Cruising with a 2 yrd old-bad idea?

[triplelutz]

cruisingqt is right, families aren't going to stop cruising just because there a few folks who don't like kids on a cruise. For those of you like Tef and Liv (I don't mean to pick on you, but you are rather vocal in your opinions!;) ), rather than continue your anti-kid comments, give some reasonable ideas on how to make some changes that would make your experience better.

I think one thing that could really help is to make parent sign-in and out mandatory through the 9 to 11 age group. I just don't think that kids this age need to have the freedom to walk around the ship - most of them don't have the self-control necessary to have this freedom.

I don't know how well it would go over, but maybe have families with kids under age 12 restricted to the early dining time. That way they would most likely go to the early show as well, thus freeing up the later dinner and show for those without young children.

Any other ideas?

[triplelutz]

I've got a toddler - want to pottytrain her?! :D

[basketsiam]

I have to say that not all parents "dump" their kids in Camp Carnival all day, nor do all parents allow their children to run wild on the ship. I believe that the parents who allow their kids free run of the ship are also the parents that allow their children to run free in other places unsupervised.....ballgames, shopping malls, etc. Kids need to be supervised wherever they are, and that's part of being a parent.

When it comes to Camp Carnival, my 7 year-old daughter usually spends all day with us......She accompanies us into port, eats meals with us in the main dining room, and we love having her with us. (She has better manners than many adults that I've seen.) Once dinner is over, however, she begs to visit Camp Carnival!!!! She is a very social child and enjoys this time as well as time with us. She is not, however, permitted to run around the ship on her own.

[VentureMan_2000]

1) Leashes.

2) Electrically charged collers or belts that parents must wear that go off when their child wanders more than 50 feet away from their them.

3) cages.

4) Firepoles for kids instead of elevators (they can take the stairs back up to burn off some of their energy).

5) Good kids/good parents dinner seating.

6) Bad kids/bad parents dinner seating.

[mnhenderson]

[quote name='triplelutz']I've got a toddler - want to pottytrain her?! :D[/QUOTE]


If you live anywhere near Baltimore Ohio.... Bring her on over. :) Some of my secrets are star charts,prize buckets,(achieve3 stars get a small prize)and a little thing we call the potty dance.(to be performed upon completion of the successful potty trip.) ;) And one thing that has never worked for me is pull ups.While they are easier on and off,there is no substitute for the wet feel of training pants.Good Luck! Mariann

[Guest Time2gocruzn]

[QUOTE] I make such an effort to make sure that my girls aren't aren't the ones being posted about on here! :) I don't want to get painted with the same brush as parents that aren't responsible about their children. It's the blanket statements I find objectionable - just because other kids misbehave, mine should be punished too? It's kind of like saying nobody should have alcohol on board just because there are some that can't control themselves and drink responsibly.
[/QUOTE]
[b]That is EXCACTLY why it is offensive when other's here post their opinions about kids being on a cruise! Well said! I am a VERY considerate parent. [u]ALWAYS[/u]. I resent being lumped into this group of other parents/kids who are so inconsiderate. I can respect the fact that some people feel that cruising in only for adults. BUT please be real. There will ALWAYS be kids on cruise ships. Flaming every poster here who asks about bringing their kids is not going to change anything. NOT all children run the halls. Not all 2 year olds are a noisy and a pain in the a** to everyone around. Please don't be so narrow minded while voicing your opinions. Of course people are going to get a little testy when you imply that all children (meaning their's) are so terrible to live with on a cruise! It is rude and insulting, especially to parents who do make the extra effort to be considerate. [/b]

[mtd716]

[quote name='VentureMan_2000'] It's the parents that bring their children and attempt to make it an adult vacation by 'dumping' the kids at camp carnie, or letting them run rampet that give rise to the anti-child attitude on cruises.
[/QUOTE]I'm afraid I don't understand the objection to Camp Carnival. :confused: Isn't the presence of supervised activities that appropriately direct kids attention a GOOD thing? Isn't Camp Carnival performing a service by keeping kids occupied and entertained and also segregated away from the anti-kid cruisers? When I eventually cruise with my children, if they are having fun participating in the kids program then I certainly won't be feeling like I am "dumping" them there. I see it as enhancing their vacation experience. If they are happy and supervised in an environment where they aren't causing trouble for other passengers, and dh and I get a little time to ourselves out of it, then I think it's a win-win for everyone. There are plenty of opportunities for family bonding on a cruise even if the children do participate in the kids programs.

