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THEPRFCT10
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So we've only done Disney. Next year our 10 year old daughter will be joining us on the Shadow for the 11 night Mediterranean cruise which we're very excited about.... however.... How's the cruise for young ones? Advice, suggestions, critiques much appreciated. And is anyone is going and you have young ones, my daughter would love a friend! Thanks in advance guys!

 

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So we've only done Disney. Next year our 10 year old daughter will be joining us on the Shadow for the 11 night Mediterranean cruise which we're very excited about.... however.... How's the cruise for young ones? Advice, suggestions, critiques much appreciated. And is anyone is going and you have young ones, my daughter would love a friend! Thanks in advance guys!

 

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I really do not think Silversea is congenial for a ten year old unless a) the cruise is very port intensive and s/he will be ashore every day and b) the child is very independent, requiring few diversions provided by the ship. I do not believe that any Silversea ships have activity rooms for children and I do not recall any cruises having a children's activities person on staff. Disney it ain't! :)

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So we've only done Disney. Next year our 10 year old daughter will be joining us on the Shadow for the 11 night Mediterranean cruise which we're very excited about.... however.... How's the cruise for young ones? Advice, suggestions, critiques much appreciated. And is anyone is going and you have young ones, my daughter would love a friend! Thanks in advance guys!

 

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ThePrfct10,

 

As you probably know, SS is as different from Disney as night is from day. I agree with point B) above that unless the child is very independent, requiring few diversions provided by the ship, SS is probably not the best choice. Our daughter started cruising with us when she was 11 and she absolutely loved it. But, she was an exceptionally independent child, a voracious reader, and an introvert, so SS was a great fit for her.

 

In the Med this summer on the Muse, a wide range of activities were provided each day for the children onboard (it was the largest group of children ever on SS; 32 which represented roughly 5% of the 590 total passengers) by the recently created new full-time position dedicated solely to the well being of the children. With the Shadow and Muse changing positions next summer, I would imagine SS will offer a similar program on the Shadow next summer to what we experienced on the Muse this summer.

 

Best wishes to you as you plan your trip!

 

 

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ThePrfct10,

 

As you probably know, SS is as different from Disney as night is from day. I agree with point B) above that unless the child is very independent, requiring few diversions provided by the ship, SS is probably not the best choice. Our daughter started cruising with us when she was 11 and she absolutely loved it. But, she was an exceptionally independent child, a voracious reader, and an introvert, so SS was a great fit for her.

 

In the Med this summer on the Muse, a wide range of activities were provided each day for the children onboard (it was the largest group of children ever on SS; 32 which represented roughly 5% of the 590 total passengers) by the recently created new full-time position dedicated solely to the well being of the children. With the Shadow and Muse changing positions next summer, I would imagine SS will offer a similar program on the Shadow next summer to what we experienced on the Muse this summer.

 

Best wishes to you as you plan your trip!

 

 

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Ok thanks. Luckily then for us our daughter is an only child and extremely independent, absolutely loves to read and does well to keep herself busy but she does like to make friends. Hopefully this cruise will have some children to keep company.

 

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We were on the Muse in the Caribbean last March. There were a few children around and they seemed to be having a great time. I was pleasantly surprised to see the broad range of passengers onboard. This was our first SS trip and I expected to see all senior citizens like me however this was not the case. I am sure you all will have a great time!!!

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I really do not think Silversea is congenial for a ten year old unless a) the cruise is very port intensive and s/he will be ashore every day and b) the child is very independent, requiring few diversions provided by the ship. I do not believe that any Silversea ships have activity rooms for children and I do not recall any cruises having a children's activities person on staff. Disney it ain't! :)

 

Actually, the Muse has a children's activity room.

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Actually, the Muse has a children's activity room.

 

 

 

Correct, and when we were onboard in September last year it was locked most days. There were no children onboard.

 

When the Spirit first started doing a summer Med season SS employed a children’s helper

 

Unless the stretched Spirit has a new children’s specific area, there are no special facilities on any of SS’s other ships.

 

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Ok thanks. Luckily then for us our daughter is an only child and extremely independent, absolutely loves to read and does well to keep herself busy but she does like to make friends. Hopefully this cruise will have some children to keep company.

 

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If for some reason there are no other children on board you must realize that it is YOUR responsibility to keep her amused. That is the bargain you sign when you bring a child on a luxury line which is not intended to cater to them.

