Carnival lost my daughter from Camp Carnival

[G'ma]

"Carnival didn't lose your child...your child got lost" WHAT??!!! When Carnival MADE a 10 year old girl "sign herself out" then am sorry THEY DID lose that child!! As a parent who's kids are EVERYTHING to me, I would have been hurting someone! it would not have been good! This is a little girl on a BIG ship alone at 10:00 pm! I am sorry but they don't check the sex registery before booking a cruise, they will let ANYONE on the ship and who knows what could have happened!

 

OP....... I am so glad that it turned out good for your daughter!

 

This is easily rectified....revolk the sign out privilege.

 

Carnival isn't required to babysit.......

 

At 10:00pm, the parents should be checking in once in a while anyway to see what's happening.

 

If the child was ill, they were right in having her leave.....

[crusinmama06]

You think kids didn't get abducted or abused when you were a kid? That's a bit naive. Of course they did. It's just certain organizations did a better job of covering it up and there was no true national media at the time. Abduction and abuse are crimes as old as time.

 

No, I agree. The abduction rates aren't higher. I just choose to be a different parent than my parents were. :)

[trock]

There can be a happy medium........my child at age 8 was not made fearful or overprotective........he simply did not roam around the city by himself........a ship can be considered a small city.......

But I have to say I whole heartily disagree with everyones comment that

your child is no more likely to be abducted today then when we were children.......puleeze.......with the internet nowadays:rolleyes:

 

 

I know.. I know..

I dont have kids.. I would be a mess!!!

[WhansaMi]

Lotsa holes in the original post ...

 

1. Was the kid allow to sign herself out?

2. Did the kid tell the Camp Carnival people she felt ill to get out of Camp Carnival?

3. Why didn't this family have an emergancy plan should something of this nature happens?

4. What was the approximate elapsed time between when the kid was taken to the front desk and when the parents showed up?

 

The whole thing reads odd to me.

 

And what is that smiley at the end supposed to be?

[Kurbanfan]

I know.. I know..

I dont have kids.. I would be a mess!!!

 

Not at all.......mother knows best:)

God do I remember when I was young and telling my parents....."When I have my own kids" blah blah blah.......and then I did:p

[LemurCat]

No, I agree. The abduction rates aren't higher. I just choose to be a different parent than my parents were. :)

 

Nothing wrong with that.

[Tralynn]

I agree. My understanding is that Camp Carnival isn't supposed to be as much a babysitting service as a meeting place for kids, with adult supervision so that the kids, as a group, don't get into trouble. Since they allow the kids to sign themselves out, parents should make sure there is a plan in place for that contingency.

 

It would probably also depend on your child. Either (1) you have to be able to trust that your child will not to leave without your permission, or (2) ensure that your child can navigate to the room and trust they can stay there alone. Otherwise I don't know that I would feel comfortable leaving them at Camp Carnival.

This is not true. For any child under the age of 12, the parent has to choose whether or not they can sign themselves out. If you do not give your permission, they are NOT ALLOWED to sign out by themselves. The only time parental permission (on the first day) is not needed is if the child is over the age of 12.

 

It doesn't matter if you believe the child should have been able to help herself or not. The issue is that Camp Carnival made a mistake that could have resulted in something horrible and the counselors need to be informed of the seriousness of their mistake.

[Nicole721]

I'm glad to see so many parents caring about their children's whereabouts and safety. On our Miracle cruise last week, I was talking about this with my mom.

 

We'd see small and large groups of kids (usually just girls, but rarely we saw a few boys mixed in the groups) around 10-13 years old running around the Lido, being noisy, whatever, between 11pm and 2am. They were mostly out around 1am, but we saw them at all times of night. They'd grab food from the grill or pizzeria, talk loudly and run around, and then go outside for a bit before running all over the ship. We'd see them everywhere, but almost never with their parents.

 

My mom would have NEVER let me run around unsupervised with kids I barely knew at 2am, ESPECIALLY not on a cruise ship. As safe as they seem, there are rapes on board. People mysteriously go overboard. And kids are impressionable and susceptible to peer pressure at that age. I worked at a teen camp for years and as smart as you think your child is, they're not above doing a dangerous dare for "fun" or because others are doing it. We were heading back to the room and were heading into an elevator late one night after some late-night hotdogs and fries when we heard a group of kids coming out of an elevator. One of them said "Is anyone else's parents starting to make them go to dinner with them? Mine are and it SUCKS." Do they even see their parents during the cruise?