Kids running rampant, on the other hand, I completely understand. I promise that if any of you happen to be on a cruise with me and my kids in the future, their only options will be kids programs or with mom and dad. Period.

[triplelutz]

[quote name='VentureMan_2000']1) Leashes.

2) Electrically charged collers or belts that parents must wear that go off when their child wanders more than 50 feet away from their them.

3) cages.

4) Firepoles for kids instead of elevators (they can take the stairs back up to burn off some of their energy).

5) Good kids/good parents dinner seating.

6) Bad kids/bad parents dinner seating.[/QUOTE]


Okay, so maybe I should clarify - reasonable suggestions!! LOL Although, your 5 and 6 aren't bad! :D

I did have a leash ready for my toddler if she needed it, but she stayed close to me or DH, so it wasn't an issue.

[triplelutz]

[quote name='mnhenderson']If you live anywhere near Baltimore Ohio.... Bring her on over. :) Some of my secrets are star charts,prize buckets,(achieve3 stars get a small prize)and a little thing we call the potty dance.(to be performed upon completion of the successful potty trip.) ;) And one thing that has never worked for me is pull ups.While they are easier on and off,there is no substitute for the wet feel of training pants.Good Luck! Mariann[/QUOTE]

Well, you're a little too far! I think she'll be easier than her big sister - just when she got trained, she was on an automatic flush toilet that flushed on her! Set her back big time! She's not quite 2 yet, so I've got a while left with diapers...

[halos]

[quote name='mnhenderson']. Totally off topic,but if daycare workers were paid what they are worth,there would be better daycare and thus better behaved children. Happy Cruising!! Mariann[/QUOTE]


Not many people could afford to pay a daycare worker, teacher, or anyone else who is with children all day what they are worth...maybe Oprah, but unfortnately, she is childless.....

[halos]

[quote name='triplelutz[COLOR=DarkRed']][B]Halos, I think it bothers me because I'm well aware of the negative feelings some have towards kids on cruises, so I am on top of my girls demanding their best behavior[/B]. [/COLOR] I make such an effort to make sure that my girls aren't aren't the ones being posted about on here! :) I don't want to get painted with the same brush as parents that aren't responsible about their children. It's the blanket statements I find objectionable - just because other kids misbehave, mine should be punished too? It's kind of like saying nobody should have alcohol on board just because there are some that can't control themselves and drink responsibly.

I must say that I'm enjoying our conversation - it's so nice to exchange ideas and points of views with someone who can calmly discuss things! And I do think the OP was a ringer! ;)[/QUOTE]




Then relax and don't worry about it!!! Don't feel guilty about a sin you don't commit!! There is no reason to get defensive if you have nothing to defend, right?

[halos]

[quote name='cruisinqt']Sorry Tef43, but the cruise lines are highly unlikely to get rid of their kids programs or stop appealing to families with kids. Cruise lines make a SIGNIFICANT amount of money from families with kids. Not everyone has someone available to watch the kids while they cruise. And cruise lines know that and want their money. That's why cruise lines will probably always try to make themselves appealing to families and children. For those cruise ships in the summer that have 800 kids on board, imagine how many adults came along with those children. And imagine how many of them would not go if there were no children's programs available. Not everyone has someone they know and trust just ready and waiting to watch the kids for them. The cruise lines would miss out on TONS of money. That's why you don't see that many adult only cruises. The cruise lines are probably worried about another "Paradise" situation arising, except it wouldn't be a smoking issue, just a kid's issue. Let's face it, families with children contribute a lot of money to the cruise lines. For that reason, the cruise lines will always try to get families to cruise on their ships. All we can do is try to make good suggestions on how to deal with the problems so the cruise lines can make our cruises more pleasant for us.:)[/QUOTE]


Sad, but true.
Kids pay just about full rate and eat next to nothing, take up no cabins because they room with the parents...cruise lines hit it big when they decided to become a 'family' venture.......it's a shame they market to drinkers/gamblers and partiers all at the same time...seems like a conflict to me.

