Going back to carnival!!

[PompeySailor]

PompeySailor...if an item had been taken from my stateroom I would want staff to search for it...just as I wanted them to search for their maintenance worker. My problem with the handling of the situation is that they berated my son for "lying" about returning the watch...which in fact he had. The friend didn't receive the same treatment because they had the iPod nano in their possession...he was basically just spoken to and sent off. As soon as they found the watch their attitude changed. If I had an item stolen and not returned or recovered, I'd be very upset. If the item was returned, by a child, I'd be grateful for their honesty and hope that the parents dealt with it in their own way.

 

 

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THank you for your explanation

[vacationmom0103]

Really SpookWife??? Than explain why the watch was found in his personal belongings 4 hours later? I knew by posting my review here I was going to hear a ton of backlash. But I have to say never did I think people would be soooo mean and callous. For the few who took the review for what it was...thank u! To the rest of u...I only hope that one day you or a child makes a mistake and you receive the same treatment you have so kindly bestowed upon me. Have a nice day!!

 

 

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[Gama C]

What I find most interesting about this post is the lack of parental responsibility. A 10 year old having full "run" of the ship ( a VERY large ship) and the parents out to dinner is something I can't understand. When this is pointed out to the OP the answer is "everyone else was doing it". I guess that explains the situation.

[vacationmom0103]

Thank u k2!!

 

 

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[Cindy]

I am a 41 year old teacher of 4th graders and my husband works for the NYPD. We have 2 boys, ages 10 and 9, and we love cruising!!

 

 

Finally: On the last day my 10 year old son and his friend stole prizes from the arcade and within an hour came to their senses and returned the items knowing what they did was wrong. (This all happened while my husband and I were out to dinner with friends of ours) My son's friend returned the item to guest services and my son handed the item to a worker and asked them to return it for him. Well the worker apparently decided to steal it himself because the item NEVER was returned to guest services. My husband was called to security with my son, in which they accused him of keeping the item and threatened him with reporting to the police and searching our luggage. When my husband returned to our stateroom and informed me of the "conversation" with security, I flipped out! I went back downstairs and demanded to speak with the head of security. I argued with security that they had NO idea how to handle a 10 year old kid. My son was screaming and crying that he was sorry..I am a teacher and you don't threaten children to the point of making them hysterical. My son informed them that he did in fact open the container to see the watch, but put it back and gave the entire container to the worker. Because the container had been opened, they said the item would no longer be usable and therefore I would have to pay for it. I informed him that I would BUY the watch but there was no way in HE_ _ that I would pay for something that THEIR employee was in possession of. They tried telling me that they were unable to locate said employee. Needless to say I went freakin bananas!!! I told them that I would walk the ship all night if I had to until I found the guy. They argued that that wasn't necessary and that they were looking. 4 hours had passed by then...how could they NOT know which maintenance man was working on deck 11, near our room at said time?? I told security I was giving them 1 hour to find the guy or they would end up arresting me. 20 minutes later we received a phone call that the guy had been found and he indeed had the watch. Now I know some of you are reading this thinking that I am wrong...that my son committed a crime and should be punished. I agree that he made a terrible choice and he was spoken to at length about stealing. He knew it was wrong and that is why is conscience told him to return it. The staff's way of dealing with the situation was COMPLETELY inappropriate in my opinion, and for that reason I will NEVER sail Royal Caribbean again. I wouldn't give them another dime if my life depended on it. I know there are fierce Royal cheerleaders out there who will disagree, but imagine it being your child for a minute. Like I said to security...this wasn't an international crime of treason...yet they treated my son as if he was an international criminal. They should have spoken to my husband IN PRIVATE and looked for the maintenance man immediately. I do not know what the outcome was with the maintenance man, as all I was told was that they would "deal with it internally." Finally...Yes, I've thought about how Carnival would have handled it...I can't assume anything, but based on all my interactions with Carnival staff and Royal Caribbean staff, I feel that Carnival would have been much more delicate and kind. YEP...there is a reason Carnival is THE FUN SHIP...and it has nothing to do with a rowdy, drunk, obnoxious crowd and EVERYTHING to do with wanting to make your vacation FUN!!!

 

There are so many problems in this post. I don't know if I'm more appalled by the OP's reluctance to allow her son to learn the consequences of his behavior, the fact that a teacher would think it's OK for her children to run around unsupervised at night on a huge ship, or the OP's out-of-control behavior itself.

