RevNeal's LIVE Eurodam Report

[jhannah]

It's amazing how different kids can be. There was one young man (I'm guessing 13 or 14) who was very polite and kind. He dressed appropriately and was respectful of those who were older ... in his group and others. On the way to the show lounge one evening he dropped his popcorn. He picked it up and disposed of it. I have seen many kids who would have left it for "the help" to clean up. Kudos to him and others like him who have paid attention to good instruction on manners and propriety.

[kryos]

Kudos to him and others like him who have paid attention to good instruction on manners and propriety.

And that's an amazing tribute ... not just to him, but to the parents who raised him that way.

 

I have been amazingly lucky on the cruises I've been on. While only one of them had a lot of kids onboard, I never encountered ANY that were rude or rowdy. Just a bunch of nice kids out to have a good time in a non-intrusive manner.

 

Shame all kids can't be that way. Shame all parents don't have good parenting skills.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

I would bet good money these parents were mad at the cruise line (and perhaps the OTHER parents kids) and not their own kids.

Cheers

Mark

Interestingly enough, that didn't appear to be the case at all, at least from what I read.

 

One of the parents was asked, by one of their tablemates, who saw them on the pier with their luggage "what? You're leaving the ship? Is something wrong at home?" The parent's response? "No, our d***** kids got us thrown off with their antics." But the amazing thing I noticed, at least from the way the story was worded, was that the parent didn't seem that upset. Oh, man ... that wouldn't have been the case with my parents ... no way. They would have been hopping mad, and would have made MY life miserable because of it.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[CDRMark]

Interestingly enough, that didn't appear to be the case at all, at least from what I read.

 

One of the parents was asked, by one of their tablemates, who saw them on the pier with their luggage "what? You're leaving the ship? Is something wrong at home?" The parent's response? "No, our d***** kids got us thrown off with their antics." But the amazing thing I noticed, at least from the way the story was worded, was that the parent didn't seem that upset. Oh, man ... that wouldn't have been the case with my parents ... no way. They would have been hopping mad, and would have made MY life miserable because of it.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

If that's the case, I'm amazed

..and I owe you a drink.:)

Cheers

Mark

[Susie51]

With the balloons in the toilet, I would think they could pin point the children causing the trouble. I hope Adele is being well compensated for this reoccurring problem.

 

HAL, let's get someone in authority in the dining room to stop this insanity.

 

I've seen NO RUNNING signs in pool areas and life guards enforce the rule. Perhaps HAL needs to put up NO RUNNING signs in the dining room.

[McDebbie]

We cruised Carnival Victory during Spring Break and didn't see the little darlings at all except around the pool (and running around the elevator) I am wondering if the teens/tweens/kids programs are not up to speed for this cruise? Not that they should be responsible for keeping the brats entertained all day and night - and no excuse for bad manners. I am surprised there are so many though for this particular cruise. Ask your HAL insider if the kids programs are up and running. Hint Hint :D

 

Thanks for all the great info and posting!

[mamaofami]

Don't you know the parents paid for this cruise and need a vacation too. Do you expect them to be responsible for their kids all day?:rolleyes:

Frankly, while it really is up to the parents, I think HAL needs to step up to the plate and inform the parents that they won't tolerate this kind of behavior. Since we've read about this so many times on so many cruises, it seems to be just one more area where they are afraid to take a stand.

[Taxguy77]

A school business manager I know had two parents in his office, showed them a survelience tape of their son spray painting graffitti on the walls of a classroom and heard the woman say,"my little angel wouldn't do that"!:confused:

I'm glad I don't have to travel during high season, I don't like crowds, especially ill mannered (of any age).

Rev Neal; please keep the posts coming but get your sleep and rest.:)

[robsta]

Maybe we should take the politically correct approach to these unruly kids:

They are obviously victims of being confined to the small living space of a ship cabin and other ship facilities, combined with all of the sugar that they have consumed unknowingly through the wonderful deserts, this together has turned them from model children into hooligans. Really the cruise line and ship chefs are responsible for these children's awful behavior. They, nor their parents, are responsible in any way. They are all victims of a life of misery on a brand new cruise ship.