[GoinCruisin]

Halos, we had this one kid on our cruise, probably 13... watched him one day go back to get 6 hamburgers, all with fries... then hit the ice cream!!!!! I could not believe it!!! LOL! So, some of those kids can pack down some food!!!!!!!!!:D Also, if you have 3 or 4 adults in a cabin, they are all paying full rate, so I personally don't see why children should be treated differently... the 3rd/4th pax gets a reduced fare regardless of age... The activities they have onboard for children are definitely worthy of the full fare, now... if they would only have a Camp Carny for adults! LOL! I was so jealous when they would not let me join in on the scavenger hunt!!!! :D

[VentureMan_2000]

Triplelutz,

Just have fun with your kids on the cruise. I know you will. And don't let this board make you think any different. You know your kids behave well so it won't be an issue for you.

My wife and I haven't had the opportunity to be by ourselves for a week in over 13 years. Looking forward to not having the kids along. I suppose it should bother me a bit that the kids aren't too upset about us being gone for a week. But I raised them to be independant. This will be good for them. Therefore, I proclaim that this vacation is about my DW and I, not about the kids.

My kids are the well mannored type and it would not be a problem to take them along. I considered it. I'm still considering it in the future. But if I take them, the trip will be about them. And they would be by my side as a family, not dumped.

If only the Pride would fit 5 to a cabin, maybe I might be able to afford it.

On the other hand, I could go on two cruises if I didn't take my children. Food for thought.

[triplelutz]

Thanks for the nice thoughts! :) We're looking forward to our next cruise in April - Spring Break, just us and the 10 million kids! ;)

Venture, enjoy the Pride - we were on in June and had a great time! When are you going?

[VentureMan_2000]

We are cruising on the Pride September 12. We will be driving down a day early and staying at a hotel that offers a Park and Cruise package. The last cruise we went on was 17 years ago for our Honeymoon. We will be celebrating our 17th wedding anniversary on this upcoming cruise.

We usually travel with the kids every other year to DisneyLand and/or Arizona, and go camping for 15 nights on the alternating years. We go to LAke Tahoe for a week every year. The kids enjoy the snow. And we're taking the kids to Hawaii (Maui) for 3 weeks next summer. So it's not like we don't do family vacations together. We pack it in pretty good.

But still... looking forward to the cruise with my DW without children.

[triplelutz]

The weather should be great in September! We went on a cruise for our honeymoon 12 years ago, got hooked, and here we are now - cruise junkies!:)

I'd love to go sans kids, but my little one is just too little right now to leave for a week. The last time we went without kids was NYC 2 weeks before 9/11. The time will come though. It's funny you do Lake Tahoe - we're going in 2 weeks! We rent a house on the lake and take our boat up for some wakeboarding. I don't do cold weather! ;) I'm exceeding jealous that you'll vacation for 3 weeks! My DH can hardly last a week before he's thinking about the office again.

[Cruisin'Susan]

Mine was potty trained at 2.

Your lil one is gonna love Camp Carnival. They do a different activity every 30 mins. Mine had a blast, had to drag her out (literally) every day. She said we were boring. She had just turned 5 on her first cruise. You will need your Mommy and daddy time, that is why they have camp carnival for 2-5 yr olds.
The babysitting that starts at 10 pm is great. The counselors are wonderful. Mine is an only child so ANYTIME she gets a chance to play with other kids she is all for it. There is nothing wrong with letting your child have fun with other kids and you should not in any way feel guilty about it. That is the main reason why we love cruising. Because she has things she likes to do, and we can sit back and relax knowing she is being well cared for. We left her on the ship this last cruise when we went to Puerto Rico. Just didnt think it was a place she would like, and we were right. But every other port we have been to ... jamaica, grand cayman, st thomas, st marteen, she has always been with us and we have a blast.
At babysitting, they get them to lay down and watch movies and they usually eat cookies/brownies with milk and then eventually they fall asleep. So why not have a good time while she is sleeping. They have late night adult shows at night which are lots of fun. Dont let anyone discourage you from using camp carnival, I feel that is what you are paying for when you pay for your child cuz most do not like the shows. JMO

Susan

[halos]

