A Comment About Kids

[cotto22]

Whenever we travel, we are quick to say that we live in Texas but are not natives. It is sad, but sometimes stereotypes have a little basis in truth, e.g. my neighbors from Hell! Most everyone else is quite friendly and pleasant. But Texans are a unique bunch!

[cotto22]

The issue of children on cruises is, apparently, an emotional one for some. It is a little bit similar to that of including them in weddings. There have been many a divided family over that issue, ours included!

 

If anything I said offended, I apologize. I try to temper my comments to make them pretty generic, but sometimes it is hard to gauge other's reactions.

[Chewbecca]

On selected Alaska cruises, the 'Alaska Youth Explorer Program'.

It is not well advertised but it is definitely running on some cruises over the summer - we're taking one and O have confirmed it is running. I understand they take over the card room & have dedicated kids staff on board.

I think O should advertise it better, not least so other customers know to expect a small number of children on board.

[orchestrapal]

On selected Alaska cruises, the 'Alaska Youth Explorer Program'.

It is not well advertised but it is definitely running on some cruises over the summer - we're taking one and O have confirmed it is running. I understand they take over the card room & have dedicated kids staff on board.

I think O should advertise it better, not least so other customers know to expect a small number of children on board.

 

Easy to avoid these cruises if you know when they are. It's the other cruises where suddenly you have a bunch of misbehaving children of any age that are hard to avoid.

[RJB]

On selected Alaska cruises, the 'Alaska Youth Explorer Program'.

It is not well advertised but it is definitely running on some cruises over the summer - we're taking one and O have confirmed it is running. I understand they take over the card room & have dedicated kids staff on board.

I think O should advertise it better, not least so other customers know to expect a small number of children on board.

One of the reasons we are staying away from Alaska. Have no desire to cruise with kids on Oceania. :(:(

[JimandStan]

One of the reasons we are staying away from Alaska. Have no desire to cruise with kids on Oceania. :(:(

 

I've had a number of Oceania loyalists say the same thing to me, particularly about the Cruises which sail after School is out for the Summer.

[pacheco18]

Article in USA Today

 

"Best cruises for toddlers and small children"

 

http://www.usatoday.com/experience/cruise/best-of-cruising/10-cruise-ships-sure-to-please-kids/5558913/

 

And Cruise Critic has several articles about best cruises for small children and even babies

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=2

 

Guess which line is not on ANY of those lists.

[RJB]

I've had a number of Oceania loyalists say the same thing to me, particularly about the Cruises which sail after School is out for the Summer.

WE have 6 grand kids and love them very much, but don't want to take them on a cruise that they don't belong. With them we need a Disney cruise where all would have a lot of fun. :):)

[pacheco18]

WE have 6 grand kids and love them very much, but don't want to take them on a cruise that they don't belong. With them we need a Disney cruise where all would have a lot of fun. :):)

 

If only everyone had your common sense.

 

The irony here is that even Disney recognizes that sometimes adults need to be away from the kids and has established adults only areas on their ships.

[TKS]

On our last cruise there were two children, both girls about 11 who looked remarkably alike but were not related. One was 11 going on 35 and the other 11 going on 7. But both were fine aboard. The mentally less developed girl got lots of attention from the crew as they tried to make her cruise enjoyable too, and the mentally more developed girl, who was in the cabin next to ours, spent many hours with her grandmother. I saw them holding hands sometimes, and witnessed her excusing herself from the dinner table a few times, kissing her grandmother and wishing all at the table good night - super girl! - and in talking to her she'd been traveling this way for several years and already had an impressive collection of passport stamps. Neither girl seemed to be bored, neither was a problem for anyone.

 

We've had a few children on every O cruise we've taken and none have been a problem for anyone else, although one young man of about 15 did seem to be really bored. So to me the issue is not that they are children, but how they and their parents/grandparents handle the lack of children's activities and sometimes hostile attitude toward children aboard O. Like the adults, some are a joy, others - well, not so much.

[RJB]

If only everyone had your common sense.

 

The irony here is that even Disney recognizes that sometimes adults need to be away from the kids and has established adults only areas on their ships.

Very true. But the Disney ships are much bigger and have space for both. That being said we would not go on a Disney cruise if we were not going with kids or grand kids. :):)

[hypercafe]

If you want to go on a family friendly luxury line I know of two. Crystal has a program and on some trips I believe children sail free. Europa 2 has a program a I believe children under 11 sail free. If you bring a very young child they provide baby food, bottles and diapers.

[RJB]

If you want to go on a family friendly luxury line I know of two. Crystal has a program and on some trips I believe children sail free. Europa 2 has a program a I believe children under 11 sail free. If you bring a very young child they provide baby food, bottles and diapers.

That's great.... Something for everyone. :):)

[Hawaiidan]

You show such disdain towards well behaved children.

