Children: unseen & unheard?

[the2ofus]

I did not vote either. I enjoy well-behaved children and well-behaved adults anywhere, anytime.

People with no manners breed children with no manners and become old folks with no manners. I try to avoid them whenever possible.

[teencruiser18]

As I'm 15, I'm obviously not going to say that you should be 16 or older to cruise. After reading these boards, on my Zuiderdam cruise last week, I specifically looked for screaming babies and I seriously couldn't find any. I don't think there should be age restrictions. My 5 year old brother had a great time on the ship.
Kerry

[ekerr19]

[quote name='teencruiser18']As I'm 15, I'm obviously not going to say that you should be 16 or older to cruise. After reading these boards, on my Zuiderdam cruise last week, I specifically looked for screaming babies and I seriously couldn't find any. I don't think there should be age restrictions. My 5 year old brother had a great time on the ship.
Kerry[/QUOTE]

Kerry-

Did you have a great time? My kids loved cruising on the Zui last summer. There were tons of teenagers on our cruise and they had a blast. I thought I read a post where you mentioned something about underage drinking in the Northern Lights? Maybe it was another poster...

[AnonymousCruiser]

[quote name='revneal']Yikes!

That's was actually a paraphrase from Mark Twain. The "bung-hole" is NOT part of a person's body ...

I'm sorry if I upset anyone.[/QUOTE]I hate to admit that I am actually laughing now at this whole thread. Maybe its my generation (GenX) but bung-hole is very much used as a reference to the nether regions. So immature, I know.

No offense taken, by the way, on all of this. I think I am just sensitive because 1.) I am a new mother and 2.) I live in Boston.

I actually figured you were kidding RevNeal but I just got a weird vibe and though I should mention it.

[sail7seas]

[b][font=Comic Sans MS][size=3][color=seagreen]AnonymousCruiser....[/color][/size][/font][/b]
[b][font=Comic Sans MS][size=3][color=seagreen][/color][/size][/font][/b]
[b][font=Comic Sans MS][size=3][color=seagreen]Glad that you and Rev now understand eachother's comments. One of the risky things about these Boards is not being able to see the smirk on the writer's face, not understanding they are just jesting....[/color][/size][/font][/b]


[b][font=Comic Sans MS][size=3][color=#2e8b57]But....help me, please. While I understand your explanation for sensitivity due to being a new mother (Congratulations!!!), what does explanation Number 2....I live in Boston have to do with it? I live in Boston. I wasn't offended. I knew Rev was kidding around.[/color][/size][/font][/b]

[lipoppop]

[b][font=Comic Sans MS][size=3][color=#2e8b57]But....help me, please. While I understand your explanation for sensitivity due to being a new mother (Congratulations!!!), what does explanation Number 2....I live in Boston have to do with it? I live in Boston. I wasn't offended. I knew Rev was kidding around.[/color][/size][/font][/b][/QUOTE]

S7S maybe she is sensitive because of the Red Sox. ;) (joke)

[JoeCruisin]

My apologies to RevNeal. I guess I need to lighten up a bit - I didn't realize it was all said in jest.

[Vicar]

REV,

I totally understand the way you feel about having to cover yourself from any sense of wrong doing. It is sad that we have to take those precautions , but unfortunately its neccessary these days.

I noticed that the poster that said you gave her a bad vibe has only posted a few times and may possibly be a new comer. Perhaps the only post she has seen of yours was the "suffer the children" one and I can see where that may have spooked her.

Had she been more familiar with you she would certainly know that it was all in fun and part of your tongue in cheek brand of humor :)

I think I can safely speak for the majority of posters here that we all enjoy your wit and wisdom :) and are very grateful of all the advice and insights you have given us through your travel experiences .


PS Thank God she didn't see the Blender thread *LOL*

[RevNeal]

[QUOTE]My apologies to RevNeal. I guess I need to lighten up a bit - I didn't realize it was all said in jest.[/QUOTE]

JoeCruisin, it's quite alright. We sometimes forget that the nature of this medium of communications doesn't always convey our means as well as it should. Those who know me know that I don't mean what I say about children, but not everyone knows me. :) Also, upon reflection it is clear to me that, due to the change in the meaning of various terms, the phrase I lifted from the writings of Mark Twain (and have often repeated in forums like this one) COULD be easily misunderstood. Given the nature of child abuse cases and charges leveled against clergy of several denominations, the burden is upon me to make sure that such terms and wordings are not misunderstood.

