Kids sail free!?

I was about to book an Alaska cruise this summer, then I saw the “Kids sail free to Alaska” and changed my mind. We were on Mariner in March with a whole lot of “free kids”, and we promised to never ever do it again. We, along with other guests, were forced to leave the dining table in the middle of dinner because of unruly screaming ‘free kids’ once too many times.

I don’t know which marketing genius decided on his policy. It may attract more customers, but it is a deal breaker for me.

Any thoughts?

immer

:mad:

I think it's too bad that you had that experience in March, but I also think that your experience is not necessarily indicative of what all cruises with free kids would be like. On a Christmas cruise on Navigator, while not Kids Sail Free, there were plenty of children (6 in our party), and never once did the kids on the trip disrupt anybody's good time, whether in a restaurant or by the pool. Of course, to each his own, and if you don't enjoy being around children, this may not be the cruise for you. I also believe that children's (mis)behavior is the fault of the parents, not the children.:rolleyes:

This would be a deal breaker for me too. Between the out of control kids and the blissfully ignorant parents, (never heard a parent yet who hasn't considered their kids to be well behaved in such situations - I shudder to think what their usual behaviour must be like), offering free passage to them seems like a disaster in the making. I'd sail Disney if I wanted to deal with that and I venture the opinion that the kids in question would probably enjoy it better as well.

We were just on the Mariner 4/27 itinerary. It was a "kids sail free." We were concerned, however, there were probably a handful of kids from toddlers to around the age of 14. All were well behaved and we hardly noticed them.

We were on the March 13 Mariner sail. We encountered the same group of children, and we too were unhappy with the "kids sail free" issue. We booked the cruise a year in advance. The "kids sail free" was added much later. I know that we were not the only couple unhappy with this arrangement. We heard several others complaining about this particular kinder group. We noted our diappointment on our parting comment questionaire.

Children (especially the ages of the kids in this particular group) would be much better served on Disney.

So, I agree. The "kids sail free" program gives me pause.

I think it's too bad that you had that experience in March, but I also think that your experience is not necessarily indicative of what all cruises with free kids would be like. ..

You are right: it is not the kids. It is a combination of (some) parents, who may over time become immune to the annoyances of their kids and the ship that must be utterly boring to children with a possible exception of a pool area that – in my case turned out to be their playground.

I guess I was unlucky on my cruise, and it may well be that most of the time the children are well behaved. But – it is a gamble that I am not willing to take.

We were on the March 13 Mariner sail. We encountered the same group of children, and we too were unhappy with the "kids sail free" issue. We booked the cruise a year in advance. The "kids sail free" was added much later. I know that we were not the only couple unhappy with this arrangement. We heard several others complaining about this particular kinder group. We noted our diappointment on our parting comment questionaire.

 

Children (especially the ages of the kids in this particular group) would be much better served on Disney.

 

So, I agree. The "kids sail free" program gives me pause.

But we also will

This is so funny ,we were on the same cruise and there were a lot of childern on board and all of them were well behaved WITH the exception of those seven(all under six years old)childern who ran and screamed all the time, even when they were all in the hot tubs with their diapers on and their sippy mugs.Hey the kids don't know the difference .It's their wonderful parents and grand parents who should know better. We also wrote them up and complimented poor Adam on his enduranceat the pool bar when they demanded their smoothies--no please or thank you from them.Parents must have thought manners were not required on ship. It won't discourage us from sailing with childern but we pray no more of that type. Cheers,Pat

I agree with most comments above. Even one family with loud and/or unruly children can be difficult. On the Navigator a month ago, a family with 3 small children decided to play board games daily in the too-small Computer/Library room. The shrieks and yelling was annoying to people on the computer, people in the Navigator lounge, etc. When going to dinner, the 3 children managed to sit on different stairs in a way to block anyone from walking by. On a Baltic cruise last summer, 2 children were rolling up and down on the floor in the showroom during a performance (people walked out-- Regent did nothing until someone finally complained).

Yes, it is their parents fault, however, knowing that does not help the situation. Most cruiselines have great children/family programs. There are so few cruiselines, resorts, or even airplanes where adults can go without children (remember -- many parents are lucky to be able to celebrate an anniversary or birthday or a cruise while there parents watch the kids -- do they really want to be with someone else's children?).

