Anyone taken a child on a "Non Kid-Friendly" Cruise?

Hi

Has anyone chosen to take their child/ren on a cruise not marketed to be kid-friendly? Im considering these as there are so many more itinerary options than kid-friendly ones

I just rang Oceania and enquired about their Mediterranean cruise and when I mentioned kids, they told me that whilst kids are allowed in all areas of the cruise, there are no kids facilities onboard, no child meals, child pools etc.

I don't think we need children facilities as most of our time will be spent on land ports etc, we do intend to enjoy the boat but most of out time will be on land enjoying the destinations, therefore Im not too worried about the cruise not being kid friendly but the lady I spoke to did put me off a bit.

Have you taken young kids on a non kid-friendly boat, what was your experience? Any discrimination against the kids?:confused:

Kids on Oceania will be a novelty but I think you should take them. I sailed Oceania with only the adult members of my family in January one year. I had to leave my kids at home because of school. I missed them! I was on the Regatta, which is small compared to the newer Riviera. The ships are elegant. There are nice linens and furnishings. The food was very good across the board. The pool on Regatta was saltwater but no one was using it except for me and my sisters and this was a Caribbean cruise. I liked having the little pool and hot tubs mostly to myself. The chairs were so comfortable and padded by the pool and nice towels, etc. Very luxurious.

I did spot a brother and sister on board and they were making use of the ping pong table and seemed to be having a good time. There are not many activities on board. It is like a hotel not a resort. With a port intensive cruise I think Oceania or Amazara would be fine. At least the kids won't be begging to stay on board. They'll be happy to get off for excursions. The nice thing about the smaller ships is getting on and off is easy peasy. No long lines for tendering and that sort of thing.

One thing the kids will enjoy- is afternoon tea each day in the lounge at the bow. Wonderful!!! We went every day and there is a lovely orchestra and what a great family experience.

So I say- go for it!:)

Hi

 

 

 

Has anyone chosen to take their child/ren on a cruise not marketed to be kid-friendly? Im considering these as there are so many more itinerary options than kid-friendly ones

 

 

 

I just rang Oceania and enquired about their Mediterranean cruise and when I mentioned kids, they told me that whilst kids are allowed in all areas of the cruise, there are no kids facilities onboard, no child meals, child pools etc.

 

 

 

I don't think we need children facilities as most of our time will be spent on land ports etc, we do intend to enjoy the boat but most of out time will be on land enjoying the destinations, therefore Im not too worried about the cruise not being kid friendly but the lady I spoke to did put me off a bit.

 

 

 

Have you taken young kids on a non kid-friendly boat, what was your experience? Any discrimination against the kids?:confused:

I am curious - my wife spotted a Crystal cruise that she was interested, but from what I could tell, most of the rooms were only for two people. Do they have rooms that accommodate 3 or 4 people? Also, I noticed that Crystal now has kids club facilities on their two ships.

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I'm not familiar with Crystal. I've heard good things about them and I understand that they are "kid friendly".

We were on Oceania for a two week South America cruise. Our dd was just one at the time and she stayed home. It was so port intensive and at that age would have been completely frustrating for all of us. However, there were a handful of older kids on board and they seemed to be having a great time. I think there were two sisters and a cousin that were in the 5-10 age range and another 15 year old girl with her parents. We talked to all of them at some point and they loved the ship. The parents of the younger ones specifically picked Oceania because it wasn't going to be a loud, waterslide infused, kids parade through the pool kind of experience. They had done that before and the kids said they liked this better. Of course, you have to know your kids and if they will be comfortable with that.

Rebecca is right in saying there are no provisions for children. However, if your kids can fit into a laid back, serene setting they will be fine. I'd say go for it. The kids on our ship were so well behaved that I never saw anyone complain about them. Quite the opposite. People said it was nice to see children that could talk to adults and act appropriately in different situations.

On another note, we loved Oceania. It's a completely different type of cruise from any other mass market ship. It would be a nice retreat after a long day of touring the Med.

Your kids will find something to do...bring books, games, etc....it's actually nice for children to not have to be entertained every minute! Assuming they are old enough for the main pool, not having a kid's pool shouldn't be an issue.

Keep in mind that many people who choose cruises with no children's facilities do so to avoid children. Regardless of how well behaved they are, there will be a significant number of passengers who will not welcome their presence, so be prepared for a less than enthusiastic reception from some and downright cold shoulders from others.

I strongly suggest that you ask to be seated with just your family at dinner, as many would not relish children at their table, and don't be offended when people don't seem to want to engage your children.

