Children in Lounges

[sea-n-me]

My husband and I are taking our 12 year old daughter on her first "grown up" cruise. We've done the Disney Cruise Line with her several times, but we now want her to experience the gracious and elegant side to cruising that we have come to know with HAL over the years.

We know that there will be some areas of the ship that she cannot go to (e.g. casino), but I was not sure about the lounges. My DH and I like to enjoy a drink before dinner or stop into one of the lounges to listen to the entertainment after dinner. Does anyone know if children her age are allowed in the lounges?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

I have seen lots of children in the Lounges.

Your daughter can order a coke or have a Shirley Temple with you.

No problem.

:)

[apfra.]

Oh yes they are allowed in lounges and may drink any non-alcoholic beverage there.

I don't know if they are allowed to sit at the bar though.....

[sea-n-me]

KK & Apfra:
Thanks so much for your quick replies.

We will be going at the time of year (1-9-05 Westerdam), when I am not sure how many kids her age will be onboard. We are so used to our HAL cruises for just the two of us, that I wasn't sure how much adjusting we would have to do. She is so excited to be going and we are excited to share all of the wonderful "HAL" experiences with her.

[doone]

We took my nieces and nephews with us for before dinner cocktails on the Veendam to the Crowe's Nest. They loved it and the waiter's made them feel special with their magic tricks.

[apfra.]

HAL has really tried to make their ships kid friendly. I think the only area they are not allowed is the casino and the therapy pool in the spa.

[ekerr19]

We have also taken our kids into the lounges with us. Many times they get refills on their sodas (using soda cards) and the waitstaff get to know them very well. My kids love all the magic tricks and origami animals.

[gizmo]

I do not remember which ship but the Crow's Nest did not allow children under a certain age after a certain time. I don't remember the age or the time but it was round 11:00. I remember this because I was sitting at the bar watching a group of kids around 13 or 14 years old come in and the staff chased them out. About 10 minutes later they tried again with the same results. I remember seeing something published about it. It was either a sign or on the daily program. I only recall seeing this once.
I have seen children in lounges before dinner and after dinner on many cruises.

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

gizmo - you are right about the Crow's Nest being off limits after a certain time because on the non-Vista class ships this lounge becomes the late night dancing and disco area.

But if they want to stop for an after dinner drink - go to the Explorer's Lounge - the children would love the chocolate.

:)

[ekerr19]

It was after 11:00pm on the Maasdam, but after 10:00 pm on other ships ... the last night on the Maasdam, the cruise staff let some of the kids in - their parent's were there & we all had a great time dancing with our kids. :)

[bjpnev]

We took our 9 year old grandson with us on the Veendam, July 10th, Alaska cruise. He enjoyed the Ocean Bar for his "Shirley Temple". One night he even asked us if we were going to the "Bar" for a drink before dinner. I'm sure your daughter will enjoy the experience.

Have a good cruise.

Joan and Bernie

[sail7seas]

I think it's fine for the children to be in the lounges with the parents before and after dinner. I also think it's a good idea for the Crowsnest to be a child-free zone after 11:00 at night. Most children certainly would be asleep by then, wouldn't they? But if they are still up, I think Crows can become "too adult" for the little ones by late at night.

[chellbird]

This particular thread seems very "child friendly"! I have gotten the idea that some HAL cruisers are offended at children on the ship - period. Are there other "child etiquette" rules that we need to be aware of? We don't want to offend anyone or make them uncomfortable as we know they've paid a great deal of money to enjoy their vacation.

[Tricia724]

Chellbird....I don't think you have much to worry about with your daughter. She's 12 years old and will be with her parents, and since you are obviously sensitive to the concerns of others, I am sure you have raised a child with manners. Of greater concern to childless cruisers are the parents with tiny tykes who take their children into areas where children are not supposed to go or who allow their children to create disturbances without attempting to do anything about it. Also of concern are groups of children or teenagers who are allowed to roam around on ships without adult supervision.

Have a great cruise.

[sea-n-me]

I agree with Tricia724. Up until now, we've taken our daughter on cruises, but on a cruise line that we felt was more appropriate (i.e. Disney Cruise Lines) for children. Now that she is 12, we feel confident in her ability to act appropriately and look at exposing her to a more gracious atmosphere such as HAL as a way for her to refine the manners and social skills that we have been trying to teach her over the years. That being said, I don't think that the average HAL passenger has anything against children being on board, it's the amount of supervision (or lack of) that can be an issue.

[Navy_Chief]

We were planning on taking my wif'e's 16 y.o. niece with us on this trip in August but sadly, she will not be able to attend. Would have been a learning experiance for her as we are stopping in soo many European port Cities. Well maybe next time.

[Lisa63]

This is such a wonderful thread. Thank you, sea-n-me, for posting, and thanks to all who responded.

