Child discrimination on cruise ships

[rednancy1]

We have shared tables with parents and their well behaved children. :)

 

They were delightful and I enjoyed every minute of it.

 

However, the key words are well behaved. :cool:

[m1ckey]

I always believe kids should be kids!

I also agree that they should have a common respect for all!

When I get an off colored comment about my kids or any others I simply say out loud , "remember we were all that age once!!"

And they tend to stop .

my husband hates it he is like just ignore them!!

my daughter now 12 will " whisper what ever happen to do not have anything nice to say...."

just some of my info!!

[sailinglisa]

You know, I would probably agree with all the parents that there are family friendly cruise lines like Carnival and RCCL...but as long as those very same cruise lines continue to market to ME an adult experience ( I never get emails from either line about families and kid's, but lots about what is available to singles/couples without kids), then I have the right to expect the cruise line to deliver the expected on board experience that they sold me! The cruise lines know if you are single, married with no kids or married with kids or single with kids. They send you ads and everthing else to get you to book with them based on your profile.

 

So, yeah while the cruise lines do market to families, they do market to other demographics. Which means all demographics expect the product they were sold.

 

And that is what is makes every group a bit grumpy with each other. If the cruise lines would not pit one group against another, then there would be no conflict.

 

So,we all have to learn to get along.........and that means that adults need to realize that there will be kids on board and deal with that. It also means parents need to realize there will be singles/couples that expect that kids will not be terrors and that parents will do their utmost to control/reign in/discipline those said kids.

[rebeccalouise]

For the previous poster. I wonder why someone without kids would even be on this board- not that you aren't welcome here.

 

As for Royal Caribbean- there is no way that one can't know by the way they advertise that they are kid friendly. How many adults really want to have a rock climbing wall, waterslides, etc? Come on.

 

However, I must say that the only place where I see a problem with kids on any of the cruise lines is the pool area. Yes, parents with babies in diapers have no business letting them put more than their feet in the pool. If kids aren't permitted in the hot tubs then the deck hands need to dictate this. In my experience, rules are often not inforced.

 

One major area of concern I have is with kids around the pool. I watched in horror on Holland America while kids rough-housed and ran around the slippery pool area. I was waiting for someone to get injured.

 

In the end, parents do need to monitor their chidren's behavior around the pool. My son was also running to keep up with the older boys and I had to sit on the side and remind him that running was dangerous. That's my job.

[emsmother]

I have seen where people post how many kids were on board their cruise. Is there a way to find that out before you go, or is that info you get from the camp staff?

[crusinmama06]

So, yeah while the cruise lines do market to families, they do market to other demographics. Which means all demographics expect the product they were sold.

 

I do agree with you. When I say a cruiseline is family friendly, I don't want to imply that it is for families with kids only. :) If that was the case, then there wouldn't be the adult only dining venues and pool decks. ;)

 

When you go to the Carnival or RCCL site, they ask when you set up the account if you are interested in certain types of cruise and they list things like "Romantic Getaways" or "Family Fun"....so pending on which selection you check in your preferences, then that will be the type of marketing that you will see sent to your inbox.

 

So I agree 100%...each group is marketed to differently.

[crusinmama06]

I have seen where people post how many kids were on board their cruise. Is there a way to find that out before you go, or is that info you get from the camp staff?

 

Yes and no, depending on the cruiseline.

 

Some cruise lines will tell you how many kids will be on your sailing...you can just call their customer service line.

 

Some only tell you after you are onboard.

[ncmomof2]

I have seen where people post how many kids were on board their cruise. Is there a way to find that out before you go, or is that info you get from the camp staff?

 

I just made such a post on another thread. I called the customer service line (HAL) and they told me, but only after I'd told them my booking number. This implies to me that HAL at least only gives the info out to booked guests.

