No Babysitting Available? (due to "no staff overtime"?)

[Seraphine]

Hi all

 

Has anyone heard of this going on?

 

A fellow cruiser on the Family Crusing forum here has had the following experience:

 

we just got home from Liberty and we were unable to get a sitter at all!! we were the first ones to request a sitter at the begining of our cruise. We were later told that they had put a freeze an baby sitting as they were not allowing overtime for the employees.

 

I called up to the day before we lest and were told it was on a first come first serve basis which is why the first thing we did when we got on the ship was reserve the sitter. they took the reservation and called me Monday to tell me they were not able to find a sitter for the 1.5 hrs I requested this was ok by me as we were just going to do the flow rider so my grandmother was able to sit with my son, they told me they would call each day I had requested by 10am to let me know if we would have a sitter. On Tuesday morning they called and told us they were unable to get a sitter for the REST of the cruise. I was later told by AO staff about the freeze and then someone from guest services confirmed. I called RCCL when we got home and all they said was sorry.

 

I would not have booked with RCCl if I would have known this. We are planing on bringing a babysitter with us next October to ensure a few free hours without the children mostly when they will be sleeping!

 

I hope that all of you have a better experiance with this service.

 

 

This has upset me greatly. We have been very happy with Carnival and have never been let down by their child care options, but we wanted to try RCI as so many people rave about it. There have been lots of positive posts on here by people who were happy with the babysitting service, and we were not expected a lack of service. We turned down many cruiselines because they said up front that there were no concessions for infant childcare, we did not expect to have to add RCI to the reject pile.

 

As another poster told me, "there are no guarantees for babysitting", my argument is that "not always available" is different than NEVER being available.

 

What have you heard? We are 3 weeks from cruising and I'm very upset by this. A few hours in an evening, on a few nights of a cruise (not all day, every day!) is not too much to ask!

 

RCI - what's going on with this? Why would you risk alienating so many guests who rely on this service?

[Greghouseo]

If this is indeed the case, I think that is fundamentally wrong, and I have every sympathy with you.

 

Have you actually contacted RCCL on this matter?

As you say, "Subject to availability" is different to "Never being available". The latter implies it is not a service they actually offer, but surely better to give them the benefit of the doubt until you have it straight from the horses mouth, as it were.

[Seraphine]

My TA is calling RCI today, and I'm going to go from there. I'm not afraid to get on the phone myself, but as our TA booked it, I'll let her do the first round.

 

I'll update here if I hear anything.

[marci22]

I think it's just an ongoing pattern of cost-cutting and they may ease up if they get a lot of complaints. It also may be a ship-specific decision and only be happening on Liberty.

[Bakincakes]

I agree it is probably cost cutting.

 

But I never took my children on vacation with me and expected a babysitting service.:confused:

 

If I made the decision to bring them I was prepared to pare down my own experience because they were along. I realized there may be certain things we couldn't do because they were there.

 

The best bet is to be prepared for the same thing. If services are available then you may get a treat for a few hours. :) If not then adjust your expectations.

[eal]

I agree it is probably cost cutting.

 

But I never took my children on vacation with me and expected a babysitting service.:confused:

 

If I made the decision to bring them I was prepared to pare down my own experience because they were along. I realized there may be certain things we couldn't do because they were there.

 

The best bet is to be prepared for the same thing. If services are available then you may get a treat for a few hours. :) If not then adjust your expectations.

 

Cost cutting or maybe liability? Just a thought.

 

Good reply Bakincakes!

[CRUSINGFAMILY]

I don't see how it would be cost cutting as when our kids were young we used to pay for the babysitting in cash to the youth staff. They always said it was a bounus for them. We generally traveled during off season and not during summer or school break or Christmas etc. When we sailed with them there would only be 100 to 150 kids. We have made friends with a lot of the youth staff and have been told that they quite often get 600 to a 1000 kids during holiday cruises which must just be crazy for them, they do bring extra staff on for those seasons but still. I am not sure you would want to baby sit after dealing with that many kids all day either.:rolleyes:

 

Brian J

[phoenix1181]

I agree it is probably cost cutting.

 

But I never took my children on vacation with me and expected a babysitting service.:confused:

 

If I made the decision to bring them I was prepared to pare down my own experience because they were along. I realized there may be certain things we couldn't do because they were there.

 

The best bet is to be prepared for the same thing. If services are available then you may get a treat for a few hours. :) If not then adjust your expectations.

 

I can't say I agree with this............

