RJB Posted May 22, 2012 #51 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Sad but true.:mad: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kkamlani Posted May 22, 2012 #52 Share Posted May 22, 2012 I have always believed that the best ideas come from our most loyal customers. As you have all figured out, we watch the boards closely to inform our decisions. When the next Your World Brochure comes out...expect it in early July....you will see that we have made the decision to offer the Alaska Youth Explorer programs on select sailings. Based on your feedback, I suspect that families sailing with three generations will migrate to those sailings with the program, thereby providing the Oceania Adults Only experience on those sailings without the program. Regardless of which itinerary you choose, we are confident that Oceania Cruises Adult focused offering will continue to exceed the expectations of our most loyal guests. Thank you for your feedback. Kunal S. Kamlani I've never posted on the Oceania board before, but I've been reading this thread since it started because we have 2 tweens and have been considering Oceania for Alaska 2013. I personally think it's a good move on Oceania's part, however I can see why adult only cruisers might be upset. I think a good solution would be to offer a select number of cruises for the Alaska season as "family cruises." I noticed some of the small-ship cruise lines do this in Alaska - I think Innersea, American Safari and maybe Lindblad does as well... can't remember the exact lines for sure as I've looked at so many over the last month. They take 1 or 2 cruises a month for June and July and designate them as family sailings. If I remember correctly, on those sailings there will be activities on board for children and a naturalist devoted to the kids for educational programs. Just a thought. As a family of 4 who likes to travel well (you will never catch us on a Carnival or RCI ship), it's hard for us to find a good cruise match for Alaska. We prefer smaller ships as well, and our kids become overwhelmed if there are hundreds of other kids on board. Most likely we will end up sailing HAL, but Oceania is still in the consideration phase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esther e Posted May 22, 2012 #53 Share Posted May 22, 2012 I honestly disagree. This may be your intention, but I can see it now: if O welcomes children on one cruise, parents will assume all cruises will be child-friendly, whether they are focused or not. It won't happen immediately (I hope!) but down the line O will not be special any longer if this happens. It will be just line any other cruise line, only more expensive. And yes, I have grown children and grandchildren and great grandchildren. And if we were to take them on a cruise, it would be a ship geared to kids, which O isn't and hopefully (taking a deep breath here and letting out a sigh) that it doesn't come to that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dundeene Posted May 22, 2012 #54 Share Posted May 22, 2012 As a parent of children from teens to 20s and a grandmother to a three year old, I believe I am a somewhat typical cruiser. If there are Oceania brochures specifically listing a cruise as "family friendly", I would indeed conclude the others are not. I think using language which states that children are welcome on specific cruises with kids programming available, will guide parents and grandparents to choose these specific sailings! We may see families migrate to these special family friendly cruises, and away from typical sailings. I definitely do not believe we will see more kids sailing in the Mediterranean on Oceania because a family friendly cruise is offered in Alaska. When I cruise with my husband, I want the sophisticated, quiet, adult environment Oceania provides. I would not sail on a family friendly cruise with children's programs unless I was bringing my family:rolleyes: An icon could be designed for family cruises: the explanation could say something like. "Children's programming is only available on a limited number of specially designated family sailings." This would clarify that the market niche of Oceania remains adult cruising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted May 22, 2012 #55 Share Posted May 22, 2012 The only difference I can see is that some sailings (Alaska) will have a program for the children to keep them occupied......other sailing may still have children onboard but no program to keep them occupied Neither option helps if the parents are on vacation during the cruise So the sailings will NOT be ADULT ONLY as suggested.... unless Oceania is going to change their policies & have no children except on select sailings ;) I highly doubt that is their intention. P & O have a couple of true ADULT ONLY ships Just my 2 cents Lyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricki Posted May 22, 2012 #56 Share Posted May 22, 2012 An icon could be designed for family cruises: the explanation could say something like. "Children's programming is only available on a limited number of specially designated family sailings." I like this idea, Dundeene. Hopefully, that will discourage families with children from booking on other cruises on the sanctuary that is Oceania. Ricki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worldspan Posted May 22, 2012 #57 Share Posted May 22, 2012 I am just amazed at the hostile attitude displayed towards children in this thread. I am embarassed to be old reading through this thread! Worldspan 131 cruises strong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricki Posted May 23, 2012 #58 Share Posted May 23, 2012 I am just amazed at the hostile attitude displayed towards children in this thread. I am embarassed to be old reading through this thread! Worldspan 131 cruises strong I don't think anyone who has posted has been hostile to children. Many of us are parents and grandparents. It is just