I certainly do not dislike children -- perhaps only the ones on a luxury cruise -- when it isn't summer, a school vacation or holiday. Regent would automatically have more children on an Alaska or Tahiti cruise during the summer, but to advertise children crusing for free, in my opinion, makes it more difficult for people cruising without them.

It would be so nice if Regent could also advertise a few adult-only cruises each year (no discount required!)

ADULTS ONLY!!! Sign me up!!

I have been on, I think, 18 cruises with my kids. I find that the vast majority of children on Regent are very well behaved. Unfortunately, as with some memorable poorly behaved adults, there are some parents that either don't teach or don't care about children behaving properly. It is a sham when those parent/child combinations - or the poorly behaved adults - improperly infringe on anyone's cruise.

I also agree that the cruise lines need to be a bit more on top of poorly behaving children and, especially, such things as diapers in the pools/whirlpools.

My suggestion is not to avoid any "kid's sail free"cruises, but to look at the school calendars. March is spring break. Late April is not. There is, unfortunately, a greater chance of a problem on a mid-March cruise than there is on a late April one.

BTW, some other lines have tried "adults only" sailings and, believe it or not, they found that it did not increase the number of adults, but reduced the number of cabins sold. They also found that the adults were not willing to pay a premium to cover the cost of the empty cabins. Hence, I don't think you will be seeing adults only cruises marketed much.

We too were on the March 13 cruise and tried, often unsuccessfully, to seek shelter from those six or seven children. It was an experience we will not forget and will never again take a chance with an itinerary that offers ‘kids sail free’.

Regent must decide who their clientele is and shape their service to suit those needs. If they see themselves as an upper class Disney, well, then they will be loosing us, and I trust a great many others.

The vast majority of parents bring along well behaved children, but we are not willing to gamble or schedule our cruses around school holidays.

We too decided to skip Alaska this year for this very reason.

We, too, will avoid any cruise marketed as "kids sail free" as well as "third person in a cabin sails free" as they do sometimes on the PG, and which we all know means a kid more often than not.

Are you listening, Regent?

My husband and I sailed with our two children on the March 30th 10 night Mariner cruise. It was a "Kids Sail Free" cruise. It turns out that very few cabins accommodate a third passenger. Only one of the many children I saw actually sailed for free. We paid for two full cabins for ourselves and our children as did most of the other parents on the cruise. There was no reduced rate whatsoever. Our children were with us at all times unless they were with the Children's Program. Without air, this cruise cost us nearly $16,000. I am guessing that Regent appreciated every dime that we spent. From the sounds of it, there was one cruise earlier in March with some unruly children who were not minded by their parents. These parents should have been reminded of their duty by someone from Regent's management. I have been on five Regent cruises and children have been on board every one. (we only took ours on this one Regent crusei in March) Parents are welcome to pay for their kids to cruise whenever they wish and Regent seems glad to have them. I think it is unfair to paint every family with the same brush and it is unwarranted to ask a cruise line to ban children whose parents are willing to bring them and keep them in check. Those people wishing to avoid children can merely book their cruise away from holiday times when children are out of school. I hope Regent does not take your "hint" to ban children from Regent entirely. Children add a wonderful element to travel.

Regent only offers itineraries to Alaska in the summer months---when school is out. Regent only offers itineraries to the Baltic in the summer months---when school is out. Do I look for a more "adult-friendly" cruise line to enjoy those itineraries?

We, too, will avoid any cruise marketed as "kids sail free" as well as "third person in a cabin sails free" as they do sometimes on the PG, and which we all know means a kid more often than not.

 

Are you listening, Regent?

I completely agree and applaud.

And I will say that children do NOT add a wonderful element to MY travel experiences.

I took my children to Alaska in August a couple of years ago on the Mariner and I don't think there was a total of 20 kids...and you never heard them; no less saw any of them.

They were also on the Diamond in the Black Sea, Turkey and Greece and were one of less than a dozen children over both cruises. No problems.

Last year they were on the Navigator in Europe and, once again, no problems.

And when I say, no problems, I am not speaking as a father defending his kids. I am speaking of experience. I have, alas, been on cruises with my children where I was able to show them the bad behavior that should never engage in (and, fortunately, never have!).

I hope "kid-phobia" doesn't prevent you from cruising on Regent during the summer or at other times; just I don't let the odd angry-pushy-rude adult determine when or where I am going.

To keep it in perspective, the "kids are problem" threads pop up once in a while...and that is like any problem. It is "once in a while".

