Giovanni's Chaos

[bouhunter]

Hey bouhunter. I just want to say thank you and kudos for being a sane, objective and understanding person! ... and for not going off the handle demanding full refund, an explanation from an email directly to the CEO of the company for your ruined dinner, or that you'd boycott RCL for the rest of your life for your "unreasonable/unfathomable dining experienced that ruined your entire cruise vacation"!!! :eek::eek:

Thx again :D

 

Yeah we just moved on and enjoyed the evening elsewhere. Not going to let something like that ruin our vacation or even the next hour. I'd actually forgotten it soon after but for some reason thought of it this morning.

 

But that full refund isn't a bad idea!:D:D:D

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

If anyone here has seen Modern Family, this reminds of one particular episode where Cam and Mitch try not to say "no" to Lily. Fortunately, they quickly realize the stupidity in that when Lily likes to play with light switches and Cam's hand is stuck in the garbage disposal. :D

 

And the other day, I saw a little girl with a shirt that said: "Don't follow the rules, go your own way." :rolleyes: Thankfully, that snowflake was not misbehaving at the time.

[holden0301]

That's a shame. I was pleasantly surprised on our Anthem spring break cruise at how well all of the kids behaved. I was fully expecting to see children running, screaming, etc. but I didn't.

[Merion_Mom]

Again this is why we do Sandals resorts ( adults only) and try to avoid cruising when there will be a lot of children, We went to a local restaurant last night parents let kids do what they wanted and heard one say when they were leaving that they were sure rest of the crowd would be happy when they were gone and we were.

 

George, I am not really replying to you, just bouncing off something that you said.

 

It doesn't take "a lot of children."

 

It really only takes ONE family in which the parents fail to parent.

[vickiw0318]

I do not understand why there is so much cynicism when someone says their children were taught to and did behave in public places. Ours functioned under what we called restaurant manners. I can't tell you how many compliments we received about our children's behavior. To this day, one of my thirty somethings will see a child acting up or running around a restaurant, and say something to the effect that you and Dad would have killed us for doing that. There really are people who are not self-delusional and realize that other diners have the right to enjoy their night out.

 

P. S. It is also possible to fly and keep your children from not kicking the back of the seat in front of them.

[Clarea]

... P. S. It is also possible to fly and keep your children from not kicking the back of the seat in front of them.

It is possible, but we see it less and less often. Then there are the ones who put their tray table up and down constantly.:rolleyes:

[jagsfan]

I turned around on a plane once and asked a woman to restrain her child from kicking my seat. A couple of minutes later I got hit on top of my head by a child's book. I turned around again and the woman said "You made him mad". No apology because it was my fault.

 

 

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[gerif]

George, I am not really replying to you, just bouncing off something that you said.

 

It doesn't take "a lot of children."

 

It really only takes ONE family in which the parents fail to parent.

 

You're absolutely right - and I totally blame the parents. I've been to land-based restaurants on several occasions where the adults just wanted to have adult conversations and did as much as possible to ignore their children (of course, I have also seen the reverse where the children were engaged in the conversations and those children were very well behaved).

 

My friend and I were catching up over brunch one day and were seated next to a large family group which was fine except for one little boy who wanted his mother's attention. He kept shrieking mommy, mommy, mommy, but she just totally ignored him and continued her conversation with the person next to her. Finally, I'd had it and turned around and said excuse me, MOMMY! When she looked at me, I asked in my best fairly loud schoolteacher voice, why is it that everyone in this restaurant can hear your child but you?

[ORD1166]

I do not understand why there is so much cynicism when someone says their children were taught to and did behave in public places. Ours functioned under what we called restaurant manners. I can't tell you how many compliments we received about our children's behavior. To this day, one of my thirty somethings will see a child acting up or running around a restaurant, and say something to the effect that you and Dad would have killed us for doing that. There really are people who are not self-delusional and realize that other diners have the right to enjoy their night out.

