Kids on RSSC?

[iceman93]

I may be asking the impossible, but here goes...

 

As you can see from my signature, my first cruise was on Radisson. We loved it, although we were probably too young and too naive to truly appreciate the whole experience. After that my wife and I tried Holland America, really liked it, and have sailed with them a few times since.

 

Our daughter was born in February of 2004, so she's been on two HAL cruises with us. Of course she was too little to partake of the children's activities on board, but the cruises were still enjoyable, albeit in a different way, for both us and for her.

 

We're thinking of trying another Regent cruise, but here's the dilemma: the itineraries we're most interested in (Antarctica and Tahiti) seem to be aboard ships that have NO children's activities, facilities, or amenities. Can this accurately be interpreted as an unofficial but firm request NOT to have children aboard those voyages?

 

I noticed that RSSC's Alaska and Caribbean cruises do have some children's programs for ages 5+, but that's too old for us right now and we're not interested in those destinations anyway. So can well-behaved, easily entertained children cruise elsewhere with Regent and not be looked upon as nuisances/unwanted pests?

[Kathy Z]

iceman - we have done a back to back on the PG plus a 10-day. Of those three groups of fellow passengers I think we noticed perhaps one other child in the 2 -3 year old range, less than 10 preteens and about another 10 teenagers. The one younger child was well behaved and any time she would get fussy in the dining room one of the parents would take her out for a stroll on the deck. It did limit the activities they could participate in for themselves. The older preteens were mostly part of one large extended family group and they did get a little loud in L'Etoile during some dinner times. We preferred being at least two tables away from them. The teenagers all were the type that enjoyed doing things with their parents and were really into the water related activities that draw so many of us to the PG. During the summer months there is special programming for them to participate in.

 

So I would say if your child is very well behaved and you would not mind being limited in what you yourselves could participate in while caring for her then Regent would be OK. Otherwise, until she is a little older you would probably be best staying with the lines that have special services for young children.

[Iamboatman]

I don't think there is an issue at all about bringing your child. RSSC has a program in place when it anticipates there will probably be children present. It is not an invitation out, but rather a decision not to pay staff that won't be utilized.

[ChatKat in Ca.]

My take is that if there really isn't any planned activity for children, why would you want to bring them and bore them to tears?

 

I would think that would be fair to the fellow passengers and to the child, first and foremost to hire a babysitter and leave them at home if you want to go. There are SO many things to do with the kids so if there is no children's program, I would hope that you'd be courteous enough to leave them at home.

 

I would never book a cruise with a kid's program in place so that the kids could be kids. I don't want to travel with children (unless I plan to)

[MarnaLou]

I've seen a handful of children on my handful of RSSC cruises and they've always been very nice kids. By no means did they intrude on my serenity as much as the several belligerant adults we've come across. Regent does not exclude children as passengers.

 

Iceman, only you can know if your daughter is likely to be a good traveler. If she is an easily contented child who goes with the flow she might be a good candidate to be a young cruiser. However, if she tends to be fussy and uncomfortable away from home, it might be best for all concerned if you keep her close to her familiar surroundings in whatever way you choose to arrange for that. If you do bring her your cruise will be a fundamentally different experience but that's what parenting is. I think it can still be quite enjoyable.

 

Regent does plan specifically for children to be aboard the Paul Gauguin at certain times via its Ambassadors of the Environment program: http://www.rssc.com/voyage/details.jsp?code=PAU060610&offerId=990719&page=board This sounds like a really exciting program and if I still had kids in that age group I'd be sure to get them into that at least once during their growing up years.

[Dolebludger]

I can't speak for the Antarctica cruise, but can speak for the Paul Gaugun. We've spent a total of five weeks on the PG, and there have always been a few children aboard. In fact, children over about age six really LOVE all the water activities -- the same ones the adults enjoy. While having a two year old on board would not bother me in the least, I would be concerned about lack of activities for a child that young from the standpoint of the child. I just doubt that the child would enjoy it very much.

