Kid bashing

[cruzmaven]

I read many but not all of the posts so I apologize if I'm repeating someone else's points. IMO, some mass market cruiselines excel at being kid friendly (most significantly Disney for little kids and Royal Caribbean for older kids and teens). If you would rather not have a lot of kids around, stay away. Other mass market cruise lines offer more of an adult experience (most notably Celebrity and HAL). I would think twice before I brought kids on these lines. This is not to say that adults can't have a wonderful cruise on Disney without kids (been there, done that) or that kids can't have a wonderful time on HAL, I guess. Princess is kind of in the middle. They attract both families and older cruisers, and offer features for both. I guess its this trying to market to both groups that causes the friction. The bottom line though is that kids don't book cruises. So, as adults, if we would rather cruise with adults, its up to us to book on less kid friendly cruiselines, or cruise at times of the year or on cruises that are not kid friendly. There is no parenting test required as part of booking a cruise. So if you book during Christmas Holiday or Spring Break or over the summer, on a 7 day cruise or less in the Caribbean, there are going to be kids, some of them are going to have bad parents. You will be annoyed. Save yourself the problem and book accordingly.

[nelsencec]

I have followed this thread with interest.

 

My wife and I are "veteran" Princess passengers--- 20 PCL cruises to date, with three more booked for 2008 and 2009. We are seniors with four children and eleven grandchildren and, further, both of us spent our working careers as teachers.

 

However, while we clearly like and enjoy children, we really prefer "serene cruises" where most of our fellow passengers are people with whom we generally have a lot in common--- work experiences, raising the kids stories, musical and entertainment tastes, shore excursion preferences etc.

 

With this in mind, we have developed a sailing plan that works well for us in that it pretty much allows us to control our environment.

 

1. We go only on longer cruises--- generally 21 days or more. This in itself "refines the popuation" on board since most working couples don't have that much time off their jobs and, of course, their children are subject to school calendars.

 

2. We almost always sail on Princess ships because, by and large, we find an older (55+) crowd aboard this line's fleet.

 

3. When possible, we select the smaller ships because "in the know" parents understand that child-specfic entertainment and shipboard activities on ships like the Royal, Tahitian, and Coral are more limited than is the case on the larger vessels--- the Diamond, Emerald, Crown, Star, and Sapphire, for example. Additionally, we avoid Disney and Carnival ships for the very reason that they cater to a younger group of passengers.

 

4. We concentrate on voyages between September and early May, avoiding cruising during school holiday breaks and summer vacation time--- periods that see more children aboard. (Besides, we especially like being involved with our own grandchildren during Oregon's delightful summer days when we can all be outside sunning, splashing, and sipping!)

 

Following this plan allows us to put enjoy the things we like best about cruising, Sadly enough, however, it doesn't eliminate the inevitable situations in which one has to deal with the bitching and moaning of the occasional crotchety person who believes it is age, not American Express membership, that has its privileges!

 

Cheers...

 

Ralph

[JandD Mom]

Ralph,

 

You and your wife are clearly smart people! I have kids, but I agree that, on rare occasions I get away without them, DH and I don't want to be around other people's kids. Your strategies are perfect!

 

Enjoy!

[Kineticoh20]

I have followed this thread with interest.

 

My wife and I are "veteran" Princess passengers--- 20 PCL cruises to date, with three more booked for 2008 and 2009. We are seniors with four children and eleven grandchildren and, further, both of us spent our working careers as teachers.

 

However, while we clearly like and enjoy children, we really prefer "serene cruises" where most of our fellow passengers are people with whom we generally have a lot in common--- work experiences, raising the kids stories, musical and entertainment tastes, shore excursion preferences etc.

 

With this in mind, we have developed a sailing plan that works well for us in that it pretty much allows us to control our environment.

 

1. We go only on longer cruises--- generally 21 days or more. This in itself "refines the popuation" on board since most working couples don't have that much time off their jobs and, of course, their children are subject to school calendars.

 

2. We almost always sail on Princess ships because, by and large, we find an older (55+) crowd aboard this line's fleet.

 

3. When possible, we select the smaller ships because "in the know" parents understand that child-specfic entertainment and shipboard activities on ships like the Royal, Tahitian, and Coral are more limited than is the case on the larger vessels--- the Diamond, Emerald, Crown, Star, and Sapphire, for example. Additionally, we avoid Disney and Carnival ships for the very reason that they cater to a younger group of passengers.

