Kids during Christmas vacation

[BBoomer]

Further to other posts, we are also booked on this cruise ( wife / grandson / self )

During our spring break cruise aboard Oosterdam 2010 we found the additional children aboard provided a welcome vibrancy to the cruise and hope it will be replicated over the Christmas holiday period.

There was no apparent misbehaviour from children, who all appeared to be enjoying the cruise experience, as did we and our Grandson aged 11.

 

I am so glad that you have taught your grandson how to behave. What should we do about those parents that have not. It is fine that you feel it vibrant. But from a safey issue what happens when one of these vibrant kids plows over granny using a cane.

 

We are in forties and find that we pick the itenary first then the cruise line regardless of the sail date. Then we check to see if it is during the holidays to decide if we really want to go. Usually we go during these kidde times since we also want to get away druing x-mas, etc. I have NO issue with kids on cruises if they are taught manners.

[luvs2travl]

It is not a NCL fault. I assume they were doing the best with what they had to deal with. You just gotta stay on top of it. Just go down to the front desk and ask for someone to monitor the cameras. I was very surprised at what the cruise lines gives you when you appear not to asking for something. It a good approach as we have got many future credits using it. Just don't demand something be done, just say you want help and you think it is the kids in cabin xxxx. This works wonders.

 

You may be correct, but really - is it my responsibility to "police" the ship? We did call security - several times. My husband even spoke to one of the adults seen with the children near our cabin (as politely as possible if you can believe that, tho' it was difficult) and was NOT so politely told to mind his own business & they could take care of seeing to their own children. One of the little darlings turned around, ginned, and shot my husband the bird. Cute, eh? I'd say he was about 10 or 12 years old.

 

The couple across the hall from us told us that they had requested another cabin. No could do as the ship was fully booked. That guy said he was writing a letter to the president of NCL when he got back. Whether he did or not is anyone's guess.

 

Four days into the seven-day cruise, my husband, another guy whom we didn't know, DH's cousin, and his mom were all in line at the Main Desk voicing complaints about these kids. The gist of the entire conversation was that the ship was very crowded due to the holidays and that everyone was doing the best they could. No OBC offered, no bottle of wine, nothing. Not that we expected anything other than just a little bit of peace & quiet in the evenings and that meal requests left on our cabin door be left alone, as well as the elevator buttons, etc.

 

We have cruised many times with kids on board and this was by far the worst experience EVER on any cruise ship. We were not impressed by the response, (or lack thereof) we received from the NCL staff on board. Just left a bad taste in our mouth - sorry.

[shandryl]

I booked a cruise at Christmas through to New Years.................Never again. :mad: I always take cruises when I know they are in school :D

[BruceMuzz]

It's not only the children that can be a problem on a Christmas Cruise.

 

This is usually the most expensive cruise of the year, and everyone is looking to get their money's worth. We receive far more complaints on the Christmas Cruise than on any other.

 

The ship is more heavily booked over Christmas than at any other time of the year. If you enjoy standing in many long lines with many families and children, this is the week for you.

 

We experience far more onboard domestic disputes over Christmas than on any other week of the year.

 

This is the busiest time of the year for the airlines.

More flights are cancelled and delayed -and more bags lost - on Christmas Week than any other time of the year.

 

If your bags are lost or you have a flight cancelled, the airline staff who normally help you are on their Christmas vacation - just like you. Good luck getting it sorted out.

 

If you have any sort of emergency that requires you to quickly return home - forget it. Every flight has been booked solid for months.

 

If you have a problem with your cruise booking, or have a serious problem onboard, the cruise line corporate office staff are on their Christmas vacation - just like you. Maybe they can sort it out in a few weeks.

 

If you are cruising to a Christian country - like Mexico - many shops, museums, and tours are closed Christmas Week. These people are on their Christmas holiday - just like you.