[Julienatul]

We have been on 6 cruises with DD who is now 3 over the last 3 years and we have never encountered one nasty comment or unhappy person. We have cruised mostly Carnival. We have shared tables with others and we always eat in the dining room. We are courteous and we do remove our child if she starts to act up. People are always commenting on how well behaved and quiet she is. She is a normal 3 yr old and has her moments but by far it is the most economical and easiest way for us to travel as a family. For those of you who are worried, dont. Most people are happy on cruiseships and are so enthralled with their own vacation they hardly notice your child. Dining rooms and shows are loud to begin with so if your baby cries or acts up it wont be noticed as much as you think. Just be courteous of others and you will have a great vacation. You will get far more positive comments onboard than negative ones.

 

Julie

[sailinglisa]

For the previous poster. I wonder why someone without kids would even be on this board- not that you aren't welcome here./QUOTE]

 

Just because I am single without kids, does not mean that there are not kids in my family..........and that I don't have an interest in taking them someday on a cruise without Mom and Dad around.........

[Dr_DNA]

So,we all have to learn to get along.........and that means that adults need to realize that there will be kids on board and deal with that. It also means parents need to realize there will be singles/couples that expect that kids will not be terrors and that parents will do their utmost to control/reign in/discipline those said kids.[/quote]

 

I think that this is key. I consider it my responsibility to make sure that my son is well behaved and that his "fun" does not infringe on others. This not only goes on cruise lines, but in everyday life.

[CC Help Michell]

For the previous poster. I wonder why someone without kids would even be on this board- not that you aren't welcome here./QUOTE]

 

Just because I am single without kids, does not mean that there are not kids in my family..........and that I don't have an interest in taking them someday on a cruise without Mom and Dad around.........

 

I hang out here too -- I don't post real often, but I do like to read, for the benefit of a) my brothers and sisters-in-law (and the five nieces and nephews they have given me), b) the 30+ friends I've helped plan cruises (many with their kids), c) the parents of my students, who know I love to travel and talk about travel, and so discuss various options with me, and d) my entire extended family (including the above nieces and nephews), since we occasionally go on reunion vacations, and I'm always trying to sell them on trying a cruise.

 

People without children have "families" too, and can both gain and share valuable information here. :)

[calikak]

Before I had a kid, I loved to see other people's kids on cruises. It always warms my heart to see kids having fun, and even more so, to see families having fun together. I mean, what could be more smile-inducing than that? Especially the little ones when they giggle. :)

 

Now that I've cruised with my son, I can honestly say that in 11 nights on NCL Sun, not one person made a snide remark to us or did anything to make us feel unwelcome because of him. In fact, lots of people told us how cute he was, and talked to him and tried to get him to smile back at them. And that sailing had a ton of senior citizens on it. Many of them would use our son as an excuse to brag about their grandkids--which also made me happy, because it's great to see grandparents who love their grandkids so much that they brag to strangers about them.

 

Of course, we also didn't let him scream through dinner or any of the shows or anything like that. Like most parents, we know what his limitations are and we aren't going to set ourselves up for failure by putting him in age-inappropriate situations. Because, listening to a screaming 18-month-old is as unfun to us as it is to everyone else around us.

 

I think the nature of the internet makes it more likely for people to say very rude things in a forum like CC, things that they would never say in person. So you get a lot more nasty comments about kids here on CC than you get when you're actually on a ship.

[quincytoo]

We have a teenaged son and I remember two year ago on the Diamond Princess, during breakfast, we were seated with two elderly couples who promptly curled their upper lips and raised their eyebrows when they saw my almost 15 year old sit down. The stressed vibes were running rampant.

 

After the meal of my son talking without his mouth stuffed with food, helping to carry on a polite breakfast conversation and acting like a well rounded member of society, the two couples commented quite a few times how lovely it was to have had breakfast with us :rolleyes:

 

If a toddler is screaming get them out of the room no one wants to listern to it scream, if a child is running wildly around the dining room bothering other diners remove said child, if a teenager is acting out ground them to the stateroom and stop the bad behaviour. It is not rocket science.

 

 

Personally I like seeing babies, children and teenagers on cruises and have loved the cruises taken with my own family :)

[beachchick]

For the previous poster. I wonder why someone without kids would even be on this board- not that you aren't welcome here.

