Children on New York cruise?

We are about to book New York to New York cruise on Insignia in July 2018, what can one expect when it comes of the amount of children onboard? Is there going to be a lot och children on a cruise in July from New York?

What do you consider a lot?

You never know how many children will be on any given cruise

They may even offer the children sail free next year as well

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/special-offers/family-offer/

The best way to avoid children is to take a cruise of at least 20 nights in an exotic location when school is in session

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

In the US in general, schools have vacation in July and more children cruisers should be anticipated. However, O is not Disney Cruises and is less attractive for children.

In the US in general, schools have vacation in July and more children cruisers should be anticipated. However, O is not Disney Cruises and is less attractive for children.

It may be less attractive for children but there are some parents how put their own desires above those of their children and bring them onboard only to ignore them and let them do whatever they want to amuse themselves at the expense of other passengers. It's rarely the kids, it's mostly their oblivious parents!

We don't mind having a few children onboard but we want to avoid ending up on a cruise where the pool deck is taken over by children! As we still work we are often limited to take shorter cruises in July, so the option to take a longer cruise when school is in session does not work for us!

You should expect to have more children on board in July. I sailed in August once and noticed more kids and also noisy party animal adults! Don't get me wrong, I don't mind a little partying, but they were just downright obnoxious, more so than the kids! On late spring or early fall cruising, I have seen anywhere from 2-5 kids on board. In August, there were about 10-15 of them and quite a few older kids - teenagers and 20-somethings. After that cruise, my husband and I vowed never to take a cruise in the summer again. The pool was very crowded (not built to accommodate that many people) and the ports we visited were really crowded too, hard to get around with so many people touring at the same time. If you have to go in July, just be prepared for a different experience than is normal for an Oceania cruise in other months. I am not saying you won't enjoy it - Oceania cruising is always enjoyable - just be prepared for it to be a different experience.

I think the pool and buffet may be affected. But if you come in expecting that you probably can adapt, sunning later and dining late may help you avoid the kiddos.

You should expect to have more children on board in July. I sailed in August once and noticed more kids and also noisy party animal adults! Don't get me wrong, I don't mind a little partying, but they were just downright obnoxious, more so than the kids! On late spring or early fall cruising, I have seen anywhere from 2-5 kids on board. In August, there were about 10-15 of them and quite a few older kids - teenagers and 20-somethings.

Just curious what was the itinerary for that cruise?

I wanted to do the Canada/New England cruise but it has not worked out yet

It may be less attractive for children but there are some parents how put their own desires above those of their children and bring them onboard only to ignore them and let them do whatever they want to amuse themselves at the expense of other passengers. It's rarely the kids, it's mostly their oblivious parents!

Could not agree more!

And, of course, nobody ever thinks of confronting any of those oblivious parents. Better to suffer while enabling them even further.

And, of course, nobody ever thinks of confronting any of those oblivious parents. Better to suffer while enabling them even further.

Beg to differ but I have often confronted these parents and told them to either silence the kids or remove them from the venue. I get a dirty look but better that than a screaming kid running around without supervision.

Beg to differ but I have often confronted these parents and told them to either silence the kids or remove them from the venue. I get a dirty look but better that than a screaming kid running around without supervision.

Confronting parents can be a big mistake. These oblivious parents are very protective of the children that they are not watching.

In terms of noisy or adults partying too heavily - please do not compare them to children. Oceania can put adults in their place (even send them to their cabin to sleep it off) but can not really say anything to the children or even the parents of children other than to ask them politely to have them stop doing whatever the heck they are doing.

The key to this is not to sail when school is not in session or during the holiday breaks in November and December.

And, of course, nobody ever thinks of confronting any of those oblivious parents. Better to suffer while enabling them even further.

Dirty looks often have an impact

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Been extremely lucky I suppose. On Oceania, I have never sailed with rowdy or disruptive children. Adults, on the other hand!

How about this as a real life example. A senile senior that keeps coming back to the cabin next door and pounding on the door and then yelling to be let in. It's not his cabin or even his floor! Problem is he can't remember his current cabin number, but that was his cabin about 5+ years ago! Every time staff/security has to be called to lead him away. Why is his wife allowing him to wander the ship unattended? Should they be banned from future cruises like many here want of disruptive children and their parents? What's fair for the goose should be fair for the gander!

This actually happened or are you saying that this could happen?

Been extremely lucky I suppose. On Oceania, I have never sailed with rowdy or disruptive children. Adults, on the other hand!

 

How about this as a real life example. A senile senior that keeps coming back to the cabin next door and pounding on the door and then yelling to be let in. It's not his cabin or even his floor! Problem is he can't remember his current cabin number, but that was his cabin about 5+ years ago! Every time staff/security has to be called to lead him away. Why is his wife allowing him to wander the ship unattended? Should they be banned from future cruises like many here want of disruptive children and their parents? What's fair for the goose should be fair for the gander!