Personally I would not choose to bring children on a ship with no services for them. I would read between the lines to understand that they obviously aren't particularly welcome, and choose sailing on a line like Crystal or Regent where there are children's programs and your fellow cruisers whould/should expect to see children.

If you have any inkling at all that your children can't "be seen but not heard," I would strongly rethink the decision to sail on anything but a traditional family line until they are older.

No, I wouldn't, and don't suggest anyone does.

Some ships are NOT child-friendly for a reason.

We purposely no longer sail luxury lines as we have a young child. Though we are eagerly waiting him to age so we can again!

We did an upscale cruise a few years back and there were 6 people under the age of 18.

A 5 year old, an 11 year old and 4 teens(14, 15, 18, 19-all related).

-The teens fit right in and were no issue.

-The 5 year old brought a nanny and we saw him I believe twice on the entire 2 week cruise. This is a ship with about 300 passengers btw.

-The 11 year old's parents decided he was cute and mature enough to handle all the activities and he was all over the d@** place :mad: Though in all honesty, he was really just a normal 11 year old.

People were NOT happy with him.

By the end of the first week a few passengers complained to the CD.

We saw almost none of him the second week.

When we did see him, he looked quite glum. Once was at the pool he was happily swimming until 5 others showed up. Apparently someone had told him he could only swim if less than 5 people were swimming. I felt bad for him, he would've loved an RC cruise.

Please do not bring your children on a non-child friendly cruise.

Many other passengers go on those cruises to be far away from children. Why do you want your kids so isolated from their peers anyway? They will be horribly bored and a lot of the other guests aren't going to be happy to see them.

My experiences have been different from Lerin's. When there have been children on cruises with few facilities (Fred Olsen, Voyages of Discovery, CTC) the children have been well-behaved and normal, and people have been happy to see them about. Anyone whose holiday is ruinerd by the sight of a child, still has the option of cruises where children aren't allowed (eg. P&O's 3.)

I've just been on a Fred Olsen cruise with just one child on board, and she seemed happy enough on the bus back to the airport - it sounded like she'd rather be staying on than going home.

No one is going to mind one or two children on Oceania and I'm willing to bet that the crew makes a huge fuss over the kids. I certainly did not mind seeing two happy kids on my Oceania cruise- nor were they ever a bother or frowned upon.

Firstly- you don't sit with strangers on Oceania in the first place. It's business casual and you dine when and where you want. There are some paid restaurants but the MDR is very nice and it is open seating. The buffet- where I tended to dine- was one of the best quality buffets I've experienced.

I partook in afternoon tea each day and wasn't hungry for a big dinner, so I'd snack later in the buffet.

Don't be scared off and I'm a bit startled to hear these naysayers on a family board.:eek:

Perhaps the question would be better off asked on a non-family board to find out what those without children really think. Considering that will be 99.9% of the fellow passenger demographic! it's curious to ask on the Family board to begin with.

I think it all boils down to itinerary. And that is why the OP asks the question. If you can get the same itinerary on a kid friendly ship, do it. But if this itinerary is unique to another line, consider what you want to get out of it, and what your child's interests and attention span are. Some can only take soo many ruins and churches without becoming tired, cranky, etc. If this is going to impact your enjoyment of the ports, then rethink your options. EM

My parents just returned from an 18-day French Polynesian Oceania cruise aboard the Marina. They loved it. My father said he ate at the specialty restaurants 11 times out of the 18 nights they were aboard.

Both my parents are in their late-60s.

I had asked them whether they had seen any children on the ship, they said no. They told me that they fell into the average age of the folks on the ship... which was late-60s to early 70s.

Sounded like a wonderful cruise. The average age of the passengers is normal, I guess, for a cruise for that length of time (not many working folks can take 3 weeks for one holiday)

We have run into a few more unkind older folks than younger (<50 years old) folks. It shouldn't dissuade you from taking the kids on an amazing cruise, but you should be aware that they're out there.

My parents took my sister and I on cruises back in the olden days when there were no kids programs, areas, menus, etc., and we were often the only kids on board. In those days, there were no buffets (except the one at midnight) or open seatings - you ate at your assigned table and time for all meals and there were very few amenities on any of the ships, for kids or grownups.

I'm really glad there were no message boards back then for my parents to be told that if other passengers don't want kids on board, they shouldn't take us. We always had an amazing time - which is why I never worried when taking my own kids on ships/itineraries that don't tend toward being kid-centered. For quite a few of our cruises I was scolded beforehand that my kids didn't belong (they were too young, or the itinerary had too many ports or the itinerary had too few ports and too many sea days, etc.), but it always went wonderfully and we never dealt with any rudeness on board (of course, like most of us here, I demand good behavior and that we don't bother other passengers who are also on trips of a lifetime).