[Frog&Quackie]

I guess we are in the minority on this one. All of our cruises (past and upcoming) have been over Thanksgiving or Christmas (we are young seniors). Yes - there were children on the ships ... but we never came home thinking "never again." Personally my favorites are the "younger executive types" who have suddenly discovered they are locked in a small cabin with two young kids for 7 or 10 days. They can get real ugly and grumpy! :D They are easy to spot ... look around the Lido at the guy with two kids fighting who is screaming at the server "I said get my kid a soda and he wants it now!"

[shandryl]

LOL too funny! :D

 

I guess we are in the minority on this one. All of our cruises (past and upcoming) have been over Thanksgiving or Christmas (we are young seniors). Yes - there were children on the ships ... but we never came home thinking "never again." Personally my favorites are the "younger executive types" who have suddenly discovered they are locked in a small cabin with two young kids for 7 or 10 days. They can get real ugly and grumpy! :D They are easy to spot ... look around the Lido at the guy with two kids fighting who is screaming at the server "I said get my kid a soda and he wants it now!"

[travelberlin]

I have cruised already during christmas holliday. I have not had problems with children there. Nor have I seen children running around. As a matter of fact I have enjoyed it for a change to be at a ship with younger folks (parents and children). Since most of cruises are mainly full with elderly people, and with all respect for the younger on heart but not more so young in age, it is refreshing to be part of a mixed generation group.

[TV Dad]

WHAT'S WRONG WITH KIDS? Yes, you'll have a lot of children on a Christmas cruise. Yes, some of them will be rude and un-thinking. Children do that sometimes.

 

However, I have found more problems with rude adults on cruises. Like the ones who:

 

- Hog deck chairs by putting towels and bags on them, then don't show up for 2-3 hours.

 

- Snuff out cigarette butts and leave them on deck, instead of disposing them.

 

- Complain about every meal.

 

- Cut in front of you at the buffet line.

 

- Think drunken rowdiness is somehow funny and entertaining.

 

- Walk in front of your camera when you're taking a picture.

 

There are a lot of rude people in the world. It's not just children.

 

JUST MY TWO CENTS

[babyher]

I guess we are in the minority on this one. All of our cruises (past and upcoming) have been over Thanksgiving or Christmas (we are young seniors). Yes - there were children on the ships ... but we never came home thinking "never again." Personally my favorites are the "younger executive types" who have suddenly discovered they are locked in a small cabin with two young kids for 7 or 10 days. They can get real ugly and grumpy! :D They are easy to spot ... look around the Lido at the guy with two kids fighting who is screaming at the server "I said get my kid a soda and he wants it now!"

 

 

 

Ahhhhhhh "The Baby on Board sign in the Volvo SUV crowd" *LOL*

[LMB01]

One holiday cruise was enough for us - never again. Now when we cruise we intentionally target dates when school is in session and breaks are not likely.

[BBoomer]

WHAT'S WRONG WITH KIDS? Yes, you'll have a lot of children on a Christmas cruise. Yes, some of them will be rude and un-thinking. Children do that sometimes.

 

However, I have found more problems with rude adults on cruises. Like the ones who:

 

- Hog deck chairs by putting towels and bags on them, then don't show up for 2-3 hours.

 

- Snuff out cigarette butts and leave them on deck, instead of disposing them.

 

- Complain about every meal.

 

- Cut in front of you at the buffet line.

 

- Think drunken rowdiness is somehow funny and entertaining.

 

- Walk in front of your camera when you're taking a picture.

 

There are a lot of rude people in the world. It's not just children.

 

JUST MY TWO CENTS

 

The content of this post was aimed at parents not controlling their kids..no issue with kids that are well behaved. You point out problem adults in your post and these are the problem adults that do not teach their kids how to behave. I think a cruise is a great place to train you kids since it is a very diverse environment with many different cultures present.

[terigo]

The content of this post was aimed at parents not controlling their kids..no issue with kids that are well behaved. You point out problem adults in your post and these are the problem adults that do not teach their kids how to behave. I think a cruise is a great place to train you kids since it is a very diverse environment with many different cultures present.

 

I kind of disagree with this.

A cruise is no more the place to train one's children, than white plush carpet is the place to train the puppy.