Some years ago I awoke in the middle of the night to find a strange man in our apartment. He wasn't a burglar! He was the father of neighbors of ours two floors up who had Alzheimers. (The father had Alzheimers, not our neighbors!)

Somehow he had wandered off and remembered the location of the door to his daughter's apartment, just not the floor it was on. Fortunately no harm was done and we quickly got him back to our friend's apartment. There was no real disruption other than momentary disquiet.

So I can certainly see where Pinot's story could easily have happened.

Mura

Actually happened.

First meet the couple when we shared a table in a Specialty. We had a fairly nice 2+ hour dinner that lasted up near the start of the evening show, so we departed the restaurant. Separately, our wives decided not to attend the show. When I came into the Lounge, he was sitting alone, so I slid in next to him. Maybe 10-15 minutes had eclipsed. He didn't recognize or remember me under full lights. He introduced himself again and started talking about his wife and dinner. When I tried to tell him it was me, and I had dinner with him, I got a blank stare. When ever we meet later in the cruise, he'd never remember me/us. Sad! That was the first night he pounded on the next cabin's door, probably because he was with out his wife.

His wife, In telling their initial story at dinner, said that their son had taken them to the airport and helped get them checked in. I'd remembered them at the airport because an Oceania rep had meet them, helped collect their baggage, and gave them transfer to the hotel along with a day later hotel to ship transfer. It hadn't struck me at the time that with out that assistance both journeys may have been near impossible.

Many here rave about the costs of doing Oceania pre/post hotels and transfers. This incident clearly demonstrated what /whom they are for. I think the cost for them was insignificant, but the service mandatory.

Maybe in this type of situation they should be flagged for future cruises & require a certificate of fitness in order to sail

Sometimes people with memory loss can become violent in some situations or can get off the ship & become lost on shore

We all want to cruise forever but sometimes we have to just say "now is the time to stop"

Interesting thread now.I believe the staff should be able to do something about the disruptive children as they do with adults.Same consequences, if they do not calm down,Parent/carer should be sent back to cabin until they had calmed down.

As for dementia passengers,that is so sad.We had a cruise where the man next door tried to get into our cabin at 3 in the morning via connecting door.We were unaware until we received a very apologetic letter slipped under our door from his wife.I immediately wrote back and told her not to worry and indeed offered to sit with her husband one afternoon or evening so she could have a break.(understanding dementia as I have been through it personally 3 times).This was her holiday after all.The couple in question had grown up family with them and so she declined my offer.But two days later we were all disembarking for a tour and the husband was missing.Sadly all 5 missed the tour.He was missing for nearly two hours on the ship.Extremely worrying and I wonder if they will cruise with him again.

These people cannot be punished like children.Drunk passengers can become violent and lost on Shore too.

Surely it is up to the family and general practitioner to decide if a dementia passenger should sail or not.

More complex is the total upheaval for the person with dementia and how they completely change when in a different environment.Things like different colour plates,lines on carpets,sudden loud noises.etc.

I agree that maybe the family should say enough is enough, and the rest of us not judgemental..Especially for the well being of the affected passenger.

We just came returned from the Rome to Venice cruise and there were children onboard who ranged in age from the very young to " just under 21" (which might be included by some people as children). Not once did I hear any person onboard complain about children being onboard. The complaints that I heard were in regards to passengers who were "rude" to crew, and also those few who had a "me first" mentality and who cut in to lines at the buffet, on shore excursions, etc.

This was a port intensive cruise where we had an unexpected sea day because the sea was too rough to tender in to one port. I know that the "children" we travelled with, who ranged in age from 13 to 18 years old, could not wait to make it back for trivia on the ship as it was an activity that all of them enjoyed. One of the "children" joined an all "mature" adult team where she had never met the individuals before and was welcomed by the people on the team. That team often came in first. The other two "children" made up their own team with us, and joined other teams when we were not available. They were always made welcome, and were thrilled to exchange their points for Oceania prizes at the end of the cruise.

If it was not for internet issues, we would not hesitate to sail Oceania again with or without our grandchildren. Despite what is written by some people on this board, Oceania is very welcoming to people who are sailing with children. Much as others have written in various threads, I think the problem is more about the behaviour of passengers, whether adult or children, that becomes an issue.

I would expect that there will be children on your cruise. IMO, those parents/grandparents who take their children/grandchildren on Oceania are not being selfish. Thankfully, we met many other passengers onboard who felt like children enriched the cruise, and/or enriched the cruise for our children through their actions. Of course, other passengers, whether they are on your sailing or not, will disagree with my opinion.

Oceania, with the exception of the internet which was often non-existent, was the right choice for our extended family. Whatever cruise you choose, I hope that all will work out for you. Happy sailing.

Interesting thread now.I believe the staff should be able to do something about the disruptive children as they do with adults.Same consequences, if they do not calm down,Parent/carer should be sent back to cabin until they had calmed down.