We should all just understand. :rolleyes:

(If you buy into this, I have some ocean front property in Colorado that I can sell you)

[Boytjie]

Maybe we should take the politically correct approach to these unruly kids:

 

They are obviously victims of being confined to the small living space of a ship cabin and other ship facilities, combined with all of the sugar that they have consumed unknowingly through the wonderful deserts, this together has turned them from model children into hooligans. Really the cruise line and ship chefs are responsible for these children's awful behavior. They, nor their parents, are responsible in any way. They are all victims of a life of misery on a brand new cruise ship.

 

We should all just understand. :rolleyes:

 

(If you buy into this, I have some ocean front property in Colorado that I can sell you)

 

No, I blame the endless supply of Dr. Pepper that the parents dragged on board because that's the only thing Johnny and Suzie would ever drink. :rolleyes::D

[esther e]

Isn't there an excursion for unrulies called "Waterskiing from the Stern of the Ship?"

[mikjr]

No, I blame the endless supply of Dr. Pepper that the parents dragged on board because that's the only thing Johnny and Suzie would ever drink. :rolleyes::D

 

Actually... after shaming the parents to no end... I blame HAL for not taking control of the situation!

 

They tried to kick the poor REV off the cabanas... but don't do a thing to stop unruly brats... it's just not right!

[WhansaMi]

:) Perhaps the "little darlings" should be treated as though they had Norvo virus.... quarantined and only allowed to return to shipboard fun when they no longer pose a threat to other passengers' health!

Thankyou very much for the all time and effort you have given, your reports are a delight to read. We sail on the Eurodam in September, your insights have greatly added to our excitment.

 

 

 

 

 

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On our Alaska cruise there was a group of <gulp> 160 teenagers, from 16-18. We spoke to a couple of their "escorts", and basically, this was a way for their parents to get rid of them for most of the summer. The kids had started in San Diego, cruised to Hawaii, then caught a flight to Anchorage, had gone southbound to Vancouver, and were then on their last leg of the trip, northbound back to Anchorage. All in all it came out to be about a month of cruising.

 

One of their chaperones said we were lucky... by the time we were with them they were totally burned out. I have a picture of a bunch of them on Captain Larry's boat, leaning all over each other, sleeping throughout the tour.

 

As a parent of two kids in that age range, I can't imagine doing that. There was SOOOO much opportunity to get into trouble.

 

Sheila

[BalconyBumz]

I wouldn't say the dining room staff is inept. It may be that their hands are tied. When you have a "word" with a parent about their children, feelings can get ruffled, tempers can flare.

--rita

 

This is true that staff usually can't say anything. I once saw someone in the buffet area on a ship in bare feet walking around and I said to one of the people clearing the tables that this is disgusting and is supposed to not be allowed. He told me there was nothing he could do about it.

[CowPrincess]

He told me there was nothing he could do about it.

 

In that case (and the case of the running monsters on the E-dam) I'd be going directly to someone who COULD do something about it. If the management won't empower the workers, (and of course the pax who receive the reprimand would probably not heed a "lowly" worker anyway) then the management needs to deal with the offenders. Immediately and effectively.

[DCT61]

meanwhile.....

 

Hey Rev...any new reports?

[babyher]

Maybe we should take the politically correct approach to these unruly kids:

 

They are obviously victims of being confined to the small living space of a ship cabin and other ship facilities, combined with all of the sugar that they have consumed unknowingly through the wonderful deserts, this together has turned them from model children into hooligans. Really the cruise line and ship chefs are responsible for these children's awful behavior. They, nor their parents, are responsible in any way. They are all victims of a life of misery on a brand new cruise ship.

 

We should all just understand. :rolleyes:

 

(If you buy into this, I have some ocean front property in Colorado that I can sell you)

 

 

I have a better idea :

 

Why don't we spank them so hard that (in the words of Archie Bunker) their heinies look like two little Japanese flags. :)

[lazey1]

I have a better idea :

 

Why don't we spank them so hard that (in the words of Archie Bunker) their heinies look like two little Japanese flags. :)

At the very least a loud NO and confine the darlings:rolleyes: to their rooms whenever they misbehave.