The time to have your children know what is acceptable behavior in a public place is BEFORE they are taken there.

The parents who let their kids run rampant on a cruise ship didn't do their jobs at home.

 

My children are grown now, and they went on many cruises with us when they were young.

But they knew well before they hit the ship that they had guidelines of behavior that were expected......

[luvs2travl]

I kind of disagree with this.

A cruise is no more the place to train one's children, than white plush carpet is the place to train the puppy.

The time to have your children know what is acceptable behavior in a public place is BEFORE they are taken there.

The parents who let their kids run rampant on a cruise ship didn't do their jobs at home.

 

My children are grown now, and they went on many cruises with us when they were young.

But they knew well before they hit the ship that they had guidelines of behavior that were expected......

 

Agree! If kids can't or don't behave on a cruise ship (or anywhere else in public for that matter), you can bet your bottom dollar that they don't behave at home, either!

[PumpkinPatches]

Damnn... I would LOOVE to do a Holiday cruise. The MAIN reason I sail with HAL is to avoid being around too many children.

 

I heard that Princess sets a limit to how many children are allowed onboard each sailing.. anyone know if HAL is the same?!

[BBoomer]

Agree! If kids can't or don't behave on a cruise ship (or anywhere else in public for that matter), you can bet your bottom dollar that they don't behave at home, either!

 

Agreed both that the training needed to have been done BEFORE the kids hit the ship. BUt, the ship would provide an environemnt to start training them since they have formal dinner, bufffet, etc. I will be on HAL to SYD and will see what happens on this one.

 

The last RCL to Sowth America was the worst for kids and the behavioir of the adults since there was a cultural issue on when dining should start and end and the FD room times were not aligned to those on the x-mas and new year eve.

 

thanks for the replies. Not sure if HAL or any cruise line as a special way of handling the badly trained kids..maybe security is the only option. Will keep you posted.

[terigo]

 

thanks for the replies. Not sure if HAL or any cruise line as a special way of handling the badly trained kids..maybe security is the only option. Will keep you posted.

 

Maybe there is hope yet for the parents to have their eyes opened....

 

This is a true story....

 

We were at a table with me, hubby, and our 2 daughters (aged 5 and 7 at the time) and another family with just a son, who appeared to be about 8 or 9..

The boy was loud, rude, demanding, and totally uncivilized at dinner, and his parents said NOTHING.

 

My husband was seething, and while we ate, went to the maitre d and asked if there was another table he could find for us. Unfortunately, the ship was full, and he said he would see what he could do, but to be patient.

On the second night, the boy again acted like he was raised by wolves, and I guess my 5 year old had had enough..... In a tiny little voice, she said to the father, "Why do you let him act like that? Nobody likes obnoxious kids... I know *I* don't!"

 

My husband and I were mortified (yet secretly ecstatic), that she spoke up and said what we wanted to say.

Ya know what happened? He looked over at his kid, said "OK, that's enough.. sit still, and act like a human being!!!"

 

The boy was perfect the rest of the cruise, and we wondered why his father didn't lay it out for him a lot earlier!

 

Oh, we didn't bother to change tables. His mother was pretty quiet, but turned out the father had a pretty good sense of humor and we got along just dandy!

 

"and a child shall lead them" :D

[casavaha]

Princess is probably the worst cruiseline for handling kids. Especially if the parents are

winning or losing in the casino.

 

We cruise every christmas. It is difficult to do anything about unruly children but the

parents can be dwelt with. Celebrity removes them from the ship at the next port.

You only have to do this a few times and the word gets around.

 

We have never had a problem with HAL because they know how to deal wtih the parents and are not afraid to explain the consequences.

 

Princess could care less. No one has the guts to do anything. Including the Captain and

Passenger Services.

 

I must say that we do take 2 weeks or more cruises at christmas. I think this may help

in weeding out some of the problem kids.

 

Greg

[Berk987]

Maybe there is hope yet for the parents to have their eyes opened....

 

This is a true story....

