What does Carnival do with lost children?

[kyrisong1]

We had a horrific incident in NYC about 2 months ago where an 8 year old asked a trusted person for help after he got lost.

 

I'd go with "the meeting spot".....but instill in the child that he must remain "in public sight"

I am so with you on this. That little boy was one of my first thoughts about someone "helping" a child.

Unfortunately in this world there are predators of all sizes, shapes and colors, as well as all walks of life, and most child predators model themselves to be exactly what a child trusts and likes most.

We had our John Joubert here, a miltary kid in uniform that liked to kill little boys!!!

I think a public spot like OUTSIDE the glass elevator is an awesome meeting place, mom can go up and down the steps or elevator looking for her child.

My mom always made sure we knew where the meeting point is too!!!

Luggage tag on a necklace could work for IDing the child also.

Cheers, Carole

[peepaw]

And mind you, it is the well-behaved kids who get lost. The wild ones don't want Mom or Dad around.:eek:

 

You are absolutely correct Doc. when I was a kid I never wanted to be found! I knew when I was found I was gonna get it! and not in a friendly way:D I have two daughters which I have let get "lost" when they were children. they are both over 20 now, still my babies but I do not worry about them getting lost. Any who I would watch each child take off on there own and followed just out of their sight. It is a hard thing to do but both learned not to let go of Daddies hand when in public! Bought lessons are learned lessons. All of my children were drilled in names (not mom and dad) address and phone number. I don't know what I would do in the case of a cruise. Especially when going to another country. While the people in Mexico are nice, folks, it ain't the United States! Keep a hold on little kids!

Of course I would serve them with a salad and a nice white wine:D

[deborahjo]

We need to remember that in a scared time kids may not remember to go to a set location. Fear kicks in and their minds may not be able to process what we need it to.

[Haoie]

Damn, thought the lost kids would be up for grabs at the last art auction.

[RuthlessBoss]

Sooo. If a kid gets lost, has no clue where he is nor how he got there, how is he supposed to find the meeting spot? Does he even know what a pursers desk is or where it is?:eek:

[Ashera0]

At theme parks I always have my cell number written on a card in a clear plastic holder that I pin on to the front of my two sons shirts. On the Carnival cruise a month back we wrote the cabin numbers on their wrist bands with Sharpies. (I guess a booking number would have been even safer.) my DS 1.5 is too young to give further instructions to. I always tell my older DS (5) that if he has to ask for helP he should talk to a MOMMY WITH CHILDREN with her. I realize this isn't foolproof, but I feel safer about that than suggesting he ask someone in a uniform given that a predator could dress up that way purposefully and many work-related outfits could be interpreted as uniforms by a small child. The Good news --- the seven night cruise went incident free...one night DS 5 did run ahead into the Spectacular lounge and I couldn't find him but about 2 minutes later I saw him standing at the top of the lounge looking for me.

[waldocruiser1]

I think you misunderstand, we are not talking about children allowed to roam the ship, parents who don't want their kids around or irresponsible parents. we are talking about the child who is supervised, with their parent and in a moment is able to turn a corner and is LOST! If you have a way to make a 3yrold responsible please let me know! I also need to know how to stop a 6yr old from stopping to look in an attractive window and not keeping up with the family and is lost in a crowd in an instant. and if you could please stop the crowd from seperateing me from an 8yr old, even though we are holding hands as we get in an elevator I would really appreciate it. every lost child is not the product of an irresponsible parent, and If you are a parent you know it is not possible to hold your child at all times. As stated above sometimes you are dealing with a willfull child who choses to disobey the parent. These things happen. All parents should expect that at some point their child may be lost, and practice from an early age what they expect the child to do when it does happen. Basic parenting 101

 

I understand what you are saying 100%, been there done that. Mine are now 25 and 23. But what you are looking for does not make sense. Lets see if this is what you are saying;

 

1. You are walking from dinner, toward the showroom. As you pass the gift shop, photo shop, candy shop on the ship, Jr pulls away or stops to look at the candy/toy/shirt and you did not notice that they stopped.

