are cruises educational for kids

after reading lots of posts that are negitive about kids on cruises i thought i would tell you my experience of taking my 2 granddaughters age 8 and 10 on a cruise.As well as having fun we wanted them to learn some of the history of the islands we visited.We got them a notebook each and they wrote in them every day and drew pictures.we visited the fort in st kitts and from the tour guide they learned the history of the fort.In st lucia they learnt all about the pitons and volcanos. In greneda they learnt all about how spices are made.

they were soon asking us and the tour guides questions on all the islands.

of course we had fun on lots of beaches as well where there were more questions about the fish,food, well you name it they asked a question.

They had great fun on the ship as well going to the kids club while we enjoyed a couple of hours in the casino.They made friend with everyone we spoke to and could hold an inteligent conversation about the islands we visited.They learned all about fine dining and dressing up for formal night.

they made friends with the room stewards and he gave them extra chocalates

one night as they wanted to give them to us for our aniversary.

We made lots of new friends because of them as everyone told us what lovely children they were.

My dh and i were so proud of them.

They are now 17 and 19 and have never forgotten there cruise.

In fact they still have there notebooks.Something to show there children perhaps?Anyone else out there with stories of well behaved children?:)

My kids took their first cruise at the ages of 7 and 11 and now they are about to take their third and will be 11 and 14. I have pulled them out of school twice to cruise and still made them learn about where we were visiting and do all missed work. They wrote in journals each night and have done projects to turn into the teachers and principal once they came back home.

Our memories will last a lifetime and I have never been sorry for giving my kids the world, one island at a time.

We truly believe that children learn a lot from travelling. We have had our two girls travelling since they were infants. They are 11 and 17 now. They have traveled across Canada, as that is our country, as well as across the US, Caribbean and have even been to Japan. Missing school to do so many times.

Each time we go they are given a notebook to record in and they now have a collection of incredible memories as well as a vast knowledge of different countries and cultures.

They have always been responsible, well behaved and respectful to others. Both girls love to cruise and we are looking forward to our next one in December. They both love to dress up for dinner and insist on formal wear. Although my DH and I do like to get away on our own once in a while.:D

I wouldn't touch this topic with a ten foot pole. :p :D

Beth

My kids, 10, 8, and 6 have been great on cruises! They think it is the best thing ever! They have enjoyed the islands and the kids clubs. They have stayed up late and never had a problem taking a mid day snooze to be able to do the late night party zone! The one time that my youngest started to have a melt down in the dining room. I took him out immediately and we went back to the cabin.

Now, I do have to say we are going on one in January and the kids are staying home with their grandparents and we are excited to have complete couple time!

Also, we are going on a three day in November and the kids are coming but we are surprising them. We can't wait!!

I kno I learned more as a child when I traveled than I did in school, which was in general not fun for me because I was overweight (hard to learn when you are defending yourself all day). My kids are required to keep journals every day (this was cooked up between the teachers, my husband and I), as well as budget their own money. We also are talking about the physics of airplanes and how they fly. The logistics of feeding all those people on the ship etc. They helped plan all the details.

Travel can be very educational. It educates children about how others live, think and work. There is a lot to learn about oceans and animals and a bevy of interesting things. Play time is part of it too. Children learn through play and in Adventure Ocean. How to get along with others. We are, all of us, learning all the time. School can be a great place to learn but so can a vacation, the playgound, the grocery store and the kitchen etc.

We have traveled alot with our kids, now ages 26,23,18 and 10. We always look at it as a fun educational experience. You meet people from all over the world, learn other customs, see other places and they way other people live.

They have learned to appreciate the good life they have and that travel is a privledge not a 'given'.

They have learned from a young age what kind of behavior is appropriate and they have good manners. They have also learned that bad behavior gets them no where...

We have taken them out of school to travel, sometimes it is disney world, sometimes a cruise or a car trip to the Rocky Mountians or a historical site.

They learn so much and the family time is good to....well most of the time..LOL!

Bev

I wouldn't touch this topic with a ten foot pole. :p :D

 

Beth

C'mon Beth - why wouldn't you touch this topic? ;)

Because no matter which side you pick, you're going to get slammed. :D

Beth

Of course cruising and travel in general can be educational. First-hand experience is always better than book learning. The combination of the two is even more valuable.