As for dementia passengers,that is so sad.We had a cruise where the man next door tried to get into our cabin at 3 in the morning via connecting door.We were unaware until we received a very apologetic letter slipped under our door from his wife.I immediately wrote back and told her not to worry and indeed offered to sit with her husband one afternoon or evening so she could have a break.(understanding dementia as I have been through it personally 3 times).This was her holiday after all.The couple in question had grown up family with them and so she declined my offer.But two days later we were all disembarking for a tour and the husband was missing.Sadly all 5 missed the tour.He was missing for nearly two hours on the ship.Extremely worrying and I wonder if they will cruise with him again.

These people cannot be punished like children.Drunk passengers can become violent and lost on Shore too.

Surely it is up to the family and general practitioner to decide if a dementia passenger should sail or not.

More complex is the total upheaval for the person with dementia and how they completely change when in a different environment.Things like different colour plates,lines on carpets,sudden loud noises.etc.

I agree that maybe the family should say enough is enough, and the rest of us not judgemental..Especially for the well being of the affected passenger.

Thank you Jane. A kind, sensitive response to an illness which could hit any of us or our loved ones.

We just came returned from the Rome to Venice cruise and there were children onboard who ranged in age from the very young to " just under 21" (which might be included by some people as children). Not once did I hear any person onboard complain about children being onboard. The complaints that I heard were in regards to passengers who were "rude" to crew, and also those few who had a "me first" mentality and who cut in to lines at the buffet, on shore excursions, etc.

 

This was a port intensive cruise where we had an unexpected sea day because the sea was too rough to tender in to one port. I know that the "children" we travelled with, who ranged in age from 13 to 18 years old, could not wait to make it back for trivia on the ship as it was an activity that all of them enjoyed. One of the "children" joined an all "mature" adult team where she had never met the individuals before and was welcomed by the people on the team. That team often came in first. The other two "children" made up their own team with us, and joined other teams when we were not available. They were always made welcome, and were thrilled to exchange their points for Oceania prizes at the end of the cruise.

 

If it was not for internet issues, we would not hesitate to sail Oceania again with or without our grandchildren. Despite what is written by some people on this board, Oceania is very welcoming to people who are sailing with children. Much as others have written in various threads, I think the problem is more about the behaviour of passengers, whether adult or children, that becomes an issue.

 

I would expect that there will be children on your cruise. IMO, those parents/grandparents who take their children/grandchildren on Oceania are not being selfish. Thankfully, we met many other passengers onboard who felt like children enriched the cruise, and/or enriched the cruise for our children through their actions. Of course, other passengers, whether they are on your sailing or not, will disagree with my opinion.

 

Oceania, with the exception of the internet which was often non-existent, was the right choice for our extended family. Whatever cruise you choose, I hope that all will work out for you. Happy sailing.

Well said.

Been extremely lucky I suppose. On Oceania, I have never sailed with rowdy or disruptive children. Adults, on the other hand!

 

How about this as a real life example. A senile senior that keeps coming back to the cabin next door and pounding on the door and then yelling to be let in. It's not his cabin or even his floor! Problem is he can't remember his current cabin number, but that was his cabin about 5+ years ago! Every time staff/security has to be called to lead him away. Why is his wife allowing him to wander the ship unattended? Should they be banned from future cruises like many here want of disruptive children and their parents? What's fair for the goose should be fair for the gander!

Sadly, there are some elderly people that cannot be left unattended (and should not be). While they should not be banned from future cruises, it needs to be clear that he should be accompanied by his wife at all times. If there is an issue with him leaving the cabin, there are inside locks that one can attach to avoid the problem.

I did not suggest banning children from cruises but did suggest that people that want to avoid having many children onboard take their cruises when school is in session. Also, some children may need to be supervised at all times or if they become disruptive.

In terms of unruly adults, tell an officer about it. Unfortunately, based on reading too many children threads over the years, cruise lines are reluctant to take action against children. When parents are approached they can go ballistic. So it has to be handled with kid gloves (pun intended).

With all the super aging and the expansive generation of retirees who can afford to travel, Alzheimer's and dementia issues are an increasing concern.

On our last Riviera cruise in January we were surprised to find a couple my wife knew from her Alzheimer's volunteer work; the husband is charming but in the course of a few hours will unwittingly retell the same story 4 times: as short term memory is lost these people need virtual 24 hour attention which can overwhelm the care giver/spouse. Sometimes the spouse doesn't want to acknowledge the extent of their partners disability.

We will see an Increase of these issues (of wandering seniors).

As to children you can never be sure but Oceania's ships are not the size or configuration to encourage much in the way of acting up; at worst the medium warm hot tubs may become a hang out if there are teens; also families may be somewhat aggressive/territorial in reserving chairs around the pool. These are issues you probably won't even notice.