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If for some reason there are no other children on board you must realize that it is YOUR responsibility to keep her amused. That is the bargain you sign when you bring a child on a luxury line which is not intended to cater to them.

 

Bit harsh wripro.....l think the OP sounds like a very responsible person with a beautiful child who will mix in well.....sometimes we forget that we have all been kids and also have kids and grandkids ourselves...

To balance this out....I have a thirteen year old granddaughter who l would quite happily take on a SS cruise but having said that l think she would enjoy a ship that offers more activities for her to enjoy with people of her own age and we all know that most probably won’t happen on SS....that doesn’t mean to say she wouldn’t enjoy.... Captain Mino often has his children on board and whilst I’ve often heard pax moan when they first see them in the pool those said pax very soon turn tables when they realise who they belong to......

 

THEPRF.......go and enjoy your voyage with your family....and make sure to ask the bartenders for the ‘Mocktails’ for your daughter....😊

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I believe that although Wripro might be a tiny bit harsh, he is right on target. SS is not a cruise line that caters in any meaningful way to children. I personally would prefer not to have children on board and know there are many others who share that opinion but who might be too polite to say so! There is no good place on board the Shadow for them to let off steam and just be children as there is on the Muse. If your daughter wants to meet others of her age on board, she will most likely be disappointed. If, however, she enjoys the company of young at heart adults, she might find interesting people.

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For the Christmas holidays in 2016, I took my daughter and her family, (little girls ages 10 and 13) on the Cloud, pre-conversion, on a truly wonderful South African cruise. We were off the ship on all but two days. We went on day Safaris and other active excursions. They loved being up close to the animals, loved dressing up, and were fawned over by the crew. It was a GREAT experience for all of us. However...there were no other children on board and if they hadn’t had each other and this particular itinerary, things could have been very different.

I hope it works out for you and your daughter, but be prepared not to have any other children on board. On SS children are the very, very rare exception.

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My kids are totally grown now (27 and 32), but they would have been fine on a Silversea cruise at that age. But they were quiet, didn't require a lot of entertainment, loved to read, and were used to being around adults and eating properly at the dinner table. They had no problems with meals lasting a couple of hours.

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I have to admit to be one whose stomach drops whenever I see children on board. Most (but unfortunately not all) of the time, they are reasonably behaved and blend right in, but I can't help but feel sorry for them. None of them ever seem to be really enjoying themselves, just making the best of it. I'm sure there are exceptions, but I think it would be very difficult to find any child who wouldn't rather be on a ship with devoted clubs, discos & lounges, water slides, sports, theaters, etc., and other children to enjoy them with. I was an introverted, bookish child who has grown into an introverted, bookish adult and since I don't have children myself to subvert my memories, I know Silversea would have NOT have been my first choice if asked. My advice would be to leave the kids at home with a relative for a luxury cruise and make alternate plans as a family. I've heard really wonderful things about Disney for family cruises; that they provide a fantastic family friendly experience, but also take their adults-only areas seriously and thus provide some solid "me" time as well.

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Bit harsh wripro.....l think the OP sounds like a very responsible person with a beautiful child who will mix in well.....sometimes we forget that we have all been kids and also have kids and grandkids ourselves...

To balance this out....I have a thirteen year old granddaughter who l would quite happily take on a SS cruise but having said that l think she would enjoy a ship that offers more activities for her to enjoy with people of her own age and we all know that most probably won’t happen on SS....that doesn’t mean to say she wouldn’t enjoy.... Captain Mino often has his children on board and whilst I’ve often heard pax moan when they first see them in the pool those said pax very soon turn tables when they realise who they belong to......

 

THEPRF.......go and enjoy your voyage with your family....and make sure to ask the bartenders for the ‘Mocktails’ for your daughter....😊

I don't think I was being harsh, just realistic. Unfortunately, I have been on too many luxury cruises where parents bring their kids onboard because THEY want the luxury experience, then promptly forget to see to their children's' needs and allow them to run, scream, dominate the pool, corridors etc. I'm sure the OP will not be one of those but she would imo be in the minority. Anyone who considers their children' needs above their own will head straight to Disney or RCCL, not a luxury line. And of course, I am aware of all the perfectly behaved children belonging to the posters on this board.

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Children went on cruise ships long before there was a Disney ship, long before there was kids clubs and long before there was floating water parks. IMO saying how you don't want children on the ship is in the same category as saying you don't want people of a certain color, religion or sexual preference on board. As far as I am concerned everyone is welcome and everyone is entitled to have a great time.

