Kid bashing

[Queenston]

I think the sad thing about all these discussions about children on ships is that everyone pretty much agrees that all everyone wants is peace and quiet. So why is there an issue? If parents want to do the work that is involved in taking kids on cruises (and I note that it is not the kids who are paying for it but the parents who want their kids along with them), and the kids don't drive other people crazy, then what is the problem? But the problem is that at times this does happen, and since there is no recourse on the ship, people get a trifle upset with the children/parents, which is understandable. Parents who take kids on cruises just have to be prepared for this--after all, they have forgotten how great "peace and quiet" can really be and think everyone has a day-to-day life like they do.

 

But you see the rest of us DO NOT--and hard as it is to believe, we sort of enjoy our peace and quiet! Perhaps once the kids have left home you might have the same perspective? The peace and quiet is rather nice, you will find.

[tvaud]

I think there are a number of factors at play. Cruising traditionally was very different than it is now and there are some long time cruisers who I think find the whole cruising concept at odds with the idea of a family vacation. Some people just want an adults only vacation and prefer not to be around children, even well behaved children. That doesn't anger me anymore as I figure that's their perogative. The reality, however, is that the cruise industry has figured out that families represent a lucrative business and many, many families have found that cruising offers a great family vacation experience.

 

I believe you have hit the nail on the head with this statement.

[grandmato4]

If you have well behaved children and if they should "just be acting like children" once in a while while cruising and you as a parent require them to act properly and respect the other passengers we'll be happy to sail with your family any day of the week! :) Add to that your phrase about paying the same fare, gratuities and amenities and you'll only get a smile from me. We had kids, and adore our grandchildren and aren't ancient yet. Have spend at least a few minutes talking to wonderful kids on every cruise. But we go on a cruise to relax and enjoy adult activities, not babysit other peoples children. We see and hear far too often the phrase from parents that there children are paying customers too BUT neither do they think they should have to pay full gratutities for them and complain that 3rd or 4th passenger fee are too high:( Its not actually the kids that are the problem but the parents of these kids. They take their infants or toddlers and then claim that they paid for them so its ok if their child cries for hours at a time and disrupts others relaxation or sleep. They actually think they should be able to go to the front of any waiting line because their child can't patiently wait in line for a few minutes. They paid for their cruise so its ok for their kids to run, jump, splash, constantly swim into others in the pool, and scream in the pool(remember how small most of the pools are) so adults wishing to enjoy a few minutes cooling off can't. Then there're the dining room. It is not meant to be a quick meal. Sitting on the other side of the booth with little ones jumping up and down, whinning constantly as to when are we going to be done, throwing a tamtrum because they can't have their favorite kind of mac and cheese and getting up to use the bathroom no less than 5 times during the meal does not make for a relaxing enjoyable mealtime. Sitting in the theater waiting for the show to start and having two little girls run back and forth in front of us (remember how little room there is) no less than 10 times in 15 minutes with their parents sitting there smiling at them is rude to the other passengers. Now, are any of these thing absolutely horrible- NO, but they do not make for a relaxing cruise along the way. Someone else mentioned the pushing of every elevator button and yes, sometimes the elevator does stop at every floor to pick up people and I've accidently pushed the wrong floor button more than once so we had to stop at a floor no one really wanted but finding kids purposefully pushing every button on every elevator anytime they were near the elevators is irritating. Even worse when their parents are standing there laughing at them.

 

On the end of the spectrum is the grouchy, arrogant, impatient, miserable senior. We've all run into a few of those that seem to live just to see how many people they can get to share their misery. I'm think that a few of those parents that paid for their children to go on a cruise so they can do whatever they wish and a few of those grouchy seniors deserve to get stuck in an elevator together for a few hours !:D I'm thinking it might not be too hard to find a crew member willing to help this happen !:D

 

Rude people are everywhere so a cruise ship is not going to be any different. As long as you're doing your best to be considerate of the other passengers in your own deeds and those of your children try not to let those mean spirited ones bother you too much ! Fortunately there's really not too many of them ! And hopefully they'll get stuck in the elevator with some of their own !!:D :eek:

[Coral]

To the OP - I appreciate your comments.

 

I, by no, means am against kids cruising. I have had the privilege to cruise with a number of great kids and it is so nice/refreshing to hear about the cruising perspective from their eyes.