 

Not sure where the "cost cutting" would come into play since the cruise line isn't paying the sitter. If there's a cost associated with any paperwork involved, that can easily be resolved by adding a "documentation" fee.

 

When a family vacation is planned there's nothing wrong with parents taking advantage of the availability of babysitters. It's why AO is as popular with parents as it is with the kids!

 

Being able to settle the kids in for the night & then enjoy some adult time was something the OP had planned on based on information provided by the cruise line. The OP was clearly prepared for "subject to availability" but never available is unacceptable!

[Seraphine]

I agree it is probably cost cutting.

 

But I never took my children on vacation with me and expected a babysitting service.:confused:

 

If I made the decision to bring them I was prepared to pare down my own experience because they were along. I realized there may be certain things we couldn't do because they were there.

 

The best bet is to be prepared for the same thing. If services are available then you may get a treat for a few hours. :) If not then adjust your expectations.

 

 

When it's an advertised feature? Damned right I expect it.

 

I do pare down my own travel experiences for the benefit of my children, and it's a pleasure for me to spend time with my family, but I'm a SAHP who also runs a business, and has a husband who works abroad most of the time... I don't think it's unreasonable for me to ask for a few hours off once and a while.

 

One of the main reasons we were drawn to cruising is because it did afford us those chances - no other holiday we've went on has let us had a night off to go to a show or go dancing or be a grown-up.

 

If it's a cost-cutting measure, they should increase the charges or modify the service (have group babysitting instead of in-room?) rather than pull the service entirely. And they should make it known so families can change their plans if needed.

 

 

ETA: Thanks Phoenix and Cruisinfamily, for the support :) I didn't get to read your posts before I replied.

[kyriecat]

Copied verbatim from Royal Caribbean's website > Customer Support > FAQ > Onboard Extras

 

Q: Are babysitters available onboard?

 

A: Babysitting is offered both in a group setting, and individually in your stateroom. In stateroom babysitting must be reserved through the Guest Relations Desk (Purser's Desk) at least 24 hours in advance.

 

It cannot be reserved prior to the cruise vacation and there is no guarantee that sitters will be available. The service is offered between 8:00 am and 2:00 am when personnel is available. Sitters will be assigned on a first come first served basis

 

Children MUST be at least 1 year old.

 

Approximate Rate: $12.00 per hour for one or two children within the same family or $15.00 per hour for three children within the same family.

 

Times and prices are subject to change without notice. Payment must be made in cash.

I noticed that RC includes the statement that "there is no guarantee that sitters will be available" so they are covered if they decide not to have them. However, I don't understand the logic in not having sitters available because of overtime. Aren't the sitters paid by the familiy for their time or does RC supplement the $12/hr fee to the sitter? If RC is supplementing the amount, why not charge more to the family so babysitting services can be offered to those who want it.

 

There is mention of "group" babysitting. Was that available?

[marci22]

I only said 'cost cutting' because someone mentioned 'they are not allowing overtime'. I've always assumed the crew works limitless hours but maybe they require overtime pay once a certain # of hours are reached. Royal may feel they need those hours applied in other areas rather than babysitting (an optional service).

 

If you read anything online where management is talking about profitability, cost cutting is the first thing that comes up. They take pride in the fact that they have been able to reduce costs greatly in the past year, and they are still looking for ways to improve on that.

[barbie5401]

There were a lot of changes on the Liberty this past week (10/3), I happen to be in the CL when the fellow poster was stating her case to Mario. Anything that has the word "if" in it was adhered to. My Mom sharing a cabin with me Diamond Plus was not allowed to be with me in any lounge. Strict strict policy when they want to.

[crusinmama06]

I agree, they should have it available. We talk about it so much on the family board that many people do book based on that service.

 

RCI does have to pay for one of the sitters. Remember when they made that change back in June? They are requiring two sitters for every cabin now. So you pay $12 per hour for the first sitter and they pay the second for liability.

 

Maybe that's part of the "cost cutting"

 

It still is ridulous. These are the kids that are under 3 and can't use Adventure Ocean. So they pay full price and aren't using the other services.

 

Sometime next year, the nursery should be open on that ship. But until then, they can't keep telling parents that in cabin sitting isn't available. :eek: Seraphine, please come back to the Family Board and let us know what happens on your cruise.