 

I'm glad to see what I saw wasn't the norm and that most parents account for their kids late at night. We weren't bothered by them or their noise (I was their age ten or so years ago), but moreso worried for their safety. Someone went overboard on a different ship while we were onboard and I read so much about crime on ships that I worry that some parents feel a false sense of security coming on board because of the contained area of the ship.

[mistyinca]

It's really a shame how we make our kids so dependent. I'm 54yrs old and when I was 10yrs old, I was way more independent than our children are. It's maybe not our fault as times have changed so and not in a good way.

 

When I was 10, I, too, was VERY independent. I stayed out to play after dark, walked down to the gully by myself and played with frogs, and I know my mom had no idea where I was.

 

Of course, I also hung out with the kids at the bus stop after getting off the school bus, bought cigarettes from the ice cream man, and smoked them with my friends before going home. I could go on about what went on by the time I got to high school, but I'm sure you get the gist.:rolleyes:

 

My kids have been very sheltered. Perhaps I just don't want them getting themselves into the same mischief I did. I am confident that the are very good kids. As teenagers now, they are allowed to do what they want on the ship (we have check in times and curfews).

[bfkkbc]

When my oldest son was nine he fell on a loose stairwell trim piece and cut his knee while going to Camp Carnival. The counselor sent him back to our room with instructions to report to the infirmary for stitches. I cleaned his lac and steri stripped it and he went back to Camp Carnival.

 

Per Camp Carnival policy, nine year olds can sign themselves out so it was a non issue that they sent him back to our room without notice.

 

The only 'more serious' measures we could have taken would have been to stitch his knee instead of using steri strips. The steri strips held fine with glue and his knee healed with no scar. We had stitches with us as well in case we needed them.

YOu held a cut together with glue?? Cool!!!;)

[tink24]

YOu held a cut together with glue?? Cool!!!;)

Dermabond = super glue

[Ebonybombshell]

Several people have made several excellent points......

 

First I do believe this is a Troll...

 

but this is really simple...several people have listed the guidelines, you know them going in. If you do not feel they are acceptable you don't let them sign out and possibly pay the fees. If you find them acceptable, it is the PARENTS resonsibility to make sure your child understands the contingency plan AND who to ask for help.

 

It IS a floating city, things COULD happen..and they do..anywhere and everywhere, but Carnival is not liable b/c of the aforementioned agreement...if she requested they call her parents and they declined, then there would be an issue or if she wasn't allowed to sign out...but that's basically it.

 

Parents should be concerned about their children....and oen of teh best ways of protecting them is making sure they are educated about dangers as several have already mentioned. Someone, a stranger attemopted to molest me in my own home when I was around 4. My mom was home but elsewhere in the house....frankly, I didn't really understand what was happening sio I wasn't upset...BUT I knew it was a NO NO, I calmy excused myself and told my mom immediately..I remember that moment and I'm 32...I don't remember the talk, but it clearly worked...just like all the other things I learned from my parents...matches, gas, ect ect. Upset understandable...child scared and confused it happens..One has a right to those feelings...but Carnival is not liable...however hopefully it helps some realize what plans and instructions their children should have ahead of time

[tink24]

To Paulmedik:

 

 

Just curious, do you carry lidocaine with you as well to numb the area or do you make your kids bite down on a leather belt while you stitch them up? I thought I was bad. As a nurse, I bring everything but the kitchen sink (so I thought!). Next time I'll remember super glue.:D

[Crusin6]

Does anyone find it odd that this is the OP's first post and the OP has not returned to respond to anything? Hmmmm....

IN this case no. Normally I would agree with you but since it is called cruise critic and she/he is new, they ddid what is meant to be done. They posted a criticism and left. Since they may actually not be the addictive type, they are not on CC 24/7 and may not even be aware of the debate they have started.

 

We should all be so wise as to post our concerns and then just let it be. Why would she need to come back on? To defend herself? Not needed if she posted the true facts....no need to come back and defend one self.

 

Or it could be a farce...or a mis tori...we won't ever know....but one thing is for sure.......the posters here will probably tear the OP apart.:(

[Jill_GA]

I am taking my kids on their first cruise this Saturday. They boys are 17 and 14. I teach high school, in fact at their school (the younger one starts there next year), so belive me, I know what teenagers do. I just had the talk with them tonight about what they can and cannot do, what to look out for, what they can charge (they aren't big spenders, so I am not worried) and when they had to be back in their cabin. They looked at me like I am crazy, like "we wouldn't roam around all night and get into trouble." They have never been in trouble and are good kids but they are teenagers and sometimes teenagers lose their minds, lol. We have travelled a lot, so I think they will be fine.

My daughter is 6, so she's fine for now. If I was concerned about my 10 yr. old getting lost, etc. I would not allow sign out privileges. Seems pretty simple to me.

[cwiggy]

I wasn't trying to be mean, I was just honestly curious. My son is 9 and on our last cruise he decided he didn't want to go to the show with camp, so the counselors made him sign out when they left for the lounge. He got some ice cream on the lido deck then went back to the room to play his Nintendo DS and wait for me to return.

 

I think it's important, particularly when your kids are old enough to sign out of Camp Carnival on their own, that they are very familiar with the ship and how to get back to their cabin should anything happen. This might be a good thread to help alert people to the importance of helping kids get familiar with the layout of the ship and how to return to their room from Camp Carnival and other spots on the ship. This way they won't get upset or scared if they need to sign out for some reason, or need to find their room without their parents.

 

Good points. Our youngest is 11 years old and our first cruise is coming up. A CC member shared capers for the ship we are going to be on and I notice that there is a ship tour. We will likely do this to orient the family so everybody feels comfortable manoeuvring around the boat, especially our youngest. Glad everything turned out okay. We parents always tend to do the ïf you get lost, meet us here" routine but when you leave them in a supervised area, you don't expect this kind of outcome!

[Crusin6]

I'm glad to see so many parents caring about their children's whereabouts and safety. On our Miracle cruise last week, I was talking about this with my mom.

 

We'd see small and large groups of kids (usually just girls, but rarely we saw a few boys mixed in the groups) around 10-13 years old running around the Lido, being noisy, whatever, between 11pm and 2am. They were mostly out around 1am, but we saw them at all times of night. They'd grab food from the grill or pizzeria, talk loudly and run around, and then go outside for a bit before running all over the ship. We'd see them everywhere, but almost never with their parents.

 

My mom would have NEVER let me run around unsupervised with kids I barely knew at 2am, ESPECIALLY not on a cruise ship. As safe as they seem, there are rapes on board. People mysteriously go overboard. And kids are impressionable and susceptible to peer pressure at that age. I worked at a teen camp for years and as smart as you think your child is, they're not above doing a dangerous dare for "fun" or because others are doing it. We were heading back to the room and were heading into an elevator late one night after some late-night hotdogs and fries when we heard a group of kids coming out of an elevator. One of them said "Is anyone else's parents starting to make them go to dinner with them? Mine are and it SUCKS." Do they even see their parents during the cruise?

 

I'm glad to see what I saw wasn't the norm and that most parents account for their kids late at night. We weren't bothered by them or their noise (I was their age ten or so years ago), but moreso worried for their safety. Someone went overboard on a different ship while we were onboard and I read so much about crime on ships that I worry that some parents feel a false sense of security coming on board because of the contained area of the ship.

I too find the lack of supervision appalling. Our girls like to be with us on cruises and the feeling is mutual. None of us needs to make any new "best friends" and we are all content to be in the cabin by 11pm. It's nice to be with our kids on vacation.

[PeggyMc]

I am fully with you. A ten yr old should have known of something else to do besides sit and cry.

 

Just another symptom of over protecting the kids then something like this happens and they are not prepared.

My niece is 14 yrs old and she would not be able to find her cabin. That is my sisters fault.

 

Your sister has my sympathy.

[Crusin6]

One more, if you don't mind?

 

According to the OP, this occurred on the last night of the cruise. What happened on the rest of the days/nights?

That was apparantly the night she felt sick...or so the Camp said.

[GreenZolie]

Do your grandchildren play in the front yard at home, or ride their bikes without supervision? Or do they seriously never go ANYWHERE without a guardian present?

 

More than 10 years later, Glenda Whitson recalls each second of the 8 minutes that changed her family's life.

 

Amber Hagerman (November 25, 1986 – January 15, 1996) was a young girl who became a victim of an abduction and murder. On January 13, 1996, she was riding her bike near her grandparents' home in Arlington, Texas, and was kidnapped soon thereafter.[1] Her murder would later inspire the creation of the AMBER Alert system.

