Carnival Conquest - out of control teenagers!

[debrhplace]

My husband and I sailed on the Carnival Conquest on August 9th to celebrate our son and new wife's wedding and our wedding anniversary. The teenagers were so out of control that you could not hardly walk around on the ship without someone running into you or being very rude. We talked to quite a few parents traveling with children and they were very disappointed that the Security people didn't seem to care about the situation. This will be the last time that we travel during the summertime - some parents seemed to think that once they boarded the ship that Carnival was their children's babysitter. One couple that we also talked to said that one mother even mentioned that she had not seen her teenage daughter in 3 days - can you image! What is up with parents these days?

[Travel Alot]

My husband and I sailed on the Carnival Conquest on August 9th to celebrate our son and new wife's wedding and our wedding anniversary. The teenagers were so out of control that you could not hardly walk around on the ship without someone running into you or being very rude. We talked to quite a few parents traveling with children and they were very disappointed that the Security people didn't seem to care about the situation. This will be the last time that we travel during the summertime - some parents seemed to think that once they boarded the ship that Carnival was their children's babysitter. One couple that we also talked to said that one mother even mentioned that she had not seen her teenage daughter in 3 days - can you image! What is up with parents these days?

 

I can sympathize....learned the hard way years ago not to travel during the summer months or during spring break. Last November during Thanksgiving...noticed some of it again on the Legend. This year, decided to go in September [when I know kids are back in school] and early December [kids in school then, too]. I agree with you...I saw things going on that I would never allow my kids to do. Nor would my parents have tolerated it out of me. Sometimes, I get the impression that some parents are on their vacation....and just let the ship deal with their kids. I had no problem with calling the front desk at 3am to complain about kids running up and down the hall, banging on doors and removing room service cards. Where are the parents at 3am? I suspect in their own cabin....fast asleep.

[firefly333]

I also try to avoid summer, too hot to enjoy, not just the kids. I went in May and that was almost too hot for me.

[FloridaCruisinNewbies]

I also try to avoid summer, too hot to enjoy, not just the kids. I went in May and that was almost too hot for me.

 

TOO hot for the FireFLy?? With that Avatar.... surely you jest!!

 

Oh yeah... Carnival is not your babysitter!

[LemurCat]

I'll ask the question ... did you say something to the kids who walked into you? I mean, perhaps it's just me, but if some jerk just randomly runs into me who happens to be over the age of 5, they get a comment from me. I find it works particularly good with teenages. They stop dead, turn white, stare at you all wide-eyed. It takes a village, folks.

[*Mach*]

It's not just the Conquest and I suspect it's not just Carnival.

John Heald made mention of an incident on the Freedom in which 'kids' (don't know ages and such...) were spitting on the duo playing music in the Atrium lobby.

Rightfully so, the duo refused to play any longer until the area was cleaned and the kids taken care of.

It's a sad state when parents have virtually no control over their children and aren't bothered by it in the least...

:mad:

[chasinraynbowz]

We had a young man on our last Fantasy cruise who decided that the elevator was his playground. It never failed that when we were trying to get off, he was pushing his way in or when we were trying to get on, he would push himself past others to get out.

 

The last straw was when he almost knocked someone over. The doors had opened and several of us were attempting to get out while he was pushing his way in and I'd had enough. I let him know, in front of the others with him that he needed to get where he was going and stay off the elevator and that I was sick to death of having to dodge him everytime we attempted to use the elevator.

 

I have to assume one of the others with him was an older sibling because once I said that to him, we never saw him in the elevator again. :D

[Travel Alot]

I'll ask the question ... did you say something to the kids who walked into you? I mean, perhaps it's just me, but if some jerk just randomly runs into me who happens to be over the age of 5, they get a comment from me. I find it works particularly good with teenages. They stop dead, turn white, stare at you all wide-eyed. It takes a village, folks.

 

 

I agree with that! I can stare down any kid. And I don't have a problem with saying, in a stern manner, to "knock it off!"

[Houstoncruiser2007]

I recently sailed the Conquest and had a run-in with what I'd call a pre-teen... I'd peg him at 8th grade. We were on the deck just outside of the Main Lobby (the VERY windy deck) when 2 boys began horseplaying on the rails. One of the boys was standing on the 2nd rung of the rails! Both my husband and I and some younger girls (18-20ish) were out there and we both told them to get down. The kids addressed the younger girls and said "You're not my mother" so I went over and told him "I'm not your mother either, but what you are doing is dangerous and if you don't get down I'm going to get a Carnival employee." He did get down but I still went inside and told the first employee I saw which happened to be a Carnival photographer figuring he would think more of it in the future if a ship's employee addressed him. She immediately hoofed it out there and shortly thereafter I saw them coming inside looking quite sheepish. Way to go Carnival photographer!