In other words, thank you for expressing your thought on the issue. If/when I use the quip again in the future I'll have to figure out a way to further paraphrase it so as to remove from it the colloquial misunderstanding.

[RevNeal]

Dear Vicar, thank you so much for your very kind words. I appreciate them greatly. And, you're right, the misunderstanding was largely due to others not being familiar with my sometimes mischievous wit. That is no fault of theirs, it's simply the nature of this beast.

As for the Blender thread ... Oh, Lord have mercy ... THAT was funny.

[Vicar]

I think what the poster meant by being sensitive because she was from Boston has to do with I believe that a very large percentage of the charges brought against the priests in question came out of the Boston Diocese. And to make matters worse Cardinal Law of Boston was quite uncooperative with the churchs investigation into it. I know it was all over the news when it first happened and with the poster being from Boston , they probably heard much more about it.

[RevNeal]

Vicar, that was my supposition as well.

[Vicar]

Rev

You are very welcome. :)

I've been in the hot seat a few times myself for not being able to type as eloquently as I speak *LOL*

[Vicar]

Rev,

Thats what I figured, because I remember it being a big news story for a few weeks and in fact I believe the Cardinal resigned or was forced to resign over the whole ordeal.

[superstein61]

[quote name='ekerr19']Kerry-

Did you have a great time? My kids loved cruising on the Zui last summer. There were tons of teenagers on our cruise and they had a blast. I thought I read a post where you mentioned something about underage drinking in the Northern Lights? Maybe it was another poster...[/QUOTE]
ekerr - I was on the same cruise as Kerry - and as I noted, saw no problems whatsoever with the kids. A few seniors caused me more problems than any kids.

As far as underage drinking - I did not see a lot, but I raised a few eyebrows at a couple young girls being served alchohol by the Lido Pool on Barbecue night. No way IMO they were 21. but the HAL server served them anyways - either because they were anxious for their tip - or because, well, the girls were quite attractive

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=red]So now that the bar tenders may seem to be anxious for extra tips - will the practice of serving underage teens drinks become a thing of the future???[/color][/font][/b]
[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=#ff0000][/color][/font][/b]
[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=#ff0000]Maybe HAL should have a special card for underaged people?? When they show this card with their name on it, once their cabin number is put into the computer it will show their age and that they shouldn't be served drinks. These special cards can be issued when they check in at the pier.[/color][/font][/b]
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:)
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[Nasmas]

Is anyone brave enough to start a poll banning those rude retirees? I guess they couldnt do that. Too bad for the cruise industry. I usually blame the parents for unruly children. Who do we blame for unruly seniors? Society?

[MandyGirl]

[quote name='Krazy Kruizers']:)

[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=#ff0000]Maybe HAL should have a special card for underaged people?? When they show this card with their name on it, once their cabin number is put into the computer it will show their age and that they shouldn't be served drinks. These special cards can be issued when they check in at the pier.[/color][/font][/b]

:)



[/QUOTE]
[color=darkorchid]I had understood on some cruiselines that this was already in practice. When the card is swiped, then it flags the crewmember of the passenger's alcohol-status. (I've also read before on one line where if over 18, parents can sign a waiver for beer/wine but not the hard stuff).[/color]
[color=#9932cc][/color]
[color=#9932cc]This is HAL's alcohol "policy":[/color]
[url="http://www.hollandamerica.com/guests/category.do?category=children&topic=under21"]http://www.hollandamerica.com/guests/category.do?category=children&topic=under21[/url]

[hallie]

Just returned from 7/29 Westerdam cruise of Europe. Many children on board. Was a large group of youth, mostly boys 10-14 yr range, who were definitely seen and noticed. Night of dessert extravaganza they took over the front of the lines. They were picking up and handling the plates, licking the ice sculptures, pushing each other while around others, and more. They were completely unattended and no one from HAL would say anything to them.

 

Also had problems in the shows with little ones who talked loudly during the shows. These times, the parents didn't do anything.