 

While I think the entire purpose of this post was to stir everybody up (just look at the title) on the Royal Caribbean board , I think the OP's time would be better spent wondering why her little darling would steal something when he gets in an unsupervised peer-pressure situation.

 

FWIW, I spent 30 years as a teacher and an administrator. I think the boy's "hysteria" was for his parent's benefit and because he got caught, not because he was terrified. A ten year old is old enough to understand that stealing has consequences, and hopefully he will remember this incident the next time he thinks about stealing something.

[Cruising89143]

What I find most interesting about this post is the lack of parental responsibility. A 10 year old having full "run" of the ship ( a VERY large ship) and the parents out to dinner is something I can't understand. When this is pointed out to the OP the answer is "everyone else was doing it". I guess that explains the situation.

 

That was my point earlier. The OP is trying to place the blame on RCI but if the children (and that is exactly what a nine and ten year old are) were with their parents in place of being allowed to have full run of the ship this would not have happened but I guess it's easier to pass the buck than take personal responsibility. Very sad that she doesn't get it.

Edited August 12, 2014 by cruisingator2

[island lady]

Isn't there another duplicate of this thread running at the same time??

[cruisinfanatic]

Isn't there another duplicate of this thread running at the same time??

Yes. The OP posted on the Carnival board and the high powers decided to move it here

[matj2000]

It's pretty sad that people will argue till the death.

Just to convince themselves that RC is so great..

I am with the OP on this one.

I have never dealt with security on a ship but have had issues with other staff that became very frustrating.

Due to the language & culture differences...

[trev71]

Perhaps the maintenance worker didn't speak English and didn't understand why your son was giving him a watch. He probably thought it was a gift. Either way your son stole something and should be accountable. Meaning whether he had possession or not. If he threw it in a trash can and the can was emptied, would you blame the worker who was doing his job??

 

Have fun on your next carnival cruise.

 

 

I agree with your post. Well said. *like*

 

 

I am not a parent but I know how this could have been avioded, Not letting your kid run wild on a ship.

Edited August 12, 2014 by trev71

[Ocean Boy]

First of all...thank u to everyone for being kind and understanding. I also posted this on RC board and they have done nothing but rip me and my son apart...another reason to go back to carnival I guess! The watch was a G-Shock...never heard of it myself, but it is sold online for $160. They knew it was my son because when the friend and his brother returned the iPod nano they did so at guest services. At that point they pulled up the security video and saw all the kids involved. My son assumed he was OK because he thought they had the watch back too. My friends son didn't have the same trouble because the iPod was never "missing" and it was never opened. The larger problem for my son was that they didn't believe him when he said he returned it because they didn't have it. Once they found the worker and the watch their attitude changed.

 

 

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I am reading this on the RCI board and I don't really see where anyone ripped you or your son apart.

 

I thought your post was a very interesting read.

[island lady]

Yes. The OP posted on the Carnival board and the high powers decided to move it here

 

Oh great. :rolleyes:

[babsee101]

One thing you said did it for me. I want to see the OCEAN!!! If I want to feel like I am in a bustling city. I will just stay home. I want to know I am on a ship and have views of the ocean from more places than not, so RCL's 2 monsters are out for me!

 

Thanks for the review. Sorry you had to go though that mess.

[cruizinisthebest]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. I enjoyed reading the contrast between the two cruise lines. It has been years since I cruised RCCL.

 

After reading about the experience regarding your son, my first thought was, why was a 10 year old left unsupervised on a mega cruise ship? There are so many things that can go wrong in that situation. IMO that was the root cause of the problem, and then when the 10 year old did what 10 year olds do when they are left unsupervised, you displaced the blame to the cruise ship staff. I just don't get that.

 

For any of us that have had our cruise experiences interrupted by unsupervised kids running up and down the halls screaming, I read your post and have to wonder what you were thinking to make that decision. The safety of your children and respect for fellow passengers should be paramount. I just don't think 10 year olds should be allowed free run of the ship while the parents are gone to supper with friends.

 

The root cause of the problem IMO was that this 10-year old and a group of his friends specifically - decided to do the wrong thing. Not every kid would have done it but he did and corrected himself. It should have been handled better and with his parents around from the minute security was made aware of what he did. I've never been on any of Royal's megaships, so I don't know their policy. I do know that on Carnival, you are allowed to sign yourself in and out at the age of 9. This year was the first time we allowed our son (11) to do it and it was only after day 4 once we were confident he knew his way around enough and knew how to get to his cabin. It was also after several reviews of guidelines. I'm not going to assume this parent did any less.