 

The part that I do have problems with is when the cruise lines allow 900 kids onboard. The kids/teen programs simply can not accomodate those large numbers in their programs and because of this, the kids then ditch the programs and travel in large groups with out supervision. This is what I have experienced on spring and holiday cruises. For example - I have seen kids eat their lunch on the floor of the elevators, I have had kids ring our door bell to our cabin repeatedly when trying to sleep at night, kids have thrown furniture over the sides of the ship, etc.... This should not happen if the kids are supervised (either in a program or with their parents). How many people would allow their teenagers to run around Vegas with out being supervised? If they wouldn't allow that, why would they do this on a ship?

 

As far as rude people - I am against any rude person, of any age.

 

Theresa

[AliceJ]

We have an 8 y.o. daughter who is pretty well behaved and gets nice compliments most places we go. We have seen some really horrid behavior by kids of all ages (and I include those of ages 18 - 70!) and understand where some of the bad impressions come from. That being said, I really don't think people should generalize about kids' behavior before they experience it!!

 

I do recommend for people who don't want to vacation with kids to do their homework. We love our D.D., but there are times we want just an "adult" (but not in that x-rated kind of way) vacation, and book appropriately.

[Kmendel]

As a senior mom, grandma and great-grandmother, I have always felt this way: people put up with me wihen I was a child, so it shouldn't be a problem for me to put up with children now. For the most part, they are wonderful and incredibly fun to be around and enjoy watching. It's kind of a "Pay it Forward" thing. God forbid that I ever become one of the "grumpies"!!!!!

 

Kathy

[Coral]

 

I do recommend for people who don't want to vacation with kids to do their homework.

 

While I agree with you - I have to admit that it isn't easy for everyone. I happen to work at a college and get time off at Thanksgiving and Christmas, just like all the other schools in this country.

[jean s]

I work with children and I have done so for over 30 years. I really do love and enjoy them. I feel bad for children who have not been taught good manners and have not been given boundaries. Sometimes on cruise ships I see pre-teens and teens roaming around in large groups and eventually they get silly and out of hand which makes it uncomfortable for everyone. Someone on this board mentioned the cruise lines being overwhelmed when there are too many children on a ship. If the children's program is overloaded there is a potential for behavior issues to arise. This is certainly not the children's fault. There is limited space that is appropriate for chlidren's activities on a ship and cruise lines should remember this. Maybe one solution would be for the cruise lines to consider either limiting the number of children or enlarging the children's centers and then increasing the number of staff for the children's program. The cruise lines seem to be appealing to families so they need to consider the needs of the youngest cruisers.

[AliceJ]

While I agree with you - I have to admit that it isn't easy for everyone. I happen to work at a college and get time off at Thanksgiving and Christmas, just like all the other schools in this country.

 

We face the same issue - we always vacationed off-season, but now we are held hostage by our public school calendar (with our D.D). It isn't always easy to either find out when spring vacations are, or what the expected child-count may be, it is always worth a try. If DH and I have a chance to get away child-free, we do our best to find places/vacations that are more couple-oriented.

 

You really don't get a break working for a college - you must have the patience of a saint!!

[spittler]

I couldn't agree with you more. Everyone pays, everyone should be treated equally and respected by all.

[Kineticoh20]

I think the sad thing about all these discussions about children on ships is that everyone pretty much agrees that all everyone wants is peace and quiet.

But you see the rest of us DO NOT--and hard as it is to believe, we sort of enjoy our peace and quiet! Perhaps once the kids have left home you might have the same perspective? The peace and quiet is rather nice, you will find.

 

What do you mean everyone wants peace and quiet, I go to have a good time and party. If you want peace and quiet go to a secluded resort. I never thought of a cruise as a place for peace and quiet. There is constant lines, gatherings, music, P.A announcements etc... not my idea of peace and quiet. I think everyone wants to have a great time.

[Kineticoh20]

I work with children and I have done so for over 30 years. I really do love and enjoy them. I feel bad for children who have not been taught good manners and have not been given boundaries. Sometimes on cruise ships I see pre-teens and teens roaming around in large groups and eventually they get silly and out of hand which makes it uncomfortable for everyone. Someone on this board mentioned the cruise lines being overwhelmed when there are too many children on a ship. If the children's program is overloaded there is a potential for behavior issues to arise. This is certainly not the children's fault. There is limited space that is appropriate for chlidren's activities on a ship and cruise lines should remember this. Maybe one solution would be for the cruise lines to consider either limiting the number of children or enlarging the children's centers and then increasing the number of staff for the children's program. The cruise lines seem to be appealing to families so they need to consider the needs of the youngest cruisers.