 

I don't know if I would have been as successful with a 15-18 year but I would have tried it.

[LemurCat]

I agree with that! I can stare down any kid. And I don't have a problem with saying, in a stern manner, to "knock it off!"

 

My other favorite line is "How about you, me, your folks and a Security Officer have a conversation about how you're spending your time?"

 

That usually works on kids up to about 20.

 

After that, I find "What the **** is your problem, ********?" to be rather effective.

[FloridaCruisinNewbies]

I recently sailed the Conquest and had a run-in with what I'd call a pre-teen... I'd peg him at 8th grade. We were on the deck just outside of the Main Lobby (the VERY windy deck) when 2 boys began horseplaying on the rails. One of the boys was standing on the 2nd rung of the rails! Both my husband and I and some younger girls (18-20ish) were out there and we both told them to get down. The kids addressed the younger girls and said "You're not my mother" so I went over and told him "I'm not your mother either, but what you are doing is dangerous and if you don't get down I'm going to get a Carnival employee." He did get down but I still went inside and told the first employee I saw which happened to be a Carnival photographer figuring he would think more of it in the future if a ship's employee addressed him. She immediately hoofed it out there and shortly thereafter I saw them coming inside looking quite sheepish. Way to go Carnival photographer!

 

I don't know if I would have been as successful with a 15-18 year but I would have tried it.

 

Should've had the photographer take a picture of them being a horse's aXX. Then they could of put the photo in the elegant picture night photo lineup for the parents to see.

[FloridaCruisinNewbies]

My other favorite line is "How about you, me, your folks and a Security Officer have a conversation about how you're spending your time?"

 

That usually works on kids up to about 20.

 

After that, I find "What the **** is your problem, ********?" to be rather effective.

 

LemurCat; I like your style!

[Savoia]

My husband and I sailed on the Carnival Conquest on August 9th to celebrate our son and new wife's wedding and our wedding anniversary. The teenagers were so out of control that you could not hardly walk around on the ship without someone running into you or being very rude. We talked to quite a few parents traveling with children and they were very disappointed that the Security people didn't seem to care about the situation. This will be the last time that we travel during the summertime - some parents seemed to think that once they boarded the ship that Carnival was their children's babysitter. One couple that we also talked to said that one mother even mentioned that she had not seen her teenage daughter in 3 days - can you image! What is up with parents these days?

 

This has been an ongoing issue wihin carnival for years...but the concensus with Carnival Corporate is since Carnival has your money any problems you encounter onboard are yours to contend with. One of the many reasons why I do not cruise with them.

[FloridaCruisinNewbies]

This has been an ongoing issue wihin carnival for years...but the concensus with Carnival Corporate is since Carnival has your money any problems you encounter onboard are yours to contend with. One of the many reasons why I do not cruise with them.

How many people in "Carnival Corporate" did you speak with about this subjuect? And I don't cruise RCL, so I don't go to there board and stir up crap

[flynnsport]

this has been an ongoing issue wihin carnival for years...but the concensus with carnival corporate is since carnival has your money any problems you encounter onboard are yours to contend with. One of the many reasons why i do not cruise with them.

then why are you commenting on this board?

[LemurCat]

then why are you commenting on this board?

 

Because that particular poster is angry with Carnival over something, and instead of handling it like a rational human being, they're instead acting like a nutbag and spreading venom all over Cruise Critic. Because that, as I'm sure you all can understand, is really going to incentivize Carnival to do what they want and us not to think this person might not be "half a bubble off plumb" mentally.

[sharecruises]

This has been an ongoing issue wihin carnival for years...but the concensus with Carnival Corporate is since Carnival has your money any problems you encounter onboard are yours to contend with. One of the many reasons why I do not cruise with them.

 

what cruise line do you like?? you don't appear to cruise, only to bash Carnival?? Kind of fascinating

[terri910]

After that, I find "What the **** is your problem, ********?" to be rather effective.

That isn't exactly my style! *LOL* But I've been reading this thread, and I have heard basically that phrase used by the obnoxious rule-breakers (of any and all ages) when someone uses the earlier tactics mentioned.

 

 

I should clarify, I'm not saying you are a rule-breaker because you might eventually get angry enough to say it, just that so often (in my experience) the people who are acting like hooligans don't look or act sheepish when called on it -- they immediately take on that confrontational attitude. I WISH they would act sheepish instead of making me feel menaced!