 

Our DD is an adult now, but we still have kids in our lives. Most of the time I just browse by threads to see what parents have to say or what their experiences are. And now, as of 2 weeks ago, we again have an infant in our lives because our DD gave birth to our first grandbaby (a beautiful girl).

 

As for Royal Caribbean- there is no way that one can't know by the way they advertise that they are kid friendly. How many adults really want to have a rock climbing wall, waterslides, etc? Come on.

 

I assume you're not kidding, so I will try to answer without be snarky. Have you seen the lines for the rock climbing walls, water slides, ice rinks, and other fun activities onboard? There is usually a very high percentage of adults in those lines. Many of them are young (20s/30s), but a fair number are oldster such as my DH and me. You can bet that we have gone ice skating and roller blading; I have gone on the "for everyone" water slides (not the ones that are just for kids on ships that have the special kids pools); my sister and BIL have used the rock walls and love them. In fact, there were a number of times when I could watch my BIL and sister on the rock walls while I have been on the tiny (almost silly, but still fun) rollerblading "rink" with my DH off doing something else fun.

 

However, I must say that the only place where I see a problem with kids on any of the cruise lines is the pool area. Yes, parents with babies in diapers have no business letting them put more than their feet in the pool. If kids aren't permitted in the hot tubs then the deck hands need to dictate this. In my experience, rules are often not inforced.

 

Agreed. I think the rules should be enforced for the health and safety of everyone onboard. It's not too much for adults to expect that parents will ensure that their children aren't in the places, such as certain hottubs or pools, where they are not allowed. Adults who travel without children need to respect that the cruise lines cater to a broad population, and parents and children need to have the same respect for those adults (who often if not usually include parents who've taken a cruise without their kids so that they can have some adult time).

 

One major area of concern I have is with kids around the pool. I watched in horror on Holland America while kids rough-housed and ran around the slippery pool area. I was waiting for someone to get injured.

 

Sadly such behavior is not restricted to cruise ships.

 

In the end, parents do need to monitor their chidren's behavior around the pool. My son was also running to keep up with the older boys and I had to sit on the side and remind him that running was dangerous. That's my job.

 

Yep, that's the resonsibility we accept when we become parents.

 

I think it all boils down to a matter of mutual respect among all the various types of people onboard. More respect in general would likely lead to far fewer angry feelings. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that many (though certainly not all) of those labeled "kid haters" for making nasty comments or giving "the look" and a sigh when they see kids onboard only feel that way because they've had bad experiences with kids (or their parents) in the past. That is truly a shame.

 

beachchick

[crusinmama06]

I hang out here too -- :)

 

And I am sooo happy to have you here. :D:D:D

[kebhouse]

My daughter was 9 months old on our recent Carnival cruise- I got nary a negative comment nor any dirty looks. All we got were smiles and "awww, how cute"s.

 

On another, non-cruise related board, I had to defend people who take babies on a cruise. Someone stated that if you take a baby on a cruise you are selfish- and that kind of attitude pi$$es me off! So I took them to task for it. People like to get that negative attitude on the internet because it makes them feel better about themselves, in real life people are a lot less likely to act rudely to you just because you have small children on a cruise.

 

As long as you are a responsible parent, no one should have anything to complain about! :D

[Nekochan]

I think that many of the people who post nasty comments about bringing kids on cruises are living in the past when cruises were an 'adult' vacation.

 

If you look at any mass market line, and see that high chairs, cribs and kids menus are available, along with kids programs, you should get the hint that your boat will, gasp, have kids on it!!!

 

Some people really are idiots. If they don't want to take a cruise with kids, then stick with crystal, or azamara, or maybe Celebrity or Holland America when kids are mostly in school (Like January). But going on a cruise that caters to families, and then feeling like your cruise should be kid free, is like complaining that there are too many teenagers on the roller coaster lines at the local theme park.

[provenienbam]

On our first cruise with our 3 year old daughter, she held the door open for an elderly passenger. That passenger walked straight through without acknowledging my daughter or even saying thanking. My daughter loudly annouced, dripping with sarcasm, "You are very welcome."

