Cove Cafe is supposed to be adults only...

[DisneyRN1]

But I bet in a different conversation you would talk about how you spent all sorts of time outside, away from parents, you could do all sorts of things on your own that kids these days can't....

And the fact is, many times those of us who were given such freedoms (seriously, what was wrong with parents in the 70s? did they just not care about us? HOW does one send kids outside from dawn to dusk in the summer and not wonder where or how they are? boggles my mind) (and my dad growing up in the 40s/50s, well his mom routinely full on drugged her 7 kids when she needed them to calm down, so that's not lovely) acted up just as you are describing. MANY of my friends were up to no good, and their parents had no clue. Some kids drinking the booze their parents so innocently left out. Others sneaking out. Others going places they weren't supposed to go. Shoplifting. etc Or the group of teens who went for a liquid lunch then went to "catch air" on a hill, and only one survived when a garbage truck came out from a side street while they were in the air... The parents of that group had NO idea what they were doing when they were on their own.


Not sure where you grew up, but NONE of my friends were guilty of the things you are talking about. Again, we were raised with common sense, to know right from wrong, and our parents were consistent with their expectations. I was one of the ones who was gone riding my bike all morning, my Mom had no idea what we were doing. But times were different then, and if any adult saw you doing anything even remotely silly, and they knew who you were, they would be calling your Mom to make her aware. She would thank them, and would be waiting when I got home. It wasn't any of the "how dare you tell me how to raise my child". Everyone looked out for all the kids, and the parents appreciated it.

I think we can pretty much boil this gazillion page thread into this:

People pay so much money for these cruises they are going to do what they damn well please. That this surprises *anyone* is amazing to me.

I think it is sooo very sad that you feel that way. You are going to have to live with people who feel the same way you do, and think they are soo entitled to do whatever they want. So you are ,or think everyone should just be thoughtless of other people's feelings. That "you" should be able to just push your way to the front of every line, knock people out of the way, make fun of people, push little kids into the pool when they can't swim. Etc. But since everyone is basically paying the same amount, and everyone is going to do whatever they want, is it basically going to be 1 big fight the whole week?

Just like the "pre-saving chairs by the pool debate", the fault for this falls directly on the CM who served this woman and her under aged children! That CM should have addressed the issue immediately by politely reminding this woman that it was an adults only area! Of course, Disney probably wouldn't have let them for fear of a future gripe!

Again, as others have said, the parent should be the one teaching the child right from wrong, and that they should not even have been in the adult area.

I agree that kids should stay out of the adult areas. However, you chose to go on a Disney cruise. You knew there would be tons of kids on the cruise. I think many of you are getting bent out of shape that CMs & parents can't keep kids out of the adult areas 100% of the time. I don't blame CMs for not using gestapo tactics to try to invoke a zero tolerance policy with the adult areas.

My wife and I love the adult areas of the ships, but we recognize kids are going to wander in there from time to time. There going to bend/break the rules. Oh well, it doesn't impact our enjoyment of the cruise, like it appears to with some of you.

Have to disagree with this also. Disney aggressively markets their cruises for adults as well as for the entire family. They make a point of saying they have KID FREE areas for the adults. The adults are probably the ones that Disney makes the most money on, largely because of alcohol sales. Adults have "classes" they attend that are paid for just as the children do, as well as the shore excursions. The spas, Palo's and Remy's make quite a lot on adults. Adults spend quite a lot in the gift shops buying for children or grandchildren that are not with them on this cruise. So just as I would not dream of going into the areas for the kids and teens, I expect them to show the same courtesy for ALL of the adult areas. Walt Disney himself said that Disney was for kids of all ages which includes adults.

 

[Disney_Princess83]

I think we can pretty much boil this gazillion page thread into this:

People pay so much money for these cruises they are going to do what they damn well please. That this surprises *anyone* is amazing to me.

It's not surprising to me at all. Most people only care about themselves and think the rules don't apply to them. However I have paid so much money to sail and if there are children in the adult section where they don't belong, I will absolutely try and have them kicked out of the area. Just like I would be kicked out of the childrens clubs if I tried to go in there (outside of open hours I mean).