Rather than just writing a journal, why not have the children do some research beforehand, and come up with some ideas about things they want to learn more about?

There is no reason that a trip taken while school is out cannot be as educational as one taken while classes are still in session.

I agree Hobson, the best of both worlds.

I always try to make ANY trip we take educational... figure a little bit of extra learning can't hurt!

On our last cruise, in Jamaica, we did the Brimmer Hall Plantation tour - my daughter loved it and wants to go again! Of course she wants to follow it up with a climb up DRF!

We took our 14 and 10 yo children out of school last February and did the Galapagos. Now that was an education!

Even though they spent much of their onboard time at AO, both of my science-nuts (boys ages 5 & 8 almost) said their favorite parts of their cruise to Alaska were 1) seeing the glacier and 2) learning about the animals & history of Alaska.

When I told them that they will get the chance to tour a working oceanographic and atmospheric lab on our next cruise, they FLIPPED! My oldest has had the opportunity to tour many of the labs at UCSB, where I am in a PhD program. They've both gotten to see human brains and such at CSU Northridge, where I teach. So, they know what they are in for.

Barb

I think travel is definitely educational. As a child, my parents took us on annual summer vacations in the car and on our way to where ever we were going, my dad would find an educational stop for each day of the trip.

With regards to cruising, I think that younger children would probably do more learning on the trip than adolescents would.

i have been following the thread about screaming kids<entertaining isnt it dont we just love to see people get flamed> I must say though thats its refreshing to see so many people feel as my dh and i do. We have taken our children and grandchildren on many holidays over the years and can honestly say we have enjoyed everyone of them.Of course our children were not perfect and niether are our grandchildren but when on holiday seemed to be on there best behavior.

Maybe it was because they had all our attencion without the usual distractions of life or as i like to think becauce they were stimulated and we all need that to give our life some purpose.

of course they had there moments but if they were tired we put them for a nap,

hungry feed them,there is usually a reason and a solution.After all how many of you have walked round disney for 8 hours and not felt tired and iratable.

life is about memorys.After all who will remember what colour my lounge is in 10 years but we will always remember our holidays and often have evenings looking at old photos and just remembering.

the chidren also will never forget what they have learnt as it was done in such a fun way and who nos perhaps that knoledge will help them with an exam or interveiw in the future.

happy cruising to you all:D

I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.

`mark Twain

Taking a child on a cruise for educational purposes is kind of like trying to eat a healthy meal in a fast food restaurant. It's possible but it takes effort, but the great majority of the people won't even think about it.

I agree that all travel is educational in a cultural, mind-broadening sort of way. Realizing that other people have different customs has value. Learning good manners for formal dining has value. Lots of things on cruises are good for kids. This, of course, must be balanced by a few negatives to which they may be exposed on a cruise: teen-aged binge drinking being chief amongst the potential problems. I certainly don't want my children to get the idea that's acceptable behavior.

Almost all passengers (kids or not) spend more time on the beach, on sailboats and jet skis, and by the pool than they spend in historical and cultural areas. Most of the "foreign countries" frequented by cruise ship visitors are sanitized tourist areas, which are not really typical of the country as a whole. I don't think it's really fair to say that a child who spends six hours in Cozumel has "visited Mexico". Sure, he put his feet in the country, but -- if his family is average -- his cultural experience was most likely limited to eating nachos. Sure, kids may do a science experiment or something else educational in the kids' club, but how much of the cruise will be spent on that type of thing? One or two hours out of a whole week? Sure, that activity is mind-enhancing as well as fun, but I don't think it's fair to say that the whole week is "educational" because of that lesson on oceanography or that exploding volcano.

I do not think that a cruise is a good replacement for a week of school, yet that's what many people on the boards advocate. Many people report that their children were allowed to write a journal, make a poster, etc. IN PLACE OF whatever went on in school that week. So the child will never read To Kill A Mockingbird, or will miss the lesson on multiplying fractions, or will have to read in a book about disecting sheep eyes instead of taking part in the science class' lab. The journal-activity is a good idea, but it can't replace those other essential activities.

Ideally, a child should attend school to get all those lessons that we consider "basic education" in our society. AND he should have travel opportunities outside school. I wouldn't sacrafice one for the other.