 

Just QUOTE]

 

Well behaved is a value judgment...like I have never seen anyone with not only a well behaved dog or child.... all models of perfection

 

So to be fair, I have more distain for adults , who should know better, from thrusting someone , anyone, into a situation that is inappropriate

I cant total blame the kids... they don't know any better and are only guided by adults.

 

You make a good point...its not the kids fault that someone puts them in a position which will cause problems for them and others. I doubt that if they had the choice they would choose what their adults mentors thrust them into .

 

Kids need to be kids, with other kids and interact freely...its called growing up...I doubt they want to become little sophisticate adults....

Life is short, childhood is even shorter and once lost it can not be replaced.

[rubysue]

Very true. But the Disney ships are much bigger and have space for both. That being said we would not go on a Disney cruise if we were not going with kids or grand kids. :):)

 

Not to belabor the point here as I usually don't post much anymore on the main cruise boards, but we are two older adults (late 50's), with no children, who have done six Disney cruises and thoroughly enjoyed every single one of them. There are many attractions and areas for adults on DCL and everyone is having a fantastic time. There are a few things to avoid, like Deck 5, the teen hangouts and character autograph sessions. DCL also treated my late Dad like a King on a Mediterranean cruise in 2007 (he turned 93 on that cruise) and many of the kids became his buddies.

 

In contrast, I can tell you that our one and only HAL cruise to date (Westerdam, Alaska, 2006) had a large mob of unruly pre-teens and teens who took over the main pool area without any intervention by parents or the crew. Also, we had a very unpleasant dinner in Polo last year on Nautica when I had the temerity to mention that we liked Disney Cruise Lines and had a "gentleman" from Australia at the table for six we shared berate both of us for the rest of the dinner for being unsophisticated. This was certainly not the only time on Oceania where our cruising choices (which include Oceania, obviously) were questioned by other passengers. I also hesitate to mention that we had a most marvelous time on Oasis of the Seas last Christmas, with 6,212 other passengers and many families and children.

 

I think the point is that cruise ships geared to all ages handle those situations the best. If folks go on Oceania to avoid families and children, then perhaps the Alaska itineraries are not suitable.

[Bowie MeMe]

I agree with RubySue that I have had great experiences on Disney (with and without kids) and would highly recommend them to anyone who loves to have fun. (Confession have family in Florida and have been to Disney World 36 times, both US and am dying to try DW Hong Kong and Tokyo on future cruise). If you have a good attitude toward the cruise and KNOW what the cruise is going to be about (small eco cruise ship in Galapagos or on Amazon River is a very different experience from Disney Cruise which is different from river cruise in Europe which is different from megaship experience (which is pretty much out for me now -- too far to walk on the huge ships/small cities on the water).

 

Most all of my cruises have been wonderful. A few were a little less enjoyable because other passengers were rude/noisy/unkind/inconsiderate and it was not always the "kids" who were the problem. Rude comes in all ages. But you know I find sometimes I have to deal with rude/noisy/unkind/inconsiderate people when I am a block from home also. :eek: It doesn't have to ruin your experience. Remove yourself from the unpleasantness and take a deep breath. Can't control others but can control your reaction to others. :)

[Chumby]

Re: kids on cruises and kids on Oceania in particular

 

First, if people want to bring their kids on an Oceania Alaska cruise with them, let 'em. It's a beautiful part of the world, and I wish every kid could have the opportunity to see the wonders of nature that Alaska offers. If the kids are acting out, point this out to crew members first and their parents if you can find them. Explain NICELY what it is that is upsetting you, and perhaps you'll see better behavior on the rest of the cruise. Or just move your body to some place where the kids aren't and you'll be a much happier person.

 

DW and I have been on six Disney cruises and the kids, well -- they're in their own world. Yeah, you run into them on the nights when you go to the main dining rooms. But go to the specialty restaurants and you're with a bunch of happy adults. The food? Really quite amazing, although you do pay a premium.

 

DW (RubySue) left a comment here and I agree with her: we've had much worse situations with kids on other cruise lines, but not on Disney where they know that they have guests who just don't want to be bothered by the little ones and teens.

 

Stick to the adult venues on a DCL trip, and you'll have a wonderful time. And, as DW mentioned in her post, we also had an incredible time on RCI's humongous Oasis of the Seas last December. The ship is ginormous, but well suited for the number of guests, and we had a wonderful time. I think the ship itself was the most beautiful vessel I've ever been on, bar none.

 

I might get slapped for this, but quit being cheerleaders for a cruise line. It's a BRAND, not a life-changing event. Probably every cruise line has some feature, ship, restaurant, or employee that would make you love them forever. There are things that I absolutely love about Oceania, which is why I'm going on my fifth cruise with them in October. But I'm willing to go on other cruise lines, some of which actually have the audacity to cater to families, and I've found them to be quite enjoyable.

