Balconies and Kids

Kids that are too young to be listen or understand, watch them and never let them out of your sight :D

 

IMHO rules on the ship are the same as at home; in the driveway playing, at the park, in the shopping mall. Fall over board or run into the street whats the difference both have a terrible ending :eek:

 

On a serious note the balcony is/would be the least of my worries for the little ones.

That's very true. Thanks for putting that into perspective. I let them play outside alone - set rules and limits and hope they listen :)

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When was the last time you heard/read of a child falling overboard from a balcony...It's the drunk adults :eek::D

Actually I did read a story a few weeks ago about a child who fell over a railing on a RC ship. If I remember they were unattended and climbed onto a railing, falling onto a lower deck, though.

My kids were 6, 4, and 2. There is no way they could have gotten overboard. We just kept the chairs away from the edge and it wasn't a problem at all.

It seems as if you have already received plenty of reassurance. I too stayed up at night imagining the kids going overboard before our cruises with them. We started sailing with them at age 1 and 2, so they have kind of grown up on the ships since we go about once a year. They never had the desire to climb and they really do not go on our balcony too much anyway. They primarily try to figure out how long before they get to go to kids club!! We have pretty strict rules about the railings. We don't even let them go up to the edge to look at the water. I have taught them how to gaze at the water from a few feet away, or from the inside through a nice window :)

Actually I did read a story a few weeks ago about a child who fell over a railing on a RC ship. If I remember they were unattended and climbed onto a railing, falling onto a lower deck, though.

So much for telling mine that the sharks would get them. Reason #101 for duct tape. kids just stretch your imagination!

Actually I did read a story a few weeks ago about a child who fell over a railing on a RC ship. If I remember they were unattended and climbed onto a railing, falling onto a lower deck, though.

Yeah they were one deck above the pool deck and they jumped onto a chair and they went up and over - falling onto the deck below.

Up until that point we were able to say that "no child had ever fallen over a railing" ;)

Always a first time - they were lucky it was one deck.

And as many cruises as my kids have been on and as many balconies as we have had. I would never put children that age alone in a balcony cabin - I would be splitting up the sleeping arrangements with the hubby.

When was the last time you heard/read of a child falling overboard from a balcony...It's the drunk adults :eek::D

There are no documented cases of anyone accidently falling overboard(anyone have a link to this RC story?).

The very few man overboard situations all involve drunks, murders, and/or suicides.

There are no documented cases of anyone accidently falling overboard(anyone have a link to this RC story?).

The very few man overboard situations all involve drunks, murders, and/or suicides.

The child falling onto a lower deck?

http://m.wftv.com/news/news/local/cruise-ship-returns-port-canaveral-after-child-fal/nTc8d/

Orlando - A cruise ship, The Royal Caribbean Monarch of the Seas, that departed from Florida's Port Canaveral, on a cruise for the Bahamas, was forced to turn back after a 14-month old toddler was severely injured in a fall from the ship's balcony.

According to Click Orlando, the child, from India, fell on Friday from the 11th floor balcony of the cruise to the 10th floor and suffered serious injuries.

Click Orlando reports that the ship crew said the 14 month-old crawled away from his dad and fell from the 11th to the 10th floor soon after the Monarch of the Seas left Port Canaveral.

The ship's medical crew treated the child, but they realized that the child needed additional medical attention they could not provide. The crew was forced to take the decision to turn the cruise ship around and return to Port Canaveral.

AP reports the ship had a three-night itinerary in the Bahamas.

According to Cynthia Martinez, the Royal Caribbean's corporate communications director: "A 14-month-old guest from India traveling on Monarch of the Seas was injured in a fall. The guest was initially treated in our medical facility, but required additional and urgent medical attention that could only be provided in a hospital."

Immediately the ship docked, the child was transported by air to the Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando, Florida.

An official of the Royal Caribbean, said: "Our Care Team is providing support and assistance to the guest's family. Our thoughts are with their family, and we will continue to do our very best to assist them."

AP reports that details of information about the child's injuries and current medical condition have not been released.

source:

digitaljournal.com/article/339662

I remember that story - so horrible! One thing to note: I'm pretty sure this was not a stateroom balcony, but open deck space? I think I remember looking at the deck plan and noting that the ship had no staterooms on that floor. So the child was able to get around a regular railing, but it was not a stateroom balcony. At least that is my interpretation.

I remember that story - so horrible! One thing to note: I'm pretty sure this was not a stateroom balcony, but open deck space? I think I remember looking at the deck plan and noting that the ship had no staterooms on that floor. So the child was able to get around a regular railing, but it was not a stateroom balcony. At least that is my interpretation.

You are correct. In the threads of the time - it was said that the child climbed onto a lounge chair above the pool deck and went up and over down to the pool deck below.

I thought it was an older child. Some days if not for the grace of God!

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Hi,

I am taking my kids on their first cruise next October, they will be 7 and 8 at the time. They have not really had much experience with balconies up until we went on holiday in August. Our hotel room had a balcony and on the whole they were very good, but my son (who is 7 atm) did open the doors and go out onto it once whilst my partner was in the shower.

We were originally going to book an inside room, but because we have ended up booking the cruise for 6 months later than we expected and due to it being cheaper than expected we decided to get a balcony room.

However...we have chosen an aft location. This means the balcony is much bigger than other balconies in the same class, so they can hopefully enjoy it without being near the railings. Plus if they were to fall over the railings it would be to a lower deck, as the back of the ship is like steps, rather than into the sea. Although this can still cause injury and ultimately it is potentially fatal, I feel they would have a better chance than falling into the sea.