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Children went on cruise ships long before there was a Disney ship, long before there was kids clubs and long before there was floating water parks. IMO saying how you don't want children on the ship is in the same category as saying you don't want people of a certain color, religion or sexual preference on board. As far as I am concerned everyone is welcome and everyone is entitled to have a great time.

Could not disagree more that equating not wanting children falls in the same category as discriminating against adults of differing backgrounds. And yes, I went on cruise ships and ocean liners from the age of 8 on, but times were different and childrens’ and parents’ expectations were different then.

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And yes, I went on cruise ships and ocean liners from the age of 8 on, but times were different and childrens’ and parents’ expectations were different then.

 

Different? Really? Surely you are not implying that, over the decades, there have been compromises in the understanding of expected decorum or a greatly increased sense of entitlement among parents and their children? Perish the thought!

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All, I appreciate the feedback. I think we'll be just fine. I lived in Germany when I was flying in the Air Force and luckily for me I've see the better part of the world. Dozens of countries over a 20 year military career. I want my daughter to see the world and this cruise and it's itinerary seemed perfect to introduce her to some beautiful Mediterranean countries I've come to love when flying missions years ago. The posts here have reinforced some things I will ensure--like making sure on the ship she's occupied. She loves to read and meet people. I think we're good!

 

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PRFT10, be sure and bring an ipad with games, movies, kindle or ipad books, and other things for the child to do, in case few kids are on board and she gets tired of looking at old churches and ruins in places she does not understand, or gets bored with viewing on-ship Broadway-style singers . Internet is very slow so do not count on that for her and TV is limited.

If she swims, she cannot be rambunctious in the pool with adults also swimming, as you know.

 

Between ages 2 and 11 I traveled back and forth on ocean liners multiple times to and from Europe, for transport, not for parental entertainment, and though I behaved as instructed ( or else!) and later kept myself occupied, e.g., when older, with adult books from the library and watching the few movies multiple times, or gaping at the scary storms in the Atlantic while wandering the many decks alone ( coming very close to going overboard in the icy North Sea) it was a solitary existence.

 

I hope she will be happy with your ship choice but also respectful of others on the cruise. It is a big responsibility for you, and know I would not be able to relax and watch a 10-year-old and keep her amused on the formal Shadow at the same time .

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PRFT10, be sure and bring an ipad with games, movies, kindle or ipad books, and other things for the child to do, in case few kids are on board and she gets tired of looking at old churches and ruins in places she does not understand, or gets bored with viewing on-ship Broadway-style singers . Internet is very slow so do not count on that for her and TV is limited.

If she swims, she cannot be rambunctious in the pool with adults also swimming, as you know.

 

Between ages 2 and 11 I traveled back and forth on ocean liners multiple times to and from Europe, for transport, not for parental entertainment, and though I behaved as instructed ( or else!) and later kept myself occupied, e.g., when older, with adult books from the library and watching the few movies multiple times, or gaping at the scary storms in the Atlantic while wandering the many decks alone ( coming very close to going overboard in the icy North Sea) it was a solitary existence.

 

I hope she will be happy with your ship choice but also respectful of others on the cruise. It is a big responsibility for you, and know I would not be able to relax and watch a 10-year-old and keep her amused on the formal Shadow at the same time .

I appreciate your input and advice.

 

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We recently returned from a Regent b2b cruise of 22 days, the first 12 day cruise had almost no young people, the second part was full to the brim with families, teenagers, people in their 20s and 30s, and the very very young.

 

Both cruises were delightful and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves very much. I spoke to many young people and found them good hearted and interesting. I personally enjoy talking to teens and this group did not disappoint. There was also a good international mix aboard which I like to see happening.

 

Continue to bring your loved ones with you and enjoy all the world has to offer.

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Sorry Wripro, but I must completely disagree.

 

 

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That is certain;y your right.

 

I want to make something perfectly clear. I do not blame the children. I blame the parents whose to abdicate responsibility the moment they step onboard.

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  • 3 weeks later...
That is certain;y your right.

 

 

 

I want to make something perfectly clear. I do not blame the children. I blame the parents whose to abdicate responsibility the moment they step onboard.

 

 

 

Very well said!

 

Our last SS cruise a mother and her two young (20 something) children, boy & girl, were with her and looked board to tears.

 

 

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