 

Said my piece.

 

 

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Edited June 29, 2014 by Chumby

[glenneagle]

We were on the Insignia last week with several toddlers and children.

On day one a large family group had all their children in the pool and spa including a toddler in a diaper.. Most cruise lines have a sign at the pool stating no children in diapers in the pool.Oceania does not have this sign.Another family with a baby was changing the babies diaper on the new chairs and not using a changing pad.This is how noro starts on a ship....

The pool on Oceania is small and six to seven children swimming and splashing water at one another did not make for a relaxing pool afternoon.We sail Oceania to take a break from our grandchildren not to spend a day at the pool with other peoples children.

[Noxequifans]

Thank you for posting your actual experience with children on board. As you stated, the health risk is significant. Interestingly the parents saw nothing wrong.

[TERRIER1]

We were on the Insignia last week with several toddlers and children.

On day one a large family group had all their children in the pool and spa including a toddler in a diaper.. Most cruise lines have a sign at the pool stating no children in diapers in the pool.Oceania does not have this sign.Another family with a baby was changing the babies diaper on the new chairs and not using a changing pad.This is how noro starts on a ship....

The pool on Oceania is small and six to seven children swimming and splashing water at one another did not make for a relaxing pool afternoon.We sail Oceania to take a break from our grandchildren not to spend a day at the pool with other peoples children.

 

As I posted on the other thread, we just returned from a B2B on Azamara. Upon checking in we noticed there were a lot of children much to my surprise. Once on board we never really saw or heard from them. At our B2B turnaround meeting, the hotel director and captain explained that the first leg of this trip had 700 people of which there were 45 children. The captain stated that they never had that many children on board and they were initially concerned. I applaud the way Azamara handled the situation. Their strategy was to clearly communicate the rules and take action if the rules were not adhered.

 

Every family with children received a packet in their cabin that stated the rules, ramifications and expectations of proper behavior. Children under 13 years are not allowed in the specialty restaurants. There were no little ones in the pool and no older kids jumping off the edge. There were no unsupervised kids roaming around. The ship had activities planned but since no one showed up probably since this was a very port intensive cruise with late stay in port nights.

 

I really give credit to Azamara for handling this situation with direct communication and saying something if the rules were not adhered to.

[NC&KY]

We were on the Insignia last week with several toddlers and children.

On day one a large family group had all their children in the pool and spa including a toddler in a diaper.. Most cruise lines have a sign at the pool stating no children in diapers in the pool.Oceania does not have this sign.Another family with a baby was changing the babies diaper on the new chairs and not using a changing pad.This is how noro starts on a ship....

The pool on Oceania is small and six to seven children swimming and splashing water at one another did not make for a relaxing pool afternoon.We sail Oceania to take a break from our grandchildren not to spend a day at the pool with other peoples children.

Yes, whether there was a sign or not, that behavior is clearly unacceptable. :( Did you say something to ship's personnel? If so, how did they react?

[LHT28]

The information packet for families with children sounds like a great idea

Then everyone knows where they stand on the rules

Hopefully Oceania will adopt the procedure

 

Children should not be in the hot tubs anywhere

[hypercafe]

As I posted on the other thread, we just returned from a B2B on Azamara. Upon checking in we noticed there were a lot of children much to my surprise. Once on board we never really saw or heard from them. At our B2B turnaround meeting, the hotel director and captain explained that the first leg of this trip had 700 people of which there were 45 children. The captain stated that they never had that many children on board and they were initially concerned. I applaud the way Azamara handled the situation. Their strategy was to clearly communicate the rules and take action if the rules were not adhered.

 

Every family with children received a packet in their cabin that stated the rules, ramifications and expectations of proper behavior. Children under 13 years are not allowed in the specialty restaurants. There were no little ones in the pool and no older kids jumping off the edge. There were no unsupervised kids roaming around. The ship had activities planned but since no one showed up probably since this was a very port intensive cruise with late stay in port nights.

 

I really give credit to Azamara for handling this situation with direct communication and saying something if the rules were not adhered to.

 

At least they took a position and stuck to it. On Oceania the lack of a policy or direction is appalling. I would think having no signs about children in pool in proper swim ware is against the USPHS rules, at least I would hope so. Sounds like Oceania should take a page from Azamara play book.

 

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[RJB]

The information packet for families with children sounds like a great idea

Then everyone knows where they stand on the rules

Hopefully Oceania will adopt the procedure

 

Children should not be in the hot tubs anywhere

Lets make it easy. NO KIDS period. Then they don't need all those rules

[hypercafe]

Lets make it easy. NO KIDS period. Then they don't need all those rules

 

As I said Oceania needs to take a position. They are very silent.

 

 

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