Carnival lost my daughter from Camp Carnival

[walkswife]

I can kind of understand the scared and crying thing.... I have 2 girls now 25 and 18.... at ten....

 

now 25 yr old would have probably crumbled after about 5 minutes of looking for me... when she did find me would have clung on for dear life for a while....

 

now 18 yr old would have walked into the main show lounge or up to the Cd or to the prusers desk and taken the microphone and paged my butt herself......LOL.... and when i got there she would have given me a dang lecture on putting her in this position....

 

So two children raised the same way .... very different results... both my girls would handle each situation differently..... and believe me i'm not picking on the older one .... she was and still is the much more organized child.... also much more common sense but the younger seems to have more street smarts.....

[A&Jfamily]

Agreed, after so many years of dealing with these people (Sexual Offenders) I certainly take a different view of the world, not in the paranoid sense, but in the "err on the side of caution" sense. I have also worked with the victims and their families as well and they always blame themselves for allowing these things to happen (after the anger of course) which in many cases is completely understandable and many times the situations could have been preventable. I don't advise that we all live in a shell and never come out, just some common sense parenting and supervision and it will eliminate many of these problems.

BTW, check your Sex Offender register sometime, you'd be surprised how many are in you neighborhood and thats just the ones that have been caught and prosecuted.

 

I have one 4 houses down. There are 20 kids within 10 houses of this guy. We all know he is there. I pulled up his case file - he's a groomer, not an abductor. He prayed on a child that was left in his custody. My kids, even the 5 year old, has seen his picture on line and told that he is a bad guy and do let him come anywhere near you. Education is one of the main lines of defense against these people.

 

Does it keep me from letting my kids, or my neighbors from letting the kids out to play? Nope. We all keep an eye out and an ear open when the kids are out front. But we still let them be kids. What kind of life would they have if we never let them outside?

[wentworth]

My thoughts are that I could grab any adult let alone a child and pull them into my cabin. With that said no matter how well you prepare your children for this it could easily happen. Therefore I keep my kids close unless they are in a group of kids with at least one being 16 or so. Call me cautious but my kids will be here to live another day. I am sure alot of the adults responding to this post could pull a child in with no problem. Once they are gone there are no what ifs. Sorry for anyone thinking im too careful.;)

 

 

Bruce, I agree. Your next to your last sentence says it all.

[tedjazz]

Sadly, lives can change even if you are doing a great job as a parent. Do you know that the greatest risk to a child is riding in a car? You can be doing everything right, and still have your world irrevocably altered by another's carelessness. Does that mean I won't ever let my child ride in a car? No, of course not. There are people that refuse to fly in an airplane for fear of death; statistically, it is irrational, but they cannot get beyond their fears.

 

As a parent who loves my kids, I try very hard to distinguish between rational fears and those that are irrational. To me, fearing an attack by a sex offender with the limited freedom I give my child is irrational; the independence and self-confidence I have given my older DS with his limited sign in/out privileges is tangible and good parenting, IMHO.

 

Life is a crap shoot. All you can do is play the odds. I will choose to play the odds that are in my favor. If supervising my Children, (now my Grandchildren) means that they have better odds of not being subjected to whatever trauma life throws their way, then that's how I will proceed. Is that being overprotective, maybe, but that's my way. Your vast knowledge of Pedophiles tells you that nothing will happen to kids on cruise ships 'cause they (pedophiles) are LOGICAL. I hope that serves you well going forward. Good Luck to you and your family. I truly hope you never need to reflect on the points that some were making here on this thread.

[tedjazz]

I have one 4 houses down. There are 20 kids within 10 houses of this guy. We all know he is there. I pulled up his case file - he's a groomer, not an abductor. He prayed on a child that was left in his custody. My kids, even the 5 year old, has seen his picture on line and told that he is a bad guy and do let him come anywhere near you. Education is one of the main lines of defense against these people.

 

Does it keep me from letting my kids, or my neighbors from letting the kids out to play? Nope. We all keep an eye out and an ear open when the kids are out front. But we still let them be kids. What kind of life would they have if we never let them outside?

 

Sounds like you got it figured out.

[Warm Breezes]

[quote name='caribbean dreams']Thats a bit much in this parents eyes But i guess we all raise our kids differently.......I've just seen to many things happen on ships before involving kids. Yes i would leave my child in the cabin for a short time, No i would not let them get dressed and come to a show looking for me.

On Liberty, there was an 8 & 10 year old left in the cabin, next thing we know they are crawling over peoples balconies (we are on deck 8) we called security, by the time they arrived the boys had crawlwd over 3 balconies (at night) to make it worse, we find out there was a 4 yr old girl in the cabin also, she has locked the top lock of the cabin door and was also attempting to follow her cousins balcony jumping...when security finally got the cabin door open, the little girl was standing on a chair with one leg over the railing.......parents were at a show.[/quote]

This is just wrong. I did not let my kids go by themselves until DS was 12 and old enough to babysit and know the rules of babysitting. A 10 year old is not old enough to babysit and should not have been left alone with an 8 year old and a 4 year old. That is too much responsibility for a child of that age. If your kids aren't old enough to be left alone at home and babysit, then they are not old enough to be left alone on a cruise ship.