[Susie51]

RevNeal, I hope you are having a relaxing day at sea.

[Sir PMP]

That's wild how much the demographics have changed from the 05 July sailing. There weren't too many children on board at all for that ten days.

 

 

Kids should not be allowed on HAL ships, let them take Disney or RCCL since I hate that line, also for what I have been reading from Rev Neal, the 'Euro'dam is a disaster including the service...

[jhannah]

Far from a disaster, sir. FAR from it. An occasional quirk does not a disaster make. We were just on the Eurodam for 13 days and thoroughly enjoyed the ship and the service (with one exception I mentioned elsewhere.)

[kryos]

Kids should not be allowed on HAL ships, let them take Disney or RCCL since I hate that line, also for what I have been reading from Rev Neal, the 'Euro'dam is a disaster including the service...

Sadly, there is almost no cruise line that will turn away families with kids. They are the future of every single cruise line.

 

There were lots of people who cruised at one time and didn't care for children. The cruise lines honored their wishes because they were plentiful and were keeping the ships full. They paid top dollar for their cruises at a time when cruises were far more expensive than they are today. Well, sadly those people today are dying off ... or they are no longer cruising because of various disabilities. If the cruise lines want to survive, they need to replace these passengers with younger ones. Those younger passengers all have kids. Either the kids sail too, or the parents don't ... it's as simple as that. If the cruise lines don't welcome families, believe me there are plenty of resort properties that will. The parents don't have to cruise.

 

So, every cruise line will not just allow children, but will welcome them with open arms. That is why you don't see these kids on the Eurodam being chastised in any way for their antics. No way is any lower level HAL employee ... waiter, cabin steward, cruise staff, etc., gonna put their job on the line to chastise one of the children. If the parent gets upset ... which well they might ... that HAL employee could find themselves being packed off the ship at the next port, out of a job.

 

No, the only person(s) who can handle this problem are high level officers ... the hotel manager, etc., and obviously they have declined to do so. Why? Because the parents of those little darlings may very well be dropping a bundle on the ship, and HAL doesn't want that interferred with. So they will just tell the waiters in the dining room to be extra careful for children underfoot. If they inadvertently cause one to be injured, it's their a**, plain and simple. A waiter, after all, is a very expendable commodity. The passenger dropping a bundle in the casino, on drinks, etc., is not.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[james j feller]

The pastor just called and said the kids locked him in his cabin and he can't get out for a while or i think that is what he said, the message was garbled.

 

JIM

[kryos]

If the management won't empower the workers, (and of course the pax who receive the reprimand would probably not heed a "lowly" worker anyway) then the management needs to deal with the offenders. Immediately and effectively.

I'll be honest. I wouldn't "empower" the workers in this area myself. There is too much of a chance they could mishandle a situation, causing hurt feelings and possibly even law suits.

 

Situations like this need to be handled in a certain way ... diplomatically but firmly. I can't always know that a kitchen worker or a waiter, dealing with possible language challenges, would handle it properly.

 

But, what should be happening here is that the workers should be reporting the problems to their manager, and they should go to their manager on up the line. That way someone in authority, who is entrusted to know how to handle matters such as this, can take care of it. But in no way would I want a dining room waiter telling a parent that their kid's behavior is unacceptable. While such a proclamation may be accepted from the hotel manager, many parents are not gonna take that from a waiter on a cruise ship. Their response will be "and who the h*ll do you think you are?"

 

But why the hotel manager, guest relations manager, or someone on that level is not handling this is beyond me. What are they waiting for? Someone to get badly hurt?

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[mikjr]

Kids should not be allowed on HAL ships, let them take Disney or RCCL since I hate that line, also for what I have been reading from Rev Neal, the 'Euro'dam is a disaster including the service...

 

Although that's probably a little harsh... I doubt any cruiseline is going to turn away business.

 

One way to assure there are fewer kids on your cruise... take cruises that are between September and May. We always schedule ours during the fall or spring (except spring break) and have found very few deck rats running around. Of course this is not possible for certain itineraries such as Alaska...