 

So you expect Jr to REMEMBER that if he looses sight of you to go to the XYZ (pursers desk, Camp, Cabin). This sounds good, but what are you going to during the 30 seconds to 5 minutes that YOU lost sight of Jr and Jr lost sight of you? Take off to the meeting point? or Look around for the child in the area that you were just at, when you lost them?

 

My point is this, if you lost them and do not know where you last saw them, then you need to watch your child better!

 

If you are talking about they were next to you as you passed the store and now they are gone, then they should know how to find you, instead of wondering off looking for the prusers desk!

 

I just think expecting a "Lost" child to remember how to find a meeting place on a ship that they have been on for less than 7 days in most cases is crazy.

 

Yes kids are wondering, kids like to stop and look at things, kids like to lagg behind, kids are kids. But there is one things kids will never be, and that is THE ADULT/PARENT. If your little one has a tendency to drop behind, or stop to look at things, or gets distracted easy, then one of the adults in the group needs to be bringing up the rear to make sure all the kids are accounted for.

 

Yes I have had to do this, yes it sometimes takes away from the parents fun and enjoyment, yes at times it can be a pain in the a$$ but it has to be done, or you have to make sure that someone around the area that you are in will take care of your child.

[ilovetexas]

Well, you are wrong, I do have children and grandchild, and what we do is what I have been saying all along, WATCH YOUR CHILD.

 

It is crazy to expect the crew to watch your child while they are lost, untill you realize they are lost and decide to look for them. Maybe the parent should be responsable and watch the child, and the child should be responsable and watch the parent. ...

 

If you feel you can not watch them when they are not in Camp then do not bring them or better yet, don't cruise. ...

 

 

I could go on, but I think you get the point, this is basic parenting 101.

 

Again the point is WATCH YOUR CHILD ...

 

WaldoCruiser,

 

Seriously, enough!! You started a thread earlier this month that could EASILY have resulted in a whole bunch of people lecturing you on your lack of control and/or personal behavior but they didn't. As a matter of fact, you specifically stated "PLEASE KEEP YOUR NEGATIVE COMMENTS TO YOURSELF". And everyone did.

 

Now you come along and lecture the OP several times on her lack of parenting skills and the proper way she should be watching her kid. Have you bothered to notice that most other people are actually offering advice? Which is what you were requesting from CC members as well.

 

Take your own advice: Keep your negative comments to yourself. The OP didn't ask for your version of Parenting 101, she asked what Carnival does with lost children.

[waldocruiser1]

WaldoCruiser,

 

Seriously, enough!! You started a thread earlier this month that could EASILY have resulted in a whole bunch of people lecturing you on your lack of control and/or personal behavior but they didn't. As a matter of fact, you specifically stated "PLEASE KEEP YOUR NEGATIVE COMMENTS TO YOURSELF". And everyone did.

 

Now you come along and lecture the OP several times on her lack of parenting skills and the proper way she should be watching her kid. Have you bothered to notice that most other people are actually offering advice? Which is what you were requesting from CC members as well.

 

Take your own advice: Keep your negative comments to yourself. The OP didn't ask for your version of Parenting 101, she asked what Carnival does with lost children.

 

You are right, she asked what does Carnival do with lost children, and I think it has been said by others that they don't do anything except try to find the parent.

 

I am not trying to say you are doing a bad job parenting, I am saying the best thing you can do to avoid your child getting lost in this situation is watch them better. If you are trying to say that watching them better is not the best thing that could happen, then I don't understand how having the "lost" child wonder the ship looking for the Camp, or the pursers desk, would be better. I have never seen Camp Carnival, our boys were older than that on our first cruise. I do know that on some of the ships we were on it was on some upper deck 14/15? out of the way.

 

I just tried to give realistic advise of what to do to keep from having the child get lost, instead of how to find them later.

 

I stand corrected, and will keep my opinion of this topic to myself.

 

I in no way wanted to belittle the OP about being a bad parent, just how to avoid a lost child.

