Carnival lost my daughter from Camp Carnival

[Rowan555]

I read this site everyday and have never posted any comments until now. We have just returned from the May 31 sailing on the Carnival Valor. Our 9 year old granddaughter went with us on this cruise. Camp carnival let our granddaughter, who is 9 years old, check herself out. This was her first cruise. We did not know that they could check themselves out. She had lost her sign and sail card and was upset about this. We found her roaming around on deck 6, crying because she could not find our room. And even if she had found the room, she could not get in without her card.

 

When you leave a child , you expect them to be with the people you left them with, and that their safety and general welfare are being addressed.

 

Over 3000 people on this cruise and I do not let my 9 year old granddaughter roam the ship and I do not expect Carnival to let her either. My grand kids will not attend anymore Camp Carnival activies.

 

Carnival's policy needs to be re-thought.

 

When you register your 9-11 year old child for camp, you must check a box to allow them to sign themselves out. If you do not check this box, they cannot sign themselves out - period. Are you saying you did NOT check the box allowing her to sign herself out, yet the counselors allowed her to sign herself out? Moreover, did you inform your granddaughter that she was not allowed to sign herself out, yet she did so anyway? Sounds like quite the breakdown in communication all around...

[Rowan555]

I am a 35 year old that doesn't have any kids. Quite frankly, I don't think that I would want to raise a child in today's world--but that is a different topic.

 

 

I just felt the need to reply to this. I have two kids - 8 and 9 year olds - and I love raising my children in today's world. Is it perfect? Of course not. But I'm able to experience something beautiful and wonderful with them each and every day, and I can't imagine life without them. Even with my migraine, lol, I love the world, and no matter how bad it gets, there's always beauty and love and wonder all around us, if we look in the right places.

[PACURN]

I think we pretty much agree. And - no it would not be a huge deal if they raised it. Most of the kids we see about on the ship weren't signed into camp in the first place (ours included). My interest in this topic is two-fold. 1) My kids will be even less inclined to use the camp if they feel they are being treated "like babies." 2) I don't like that Carnival (and the other lines) are being forced to make this "non-issue-issue" a prority. I'd rather see the kids camps focused on providing new an exciting things to do.

 

Just had a funny thought - my first cruise was in 2nd grade on the Statendam. Grandma and Grandpa took me to Bermuda and I remember making my way to the card room on the 1st sea day. Guess what we did - MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE! As has been beeten to death on another thread - that doesn't happen anymore because the nil envirnmental impact was taken out of context and given disproportionate importance by a few folks unable to see the big picture. I feel the same way about this topic (and the swine flu thing too).

How fun "Message in a Bottle" would be, but you are right about environmental thing. It could never happen.

I liked your comment about the "Nanny state". Funny.

[PACURN]

It's plain to see that this is one of those arguments that can not be resolved. Posters are firmly planted in two camps. 1) Parents wanting to protect their kids and 2) Parents who don't think anything will happen to their kids because they have prepared them on how to react to every possible situation they may come up against. Maybe it's time to let this thing die and hope that all turns out well for everyone who cruises with their kids. Oh and Good Luck. :)

Well I guess you would place me in Cat #2, but I must say that I Never said I don't think anything could happen to my kids. I just want them to be able to make good decisions if something does. Calmness enables someone to make better decisions.

As a nurse I have to be calm in the midst of chaos. If a patient stops breathing I need to be calm in order to think and direct people to do what needs to be done. Its a matter of life and death.

[PACURN]

468 post and still entertaining. The OP has got to be laughing his tail off.:D

I"m sure you are right, It's always entertaining getting involved in threads like this, It's like a drug, you just can't stay away from it. Since I'm an opinionate fool I have to get into the mix. it's fun. :D

[PACURN]

But unless the OP comes back to clarify all we have are "assumptions".

You know what assuming gets you don't you???? :D

[PACURN]

Folks with a thinner skin might be incensed by the statement that my children are "unfortunate" to be raised by me. The higher power we believe in is God. We thank God for our many blessings and keep them in mind when we face adversity.

Amen.

[unklez]

CC Host - can you close this thread please?

[cathyoo]

YOWZA!!! This thread has taken on a life of its own. Let me preface this my saying that I am a 35 year old that doesn't have any kids. Quite frankly, I don't think that I would want to raise a child in today's world--but that is a different topic.