 

I feel the same way you do only I think they should limit the number of seniors and scooters and wheelchairs:rolleyes:

[AliceJ]

What do you mean everyone wants peace and quiet, I go to have a good time and party. If you want peace and quiet go to a secluded resort. I never thought of a cruise as a place for peace and quiet. There is constant lines, gatherings, music, P.A announcements etc... not my idea of peace and quiet. I think everyone wants to have a great time.

 

Everyone may want to have a good time, but a "good time" differs for everyone. DH and I enjoy cruises because we can have both peace & quiet and party if we want to. Don't be down on people who want peace and quiet on a cruise - it is possible and enjoyable!

[Lynda90]

I do have to admit that when I was on the Diamond/Hawaii cruise, I had never encountered so many wheelchairs, walkers and extremely elderly people. Some were also very rude. More so than I have ever seen on a cruise. The few children I did see seemed well behaved and caused no problems. I think a child's behavior is a definite reflection of how they are being raised.

[Coral]

 

You really don't get a break working for a college - you must have the patience of a saint!!

 

Thankfully - we have great students! Students it would be a pleasure to cruise with :). It is one of those schools where the students want to be, not where they have to be. Now, I would not say that about the students I worked with when I worked at the high schools. College is so much easier!

[Kineticoh20]

I do have to admit that when I was on the Diamond/Hawaii cruise, I had never encountered so many wheelchairs, walkers and extremely elderly people. Some were also very rude. More so than I have ever seen on a cruise. The few children I did see seemed well behaved and caused no problems. I think a child's behavior is a definite reflection of how they are being raised.

 

Thank you Lynda, we are on the same page. We did have a great time though, but ut did seem that we were always behind a scooter or in a elevator with one. We saw one large man at a show just tearing up the walls, rails, tables lol absolutley everthing with his moped:eek:

[Cruisin' Chick]

Except for our last cruise, we had not experienced any misbehaving kids at all, no matter how many have been onboard. The last one was just due to one extended family in which both the adults and their unsupervised kids were inconsiderate to other passengers and crew members.

 

We don't allow our girl to run around -- she's either signed into the kids' area or with us. And we get compliments on her behavior, especially when she's thanking everyone.

[tekdiva]

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.

 

As others have said, most of the kid bashing is targeted to well-behaved children and their parents. However, being the mother of a 10-year old girl, there are times that I do believe children should be seen and not heard. For instance, when I am talking to another adult or when we are out to dinner. I HATE to see parents let there children just run amuck in restaurants and yell at the top of their lungs at all times. I want to choke all of them! lol

 

Rude behavior is rude behavior no matter what the age.

[willysgrandma]

The behavior of kids on a cruise I believe directly relates to how much there is for kids to do on a ship.

 

If you choose a ship that is very kid and teen oriented, you will find few problems with kids on a cruise. We sailed on the Freedom of the Seas and the Crown Princess and there were no problems with kids we observed on either ship.

 

I just got off the Dawn Princess and the teens were trouble by the end of the cruise. I got hit in the face with ice cubes being dropped from the upper deck down the staircases by teens on the last night (and my husband chased the kids to take them aside and let them know what they did, they thought it was very funny - not even an apology)and several kids cut the wiring on several computers in the internet cafe on the second to last night. The poor guy working in the Internet Cafe was so upset.

 

I also got on the elevators at least 5 times to find all the buttons pushed. I stopped counting after the fifth time.

 

Where were THOSE parents? While it isn't the majority of kids, the onces that do behave like this are the ones we remember.

 

I will also tell you when I see well behaved kids on a cruise, I ALWAYS say something to parents. And I think it is kind of sad that well behaved kids stand out so much.

 

If parents choose the right ship for kids, you usually don't see a lot of problem behavior.

[Dorset Cruiser]

As I left the elevator I told him I would rebook when there were no old people on board and he seemed offended.

 

Great response.....:D maybe he didnt have kids of his own or he was just one of lifes "Grumpy Old men"

 

we will have 2 young Grandkids with us in November on the Ruby..hope he is not on it...:eek:

 

As you say there are some very rude and obnoxious people in the world who think they own what ever part it is they happen to be standing on.

 

I would just love to see these people try it on with our Greek friends and those who work in the Tavernas on Corfu...