 

[Disney_Princess83]

Perfect! (although I think the Cove Cafe and Pool are 18 and over?)

Wish there were a sign posted:

(1) The adult pool and coffee cafe are for adults (21 and over) only
(2) If you are a mature teen, please see rule #1
(3) If your parents are with you, please see rule #1
(4) If you are a polite and respectful teen, please see rule #1
(5) If the CM says nothing to you, please see rule #1
(6) If you are just there for a minute to get a good coffee, please see rule #1
(7) If the place is empty, please see rule #1
(8) If there are other underage guests there, please see rule #1
(9) If it's YOUR vacation, please see rule #1
(10 If you're 20 and will be 21 in just a few weeks, please see rule #1
(11) If you can think of another reasonable rationalization, please see rule #1

 

[for my family]

My 15 year old daughter read this thread today on the way to her allergy shot. She was 11 on our cruise and reminded me she always waited outside because she was "afraid of the sign." I remember her begging me to hurry because she was scared. She's a straight A student, had the lead in the schools musical, so she's a good kid that does not feel safe alone. I really feel awful that I made her uncomfortable just so I could have an iced coffee in the morning. She was apprehensive of the kids club, I'm glad I cancelled our Palo reservation. I'm going to look back a few pages here to find the alternative Magic location someone mentioned where she can walk in with me this time, so she doesn't have to feel like she's lurking around. I only got 3 punches on my card during my 7 day trip, now I remember why. I went on a family vacation. I didn't know then they had a second area on the Magic that serves coffee drinks. This trip I'm getting 7 iced coffees in 7 days! On what appears to be a side note of this thread....I got to sit on a lounge chair one day on that cruise, it's was about 3:30/4:00ish and I found empty chairs with no "stuff." No matter what... I still feel that was the best vacation of my life.

If your daughter feels that way, I would take her into the Cove Cafe in a heartbeat. No reason to have her go through that type of torment on what is suppose to be a happy vacation. I'm sure any decent-hearted adult would understand.

 

[over50visits]

I thought it was 18 and up, not 21 and up

Oops, see revised rules!!!

 

[RemysMom]

I find this thread fascinating. I must go on different cruises than many of the folks posting on this thread. Sure there's been a couple of passengers that have stuck out as being not so considerate, but nothing to the point that it is going to bother me or cause me to paint a brush across an entire generation or group of people that they only care about themselves. I've never had trouble in the adult area in finding a chair or in the main pool for that matter. It may not be a chair front and center, but it's a chair. I find most folks on the cruises respectful and kind, but maybe that's because that is what I am looking for. :-/

However, I do now have this complete picture in my head of a teenage boy cutting through the adult area and Terry Tate taking him down.

 

[lostangel52577]

If your daughter feels that way, I would take her into the Cove Cafe in a heartbeat. No reason to have her go through that type of torment on what is suppose to be a happy vacation. I'm sure any decent-hearted adult would understand.

Yes no reason to put a child through that over coffee so don't get a coffee. If the choice is between inconveniencing yourself or other people, entitled people choose to inconvenience others. Parents become so hyperfocused on their kid that they forget the rest of the world which then teaches the child to not be courteous of others.

If I'm with my child, adult areas are off limits to me. That's the sacrifice I make as a parent. I don't ask others to sacrifice their child free space for my child especially when I'm not willing to sacrifice a coffee for my kids well being.

 

[over50visits]

I find most folks on the cruises respectful and kind, but maybe that's because that is what I am looking for.

I think you hit the nail squarely on the head here! I think most folks have the experience they expect to have.

We have cruised many times, and each one has been a delight. I would wonder if others with exactly the same experience as ours had a miserable time. You control your own experiences and memories.

 

[chuckm403]

If I'm with my child, adult areas are off limits to me. That's the sacrifice I make as a parent. I don't ask others to sacrifice their child free space for my child especially when I'm not willing to sacrifice a coffee for my kids well being.

This is exactly what it means to be a responsible adult and parent. Well stated!

 

[disney_princess_85]

My 15 year old daughter read this thread today on the way to her allergy shot. She was 11 on our cruise and reminded me she always waited outside because she was "afraid of the sign." I remember her begging me to hurry because she was scared. She's a straight A student, had the lead in the schools musical, so she's a good kid that does not feel safe alone.

