allowing independence for kids on cruises

[missyg176]

We are taking our 7 year old on her 4th cruise. She is getting pretty independent now in general. Was wondering what age did you let your kids move about the ship themselves or with one other child? Just for little trips to the buffet to pick up icecream or sometging and come back to pool. Also hoping to have walkie talkies...hoping they will work.

thanks!

[gek]

We are taking our 7 year old on her 4th cruise. She is getting pretty independent now in general. Was wondering what age did you let your kids move about the ship themselves or with one other child? Just for little trips to the buffet to pick up icecream or sometging and come back to pool. Also hoping to have walkie talkies...hoping they will work.

thanks!

 

7 seems a little young for anything more than walking around within eyesight. However if it's just a quick trip between the pool and the ice cream bar then maybe, but only if she is a sensible kid. I can't see how she could get into any trouble if that was all she was doing.

 

I remember my daughter's first cruise at 7 and she was sometimes keen to do little things like that. Most of the time she was in the kid's club anyway,

but every so often she would go grab some food on her own. Not sure if she was ever out of sight from someone she knew though.

[notjaded]

We are taking our 7 year old on her 4th cruise. She is getting pretty independent now in general. Was wondering what age did you let your kids move about the ship themselves or with one other child? Just for little trips to the buffet to pick up icecream or sometging and come back to pool. Also hoping to have walkie talkies...hoping they will work.

thanks!

 

Well, so long as pedophiles don't cruise, your child is completely safe. You can be the judge on the odds of that premise.

[DebbieMacG]

Absolutely NOT at 7 years old :eek:

[ladylemondrop]

I cruise with my children, and have done so since they were very small, however, I do agree that 7 years old is too young to wander a ship alone.

 

My main concerns would be - her safety, and also, if the alarm sounded, that she may get lost in the mayhem following.

 

My blog has lot of info about cruising with kids. (See link below)

 

Please enjoy your cruise, depsite our comments, but better safe than sorry....:)

[cruisead]

Would you allow your 7 year old to wander your local mall by herself? If so, well, as a mother myself, I'd have to shake my head. No matter how you feel, a 7 year old is not mature enough to wander alone on a ship. We didn't allow our boys to do the buffet by themselves until they were 10, and they had to report back to us in 15 minutes. And even then, I was not all that comfortable. Just remember the two young boys who were allowed to wander alone and decided to check out the pool, and one, I believe he was 6, drowned.

 

And a 7 year old and a walkie talkie? Those things are a huge bone of contention on these boards, with a vast majority hating them. I don't think giving a 7 year old a walkie talkie makes any difference.

Edited November 28, 2014 by cruisead

[MustBCruzn]

I knew from the moment I read your question you were going to be sorry you asked...and rightfully so, I must say. As others have stated, 7 is too young to wander around unsupervised. A cruise is a floating city, and, even if you felt sure no creepers, pedophiles, or general "bad guys" are on your ship, it's still bad parenting, IMO.

[Essiesmom]

What age does your ship allow kids to sign themselves in and out of the club? whatever that age is, the clubs have a reason for setting it there. Perhaps that is where you should start. EM

[ladylemondrop]

What age does your ship allow kids to sign themselves in and out of the club? whatever that age is, the clubs have a reason for setting it there. Perhaps that is where you should start. EM

 

Its quite young actually, which disturbed me a little - my son aged 9 was told he could sign himself in and out (I didnt let him!) He is going to be 12 next time we cruise, and I will be a little more flexible, but only because he will have his older brother with him, and in the Teen club I am not sure they sign in or out anyway...

[RCKM43]

I am pretty sure 9 is the starting age to sign in and out of the kids program. I think 9 is young for sign out too. I will not be allowing my 7 year old to wander the ship, even for short trips. I will allow her to something within eyesight (I.e. Get a fresh towel poolside while I am at the pool with her, refill a glass at a buffet station I can see from our table). I would not allow my child to go to another area of the ship without an adult, except for the time she is signed into the fun factory. You have total strangers on the ship. I often see adults getting turned around on the ship so I can see a 7 year old easily lost. My daughter is a very good kid, but I worry more about the other people than her abilities, but IMO 7 is very young to be wandering alone.

 

 

Cruising Celebrity since 1993, with some other lines in the mix like NCL and Princess.