I asked in an earlier message where adults and parents can go to have an "adult" cruising experience. It was suggested that the school calendar be checked. That is exactly what we did -- checked every possible scenario for holidays during our travel time. Apparently parents take children out of school to travel.

Children under 5 travel all year round. December 6, 2006, we were boarding a flight where, at last count, 35+ child carrier seats were being loaded (first the child -- then the seat into baggage). It delayed the flight one hour. At the end of the flight the car seats/strollers were jamming up the equpment -- it took one full hour to get our luggage. This point isn't complaining about children, it's about when and how much they travel.

I was not the perfect parent but did know that we had to "master" the art of dining at McDonald's before graduating to a coffee shop, etc. It would never occur to me to take a young child to a fine dining restaurant that was not accustomed to being in that environment. It is no more fun for them than it is for their parents.

Perhaps the parents should ask themselves why they are booking a luxury cruise with minimal things for their children to do as opposed to the wonderful children programs on other ships. Most of us on this thread are not talking about the children who have learned to travel and can have fun without interrupting others on a cruise. We have seen many great kids on cruises (the kind that you hardly know are there). Well behaved children are always a delight to see!

I do not want to see Regent change their rules -- wish there were a way to give parents a reality check. Ask yourself -- would I want to be on a cruise or in a restaurant with children that act like mine?

This thread is probably played out, but I feel that I must insert my 2 cents. We were on the Navigator during the Christmas holidays, when there were 30 - 40 children aboard. They were ALL a delight to be around. In fact, we would rather be travelling with children (i.e., a good mix of passengers) than a bunch of grouchy, complaining old people (and, believe me, we are not young ourselves).

Travelcat, if you aren't happy with how much parents travel with children, perhaps you would be happier at home.

I asked in an earlier message where adults and parents can go to have an "adult" cruising experience. It was suggested that the school calendar be checked. That is exactly what we did -- checked every possible scenario for holidays during our travel time. Apparently parents take children out of school to travel.

 

Children under 5 travel all year round. December 6, 2006, we were boarding a flight where, at last count, 35+ child carrier seats were being loaded (first the child -- then the seat into baggage). It delayed the flight one hour. At the end of the flight the car seats/strollers were jamming up the equpment -- it took one full hour to get our luggage. This point isn't complaining about children, it's about when and how much they travel.

 

I was not the perfect parent but did know that we had to "master" the art of dining at McDonald's before graduating to a coffee shop, etc. It would never occur to me to take a young child to a fine dining restaurant that was not accustomed to being in that environment. It is no more fun for them than it is for their parents.

 

Perhaps the parents should ask themselves why they are booking a luxury cruise with minimal things for their children to do as opposed to the wonderful children programs on other ships. Most of us on this thread are not talking about the children who have learned to travel and can have fun without interrupting others on a cruise. We have seen many great kids on cruises (the kind that you hardly know are there). Well behaved children are always a delight to see!

 

I do not want to see Regent change their rules -- wish there were a way to give parents a reality check. Ask yourself -- would I want to be on a cruise or in a restaurant with children that act like mine?

I would like to add that the Youth Program that was offered on the Navigator this past Christmas was wonderful. The six children in our party were never at a loss of something to do. On some evenings they dined with us, both in Compass Rose and in Portofino. They sat at their own table next to ours in both restaurants. The age range was 9 to 14. I think it would be a shame to eliminate children from Regent cruises; some children are accustomed to the finer things. My daughter, the 14 year old, had previously been on RCI in summer '06. She was certain that the fun could not be duplicated...she became a Regent convert at the tender age of 14! Not all kids on luxury ships are bored, the ones that are have the parents that would be better off on CArnival or RCI, perhaps.

Wow, I have never been accused of being an abusive parent because my children dine in nice restaurants, enjoy some culture and can live without video games for weeks at a time.;)

I don't want to lecture about giving children more credit, but my son (OK I will brag) has a favorite food (roast kid), a favorite seafood (octopus), can smell dried figs when visiting a sherry winery, etc...Oh yes, he is 11. His younger sister tried some artichoke spread Saturday evening and said it tasted "smokey", loves lobster bisque, but without the "green stuff" (chive oil)...and she is but 8. These kids are not unique and I can assure you McDonald's etiquette is not what it is about.

Their behavior - and most children on Regent - is very good to excellent. Do I make them sit through a formal night? Nope. Do they know how to walk through a busy restaurant to visit the bathroom? Yep. And they are not going to learn this stuff in McDonalds...or on a kiddy cruise.

