Question leaving kid in kid camp while parents are in port

[maggiemay2008]

My husband, 5 yr old and I are taking the 12 Day European Carnival Splendor (Baltics). It was my intention for my daughter to stay on board during some of the port days. After doing research, I now find that some of the tours (for example, St Petersburg and Berlin) are very long days...9 hour tours. I do not feel comfortable leaving her for that long on the boat. Also, I spoke with a travel agent that is taking her 8 year old that said she absolutely will not be leaving her daughter in the kid camp on any of the port days. Ater speaking with her, now I am really concerned. I know my daughter loves the kid camp....we took her in Feb on the Carnival Legend. She begged to go to the camp.

Has anyone taken any of the tours in St Petersburg or Berlin and left there child on board in a "kid camp" for such a long day? Or should I just take her along? She is a pretty good traveler.

Any comments, tips, suggestions is greatly welcomed.

[bluesea777]

Just a question ... to yourself ....

 

What happens if your child gets into an emergency on ship ... or what happens if you, parents, get yourselves into an emergency on land?

 

Sorry.

 

Anything can happen, and you never know what's coming.

[kitty9]

On some itineraries and ships, the kids club is only open until noon for port days.

 

For me, especially in places like Russia, where anything can happen, I would not leave a child as young as 5 alone on any cruise ship. There is a parent who posts here who had a child go into a seizure, first ever, on a ship. She was supposed to be on a tour with her husband but for some reason one parent stayed on board. If they had both been off on tours, I don't want to think what might have happened.

 

Do parents leave their kids on board? Some do. Is it wise? Only you can make that decision. For me, no way. Too many what if's. Perhaps if the tour was short, maybe, but not for tours longer than 3 hours. Just my opinion

[cuyahoga11]

Where I go, my kid would go.

[Morgsmom]

It is true that a lot of lines shut down their kid's clubs during ports of call. I guess my decision would be based on several things: 1) do you tender or are you docked at the port. 2) where do you intend to go while you are out & about? For example, if we docked in Cozumel and I just wanted to walk down the pier and stroll about the main shopping drag on foot for an hour, I might leave the child in the kid's program (if it were open). If I went to Grand Cayman and had to tender in and take a bus to a boat to get to stingray city, I'd drag DD along.

 

On our first cruise ever on Disney we were 2 hours late leaving Nassau. A crewmember later told us that two parents were late in returning to the ship and that they had a couple of kids in the programs. The captain had to make the decision to leave on time or wait for the late parents to return. Needless to say, we stayed, but I am sure that the parents got a talking to :eek:

[cusyl]

There is always the possibility that you could miss the ship because of being delayed on a shore excursion. I don't think I would risk leaving the child onboard.:cool:

[jorgesgirll]

Where You Go Your Children Should Go!

They Are Not There To Babysit!

[msmayor]

My husband, 5 yr old and I are taking the 12 Day European Carnival Splendor (Baltics). It was my intention for my daughter to stay on board during some of the port days. After doing research, I now find that some of the tours (for example, St Petersburg and Berlin) are very long days...9 hour tours. I do not feel comfortable leaving her for that long on the boat. Also, I spoke with a travel agent that is taking her 8 year old that said she absolutely will not be leaving her daughter in the kid camp on any of the port days. Ater speaking with her, now I am really concerned. I know my daughter loves the kid camp....we took her in Feb on the Carnival Legend. She begged to go to the camp.

Has anyone taken any of the tours in St Petersburg or Berlin and left there child on board in a "kid camp" for such a long day? Or should I just take her along? She is a pretty good traveler.

Any comments, tips, suggestions is greatly welcomed.

 

I think you answered your own question there. I, myself, could never walk off a ship in a foreign country and leave my kids in the care of strangers. Too many variables.

 

With respect to taking her along, it doesn't matter where you're travelling....to the next state or half way around the world. Only you know the tolerance of your child, and how well they will handle a 9-hour tour.

 

I know that at 5, neither of my kids would be happy on a 9-hour organized tour unless there were copious amounts of snack and play breaks. DH and I realized early on that our own vacation plans would be temporarily altered until they got older, and we'd have to tailor our touring needs to theirs. We just reminded ourselves that someday we'd return, and see what we'd missed.

 

It meants we could ALL be happy on vacation.

[KLLund]

Also consider that while Berlin is a 9 hour day .. it also involves a train ride a considerable distance away from the ship. I don't think I could do it .. and I would want my child to have some of these experiences if as you say she is a good traveler.

[blindrid]

Agree with PP's. Too many variables to deal with, take the kid or change your schedule. I think a 9 hour day would test the kid's patience and ultimately yours.

[thegotogirl]

WOW!!!! A thread where everyone is in agreement!!! I will add one more vote for bringing your child along. If the excursion is not appropriate for her, perhaps you should look into one that will make everyone in your family happy. When we traveled with our children when they were small, our primary goal was to spend family time. There is so little of that and a cruise is the perfect way to have a great balance of personal and family time. During the days when in port, we always did a family excursion. Camp was good for at sea days, and after dinner activities. She may love camp, but she loves you more

[LHP]

While it may be fine to have your child in Camp Carnival while you shop in the port area, I would not do that for a 9 hour excursion.