 

Thanks for pointing out what I was doing.

[B and C Blake]

I think you misunderstand, we are not talking about children allowed to roam the ship, parents who don't want their kids around or irresponsible parents. we are talking about the child who is supervised, with their parent and in a moment is able to turn a corner and is LOST! If you have a way to make a 3yrold responsible please let me know! I also need to know how to stop a 6yr old from stopping to look in an attractive window and not keeping up with the family and is lost in a crowd in an instant. and if you could please stop the crowd from seperateing me from an 8yr old, even though we are holding hands as we get in an elevator I would really appreciate it. every lost child is not the product of an irresponsible parent, and If you are a parent you know it is not possible to hold your child at all times. As stated above sometimes you are dealing with a willfull child who choses to disobey the parent. These things happen. All parents should expect that at some point their child may be lost, and practice from an early age what they expect the child to do when it does happen. Basic parenting 101

 

What do you do in a mall at Christmas time??

 

As much as I am against these contraptions and never had a need for them .. my girls knew from day one of walking if they left my side I would leave them behind, which I did do once on purpose and they never wandered again because it scared the living poop of of my oldest. I kept her in eye sight but she could not see me ..

Any who back to the contraption ... take a child leash with you if you are that concerned about a wandering child.

I hate the things but if the child wanders throw it on him/her. Might stop the wandering thing. :D

 

*** I have been dying to answer .. Carnival takes the lost children throws them into the bowels of ship with all the oars and tells them to start rowing! LOL

[az-cruiser]

We bought either a cheap rubber bracelet...like the lance armstrong ones, or a cheap watch and wrote in sharpie on the back of it, all the info..room #, parents names, conf. number....never had to use it :o

[RuthlessBoss]

What do you do in a mall at Christmas time??

 

As much as I am against these contraptions and never had a need for them .. my girls knew from day one of walking if they left my side I would leave them behind, which I did do once on purpose and they never wandered again because it scared the living poop of of my oldest. I kept her in eye sight but she could not see me ..

Any who back to the contraption ... take a child leash with you if you are that concerned about a wandering child.

I hate the things but if the child wanders throw it on him/her. Might stop the wandering thing. :D

 

*** I have been dying to answer .. Carnival takes the lost children throws them into the bowels of ship with all the oars and tells them to start rowing! LOL

I had to use a child leash, that was many many years ago, felt like I was walking the dog, but she never got away. I've seen more in use nowdays, but still not much, and that surprises me. Don't they have one for wrists? Mine was like a harness.

[Clydesmom7865]

Give them a couple of Espressos and a free puppy. :D Until their parents are found.

[debbiet70611]

On our last cruise, while waiting in line at Guest Services, a little boy around 6 came walking up to the counter - remember the counter was way taller than him - and told the person behind the counter he could not find his mom.

 

The Guest Service person came out from behind the counter and brought the child into their office. Then they paged the mom over the intercom.

 

I remember being quite impressed that this child knew where to go when he got lost.

[DZNYROX]

Found these online and used them for some younger nephews.

http://www.mypreciouskid.com/id-bracelet-kit.html

[TheCalicoCat]

We bought either a cheap rubber bracelet...like the lance armstrong ones, or a cheap watch and wrote in sharpie on the back of it, all the info..room #, parents names, conf. number....never had to use it :o

 

My son got one of those from the fair - it slipped off regularly & finally got lost...

[sjn911]

Now that I'm local & we still see the same parts over & over...

 

Growing up, we'd visit my grandparents in MD from TX, we'd always see Air & Space - always.

 

How wonderful..I am sure never done there..thanks for comment.:)

[sjn911]

I told my kids not to call me mom in crowds, 30 people will turn around. They call me by my first name. Worked well.

 

Once in an Embassy Suite hotel in DC my husband took my 2 y/o and 7 mo. old to the car to pack. He had taken one of those valet stands. When he was putting it back my 2 y/o daughter ended up getting on an elevator and was long gone.