 

4. We concentrate on voyages between September and early May, avoiding cruising during school holiday breaks and summer vacation time--- periods that see more children aboard. (Besides, we especially like being involved with our own grandchildren during Oregon's delightful summer days when we can all be outside sunning, splashing, and sipping!)

 

Following this plan allows us to put enjoy the things we like best about cruising, Sadly enough, however, it doesn't eliminate the inevitable situations in which one has to deal with the bitching and moaning of the occasional crotchety person who believes it is age, not American Express membership, that has its privileges!

 

Cheers...

 

Ralph

 

Good for you Ralph looks like a perfect plan. Well thought out and executed, much better than the cruiser who looks at the kids with disdain like they are a distraction. I wish everyone with strong feelings about children on cruises had your mentality. Kudos to you!

[tequilasunrise]

Tho I am in neither category, I personally I like kids and have no problem with old people. Am I weird? :eek:

 

Probably not, I don't like selfish, rude or ill behaved people...of ANY age....

[dennbr9]

I personally agree with you but not everyone will. I would even go further and say that we shouldn't constantly need to add the qualifier about the "well behaved" kids as if the ones who might be having a bad day are somehow less deserving of a little patience and understanding. The child you hear crying might be a wonderful and well behaved child who is having a bad day or may have missed a nap or whatever. Everyone should lighten up when it comes to kids. But then again, not everyone likes kids so they will never agree.

 

Some people don't like anything, they just like to complain. I just smile and tell them to " have a good day".

[Kineticoh20]

I'am reigniting this thread because I enjoy the banter surrounding this subject. I have said all I need to regarding the subject, I'am just interested to read what others who have not contributed have to say. Carry on:D

[CaptainKlutz]

Usually I don't mind kids on ships...for the most part they're not a problem.

 

The one exception to that was on the Grand Princess a few years ago when we did a Western Caribbean R/T from Galveston during Spring Break. I think there were over 800 kids on that trip and the Yoot (with apologies to My Cousin Vinnie) Security staff were completely overwhelmed. You couldn't get an elevator that didn't have every button pushed.

 

Lesson learned...Don't take a cruise during Spring Break even though the wife is a teacher and that's when she could go. We bought a TimeShare in Lake Tahoe instead.

 

Cheers,

Bruce

[ala-kat]

I am a father of two, a 10 yr old girl and a 14 yr old boy. We have been cruising with our children for the last 6 yrs. I have noticed alot of kid bashing not only on this forum but on the ships themselves. Now we have taught our children how to act in public and on every cruise we have taken,we have had fellow passengers comment on how well behaved our kids are. However, people that think they are above, better, more deserving or thinking that children should be seen and not heard is rediculous. On the Diamond in March while in the elevator with my daughter a older man was going on about the children, he said out loud that he will rebook a cruise when there are no children on board. As I left the elevator I told him I would rebook when there were no old people on board and he seemed offended.

The fact is on my most recent Diamond 15 day there were only 163 kids and you rarely felt they were on board. Sure there were times at the pool you could hear them playing. However I feel the older folks as a group are far more troublesome, I don;t mean to offend anyone but the fact is more of the older croud were rude to servers, complaining and in general thought they should be waited on hand and foot. Last year durring Easter while on the Diamond there were a record 900 kids on board and too be quite honest was a far better atmosphere on ship. The bottom line is my kids pay the same fare, gratuities and other amenities as anyone else and deserve a little respect!

 

I do not notice children unless they make a point of being noticed. They are just another body onboard, only smaller :). If they are rude, I chalk it up to the parents. I very rarely compliment the parents on their childrens good behaviour as it is (in my opinion) expected. Not to say I don't notice, but a stranger isn't looking for MY reinforcement of their parenting.

[NeurosurgeryNP]

Kids - no problem if they are well behaved and supervised age appropriately. There are plenty of places (adult only) to go if you don't want to see kids (pool areas, lounges, etc). I do however mind when parents are not watching their small children, as was the case on our April cruise. The small children, ages 5 or so through 7 or 8 kept going into the adult only hot tub in the middle pool area, filling it up so no adults could go in. And when you could get in, they were splashing the water around and making it an unpleasant experience. When the youth security did see them, they chased them away, but it was brief and they returned as soon as the security officer went away. The children were aslo running around on the wet decks, not only becoming a danger to themselves, but also all the adults they were bumping into. This is what I mind - unsupervised small children. The teens and tweens were very well behaved and I did not see any problems with them at all on our last two cruises on the CB. I enjoy interacting with the kids during the deck parties, watching them dance, interacting with the cruise staff, and their pure joy as they are having fun, is a great thing, IMO.