 

Even Ship Excursions have been known (although VERY rarely) to leave folks behind. Again, just to many things could happen.

 

Yes, Camp Carnival is there to babysit and they do a fantastic job, but circumstances outside of their control could to easily complicate things.

[cruiselover57]

I agree! If you're going touring all day, don't leave your child all day at camp. As people have mentioned, some may not offer this during the day in port. Other lines may even charge you a babysitting fee of $6/hour. Try to do a shorter tour if that's possible. Here's what we did on a cruise awhile back. There were only 12 kids on board a Thanksgiving cruise from San Juan. Our son was 6 at the time and although there was a kid's playroom, there weren't any organized activities. This was on a Celebrity ship in 1995 and I believe that all their ships have organized programs now. All of us parents got together and took turns watching each other's kids for 2 hours at a time (maybe 3-4 kids in a group) while others went off the ship and then it gave the other parents time to do their own thing. That seemed to work out every well under the circumstances and everyone was happy to get time off the ship without having to drag the kids along when they didn't want to go off.

 

Laurie

[Starr Mtn]

If you are interested in taking shore excursions - suggest

you consider taking another family member or good friend to

care for your child !

 

Others have expressed various concerns with leaving your child

on board the ship while you are away for long periods of time.

And it doesn't seem appropriate for taking such a young child

on a long shore excursions which they will not enjoy. Please

be considerate of others on that excursions who would probably

end up being annoyed as the child experiences boredom and getting

very tired !

[Terpnut]

Okay, I'll chime in with a somewhat different opinion. Assuming bringing another family member or sitter along for the trip is not feasible, I'd leave DD in Camp Carnival during those port days (and BTW they will almost definitely be open all day on those days). I think you'd agree that your DD would definitely enjoy Camp Carnival more than 9+ hours in either St. Petersburg or Berlin--not to mention the cost savings. Overall, everyone would be happier doing their own thing. Clearly, there are risks and downsides (as everyone has already pointed out), but I'd probably take my chances on this one. I really don't think your risks on these particular tours is much (if any) greater than most other cruise excursions while your child is in camp. It's all about your risk tolerance, and as far as I'm concerned, there is always some risk in travelling. If you don't like taking risks, don't get in a car, a plane or go anywhere--right?? :)

[serendipity1499]

Your Travel Agent Is Very Smart & is the one to listen to..I'm retired from the travel field & would never leave my child on board while I'm off the ship for any amount of time...I agree with the majority of Posters......

 

There have been cases when people on tour, either organized by the Ship or independent, that something has happened which delayed them from getting back to the ship in time for departure...:eek: Think of Medical emergencies, Accidents & streets closed, major storms, acts of terrorism etc...There could also be n board emergencies, such as fire & the ship would be evacuated....If you are on a Ship sponsored tour & the ship is forced to depart without you, the Tour Operator in conjunction with the Port Agent is responsible for getting you back to the ship either at sea or in the next port..

 

It is too dangerous for a child to be separated from their Parents! If such a delay should occur, the Captain might be forced by the Local Authorities to leave the port without you being on board....Then how do you think your child will handle that or how will you handle that?

 

Of course You would be compensated, but no amount of compensation would alleviate my concerns for my child or Vice Versa..

 

Please don't leave the Child alone On Board..

 

Cheers:) Betty

[bplazo]

I wouldnt leave my child on a cruise ship with strangers.

[ladycaveat]

I think this has already been suggested by another poster but if you're taking your five-year-old child ("kid") on a cruise and you and your husband feel he wouldn't enjoy going on a shore excursion with ya all or ya all would rather not take him . . . I think it would be a good idea to take a family member or friend with you to watch your son when you can't be with him. I just can't imagine leaving a child with a stranger (even one he spends a couple hours a day with at Camp Carnival) when you can't be there in a moment's notice (in case of an emergency). Of course my "kid" is now thirty-one and I didn't take him on a cruise until he was fifteen (which I now greatly regret not taking him when he was younger). :p

[sunsurf]

Suggestions: Take your child with you on port days or leave her at home with the grandparents.

 

I would never ever leave my child on the ship...alone with total strangers.

[ladycaveat]

I think this has already been suggested by another poster but if you're taking your five-year-old child ("kid") on a cruise and you and your husband feel he wouldn't enjoy going on a shore excursion with ya all or ya all would rather not take him . . . I think it would be a good idea to take a family member or friend with you to watch your son when you can't be with him. I just can't imagine leaving a child with a stranger (even one he spends a couple hours a day with at Camp Carnival) when you can't be there in a moment's notice (in case of an emergency). Of course my "kid" is now thirty-one and I didn't take him on a cruise until he was fifteen (which I now greatly regret not taking him when he was younger). :p

 

Opps . . . so sorry . . . I meant your daughter, not your son . . . ;)