Unsupervised kids on ncl vs carnival

[Thebosn1]

I have only sailed on Carnival, and been loyal to them for over 13 years. Maybe its me getting older, but it seems that the unsupervised children running around and doing really disruptive and even dangerous stuff is just gotten completely out of control. The staff absolutely refuses to do anything about it. So I am thinking of changing lines and have been looking at NCL.

 

Can anyone that has sailed on both Carnival and NCL give me a comparison between the two when it comes to people keeping their kids under control? I'm not talking about kids just acting like kids and being loud or a little rammy I'm talking about completely unsupervised "packs" of young teens knocking elderly people down, throwing condiment bottles down ten decks in the atrium, invading the adults only area and refusing to leave. Are the kids allowed to run wild like this on NLC as well? Are there as MANY kids on NCL? Does the staff hold the adults accountable for the actions of the kids? Is there a curfew? Is there an adults only area like the serenity area on Carnival?

 

I don't really want to switch to new line just to come up against the same situation I see on Carnival now. Thanks.

[KittyloverCA]

I have not been on carnival but absolutely did not see kids misbehaving on NCL (Breakaway). However it was not a party type cruise as it was port visits almost every day.

 

I have only sailed on Carnival, and been loyal to them for over 13 years. Maybe its me getting older, but it seems that the unsupervised children running around and doing really disruptive and even dangerous stuff is just gotten completely out of control. The staff absolutely refuses to do anything about it. So I am thinking of changing lines and have been looking at NCL.

 

Can anyone that has sailed on both Carnival and NCL give me a comparison between the two when it comes to people keeping their kids under control? I'm not talking about kids just acting like kids and being loud or a little rammy I'm talking about completely unsupervised "packs" of young teens knocking elderly people down, throwing condiment bottles down ten decks in the atrium, invading the adults only area and refusing to leave. Are the kids allowed to run wild like this on NLC as well? Are there as MANY kids on NCL? Does the staff hold the adults accountable for the actions of the kids? Is there a curfew? Is there an adults only area like the serenity area on Carnival?

 

I don't really want to switch to new line just to come up against the same situation I see on Carnival now. Thanks.

[Sauer-kraut]

Don't sail during school holidays.....

 

I can't think of any situation like that, having sailed on a trans-Atlantic and there were about 10 kids total on board. I don't know how it is on the big ships, but there are so many things to keep kids occupied, ropes course, climbing walls and now go-karts....

[BNBR]

Go karts, ropes courses, water slides.... they definitely appeal to families with kids. I didn't notice much difference in the passengers on NCL vs Carnival vs Royal. It has WAY more to do with when you sail and for how long. The passengers are pretty much the same on the big 3.

[OCruisers]

NCL and Carnival are about the same as far as kids.

We don't mind cruising with others with kids so no problem for us. (y)

[alreadypacked]

I have only sailed on Carnival, and been loyal to them for over 13 years. Maybe its me getting older, but it seems that the unsupervised children running around and doing really disruptive and even dangerous stuff is just gotten completely out of control. The staff absolutely refuses to do anything about it. So I am thinking of changing lines and have been looking at NCL.

 

Can anyone that has sailed on both Carnival and NCL give me a comparison between the two when it comes to people keeping their kids under control? I'm not talking about kids just acting like kids and being loud or a little rammy I'm talking about completely unsupervised "packs" of young teens knocking elderly people down, throwing condiment bottles down ten decks in the atrium, invading the adults only area and refusing to leave. Are the kids allowed to run wild like this on NLC as well? Are there as MANY kids on NCL? Does the staff hold the adults accountable for the actions of the kids? Is there a curfew? Is there an adults only area like the serenity area on Carnival?

 

I don't really want to switch to new line just to come up against the same situation I see on Carnival now. Thanks.

 

Yikes!

 

I have about 15 or 16 cruises on Carnival, but I haven't sailed them since 2015 mainly due to declining food quality and lack of sit-down restaurant choices.

 

We've been sailing NCL mostly now (with a few Princess and Celebrity).

 

I have not seen the likes of what you describe on any line--including Carnival.

 

If I may be frank, may I ask--just to be 100% clear--are the behaviors you're describing (knocking elderly persons down, throwing condiment bottles down over the atrium) actual things personally witnessed?

[oncruisecontrol]

I have only sailed on Carnival, and been loyal to them for over 13 years. Maybe its me getting older, but it seems that the unsupervised children running around and doing really disruptive and even dangerous stuff is just gotten completely out of control. The staff absolutely refuses to do anything about it. .

I don't think it's you getting older.......things have definitely changed. Many parents no longer parent. Just today I witnessed two kids about 11 yrs old bouncing and throwing a tennis ball back and forth in the lobby of an upscale restaurant and the parents who undoubtedly saw the behavior said absolutely nothing to them. Throwing a ball in a restaurant is not okay no matter how you slice it. And these boys were old enough to know better, it's just that they have not been properly trained. When I was a kid (and I'm in my late forties) no way would my parents have allowed us to bring a ball of any type into a restaurant of any type.