that Oceania has been geared primarily toward adult guests, and in turn, the cruises have a special ambiance. There are so many cruise lines that encourage children, with lots of amenities for them, and that's great. Why not have an option to sail on a cruise line that does not? Ricki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RetiredFL Posted May 23, 2012 #59 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Even Disney has an adults only area and restaurant so that the parents can get away from the kids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted May 23, 2012 #60 Share Posted May 23, 2012 When we have been on ships that had childrens' programs (not many -- basically NCL for one TA and the QE2 twice) the children were rarely seen. I'm sure that was a vacation for the parents as well, but the kids had a wonderful time, too. Howard and I aren't exactly "kid people" but we didn't mind them being on board on THOSE ships. We even went to the childrens' talent show ... Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacheco18 Posted May 23, 2012 #61 Share Posted May 23, 2012 While we have been loyal to the Oceania brand, we have three more cruises booked in the upcoming year, our continued loyalty should not be assumed. It's my understanding that folks who have never cruised Oceania before, are being offered "secret" discounts, not available to us veteran cruises. Oceania, please don't neglect your loyal base and drift from product that we have come to love. Well said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dundeene Posted May 24, 2012 #62 Share Posted May 24, 2012 I noticed Celebrity Cruises does not allow children under 12 in some of their restaurants, will Oceania have little ones in the specialty restaurants? BY the way I love kids. I am a teacher/ administrator who works with children 3-6 including those with special needs. My experience tells me a typical 3 year old cannot get his/her food from plate to mouth without some mess. Do I want to sit in Red Ginger while my "table-neighbor's" child deposits more food on the floor than in his mouth?:eek: It is in part because I do love children and appreciate them as persons, that I don't see a good fit between most kids and Oceania's style of cruising. Children are happiest in an environment where their age-appropriate behaviors are accepted and planned for. . . . . . These would include; inability to sit still for prolonged periods of time, the desire for unfettered explorations and discovery, age appropriate entertainment and meals, zero depth entry pools, environments where their movement and noise levels do not negatively impact others cruisers' expectations, the freedom to act like children and enjoy their cruise as well. Oceania has a huge challenge ahead as they strive to maintain their current fan base and develop a children's program that may vastly increase the number of children on-board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esther e Posted May 24, 2012 #63 Share Posted May 24, 2012 Very well said. Now you've got me thinking that parents are wanting to take families on Oceania for THEMSELVES and not thinking of their children. Somehow I see kids happier on RCCL rather than Oceania. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimanjo Posted May 24, 2012 #64 Share Posted May 24, 2012 In order for cruise customers to find the best "fit" for them and their families, they must have lots of information and be an informed consumer. Unfortunately, we know this probably doesn't happen as often as we would like. On a recent Med cruise on Celebrity, a line with a very restrictive smoking policy, a pax was smoking and walking around one of the upper decks. A crew member very politely informed them of where smoking was allowed. The pax and their traveling companions were shocked that their Travel Agent NEVER informed them of this.... A good travel agent should be able to direct families and individuals to "suitable" lines for them. A good consumer should be responsible and do some research on their own as well and make well informed choices. I took my 18 year old DD on an Azamara cruise in 2006 for high school graduation. She laid in the sun, read, and we toured great Euro cities. She's like a retiree, in a 18 year old body. It was perfect for her. She would have been MISERABLE on a loud, high activity ship. And lastly, parents need to get over the "I want to sail this line, no matter how miserable my children will be" selfishness, and choose a more "appropriate" line for children. Everyone will be happier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wripro Posted May 24, 2012 #65 Share Posted May 24, 2012 Esther E, I agree completely with your point and have made it myself quite a few times. Parents who bring their kids on to Oceania and luxury lines are not thinking of their kids' needs, but their own and to hell with how it affects their fellow passengers. Perhaps if Oceania is really serious about having children aboard they should have a separate dining room where kids eat with those same chaperones who care for them during the day (or parents who choose to may eat with their kids.) Also have a separate pool area for kids and only allow them to book in sound proofed cabins where constant crying will not be heard by their neighbors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worldspan Posted May 24, 2012 #66 Share Posted May 24, 2012 Esther E, I agree completely with your point and have made it myself quite a few times. Parents who bring their kids on to Oceania and luxury lines are not thinking of their kids' needs, but their own and to hell with how it affects their fellow passengers. Perhaps if Oceania is really serious about having children aboard they should have a separate dining room where kids eat with those same chaperones who care for them during the day (or parents who choose to may eat with their kids.) Also have a separate pool area for kids and only