Again, I think an "educational cruise" is kind of like that elusive healthy fast-food meal. The salad with low-fat dressing is available, but the truth is that most people will grab the Big Mac combo.

I am pulling my boys, age 11, 14, 15 out of school this November for a 7 day western caribbean. The boys are excited, but the teachers for the 14 and 15 year olds are not. I have been in touch with them since school started and was quickly informed that the four days they would miss,(only 4 because that Friday is Veteran's day) would be charged as an unexcused absence and all work missed would be counted as a zero. This gripes me for a few reasons.

1.These boys are not genuis and need every credit they can get. However, they are not academically challenged. (B-C students)

2. I have tried to make this an educational experience as well, and have received no help from the teachers due to it being an unexcused absence.

3. I was informed I can write a note saying they were sick, have them do nothing special while on the trip, and it is magically an excused absence and all work is able to be made up.

4. I will end up writing the note to help them academically, but sacrifice my integrity in the process.

To me this makes absolutely no sense. I understand their education is important, however, I also believe that this is a once in a lifetime chance for us to spend time together as a family, while exploring other cultures, countries, and meeting other people. I hope they recover quickly from the cruise flu and get their work done quickly.

Many people report that their children were allowed to write a journal, make a poster, etc. IN PLACE OF whatever went on in school that week. So the child will never read To Kill A Mockingbird, or will miss the lesson on multiplying fractions, or will have to read in a book about disecting sheep eyes instead of taking part in the science class' lab. Instead, he wrote a journal.

 

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With all do respect.......I have followed and participated in the numerous topics about school and cruising. From what I gather most of the parents that responded to these threads have their children doing extras such as journals and such AS WELL as "whatever went on in school that week"....not "IN PLACE OF"

What we do:

We get permission form the principal and teacher. Once we get their blessing we start educating our kids on where we are going. They look at the map and globe. The oldest tries to calculate how many miles we will fly and sail. We bought her a book about the Caribbean. She is actually teaching me about the history of St Thomas and Barbados!! She is now in the process of learning how to figure out the exchange rate. (just checked the history button on the computer and I can see that she is working on the problem I gave her). During the cruise she keeps a diary. She is also "RESPONSIBLE" to stay in contact with her friends at school to get the make up work. This alone is very powerful in several ways. It teaches her responsibility and that work doesnt stop when you go away....just like my work doesn't stop.

I am proud to say she has not missed 1st honours yet. Now, when she is in high school I do NOT think we will pull her out.

In my opinion - traveling is one of the most educational experiences children can have. DH and I are not wealthy, usually live paycheck to paycheck (ok not quite that bad). I have been able to take my children on cruises and traveling across the US. I booked our current cruise rather spur of the moment in August for a 9/26 sailing and it means taking my son out of school. My son will be creating memories for a lifetime. He will be 14 the day we leave and we plan on having a great time.

During my travels as an adult, I have learned so much about people and their cultures and would not trade my experiences for anything - including fancy cars and 'stuff'. To me, traveling is much exciting than material things.

I do not think that a cruise is a good replacement for a week of school, yet that's what many people on the boards advocate. Many people report that their children were allowed to write a journal, make a poster, etc. IN PLACE OF whatever went on in school that week. So the child will never read To Kill A Mockingbird, or will miss the lesson on multiplying fractions, or will have to read in a book about disecting sheep eyes instead of taking part in the science class' lab. The journal-activity is a good idea, but it can't replace those other essential activities.

 

Ideally, a child should attend school to get all those lessons that we consider "basic education" in our society. AND he should have travel opportunities outside school. I wouldn't sacrafice one for the other.

 

Again, I think an "educational cruise" is kind of like that elusive healthy fast-food meal. The salad with low-fat dressing is available, but the truth is that most people will grab the Big Mac combo.

I believe that most people on this board are like me. They have done their best to provide for their families, an affordable, positive atmosphere in which to spend quality time as a family. In our society, life is very fast paced and it appears to me that family is one of the first things sacraficed in order to make more time to work the one and sometimes two jobs that people do to survive.

I agree that children should attend school to get their basic education. However, but why couldn't they read "To Kill a Mockingbird" around the pool of a cruise ship with family vs. a classroom?