 

My advice is wait on the PG until the child is around six years old. He/she will have a blast!

 

Thanks,

Richard

[sashipa]

From experience, I would strongly recommend that you take your daughter and enjoy!!.

 

I booked our first cruise on the Navigator from Quebec to New York when our daughter had just turned three. We had just moved to Miami and were looking to escape the heat. Like the cruises you are evaluating, there were no childrens programs and she would have been too young. As it turned out, she was the only child on the ship, which made me very nervous at first, but we all had the best time. From passengers to staff, we always felt very comfortable and welcome. The ship was large enough that there was always space to take her if she became fussy, but generally she loved the experience and was cheerful the entire trip.

 

We found that the flexible dinning made it easier to have dinner when our daughter was still energetic and the servers were wonderful with her, making orgami anamals and special deserts. The one evening that she was so tired, we had dinner in the room the food was excellent. Although we did not ask, there was a cookie on a plate for her.

 

In addition, our daughter really wanted to see the show performers dance, but she was too youg to stay up late enough for the show. The cruise director was very nice and coordinated a time that we could watch the rehersal for a time. It was this kind of attention and warmth that made this a trip of a lifetime in every respect. To this day, our daughter talks about the Navigator.

 

Generally when traveling with her, we try and be a little more flexible. We have never manged to get her to take a nap while traveling, but there were childrens movies in the library, so we could get an hour of quiet time when needed.

 

We are going to Alaska this summer and can hardly wait.

[iceman93]

Thanks for all the honest, insightful replies. Sashipa, you said exactly the kinds of things I had hoped to hear. That's how we've felt on our HAL cruises: welcomed by both the staff and our fellow passengers, even though our daughter was the only little one aboard. HAL's Indonesian/Phillipino staff often have small children at home, and they really enjoy interacting with her. If nothing else it's an invitation for them to speak about their own children. And most of HAL's clientele are grandparents, so they coo and fuss over babies and toddlers as well.

 

What ChatKat said (and don't take this as a personal insult--I am definitely grateful for you sharing your point of view) is what I was AFRAID to hear. That a large proportion of Regent's passengers would prefer not to be around children at all.

 

The lack of a children's program in and of itself would not dissuade me from taking any kind of vacation with my daughter. She's had a blast on our two cruises so far--there is definitely plenty to see, explore, and do. We have brought our au pair with us as well, which helps with babysitting, etc.

 

Special thanks also to MarnaLou for pointing out the environmental program. Our daughter is no stranger to traveling: in her two years of life she's been on two cruises and two lengthy Disney World vacations, plus many weekend getaways or simply elegant dinners out with us. I personally believe that it is important to expose children at a young age to a wide variety of experiences and social settings. Maybe I'm just lucky that my bundle of joy is generally well-behaved, quiet, and happy (and wouldn't it be ironic for the fates to drop a fussbudget into my lap the next time...), but I think it's partially due to the level of involvement we've let her have with our lives so far.

 

Don't get me wrong--couple time is vital and we do enjoy our time away as well. I don't know if I would enjoy multiple weeks away from her, though, just so that my wife and I could have more freedom and flexibility regarding on-board activities and shore excursions.

 

Thanks again, everyone, for the advice. I'm certainly open to hearing more. I've started more actively investigating PG sailings...

[ChatKat in Ca.]

When I plan my vacations, I do avoid the peak periods when people generally travel with their children, which I think is only fair to those who go with the kids. And I would not care if you travelled with your child on my itinerary if you were courteous and removed the child from the dining room when she were fussy, as I would hope would happen in any fine dining venue. The problem today is that there are just too many people inconsiderate of others, be it adult or child. What I don't want to be on is a ship overrun with children as happened a few years ago on a Carribbean itinerary and they were uncontrolled, in great number because there was a promotion and kids sailed free!

