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Silversea TRYING to attract KIDS


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37 minutes ago, Colgal said:

Great! I guess you will reconsider Silversea.

 

Bottom line is all the luxury lines will continue to be impacted by families if there are no policies set by corporate since the parents seem incapable of distinguishing “age appropriate” cruises for their children.

I have sailed on Silversea some years ago and do prefer Seabourn.  But perhaps a future Silversea itinerary will interest us.  

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7 minutes ago, SLSD said:

I have sailed on Silversea some years ago and do prefer Seabourn.  But perhaps a future Silversea itinerary will interest us.  

With Saga providing adult only cruises they will have an open goal to pick up luxury line cruisers like ourselves for their recently launched Spirit of Discovery a luxury small ship addition to their fleet from the likes of Silversea,Regent and Seabourn.We shall see how Saga compare with our past 22 years of Silversea in the near future .Could be a shock to the system or a pleasant surprise and a find for future luxury child free cruising.

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4 hours ago, Colgal said:

Great! I guess you will reconsider Silversea.

 

Bottom line is all the luxury lines will continue to be impacted by families if there are no policies set by corporate since the parents seem incapable of distinguishing “age appropriate” cruises for their children.

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6 hours ago, Colgal said:

" ... Bottom line is all the luxury lines will continue to be impacted by families if there are no policies set by corporate since the parents seem incapable of distinguishing “age appropriate” cruises for their children."

At some point corporate may realize that the important "bottom line" is being negatively affected by encouraging and accommodating children.

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I’m going to jump in here with a positive BUT it is also unfortunate that not everyone sees things this way.

 

We first took our 2 on cloud as kids.  Miss W certainly wasn’t yet a teen.  We picked a port intensive cruise which had activities other than museums.   We went cycling in Visby as an example.   They attended the lectures and Miss W even took notes.  The first few nights we dined as a family until one of the guest lecturers invited us to join him. They knew that sitting at the table and behaving in an adult manner was needed.  They excused themselves when it was time and then took themselves to bed. 

On sea days they enjoyed puzzles and trivia was a must for both of them (our team ended up winning a lot)   The pool was for laps or reading a book and doing school work.  The hot tub was for adults 

 

I had spent a lot a lot of time training them for these type of things because they needed to learn How dinner parties and society worked.

 

They continually begged us to do another SS cruise but life was in the way.  

 

When Miss W was 18  Waldo Junior 21. we did our first Seabourn. Again port intensive.  The kids on that cruise her age did my head in.  It was about sneaking free alcohol (Miss w was legal drinking age but not allowed due to the 21 rule). The younger ones screamed and yelled through the corridors.  We had trouble getting a washing machine because a person with a baby was washing cloth  diapers/nappies every day on the long load setting. The cruise was heavily discounted 

 

despite that we booked Antarctica and was told there were to be no kids on the voyage. There were and the same drinking attitude prevailed and there were little kids. 

 

i went back to SS for our festive cruise and knew full well it would have kids and young adults.  Guess what, they were all well behaved. There was none of the rowdy behaviour 

 

We followed that us with another Festive where we met crushing pashmina and her family.  Her grandchildren were fantastic to be honest.  

 

Miss W, now almost 25 and I are heading off on Muse in January.  Am I worried about kids on board.  Yes.  Because the cruise was heavily discounted for all (which seems to me to be a factor, not just kid friendly prices) .  She knows she will be one of the youngest on board, but she also needs to mix socially as part of her degree with a wide age range of people from a variety of backgrounds 

 

she often tells me, that early ss cruise taught her a lot 

 

 

 

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43 minutes ago, MrsWaldo said:

I’m going to jump in here with a positive BUT it is also unfortunate that not everyone sees things this way.

 

We first took our 2 on cloud as kids.  Miss W certainly wasn’t yet a teen.  We picked a port intensive cruise which had activities other than museums.   We went cycling in Visby as an example.   They attended the lectures and Miss W even took notes.  The first few nights we dined as a family until one of the guest lecturers invited us to join him. They knew that sitting at the table and behaving in an adult manner was needed.  They excused themselves when it was time and then took themselves to bed. 

On sea days they enjoyed puzzles and trivia was a must for both of them (our team ended up winning a lot)   The pool was for laps or reading a book and doing school work.  The hot tub was for adults 

 

I had spent a lot a lot of time training them for these type of things because they needed to learn How dinner parties and society worked.

 

They continually begged us to do another SS cruise but life was in the way.  

 

When Miss W was 18  Waldo Junior 21. we did our first Seabourn. Again port intensive.  The kids on that cruise her age did my head in.  It was about sneaking free alcohol (Miss w was legal drinking age but not allowed due to the 21 rule). The younger ones screamed and yelled through the corridors.  We had trouble getting a washing machine because a person with a baby was washing cloth  diapers/nappies every day on the long load setting. The cruise was heavily discounted 

 

despite that we booked Antarctica and was told there were to be no kids on the voyage. There were and the same drinking attitude prevailed and there were little kids. 