We have a 10-year-old son who will be joining us on Maasdam this month. He's cruised with us before, and we've never had a problem with bringing him into the lounges (at a reasonable hour, of course). The bar waiters quickly learn his favorite drink -- cranberry juice -- and our son loves it when they ask him if he'd like his "usual."

One question, though -- a bit off-topic but you are all being so wonderfully informative -- is the aft pool an adults-only area?

[Vicar]

I think as long as a child is well behaved, there is no problem taking them to a lounge, again at the appropriate hour.

When my daughter was little she loved things like that . Sitting with the grown ups, having a "drink" . She was always very well behaved because in her mind it was "big girl time".

[ekerr19]

This particular thread seems very "child friendly"! I have gotten the idea that some HAL cruisers are offended at children on the ship - period. Are there other "child etiquette" rules that we need to be aware of? We don't want to offend anyone or make them uncomfortable as we know they've paid a great deal of money to enjoy their vacation.

Our kids both just passed 50+ days at sea, all on HAL. I never knew of these boards when we booked our first cruise with our kids, Holiday Panama Canal in 2000. They fell in love with cruising and still love it today. They know specifics about the ships I never learned - have a general overall love of cruising, and I believe they will be HAL Mariners for life.

I get a bit distraught reading some of the comments regarding kids onboard a HAL ship. We have been on cruises were the kids seemed out of control (once, last summer - Zuiderdam), but most of the time, we've found people welcome interacting with children, especially well behaved children. One of my first posts regarded tips for traveling with kids and teens.

The most important point, IMO is that kids understand what is expected of them and know what type of behavior is acceptable and what is not. This obviously falls back on the parents, and we've cruised with many parents who believe they've paid passage for their children - therefore, the kids should do as they please. We don't agree with this. Our children know what we expect and they adhere to this - they may not always agree, and have been known to reply, "well, so & so's parents are letting them do it" which holds absolutely no weight with us - we hold our children accountable for their actions and they know it. This applies not only to cruising, but life at home.

We've been told that our kids are very well behaved and a pleasure to cruise with - while it's nice to hear, it is no less than what we expect. :)

Cruising with our children has been such a wonderful family vacation - we highly recommend it to all our friends. We wouldn't change it for anything.

[digby]

I don't think kids belong in any of the lounges after dinner. I can't imagine kids being allowed in a bar on land.

[BorderLady]

One question, though -- a bit off-topic but you are all being so wonderfully informative -- is the aft pool an adults-only area?There was a question about kids and pools toward the end of another thread titled “Speaking of rules, HAL’s not worried.”

The replies were good, with specific suggestions.

[CaptData]

I agree. If you, the parent, are there taking your child to a lounge, I have no problem with the child beening there at all. As above, what turns my crank are children without adult supervision running up and down hallways, pushing buttons etc. You sound like the kind of parent who would leave the room with a misbehaving child rather then let them continue and ruin everyone else time.

HAL's kids club will be fine to let her meet friends at times and be with you for dinner and pre-dinner drinks. I also agree that after a certain hour (11 pm) that certain areas or lounges would no longer be appropriate for a child. There maybe late shows that you may want her to watch but be warned that on some cruise what you see early evening is not always the same for late night, ie comdey.

[ekerr19]

This is such a wonderful thread. Thank you, sea-n-me, for posting, and thanks to all who responded.

We have a 10-year-old son who will be joining us on Maasdam this month. He's cruised with us before, and we've never had a problem with bringing him into the lounges (at a reasonable hour, of course). The bar waiters quickly learn his favorite drink -- cranberry juice -- and our son loves it when they ask him if he'd like his "usual."

One question, though -- a bit off-topic but you are all being so wonderfully informative -- is the aft pool an adults-only area?

Lisa-

We do not allow our kids to use the Aft pool. If they want to swim, they use the Lido pool. HAL does not enforce this - but we respect our fellow guests and follow HAL's suggestion that kids only use the Lido pool. :)

[sea-n-me]

ekrr19,
You've posted exactly how we feel...if children know what is expected of them and the proper way to conduct themselves, then they will usually live up to your expectations. If no guidance in proper behaviour is given by parents in a social situation, then unfortunately, havoc tends to ensue and complaints about children being on board begin to surface.

CaptData,
Thanks for the info about late night shows. My DH & I usually forgoe the shows, but knowing my daughter, she is going to want to experience everything! Since we have late seating for dinner, that would mean the late show.

The posts on this thread have been a true delight to read. Thanks to all who responded!

[Lisa63]

Ditto to the last two posts. We've tried to teach our son how to act in public, and a huge part of that is respecting those around him. I wish more parents would do the same.

Glad to hear the aft pool is adults-only.