If you ask on the boards here even for cruiselines that offer lots for kids, plenty of posters will tell you that kids don't belong on cruise ships, so I wouldn't be inclined to listen to what others have to say. I'm all about following the rules and courtesy, and if a cruise line allows kids and has an itinerary I want to experience with my family, I would have no problem booking it. On a port-intensive cruise, the ship is becomes more of a moving hotel/restaurant anyway.

My cruises as a child on those "non-kid-friendly" vacations are some of the dearest memories I have with my family.

Best,

Mia

I went on a princess cruise where my son was the only child on board - he was the most honoured passenger and got more attention from staff that anyone else - and we had other pax stopping to chat to him all day - he was tiny tho so 'cute' probably played its part esp when he took his first steps with an audienc of about 25 seniors (amazing round of applause) i wouldn't hesitate!

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I don't really consider Princess an adult only type line, and would expect to see children on pretty much all of their sailings.

Wow, such great advice here, thanks everyone!

I will continue to look at these "non kid-friendly" cruises and Yes it is because they have better itineraries.

For example, Silversea have cruises that overnight in St Tropez and Monte Carlo, this is perfect for us because we have more time at these ports, more relaxing for the kids. Has anyone been on Silversea?

Should I also stay away from the more "senior" cruises? Would choosing a cruise ship that is more middle age market be a better idea? If so how do I know which cruises are more middle aged??

Thanks everyone... Keep them coming !!

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If you cruise in the summer in the med. you are bound to get some younger (middle aged) passengers.

It sounds like cruising will be the best of all worlds- you pack and unpack once and use it as your floating hotel. The kids will have a great time. When I was a teen my parents took us by ferry and trains from England thru Holland, Germany and Italy and it was kind of boring (the train part) and then we were always on the go. It would have been so much more fun on a ship.

Good luck with your search. I think you should pick the itinerary, then ship, then price (value).

We did Princess in July around the Med and I was surprised how many kids there were. Princess is much more "family friendly" than the other ships mentioned.

I'm not sure how you would know which ships would be more senior. I think it depends on the cruise, the length, the time of year, etc. Oceania is generally less expensive than either Crystal or Silverseas so I think that makes the later two lines probably more senior with less kids, but I may be wrong. We did a two week cruise on Holland America that was the Middle East and there were only a handful of kids on board. So, I think it varies a lot.

Good luck. You'll know the right ship for your family and then just prepare you kids for what is to come. I'm sure you'll have a great time!

I'm new to cruise critic, and (with a little bit of trepidation...) will be cruising on Oceania in French Polynesia with my 3 yo DD. This will be my third cruise with Oceania, so I'm quite familiar with the line and the usual demographic. I fully expect that DD will be the only child (although I've seen a handful of kids on our other cruises). I do not expect any entertainment for her (realistically, I doubt that she would enjoy a "kid's club" anyway). She will be thrilled to be on the beaches on the islands, and we'll spend most of our time doing that. As far as no kid's menu? Her favourite foods are all seafood (shrimp, scallops, fish, etc). She'll be fine :)

This is a family vacation (my in-laws and brother-in-law are coming). We debated doing a more family-friendly cruise, but my in-laws are very frequent cruisers on Oceania, and really wanted to stick with the line.

So, I know my daughter won't exactly be "welcomed", but I am prepared to keep her very closely supervised, to entertain her ourselves and to dine in our suite if she's having an "off" night (we booked suites for that reason).

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I'm new to cruise critic, and (with a little bit of trepidation...) will be cruising on Oceania in French Polynesia with my 3 yo DD. This will be my third cruise with Oceania, so I'm quite familiar with the line and the usual demographic. I fully expect that DD will be the only child (although I've seen a handful of kids on our other cruises). I do not expect any entertainment for her (realistically, I doubt that she would enjoy a "kid's club" anyway). She will be thrilled to be on the beaches on the islands, and we'll spend most of our time doing that. As far as no kid's menu? Her favourite foods are all seafood (shrimp, scallops, fish, etc). She'll be fine :)

 

This is a family vacation (my in-laws and brother-in-law are coming). We debated doing a more family-friendly cruise, but my in-laws are very frequent cruisers on Oceania, and really wanted to stick with the line.

 

So, I know my daughter won't exactly be "welcomed", but I am prepared to keep her very closely supervised, to entertain her ourselves and to dine in our suite if she's having an "off" night (we booked suites for that reason).

