

Totally, totally agree.

[Zach1213]

1 hour ago, DarrenM said:

If its noticed early enough I believe the children are thrown overboard, as long as they can swim.

 

This is true, I've seen it

[Capt_BJ]

in the first years of Disney Cruise Line - who rewrote the book for cruising with kids - they would not allow you to leave the ship with the kids in the club (we sailed first year of both M and W) ... I believe the clubs were CLOSED, except for the kid area on Castaway where they had a good idea where the parents were.

 

When I saw this policy had changed I was shocked frankly .... what a high risk thing to do.  Not to mention the parents being left behind, what if the child gets hurt or just "want's mama"

 

We're well past the concerned ages but would I do it . . . . . 

[Cruiser_1977]

Do cruise lines allow parents to leave their minor children alone on a ship (yes, including kids club)? For example, Mom, Dad, son (age 5), daughter (age 8) are the only family on the ship. Mom and Dad can truly leave the ship without the kids?!?!? What if the kid(s) get injured or sick? I get it if there is an adult (over 18) sibling, aunt, uncle, grand, etc. I just can't imagine anyone would feel okay doing this.

 

When I was in Cozumel in January there was a couple in front of me to disembark. The person manning the exit scanned their cards and asked where their kid was. They pointed to grandma and the kid in the line next to ours.

Edited July 9, 2019 by JennyB1977

[DarrenM]

Wherever I have ever been on holiday my wife and I never put our kids into any kids club. I find the concept of them bizarre. Forced fun for kids, whose parents want free time.

 

We went on holiday together, and we played together.

 

To leave them in a kids club on a cruise ship whilst the parents bog off to Barcelona, I find Horrific.

 

 

[SantaFeFan]

2 hours ago, StormTight said:

Okay ... we've all chuckled, laughed, and made comments about those late-comers at a port that just missed getting on-board ... and ship is seen leaving without them.

My question is ... does anyone have first-hand knowledge of how the cruise line handles a (their) child that was on-board, such as, left in the child's "day-camp" while the parents were off ship?

Please, not looking for snide remarks about the parents "failure", as my question could encompass many other unusual circumstances ... just a real parents' worst nightmare ... just wondering if anyone has first-hand knowledge of the facts of what / how the cruise line handles that child!

 

Thanks!

 

I doubt if the cruise lines would allow parents to leave the ship while their child was in the cruise line's care. The liability issues would be astronomical. 

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

42 minutes ago, SantaFeFan said:

 

I doubt if the cruise lines would allow parents to leave the ship while their child was in the cruise line's care. The liability issues would be astronomical. 

I agree with you. But are they not in the cruise lines care at the children's center? 

[SantaFeFan]

8 minutes ago, twodaywonder said:

I agree with you. But are they not in the cruise lines care at the children's center? 

 

Yes, but if the parents are on board, if an emergency occurs or the child wants their parents, the parents just are minutes away. It's a completely different story if the parents are completely inaccessible while on a private tour or wandering around on their own, where contacting the parents may not be possible until they return, which could be hours away.

 

Daycare on a cruise ship is unlike a licensed daycare center at home that a parent has established a long term relationship with, and are always within a phone call away. 

Edited July 9, 2019 by SantaFeFan

[Velvetwater]

I always thought parents could not leave their kids in the club and go ashore...maybe I guessed wrong.

 

I would imagine security/child staff would stay with the children in the cabin til the next port...a bit like the night in cabin babysitting service?

[spookwife]

Parents leave their kids on board all the time.  If there are no other adults who can pinch hit, then the cruiseline assigns 24 hour babysitting.  I wanna say two of them.  This is charged to the parents on board account.  Mum and dad have to meet the ship at the next port at their expense.  

[brillohead]

I left my son on board a Princess ship while his father and I rode scooters around St. Maarten.  My son was 4yo and totally enamored with the kids club.  

The island is small, and we kept track of the time and were back well in advance of all-aboard.  We had a great day, and he had a great day -- isn't that what a vacation is all about?  

[LoriPhil]

My folks would have happily left DS and me in the daycare center if it meant they had some time being together doing adult adventures - particularly if an excursion would have been taxing or uninteresting to us kiddos. 

[clo]

2 hours ago, DarrenM said:

Forced fun for kids

Our daughters and now grands didn't/don't want every minute with their parents.  We're kinda boring a lot of the time.

[Katyoparty]

I want to say it was about 20 years ago we took our sons on a Disney ship--they were 18 and 10 and we left our younger son in the Oceaneers club and took our older son to the Atlantis casino to gamble for his first time. We were gone a couple of hours and nothing bad happened. Our younger son loved playing the giant Nintendo and hanging with the other kids. 

[clo]

27 minutes ago, brillohead said:

I left my son on board a Princess ship while his father and I rode scooters around St. Maarten.  My son was 4yo and totally enamored with the kids club.  

The island is small, and we kept track of the time and were back well in advance of all-aboard.  We had a great day, and he had a great day -- isn't that what a vacation is all about?  

We weren't 'helicopter' parents and our daughters aren't either.  But what if there had been a big emergency.  An emergency where a parent had to make a medical decision.  And if the parent was unavailable then the medical staff makes the decision.  That gets beyond my comfort level.

[clo]

1 minute ago, Katyoparty said:

We were gone a couple of hours and nothing bad happened.

I don't shock easily but these responses are honestly blowing my mind.  Does the cruise line have you fill out a power of attorney for medical care for the child?

[brillohead]

3 minutes ago, clo said:

We weren't 'helicopter' parents and our daughters aren't either.  But what if there had been a big emergency.  An emergency where a parent had to make a medical decision.  And if the parent was unavailable then the medical staff makes the decision.  That gets beyond my comfort level.

If there's a medical emergency, wouldn't you want medical personnel making the decision??????

 

I've never understood this argument.... unless the kid needs brain surgery and the parent happens to be a brain surgeon, chances are that the medical personnel are the best people to make medical decisions. 

Edited July 10, 2019 by brillohead

[brillohead]

2 minutes ago, clo said:

I don't shock easily but these responses are honestly blowing my mind.  Does the cruise line have you fill out a power of attorney for medical care for the child?

 

Power of attorney is not needed, on land or at sea.

Life-saving medical treatment will take place with or without parents being there.  

If your kid gets run over in the street a block away from your house and taken to the hospital by ambulance, the doctors aren't going to let your kid just die because they don't have you there to sign a form.  

[clo]

Just now, brillohead said:

If there's a medical emergency, wouldn't you want medical personnel making the decision??????

 

I've never understood this argument.... unless the kid needs brain surgery and the parent happens to be a brain surgeon, chances are that the the medical personnel are the best people to make medical decisions. 

There are decisions for instance like save the life and have someone be comatose for the rest of their life.  Should a limb be amputated and what are the alternatives.  I have a ton of medical background and there are simply times that it's not black or white.  Countless other examples.