[LHP]

We no longer cruise when school is out.

 

I have raised my two....I have no intention of babysitting someone else's, while I am on vacation if I can help it.

[Kurbanfan]

then why are you commenting on this board?

 

Mickey Arvidson ran over her animal........

[T. Advisor King]

We were on the Conquest in March during spring break. I can't say I recall any unruly behavior by teenagers. Of course, if they were horsing around at 3:00 am, I would have been oblivious to it -- having been asleep for 3-4 hours already at that point.

 

Seriously, I appreciate that it happens (kids crossing the line). But I think kids get a bad rap. Most of them are polite and well meaning and I almost always see worse behavior from adults than I do from kids.

[DragonMouse]

Wow...we were on the Aug 9th cruise too. I didn't see any problem with teens. ...The Mom that said "she hadn't seen her daughter in 3 days"... was probably more a figure of speech. I could have said that too...but more accurately it would be that I hardly saw him in a "face to face" scenerio besides his nightly "report" of everything they did during the day (I LOVED these reports). I know my son was wandering about with some friends...but between the 4 of us (me, husband, girlfriend and her husband)...we actually spotted him more than he had a clue of. He was just always having a good time, participated in Circle C activities, hung out at the disco etc...his little "pod" even went and took pictures...and get this...the group of them actually "tipped" the photographer because they thought he was so nice...(I was impressed at them being concerned with that). I monitored his folio so that I knew approximately where he was hanging out. If I had even the most minimal report that he was misbehaving in the slightest...he would have immediately be confined to quarters (he KNOWS this too and it doesn't take much to set me off). Of course he was with us for some events, some dinners and definately each excursion. I truly believe IF he or one of his "pod" members got "called out" by an "adult". I would have heard about it. He never hesitates to tell me or my husband about something that happened when we're at home.

 

BUT...I guess I could see some people when they don't have kids or they don't have kids with them on vacation...maybe they get a little more "sensitive" about the stupid things one or two of them might do. Overall...I hardly ran into ANY teens (younger teens nor older ones) that were acting way out of line.

 

I had more of an issue with pre-teens running into the elevators (if they were teens they were very short) and pushing all the buttons, little kids cutting me off at the water slide, little kids alone at the buffet line, etc. SIGH. After a while I just took a deep breath and realized they were having fun...They probably should have been better supervised...but they were having fun. At that age I wouldn't have let my son off the leash with out supervision...but then it took a lot to for me to let the leash go a little.

 

I have more of an issue at ANY theme park, any sporting event, McDonalds... than I even remotely did on Carnival. Beware of going to Disney in the summer...whoa I could tell you some HORROR stories about that...As much as I enjoy Disney...there are some kids (and parents) that could definatley make me go POSTAL. My dear boy will put his hand on my shoulder and just shake his head...telling me to breath deep and slow. I met a lot of really BEAUTIFUL people and some wonderful people on this cruise that I've seen in a long time. Unfortunately it only takes ONE or TWO bad apples.

 

And security...No one saw them because I think they were following me. I saw them every time I got on the elevator. Shucks...one time in particular I think we had about 4-5 security officers get on with us. My girlfriend and I blamed each other. But in all reality...SHE is the guilty one:p

[debrhplace]

We did talk to the kids but it didn't help. They would start out on deck 5 where the casino was and took over all of the sofas. When the casino closed, they would move to the stairways until run out and then to deck 9. My son had to actually break up a fight on the stairwell and all they did was curse him out. Security was notified about what was going on but we never did see Security show up. I will not travel during the summer again on any cruise ship! I don't feel like babysitting someone elses rude kids!!!

[LorrieB]

This has been an ongoing issue wihin carnival for years...but the concensus with Carnival Corporate is since Carnival has your money any problems you encounter onboard are yours to contend with. One of the many reasons why I do not cruise with them.

Since you are such an expert on Carnival Corporate and Carnival in general.... how about getting me a table for two by the window in the dining room and a nice gift basket in my cabin would be nice too!!!!!

 

Give me a break. Why on earth would you "cruise" the Carnival threads if not to make trouble?

[jdlowndes]

If some parents would learn that talking to some kids will not work and it takes some "motivation" to get the others thinking the world would be a better place... I was one of those kids that didn't care if you talked till you were blue in the face, but when the parents got the belt out now that my friend was a different story!!!:eek::eek::eek:

 

I know everyone has a different view on punishment but not the same punishment works for all the kids!!!

 

You will not have to worry when my daughter starts cruising with me and the wife... I will have her under control I pray~!