Cruise Manners for 8 and 10 Year Olds?

We are preparing with excitement for our cruise in a month! This has been a great time to reinforce and introduce manners for our girls. We've talked about walking on the right side of the hallways and staircases, letting people out of elevators before getting in, etc. What other manners would be helpful to go over?

-napkin I lap when first seated

-silver wear placement

-how to know which glass is yours

Anything else?

These would all be at your discretion, but perhaps -

- holding the elevator door for others also getting on, especially those who may need assistance,

- ensuring new arrivals to the elevator have their desired floor recorded, especially if they have stepped all the way back to make room for others,

- how to know which bread plate is yours

- how to excuse themselves from the table during the meal (e.g. what to say and what to do with their napkin),

- how to serve themselves in the buffet stations

what a great thought!

Hope you have a wonderful cruise

We are preparing with excitement for our cruise in a month! This has been a great time to reinforce and introduce manners for our girls. We've talked about walking on the right side of the hallways and staircases, letting people out of elevators before getting in, etc. What other manners would be helpful to go over?

-napkin I lap when first seated

-silver wear placement

-how to know which glass is yours

Anything else?

Water glass is always to the right,wine to the left(just for those Europeans, you know!) Sounds like you're teaching them fine. As to the self serve buffets, do make sure they use the tongs etc. & not reach with hands(which I'll bet they already know!)Sounds like you'll all have a great time!

No specific cruise manners...just general manners!!!

My girl likes holding the door open for others, saying "after you" even when she was young.

You might want to point out to your girls that waiters will help them into their chairs (and push them in) and put their napkins on their laps.

Maybe mention that there might be people from other countries on the cruise that may do things a bit differently and this is not necessarily 'rude' just different. When you mentioned the walking to the right of the hallways I just realised that my children and I would be walking on the left, so your kids may look at us as odd or rude! I would probably adjust pretty quickly and walk on the right if most of the passengers were doing that, while my kids would stay on the left and keep bumping into everyone, having had 'keep to the left' drummed into them their whole lives!!

Other than that I think a general awareness of the people around them and the situation they are in- eg loud voice ok while playing on the waterslides but not ok while sitting at the dinner table.

I love it that someone is still teaching manners! :)

I would add some pool/pool deck etiquette. (Also point out that many other people may not do this but that's because their mom didn't teach them.) Our three-year old dd has been on five cruises and although she can't read, she thinks the rules sign by the pool says "no jumping" and "no splashing" and she'll point it out to us. I've seen quite a few kids jumping off the sides and splashing adults in the main pool who didn't necessarily want to be drenched or thrashing around and running into people in the water. I've noticed that generally adults don't mind children in the pool if they are considerate and well behaved. It's the few misbehaved ones that give children a bad name.

If taking a chair from another table where someone is sitting, ask if it is being used by someone else in their party first. I had a teenager come up to my table on Lido that I was sit it because it had 2 chairs for my daughter and myself to eat lunch and just take the other chair to pull up to a neighboring table with her friends, without asking if someone was using it. DD was in line getting her lunch. To me that was pretty rude of her to take it without asking first...especially when their were other empty tables just a ways down with empty chairs she could have gotten, she just needed to walk a little further to get it.

How to properly hold a knife and fork. A fork is not a weapon to be held in a death grip as if you are ready to stab someone.

Not to chew with your mouth open.

Inside voices.

No tantrums.

I think it is great that you are thinking of this. But manners need to start at home and are year round (not suggesting that you don't already do this).

We've taken our kids to nice restaurants since they were young (they've also cruised since they were 2 and 3), so its no surprise to them how to act in the MDR. We've also taken them to broadway-style shows since 4 and 5 so they know how to act in a theatre (no talking - kicking the seat etc.).

Do your kids like to dress up? Explain the dress code to them too and let them help pick they clothes they want to wear for formal nights etc. Even when we are not cruising, and just going to a party or restaurant, my kids will always ask about the dress code and then can pick out their clothes accordingly. I just bought my son his first tux for our reflection cruise, and he was thrilled to bits to finally have real formal wear (and not just a suit on formal night).

You sound like you are at a great start with them and manners are an ongoing thing in your house. That is always a good thing IMO.

What I did when my kids were your girls ages (and still do now that they are 16 and 13!) is always point out unacceptable behavior. Doesn't have to be just on vacation but I do it in everyday life.

When my son was 10 on a cruise it was Carnival with the 24 hour pizza place. We always got pizza as a snack every night before bed. After 2 nights of watching a group of kids older than him run up, hit the bell for service and run around the corner, HE said something to them and they left the poor guy working alone since he would have to stop cooking in the back to make sure there really wasn't anyone who needed service.

Unfortunately you can't predict every situation you will run into, that is why I keep it an ongoing thing in my house. Doesn't matter if it is kids behaviors or adults behaviors that are rude.

Like I tell me kids when I run into a lot of people "Son, you are very special and unique. That doesn't mean you are more special than everyone else in the world!"

We do an optional formal dining session for our band students before each of our band trips (which always have at least one "formal" dining situation.

We go through dress code (including recommending that everyone "test rides" their shoes :) ), table settings (silverware/glassware/plate placement), courses, seating, etc.

How to order - showing respect to the headwaiter, waiter and assistant waiter.

Menu issues - what to do with ingredients you don't care for, what some of the menu terms mean (example - items described as "capriccio", "ceviche" or "tartar" mean raw), how to politely decline things or ask for more of something.

Social behavior - Proper topics for table discussions. How to introduce yourself to anyone at the table who you do not know. What is expected of gentlemen vs. that of ladies.

Most of the freshmen students have not had formal dining experience, so they appreciate the overview.

Another one is--

Which bread plate is yours?