I'm not sure how this is relevant? If she does not feel safe alone, don't leave her alone. I'm guessing she won't mind as much now she's 15 though?

If I'm with my child, adult areas are off limits to me. That's the sacrifice I make as a parent. I don't ask others to sacrifice their child free space for my child especially when I'm not willing to sacrifice a coffee for my kids well being.

Well said.

 

[Disney_Princess83]

If I'm with my child, adult areas are off limits to me. That's the sacrifice I make as a parent. I don't ask others to sacrifice their child free space for my child especially when I'm not willing to sacrifice a coffee for my kids well being.

Exactly

 

[wdwmama19]

Now that I think about it, my last Dream cruise reflected that exact problem. I saw a nearly empty Quiet Cove pool area, yet almost every lounger had someone's clothing and/or stuff on it. At one point a young woman was trying to find a lounger and a CM helped her by clearing one of these "reserved" loungers.

It must be the way we were raised prior to the 1990s. I have respect for not just signs that provide me with clear instructions, I have respect for people in general. I could never, personally, reserve a lounger even on Castaway Cay beach (and I have friends that run off the ship at 8:30AM, reserve loungers, and then go back to the ship for 2 hours while they eat breakfast and then prepare to go on CC for the day).

When we cruised in June my parents, sisters, and I went into the adult area and grabbed 4 chairs. We all sat on them and read until we went into the pool to cool off for a bit. Our stuff was still on the chairs. I got out like 10 minutes later and saw some women hovering around our chairs like they wanted to take our stuff off and claim them. I sat down and started reading again and they left. I don't think people should have to worry about their chairs being claimed if they are in the pool area but if someone is gone for 45 minutes or longer then I can understand.

 

[NYIceQueen]

If your daughter feels that way, I would take her into the Cove Cafe in a heartbeat. No reason to have her go through that type of torment on what is suppose to be a happy vacation. I'm sure any decent-hearted adult would understand.

Okay let's extend that argument...

My daughter's on the honor roll. She's a responsible kid. She dances ballet, helps with her brother, is overall a good kid.

Why?

Because among many things, she was taught right from wrong. Period. She wasn't taught right...except when it's uncomfortable...or when it's not convenient...or if you just don't feel like following the rules...or if you want to just prove a point to "The Man" or whatever.

Rules are rules. If you can't teach your kid that basic fact of life you've got more issues than coffee, and you're doing your child a disservice for their future as adults themselves.

Get a waiter to get the coffee, check the kid in to a club, go to a different section/station, get room service...I mean how many more options do you need when 95%+ of the ship is for everyone and just a small section is "adult only."?

Does this mean if a kid feels uncomfortable waiting and doesn't want to feel excluded that it's okay to take them to have a drink at the bar, too? I mean it's just a beer/wine/mixed drink, right? I mean, the point is to have a good time on vacation, right?

The ones who bring their kids in or allow their kids in are probably the first ones to line up to sue Disney if God-forbid someone propositions their daughter or something happens because some drunk person thinks the other party is an adult, or if they are accidentally served drinks and get drunk/ill/die from the alcohol.

Rules are there for a reason. Period. Don't like it? Then go on a different cruise line that doesn't have adult areas (the reverse of the argument of "if you don't like kids go on a different line...works both ways).

Vacation doesn't mean you get to stop being a parent. Sorry. Parenting is a 24-hour a day, 7-days a week job. You don't stop. Even when they're not with you, you're still a parent.

If the elevator stops there and they have NO OTHER way to get around, then obviously passing through quietly and in a respectful way is fine. But Disney needs to enforce their own rules. Otherwise they're no better than the other cruise lines they claim to be superior to.

And yes, I was raised in the late 70s and 80s, and while we had our own freedoms that our kids don't have, we were also taught very early to follow the rules and that there were consequences to not following the rules.

Rant over

 

[wdwmama19]

The child should go to Mom and/or Dad to request said beverage. Mom or Dad then gets beverage for child. No rules broken and everyone is happy.