 

I did teach for several years, so I am very aware of children having different needs, strengths, and weaknesses. I am also aware that there are many philosophies on how to best parent a child. Although I didn't agree with all of the parenting that I observed, I do know that virtually all parents are doing the absolute best they can to raise a healthy, productive, and smart human being.

 

I don't agree with everyone's opinions on this thread, but I do agree with their right to have the opinion.

 

 

EXCELLENT response..

[cathyoo]

CC Host - can you close this thread please?

 

Why??? If you are done with the topic, just skip it next time you sign on.

[nealstuber]

You are obviously a responsible parent.....others aren't. Then when something happens' date=' they blame everyone but themselves.[/quote']

 

Can't say I blame you for not reading through the who thread - but several of us who have been with it for a while have made the case that the allowing your kids to grow in a controlled environment is the responsible thing to do. The only person I saw blaming someone else when something happened was the OP.

 

My grand kids will not attend anymore Camp Carnival activies.

 

Carnival's policy needs to be re-thought.

 

Totally disagree. If you feel your 9-year old can not navigate the ship safely - then you have the option to tell her to stay put (or stay out of the camp - like you're doing). Don't presume to take the option from others because of your parenting sytle.

[halos]

I just felt the need to reply to this. I have two kids - 8 and 9 year olds - and I love raising my children in today's world. Is it perfect? Of course not. But I'm able to experience something beautiful and wonderful with them each and every day, and I can't imagine life without them. Even with my migraine, lol, I love the world, and no matter how bad it gets, there's always beauty and love and wonder all around us, if we look in the right places.

 

Susan, if I hadn't previously met you I wouldn't believe you, but if anyone can be happy even while having a migraine, it would be you. :)

On the rare instances I have had a migraine, all I wanted to do was cry...but it hurt. :p

[wentworth]

Can't say I blame you for not reading through the who thread - but several of us who have been with it for a while have made the case that the allowing your kids to grow in a controlled environment is the responsible thing to do. The only person I saw blaming someone else when something happened was the OP.

 

 

 

Totally disagree. If you feel your 9-year old can not navigate the ship safely - then you have the option to tell her to stay put (or stay out of the camp - like you're doing). Don't presume to take the option from others because of your parenting sytle.

 

 

But Neal, this poster states she did not know her 9 yr old gd could

check herself out. Again, something is wrong here. She states she

expected her gd would stay at Camp Carnival and did not want her

roaming about. Rowan asked her again about the check off form.

Hope she replies.

[nealstuber]

But Neal, this poster states she did not know her 9 yr old gd could

check herself out. Again, something is wrong here. She states she

expected her gd would stay at Camp Carnival and did not want her

roaming about. Rowan asked her again about the check off form.

Hope she replies.

 

This view is exactly why I feel kids should be taught decision making and emergency planning skills at an early age. No parent can anticipate every eventuality - things happen. I don't think you can set-up a narrow set of parameters "stay in the camp till we come back" with no back-up or contigency plan and then get mad at the world when things don't go your way. No protocol or piece of paper is going to solve the problem.

 

Parent's and kids get unintentially separated all the time. Folks who feel a cruise ship is too dangerous for a ten-year old to navigate on their own need to ask themselves why they are taking the kid in the first place - when there is a high likelyhood that they will be "forced" by circumstance to do just that. The odds of an incident like this happening are FAR more likely than some of the horrible "what ifs" people fixate on. Yet we fixate on the improbable and do nothing to deal with the probable.

[MrPete]

But Neal, this poster states she did not know her 9 yr old gd could

check herself out. Again, something is wrong here. She states she

expected her gd would stay at Camp Carnival and did not want her

roaming about. Rowan asked her again about the check off form.

Hope she replies.

 

I was very surprised at that myself, when I sailed with my cousin and one of her 9 year olds. I found it very odd, but did not know there were protocols involved. Not sure she did either.

 

I think I'm now happy to know that by default, no 9 year old can be released on their own without prior parental approval.

[Warm Breezes]

Imitrex does nothing for me, and Maxalt gives me rebound headaches from hell. I will have to try Zomig. My doctor moved to FL 2 years ago and I haven't gotten around to getting a new one yet. After spending 4 days in bed, I think it's time to find one.

 

 

Imitrex and Maxalt did nothing for me either. Relpax seems to be working for me.

[airhead22]

Cool. I did not know this was a migraine thread. I have been using Imitrex for years, and now that there is a generic and I get 9 for 7.50, I am a happy camper.

[halos]

This view is exactly why I feel kids should be taught decision making and emergency planning skills at an early age. No parent can anticipate every eventuality - things happen. .