 

My 11-year old ate in the MDR twice last week, so I doubt the OPs 10-year old would have been interested in sitting for a long dinner. I don't think there was anything wrong with allowing him to go to the arcade alone. You really don't want to be tagged with your parents although we did go in there with both of our kids during the first two days last week. He did the wrong thing. Glad he recognized it. Thanks for the review OP. I don't think I would choose Allure just because of the size. Would love to try one of Royal's smaller ships though.

Edited August 12, 2014 by cruizinisthebest

[kwazi07]

First of all...thank u to everyone for being kind and understanding. I also posted this on RC board and they have done nothing but rip me and my son apart...another reason to go back to carnival I guess! The watch was a G-Shock...never heard of it myself, but it is sold online for $160. They knew it was my son because when the friend and his brother returned the iPod nano they did so at guest services. At that point they pulled up the security video and saw all the kids involved. My son assumed he was OK because he thought they had the watch back too. My friends son didn't have the same trouble because the iPod was never "missing" and it was never opened. The larger problem for my son was that they didn't believe him when he said he returned it because they didn't have it. Once they found the worker and the watch their attitude changed.

 

 

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You have a very interesting story. I saw your post on the Royal boards (they could have said a lot of things nicer). In my opinion, it is not mainly the cruise lines fault.

1. Since you are a teacher and seem to have good judgment (no sarcasm), why did you let your kids free while you are at dinner? That ship is HUGE.

2. Like said on the Royal boards, the worker may of not spoken English well. Only the workers with contact with guests like waiters, stewards, and bartenders need to speak fluent English.

3. You can't really blame the security officers. It was your sons fault, and he needs to understand that just because he returns the item doesn't mean he would get off. If I stole a TV from BestBuy but felt guilty and returned it, would I still get in trouble?

 

You really shouldn't not want to go on Royal because of this incident. It is a great line, with amazing ships. Carnival was my first cruise on one of their oldest ships, Paradise. It was fun, but after going on Enchantment of the Seas (one of Royals oldest) I was born away.

 

If you want a Royal ship with much more windows than Carnival, check out the Radiance or Vision classes. There are windows everywhere! Check out my review on Enchantment going on in the Royal boards. You should try that ship for a short 3 or 4 nighter.

 

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Edited August 12, 2014 by kwazi07

[vacationmom0103]

Thank u Babs and Cruzin!!! Thank u for getting something useful from my review (lack of ocean views) and thank u for understanding that I did nothing less than any other parent...i appreciate your honesty and your kind words!

 

 

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[Rockfordcruiser]

I guess the staff working the kids zone were not mean or yelled enough. Your son made a bad decision but its still stealing. My guess is your family would not be allowed back on a RCL ship. Your son made the security blog and would be possibly black listed for future cruises. So maybe the header for your original post should have said "Son gets us all banned from RC".. Good thing this happened on the last night and not the first night. You for sure wouldn't be able to compare the cruise to Carnival seeing youd been put off at first stop. You should call Carnival or any other cruise line and for sure ask what their policy is for stealing. That way you will know if its ok to take your son again.

Edited August 12, 2014 by Rockfordcruiser

[JetsFanCruiser]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. I enjoyed reading the contrast between the two cruise lines. It has been years since I cruised RCCL.

 

After reading about the experience regarding your son, my first thought was, why was a 10 year old left unsupervised on a mega cruise ship? There are so many things that can go wrong in that situation. IMO that was the root cause of the problem, and then when the 10 year old did what 10 year olds do when they are left unsupervised, you displaced the blame to the cruise ship staff. I just don't get that.

 

For any of us that have had our cruise experiences interrupted by unsupervised kids running up and down the halls screaming, I read your post and have to wonder what you were thinking to make that decision. The safety of your children and respect for fellow passengers should be paramount. I just don't think 10 year olds should be allowed free run of the ship while the parents are gone to supper with friends.

 

Sorry but disagree....it depends on the 10 year old...some are able to be independant, and some aren't...it's up to the individual parent to decide...there is not one rule for all sets of children....

[vacationmom0103]

I agree...they didn't have self sign out until the 3rd day when they proved responsibility...ie...checking in when told...back at stateroom at specific time...and not getting in trouble. I had no reason to think that they would have done something so stupid. Unfortunately, their bad decision overrode their excellent behavior on the first 6 days...I am a good parent with great kids...so sad that many of you think you are so superior.