[Albert Ross]

Copied verbatim from Royal Caribbean's website > Customer Support > FAQ > Onboard Extras

 

I noticed that RC includes the statement that "there is no guarantee that sitters will be available" so they are covered if they decide not to have them. However, I don't understand the logic in not having sitters available because of overtime. Aren't the sitters paid by the familiy for their time or does RC supplement the $12/hr fee to the sitter? If RC is supplementing the amount, why not charge more to the family so babysitting services can be offered to those who want it.

 

There is mention of "group" babysitting. Was that available?

My friend works on board - she is quite senior but does babysitting in her spare time to earn extra cash.

On her ship, not sure if this is fleetwide, they always have 2 baby sitters - the first is paid $12ph by the guest and the ship pays for the 2nd one. 2 babysitters are for security etc and if they are doing it in their down time they are likely to be tired from their day shift so this covers if one accidentally dozes off.

She did mention on one cruise there were 2 large families who went straight to GR on obarding and booked every single baby sitting slot for every night on the ship so there was no one left for anyone else. The families actually wanted 24/7 baby sitters but this could not be accommodated!:rolleyes:

[kyriecat]

Is having 2 babysitters recent, like in the past couple of years? I don't remember my friends mentioning needing 2 babysitters a few years ago.

 

If not providing babysitters is a cost reduction measure, why not simply charge more per hour? It sounds like the hourly rate is low. My neighbor's 15-yr old daughter babysits and charges $15-$20/hr depending on number of kids. From asking a few of my friends with kids, $15/hr for a single child and $2-3/hr for each additional child is the going rate around here. I don't know what the national average is for the US.

 

Prices have increased in the 20 years since I was babysitting. I can remember getting $5/hr for 3 kids.

[constantcruiser]

We have 5 grandchildren and when they were too young for Adventure Ocean, we would take a nanny with us on cruises. Our families would share the cost of her inside cabin, in exchange for her watching the kids in the evenings. It worked very well, because we took turns watching the babies during the day and the nanny could do whatever she wanted. She took them to dinner in the Windjammer while the adults were getting ready and then took care of them in the cabin while the their parents were enjoying dinner & the nightlife. When you add up the cost of in-cabin babysitting at $12/hr/child, it makes sense to bring someone you know and trust to watch your little ones.

[cruisingagentone]

It could be that maybe no one wanted to babysit. It is not mandatory that the staff babysit, just a thought:)

[Marie51]

Am I the only person who sees something wrong with leaving your children with a complete stranger???

[Seraphine]

We have 5 grandchildren and when they were too young for Adventure Ocean, we would take a nanny with us on cruises. Our families would share the cost of her inside cabin, in exchange for her watching the kids in the evenings. It worked very well, because we took turns watching the babies during the day and the nanny could do whatever she wanted. She took them to dinner in the Windjammer while the adults were getting ready and then took care of them in the cabin while the their parents were enjoying dinner & the nightlife. When you add up the cost of in-cabin babysitting at $12/hr/child, it makes sense to bring someone you know and trust to watch your little ones.

 

 

This sounds like a great idea, but it's certainly not anything we could implement at this late date (keep in mind we are going in 3 weeks). It would be difficult for us to do this as we'd have to pay for international flights as well as a nanny's inside cabin, not to mention finding someone willing to do it. Our cruise is during the school year, and while taking my 5 year old out of school isn't a problem, taking my 17 year old babysitter who is studying for her exams certainly would be.

 

If we were cruising with other people, I'd be thrilled with an arrangement like this, but for now, it's just us. We have to work with what we have. When our youngest is old enough for the kids clubs, we'll have more options, but for now this exhausted mother was just looking forward to a few nights when she could dress like an adult and eat something that she didn't have to share, and not have to be on the watch for perfect table manners and runaway toddlers. I'm sure lots of people will say "well, just stay home then!" but I'm allowed to have a holiday too! And I work very hard to keep my kids from bothering anyone.

 

 

The two-babysitters thing? I imagine this seriously impacts how many hours of sitting time are available. Personally I much prefer group sitting, or a nursery type situation - I know I'd rather be in a big room with lots of toys rather than cooped up in my parents' cabin!

 

 

Yes, I remember the days when I babysat for $2/hour... guess those days are over!

[Seraphine]

Am I the only person who sees something wrong with leaving your children with a complete stranger???

 

 

I was very hesitant at first, to be honest. My son was 3 when we first cruised, and he had so much fun in the kids clubs that he begged to go back after dinner. When we started bringing his sister, I was fine to send her along, especially as my son is very vocal and would have told us everything going on. Not that anything did.