 

I also mind when parents bring their babies and toddlers into the pools in diapers and swim diapers against the rules. I experienced first hand the reason why they are not allowed in these pools and was in the pool when a poop slipped out and contaminated the pool, causing them to have to close it, drain it, decontaminate it, and make it unavailable for use for several hours. I am a nurse, but even this grossed me out beyond belief as I watched it happen within a few feet of me. Luckily, I was able to dodge the bullet, so to say.

[A Sixth?]

I'am reigniting this thread because I enjoy the banter surrounding this subject. I have said all I need to regarding the subject, I'am just interested to read what others who have not contributed have to say. Carry on:D

 

 

Warning Warning!!!!

:D

[wizard-of-roz]

GEEEEEZ! And, I thought traveling with a Service Dog was an issue!!!!! :rolleyes:

Solution to traveling with children; we could train the little "blaggards" and have them hauling our wheel chairs/picking up the stuff we drop/opening & closing doors and God knows what else......Then when they cruise with us, they'd also serve a purpose!!!!!! ;)

[gambit57]

I can't remember if I've posted here or not, but I don't have a problem with kids in theory.

 

If they're well behaved, great. If they're not, I don't want them around. Unfortunately, there's no way to tell what kind of kids they're going to be until I'm on the cruise already. And it's not just kids. I like well behaved adults too. There are adults that are just as bad as rowdy kids. Maybe they don't run around screaming in the middle of the night like that one video, but these adults do stuff that annoy me just as much.

 

The biggest problem, as I see it, is that the problem kids usually have horrible parents. Some times, they're bad and just don't care. However, many times, the parents think they're great parents and their kids are little angels when it couldn't be further from the truth. So, while a parent can say his kids are great, complimented all the time, etc, you really can't tell until you see the kids in person. A perfect example is the Baby Borrowers show. There was one teen who was a real brat. The mom was thinking the teen "parents" were just not parenting properly and that her kid would never do the stuff they were claiming. Then, the teen walks in the room and acts exactly how the mom said he'd never act. Some parents just won't see the bad in their kid.

[spongerob]

Fish on!

[hubofhockey]

I can't remember if I've posted here or not, but I don't have a problem with kids in theory.

 

If they're well behaved, great. If they're not, I don't want them around. Unfortunately, there's no way to tell what kind of kids they're going to be until I'm on the cruise already. And it's not just kids. I like well behaved adults too. There are adults that are just as bad as rowdy kids. Maybe they don't run around screaming in the middle of the night like that one video, but these adults do stuff that annoy me just as much.

 

 

I love kids and cruise with my own. But the kids who swim in hot tubs and practically take out my legs annoy me more than anything. :mad: Okay, drunk and obnoxious adults are just as bad but there are a limited amount of hot tubs.

[we2cruze]

I can't remember if I've posted here or not, but I don't have a problem with kids in theory.

 

If they're well behaved, great. If they're not, I don't want them around. Unfortunately, there's no way to tell what kind of kids they're going to be until I'm on the cruise already. And it's not just kids. I like well behaved adults too. There are adults that are just as bad as rowdy kids. Maybe they don't run around screaming in the middle of the night like that one video, but these adults do stuff that annoy me just as much.

 

The biggest problem, as I see it, is that the problem kids usually have horrible parents. Some times, they're bad and just don't care. However, many times, the parents think they're great parents and their kids are little angels when it couldn't be further from the truth. So, while a parent can say his kids are great, complimented all the time, etc, you really can't tell until you see the kids in person. A perfect example is the Baby Borrowers show. There was one teen who was a real brat. The mom was thinking the teen "parents" were just not parenting properly and that her kid would never do the stuff they were claiming. Then, the teen walks in the room and acts exactly how the mom said he'd never act. Some parents just won't see the bad in their kid.

 

I watched that show and wasn't it just poetic justice when the kid came in and mouthed off in front of the clueless mother? It's a shame that she and many other parents really are that clueless.