 

i went back to SS for our festive cruise and knew full well it would have kids and young adults.  Guess what, they were all well behaved. There was none of the rowdy behaviour 

 

We followed that us with another Festive where we met crushing pashmina and her family.  Her grandchildren were fantastic to be honest.  

 

Miss W, now almost 25 and I are heading off on Muse in January.  Am I worried about kids on board.  Yes.  Because the cruise was heavily discounted for all (which seems to me to be a factor, not just kid friendly prices) .  She knows she will be one of the youngest on board, but she also needs to mix socially as part of her degree with a wide age range of people from a variety of backgrounds 

 

she often tells me, that early ss cruise taught her a lot 

 

 

 

I've cruised on luxury ships with a few, well behaved children and it has not been an issue for anyone. The problem is when luxury lines promote deeply discounted fares for children, particularly for infants, on small ships without facilities and programs for children  We all know what can happen, and it does not make for a relaxing and rewarding trip. So I avoid those types of sailings, and will continue to do so.

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Agreed!

 

The concept of attracting families  with the hope of increasing a future client base seems ludicrous. If these customers are turned away to Disney or Crystal it is highly likely they will jump to an adult- oriented experience when their kids are grown, particularly if they have been denied access. We certainly spent many vacations in child -oriented resorts but won’t go near them now!

 

It would seem that the most competitive market is the large ship experience- too many players with the same product.

 

SIlversea, Seabourn and Regent have smaller ships that seem to be full most of the time- so what is the urgency to fill cabins with families? If other lines decide to capture the adult - only segment then the top luxury cruise lines will have to deal with the potential loss of their past and future clients who prefer a more serene environment. Add a few more customers....then lose even more.

 

How many cruising families aboard are too many-where do you draw a line given that there are really no facilities to entertain children? How often does corporate expect their paying customers to shrug off a bad experience? Concede the family travel to the mega ships and continue to market to the adult community. Interesting that the brochures highlight older cruisers, fine food, champagne and butler service. No children in sight! Bait and switch??

 

 

 

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54 minutes ago, MrsWaldo said:

I’m going to jump in here with a positive BUT it is also unfortunate that not everyone sees things this way.

 

We first took our 2 on cloud as kids.  Miss W certainly wasn’t yet a teen.  We picked a port intensive cruise which had activities other than museums.   We went cycling in Visby as an example.   They attended the lectures and Miss W even took notes.  The first few nights we dined as a family until one of the guest lecturers invited us to join him. They knew that sitting at the table and behaving in an adult manner was needed.  They excused themselves when it was time and then took themselves to bed. 

On sea days they enjoyed puzzles and trivia was a must for both of them (our team ended up winning a lot)   The pool was for laps or reading a book and doing school work.  The hot tub was for adults 

 

I had spent a lot a lot of time training them for these type of things because they needed to learn How dinner parties and society worked.

 

They continually begged us to do another SS cruise but life was in the way.  

 

When Miss W was 18  Waldo Junior 21. we did our first Seabourn. Again port intensive.  The kids on that cruise her age did my head in.  It was about sneaking free alcohol (Miss w was legal drinking age but not allowed due to the 21 rule). The younger ones screamed and yelled through the corridors.  We had trouble getting a washing machine because a person with a baby was washing cloth  diapers/nappies every day on the long load setting. The cruise was heavily discounted 

 

despite that we booked Antarctica and was told there were to be no kids on the voyage. There were and the same drinking attitude prevailed and there were little kids. 

 

i went back to SS for our festive cruise and knew full well it would have kids and young adults.  Guess what, they were all well behaved. There was none of the rowdy behaviour 

 

We followed that us with another Festive where we met crushing pashmina and her family.  Her grandchildren were fantastic to be honest.  

 

Miss W, now almost 25 and I are heading off on Muse in January.  Am I worried about kids on board.  Yes.  Because the cruise was heavily discounted for all (which seems to me to be a factor, not just kid friendly prices) .  She knows she will be one of the youngest on board, but she also needs to mix socially as part of her degree with a wide age range of people from a variety of backgrounds 

 

she often tells me, that early ss cruise taught her a lot 

 

 

 

Mrs. Waldo you did a fine job with your children- I had my daughter later in life and was always concerned about good manners and behavior as I had seen too many out- of -control kids with indifferent parents. My mother never allowed bad behavior( there were 8 of us ) and our daughter was raised with the same values.

 

Unfortunately there are many parents who have no concerns- and this is the dilemma. Cruising on the top three lines is not inexpensive and when unruly children/passengers ruin the experience it is time and money ill-spent. 

 

It is a shame that we all have to keep fingers crossed about who will be boarding with us!

 

Have a lovely cruise with your daughter-she sounds delightful!

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8 hours ago, Colgal said:

 

 

Unfortunately there are many parents who have no concerns- and this is the dilemma. Cruising on the top three lines is not inexpensive and when unruly children/passengers ruin the experience it is time and money ill-spent. 