 

I cannot say how things work on RCI, but on Carnival, you can drop in any time, and you can see the kids playroom from all angles on a video screen just outside the door (so it's not like the staff or the kids know they are being watched). I always did a lot of "pop ins", just to see how things were going, and always found caring, involved staff, and my children either sound asleep, or having a great time.

 

Do you think a major cruiseline is going to take a lot of chances hiring staff for their children's programs, knowing the liability issue? If a problem became headline news, it could sink the cruiseline. I think a great deal of precautions are taken to hire competent, skilled staff, and to have policies geared towards safety of children and staff (hence the two sitters).

 

But I know people in my village who won't allow non-family babysitters, or day care, or after school programs. I don't think I'm so strange in that I do.

[daze6399]

She did mention on one cruise there were 2 large families who went straight to GR on obarding and booked every single baby sitting slot for every night on the ship so there was no one left for anyone else. The families actually wanted 24/7 baby sitters but this could not be accommodated!:rolleyes:

 

Wouldn't it be cheaper just to bring your own nanny at that point? :confused:

I wonder if situations like that are why on Oasis they are limiting the number of hours you can book the in room baby sitters.

[Marie51]

I was very hesitant at first, to be honest. My son was 3 when we first cruised, and he had so much fun in the kids clubs that he begged to go back after dinner. When we started bringing his sister, I was fine to send her along, especially as my son is very vocal and would have told us everything going on. Not that anything did.

 

I cannot say how things work on RCI, but on Carnival, you can drop in any time, and you can see the kids playroom from all angles on a video screen just outside the door (so it's not like the staff or the kids know they are being watched). I always did a lot of "pop ins", just to see how things were going, and always found caring, involved staff, and my children either sound asleep, or having a great time.

 

Do you think a major cruiseline is going to take a lot of chances hiring staff for their children's programs, knowing the liability issue? If a problem became headline news, it could sink the cruiseline. I think a great deal of precautions are taken to hire competent, skilled staff, and to have policies geared towards safety of children and staff (hence the two sitters).

 

But I know people in my village who won't allow non-family babysitters, or day care, or after school programs. I don't think I'm so strange in that I do.

 

No, I'm not talking about the kids club where everyone is together. I was referring to getting an in-cabin sitter where your child would really be alone with a stranger in your cabin. This is what I see a problem with.

[renae83]

Hello! I am the one that had the issues on Liberty. We were only requesting sitters for after bed time for our children. I do not think that taking a few hours to ourselves is a big deal it is the same thing as AO. As to leaving my kids with complete strangers the babysitters are the same people that can work in AO. I hope this is just a temporary thing and maybe only on Liberty I know how upset I was by this I hope this is not the case for anyone else. Please let us know if you are able to get sitters on anyu cruises in the near future! Thank you.

[J and J]

When we were on Carnival, Kids club closed at 9 or 10 then it was $5-$6 an hour until 2AM. I found a link on here that RC offers the same at $6 per hour.

 

The latest we were out on that was 1AM. Picked up our then 6 yr old who was snoozing away w/ a pillow and blanket and carried her back to our cabin. I never felt uncomfortable in that group situation. We used it a couple of nights when the show was later. I was more comfortable w/ that then having a stranger in my cabin.

 

We are on the Oasis starting this Sat. I'll report back on what is offered for both types of sitting services.

[dianeandmike2004]

It is unfortunate that they couldn't accomodate you. We found the babysitting service to be wonderful. We took our 18 month old son on the Freedom in October. I got a recommendation from another poster of a babysitter that she had used a previous week. Upon getting on the ship, we went to the purser's desk and asked for the person. She wasn't available, so they assigned someone else. It worked out so well!! She was so nice and was great with our son (especially keeping him busy when we left the cabin). We had her come to our room two nights for 3 hours each. She even offered to watch him more, even if we didn't have much notice. It was $10 per hour, plus we gave her a tip and told her that she could order room service for her and my son (they need permission from the passenger to do so). Her name was Diana if anyone goes on the Freedom and she is still there.

 

I asked Yo-Yo, the Adventure Ocean crew member that worked with the Royal Babies/Tots program, about screening for the babysitters. She said that they have to apply and be interviewed by a few people, including doing some role playing to be able to make judgment calls and provide good care to the children.

 

The babysitter gets to keep the whole amount that they receive for babysitting, so I am not sure where the "overtime" part would come into play. Plus, we always hear that the crew members put in a lot of hours. Maybe they were just short staffed.

 

I would maybe check a roll call for a cruise before you and see if someone with children can get a name of someone that you can specifically request and go from there.

 

Good luck!