[latebloomer56]

Been on both lines but not on Carnival for a long time. We try to sail when kids are in school and with 1 exception on Carnival (not why we haven't been again) we have been lucky.

I think even if you go when school is in session you still have some kids, for the most part we haven't had to deal with brats. Sometimes the elevator will stop on every floor and you hear them laughing on the stairs :). Pool gets to loud so we pick times (if at all) when most folk's are at dinner. Later shows, casino (no kids ever), lounges. Again as said before timing and also where you go (TA's are great). We also like a quiet trip so with the size of ships now easy to move on if we don't like the area we are in. Some parents just will never do the right thing.

 

You make your own good times, enjoy life it's a gift, and who doesn't like a gift.

[newmexicoNita]

We have been lucky. We do try to sail during times when kids will be in school but even then there are always some kids and overall they are well behaved. With 40 plus cruises under our belts we have only had 2 bad experiences: 1 was on the Breakaway out of NYC a couple of years ago near Easter. There were 2254 kids on board and some were the worst behaved kids I have ever seen. Little one running all over the buffets and up and down the halls and several tweens that were simple out of control and down right rude. Of course, in some cases the parents were not much better. The other time we had unruly kids was on Celebrity. The difference was ant it was Thanksgiving week there were not as many kids. I understand we were all kids and we all were probably a bundle of energy, but being active is not the same as being rude or totally out of control.

 

I have seen some kids that are so well behaved and still having fun just being kids. We saw a couple of tween age boys shooting baskets and playing vireo games one day. They were having a blast. We have seen kids out by the pool enjoying the outside like kids do and talked to so many kids on elevators that were having the time of their lives but not disrupting anything or anybody.

 

I can assure you, some of the ones we saw on the Breakaway, if they were my kids they would have spent the rest of the cruise in the cabin! The worst part, many of the kids were actually with their parents when they said and did some of the stuff and not even corrected.

[Barb Nahoumi]

I don't think it's you getting older.......things have definitely changed. Many parents no longer parent. Just today I witnessed two kids about 11 yrs old bouncing and throwing a tennis ball back and forth in the lobby of an upscale restaurant and the parents who undoubtedly saw the behavior said absolutely nothing to them. Throwing a ball in a restaurant is not okay no matter how you slice it. And these boys were old enough to know better, it's just that they have not been properly trained. When I was a kid (and I'm in my late forties) no way would my parents have allowed us to bring a ball of any type into a restaurant of any type.

 

I wasn't allowed to play ball in the house either.

[PelicanBill]

3 cruises on NCL Breakaway out of NYC: 1 during a spring break week. Kids out of control constantly. One squirted me in the face with a super soaker. Another during Columbus weekend was nearly as bad. A December cruise was much quieter and pleasant.

[Thebosn1]

Don't sail during school holidays.....

 

I can't think of any situation like that, having sailed on a trans-Atlantic and there were about 10 kids total on board. I don't know how it is on the big ships, but there are so many things to keep kids occupied, ropes course, climbing walls and now go-karts....

I never sail while school is out. Ever. And most of my cruises are the longer ones.

[Thebosn1]

Yikes!

 

I have about 15 or 16 cruises on Carnival, but I haven't sailed them since 2015 mainly due to declining food quality and lack of sit-down restaurant choices.

 

We've been sailing NCL mostly now (with a few Princess and Celebrity).

 

I have not seen the likes of what you describe on any line--including Carnival.

 

If I may be frank, may I ask--just to be 100% clear--are the behaviors you're describing (knocking elderly persons down, throwing condiment bottles down over the atrium) actual things personally witnessed?

 

Yes, they are with the exception of the bottle throw. That happened on the sister ship of the one we were on at the time. It was reported to the ship and they removed the whole family. At the same time, the ship I was on was where I saw the old man knocked down and the kids laughed and ran away. It's also where I saw VERY young kids making out at 2 AM on the serenity deck lounge chairs, and where groups of them kept flooding into the serenity area and refusing to leave. Also saw parents giving their kids alcohol. I wouldn't consider changing cruise lines based on hearsay.

[njkate]

I have not been on carnival but absolutely did not see kids misbehaving on NCL (Breakaway). However it was not a party type cruise as it was port visits almost every day.

Glad to hear that as I'm on the 08/18 Breakaway Baltic and I have NO filter on my mouth when it comes to brats, yes I'm a parent and grand parent.

[Shidah]

I have not witnessed on NCL what you are describing. Personally, from the horror stories I hear, I would never cruise Carnival.

[KittyloverCA]

I have not witnessed on NCL what you are describing. Personally, from the horror stories I hear, I would never cruise Carnival.

Same! I think you’d have to pay me to go on carnival!

[Indyopie]

We have sailed with our twins, now 17, every spring break (last week of March) since 2013. In that time we have sailed Carnival three times, NCL twice and Royal once. I will agree we saw more of the behavior you describe on Carnival. If my kids had a choice, they would pick Royal or NCL. We agree. Have Royal's Symphony of the Seas booked for March 2019....can't wait!

