Bad manners and wasting food on a cruise ship, what do you think?

[cruisindoggie]

On the Mariner a few years back while eating lunch in the windjammer my wife and I sat near a couple that went back to the line for seconds and came back with overflowing plates of food. After they sat down they each took a few bites of food and pushed the food to the center of the table because they were done.

 

We were leaving our table around the same time and I approached the couple as they stood up to leave and I looked at the wasted food, looked them in the eyes and called them ignorant.

 

You can flame me if you want, but the couple knew they were wrong and did not reply.

[temple1]

 

I agree that your not being a Mother or Grandmother does not make your views irrelevant....... But please....as a Mother and Grandmother myself I strongly beg to differ that your views regarding children would be MORE relevant". That is just absurd.

 

Personally, after almost 20 week long cruises I have found the rudest people on ships are the older crowd. And as a daughter and granddaughter I do have experience with the older crowd.

 

My children are not perfect, my grandchildren are not perfect. But also my parents and grandparents were not perfect either. Oh and I am not perfect either. And I am willing to guess that you are not perfect. This Child bashing that goes on here, especially by people who have never had children.....well it is laughable.

 

By what goes on here on these Boards we should believe that all kids are horrible and all non-parents are experts in child rearing. What a joke!

 

Child bashing? I think some of us just might be more aware of what "some" of the lil darlins are doing more so than their - aren't my angels wonderful? parents.

 

Actually, most posters who have mentioned inappropriate behavior by children in public and on cruises have stated they seem to be few and far between and the parents are to blame for their actions.

 

So if you feel burned by the topic - then it must be hitting close to home.

 

You don't have to have a child to know what inappropriate behavior is when you see it. :rolleyes:

 

I know that if I see a child act out in public and the parent turns a blind eye - then the problem is really the parent.

[JillLovesTravel]

 

Child bashing? I think some of us just might be more aware of what "some" of the lil darlins are doing more so than their - aren't my angels wonderful? parents.

 

Actually, most posters who have mentioned inappropriate behavior by children in public and on cruises have stated they seem to be few and far between and the parents are to blame for their actions.

 

So if you feel burned by the topic - then it must be hitting close to home.

 

You don't have to have a child to know what inappropriate behavior is when you see it. :rolleyes:

 

I know that if I see a child act out in public and the parent turns a blind eye -

then the problem is really the parent.

 

 

As far as me feeling "burned" by the topic would that mean my kids/grandkids must be horrible and I am blind and stupid? Hahaha.... Let me take a wild guess..... You don't now nor ever had children or grandchildren, right? Just a

wild guess. So you are the expert and I am the dumb ass?

 

My kids have literally travelled most of three continents by land and sea since they were young. They are far from perfect but they know how to travel and behave themselves as well as most people, not better, not worse. I am not " burned" by this topic, rather baffled by the childless child bashers, that is all.

[newcatintown]

The parent guides and leads the child, or doesn't. Thankfully most are good at this, and I say a silent prayer for those that are unaware.

[Girl_from_Ipanema]

I am not " burned" by this topic, rather baffled by the childless child bashers, that is all.

 

Why are you "baffled"? It's really pretty simple.

 

People without children have a lower tolerance for the noise and mess created by most kids than people who have kids and who are used to it. Most kids are not little adults, that's just how it is.

 

I don't have kids and will never have kids because I like my life nice, peaceful, orderly and quiet. Some people think a life like that is "missing out." I think it's bliss.

 

Different strokes for different folks. If there were a childfree cruiseline, I'd be one of the first in line. I've always picked childfree resorts, or traveled off season where there are fewer kids.

 

Is it really that difficult to understand why some people prefer not to be surrounded by/subjected to other people's kids?

[gingerpeaches]

Is it really that difficult to understand why some people prefer not to be surrounded by/subjected to other people's kids?

 

I have kids and I teach kids, and I'd be up for a cruise on a child free line every now and again. I like kids and I supervise my children when we're out in public. However, I can't spend 24/7 with my kids and my husband and I enjoy holidays and time without our kids.

 

I guess my point is that even people who have kids don't want to spend every.waking.moment with their children BUT if you choose to take your kids out in public then, as a responsible parent, it is your job to ensure that they don't infringe on anyone else's space or enjoyment. If you can't or are unwilling to do that, then don't take them out!

[lv2cruisgrl]

Reason 1 to only cruise when kids are in school! However people are people and we also have seen terrible behavior by adults. We try to look the other way. We have seen all of the above and that is why we also get a balcony so we can escape the idiots on board the ships.

[amybear912]

I haven't seen anyone here BASH children... What I see here is folks talking about bad behavior of children and in most cases, relating that bad behavior back to the actions that the parents take or don't take...

 

No one is claiming to be perfect... to imply that is what is going on here is just ludicrous...

 

Look, kids are kids... They are learning each and every day by the examples they see and the guidance they are given...

 

I think what the OP and several of us are trying to convey here is we are often appalled by parents who don't take action to correct bad behavior and the effect that has on the rest of us while we are on vacation...

 

There is a big difference in my mind between bad behavior that the parent remedies immediately and bad behavior that simply goes unaddressed or worse yet, is encouraged by the parent to continue...

 

Kids have meltdowns, sometimes they make poor decisions about their behavior... but what the parent does to address it makes all the difference in the world and is a reflection of them as parents... And ultimately determines how the child grows up to behave in the world...

 

I am sure that each of us has witnessed at least one of the following things happen in the MDR or perhaps at a landbased restaurant:

 

1.)Child begins screaming... parent is able to quiet the child immediately... Everyone goes about their meal.

 

2.)Child begins screaming... parent cannot quiet the child, parent removes child from the dining room... Diners go about enjoying their meal.

 

3.)Child begins screaming... parent allows child to continue screaming... Diners begin staring at parent and mumbling to themselves about the disturbance...

 

In each of those scenarios... how the parent handles it speaks volumes and ultimately determines whether or not the event shows up here on Cruise Critic's Most Wanted Parents of Bad Children...

 

In #1, most diners won't even remember the event happened... Heck, in some cases, most diners may not even be aware that it happened at all... Because the action of the parent was immediate and most importantly, considerate of their fellow diners/vacationers...

 

In #2, the removal of the child from the dining room is a blip on the radar of other cruisers... I am willing to bet that the impression left on other diners is that this was a good parent taking responsibility for their child's behavior and making the necessary sacrifice of their dining experience for the benefit of the other diners... Unfortunately, this moment won't make it into their cruise review posted here... Nor will it generate a thread about children's behavior...

 

#3 is why we end up with threads about misbehaving children here on Cruise Critic... The lack of action taken by the parent is the issue, not the child's behavior...

 

I for one am sick of being accused of bashing children or hating children or just "not understanding" what it's like to be a parent since I am not... To me that sounds like excuses for not taking action or justification for not taking action... What it reeks of to me is defensiveness when someone tries to hold you accountable for you or your child's bad behavior...

 

I get it... you're embarrassed at your lapse of judgement and failure to address your child's behavior... But I think the correct response when someone brings it to your attention should probably be: "I'm so sorry that Little Johnny keeps throwing his ball at your head... I will speak with him immediately" or better yet, bring Little Johnny over to my chair and have HIM apologize...

 

I promise that my response will be, "Thank you"...

 

'Cause that's how we roll in a civilized world...