[Dolebludger]

I think the cruise that ChatKat mentions was the Diamond W. Carribbean July '03. I was on that cruise. It was kids sail free, and the number of kids was part of the problem. Also, the ship was actually over-full due to the extra kids in many suites, and all suites were sold out. Services were pushed over the limit by sheer number of guests, along with the demands placed on them by the kids. It was also an early experiment with "open bar" (that part went well), and had a lousy itinerary, which was further fouled by a bad engine. I booked it because it was dirt cheap ($1400pp for us), and I wanted a cheap summer get-away. RSSC voluntarily gave each guest a $500 future cruise credit, announced mid-cruise. So I paid $900 pp per week for that cruise. Just try to find one at that price on RSSC now!

 

I re-tell this story to illustrate that the kids were only a PART of a larger set of problems. And maybe one of the smaller parts. It might have been just as problematic if the deal had been "senior citizens cruise free in their adult childrens' cabin". Perhaps worse! No, I won't book another "kids sail free" RSSC cruise (unless you can get it for me for $900 pp per week!). But I don't worry when I see a reasonable number of kids embarking along with me. I have a grandson who is 2 1/2 years old. It's just my opinion that he is too young for me to take him on any cruise. I don't think he would disturb anybody. Fellow guests would probably think he was cute, which he is. I just don't think he would enjoy it. But, when he is six or so, I want him to cruise on the Paul Gauguin. I'll probably have to take him. His mother (my daughter) actually makes more money than I, but she is cheaper than Scrooge! So, outside of instances like the Diamond cruise when a kids promotion (and a number of other promotions) overcrowds the ship, I suggest that the decission of whether to cruise RSSC with a clild depends mainly on whether the particular child would enjoy it.

 

Thanks,

Richard

[ronsex]

Two close friends of mine, along with their two year old son, took the 19 day Auckland to Los Angeles trip last Nov/Dec on the Mariner.

 

The crew were absolutely wonderful and helped in every way that they could. Samuel got lots of attention and several crew would take time to play with him for short periods of time.

 

My friends joined us for dinner most evenings by hiring a babysitter through reception. Babysitters are easily available for $25 per hour and are usually the reception staff or spa staff.

[Iamboatman]

I have been cruising with my children since they my daughter was just under a year old and have been on everything from Premier (Big Red Boat II) to Regent with them over 13+ cruises.

 

One thing I have learned is that the kids' view of what is a great time is far different from what parents or other adults think is a kids' great time. My children's most talked about time was not the great Royal Caribbean or Celebrity kids' programs, but when they were on the Diamond and the staff fawned all over them. ("Eat all your breakfast or I will lock you in the freezer!" and my kids took up the challenge...and had a blast being "dragged" through the galley to be locked up.) In other words, I wouldn't worry too much about the itinerary or the extent of the program for younger kids. I wouldn't recommend Seabourn or Silversea, but otherwise you children can be just fine.

 

Another thing I have learned is that my kids can pick out troublesome adults as quickly as troublesome kids. I am firmly of the belief that the issue is almost never the children, but the parents that don't set the boundaries for them. Good parents tend to have good kids. We don't vet out bad parents, so I would think trying to vet out children is a bit misplaced.

[Christine Cruisin]

When I plan my vacations, I do avoid the peak periods when people generally travel with their children, which I think is only fair to those who go with the kids. And I would not care if you travelled with your child on my itinerary if you were courteous and removed the child from the dining room when she were fussy, as I would hope would happen in any fine dining venue. The problem today is that there are just too many people inconsiderate of others, be it adult or child. What I don't want to be on is a ship overrun with children as happened a few years ago on a Carribbean itinerary and they were uncontrolled, in great number because there was a promotion and kids sailed free!

When booking my PG cruise I specifically asked if there was a children's program on my particular cruise. We do not have children and prefer not to be around them on our vacation. If I wanted to bring children I would ask and select a cruise that had a children's program, that way everyone would be comfortable! I totally agree that typically it's a lack of adult supervision, not the children, that is the issue. My husband and I still laugh that on our honeymoon at Kona Village in Hawaii that after dinner there was a stingray observation point with a sign that said "DO NOT FEED STINGRAYS". Well, the father was feeding the stingrays. His son of about eight years old said "Dad, can't you read the sign!! Do you want to get us kicked out of here?"