As for the kids on the ship, there are no perfect kids, but what makes the difference is if the younger ones are supervised and if the older ones are monitered with consequences for misbehaving. The clueless parents and the ones who just plain don't care are the ones giving the everyday, hardworking parents and kids a bad reputation.

[gargoyle999]

As someone who doesn't have kids and even as a kid myself knew I didn't want to have kids when I got older, I would love to go on a cruise without little kids running about. But I understand most people have kids and there will be kids around. I am going to avoid a cruise during spring break and peak holiday sailings but otherwise not go out of my way to avoid them.

 

I'm not going to let it stop me from going on a cruise any more than it stopped me from buying the house I wanted that happened to be a typical neighborhood with lots of little kids! :)

[Colo Cruiser]

As someone who doesn't have kids and even as a kid myself knew I didn't want to have kids when I got older, I would love to go on a cruise without little kids running about. But I understand most people have kids and there will be kids around. I am going to avoid a cruise during spring break and peak holiday sailings but otherwise not go out of my way to avoid them.

 

I'm not going to let it stop me from going on a cruise any more than it stopped me from buying the house I wanted that happened to be a typical neighborhood with lots of little kids! :)

 

 

Sometimes it is not just the little ones that can be bothersome. :o

[Kineticoh20]

Usually I don't mind kids on ships...for the most part they're not a problem.

 

The one exception to that was on the Grand Princess a few years ago when we did a Western Caribbean R/T from Galveston during Spring Break. I think there were over 800 kids on that trip and the Yoot (with apologies to My Cousin Vinnie) Security staff were completely overwhelmed. You couldn't get an elevator that didn't have every button pushed.

 

Lesson learned...Don't take a cruise during Spring Break even though the wife is a teacher and that's when she could go. We bought a TimeShare in Lake Tahoe instead.

 

Cheers,

Bruce

 

Hmmm we only cruise on spring break ie Easter break and have never had a problem. Maybe I'm not looking for one either. Sometimes I feel some folks are just looking for something to rant and rave about.

[cruiserbryce]

while the kids dont bother us if they did I would likely have the forethought not to schedule a cruise during spring break...who did you think was going to be on the cruise

[Richie2pies]

Does anyone know if there are cruises available for ONLY over 21 years old?

[Toto2Kansas]

Does anyone know if there are cruises available for ONLY over 21 years old?

None on Princess. And although some cruise lines and ships are more kid friendly then others, I don't know of any cruise lines that actually forbid passengers under the age of 21. But if you ever find one, this would be the place to alert others to which line, and where!

[Kineticoh20]

Does anyone know if there are cruises available for ONLY over 21 years old?

 

I would think Crystal would be close.

[gambit57]

Hmmm we only cruise on spring break ie Easter break and have never had a problem. Maybe I'm not looking for one either. Sometimes I feel some folks are just looking for something to rant and rave about.

 

Maybe you just got lucky. Maybe your tolerance level is higher than others. Frankly, I think kids and young adults are fairly well behaved for the most part on cruises. Still, with YouTube, video evidence is there aplenty to show rowdy kids. Plus, stuff that bothers some people might not bother others as much. I can tolerate a pretty good amount of screaming. It just doesn't seem to register in my head. My wife can't stand the slightest cry. If I encounter just one elevator with multiple buttons pushed, it won't bother me enough to care. If it's every elevator trip, then it will. That said, I've noticed peoples' behavior has gotten worse and worse as time goes on. This goes for kids AND adults. People of all ages just aren't as well behaved as they used to be. I've been cruising for about 20 years and I've definitely noticed a change for the worse (food and service has been going downhill too, but that's another thread).

[smoosh21]

The problem too often is bad parents, not bad children. Kids are going to be kids, and I understand that. The problem becomes when parents do not reign their children in at the proper times. And this is not just referring to cruise ships, but anywhere in public.

 

I have been out too many times where parents let their children run around crowded restaurants, almost knocking people over. The parents remained blissfully unaware of what their children were doing, although I am sure that if a child got hurt, a lawyer would quickly be called. I am sure that these children did not realize what they were doing was dangerous, but their parents sure did.

 

A cruise ship is just like any other resort hotel, there are places to get wild, such as the pool, and places not to, such as the theaters and the restaurant.