clansac Posted February 18, 2008 #26 Share Posted February 18, 2008 We DID leave our son who is 4 1/2 on the ship while we went into Progreso last week. I'm very happy we did. We wanted to go off the beaten path and wander into the parts of town that were less touristy. I was able to do that without worrying about my son. I knew he was safe, well cared for and having a blast. We did the "family thing" in Cozumel, Roatan and every day on the ship. Progreso and the ruins were for me. He would have been miserable, annoying, hot and irritable. You have to do what makes you comfortable and I felt that he was actually safer on the ship at that point. I don't knock others who take their kids with them because only you know your child and what's best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poodlecrazy Posted February 21, 2008 #27 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Although I only have experience of one cruise line (Cunard), I regularly leave my dd on board in the kids clubs whilst heading on shore. Sometimes I am on excursions other times I am not. I always allow enough time to get back to the ship just in case but I have found that so long as you exercise reasonable precautions then it's fine. That said my dd is incredibly sociable and is regularly away from me so I am perhaps more confident than I would be if I had a child that was prone to getting upset or seperation anxiety etc. In short, it depends on your own child and your relationship with them. If they are always with you then they may get anxious and you may need to return in a hurry meaning heading off for the day may be a bad idea. In terms of medical emergencies I feel that so long as someone is caring for the child then these things should be covered. In fact I would imagine that a fully trained childcarer would probably do a better job than me in an emergency! Follow your own instincts I say. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiseKidz Posted February 22, 2008 #28 Share Posted February 22, 2008 We left ouir kids on the ship while we went into ports some on tenders our choice, no problems:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmacf1 Posted February 22, 2008 #29 Share Posted February 22, 2008 In Cozumel in January, we left our DD3 and DD5 on the ship while we went to Tulum Ruins, a full day trip. We did have an emergency contact on board (a friend of ours,) but the staff at Oceaneer's Club (Disney ship) aassured me that parents often leave kids in the club while they go on an excursion. For such a long trip (we left at 9:30 and returned at 5:30,) I don't think I would have left them if we didn't have somebody with the ability to deal with emergencies (and there was an incident -- DD3 wet her pants and needed a change of clothes.) However, for shorter excursions or just to hang out in a port for a few hours, I would not hesitate to leave them in one of the clubs, if both girls were comfortable with it. I love traveling with my kids, but occasionally, there are activities that DH and I love (i.e. birdwatching) that are not good activities for kids. I believe parents should have interests of their own and time on their own in addition to time with the whole family. Having a little time away from mommy duties makes me a much happier and patient person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momjkm Posted February 23, 2008 #30 Share Posted February 23, 2008 on board while dh & I took the 2 teen girls into grand cayman for a few hours to shop---- ds is 11 and wanted to go. he hates shopping and walking around. And we weren't far from the ship (tendered) and my cel was working.... if we had an excursion I am not sure we would have left him but then again he would have wanted to go. I think it depends on so many factors, the child, where you will be. The girls did return to the ship (15 yrs old) before us- we got them on the tender and then went off for a little while longer... but they were together and it was day 4 of the cruise- they knew how to get around, be safe, ect Jill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenniferRenee Posted March 24, 2008 #31 Share Posted March 24, 2008 Just a reply to this question. Last summer our family of 4 cruised on Carnival Freedom Med. cruise with children 3 & 5. Having read reviews such as these I was torn and did not book any excursions until arriving at the ship. We went to the camp Carnival and questioned the staff who advised us it was ok not to take the children on excursions in the med. that they would have so much fun and not miss you. Yes this was a family trip, but I am with my family every day and this was time for the kids to have fun as well. So after our first excursion without the kids we realized first that they would not want to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa etc..that they would prefer to colour and that second for the whole cruise we could not get them out of the camp. So time we spent together on the ship was great and we also knew that we were having a great time when doing things separately. No mater where you are something could go wrong and life is so short I decided for that 2 weeks not to worry about what ifs. Make the decision based on what suits you and your family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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