 

When it had taken way too long he came to the room and asked if she was there. WHAT? We spent 15 min. looking for her, calling her name. She was on who knew what floor knocking on doors. No one helped her until a tall older man dressed all in white with white hair brought her to us. I hugged her so hard and turned to thank the man but he had disappeared. I'm convinced he was an angel.

 

I truly believe, they pop though for kids alot, on a drive,I had one right me in a car accident..a no vision blizzard with terrible wind and harrowing ordeal at 18 driving home in a Blizzard in a VW Rabbit....did 3 revolutions when a semi I could not see passed so clse and the wind and blizzard sucked my car into centrifical force..it did 3 revolutions and then went up and down, landed going straight, right direction..i could see a second,I never got hurt and then finally found an undrifted exit I could get off of to wait it out,,,sunny and clear for where I left, but you could see zero.ad ungodly fast coming down and wind...angel was sent for 18 year old kid...it got very white,,,much whiter that the blizzard...thanks for story,,Sarah

[scooterpopsnana]

I just might buy him something then and write our booking number on it with a sharpie. I did see someone say somewhere that their kids only wore the disney ones when in the club, but I didn't realize they came off andd kept it on him at all times. Guess that was good!! He was 3 1/2 then and will be 5 this time and I am pretty sure I can make him understand not to leave my site &/or get on the elevator without me, but I would rather be safe than sorrry!! Thanks for the info.

 

My grandaughter has ADHD. We carried her on a cruise last year when she was 5. We used a vest and leash we got in the infants section of Walmart. I have cancer and could not run after her if I had to and my husband was taking care of the both of us as well as himself with fixing food, ect. We did change the short 3 foot leash that was attached to the vest to a longer dog leash that gave her freedom, but not complete freedom. We have had to use this a lot. We were on a beach last year and a lifeguard told us he wished all kids on the beach had one of those.

[5waldos]

How wonderful..I am sure never done there..thanks for comment.:)

 

Just what I was thinking- anything you can put on a kid can get off. Just write it on his/her arm in permanent magic marker. No worries of it getting lost.

 

And one problem with this thread is that we are talking apples and oranges. A 2 year old and an 8 year old (a 15 year old???) require very different approaches to being kept safe and non-lost. All can get lost but how you prepare for it is different. And what you expect is different.

[pjhootch]

Carnival saves up all the lost children and has them wait for their parents in the adult hot tub and/or serenity area. When those places are full, they have them run up and down the corridors while people are sleeping.

[B and C Blake]

Carnival saves up all the lost children and has them wait for their parents in the adult hot tub and/or serenity area. When those places are full, they have them run up and down the corridors while people are sleeping.

 

I think they have elevator races too, LOL

[5waldos]

And do NOT forget the chocolate face and hands dessert romp held 2 nights during the cruise (overlapping with elegant night) in the main dining rooms.

[Julienatul]

I have read in the past about staff using embarkation photos to locate who the child's parents are. Once out on the lido deck, a young girl about maybe 9 or 10 passed out from heat stroke and she was unable to state who she was or where her parents were. I am a nurse practitioner so I of course went to help before medical staff arrived. I heard the nurse saying they would look in the computer to find out who she was to notify her parents she had been taken to the infirmary. I guess that is probably what would happen. Security would be able to find them Im sure if a child got lost. They could probably even view surveilance fottage to see who the child came onboard with and locate where they are on the ship.

[Elmer McCurdy]

I have read in the past about staff using embarkation photos to locate who the child's parents are. Once out on the lido deck, a young girl about maybe 9 or 10 passed out from heat stroke and she was unable to state who she was or where her parents were. I am a nurse practitioner so I of course went to help before medical staff arrived. I heard the nurse saying they would look in the computer to find out who she was to notify her parents she had been taken to the infirmary. I guess that is probably what would happen. Security would be able to find them Im sure if a child got lost. They could probably even view surveilance fottage to see who the child came onboard with and locate where they are on the ship.

 

Hmmm ... seems to me the pictures on the SnS cards would probably work better for this. Ehh, what do I know though?