allow them to book in sound proofed cabins where constant crying will not be heard by their neighbors. If parents or grandparents choose to take their children on Oceania, it is their needs alone that need to be considered and not that of "fellow passengers" who have their own hangups. I have sailed Regent, Silversea, Crystal, and Seabourn, all where children were present and it never presented a problem of any sort. Worldspan 131 cruises strong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esther e Posted May 24, 2012 #67 Share Posted May 24, 2012 If parents or grandparents choose to take their children on Oceania, it is their needs alone that need to be considered and not that of "fellow passengers" who have their own hangups. I have sailed Regent, Silversea, Crystal, and Seabourn, all where children were present and it never presented a problem of any sort. Worldspan 131 cruises strong You're very fortunate. It's very obvious you and I weren't on the same Regent cruise on the Mariner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wripro Posted May 25, 2012 #68 Share Posted May 25, 2012 And I have been on cruises where unruly children have disrupted every element of the experience from crying in the restaurant to running in the halls to pushing every elevator button to screaming in the pool. And that was on a good day. Imo parents should indeed consider their fellow passengers when bringing horrors like that aboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worldspan Posted May 25, 2012 #69 Share Posted May 25, 2012 And I have been on cruises where unruly children have disrupted every element of the experience from crying in the restaurant to running in the halls to pushing every elevator button to screaming in the pool. And that was on a good day. Imo parents should indeed consider their fellow passengers when bringing horrors like that aboard. Surely anything is possible. You can stay in the worlds best hotels/resorts and potentially see the same sort of behaviour. Good or Bad parenting know no economic bounds. That said, parents ultimately have to consider the cruise product they themselves will be most comfortable in WITHOUT regard to their "potential" fellow passengers. And that is NOT being selfish! Worldspan 131 cruises strong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silkman Posted May 25, 2012 #70 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Surely anything is possible. You can stay in the worlds best hotels/resorts and potentially see the same sort of behaviour. Good or Bad parenting know no economic bounds. That said, parents ultimately have to consider the cruise product they themselves will be most comfortable in WITHOUT regard to their "potential" fellow passengers. And that is NOT being selfish! Worldspan 131 cruises strong It sure meets my definition of "selfish"....or perhaps "self-centered" would be more accurate.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donkaufman Posted May 25, 2012 #71 Share Posted May 25, 2012 it sure meets my definition of "selfish"....or perhaps "self-centered" would be more accurate.... ++++1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wripro Posted May 26, 2012 #72 Share Posted May 26, 2012 It most certainly is selfish imo. And usually those parents who do not consider other people are exactly the ones who allow their kids to run around unsupervised and look the other way when their precious progeny misbehaves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted May 26, 2012 #73 Share Posted May 26, 2012 That said, parents ultimately have to consider the cruise product they themselves will be most comfortable in WITHOUT regard to their "potential" fellow passengers. I'm afraid you're in the minority here. I don't disagree that any passenger has to consider the cruise product they will be most comfortable with. But if they are bringing their children along, they also have to consider how other passengers will react. We've been fortunate enough in our Oceania experiences that the children on board have been beautifully behaved, but obviously not every one has had that same experience. NO one has the "right" to bring along unruly children. No one has the "right" to ignore how disruptive their children are. Do your job as parents -- I think that is what people are requesting. Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marebear Posted May 26, 2012 #74 Share Posted May 26, 2012 Worldspan, I see by your name that you have cruised frequently on RCCL and Celebrity. Those two cruise lines are entirely different than Oceanis in that they have regular kids programs scheduled. As a result, many children cruise with them. Oceania is very different in that they have no regularly scheduled kids programs and thus the people who travel with them, do it for that particular reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worldspan Posted May 26, 2012 #75 Share Posted May 26, 2012 Worldspan, I see by your name that you have cruised frequently on RCCL and Celebrity. Those two cruise lines are entirely different than Oceanis in that they have regular kids programs scheduled. As a result, many children cruise with them. Oceania is very different in that they have no regularly scheduled kids programs and thus the people who travel with them, do it for that particular reason. Yes, I have cruised RCCL and Celebrity but also Regent, Silversea, and Seabourn and done so with my grandchildren where no childrens programs were offered and they and me had the best of times. The overt and obvious disdain for children by the Oceania cruisers in this thread is surely not going to hold me back from experiencing with my grandchildren the supposedly outstanding cruisine and service offered by Oceania. I choose my vacations to please myself and my grandchildren, no one else. Worldspan 131 cruises strong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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