That is exactly what I was thinking!

 

[geekboy]

When we cruised in June my parents, sisters, and I went into the adult area and grabbed 4 chairs. We all sat on them and read until we went into the pool to cool off for a bit. Our stuff was still on the chairs. I got out like 10 minutes later and saw some women hovering around our chairs like they wanted to take our stuff off and claim them. I sat down and started reading again and they left. I don't think people should have to worry about their chairs being claimed if they are in the pool area but if someone is gone for 45 minutes or longer then I can understand.

I don't think anyone should be worried about being in the pool (area) and having a lounger strewn with their belongings. During the event that I witnessed, it appears as though every lounger was taken, yet there were maybe 10 people in the Quiet Cove area.

Personally, it didn't bother me as I just went back to the main pool area and ate there. It was just so busy on the main deck, sea day, that I thought the quiet area would be nice and relaxing. Perhaps everyone was getting lunch just as I was getting lunch. It's just unfortunate that you can't tell if someone just stepped away for 15-30 minutes, or if that same lounger has been "reserved" for hours.

Now, the towels are deceiving. If it's just one of the ship's white pool towels thrown on the chair -- unfolded or without any care for it's position -- this could make it hard to tell if the lounger is still in use. Perhaps this is part of the concern and gives the appearance that the loungers are all "reserved".

 

[wdwmama19]

I don't think anyone should be worried about being in the pool (area) and having a lounger strewn with their belongings. During the event that I witnessed, it appears as though every lounger was taken, yet there were maybe 10 people in the Quiet Cove area.

Personally, it didn't bother me as I just went back to the main pool area and ate there. It was just so busy on the main deck, sea day, that I thought the quiet area would be nice and relaxing. Perhaps everyone was getting lunch just as I was getting lunch. It's just unfortunate that you can't tell if someone just stepped away for 15-30 minutes, or if that same lounger has been "reserved" for hours.

Now, the towels are deceiving. If it's just one of the ship's white pool towels thrown on the chair -- unfolded or without any care for it's position -- this could make it hard to tell if the lounger is still in use. Perhaps this is part of the concern and gives the appearance that the loungers are all "reserved".

I can't stand it when there are only white towels on a chair. I think that is when people definitely "reserve" chairs but won't be coming back for a few hours. That happened when I went to FL last month and the pool area was full. There were no chairs available but about 20 of them had white towels on them at around 10AM. You have to show your room card to the attendant to get a towel so I definitely think people were reserving them for later, which is crappy.

 

[Snowwhyt]

If your daughter feels that way, I would take her into the Cove Cafe in a heartbeat. No reason to have her go through that type of torment on what is suppose to be a happy vacation. I'm sure any decent-hearted adult would understand. Thank you, for my family, I can see you have a big heart.

Well I thought about that, but chose to skip coffee instead. I've told her if she is not comfortable with something, don't do it. And she didn't feel comfortable in OR out.

I tell her to let her conscious be her guide(sounds a little Jiminy Cricket.) It could be your self-conscious telling you about some less than obvious danger or your conscious telling you its not a good idea.
Just last week we were at Neiman Marcus and I asked her to go another department without me. She said "If we were home mom I would go, but I don't feel safe in a different state." It made sense to me. Girls need a little "Spidey sense" now days. 3 more years until college, than that(college) will be the worst 4 years of my life! Missing girls, girls getting attacked...Yeks!

I'm not sure how this is relevant? If she does not feel safe alone, don't leave her alone. I'm guessing she won't mind as much now she's 15 though?



Well said.

I guess its "relevant" because my daughter also agreed with me made a choice to not upset adults in the Cove Café. Which so many people here feel strongly about. We did the right thing. I'm only sorry that I didn't know a second choice was available to me for iced coffee drinks on my last family vacation. I didn't want this to be about my daughter. I just want some painless iced coffee, not a cocktail.

If more people knew, perhaps a sign that stated where a parent could get coffee with their child so they didn't run up and down the ship unattended would be helpful. Isn't that what everybody wants: A family vacation, some adult areas, amenities available to all and children not left unattended?