 

 

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[judatt]

I have never been on an rci cruise - we are sailing on our first in a week. We have been on a couple of carnival cruises with our children and grandchildren and thoroughly enjoyed both of them. In my opinion this thread has absolutely nothing to do with either carnival or rci. It has everything to do with parents allowing way too young children to roam the ship unsupervised while they enjoyed dinner in a specialty restaurant with friends. Yes I realize these parents are looking to place responsibility with someone else but in my opinion they simply need to look in a mirror and accept responsibility for their (and their sons) behavior.

 

We will have our grandchildren who are 9,10, and 12 with us on our upcoming cruise. They will not be running the ship unsupervised. We will be having dinner in a specialty restaurant and the 9 and 10 year olds will be with other children in a supervised environment. The 12 year old will be with us.

 

I know we all have differing parenting styles. But let's not place blame on a cruise line - any cruise line - for this type of behavior.

[cruisinfanatic]

Thank u Babs and Cruzin!!! Thank u for getting something useful from my review (lack of ocean views) and thank u for understanding that I did nothing less than any other parent...i appreciate your honesty and your kind words!

 

 

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Sorry OP, but still can't get out of my head you're leaving a 10 yr old to roam a ship with 5-6 thousand strangers.

As you can see by my sig, I like Carnival too. Both lines have strengths and weaknesses

 

Staff friendliness, Never saw a difference either way. Always great overall service

Kid Camp, don't know. Wouldn't bring a child on a cruise. That's Disney for family vacations

24 hr pizza on Carnival? That would be great if it was ready 24hrs

Pay for room service on RCL? Only in the middle of the night and the fee covers tip

No grilled cheese or BLT's for room service? Did you ask? Try getting a hot breakfast on Carnival

High windows? If they weren't there you couldn't sit on deck many days because of the high winds

Bartenders not making drinks the same. Never been on a ship where this wasn't a problem

[Big_G]

 

 

I am with the OP on this one.

 

 

Now there's a shocker. :eek: :D

Edited August 12, 2014 by Big_G

[cruizinisthebest]

Sorry but disagree....it depends on the 10 year old...some are able to be independant, and some aren't...it's up to the individual parent to decide...there is not one rule for all sets of children....

 

Exactly. Actually, my son didn't even ask or want to be left alone when the cruise first started. I'm guessing he didn't feel comfortable. This was the first time any of us had been on a Conquest class ship so it took a while for everyone to feel comfortable. After a few days I could see a change in their comfort level and both kids had been plenty prepped on how to act whether with us or not. Kids do stupid things. Doesn't sound like the OP downplayed it. He learned a valuable lesson.

[reallyitsmema]

If Carnival is your preferred cruise line, then sail Carnival, really no need for drama. You tried RCI, you didn't like it, and you are going back to Carnival. Do what makes you and your family happy.

 

I do feel you need to take responsibility for your son and his actions and stop putting the blame on the cruise line. Your son was allowed to roam around unsupervised and he committed a crime. Yes, kids make mistakes but stealing a $160 watch is not something that should be taken lightly. I know if my son was ever in that position, he would have received much more than a firm talking to.

[MrsPete]

Come on, Folks, we all know that once a kid has stolen something, the ending won't be good. Whether he 'fesses up, is caught, or whatever -- it's going to be a negative ending -- we don't live in a sit-com where every mistake is resolved in a kind, loving way through a heart-felt talk accompanied by soft music, and the kids come away having learned a moral lesson in the end. In the real world, theft is going to have a negative ending -- the only question is exactly how the details will fall out.

 

Giving the watch to a maintenance man was a big mistake, but the boy is ten. I definitely can believe that lack of English skills played a part in the situation. The best option -- once the crime was committed -- would've been to go to his parents and ask them how to best resolve the issue, but he didn't make that choice. Undoubtably, the parents would have gone to the right person, and much of this trouble would've been avoided. Again, the boy is ten. He isn't likely to show adult-level judgement skills.

 

I don't have a problem with the fact that security scared the bejeebers out of the kid. Lots of kids do this type of thing, and it's a whole lot better that he was scared and learned a lesson. If he'd gotten off lightly, he might be tempted to try again one day.

 

Yes, kids are allowed "the run of the ship", but that doesn't mean it's a wise choice. Adults are allowed to drink too much and lose all their money in the casino. Are those wise choices? It's up to us as individuals to monitor ourselves . . . and our children.

 

I personally don't care whether anyone else wants to sail this ship or that ship, but this isn't really a reason to make that decision. If one of my girls had done this, my angst would be focused solidly on her behavior.