 

We were at a table with me, hubby, and our 2 daughters (aged 5 and 7 at the time) and another family with just a son, who appeared to be about 8 or 9..

The boy was loud, rude, demanding, and totally uncivilized at dinner, and his parents said NOTHING.

 

My husband was seething, and while we ate, went to the maitre d and asked if there was another table he could find for us. Unfortunately, the ship was full, and he said he would see what he could do, but to be patient.

On the second night, the boy again acted like he was raised by wolves, and I guess my 5 year old had had enough..... In a tiny little voice, she said to the father, "Why do you let him act like that? Nobody likes obnoxious kids... I know *I* don't!"

 

My husband and I were mortified (yet secretly ecstatic), that she spoke up and said what we wanted to say.

Ya know what happened? He looked over at his kid, said "OK, that's enough.. sit still, and act like a human being!!!"

 

The boy was perfect the rest of the cruise, and we wondered why his father didn't lay it out for him a lot earlier!

 

Oh, we didn't bother to change tables. His mother was pretty quiet, but turned out the father had a pretty good sense of humor and we got along just dandy!

 

"and a child shall lead them" :D

 

YOU GO GIRLFRIEND !!!!! What a wonderful story.

[RuthC]

"and a child shall lead them" :D

May I please borrow your 5-year old? I'll bring her back. Promise!

[terigo]

May I please borrow your 5-year old? I'll bring her back. Promise!

 

my 5 year old is now 30, and a sensible, yet outspoken young woman to this day..... :)

she teaches children with learning disabilities.

she and my wonderful son-in-law are expecting their first in January...

[igraf]

I was wondering if there was a rule of thumb regarding cruise length and number of kids, particular so during the summer and over the holidays. Is a 10-day cruise long enough to thin out the kids (sorry, moms!), or does it have to be at least 14-days?

 

Obviously any 7-day cruise while school is in session is fine in this regard.

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

...I must say that we do take 2 weeks or more cruises at christmas. I think this may help in weeding out some of the problem kids.

 

Greg

[travelgenie]

The absolute worst behavior I've ever seen on a cruise was on HAL, and it was by older adults, not children.

 

If you don't want to cruise with a lot of children, I would not cruise over Christmas.

I agree....rudeness and bad behavior on any cruise can certainly put a damper on anyone's vacation, coming from children or adults. When someone figures out the best time to avoid that, let me know.

[CowPrincess]

Is a 10-day cruise long enough to thin out the kids (sorry, moms!), or does it have to be at least 14-days?

 

Our Thanksgiving cruise was 10 days, and there were PLENTY of kids.

[jiminyC_fan]

We like kids (well behaved ones) and cannot fathom being on vacation with hundreds of others, hence we chose HAL instead of Disney or Carnival.

 

 

I have been on Disney 8 times with two more booked. We are in our 50's and sail without children. Disney does it different and it is well run. There is a whole area that is adult only so it's easy to cruise without the kid insanity like on other ships.

[db777]

Three years ago we had a Thanksgiving cruise 10 day on Zuiderdam partial Panama Canal. I was absolutely shocked there were only about 20 kids... and two of the cutest little girls 4 and 6...on formal nights they were truly a hit with their cute dresses and one even wore gloves to dinner one night...and both of their behaviors surpassed many of the adults...Hopefully when we sail another 10 day at Thanksgiving this time it will be similar... I think the start and finish dates might work out well... (wishful thinking)...

 

For the most part I enjoy being around kids especially the young ones...and many adolescents can be quite engaging...when "I-touches" first came out and I had one on the cruise...I had a number of adolescents asking me questions and of course giving me all sorts of advise on how to use it...my husband and I really enjoyed them coming by and visiting by the pool or in the lido...

 

I really feel for the staff when they have alot of kids...on one of our cruises it was after Christmas and I overheard a couple of the staff talking about how nice it was without extra children... I imagine that many of them prefer the more "Chronologically Advantaged" cruisers...especially since HAL really do not target children passengers as much as other lines... DB