awful suite

[bcd2010]

Or perhaps the mother is a CC participant who has been told by other CC folks - "don't worry, once onboard you can rearrange who is sleeping in which cabin". Oh how many times I have read this, and I have thought that this could be the the outcome. Of course, folks on this board assure all of us that their darlings are well behaved and trustworthy to be in a room by themselves. Well, some are.

 

Not speaking of the OP, but we collectively have brought this on ourselves by repeatedly telling folks how to separate themselves from their children in terms of cabins.

 

Exactly what I thought when I read this! It always seems irresponsible, at best, when this is suggested, in fact whenever circumvention of the rules is encouraged.

 

I also think it is a case of HAL crew being afraid to upset the passengers (parents in this case) - as we hear in so many posts about dining room attire and such.

 

But HAL did, in fact, upset passengers, as so often happens when it is the offending party who is placated. The offended party is usually negatively labeled, at the very least as someone who is stuck on the rules.

[George C]

Why stop cruising because you heard one or two reports of problems with kids?

 

If you heard of drunken loud adult partyers at the AI, would you leave them, also?

 

I'm not being brass but there is no guarantee of serenity and quiet, peaceful enjoyment anywhere.

 

 

I am not stopping, just we found it much more peacefull without kids running around, we been on 55 cruises and dozen or so AI, have really never seen problems at the high end Adult AI at least no more than your average cruise, we try not to book a cruise when school is out. I just never want to hear Marco Polo any more when I am relaxing around a pool.

[1of4]

That is what I mean when I said those brats gave your children and others who are VERY well behaved such a horrible name of , "BAD KIDS/BRATS," when in fact they are not even given an opportunity to show that not all kids are rotten and brats!!

 

 

An aside question for ya Gail...Is Ian still trying to catch snowflakes??:)

 

Joanie

 

Thanks so much for your kind words Joanie. Unfortunately, eventhough we are 2 days into spring....Ian is still catching snowflakes!!!:cool:

[alwaysfrantic]

Was the mom in a connecting suite to them....kids in one, parents in the adjacent?

[3rdGenCunarder]

(snip)

 

But HAL did, in fact, upset passengers, as so often happens when it is the offending party who is placated. The offended party is usually negatively labeled, at the very least as someone who is stuck on the rules.

 

I agree! In many cases--whether it's dress code, smoking in a nonsmoking area, unruly kids--the people in charge seem to be more afraid of upsetting "offending party" than in solving the problem.

 

The irony in situations like this with unruly kids is that if the kids got hurt, Mom would be calling a lawyer instantly to sue HAL for hurting her darlings. But until/unless they get hurt, she doesn't care what they do.

 

As for kids who behave well, I DO notice them. It gives me faith that the future will not belong to ill-mannered, hooligans. And if I get a chance to speak to am accompanying parent or grandparent out of earshot of the kids, I will comment on how good it is to see such nice kids. I've made more than one grandmother's day with a comment like that.

[sail7seas]

Was the mom in a connecting suite to them....kids in one, parents in the adjacent?

 

 

I was wondering the same thing.

If Mom was the neighbor on the other side, why did she not hear the same loud, disturbing noises? And do nothing about it?

[alwaysfrantic]

Or, maybe....

 

On my last cruise there was a group of kids who appeared about half way through the voyage. Someone mentioned they were one of the officers children visiting their dad. Something like that could maybe explain why Mom was elsewhere and the kids did not get reigned in.

 

The group I saw were great, never an issue at all. But not all kids are that nice!

[3rdGenCunarder]

I was wondering the same thing.

If Mom was the neighbor on the other side, why did she not hear the same loud, disturbing noises? And do nothing about it?

 

Some parents are selectively blind and deaf. :(

[jayisgerman]

I would have found the Captain after no success with Security. One can always find the Captain if need be. DEFINITELY you should have been listened to and something done about it.