Ever been on a tour waiting for "that" woman with the walker? Ever try to disembark a flight arriving into West Palm Beach - where a 40 year old is the youngest person on the plane? We all have examples of the "joys" of travel.

We also need to respect that none of us own the ship or have exclusive rights to our particular cruise...without "that" woman, "those children", that loud man, that rude person who never wears the appropriate clothes, or those that just don't like me/us/you for whatever the prejudice/reason/excuse.

We have traveled several times on Regent cruises,most recently this past April on the Mariner. There were a decent number of kids on board who appeared to have been brought up exactly as I was. I see so many out of control brats these days but this diverse batch were a pleasure to see. Once, a couple of years ago, I asked to have an infant in diapers removed from the pool and the staff acted immediately. The mother was not pleased and I did not care one bit. Each cruise has been perfect beyond all expectations. I also assume that the passengers bringing kids on this cruise line know what to expect and are fairly sure that their kids will behave as they should.

I agree with IAmBoatMan (by the way -- your kids sound wonderful!). I am not a parent yet, but I do know that certain parenting strategies teach children to behave better in nice settings -- having them around and able to converse with adults, getting them acquainted to eating at nice restaurants, etc. I think the problem with the "McDonalds first" mentality (besides the obvious nutritional concerns :-) is that at McDonalds, kids see other kids running around, squirming, throwing fits, etc. and might come to think that behavior is acceptable when dining out. I would venture a guess that the misbehaved children on Regent cruises are the ones who aren't in nice settings often enough, rather than those whose parents set high expectations for them. I know that growing up, I was always expected to be conversational with adults and to be polite and well-behaved in public (even in settings I found "boring" or settings where there weren't a ton of other children around)... and we certainly plan to raise our children similarly one day. We think it is adorable when we go to a nice restaurant and see a 5 year old ordering risotto or salmon and overhear him talking about his favorite Broadway show. That said, poorly behaved kids and their oblivious parents are annoying (we had some on our honeymoon cruise), but I see no reason that anyone should be annoyed by the mere presence of kids on their cruise.

Eric, your kids have amazing taste in food. While mine appreciate the finer restaurants and ambiance of Navigator (our only luxury cruise) their taste in food leaves a lot to be desired. My 13 year old will eat sushi, but that is about as exotic as she goes. They were amazed by the presentation of the main courses, and of course the desserts left them speechless!

What was said above about letting kids run around in restaurants is an annoyance no matter where it happens. As kids, my sisters and I were never allowed to get up in a restuarant to run around, and my kids never did it either. I don't care if it's Sweet Tomatoes or Compass Rose...it is unpleasant no matter where. Sorry, got off topic with my little rant. I'm finished now.:o

Just so you know my kids are kids, I had a father-daughter day at American Girl Place on Saturday (still recovering!:eek: ). We had some extra time so we walked up to FAO Schwarz for a snack. We had a Chocolate Volcano with enough chocolate, ice cream, sauce and candy to keep you with nausea for about a week. BUT...she didn't spill a drop on her clothes.:D

I totally expected to get beat up on this thread -- I can take it -- no problem. A comment about McDonald's -- 30 years ago, everyone took their children there -- few people were aware of nutritional concerns. I'm not one to look at the "old days" (I'm not that old) -- but, in the 1980's there were no children running around in McDonald's -- it just wasn't something that was done. Once the toddler stage was over, my daughter dined at many very fine venue's and had very sophisticated tastes for her age (I could have said that in my last post but did not realize that I would be attacked for taking a toddler to McDonalds).

If your experiences on cruise ships has not included children rolling around the isle during a performance -- consider yourself lucky. We have not experienced objectionable adult behavior -- not even once so I suppose we're fortunate.

It is interesting to read how many parents of perfect children we have on these boards. These are obviously not the ones people complain about (although it seems that the protests are a bit strong -- a bit defensive perhaps?)

Those of you that have read any of my posts or reviews know how much we love Regent cruises. I typically post only to answer a question to try to help those who have not cruised on Regent or a particular ship before. Obviously, this subject is quite a hot button -- it's too bad that people have to be rude when an honest opinion is posted.

I was perhaps overly honest here because I feel that families considering Regent should understand that, in general, the average age of the passengers is older and that the set-up does not include a lot of things for children to do.

The person who started this thread was concerned about Regent advertising free cruise fares for children -- I agree.