[quote name='GoinCruisin']Halos, we had this one kid on our cruise, probably 13... watched him one day go back to get 6 hamburgers, all with fries... then hit the ice cream!!!!! I could not believe it!!! LOL! So, some of those kids can pack down some food!!!!!!!!!:D Also, if you have 3 or 4 adults in a cabin, they are all paying full rate, so I personally don't see why children should be treated differently... the 3rd/4th pax gets a reduced fare regardless of age... The activities they have onboard for children are definitely worthy of the full fare, now... if they would only have a Camp Carny for adults! LOL! I was so jealous when they would not let me join in on the scavenger hunt!!!! :D[/QUOTE]


GC...I was talking about small children...I know teens can put away some food!!!! :eek:
I want to make it clear that my opinion on kids and cruises is that I think they are fine for kids over the age of 6 or 7...I just don't understand taking [U]babies/toddlers [/U] on ships (JMHO). Just because kids (BAD, older, middle school age kids) make me crazy (and I'll be sailing on ships with less of them in the future), doesn't mean I feel the same as those who think the cut off should be 18 years old...or 21 or 25 (Did someone actually say that??). I took mine on their first cruise at ages 15 and 17...which to me was young because I [U]swore[/U] that I'd never take them on a cruise until they were old enough to pay for it themselves!! LOL! I guess I gave in on that one!

I guess when [U]I[/U] think of toddlers on a cruise, of course I would think of how MY kids were...and obviously that doesn't fit everyone else. My kids weren't bad at all...they were great kids and THAT is why I couldn't have taken them on a cruise. Both my girls were awesome sleepers. The both took 2 naps (at 2 hours each) when they were toddlers...(and then one nap up until they started full time school which was 1st grade for them.) and I always had them in bed by 7-7:30 and then they'd sleep until 7 the next morning!! So, because I am not the kind who liked to see my girls nap in a stroller (I always made sure they were in a crib when they slept..and I swear keeping them in that routine was what kept them scheduled so well, and sleeping so good) if I had taken my kids on a cruise at that age, I'd have bene in the cabin for 4 hours every afternoon and then in for the night by 7:30...because I also wouldn't have used Camp Carnival, but that is just me...THAT is why cruising with kids was not for me...but everyone is different. My brother and his wife drug their kids everywhere...and kept them out late...they had no schedule, the kids never napped, and I thought it was horrible, but they gew up fine and healthy, so different stokes for different folks. Everyone is different.
For my DH and I vacationing with the kids always had great moments, and we have a lot of memories that are wonderful but honestly, it was SO much work. The kids out of their normal routines, being over stimulated, cried more than they would at home....it was hard!! With each passing year it got better and better, but for all of you who say that you just love it and it's no work...man, I give you credit!! I want some of the drugs you folks must take!! :D (just joking)

[ToddWelch]

[quote name='livtojump']A fully potty trained kid at two?? You've got to be kidding.

Yes, you did.....:rolleyes:[/QUOTE]


Actually....my wife and I have 2 year old triplets and they are all potty trained. They started when they were almost 2.....and they are now about 2 years and 3 months old....they are pretty much trained for during the day and wear pull ups at night still.....between the 3 of them....they may have one little accident each week.

We are going on the Victory in January and taking them all with us, plus our 9 year old. Hopefully by then they will be fully trained.

[triplelutz]

See, I've got the best of both worlds - my in-laws travel with us, so Grandma helps with the kids so it's not all on me! :D We've got this great schedule worked out and were able to keep the little one pretty much on her regular schedule. I also made DH book a balcony cabin so I could hang out there when she was napping. One of my favorite moments was sitting on the balcony with my 9 year old, having pizza and a great conversation while the baby was napping!

It can be done, it just takes a bit of planning and a lot of flexability!

[halos]

[quote name='ToddWelch']Actually....my wife and I have 2 year old triplets [/QUOTE]




:D God Bless you!!!!!! :D

[Cruising89143]

quote:

Disney is getting out of the 7 day Florida market - They are sending one of their ships to California and both ships will do short cruises to be marketed with short stays at their resorts.

Actually Disney is sending the Magic to the west coast for the summer of 2005 for seven night cruises to the Mexican Riviera and then she will return to Florida and resume her normal seven day schedule from Pt Canaveral in September of next year.