 

No parent can anticipate every eventuality, which is WHY some of these parents were caught off guard, finding their children roaming around the ship looking for them.

Personally, I feel that good communication between the CCL Crew and the parents is just not happening....I feel it is CCL's responsibility to make sure parents who are unexperienced with using the Camp, understand how it works.

You are forced to sit through that lifeboat drill every cruise, you should be forced to sit and hear how the camp works when you drop your child off.

 

You are right that kids must be taught decision making, but again, these are kids...cruise ships can be intimidating and all those thousands of people certainly can be as well. You do not know how a child will react no matter how much you plan. It is up to the parent to work with the cruise staff (who should definitely spell things out) to lessen the chances that the little child will have to make any decisions.

[lovetocruise444]

Personally, I feel that good communication between the CCL Crew and the parents is just not happening....I feel it is CCL's responsibility to make sure parents who are unexperienced with using the Camp, understand how it works.

 

That's why they have the meeting the first day. Unfortunately many parents don't want to interrupt their vacation for something like this so they skip the meeting but later send their kids to Camp Carnival anyway. Then they wonder why they didn't know that 9 year olds can sign themselves out.

[Traveler353]

In the spirit of this thread taking on all subjects: Is it OK for children wear bluejeans to dinner on formal night or diapers in the hottubs? If so, are parents being irresponsible if they allow them to do so?:D

[halos]

That's why they have the meeting the first day. Unfortunately many parents don't want to interrupt their vacation for something like this so they skip the meeting but later send their kids to Camp Carnival anyway. Then they wonder why they didn't know that 9 year olds can sign themselves out.

 

Sadly, I believe you *shakes head* I didn't know they had a meeting...no one mentioned it in all these pages LOL...Hmmm...has anyone here attended?? Just curious.

[MrPete]

Sadly, I believe you *shakes head* I didn't know they had a meeting...no one mentioned it in all these pages LOL...Hmmm...has anyone here attended?? Just curious.

 

Yes, there's an orientation, usually when something else is happening. We've always skipped it, preferring to attend the something else.

 

Just a small part in why we've never sent DD to camp.

[nrdsb4]

I think if I had kids that I cruised with I'd invest in some good walkie talkies or pagers, that way they CAN get in touch with me if they need me.

Just saying.............

Carole

 

Disney Cruise Line is one that does this. They give you pagers, and they WILL page you if the child is sick or injured, or if they are crying for the parents to come get them. If they are crying for the parents, you are required to take them out. They paged me twice for my younger daughter. The first time, she had changed her mind by the time I arrived. The second page came just as my husband and I were settling in to our lounge chairs at the adult-only beach on Disney's private island. We packed up, took the little train to the kids camp and collected her. Just part of the whole parenting package, lol. But also VERY comforting to know we could be reached if our daughters needed us.

[halos]

Yes, there's an orientation, usually when something else is happening. We've always skipped it, preferring to attend the something else.

 

Just a small part in why we've never sent DD to camp.

 

I'm sailing with some family in August....and there will be some young kids. I have no clue if my SIL/BIL will opt to use the camp or not, but I'll make sure they know to attend this meeting.

I plan on being at the back of the ship in the adult area....I'm going to hide back there as long as I can. :p

 

Disney Cruise Line is one that does this. They give you pagers, and they WILL page you if the child is sick or injured, or if they are crying for the parents to come get them. If they are crying for the parents, you are required to take them out. They paged me twice for my younger daughter. The first time, she had changed her mind by the time I arrived. The second page came just as my husband and I were settling in to our lounge chairs at the adult-only beach on Disney's private island. We packed up, took the little train to the kids camp and collected her. Just part of the whole parenting package, lol. But also VERY comforting to know we could be reached if our daughters needed us.

 

yeah...I'd be much more comfortable with that for sure!! It's such a small cost to the cruise line. I don't know why all the lines that have children's facilities don't have them. To me, it's a no-brainer.

[WhansaMi]

Sadly, I believe you *shakes head* I didn't know they had a meeting...no one mentioned it in all these pages LOL...Hmmm...has anyone here attended?? Just curious.

 

I went to the meeting for 14/15 year olds. Of course, as I said, I'm an overprotective mother. ;-)

 

Yes, they have an orientation. Yes, lots of parents skip it. That is why I tend to lay the responsibility more at the parents' feet. They/we really should take advantage of the time to get the information, and not assume that the Carnival staff will fall in line with their/our way of thinking.