Once DS was 12 and DD 10 we allowed him and DD to go out together and he could go on his own with my knowledge to the room or to meet a family member. DD was not allowed on her own. On this trip she is 12 and he is 15. I still will not allow her to wonder on her own but I will allow her to go certain places with my knowledge such as to the room or to meet a family member. DS will be allowed more freedom as long as we know where each other are.

You can allow freedom slowly based on your childs age and maturity. To me 10 is too young to be allowed on their own but it is still the parents responsibility to make sure they have proper sign in/out privileges and to make sure that if you give the child sign in/sign out privileges that they know where you and how to contact are at all times - and how to get to their room or that they have a buddy over 12 that they are allowed to go with.

[wentworth]

[quote name='Crusin6']But the posters here would flame a parent for NOT allowing a kid to roam free....saying the parent was too overprotective. Then they would say "where are the parents?" as soon as that kid crossed their path.:rolleyes:

Let me tell you, based on my own feelings, a family that plays together......is better off!!![/quote]

Exactly.

[3redheads]

I would rather be safe than sorry. It all comes down to what you are comfortable with and what your child is comfortable with. At the very least, the buddy system should be used.

We can all cite statistics all day long, but it only takes one person or one incident to change your life and that of your child.

[caribbean dreams]

[quote name='walkswife']I can kind of understand the scared and crying thing.... I have 2 girls now 25 and 18.... at ten....

.[/quote]

My Daughter is 23 now and she still cries when she can't find me;)

[chadinennistx]

read first 2 pages but skipped the other 13. not sure if anybody noticed, 1st post and a smile at the end. =? hmmmmm?

[wentworth]

[quote name='caribbean dreams']
On Liberty, there was an 8 & 10 year old left in the cabin, next thing we know they are crawling over peoples balconies (we are on deck 8) we called security, by the time they arrived the boys had crawlwd over 3 balconies (at night) to make it worse, we find out there was a 4 yr old girl in the cabin also, she has locked the top lock of the cabin door and was also attempting to follow her cousins balcony jumping...when security finally got the cabin door open, the little girl was standing on a chair with one leg over the railing.......parents were at a show.[/quote]


Must be the same family we had next door on the Legend in Mar '08.
We were in port docked facing an NCL ship and were on our balcony.
The people on the NCL balconys were shouting an waving at us to
look at the next balcony. Two boys, maybe 6 and 8 were on top of
their railing with one leg hanging over. I went out and knocked on
the door many times....finally one of the children opened the door.
There was also a smalller little girl in the room. None spoke English.
I still told them to stay off the balconys........they went right back.
Had to call security. This was in the middle of the day and they
were alone. Sad.

[spleenstomper]

The book "Protecting the Gift" is so very helpful because it explains HOW pedophiles work. Stranger pedophiles are about 1% of molestation cases; most pedophiles work over time to befriend the family and assume a place of trust so that the pedophile flies under the family's radar and has continual access to the child. It is all part of the victimization of the entire family.

I'm not saying there aren't pedophiles on cruise ships... certainly there could be that 1% stranger-pedophile (as a poster mentioned here), but if your child is going to be molested, it is most likely by the soccer coach, family priest, neighbor, friend, relative of the child. Unfortunately. :(

[Upandadam]

[quote name='LemurCat']Nothing wrong with that. But then again, you also understand the difference between sharing an opinion and turning everything into an argument that must be won at all costs. There are some around here that don't always remember that.[/quote]

I disagree.:D

[nealstuber]

[quote name='A&Jfamily']Sadly, lives can change even if you are doing a great job as a parent. Do you know that the greatest risk to a child is riding in a car? You can be doing everything right, and still have your world irrevocably altered by another's carelessness. Does that mean I won't ever let my child ride in a car? No, of course not. There are people that refuse to fly in an airplane for fear of death; statistically, it is irrational, but they cannot get beyond their fears.

As a parent who loves my kids, I try very hard to distinguish between rational fears and those that are irrational. To me, fearing an attack by a sex offender with the limited freedom I give my child is irrational; the independence and self-confidence I have given my older DS with his limited sign in/out privileges is tangible and good parenting, IMHO.[/quote]

Well said.

[caribbean dreams]

[quote name='chadinennistx']read first 2 pages but skipped the other 13. not sure if anybody noticed, 1st post and a smile at the end. =? hmmmmm?[/quote]

Oh yea, thats been one of the topics.

