Does Princess still limit number of kids?

[compozer]

We were on the Royal over Christmas and decided that is our last holiday cruise. Not just kids but too many people and we found the adult behavior worse than some of the kids especially in the dining rooms. There are just too many large groups and as we all know, they shout across the table, purchase more drinks, take tons of flash pictures and stay longer at the tables. If you are part of a large group, you are having a great time and nothing bothers you. But if you are a family of 2, 3, or 4 and are trying to carry on a nice conversation Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, you can become very irritated at some of the behavior.

 

We had two inside cabins across from us with two young kids in each (all had same last name - thought this was not suppose to happen??) and never saw any parents around. They were wild - sounded like a heard of elephants running around. They tossed things that they didn't want anymore into the hall and had pillow fights out in the hall. I felt sorry for the poor steward that had to deal with their cabin. I really felt sorry for the entire crew on these FULL cruises.

 

Never could get a lounge chair by the pool when we went up - so many chair hogs that said nasty things to us when we asked about the empty loungers. Pool and hot tubs full of kids screwing around. And no parents around. Very rowdy young adults drinking like mad in many areas.

 

We prefer longer cruises and I think that is the only way we will do another Christmas cruise.

[DrivesLikeMario]

Do you know when they stopped? We started cruising in 2004, and I thought at that time it was limited to a couple hundred? It's been awhile so my memory may be off:)

 

On our April 1, 2004 10 night Coral Princess cruise, there were about 680 kids onboard. (So much for there being less kids on 10 night cruises, ones that don't go to many beaches and ones that are on the smaller ships!!) It was before Easter but still Spring Break time.

 

They had just ended the restrictions right before that I think. At that point, they started putting a 'security patrol' vest on some crew members to try to alleviate some the problems on that sailing and others after it. What a mess it was! :eek: Worst cruise with unsupervised kids we've ever, ever had.

[caribill]

We have a 4-day and a 10-day booked for 2014. I'll have to see if the 4-day (SF to Vancouver) has a bunch of kids or not. It sails May 14th.

 

The 4 day trip is a ship relocation from SF to Vancouver.

 

I doubt there would be many children on that no matter what time of year it is.

[giselleacttwo]

On our April 1, 2004 10 night Coral Princess cruise, there were about 680 kids onboard. (So much for there being less kids on 10 night cruises, ones that don't go to many beaches and ones that are on the smaller ships!!) It was before Easter but still Spring Break time.

 

They had just ended the restrictions right before that I think. At that point, they started putting a 'security patrol' vest on some crew members to try to alleviate some the problems on that sailing and others after it. What a mess it was! :eek: Worst cruise with unsupervised kids we've ever, ever had.

 

I think that pertains mainly to the really little girls, Ocean and Pacific. They don't have dedicated kids centers so fewer families sail on them (from what I've heard).

[PunkiC]

We did a 15 day cruise to Hawaii, December 5-20, and there were maybe two or three kids total on the ship. The Cruise Director told us, however, that the next cruise, starting December 20, had 550 kids booked.

[DrivesLikeMario]

I think that pertains mainly to the really little girls, Ocean and Pacific. They don't have dedicated kids centers so fewer families sail on them (from what I've heard).

 

You'll see people on CC suggest that one of the ways to avoid lots of kids is on ships like the Island and Coral too (besides the Small Ships). It just isn't the case though and that's why I mentioned it.