[Iamcruzin]

All children are different and only you can answer this question as only you know your child. I have two sons and when we sailed on a Princess cruise for the first time with them they were 6 and 9. the 6 year old was always independent and has always wanted to do things for himself from a young age. I was more comfortable letting the 6 yr old go to the buffet or for ice cream than the 9yr old. At 13 he was leading his 16yr old brother riding the subways of Manhattan to meet his mother at work. They are 19 and 22 and we still worry more about the older one than the younger one. The younger one just has more street smarts and can handle himself better. The older one would buy the Brooklyn Bridge or a swamp in Florida.

[Paraveina]

Threads like this confirm to me that it's a good idea that I don't want to have children. I would have thought back to my childhood (started school in the 90's) and remembered walking to school (just over 1 km) alone or with one other kid the same age as me and concluded that it's much safer on a ship. Obviously if my child was less mature than I remember being, I'd adjust the age, but I would have thought a 7 year old would be fine based on my past experience.

[CatlinSTJ]

I would not let a 7 year old go around the ship on their own. (My youngest is 7, very bright, and mature.) The statement about the mall is valid - but consider that the ship is a floating mall.

 

The first time we cruised with children, the two that came with us were 11 and 16. The 11 year old was not allowed to roam about without one of us. Her next cruise she was 13 and she could go to and from specific places before dark, after dark she needed a friend or family member with her. I'd rather be safe and know where the girls are, within reason, than have something happen and regret it later.

 

 

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[GOLDENBONNY]

We are taking our 7 year old on her 4th cruise. She is getting pretty independent now in general. Was wondering what age did you let your kids move about the ship themselves or with one other child? Just for little trips to the buffet to pick up icecream or sometging and come back to pool. Also hoping to have walkie talkies...hoping they will work.

thanks!

 

My DD is 7 and I only would let her go to grab ice-cream by herself if I can see her in that time . How old is other kid ?

[gek]

Some of the responses here are a little hysterical. When I was 7 I lived in a small town of about 2500 people - sort of like a modern cruise ship. I was free to wander the town, playing at the creek, visiting friends, riding my bike up to the nearby scenic lookout. Thinking back it seems amazing to me now but all the kids had the same freedom . Actually, some of the people in that town were pretty dubious characters but we knew to avoid them. I think a cruise ship is probably a much safer environment than that.

 

Admittedly parenting has changed a bit since then (probably for the better) but I really don't think a responsible, independent 7 year old wandering a ship is going to get into too much trouble particularly if they are accompanied by another child. However for the sake of other passengers who may get concerned about young children wandering on their own I don't think it's a good idea. I didn't let my daughters have that level of independence until they were about 11.

[Turtles06]

Apart from other issues mentioned, a cruise ship can be a physically dangerous place, especially for a young child who does not appreciate the dangers. Climb up on a railing? Fail to hold the handrail on a stairway and have the ship take an unexpected roll? Break into a run on a slippery deck?

 

As for walkie talkies.... OP please don't do that. Most adults can't manage to use them on cruise ships without disturbing those around them.....

[Lois R]

Some of the responses here are a little hysterical. When I was 7 I lived in a small town of about 2500 people - sort of like a modern cruise ship. I was free to wander the town, playing at the creek, visiting friends, riding my bike up to the nearby scenic lookout. Thinking back it seems amazing to me now but all the kids had the same freedom . Actually, some of the people in that town were pretty dubious characters but we knew to avoid them. I think a cruise ship is probably a much safer environment than that.

 

Admittedly parenting has changed a bit since then (probably for the better) but I really don't think a responsible, independent 7 year old wandering a ship is going to get into too much trouble particularly if they are accompanied by another child. However for the sake of other passengers who may get concerned about young children wandering on their own I don't think it's a good idea. I didn't let my daughters have that level of independence until they were about 11.

 

Hi,:) not sure how old you are now?........but many people lived in

small towns "way back when" and everyone knew one another. In

my opinion, comparing the 2 is like apples to oranges. Not a good

comparison......times are very different now.

 

The internet can be a very funky medium (how things come across).

1) the responses (in my opinion) are not hysterical, but maybe come

across that way without intending to......

2) nowadays, even small towns have terrible things that happen to them~

if you are relating the size of the town to the size of a cruiseship.

example......Sandy Hook.......that is a small area.......:(

3) I don't have any children but I also think 7 years old is a bit young,

no matter how mature that child might be.....for them to be walking

around the the ship by themselves.