 

We had a situation when we sailed on the Pride of America (not security related, but very, very bad nonetheless in terms of noise). We tried for 2 days with close to a dozen calls to front desk/front desk supervisor/front desk manager/hotel manager.... you name it.

 

We were polite and were told over and over and over again that things would be handled. Finally on day 3 - when I received the usual blow-off "we are so sorry for any inconvenience", I politely but firmly stated:

 

"I noticed in the daily program that the Captain's reception is tonight in the main atrium. Thank you for all your assistance - I will take it up with Captain XXX personally."

 

We had a satisfactory solution to our problem within 2 hours after that! :rolleyes: We really gave it every chance to have lower and middle management solve the issue - to no avail. But on a 7 day cruise, how long does one give the "process" before your holiday is almost ruined?

[Silver sailor]

I was wondering the same thing.

If Mom was the neighbor on the other side, why did she not hear the same loud, disturbing noises? And do nothing about it?

 

 

Does it really make a difference what cabin the mother was in?

You would assume that a HAL employee would have , should have contacted her

Also can't believe that they were never together the whole cruise

If she was right next to the kids , obviously she would have heard noises

I guess if she did that were neither loud or disturbing to her

[IRL_Joanie]

Thanks so much for your kind words Joanie. Unfortunately, eventhough we are 2 days into spring....Ian is still catching snowflakes!!!:cool:

Title says my thoughts, but wanted to add....I would be happy to cruise with you and the kids at any time!! In fact I have yet to ever have a problem with any of the hundreds of kids I've had on our cruises since 2008!! The kids and their parents were always on their best behavior!! This includes our first cruise with the 2 staterooms to the aft of us having a total of 7 kids and 3 adults from Indonesia, not crew or crew family, and the only time we ever heard them was when they and we would be going into or out of our verandah doors. Extremely well behaved and mannerly!! One of the youngens (he was maybe 10 or 11) came knocking on our door around the 2nd day on the cruise and apologized if they made to much noise and asked us to let them know if they were and they would stop. NOW THAT is the type of child I LOVE cruising with:)

 

Just for Ian: Young man, eat tons of snow for Joanie!! I want it here but have to get my fun seeing you enjoying all that beautiful white stuff from photos:)

 

EDITED TO ADD: For those who remember the kids pushing all the elevator buttons, I remember at least 2 separate cruise where it has been male adults who did that, and they were not young adults!!

 

Joanie

[buckirj1]

Parental responsibility: it's a wonderful thing. Dang shame so few exercise it. There's a straight line from the lack of parental responsibility to the lack of personal responsibility.

[hal lover]

Some parents are selectively blind and deaf. :(

 

Absolutely!

I still feel that the front desk should have found the "MOM" and have her be the "MOM".

[SwissMyst]

If the OP follows up with HAL management, it would be helpful to print out this entire thread and send it along with his letter.

[solocanadian]

Perhaps the mother of these 3 brats was shagging an officer.:eek: Not the first time I've seen this on a cruise. In 1998 a woman passenger was really unhappy because her lover/officer had his wife on board. Therefore she was left out in the cold. That was on the Statendam. Yes that does happen on HAL and was very prevelent on Royal Cruise Lines.:)

[Joe Dandy]

I did ask for a different suite but the ship was full. Also when they threw things overboard I told the front desk not to say I was the one who told you this. That afternoon as Im reading on my balcony the 10 year old stretches his neck around the balcony divider and said "thanks for ratting on us mister." I ran in to tell my wife as i was going to really yell at them but my wife said calm down and i thought its not worth it. I did again tell the front desk but the cruise was almost over and i had the feeling they were glad this would all be over soon. We also have 2 grown sons . Also I was a teacher and the 10 year old had issues. So another reason i controlled myself.

