Balcony Rooms and young kids

[marimos]

I booked a spa balcony on the Getaway. The cabin looks fantastic however, I am traveling with my 5 year old and and am now starting to have second thoughts about the balcony and safety. She is your average 5 year old and being that kids, will be kids...I am a little worried..... Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.

[che5904]

I'm assuming you would not let her out there by herself, so I'd have to guess your concern would be her getting out to the balcony.

 

On the Dawn and Star there are child locks at the top of the balcony doors. The Getaway most likely have these as well.

[rvsullivan]

Every balcony door has a child lock that is pretty high up. Maybe 5 ft or so above the floor. Additionally, it is not too easy to release and then you still have to release the door latch itself. Should not be too much of a problem.

Enjoy your cruise.

[rocklinmom]

My 7 and 5 year-old nieces were with us on our cruise last July, and they were fine with their balcony cabin. They were told that they couldn't be out there alone without one of their parents. I should add that one morning my sister was in the shower and her husband was on a coffee run, and the girls were allowed to sit on the balcony away from the railing while they played with their Barbie dolls. Let's just say that one of the dolls "mysteriously" disappeared in a flying leap off the balcony. She was spotted on top of a lifeboat below them by my sister (who was summoned from the shower by shrieks that I'm sure all nearby neighbors could hear) but alas vanished after that. She never turned up at lost & found and is probably swimming with the dolphins somewhere off the coast of Hawaii. My nieces of course didn't find it funny but I must share as a reminder for you with your daughter :-)

 

 

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[marimos]

OMG! Thanks for sharing.:o

[marimos]

Thank you all for your feedback! I really appreciate it. :o

[DDD06]

I'm assuming you would not let her out there by herself, so I'd have to guess your concern would be her getting out to the balcony.

 

On the Dawn and Star there are child locks at the top of the balcony doors. The Getaway most likely have these as well.

 

 

The getaway definitely does have child locks on the balcony doors.

 

 

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[Godiva830]

The balcony doors have child licks that are at the very top of the door. Also the doors are very heavy. I had a difficult time opening and closing the door myself.

[ZoneHPH]

How can I say this without sounding judgemental, offering unsolicited advice (even if the OP initiated this thread), or just plain old mean?

 

1) If the concern is that great, I wouldn't book a balcony. (Not being snarky...I understand your concern.)

2) In the shower, example...If my wife is in the shower, I'll take my kids with me while I get coffee. Or get my coffee before or after she showers. Why leave anything to chance? (Not a criticism on the parents. I agree kids are fast! Look at poor Barbie...seriously.)

 

The locks on the balcony doors are pretty secure (and they are HEAVY). I personally am not worried about my kids. Our DD was 1yo when we had a minisuite...and everytime she was on the balcony...someone was with her. There is no way I would allow her on the balcony alone.

 

Not a worry-wort. Better to be safe. Things can't always be undone.

Edited February 28, 2014 by ZoneHPH

[kcwingwalker]

How can I say this without sounding judgemental, offering unsolicited advice (even if the OP initiated this thread), or just plain old mean?

 

1) If the concern is that great, I wouldn't book a balcony. (Not being snarky...I understand your concern.)

2) In the shower, example...If my wife is in the shower, I'll take my kids with me while I get coffee. Or get my coffee before or after she showers. Why leave anything to chance? (Not a criticism on the parents. I agree kids are fast! Look at poor Barbie...seriously.)

 

The locks on the balcony doors are pretty secure (and they are HEAVY). I personally am not worried about my kids. Our DD was 1yo when we had a minisuite...and everytime she was on the balcony...someone was with her. There is no way I would allow her on the balcony alone.

 

Not a worry-wort. Better to be safe. Things can't always be undone.

 

Nicely and kindly said! Agree things can't always be undone.

 

OP have a great cruise with your family:)

[ZoneHPH]

Nicely and kindly said! Agree things can't always be undone.

 

 

 

OP have a great cruise with your family:)

 

 

Tyvm. I just want to be helpful. However there are some people on these boards that just have to test our patience.

 

 

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[NayRN]

How can I say this without sounding judgemental, offering unsolicited advice (even if the OP initiated this thread), or just plain old mean?

 

1) If the concern is that great, I wouldn't book a balcony. (Not being snarky...I understand your concern.)

2) In the shower, example...If my wife is in the shower, I'll take my kids with me while I get coffee. Or get my coffee before or after she showers. Why leave anything to chance? (Not a criticism on the parents. I agree kids are fast! Look at poor Barbie...seriously.)

 

The locks on the balcony doors are pretty secure (and they are HEAVY). I personally am not worried about my kids. Our DD was 1yo when we had a minisuite...and everytime she was on the balcony...someone was with her. There is no way I would allow her on the balcony alone.

 

Not a worry-wort. Better to be safe. Things can't always be undone.

 

Wow! I think I'm going to copy your response down for later use! Very well said....;)

[ZoneHPH]

Wow! I think I'm going to copy your response down for later use! Very well said....;)

 

Awww...thanks. :rolleyes:

[Mom2B&Z]

Ita with the two rules mentioned already: no kids on balcony without a parent, and we add no toys on the balcony. I don't want one of my boys going over the railing for a hot wheels car :). We had our first cruise (a balcony cabin) when out boys were 6&3yrs. They are now 9&6 and we have yet to leave them on the balcony alone.

ZoneHPH described the concern very well :)

 

 

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[SissasMomE]

I booked a spa balcony on the Getaway. The cabin looks fantastic however, I am traveling with my 5 year old and and am now starting to have second thoughts about the balcony and safety. She is your average 5 year old and being that kids, will be kids...I am a little worried..... Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.

 

I didn't book a balcony until my daughter was 8 - for that very reason. Since you already have it booked, the obvious answer would be to make sure the kid isn't on the balcony alone, and make sure the door is always locked.

[ksimpso3]

I mentioned the balcony in a post earlier tonight to a reader regarding the Pride of America. She wasn't even asking about it, but was asking about the 2BR suite we had and if I thought it would be appropriate for her, her sister, and a 2 and 6 year old. I told her the suite itself should be fine (as we did it with 4 adults), but the balcony would make me very nervous with kids that age because there is not glass, but just horizontal slats on the balcony. I was a bit nervous on our first cruise with a balcony (and my girls were 16 & 17 at the time :o)) because my younger one tended to be a daredevil and all I could picture was her sitting on the railing for a "photo op" and falling over. There are locks at the top of the balcony doors, and they usually are very hard even for an adult to open, but I would probably be too nervous with a little one to chance it. Just my opinion.

[marimos]

Thanks all! :)