[gek]

Hi,:) not sure how old you are now?........but many people lived in

small towns "way back when" and everyone knew one another. In

my opinion, comparing the 2 is like apples to oranges. Not a good

comparison......times are very different now.

 

Not this town. It was a pretty rough town with lots of itinerant workers. People didn't really know each other that well. Much more dangerous than a modern, safe cruiseship environment.

[Lois R]

Not this town. It was a pretty rough town with lots of itinerant workers. People didn't really know each other that well. Much more dangerous than a modern, safe cruiseship environment.

 

Ok..well,.....my reply doesn't fit your old neighborhood then.

 

I still think 7 years old is too young to be walking around the ship

by themselves.

[jsf]

As good as think your child is what happens is they tend to combine with other children who's parents let them run wild and the next thing that happens is the children are playing with elevator buttons and running through the ship. I've seen unsupervised children in the Buffet handling the food and putting it back,I think you should think of the comfort of other pax and just not the freedom of your 7 year old.

J.

[true45]

No matter how independent my child would be at 7, they cannot know all the hazards that might await them both physical on the ship and sorry to say it out there but hazardous people.

 

Years ago we were allowed to do a lot of things at a young age that knowing what I know now, I want to protect my kids and grandkids from at 7 at least

 

What they want to do independently at 7, is the last consideration. I would try to do whatever they want with them. And I know there are very well-behaved responsible 7s but especially in a cruise they need some guidance on what acceptable behavior is in new situations like the buffet.

 

 

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[hcat]

.Not quite sure what a 7 year old would be doing independently on a ship....and what the parent woud be doing that they could not supervise or take a walk with child for ice cream...

 

It only takes a few seconds for someone to snatch a child, in a very anonymous environment. or for a bad decision to turn dangerous......or more commonly for an accident to happen..running too fast, tripping etc, On a large ship, also a chance the child could get lost.

 

7 is way too young , in my opinion , to be without mature supervision....either within earshot or direct line of sight,,,....I think OP can encourage independence by offering choices in decisions but under a watchful eye,,

[chloe kitty]

As good as think your child is what happens is they tend to combine with other children who's parents let them run wild and the next thing that happens is the children are playing with elevator buttons and running through the ship. I've seen unsupervised children in the Buffet handling the food and putting it back,I think you should think of the comfort of other pax and just not the freedom of your 7 year old.

J.

 

Finally someone has it right.

[donaldsc]

Some of the responses here are a little hysterical. When I was 7 I lived in a small town of about 2500 people - sort of like a modern cruise ship. I was free to wander the town, playing at the creek, visiting friends, riding my bike up to the nearby scenic lookout. Thinking back it seems amazing to me now but all the kids had the same freedom . Actually, some of the people in that town were pretty dubious characters but we knew to avoid them. I think a cruise ship is probably a much safer environment than that.

 

Admittedly parenting has changed a bit since then (probably for the better) but I really don't think a responsible, independent 7 year old wandering a ship is going to get into too much trouble particularly if they are accompanied by another child. However for the sake of other passengers who may get concerned about young children wandering on their own I don't think it's a good idea. I didn't let my daughters have that level of independence until they were about 11.

 

Do you think that small towns are also totally safe. They are probably safer than big cities and were probably safer when you were young than they are now but even back then and in small towns things happened. The big difference now is that with the fast 24 hour new cycle, if a child is molested in a small town anywhere, it goes national immediately. I would wager based on absolutely no evidence that the incidence of problems now is no greater than it was then.

 

DON

[DinaS]

Some of the responses here are a little hysterical. When I was 7 I lived in a small town of about 2500 people - sort of like a modern cruise ship. I was free to wander the town, playing at the creek, visiting friends, riding my bike up to the nearby scenic lookout. Thinking back it seems amazing to me now but all the kids had the same freedom . Actually, some of the people in that town were pretty dubious characters but we knew to avoid them. I think a cruise ship is probably a much safer environment than that.

 

Admittedly parenting has changed a bit since then (probably for the better) but I really don't think a responsible, independent 7 year old wandering a ship is going to get into too much trouble particularly if they are accompanied by another child. However for the sake of other passengers who may get concerned about young children wandering on their own I don't think it's a good idea. I didn't let my daughters have that level of independence until they were about 11.

 

So now you are comparing a small town, where most people know each other and have spent a good part of their lives, with a cruise ship full of complete strangers from all walks of life and all over the world?

 

Sure.

 

That makes complete sense.

 

:confused:

 

SERIOUSLY?????