 

 

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My parents said the food was WONDERFUL! They couldn't say enough about it. You have realistic expectations of how your daughter will spend her time, and she'll have a GREAT time.

Enjoy the cruise!

I am curious to hear how kids are "welcomed" on such a cruise, though. My parents didn't see any kids on their French Polynesian cruise with Oceania.

Are people pleasant for the most part?

My ONE bad experience on a cruise with an unpleasant person occurred on a Princess Cruise. A number of things had happened the previous year, one of which was the discovery that my eldest son would be blind from a juvenile form of macular degeneration.

Long story short, we were rudely yelled at by an older passenger over seating for the main show.

My kid's vision had deteriorated to 20/200, and we arrived early to sit close to the stage so he could see the show.

An older passenger objected loudly, commenting that we should teach my kid to "deal with it" when we informed him of my kid's blindness.

I was more shocked than angry at the time.

One of the worst behaviors of another passenger we have ever experienced.

Keep in mind that many people who choose cruises with no children's facilities do so to avoid children. Regardless of how well behaved they are, there will be a significant number of passengers who will not welcome their presence, so be prepared for a less than enthusiastic reception from some and downright cold shoulders from others.

 

I strongly suggest that you ask to be seated with just your family at dinner, as many would not relish children at their table, and don't be offended when people don't seem to want to engage your children.

 

Personally I would not choose to bring children on a ship with no services for them. I would read between the lines to understand that they obviously aren't particularly welcome, and choose sailing on a line like Crystal or Regent where there are children's programs and your fellow cruisers whould/should expect to see children.

 

If you have any inkling at all that your children can't "be seen but not heard," I would strongly rethink the decision to sail on anything but a traditional family line until they are older.

We experienced this first hand on Celebrity Reflection a few weeks ago.

The Fun Factory staff and all other shipboard staff were wonderful. Our son, 8yrs old, loved the Fun Factory.

Our issue was with the other passengers. They were aloof and cold toward us when they saw our son. Especially in the elevators.... you would think we had the plague. Our cabin neighbor even made a snide comment. Our son has been on 11 cruises and is very well behaved. Apparently the site of a child made these people cringe. So sad for them to be so grumpy.

We won't be sailing on Celebrity for a while if that is who they attract. We never experienced this on any of our other cruises...even on Princess the passengers, a lot who were older, were so dear to our son.

We experienced this first hand on Celebrity Reflection a few weeks ago.

 

 

 

The Fun Factory staff and all other shipboard staff were wonderful. Our son, 8yrs old, loved the Fun Factory.

 

 

 

Our issue was with the other passengers. They were aloof and cold toward us when they saw our son. Especially in the elevators.... you would think we had the plague. Our cabin neighbor even made a snide comment. Our son has been on 11 cruises and is very well behaved. Apparently the site of a child made these people cringe. So sad for them to be so grumpy.

 

 

 

We won't be sailing on Celebrity for a while if that is who they attract. We never experienced this on any of our other cruises...even on Princess the passengers, a lot who were older, were so dear to our son.

Big difference as both of those lines offer children's facilities. The OP was talking about the lines that offer no such thing, Seabourne, Windstar, Paul Gauguin, Sea Dream, etc. Personally I would never bring a child onto a ship that so actively discourages them by providing no facilities, no menu, no programming, no cribs, nothing for children. It isn't that difficult to read between the lines that they aren't welcome.

I have only had one experience on Celebrity when I got a snotty look. The first night in the MDR with my then 6 year old- an elderly couple at a table for two- saw this adorable 6 year old boy and thought "oh no!" I'm sure they thought he'd fuss or whatever. Our party of six included my son and a Russian family who live in California. They had their 9 year old and 18 year old daughters with them. A group of six in conversation makes the appropriate amount of noise and the kids were always warm and pleasant. My son always skipped dessert to go to the Fun Factory. In other words- there was no unpleasantness on our part but that couple sat there with perturbed looks on their faces each night. Interestingly- they didn't even talk to each other (that I ever saw).

There are always weird people on cruises- don't take it personally. The other eight Celebrity cruises- we have experienced zero discrimination. In fact, so many older people in general try to make conversation with my son. In fact, they like him better than me!

Took my grandson (5 yrs at the time) last spring on Riviera in the Caribbean for 10 days and he had a blast.

Sure there were times we would walk into an elevator and get the most crossed looks from the old folks (no doubt the Oceania child haters who frequent this board) but as many as there were like that, just as many who smiled widly, were polite, and seemed genuinely friendly

Go for it!

Worldspan

Naples, Florida