 

That passenger spun round with rage in her eyes, saw my daughter and said, "you are quite right, and I was quite rude. Thank you for correcting me."

 

---- x ----

 

On another cruise when she was 5 years old, we had a shared dinner table on RCI. Two passengers came up, saw her, pulled the head waiter aside and demanded another table.

 

My daughter was coloring at the time and the rest of us were chatting about our travel that day.

 

The other couples on the table were bemused because our daughter was impeccably behaved having been a regular cruiser from a young age.

 

---- x ----

 

I have come across many many rude adults on cruises and very few rude kids. And the kids that were rude apologized once a had a quick word in their ear of "I really don't appreciate that behaviour, could you try better please?" Even the worst kids I've meant are nothing compared to the adults.

[crusinmama06]

provenienbam - Good for your daughter! :D

[quincytoo]

On our first cruise with our 3 year old daughter, she held the door open for an elderly passenger. That passenger walked straight through without acknowledging my daughter or even saying thanking. My daughter loudly annouced, dripping with sarcasm, "You are very welcome."

 

That passenger spun round with rage in her eyes, saw my daughter and said, "you are quite right, and I was quite rude. Thank you for correcting me."

 

---- x ----

 

On another cruise when she was 5 years old, we had a shared dinner table on RCI. Two passengers came up, saw her, pulled the head waiter aside and demanded another table.

 

My daughter was coloring at the time and the rest of us were chatting about our travel that day.

 

The other couples on the table were bemused because our daughter was impeccably behaved having been a regular cruiser from a young age.

 

---- x ----

 

I have come across many many rude adults on cruises and very few rude kids. And the kids that were rude apologized once a had a quick word in their ear of "I really don't appreciate that behaviour, could you try better please?" Even the worst kids I've meant are nothing compared to the adults.

 

Your daughter is a girl after my own heart :)

 

I say the very same thing to people who do that!!!!!

 

She can sit at our table ANYTIME :)

[njmomof2]

When we cruised on Mariner this past March, it was me, dh, my mom and my 2 sons (who were 10 and almost 6). My kids have been travelling since they were little and we eat out regularly so they know how to behave.

 

Well, we checked out our table and it was for 13 people so we hoped that it was 2 families with kids. Imagine our surprise when we ended up being seated with 4 couples, all of whom had grown children and clearly didn't expect to be seated with young kids.

 

Well, we laughed and stated that we were sure this wasn't what they expected, but that our children knew what to do. At the end of the trip, they all told us that our boys were lovely dining companions (our oldest likes to talk w/ the adults) and that they had a wonderful time with us. In fact, one of them emailed dh with her special New England Clam Chowder recipe (and it's absolutely terrific) so I see it as a success.

 

That said, it is my job to monitor my kids. They know how to behave, but they need to be reminded once in a while and if they are misbehaving, they need to be told. But I also try to remember that they too are on vacation and want to have fun. But that fun should not prevent anyone else from having a good time.

 

I think if everyone used common sense, we could all get along.

[RENMama]

like kebhouse said....

 

I think alot of people will complain online but in reality, face to face, say nothing.

I dont really care if people give me dirty looks. I dont care if they dont think my kids should be there. I just hope they can act like adults and not say anything stupid in front of my kids.

[Conrycol]

I think that many of the people who post nasty comments about bringing kids on cruises are living in the past when cruises were an 'adult' vacation.

 

If you look at any mass market line, and see that high chairs, cribs and kids menus are available, along with kids programs, you should get the hint that your boat will, gasp, have kids on it!!!

 

Some people really are idiots. If they don't want to take a cruise with kids, then stick with crystal, or azamara, or maybe Celebrity or Holland America when kids are mostly in school (Like January). But going on a cruise that caters to families, and then feeling like your cruise should be kid free, is like complaining that there are too many teenagers on the roller coaster lines at the local theme park.

 

Celebrity has a great kids program and our three kids love it and will be on the Solstice this February. So please don't include celebrity on your list!