[flyerdreamer]

My children's most talked about time was not the great Royal Caribbean or Celebrity kids' programs, but when they were on the Diamond and the staff fawned all over them.

 

Likewise, my son's greatest memory is learning dozens of different ways to fold napkins from RCCL's wait staff (including the maitre d!) on an Alaskan cruise. To this day he entertains at family gatherings.

 

And, hey, I have kids, but I don't like suffering the noise or annoyance of ill-behaved children any more than you childless folks. Maybe even less! There is no excuse for bad behavior in a public venue. Only fault--and that is with bad parenting. Sad to say, it's everywhere now, especially in movie theaters. Ugh! But then when you have mama or papa talking on their cells during the show, what example do they have. Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox.

[Charsie]

I haven't seen many children on my Radisson/Regent cruises, but when I was on board the Navigator in February, there were two - a little boy around 8, and a little girl around 3. They were absolutely perfectly behaved and delightful. I would imagine that this is because they had parents, like Iceman, who were so aware of their surroundings and cared about their fellow passengers as well as their child's enjoyment, and found a way to meld the two into the Regent environment.

 

Iceman, I say "go for it", because by virtue of the fact you even care enough to ask people's opinions on the matter, you aren't the kind of parent that is so horrifying! I don't see your daughter running amok, screaming for attention, disrupting elegant dinners etc. In fact, I'm sure you've seen that yourself with other parents/children while on vacation, and know the difference (and were horrified!). Have a great family vacation on the PG, I am confident you will, and so will everyone else on board!

[Iamboatman]

Another thing to consider, if you children are old enough, is to let them have dinner in the suite. My kids have done this for years and they find the "royal treatment" to be one of the perks of travel. That way they get "their" dinner and we get ours. Of course they are trained to stay in the suite and we have radios...just in case. (And they are courteous enough to know that setting radios off during our dinner needs to be for a good reason...because otherwise it would be rude to the other guests at the table!)

 

There are lots of ways to travel with children while teaching them how to act and to respect others. It is actually quite a kick for them to be pointing out the rude acts of some of the adults. (Of course they do it discreetly, so as not to offend anyone!)

[iceman93]

Please continue offering the wonderful advice and sharing experiences. I'm enjoying this and learning a lot! And while I certainly didn't mean to start a "should children cruise" thread, I understand that some generalizations along those lines are inevitable.

 

The most recent news is that we just put a deposit down on another HAL cruise this fall (17 nights from Copenhagen to New York), which will stretch both the pocketbook and our vacation time. If we take that one (which is far from a certainly, as I currently have a fairly significant work conflict with the dates), we won't be taking the PG for another couple of years. We're DEFINITELY taking the HAL Antarctic cruise indicated in my signature, and one to two big trips a year is all we can handle. We did look at the RSSC Explorer II, but found the HAL itinerary and experience more to our liking for that particular part of the world. In the South Pacific, the opposite is true...

[Iamboatman]

Ironically, the worst kid's program - according to the experts...my kids - was HAL. That was a couple of years ago and I understand they have revamped the program (which was pretty marginal and had some very strange and unkid-friendly concepts), but we are going to give them a shot for a spring break cruise next spring.

 

If the kids' program and counselors are good, the sea days will be a pleasure for everyone. As you can tell from the various posts, if the kids are treated with respect, the eat it up, rise to the moment and you watch them mature right before your eyes. It is a great thing.

 

Don't let the "try not to cruise when we want to" posts get to you. If it isn't the kids, it's that loud man or that pushy woman or that "you know" couple. The VAST majority of cruisers have a great time on their cruises and don't spend their time complaining or looking for complaints. If a minute of dissatisfaction sets someone off, whattayagonnado? (Obviously out of control adults or children are a different story.)