[Maniacal Cruiser]

I have only sailed on Carnival, and been loyal to them for over 13 years. Maybe its me getting older, but it seems that the unsupervised children running around and doing really disruptive and even dangerous stuff is just gotten completely out of control. The staff absolutely refuses to do anything about it. So I am thinking of changing lines and have been looking at NCL.

 

Can anyone that has sailed on both Carnival and NCL give me a comparison between the two when it comes to people keeping their kids under control? I'm not talking about kids just acting like kids and being loud or a little rammy I'm talking about completely unsupervised "packs" of young teens knocking elderly people down, throwing condiment bottles down ten decks in the atrium, invading the adults only area and refusing to leave. Are the kids allowed to run wild like this on NLC as well? Are there as MANY kids on NCL? Does the staff hold the adults accountable for the actions of the kids? Is there a curfew? Is there an adults only area like the serenity area on Carnival?

 

I don't really want to switch to new line just to come up against the same situation I see on Carnival now. Thanks.

 

 

We made the mistake of sailing Carnival one time. I have heard others say that they are the WalMart of the cruise industry. IMHO they would have to become better by a factor of 10-20 to reach that level. They left a voucher for a free cruise in our cabin on the last day of the cruise. We left it on the bed when we debarked. You will love NCL.

[steveweese]

Cruise lines don’t dictate the behavior of kids. Parents do

[david_sobe]

Cruise lines don’t dictate the behavior of kids. Parents do

 

 

That is exactly right!

I guess I have been lucky because I never saw "disruptive" kids on any cruise. Cruises are family vacations so you cant be afraid of crowds and kids. I trained myself to understand that LOL.

I don't consider kids running, playing, screaming, and splashing outside disruptive. If kids were picking up food at the buffet and throwing it on people....then that is disruptive. ;p

But its out of control parents, not the kids to blame.

[Medtech2]

Glad to hear that as I'm on the 08/18 Breakaway Baltic and I have NO filter on my mouth when it comes to brats, yes I'm a parent and grand parent.

 

My type of person. When mine were little I would tell people at Church that if they saw my kids misbehaving they had my full permission to tell them to stop. It takes a village and all that. And I have to say sometimes I just cannot help myself if the behavior is bad enough that I just come out and say something. Happens before I can tell myself not to, lol.

[alreadypacked]

My type of person. When mine were little I would tell people at Church that if they saw my kids misbehaving they had my full permission to tell them to stop. It takes a village and all that. And I have to say sometimes I just cannot help myself if the behavior is bad enough that I just come out and say something. Happens before I can tell myself not to, lol.

 

I'm 47 years old and when I was a kid, ANY adult could correct you if your behavior was off and your parents weren't right there... and we as kids knew to buckle down and straighten out our behavior forthwith (last thing you'd want was for said adult to inform your folks--because then you'd be in REAL trouble).

 

So, I agree wholeheartedly with you...

 

But I have to say, nowadays I keep my mouth closed when I see misbehaving kids, because many are so out of control and disrespectful, they'll just curse you out, then go fetch their parents who'll pick up where the kids left off.

 

If I see truly dangerous behavior, I'll report it to the store/cruise/restaurant (or whatever) staff or call 911.

[cruisinmeme]

Yikes!

 

I have about 15 or 16 cruises on Carnival, but I haven't sailed them since 2015 mainly due to declining food quality and lack of sit-down restaurant choices.

 

We've been sailing NCL mostly now (with a few Princess and Celebrity).

 

I have not seen the likes of what you describe on any line--including Carnival.

 

If I may be frank, may I ask--just to be 100% clear--are the behaviors you're describing (knocking elderly persons down, throwing condiment bottles down over the atrium) actual things personally witnessed?

 

Add smashing food on cabin doors. I saw all this and more on a 5 day out of mobile years ago. I myself ask an employee to look into it before someone was seriously hurt.

One of the passengers said he was going to take his cane and stick it out and trip a gang running thru because they had nearly knocked him down one time too many.

Nothing against kids, we have taken grandkids on MANY cruises but running wild with no regard for anyone i cant take.

[CruiseGal999]

I'm 47 years old and when I was a kid, ANY adult could correct you if your behavior was off and your parents weren't right there... and we as kids knew to buckle down and straighten out our behavior forthwith (last thing you'd want was for said adult to inform your folks--because then you'd be in REAL trouble).

 

I agree with you. I was telling my friend that when we were kids (I'm a little older than you ... but close) that any of my friend's parents could whoop our butts if we misbehaved. They had complete authorization from our parents to do what they thought was right for the situation.

 

My friend was APPALLED (she is 15 years OLDER than I am!). She could NOT imagine that style of parenting. But she is also a mom who cooked several different meals each night to keep her husband and kids happy. ??? That NEVER happened in our house.

[riclop]

Same thing , try HAL or Princess.