 

P. S. It is also possible to fly and keep your children from not kicking the back of the seat in front of them.

 

Vicki,

 

I have had our 40 year daughter tell me more than once. That if her kids misbehaved in a public setting:eek:! I would bust her butt for having her kids acting up and running. Made this dear old Dad proud of his grown daughter and making sure her kids are raised right and with manneors;):rolleyes:.

 

Also, I can remember telling her that I would spank her right then and there and she could cry and embarrass herself. It would not effect me at all.

 

Vic

[KPfromCT]

You're absolutely right - and I totally blame the parents. I've been to land-based restaurants on several occasions where the adults just wanted to have adult conversations and did as much as possible to ignore their children (of course, I have also seen the reverse where the children were engaged in the conversations and those children were very well behaved).

 

My friend and I were catching up over brunch one day and were seated next to a large family group which was fine except for one little boy who wanted his mother's attention. He kept shrieking mommy, mommy, mommy, but she just totally ignored him and continued her conversation with the person next to her. Finally, I'd had it and turned around and said excuse me, MOMMY! When she looked at me, I asked in my best fairly loud schoolteacher voice, why is it that everyone in this restaurant can hear your child but you?

 

:eek::eek: What did she say to you???????

[gerif]

:eek::eek: What did she say to you???????

 

Nothing. Just tended to her child which shut him up.

[FloridaPalms]

I turned around on a plane once and asked a woman to restrain her child from kicking my seat. A couple of minutes later I got hit on top of my head by a child's book. I turned around again and the woman said "You made him mad". No apology because it was my fault.

 

:eek::eek::eek::eek:!!!

 

I know this shouldn't shock me in this day and age of parents being oblivious to the behavior of their little angels, but it still does.

 

I guess what's worse is when you see where the child's behavior is either endangering the child or people around them but the parents are so totally self-absorbed in enjoying THEIR vacation they are clueless! :mad:

 

Seeing more and more of this on both land and sea. Sad. :(

 

~ Judy

[CapeCodCruiser]

which is why, if the parents don't address their kids behavior, I will

 

I Know I would have asked them if this how their children behave at dinner at home!

 

I get a little peeved at spineless restaurant managers who let this behavior go on. The manager needed to speak with the parents and require they keep them under control or remove the entire party from the restaurant.

[spookwife]

I thought I remembered a while ago that while children could dine in specialty restaurants they were welcomed earlier than 7pm...after that, 18+. Am I remembering it wrong?

 

unfortunately that rule went away a few years ago.

[kalliekae]

When we were on Oasis, we had a table for 2 that was unfortunately beside a table of 12. That table was so noisy that we could not talk at our table. They were also very demanding of the wait staff, and consequently, our service was terrible. Our food was served cold and the server did not come back to check on us at all. It turned us off to that specialty restaurant, but it seems to me that the maitre'd should have better control over a situation like that and make certain all guests are taken care of in the proper manner.

[MrsPete]

Used to be, only kids over 13 could come in the "specialty" restaurants. Then, since folks got upset with that rule, they allowed younger kid at the earliest seating only...and still, people got upset. So, they dropped the "rules"....now, anything goes.

Anyone remember that only a few years ago these were called "adult restaurants", and they changed because so many people swore that they had to bring their kids to these venues, that their kids' sole reason for wanting to cruise was to indulge in fine dining, something their kids genuinely appreciated -- that their kids are accustomed to being in upscale restaurants and have manners that would put adults to shame?

 

So RC gave in -- even encourages kids by offering kid-prices -- and now we see what we all knew: that for the vast majority, that was all a big lie. These kids do not appreciate an adult-oriented fine dining experience, they would've been much happier in the kids' clubs, and the experience is being ruined for the adults who would otherwise have enjoyed it.

[Merion_Mom]

Anyone remember that only a few years ago these were called "adult restaurants", and they changed because so many people swore that they had to bring their kids to these venues, that their kids' sole reason for wanting to cruise was to indulge in fine dining, something their kids genuinely appreciated -- that their kids are accustomed to being in upscale restaurants and have manners that would put adults to shame?

 

So RC gave in -- even encourages kids by offering kid-prices -- and now we see what we all knew: that for the vast majority, that was all a big lie. These kids do not appreciate an adult-oriented fine dining experience, they would've been much happier in the kids' clubs, and the experience is being ruined for the adults who would otherwise have enjoyed it.

 

RC gave in because the restaurants were empty and they want the revenue.

[Rala]

My child has been taught public manners. If she was not being appropriate in public, we would most certainly address it.

 

I however have been witness to adults misbehaving on cruises.

 

The adults misbehaving probably have/had parents like those who were ignoring their kids in the above posts. All the more reason people should be diligent in "policing" their kids in public places so they know how to act when they grow up!:);)

[Half Pint]

We left before ordering, the manager didn't charge us anything. He looked frustrated and said he understood why we weren't sticking around.

 

The second visit was great and the food good. I guess we hit a perfect storm that first time. Yes it was spring break, but I think a more likely reason for this is RCCL lowering the price for kids. They're obviously encouraging kids now, 10.00 each and toddlers FREE.......

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/experiencetypes/category.do?pagename=onboard_cat_dining_options

The more likely reason is parents who think their snowflakes should be allowed wherever they go and raise holy hell when they aren't (as evidenced by RCI backing down on the age restrictions). I despise parents like that. Not everyone thinks your misbehaving children are cute.

[torpeedo]

We were on Adventure recently and one night Giovanni's was unlike anything I've seen at a specialty dining venue. There were two tables set up for 10-12 people, one of them was ALL young kids (5-12 I would say). The other large table was obviously the adults who brought them. As to be expected giving them their own, clearly unsupervised table, the kids were LOUD and active. There must have been another 15 kids elswhere in the place, including 2 crying infants. The entire atmosphere was chaos, I felt like we were in a McDonalds play room:( It was difficult to hear each other talk. We left. The manager was obviously not pleased with the situation but I guess maybe it's something that might become more common with their "Childrens Pricing"....... This was for a 7:30 seating.

 

A couple nights later we went back and it was calm and enjoyable.

 

The same thing happened to us a couple of weeks ago on the Freedom. We had an 8 pm reservation. We were seated behind a large table with several five and under kids yelling and running around. Our waiter was trying to take care of that chaos and after 20 minutes with no drink or food order taken, we left and went to the manager and asked to have the bill credited back to our account. He apologized and we accepted his apology but will not eat there again.

[Queen of Oakville]

I have a 7 yr old daughter who's been cruising since she was 3. She was taught how to behave, no matter the environment. When we've witnessed something like this, one of my comments to her is 'that type of behavior is not correct and is not tolerated by mommy and daddy.' Now when she sees it, without me even saying anything she says that those kids are misbehaving[emoji4][emoji108]

 

 

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LOVE IT!

 

My kids spent most of their Disney cruises with one eyebrow raised because they were shocked at how other children behaved.

 

I think it's why my kids like X best ... not so many kids around to ruin their cruising experience. :D

Edited April 26, 2016 by Queen of Oakville

[MrsPete]

RC gave in because the restaurants were empty and they want the revenue.

Admittedly, we're not all that big on "upgrading" meals onboard, but I don't remember these restaurants being empty.

Edited May 10, 2016 by MrsPete

[Geldhart]

Back when my 15yo ds was my 3yo dd we had other people look disappointed when we sat down. Then later they complimented us on our well behaved and properly behaved kid. He knows the rules, what we will tolerate, what we can negotiate, and when to "save your breath". Our younger son is a bit more challenging but had learned not to argue when we use our code word "no".

[A&L_Ont]

Admittedly, we're not all that big on "upgrading" meals onboard, but I don't remember these restaurants being empty.

 

When we started cruising in 2004 specialty restaurants ran at half occupancy on purpose to give the guests quiet and intimate service. Somewhere between then and now it has changed greatly.