In my case, I approached the school and requested their help in providing lessons while the kids were out, so that they would still be with the class when they returned. I was told "No, they will just have to miss the material and it will be an unexcused absence." I even requested they simply provide the material that would be missed, so that I could teach the lesson for the week, and was told it was the responsibility of the parent to insure the child was in class, and the students responibility to learn the material. It was not the teacher's responsibility to provide lessons out of the class.

So with that being said, my kids will recover quite nicely from the cruise flu,

and return to class well rested, with a tan and memories of the pain of standing in line at the tender, the agony of eating too much at the buffet, and the embarrassment of spending a week with their parents, learning that their parents just might still care about them and just might still be a little cool.

I'm glad that schools are finally putting their foot down about unexcused absences. By the way, in our school district if you are sick more than three days, you need a doctor's excuse, so you should plan on a doctor aiding in your deception or it could still be unexcused.

Educational experiences, such as cruising should be done when school is out of session. God knows, there is plenty of time available, since school is only 180 days a year.

With all do respect.......I have followed and participated in the numerous topics about school and cruising. From what I gather most of the parents that responded to these threads have their children doing extras such as journals and such AS WELL as "whatever went on in school that week"....not "IN PLACE OF"

I'm sure that several parents try to prepare their children for an educational cruise experience. However, just because someone does not post that they feel that missing school to cruise and not making up the work is perfectly acceptacle, does not mean that the parent does not exist.

I have yet to see someone post that they think it's perfectly acceptable for thier darling to run loose on the ship, pushing elevator buttons and knocking on doors at 2 AM, but I've seen it happen onboard. Apparently that parent exists but knows better than to post here.

I do know some people who let their kids stay home from school because the child simply did not want to go to school that day. The child is not physically ill, simply not in the mood for school. It sends the message that school is not important.

When I was young (pre-teen) my parents would occasionally let me miss the first couple days of school because school started the second or third week of August and interfered with the trip plans. However, once I was in middle and high school, the missing of school days stopped. My parents felt that since I was in advanced and honors type classes, missing the first couple days of school would cause me to fall behind, especially in the math and science classes.

My dad is an engineer and my mom was a teacher until she became a mom. However, neither of them were really up to the challenge of helping with chemistry formulas or solving differential equations if I had questions while on vacation. I can easily see why many teachers are opposed to removing kids from school for trips. I don't think that missing a week of home ec or PE will hurt anyone. But miss a week of calculus or 3rd year chemistry and it can really affect the rest of your year. Even a week of a foreign language class can put you behind unless you a traveling with some to practice speaking with.

I'm sure that several parents try to prepare their children for an educational cruise experience. However, just because someone does not post that they feel that missing school to cruise and not making up the work is perfectly acceptacle, does not mean that the parent does not exist.

 

I have yet to see someone post that they think it's perfectly acceptable for thier darling to run loose on the ship, pushing elevator buttons and knocking on doors at 2 AM, but I've seen it happen onboard. Apparently that parent exists but knows better than to post here.

 

I do know some people who let their kids stay home from school because the child simply did not want to go to school that day. The child is not physically ill, simply not in the mood for school. It sends the message that school is not important.

 

When I was young (pre-teen) my parents would occasionally let me miss the first couple days of school because school started the second or third week of August and interfered with the trip plans. However, once I was in middle and high school, the missing of school days stopped. My parents felt that since I was in advanced and honors type classes, missing the first couple days of school would cause me to fall behind, especially in the math and science classes.

 

My dad is an engineer and my mom was a teacher until she became a mom. However, neither of them were really up to the challenge of helping with chemistry formulas or solving differential equations if I had questions while on vacation. I can easily see why many teachers are opposed to removing kids from school for trips. I don't think that missing a week of home ec or PE will hurt anyone. But miss a week of calculus or 3rd year chemistry and it can really affect the rest of your year. Even a week of a foreign language class can put you behind unless you a traveling with some to practice speaking with.

I agree with you. My kids are under the age of 11 and so it is easy for me to help with their studies. Again...once they get into the higher grades I will not be pulling them out. But even that is dependent on how they are doing in school and their ability to keep from falling behind. I also think that the better percentage of parents that take their kids out of school for vacations DO NOT make their childrens studies priority 1 as I do.