They will not be allowed on the balcony without one of us, the furniture will be positioned at the back of the balcony near the cabin and they won't be allowed to play with toys on the balcony.

We are also buying a door alarm like this one....

http://www.presentsformen.co.uk/door-alarm-prod7772/?src=base&utm_source=google&utm_medium=base&utm_campaign=products&gclid=cmfe8prk0locfsrjtaodxt8aow

It basically has prongs that you push together and wedge in to the door frame, if the door is then opened the prongs come apart and the alarm goes off. This way we can go to sleep knowing that the kids won't be trying to get onto the balcony in the morning before we wake (although I usually hear them when they are up and about I don't want to take any risks).

I will probably impose a severe (maybe shark related) punishment for either of the children that set the alarm off!!!!!!!!!!!!

All the posts on this made me laugh until the one about the 1 year old falling over the rail...

I think the key is by putting the fear ( of sharks) into them and making sure they are never unattended in the room/ balcony. We took our kids on their first cruise with a balcony at 9 months. I love my picture of them in the deck chairs!

Hi,

 

I am taking my kids on their first cruise next October, they will be 7 and 8 at the time. They have not really had much experience with balconies up until we went on holiday in August. Our hotel room had a balcony and on the whole they were very good, but my son (who is 7 atm) did open the doors and go out onto it once whilst my partner was in the shower.

 

We were originally going to book an inside room, but because we have ended up booking the cruise for 6 months later than we expected and due to it being cheaper than expected we decided to get a balcony room.

 

However...we have chosen an aft location. This means the balcony is much bigger than other balconies in the same class, so they can hopefully enjoy it without being near the railings. Plus if they were to fall over the railings it would be to a lower deck, as the back of the ship is like steps, rather than into the sea. Although this can still cause injury and ultimately it is potentially fatal, I feel they would have a better chance than falling into the sea.

 

They will not be allowed on the balcony without one of us, the furniture will be positioned at the back of the balcony near the cabin and they won't be allowed to play with toys on the balcony.

 

We are also buying a door alarm like this one....

http://www.presentsformen.co.uk/door-alarm-prod7772/?src=base&utm_source=google&utm_medium=base&utm_campaign=products&gclid=cmfe8prk0locfsrjtaodxt8aow

 

It basically has prongs that you push together and wedge in to the door frame, if the door is then opened the prongs come apart and the alarm goes off. This way we can go to sleep knowing that the kids won't be trying to get onto the balcony in the morning before we wake (although I usually hear them when they are up and about I don't want to take any risks).

 

I will probably impose a severe (maybe shark related) punishment for either of the children that set the alarm off!!!!!!!!!!!!

We also choose an aft balcony for the same reason & looked into the alarms but hubby I'd likely to sneak outside during the night & set it off.

Also got a life vest floatie he can wear.

We also choose an aft balcony for the same reason & looked into the alarms but hubby I'd likely to sneak outside during the night & set it off.

 

Also got a life vest floatie he can wear.

I wouldn't bring an alarm. You will have very angry neighbors if you set it off in the middle of the night - not kosher.

I wouldn't bring an alarm. You will have very angry neighbors if you set it off in the middle of the night - not kosher.

Just what I fear!

I wouldn't bring an alarm. You will have very angry neighbors if you set it off in the middle of the night - not kosher.

Better than a dead child. They will get over it with I am truly sorry but there is no getting over it with the child hurt or dead.

Please go ahead and add that extra level of safety in an attempt to protect your child. Not a lot of parents get second chances. Apologize if necessary for disrupting someone's beauty rest but never for taking needed steps to protect your child. Good job on thinking about it, probably better than the shark story or reality!

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I wouldn't bring an alarm. You will have very angry neighbors if you set it off in the middle of the night - not kosher.

I am a very considerate cruiser and person in general. I have recently started a thread in a different section to see what non-child cruisers find frustrating with children on cruises so that I can create some family cruise rules. Funnily enough "alarm in the night" did not crop up as something people find frustrating.

If one of my children set the alarm off, therefore allowing me to prevent them going on a balcony un-supervised then that is all that matters. I would happily apologise to anyone that it has woken and I would imagine (considering all the answers I got to my other thread) that most people will be considerate enough to understand. However I would fiercely defend my decision if any one felt the need to complain!

I am sure I am likely to get a response that if I don't trust my children not to go on it then I should book an inside room. But how am I to know if they will go on the cabin balcony or not until I try it??? I need to give them the opportunity to gain my trust, but I will do that in the safest way possible!

Sadly, kids remain at risk because at the end of the day, so many care so little about their well being. The alarm went off, meaning something went wrong. I reported on the teen drinking and young unsupervised kids I saw on my last cruise. I was told it was none of my business what other parents kids do. Now the concern is about beauty sleep... Smh!

I was not blessed with the perfect children, so when safety is involved I replace trust with vigilance. One is a legal adult, freshman in college, and I am still asking, why did you do that. I know, you should not ask kids to explain clearly dumb behavior.

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I thought the "fear of sharks" punishment was funny, but it come to "bite" you when you later want them to swim in the ocean with you on an excursion.

I thought the "fear of sharks" punishment was funny, but it come to "bite" you when you later want them to swim in the ocean with you on an excursion.

I am done taking my kids on excursions and possible vacations. Two of the next three are couple or solo :D

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I thought the "fear of sharks" punishment was funny, but it come to "bite" you when you later want them to swim in the ocean with you on an excursion.

Haha! That is very true!!

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Lol, choose your words carefully :D

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Quite true about swimming in the ocean....I just have to hide the fact that I am secretly scared of going in the sea myself!!!! :eek: