Aussies Ditching Their Kids To Cruise

July 10, 2017- Australian parents are leaving behind the kids to go on cruises, new research reveals. In the past four years Carnival Cruise Line has seen an 80 percent increase in couples with older children sailing without them....

(older children meaning teenagers) https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=7935

I sure hope this trend continues and crosses over towards us culturally similar Yanks! When we first starting cruising Celebrity in 2001, their cruise ships in particular were not designed nor intended to be "family vacations". That was one of the draws of Celebrity. Formal Nights were very formal and for the most part, kid free. Celebrity in particular was not kid friendly and was more of an "adult line". Activities, lectures, thallososotherapy pools etc. were designed for adults. You could bring your kids on board, but the vast majority did not, for a reason.

Certain Cruise Lines are perfect for these family style vacations (i,e Disney, RCI), while others are not. Now it seems a blur across all lines. Even Crystal now markets "all kids sail free" promotions. Sheesh! We do not dislike children, but for my wife and I, we enjoy a child free or shall I say a "child light" cruise experience. Thus we choose cruises that for the most part, were designed for this.

We have trended towards Oceania recently as Celebrity is not what it was in terms of our needs and desires. But even Oceania started a kids program for their Regatta Alaska Cruises a few years ago. The R-type ships are so tiny (680 passengers) and really no place for hordes of bored teenagers. Yet they come on in droves and ultimately ruin the intended experience for the majority of their passengers. Just my 2 cents. :confused:

Then you should only sail on adult only cruises. They are charters.

Same as land vacations. You would likely be more comfortable at an adult only resort.

Most families are families because they want to be a family and spend time and experiences together. During the work/school year there is precious little time to actually just enjoy being together. Vacation is a time when you leave those daily cares behind and venture out into the world to see and experience. Why should parents leave their children behind? The answer is that they shouldn't.

Cruising is a perfect way to travel. It is a perfect, carefree, way to go from one destination to another. It is a perfect way to meet a lot of new people from different parts of the country and different countries. . I have yet to have children ever ruin my vacation or cruising experience. Quite the contrary, and I am not very tolerant of unchecked bad or disrespectful behavior. I would probably dislike sailing with you more than the kids I've encountered on board if you grumple just at the sight of kids on board.

And I'd ask what is the quality of the research done to get this dubious statistic. Sounds pretty suss to me.

Then you should only sail on adult only cruises. They are charters.

Same as land vacations. You would likely be more comfortable at an adult only resort.

 

Most families are families because they want to be a family and spend time and experiences together. During the work/school year there is precious little time to actually just enjoy being together. Vacation is a time when you leave those daily cares behind and venture out into the world to see and experience. Why should parents leave their children behind? The answer is that they shouldn't.

 

Cruising is a perfect way to travel. It is a perfect, carefree, way to go from one destination to another. It is a perfect way to meet a lot of new people from different parts of the country and different countries. . I have yet to have children ever ruin my vacation or cruising experience. Quite the contrary, and I am not very tolerant of unchecked bad or disrespectful behavior. I would probably dislike sailing with you more than the kids I've encountered on board if you grumple just at the sight of kids on board.

Thanks for your response, and I understand your points. The issue (for us at least) is not just the number of kids on board, it is the general lack of parenting these days. Is it fair for other passengers to tolerate unruly behavior of unchecked children? As an example, on all three of our R-type Oceania cruises, just a handful of unsupervised children decided to use the quite small pool and Jacuzzi area as an unfettered no holds bar jumping,diving and horseplay area for hours. Just trying to enjoy a cocktail in the Jacuzzi became sort of a nightmare.

You last sentence by the way was a bit of a jab. You may want to rethink how you present your points without going personal, especially when you do not know us. :mad:

Thanks for your response, and I understand your points. The issue (for us at least) is not just the number of kids on board, it is the general lack of parenting these days. Is it fair for other passengers to tolerate unruly behavior of unchecked children? As an example, on all three of our R-type Oceania cruises, just a handful of unsupervised children decided to use the quite small pool and Jacuzzi area as an unfettered no holds bar jumping,diving and horseplay area for hours. Just trying to enjoy a cocktail in the Jacuzzi became sort of a nightmare.

 

 

 

You last sentence by the way was a bit of a jab. You may want to rethink how you present your points without going personal, especially when you do not know us. :mad:

Well said!

Sent from my iPad using Forums

You might try Viking Ocean Cruises. I believe they don't accept passengers under 18 years old.

July 10, 2017- Australian parents are leaving behind the kids to go on cruises, new research reveals. In the past four years Carnival Cruise Line has seen an 80 percent increase in couples with older children sailing without them....

 

(older children meaning teenagers) https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=7935

 

I sure hope this trend continues and crosses over towards us culturally similar Yanks! When we first starting cruising Celebrity in 2001, their cruise ships in particular were not designed nor intended to be "family vacations". That was one of the draws of Celebrity. Formal Nights were very formal and for the most part, kid free. Celebrity in particular was not kid friendly and was more of an "adult line". Activities, lectures, thallososotherapy pools etc. were designed for adults. You could bring your kids on board, but the vast majority did not, for a reason.

 

Certain Cruise Lines are perfect for these family style vacations (i,e Disney, RCI), while others are not. Now it seems a blur across all lines. Even Crystal now markets "all kids sail free" promotions. Sheesh! We do not dislike children, but for my wife and I, we enjoy a child free or shall I say a "child light" cruise experience. Thus we choose cruises that for the most part, were designed for this.

 

We have trended towards Oceania recently as Celebrity is not what it was in terms of our needs and desires. But even Oceania started a kids program for their Regatta Alaska Cruises a few years ago. The R-type ships are so tiny (680 passengers) and really no place for hordes of bored teenagers. Yet they come on in droves and ultimately ruin the intended experience for the majority of their passengers. Just my 2 cents. :confused:

hope this trend continues ...completely agree with you....

adult holidays are very important...maybe would fix the state some marriages are in...

Bah, here we go again. Yet another " We hate children" thread...

I am starting to be really tired of the lack of tolerance here at CC: Some members express that they doesent like kids, others doesnt like Asians, gays, other dislike mediterrenean families, Russians, Mexican quinceaneras, or guests from San Juan.. the list goes on and on..

Just face it once and for all: Celebrity caters for all. Mass market. Average people like me: a Norwegian family father age 37 with with a upper middle class income. Im looking forward to cruise with my then 8 months old son in October this year. (October 9, Celebrity Reflection. Now you are warned..)

I you dont like that, then move on. Bring your dollar, pound, krone, euro etc elsewhere..

Then you should only sail on adult only cruises... I would probably dislike sailing with you more than the kids I've encountered on board if you grumple just at the sight of kids on board.

Oh no! You were doing so well, FishLover, and I was going to give your post a thumbs up. Then you ruined it all with your gratuitous final comment. Such a pity...

OP, we generally cruise on Celebrity or HAL and very seldom see any children on board. If you want to avoid children, simply pick cruises that aren't during school holidays and/or are over a week in length. It may not result in a totally "kid-free" cruise, but you certainly won't have "hordes of bored teenagers" to contend with. Or, as has been suggested, look for one of a number of adult-only cruises.

Times have changed....cruises ARE "family vacations" now. They are not reserved for the "hoity toity" set. It's a "Free for all" sort of vacation on almost EVERY line.

I don't know where the research was done but I don't quite believe it. Most cruise companies here are targetting families more than anything else. Maybe Carnival isn't as good for kids as other companies now and so they are getting more kid free passengers...who knows

"Aussies ditching their kids to cruise" - makes us sound like we just dump our kids anywhere to jump on a ship.

July 10, 2017- Australian parents are leaving behind the kids to go on cruises, new research reveals. In the past four years Carnival Cruise Line has seen an 80 percent increase in couples with older children sailing without them....

 

(older children meaning teenagers) https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=7935

 

I sure hope this trend continues and crosses over towards us culturally similar Yanks! When we first starting cruising Celebrity in 2001, their cruise ships in particular were not designed nor intended to be "family vacations". That was one of the draws of Celebrity. Formal Nights were very formal and for the most part, kid free. Celebrity in particular was not kid friendly and was more of an "adult line". Activities, lectures, thallososotherapy pools etc. were designed for adults. You could bring your kids on board, but the vast majority did not, for a reason.

 

Certain Cruise Lines are perfect for these family style vacations (i,e Disney, RCI), while others are not. Now it seems a blur across all lines. Even Crystal now markets "all kids sail free" promotions. Sheesh! We do not dislike children, but for my wife and I, we enjoy a child free or shall I say a "child light" cruise experience. Thus we choose cruises that for the most part, were designed for this.

 

We have trended towards Oceania recently as Celebrity is not what it was in terms of our needs and desires. But even Oceania started a kids program for their Regatta Alaska Cruises a few years ago. The R-type ships are so tiny (680 passengers) and really no place for hordes of bored teenagers. Yet they come on in droves and ultimately ruin the intended experience for the majority of their passengers. Just my 2 cents. :confused:

I'll admit that most of our cruises had few kids. Only the Regal Princess in 2016 had a fair amount of kids. They were generally from 12-16(guessing)They were behaving far better than many of the drunken adults we saw that cruise(Super bowl week)

The issue (for us at least) is not just the number of kids on board, it is the general lack of parenting these days. Is it fair for other passengers to tolerate unruly behavior of unchecked children?

That's a sweeping generalisation.

I'm yet to see a 'general lack of parenting' on board ships. Different people are different, of all ages though. There are chair hogs, smokers on balconies stinking up other cabins, oldies wanting priority and to jump queues, and slobs who touch food in the buffet and put it back (erk!).

I guess - unless you want a private cruise - you can't avoid the public. I'm not singling any of those groups out with a rant against them though.

And Celebrity has targeted families for over a decade, so even if that was distant history, that's all it is. _Much_ more than that has changed onboard since then.

OP here. Thanks for all of the responses. Here are a few Random thoughts.

1) Yes I realize that the title of the article was a bit misleading. It sort of sterotypes all Aussies as supposed "Child Ditchers." Beer Drinkers, Funny Talkers and Great Rugby players perhaps, but not necessarily the type that abandons babies. (Sarcasm) ;p

2) Good to know Viking is an "adults only" cruise line. What is interesting is that they are also ranked #1 by virtually every poll. Wonder if there is a cause and effect going on here. :confused:

3) We are not "Child Haters" as some people (i.e. Norwegians) apparently surmise from my fairly cogent and succinct opening argument. We, like many cruise critic members, simply prefer not to spend our Holidays with them. Apparently my Aussie mates agree. ;)

That's a sweeping generalisation. I'm yet to see a 'general lack of parenting' on board ships. Different people are different, of all ages though. There are chair hogs, smokers on balconies stinking up other cabins, oldies wanting priority and to jump queues, and slobs who touch food in the buffet and put it back (erk!).I guess - unless you want a private cruise - you can't avoid the public. I'm not singling any of those groups out with a rant against them though.

And Celebrity has targeted families for over a decade, so even if that was distant history, that's all it is. _Much_ more than that has changed onboard since then.

So is the Generalization that Aussies Ditch Their kids. Obviously Celebrity is targeting families for the money that can generate. I think you have lost the point of my premise. But believe me, some of my fellow earlier Celebrity cruise partners know what I am talking about. Celebrity was originally not envisioned to be a family line.

There are also different Celebrity Cruises. There are Spring Break cruises that the college kids take over and drink like fish on their unlimited drink packages. There are Alaskan Cruises in the heart of the Summer Recess and kids deserve to see Hubbard Glacier. There are intellectually stimulating cruises like the Baltic. So yes, generalizations aside, it is the consumer that will demand how things go. Consumers gave up on Formal Nights, and sure enough the Cruiise Lines (except Cunard) obliged. Things do change but I am excited to see that the Aussies, perhaps as a bellwether for us all, are beginning to leave the kids at home. :)

OP here. Thanks for all of the responses. Here are a few Random thoughts.

 

1) Yes I realize that the title of the article was a bit misleading. It sort of sterotypes all Aussies as supposed "Child Ditchers." Beer Drinkers, Funny Talkers and Great Rugby players perhaps, but not necessarily the type that abandons babies. (Sarcasm) ;p

 

2) Good to know Viking is an "adults only" cruise line. What is interesting is that they are also ranked #1 by virtually every poll. Wonder if there is a cause and effect going on here. :confused:

 

3) We are not "Child Haters" as some people (i.e. Norwegians) apparently surmise from my fairly cogent and succinct opening argument. We, like many cruise critic members, simply prefer not to spend our Holidays with them. Apparently my Aussie mates agree. ;)

My random thought:

Perhaps Viking is the line for you if not wanting to see children is the most important thing for you when cruising ;)?

OP here. Thanks for all of the responses. Here are a few Random thoughts.

 

 

3) We are not "Child Haters" as some people (i.e. Norwegians) apparently surmise from my fairly cogent and succinct opening argument. We, like many cruise critic members, simply prefer not to spend our Holidays with them. Apparently my Aussie mates agree. ;)

Read it with elderly instead. Imagine the reactions you would get..

"We are not "elderly haters" as some people (i.e.Norwegians) apparently surmise from my fairly cogent and succinct opening argument. We, like many cruise critic members, simply prefer not to spend our Holidays with them. Apparently my Aussie mates agree"..

It could even be a case of the teenagers not wanting to go with their parents! Kids often reach a stage in their lives where spending time with "the oldies" is embarrassing to them, so they might not want to go on a cruise with them. After all, in their eyes, cruise ships are full of "oldies". :D

OP, do you only cruise when school is not in session? In 20 years of cruising on Celebrity, I have never seen "hordes of bored teenagers" on a Celebrity ship. In fact, the only time I've seen more than a few children on a Celebrity ship is when cruising when school is out. That's primarily when families cruise.

We started cruising Celebrity in 1996 and they have always had a children's program, even though their ships are not designed with water slides or flow riders and such. They have always had a game room though, along with an organized children's program. However, when cruising during school session, most times there are so few kids on board that some of the kid's staff are transferrred to the activities staff, because there might only be 15 or so kids on the entire ship.

IMO, you are making a mountain out of a mole hill. Or trying to stir the pot.

So is the Generalization that Aussies Ditch Their kids. Obviously Celebrity is targeting families for the money that can generate. I think you have lost the point of my premise. But believe me, some of my fellow earlier Celebrity cruise partners know what I am talking about. Celebrity was originally not envisioned to be a family line.

 

I hadn't lost the point of your premise; I just found the justification you used to be extremely lacking.

There are also different Celebrity Cruises. There are Spring Break cruises that the college kids take over and drink like fish on their unlimited drink packages. There are Alaskan Cruises in the heart of the Summer Recess and kids deserve to see Hubbard Glacier. There are intellectually stimulating cruises like the Baltic. So yes, generalizations aside, it is the consumer that will demand how things go. Consumers gave up on Formal Nights, and sure enough the Cruiise Lines (except Cunard) obliged. Things do change but I am excited to see that the Aussies, perhaps as a bellwether for us all, are beginning to leave the kids at home. :)

The thing is, stats aren't always used accurately or informatively. This particular piece looks like a marketing piece, rather than holding any useful information.

All the figure in the article showed was a growth of a certain consumer segment. It didn't state any other segment though, nor does it give possible explanations. Of itself, it can't be used to demonstrate the conclusion you've drawn - though it doesn't rule it out either. There just isn't enough information given.

The Australian market has increased greatly over that time, so in that context an 80% increase in 4 years may be above average, but not hugely differentiated. Perhaps it's even lower than other segments, such as cruising with children! What has the overall increase been? And given it refers to Carnival, what are the other increases in other segments on Carnival? Does it just refer to Carnival branded cruise ships, or all the Carnival Australia brands (e.g. including Princess Aust, P&O, and so on)?

It's rubbish research to start with. Just off Silhouette in Amsterdam but did an extend your stay. Next cruise was choc full of kids. Both they and parents made for a really noisy buffet until we left. Happily.

A little perspective on Celebrity and their children's programs. We first cruised on Celebrity with our children in 94 on the Horizon. They had excellent children programs at the time, they did not have rock climbing walls or water slides but no cruise line had that at the time. The closest to those things was the Big Red Boat which had the Disney characters on it. We did that cruise the year before the Horizon. Celebrity's first real build in children's spaces appears on the Century class ships, we did the Century in 95 and dedicated space was build into the ship Every ship after that has had children dedicated spaces. If Celebrity did not create spaces I seriously doubt they would be around now. They tried adult only cruises and they were a failure. Just giving a bit of perspective as dedicated spaces did not start with the M class ships and Celebrity was doing family friendly cruises long before the M class ships. One example of this was the Bermuda run in the 90s with two ships going there in the summer, loaded with children.

Celebrity doesn't have rock climbing walls and water slides that I've seen.

I hadn't lost the point of your premise; I just found the justification you used to be extremely lacking. The thing is, stats aren't always used accurately or informatively. This particular piece looks like a marketing piece, rather than holding any useful information. All the figure in the article showed was a growth of a certain consumer segment. It didn't state any other segment though, nor does it give possible explanations. Of itself, it can't be used to demonstrate the conclusion you've drawn - though it doesn't rule it out either. There just isn't enough information given.

 

The Australian market has increased greatly over that time, so in that context an 80% increase in 4 years may be above average, but not hugely differentiated. Perhaps it's even lower than other segments, such as cruising with children! What has the overall increase been? And given it refers to Carnival, what are the other increases in other segments on Carnival? Does it just refer to Carnival branded cruise ships, or all the Carnival Australia brands (e.g. including Princess Aust, P&O, and so on)?

I think you are correct. It was all just a big Carnival (Australia) marketing ploy. Google "Carnival Honeyboomer" and you get a host of Carnival advertising and this verbiage from a bogus news site called EBTravelNews:

New research from Carnival Cruise Line reveals the rise of the ‘Honeyboomers’ Carnival Cruise Line reveals a nationwide desire for couples with older kids to experience more fun and live a free spirited life. Research shows relationships are likely to last longer when couples take time out from parenting to build new memories together*. The research polled over 1,000 Australians (couples with children aged 13+), revealing more than three quarters (76%) of couples miss having fun with their partner and over one third (35%) believe a child-free holiday will help them remember why they fell in love.

Carnival has christened these couples ‘Honeyboomers’ – couples enjoying a second honeymoon now that their kids are less reliant on them. The cruise line has seen an 80% increase in Honeyboomers sailing over the past four years. Relationship expert, John Aiken, says couples should prioritise spending time with each other having fun and enjoying new experiences to ensure a healthy and happy relationship. Aiken believes that many couples don’t prioritise time alone. Almost a quarter of Aussies (22%) revealed they haven’t been on a holiday alone for five years or longer and 90% said they wanted to share more travel experiences with their partner. “There is nothing more important in a relationship than spending one-on-one time together. Fun experiences allow couples to form stronger bonds and create new conversation. It’s an important ingredient to relationship success.” Rob Nicholas, a regular cruiser and Honeyboomer, says “We really look forward to our time together on holiday, where can enjoy each other’s company and have fun with friends. We use the opportunity to try new things and be a bit outrageous without the kids around to get embarrassed by us. It’s also a real opportunity to get out there and experience new countries and cultures together. It’s so much fun!”