 

I NEVER let my children play unsupervised when they were young, and I will never let my grandson play unsupervised. As the notice above mentions, it only took 8 minutes that time. Often it takes less minutes than that to snatch a kid off a bike, from the sidewalk, etc. Why risk it?

 

More to the point, why does anyone care what level of supervision one family does, over your own level? One family might think another family is over cautious, while they think you are under cautious. No reason to ridicule each other's preferences.

[crazyforcruizin]

This was an unfortunate incident that could have been avoided by one thing- do not let your kids sign themselves out. I never let my kids sign out themselves because you never know what might happen-your example is a good one. Plus some kids might get other ideas if they are not interested in the activities and might want to sign themselves out and roam the ship. Hence, you think they are in Camp Carnival but who knows where they are or what they are doing? Even if you trust them totally, they still have peer pressure and may think they can find you but can't and that could make them scared too. When it comes to my children, Camp Carnival is still full of adults that you know nothing about that are in charge of your children. Would you do that at home?:)

[skylock]

I can not imagine a better target for an evil doer than a child sitting somewhere crying because they did not know what to do.

Anyone that overprotects their children to the point that this would have been your 10 yr old if something similiar had happened, I sincerely hope you rethink your master plan.

[Kurbanfan]

[quote name='Crusin6']IN this case no. Normally I would agree with you but since it is called cruise critic and she/he is new, they ddid what is meant to be done. They posted a criticism and left. Since they may actually not be the addictive type, they are not on CC 24/7 and may not even be aware of the debate they have started.

We should all be so wise as to post our concerns and then just let it be. Why would she need to come back on? To defend herself? Not needed if she posted the true facts....no need to come back and defend one self.

Or it could be a farce...or a mis tori...we won't ever know[B]....but one thing is for sure.......the posters here will probably tear the OP apart[/B].:([/quote]

LMAO!!! Ya think:confused:

[crusinmama06]

[quote name='skylock']I can not imagine a better target for an evil doer than a child sitting somewhere crying because they did not know what to do.

Anyone that overprotects their children to the point that this would have been your 10 yr old if something similiar had happened, I sincerely hope you rethink your master plan.[/quote]

No, because had the parent truly been "overprotecting" the child, then the child wouldn't have had sign out privledges and wouldn't have been out of Camp Carnival. ;)

And just because I am vicious when it comes to protecting my kids (mama bear and all of that) :p my kids still know where their cabin is. With 9 cruises, my daughter knows the ships better than I do most times. I always have to ask her "Which way do we go?" because frankly I am getting old and senile, so I need her to show me the way back. ;)

So I know my daughter wouldn't be sitting there crying, not knowing where to go. But I also know we won't get the chance to find out because when I drop her off at Camp Carnival, I expect her to be AT Camp Carnival. :D

[Jenbo57]

[quote name='Rowan555']Well, I guess that works for you - but it wouldn't work for us. I homeschool my kids and they get more than enough adult interaction and supervision. I also trust their judgment, even at 8 and 9, enough to allow them to play in the front yard, ride their bikes around the neighborhood, etc. Likewise, I have no problem with them going to the Lido Deck for ice cream, playing mini golf, or doing certain other activities without us on a cruise.

I've worked in the criminal justice system, and I'm aware of the dangers out there. I'm also aware that for me, a life ruled by fear is not a workable way live.[/quote]


Thank your for being one of the few voices of reason on this thread! (Good grief...sexual predators, child abductions...it's a wonder anyone cruises with all of those threats out there!) I bet you have happy, independent, well adjusted kids! Kudos to you!!!

My kids are now 21 and 25. Have traveled since they were very young. Maybe because their dad's a cop, maybe not, but since they were old enough to understand, we always had a plan, not just for travel, but for any situation that might arise. What to do if the house caught on fire during the night. What to do if they were separated from one of us at a public place. Who to call and touch bases with if there was an earthquake (or name your disaster) and we were all in different locations (this did happen once). They knew their name, address, phone number, our work numbers, etc., etc., etc. It's just common sense. We presented all this information in a way so that they were never frightened, just prepared.

Parenting is a difficult job, and each parent has to decided for him or herself what's best for their child. But I can't help but think that some of these kids are going to become very paranoid adults, afraid to go out much beyond their own front doors. And that's just sad...