 

Have a lovely cruise with your daughter-she sounds delightful!

Maybe SS needs to do a pre cruise check of the kids😜

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Congratulations MrsWaldo.We took 2 grandchildren of the age of your children on the Explorer up the West Coast of Africa with the same experiences as you.This is why I would be sad to see all chidren banned but maybe no one under 6 or maybe 10 would be appropriate.

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2 hours ago, drron29 said:

Congratulations MrsWaldo.We took 2 grandchildren of the age of your children on the Explorer up the West Coast of Africa with the same experiences as you.This is why I would be sad to see all chidren banned but maybe no one under 6 or maybe 10 would be appropriate.

Perhaps they should go back to basics, I believe that when they started out no children under 13 were allowed.

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Oh, Mrs Waldo! I just checked and saw your comments on traveling with children..specifically mentioning my little girls. They were 9 and 12  Our cruise, on the Cloud was a Christmas/New Years holiday cruise. Cape Town Round Trip. Thank you so very much for your lovely report on the girls’ behavior. They loved the ship, the excursions and the warm reception they received from both the passengers and the crew. We ALL had a wonderful time ...especially with you and your a bit older kids. 

 

That all said, several of my other beloved 7 grandchildren, regardless of age, would not have been compatible with SS. The boys would all have been bored to death!  For them we chose a Celebrity Cruise to Alaska. Because they were busy playing basketball, and swimming,  and eating non stop, we ALL had a great time. We required coats and ties for the 4 boys, and party dresses for the three girls every night in the dining room . Amazing how getting dressed up lifts the mood and manners. At the time the ages ran from 5 to 15.

 

Back to Silversea. Don’t take young, active children...there is really nothing for them to do. The very few young children I have encountered on board have been mostly very well behaved but always seemed sort of sad and bored.

 

I’m shocked by some of the stories of very disruptive little children. It seems to me very disrespectful of parents to not have constant, loving control of their off spring. And unfair to fellow passengers, the crew, and the kids themselves.

 

 

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1 hour ago, MrsWaldo said:

For those of us on the Silversea passenger Facebook page do the positive responses for taking a 7 yo to the Caribbean worry you?

 

No MrsWaldo it never worries me when people try and show a little kindness and understanding to someone that is obviously in a difficult situation and is worried. Frankly anyone that would have read some of the bile on this thread should be worried. I've kept quiet on this thread so far but that snide remark about a disabled child sickens me. 

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So you are saying my comment is snide?

 

I hope not because I actually work with Autistic kids on a daily basis and yes they need understanding and support.  I posted an answer from my POV

 

I'm curious because I experienced bias with my own kids, who were not on the spectrum.

 

It would be nice if the OP was getting a full view rather than a FB sob story ...where people could well be yeah  all good.  They aint on our cruise

 

 

Edited by MrsWaldo
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Because they haven't necessarily travelled with kids and seen/heard the attitudes 

 

There is a significant attitude when you board with them that does take the edge off what should be a great trip...

 

e.g. people throwing a book on the sun lounge beside as you walk up,  going to trivia and being told it's not a party, we dont want you on our team, until said 10yo knew the quote from Pride and Prejudice, being told straight out this isn't a line for kids,,,,,,,

 

Not to mention being ignored by cruise staff as you enter the boarding terminal

 

 

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If that's your experience MrsWaldo then please share it with the lady. My experience with children on SS has always been positive. I Know there are some that give the children filthy looks despite them being impeccably behaved. That speaks to me more about their behaviour than the children. 

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4 minutes ago, Daveywavey70 said:

. I Know there are some that give the children filthy looks despite them being impeccably behaved. 

Yes but that in itself hurts and makes you and the child feel less..

 

Miss W nicknamed 2 pax we met before our cruise in Stockholm on 06 at the SS hotel  (Grand)   They made a very loud comment about the hotel being unsuitable for children as the kids walked past picking up oysters from the buffet and yes they ate them.   My kids nicknamed them Strawberry Daiquiri and Hitler (mostly due to her having a Daiquiri every time they were seen and his moustache)  At the end of the cruise Daiquiri spoke to Miss W and we nearly fell over.

 

I don't want the lady to get on board thinking it will be sunshine and roses.  But I also don't want her to dread it.  

 

What worries me most is people being nice because the child has an issue, but the reality is different.  

 

Be assured, it happens...

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I do not want to appear pedantic (though I probably am).  But I wish that people would be more precise in talking about "children."  That noun covers young people from birth to, say, age 18 -- a huge part of the lifespan with lots of changes along the way.  What applies to a two year old might well not apply to a 15 year old, and vice versa. Absent special conditions, one can expect self-control (or parental control) of a 10 year old, as one can't of a three year old.  Etc.  I see little likelihood that Silversea management will go "child" free like Saga or Viking or Virgin.  But I hope that, if they reconsider current policy, they make appropriate distinctions and consider limits on those very young (sub 7 year old?) children for whom self or parental control is challenging.   

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