 

I see you are on Ruby in November. We are on her in January along with our son and his wife and two small grandchildren and our daughter and her husband. We have booked son and wife and grandchildren into a balcony on Aloha which we were told has two rollaway beds. Have now been informed on one of these threads that no balcony cabin can accommodate two rollaway beds. I am a bit miffed as I took the cabin in good faith as I did not want a 4 or 2 year old in a pulldown bed. If I wanted that I would have booked a minisuite for them when they would have had the benefit of a bath as well as a shower. Still waiting for a response from Princess about rollaway beds.

 

What cabin are your grandchildren in?

 

I certainly hope that no-one objects to our two littlies being on the cruise. They are usually well behaved but can be a little exuberant on occasion;) We have put up with quite a lot of VERY exuberant children on our cruises but just accept it as a fact of life. I remember being in a shop queue with my first baby. She was crying (she was only a few weeks old) and a horrid old man behind us said words along the lines that she should be exterminated!!! Can you imagine?!?

[trooper 1]

As I left the elevator I told him I would rebook when there were no old people on board and he seemed offended.

Great response.....:D maybe he didnt have kids of his own or he was just one of lifes "Grumpy Old men"

we will have 2 young Grandkids with us in November on the Ruby..hope he is not on it...:eek:

As you say there are some very rude and obnoxious people in the world who think they own what ever part it is they happen to be standing on.

I would just love to see these people try it on with our Greek friends and those who work in the Tavernas on Corfu...

 

My Goodness. Do you really think Miss Manners would agree with that "great response?" Next time: "Do unto others before they do it to you."

You would at least get in the first blow. There will be plenty of other old (and young) people onboard to practice on.

[spongerob]

I don't think anyone complains about families taking family vacations. The problems seem to start with people who take their own vacation and drag their kids along - they have no intention of having a "family" vacation, more like they expect to have a vacation away from their family.

 

Too many people mistakenly assume that since unsupervised children don't really have anywhere to go when the ship is at sea, that they won't find trouble. We've been on cruises where there were hundreds of children and had very little trouble, and some where the numbers of children were low but they made up for their lack of numbers by going over the top with the trouble they caused - to the point where they caused thousands of dollars damage to cabins and public areas. And yes, they did impact our vacation.

 

Adult-only cruises don't solve all the problems with rude behavior, but eliminate one potential source of complaint. If you've ever been on a Kids Gone Wild cruise, the attraction of adult-only goes up immeasurably. Remember, we're spending our hard-earned money, too and have just the same expectations to be able to enjoy our cruise as much as anyone else.

[Cathy p]

Wow, interesting thread. As a grandmother (57) of 4 I have to admit I was a bit apprehensive on our first cruise. Just wondering how many kids would be on board and what they would be doing. However, we have never had a problem with a child on the 3 cruises we have been on. As a matter of fact on the last cruise I was hard pressed to find a child and they said there were plenty. HEE HEE

My biggest complaint is going out to dinner with children running everywhere or banging on the back of your booth.

My soon to be 80 year old dad is one of those crabby guys when it come to kids. He flat out does not like them and will be the first to tell you. He cruises all the time and when he comes home that is the first thing he mentions to me, how rotten the kids where. Oh well he is my Daddy.:D

[SnorkelMoose]

I don't have a problem with anyone as long as they're not obnoxious and/or disrespectful. Usually the kids are doing their own thing with the cruise programs onboard, so I rarely see them, anyway. Most of my problems concern drunken adult passengers and people who hog the pool! :p

[martini cruiser]

I am just back from the Caribbean princess 3/30-4/6 cruise. I was concerned before I left that there might be too many children on board that week because it was Spring Break in our area. I was pleasantly surprised at how well behaved 99% of the kids were.

 

One of the reasons being ( besides good parents) the Princess youth security that monitored the pool areas etc. They kept the running, jumping, diving in check. They even asked one child that was screaming constantly to tone it down a little. Some parents did not like tha fact about no diving, jumping in the pool but that was for safety reasons especially when the pool water was sloshing around during rough water.

They even asked a mother not to put her diapered child into the pool!

 

I guess the trick is to get parents who care enough to teach kids good manners, and enough activities and supervision from the cruise line.

 

I did see more rude adults than badly behaved children on this cruise.

There just seems to be a general breakdown in society when it comes to manners. I do think that a cruise can be a great classroom for teaching children ( and some adults), manners.

 

Age is not an excuse for bad manners, be it old or young!

 

Martini Cruiser