So I have another idea: How do you feel about a walk-up window for the coffee drinks? Adults get the inside and parents keep kids by their side! Maybe this was already mentioned I only read about 10 of the 24 pages of this thread.

Wow this is pretty heated, right? But lets concentrate on the solution not nitpick on the problem.

 

[mcd2745]

I can't stand it when there are only white towels on a chair. I think that is when people definitely "reserve" chairs but won't be coming back for a few hours. That happened when I went to FL last month and the pool area was full. There were no chairs available but about 20 of them had white towels on them at around 10AM. You have to show your room card to the attendant to get a towel so I definitely think people were reserving them for later, which is crappy.

Although they both kind of reflect the same underlying selfish attitude, IMO, the chair hogging is a much greater issue than kids in the adult areas. First, because I believe it much more prevelant, and secondly, because of the design blunder having the elevator dump you out in the Quiet cove area on the Dream/Fantasy.

When we were on the Fantasy last month, I was up earlier than the rest of my family and went up to pool deck to get a coffee from the beverage station. It was about 7:15am. There were maybe only a dozen other people around. However, I noticed at least 90% of the chairs around the pool already had towels and/or other stuff on them. It's so ridiculous. I also later noticed (on all 3 sea days at least), that the same family had the same exact handful of chairs each day - first row right alongside the Donald pool. Not a coincidence, as no way that's possible unless one of them are going up there at the crack of dawn and throwing some stuff down on the chairs...then going back to their room, having breakfast, etc. And it's clear many, many families do this. Purely disgusting behavior, if you asked me. And I've seen it at WDW resorts, local hotels/resorts, other cruise lines, etc. Unfortunately, until the hospitality industrty comes up with an effective solution for it (a very difficult task, I acknowledge), it will continue to be a huge problem.

 

[wilkeliza]

Although they both kind of reflect the same underlying selfish attitude, IMO, the chair hogging is a much greater issue than kids in the adult areas. First, because I believe it much more prevelant, and secondly, because of the design blunder having the elevator dump you out in the Quiet cove area on the Dream/Fantasy. When we were on the Fantasy last month, I was up earlier than the rest of my family and went up to pool deck to get a coffee from the beverage station. It was about 7:15am. There were maybe only a dozen other people around. However, I noticed at least 90% of the chairs around the pool already had towels and/or other stuff on them. It's so ridiculous. I also later noticed (on all 3 sea days at least), that the same family had the same exact handful of chairs each day - first row right alongside the Donald pool. Not a coincidence, as no way that's possible unless one of them are going up there at the crack of dawn and throwing some stuff down on the chairs...then going back to their room, having breakfast, etc. And it's clear many, many families do this. Purely disgusting behavior, if you asked me. And I've seen it at WDW resorts, local hotels/resorts, other cruise lines, etc. Unfortunately, until the hospitality industrty comes up with an effective solution for it (a very difficult task, I acknowledge), it will continue to be a huge problem.

They should just do what happened at Beach and Yacht club this summer. Stuff left for more than a certain period unattended was put in a big lost and found bin.

I only found this out because a woman was at the club level desk the same time was trying to get help yelling about how her daughter's blanket was missing when they returned from beaches and cream and the CM just politely informed her it says pool chairs can not be saved and unattended articles are collected to prevent that and she could ask at the pool or come back later once the lost and found was brought in for the day.

 

[AquaDame]

If your daughter feels that way, I would take her into the Cove Cafe in a heartbeat. No reason to have her go through that type of torment on what is suppose to be a happy vacation. I'm sure any decent-hearted adult would understand.

And this is the problem. If my child didn't want to be left alone I wouldn't leave her alone, but not at the expense of breaking the rules. Its a good opportunity to lead by example and no one NEEDS a latte but your child does need you. Seems easy enough to understand. I am a decent hearted adult.. heck, got flicked off when at a stop sign by someone the other day for letting him blow through his and almost cried wondering what _I_ did wrong for a good 15 minutes - I'm a complete pushover/marshmallow. NO KID wants to be left out of [insert activity here] so you'd be letting the full shipload of them into Cove Cafe. Rules are rules. Abide. No one but you is making your kid sad when you choose to leave them for a coffee.