[ekerr19]

Lisa-

Unfortunately, you may find that not everyone shares the same feeling about the Aft pool... we've been on several cruises where parents insisted on letting their kids swim there.

It is our personal preference to follow HAL's suggestion, but keep in mind there may be others who feel differently.

Not that long ago, on this board, one man insisted his son was the exception - he had a "very talented, exceptionally bright, well mannered child who was free to do whatever he chose" - the parents argued they paid for his passage and the child was "special". Mind you, not a special needs child, but a "brilliant" young 4-yr old who could "out converse" most adults... hee, hee - yeah right :) ... oh well, there are still those type of parents on every cruise, unfortunately. They feel there are no rules that appy to them - or their children...

[lddam]

KK & Apfra:
We will be going at the time of year (1-9-05 Westerdam), when I am not sure how many kids her age will be onboard.

This does not respond to the specifics of the original post, but as an old elementary school teacher, I must admit that I hope not many. Not because I think it inappropriate under parental supervision, but because of the timing of her cruise during the academic year.

If, however, I have been presumptive and your daughter and/or others "her age" will not be absent from class during that time, then I apologize for my rush to judgment, withdraw the above comment, and wish you and yours "Bon Voyage."

Dave of ...

[sea-n-me]

lddam:
I appreciate your concern over our daughter missing school and your point is well taken. Believe me, we would not be taking her out if she wasn't the straight A student that she is. Frankly, I view traveling as a part of her "education" in life as much as sitting in a classroom. This is not the first time we have taken her out of school and it won't be the last.

[the2ofus]

By all means, bring your "young lady" along on your HAL cruise. She sounds like a well-mannered pre-teen and it will be a wonderful experience for her.

We have been on two cruises when there were home-schooled children aboard. In each case, the families were using the travel opportunity to teach the pre-teen children lessons in geography, science, etc. These children were well behaved and interacted with the other pax with appropriate respect. They also spent a part of each day with the Club HAL staff and seemed to have a good time.

Perhaps it is because we cruise when school is in session, but we have rarely seen more than a dozen children on board and usually they were related to the officers or the entertainment/lecture staff. I have only witnessed one kid "melt-down" on one cruise. In that instance the parent quickly removed the child from the area.

[lddam]

lddam:
Believe me, we would not be taking her out if she wasn't the straight A student that she is. Frankly, I view traveling as a part of her "education" in life as much as sitting in a classroom. This is not the first time we have taken her out of school and it won't be the last.

Sea-N-Me, please believe me when I state that I am not attempting to incite defensive, knee-jerk reactions by hitting anyone's hot buttons. Education, formal and/or informal, is a lifelong process and I do not question the value of a cruise experience for children - especially well mannered ones. I don't know from which part of the country you hail, but here in New York, higher learning standards, increased measures in student and school district accountability, and more rigorous graduation requirements have placed a higher premium on classroom attendance and exposure to specific curriculum content. When I was still active in the classroom, children were expected to "make up" any work missed, and the parents and I, with the child present, would discuss and mutually agree upon a process whereby that could be accomplished.

It's obvious that you're making a rational decision regarding the value of "traveling as a part of her 'education' in life as much as sitting in a classroom," and I don't challenge that decision. You go on to state that this is not the first time you've taken her out of school and it won't be the last. With her being a straight A student, it's obvious that your daughter's academic standing has not suffered from the lack of classroom contact. I am genuinely interested in what measures are taken by you, your daughter and the schools to address the curriculum gap which is bound to occur. Perhaps your methods would be valuable to other students and parents who travel during times when schools are in session.

Dave

[sail7seas]

In our local schools, if a child is out of school for an "unauthorized vacation", he/she gets a zero for all work they missed while absent. No exceptions. It will be hard to "hide" the fact she was on vacation with you as she surely will come home with some signs of a suntan.


I do not personally have an opinion either way whether it is a good idea or not to take a child out of school in order to cruise.

Hope you have a great time.

[Vicar]

Its a tough call it does depend on the indvidual child.

My daughter has always been a good student, its comes very easily to her.

My soon to be step son is also a very good student , but he NEEDS to study and work at it.

Taking him out of school for a week or more would definately be detrimental to him.

[sea-n-me]

lldam:
We live in Ohio, in a suburb outside of Cleveland. Our school district is consistently rated one of the highest in the state. They do not consider a vacation as an "unauthorized absence" as long as they are notified ahead of time. They state, in fact, that they realize that a parent's vacation time does not always coincide with the academic schedule and take no issue if you have made the decision to take your child out of school for this reason.

We are very fortunate that our daughter is a good student. Like Vicar's daughter, it comes very easily to her. There are no specific measures that we take, and she makes up any work that she has missed during her absence with the full support of the school and her teachers.

I apologize if I came across with a "defensive, knee-jerk reaction". You certainly bring up some very important points and I respect that.