[Silver sailor]

Perhaps the mother of these 3 brats was shagging an officer.:eek: Not the first time I've seen this on a cruise. In 1998 a woman passenger was really unhappy because her lover/officer had his wife on board. Therefore she was left out in the cold. That was on the Statendam. Yes that does happen on HAL and was very prevelent on Royal Cruise Lines.:)

 

 

Maybe the mom was too busy with the lover/officer and that is why she was not attending to the kids

GET REAL THIS IS ABSURD

[SwissMyst]

Maybe the mom was too busy with the lover/officer and that is why she was not attending to the kids

GET REAL THIS IS ABSURD

 

Not absurd at all .. also know first hand of another ship where the wife of the captain showed up and created havoc for his mistress who was running the ship's store. Certainly the Costa Concordia captain's personal indiscretions while on duty appeared to play a role in that tragedy as well. So unfortunate, highly unprofessional but not absurd in the fact it could never happen.

[IRL_Joanie]

Maybe the mom was too busy with the lover/officer and that is why she was not attending to the kids

GET REAL THIS IS ABSURD

 

While it is a fairly reasonable assumption to believe this not to be true, I would not go so far as to think it absurd.

 

I think there are any number of possibilities and solocanadian is only voicing hers:)

 

I get the caps point also:) I use them alot myself to get my thought and/or point across:)

 

Joanie

[Silver sailor]

Not absurd at all .. also know first hand of another ship where the wife of the captain showed up and created havoc for his mistress who was running the ship's store. Certainly the Costa Concordia captain's personal indiscretions while on duty appeared to play a role in that tragedy as well. So unfortunate, highly unprofessional but not absurd in the fact it could never happen.

 

 

Maybe I'm dense

don't care where or who the mother was sleeping with

How does this relate to the problem of three boys being in a suite for 9 days. Totally unsupervised and raising H---, and no action was taken by Holland America

Who brought the kids onboard and why

To create havoc for the mistress?

Keep the post in context and don't try to turn into a Peyton Place

[3rdGenCunarder]

Maybe the mom was too busy with the lover/officer and that is why she was not attending to the kids

GET REAL THIS IS ABSURD

 

Maybe not an officer, but it crossed my mind that she might have hooked up with someone (passenger) and was spending more time with him than with her kids.

[Tampa Girl]

The only thing is the op was in a suite - why give that up?

 

The mother and the three boys should have been shipped to the engine room:rolleyes:

 

 

Or a lifeboat!

[kazu]

Or a lifeboat!

 

 

even better;)

[feathersandnananose]

Lessons learned on CC:

 

If you've got a problem, don't just talk to someone, put it IN WRITING. They have comment cards, and seem to respond to them sometimes. Start low but escalate every day, in writing, with documentation:

 

If you've got a problem that you think may be on-going (second night of kids unsupervised, for example), document it. If you call or talk to someone, write down the name and their response. (If on the phone, ask how to spell their name - they'll know you're paying attention). If you go to the front desk, take your documentation with you and write on it as you speak to someone.....

 

I've never had a problem, but I'm storing up the wisdom. And I'm another who complements families with well-behaved kids....

 

Barb ("feathers")

[SwissMyst]

Maybe I'm dense

don't care where or who the mother was sleeping with

How does this relate to the problem of three boys being in a suite for 9 days. Totally unsupervised and raising H---, and no action was taken by Holland America

Who brought the kids onboard and why

To create havoc for the mistress?

Keep the post in context and don't try to turn into a Peyton Place

 

 

The suggestion was made that perhaps the mother might be "friendly" with someone higher up the chain of command which was offered as a reason why nothing was done. It is perplexing because it is obvious to everyone that according to the reported incident, something should have been done. ASAP.

 

And since it was not, one then reasonably conjures some likely scenarios that may have prevented this swift action. I jumped in only when someone else suggested a higher-up "relationship" interference was an absurd possibility, as in it would never happen. My point was only that these types of dalliances between the chain of command and others down the food chain can and do happen.

 

Keeping on topic is always good policy, but the topic quickly became why something was not done. Interfering entanglements can be a reason; not a good one but this was just not adding up as reported. And as always, one needs to hear the other side of the story to fully understand the entire situation.