[lady_cruiser]

[quote name='caribbean dreams']My Daughter is 23 now and she still cries when she can't find me;)[/quote]

Tell your daughter not to worry because I'm 60 and my sister is 62. We both cruise together (since we live over 400 miles from each other) and there are times that if we can't find each other :eek: (mall, dress shop, cruise port, even a cruise ship) we still get that tiny bit of a panicky feeling. :p

[caribbean dreams]

[quote name='lady_cruiser']Tell your daughter not to worry because I'm 60 and my sister is 62. We both cruise together (since we live over 400 miles from each other) and there are times that if we can't find each other :eek: (mall, dress shop, cruise port, even a cruise ship) we still get that tiny bit of a panicky feeling. :p[/quote]

Thats funny,

My daughter lives 1 mile away and still needs to know every move i make!

[crusinmama06]

[quote name='lady_cruiser']and there are times that if we can't find each other :eek: (mall, dress shop, cruise port, even a cruise ship) we still get that tiny bit of a panicky feeling. :p[/quote]

Oh yeah, I left one of the Sensation dining rooms to grab something out of my cabin, then couldn't find my way back, THEN couldn't remember if I was suppose to be in Imagination or Inspiration (or whatever the dining rooms were called, they were so similiar)

My daughter wasn't with me. Had she been, I would have been ok. :D:D:D

[Kurbanfan]

[quote name='crusinmama06']Oh yeah, I left one of the Sensation dining rooms to grab something out of my cabin, then couldn't find my way back, THEN couldn't remember if I was suppose to be in Imagination or Inspiration (or whatever the dining rooms were called, they were so similiar)

My daughter wasn't with me. Had she been, I would have been ok. :D:D:D[/quote]


LMAO!!! I can relate:p

[js]

[quote name='caribbean dreams']Thats funny,

My daughter lives 1 mile away and still needs to know every move i make![/QUOTE]

Hey, are you my mother LOL
My mother is a young 62 but if I call her house and she doesn't answer I immediately dial her cell, work (she works 3 days a week as a nurse), I hunt her down LOL
I printed out all the pages and plan on reading them tomorrow.

[poobears]

Some one mentioned kids being in more danger in a car. This is the way I look at it. We'll use the car as an example since that is what was brought up. My kids have always been buckled in a car seat/booster that was appropriate for their age and properly installed. I follow the rules of the road and drive safely.

IF something horrible happens and we are involved in a wreck and the worst thing imaginable happens and one or more gets killed. I can at least live with myself knowing I did all I could reasonably do to keep them safe.

To use the same thinking on a cruise. If I act like what I think a responsible parent should act like and make sure I know where my child is on a cruise ship at all times and something happens then there wasn't much I could have done to prevent it. It was just horrible luck.

If I leave my kid in a cabin so I can go watch a show, let them wander the ship alone etc and something happens then it's on me. I could have done more and I chose not to for whatever reason. That is not something I am willing to live with.

I will not smoother my kids and hoover but I will not say well they need to grow up and they can handle whatever and what happens, happens. To me that's not responsible parenting, to others it is and that's fine. I am the one that has to live the consequences of my choices.

[LemurCat]

[quote name='js']Hey, are you my mother LOL
My mother is a young 62 but if I call her house and she doesn't answer I immediately dial her cell, work (she works 3 days a week as a nurse), I hunt her down LOL
I printed out all the pages and plan on reading them tomorrow.[/quote]

My mother does that. And she keeps calling. And calling. And calling. Until I pick up. Which is one of the reasons why there is a state between her and I.:D

[Traveler353]

[quote name='chadinennistx']read first 2 pages but skipped the other 13. not sure if anybody noticed, 1st post and a smile at the end. =? hmmmmm?[/quote]

[SIZE=3][COLOR=darkred]And their laughing even louder at this thread. They have accomplished just what wanted to do. Some people are so gullible.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[tommy2811]

[quote name='blondee007'][I]Hi Everyone,[/I]

[I]We just returned from cruising on the Triumph on May 24 with ports of call to Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Belize. The ports of call were awesome but on the last night when my daughter was in Camp Carnival one of the camp counselors approached my daughter (who is 10) telling her she needed to sign out. My daughter felt confused and forced to sign out so she left. My daughter was seen sitting around crying not knowing what to do. When we arrived at 10:00 p.m. and Camp Carnival told us she didn't feel good and they told her to sign out and go to the room. We were furious. We went to the room and she was not there. My husband and I were now devastated thinking the worst and upset beyond anything. Keep in mind it's now about 10:30 p.m. and no one has called our room yet. We went heading to the front desk when a photographer stopped us asking if I was looking for my daughter? This nice lady had taken our daughter to the front desk. The front desk never did call our room to let us know she was there. Wierd. Anyway, happy ending, we found her crying and upset. She was told to sign out. We talked to supervisor and they said oops, sorry that was wrong, they didn't follow protocol but nothing they could or would do. We have since taken more serious measures.[/I]
:D[/quote]

Ok..sure....

[Pegs222]

[quote name='chadinennistx']read first 2 pages but skipped the other 13. not sure if anybody noticed, 1st post and a smile at the end. =? hmmmmm?[/QUOTE]


I noticed :D