 

On this cruise it seemed that HAL did a poor job of keeping the kids occupied. I've been on many other cruises where children and youth were almost always supervised by someone from the cruise staff. If they were up late and wandering around the ship, they would be in an organized group. This was not the case on the Westerdam. The kids owned the Lido at night.

[HeatherInFlorida]

I agree with many. It's definitely the parents. Let's do a parents poll:D . For some odd reason I'm feeling very giddy this afternoon. Probably relief from not being hit by Charley.

[Jacqueline]

Hallie- we were on the same cruise. I would second that HAL did a poor job with the kids center and programming. I am too jet lagged to get into it now, but HAL knew there was a large group of kids coming on and yet they really had staff that wasnt very engaging and did some unwise things in terms of lumping groups together (5-12) . My 11 year old daughter was not going to join in a group with so many *little* kids/boys. The teens were really at sea. They used the teen room for kids programs and staff was not engaging. On Celebrity in March my daugher and the other teens were always in the *tower*. On this cruise they were never in the center. And they really missed having a place to meet and hang out. Many of the other kids commented that it was a very weak program compared with other lines.
Then they kicked the under 18's out of the disco at night leaving them no where to go.
I also saw those same bratty boys at the dessert extravaganza. They demanded on a loud voice a piece of everything.
One little kids was running full steam down my corridor. I was walking back from my daughters cabin wearing just my HAL bathrobe. I caught the kid as he flew by me, swung him in the air and said : "no running- you will knock someone over". Never saw him running again.

[digby]

[quote name='lknick']Your poll assumes rotten parents.[/QUOTE]


And we all know THEY don't exist! LOL!

[sail7seas]

[quote name='Vicar']I think what the poster meant by being sensitive because she was from Boston has to do with I believe that a very large percentage of the charges brought against the priests in question came out of the Boston Diocese. And to make matters worse Cardinal Law of Boston was quite uncooperative with the churchs investigation into it. I know it was all over the news when it first happened and with the poster being from Boston , they probably heard much more about it.[/QUOTE]

[b]Aha.....Yes, Vicar. That is it. It did not occur to me but now that you explain, I am sure you are correct. Boston certainly has been the center of the charges/investigations/trials. It has been horrible.[/b]

[Cruiseoften]

[quote name='hallie']Just returned from 7/29 Westerdam cruise of Europe. Many children on board. Was a large group of youth, mostly boys 10-14 yr range, who were definitely seen and noticed. Night of dessert extravaganza they took over the front of the lines. They were picking up and handling the plates, licking the ice sculptures, pushing each other while around others, and more. They were completely unattended and no one from HAL would say anything to them.

Also had problems in the shows with little ones who talked loudly during the shows. These times, the parents didn't do anything.

On this cruise it seemed that HAL did a poor job of keeping the kids occupied. I've been on many other cruises where children and youth were almost always supervised by someone from the cruise staff. If they were up late and wandering around the ship, they would be in an organized group. This was not the case on the Westerdam. The kids owned the Lido at night.[/QUOTE]

[COLOR=Blue]We're beyond the stage of having kids requiring supervision! In the days when they did, we accepted full responsibility.

I don't believe any cruise line, land resort or restaurant should be responsible for keeping kids occupied and supervised at all times - the parents (or a professional Nanny) are responsible and should be held accountable for the actions of their offspring. As for the 10-14 year olds at the dessert extravaganza, I agree that HAL had a responsibility to step in and maintain order. Surprises me that none of the other passengers did nothing.

I agree that the cruise line should and could have been in charge of the Lido - those in a Nanny's charge would be long asleep!

Guess we're of a different generation![/COLOR]

[localady]

[quote name='Cruiseoften'][color=blue]We're beyond the stage of having kids requiring supervision! In the days when they did, we accepted full responsibility.

Guess we're of a different generation![/color][/QUOTE]
[font=Comic Sans MS][size=3][color=blue]I don't think that all parents of this generation allow their children to misbehave. My children are no where near perfect, but I have worked very hard to teach my children to be respectful and polite. I have also witnessed children whose parents think that their little darlings can do no wrong, and that they are just "expressing themselves".:rolleyes: I truly have no patience for that behavior, and my kids tell me that their friends think I am "mean". If my "mean" means that my children have been raised to act respectfully and with manners then I agree, I am really mean!!:eek: :cool: [/color][/size][/font]