Feeling a little nervous about a verandah with kids...

[ToyStory3]

Were any of you nervous having kids with a verandah. My kids are 10 and 13 so I'm not sure why I'm worried. They know not to horse around, etc. But, we are at the point where we will separate throughout the day at times. They'll check themselves into the kid's clubs or go back to the room earlier sometimes. Did you have rules that your kids can't go out onto the verandah if you're not with them or in the room?

 

[Cackyschmackers]

Our first DCL cruise, our twin daughters were 5 and our oldest 8. I guess we mostly did everything together at that point, although for following cruises, they were 6 then 7 and nothing they did had me worried. There's a child lock high up on the sliders you can use maybe if you don't want them out there when you're not in the room. Other people have said their kids have tried to stand on the chairs or tables, but that wasn't a problem for us either. If they are good listeners and understand the rules, those ages seem okay in my opinion. Similar to if you are giving them in out privileges, there's nothing stopping them from looking over any rail at the pool decks, deck 4, etc. Those ages seem mature enough to listen and understand consequences so I don't see a problem. Also, they may even be a little scared and NOT want to.go onto the verandah without you.

 

[kimj88]

I am too nervous to book a verandah even. Mine are 8 and 13.

 

[pezgirlroy]

We will be cruising next April with a 7 year old and a 2 year old and have a verandah. Because they are young they will not be left in the room by themselves (if they were older then yes) so not worried about that part. There is a lock at the top of the door which we will use. They are not tall enough to reach it. I will also have a chat with the 7 year old and remind her of what not to do and that she needs to look out for her sister. So no I am not worried about it.

 

[bbel]

There are thousands of kids that stay in verandah rooms every week across the dcl fleet alone.
Then all the other companies.

It would be big news if a kid fell overboard from a verandah. I don't remember hearing about it recently and (personally) ever...

 

[Dug720]

It's also a challenge even for adults to open the verandah door due to the locks.

If you're that nervous that they won't follow your imposed rules of not going out on the verandah that you won't be able to enjoy your cruise, I'd look to downgrade to an Ocean View.

 

[CamColt]

At those ages i would think the only way they could fall over would be if they were really trying or doing something out of the ordinary such as standing on a chair. Assuming they will know better I wouldn't be worried, however if you still are concerned once you are there and see it, I would suggest having a rule they can't go out there if they are alone in the room. Good luck!

 

[Drbaw5]

I was very nervous about having a verandah on our first cruise. Our kids were 9, 7, and 4. They were never alone in the room but I was still nervous, especially thinking if one of them got up in the middle of the night and wandered out there. We had a talk with them that they weren't allowed out there without an adult and no standing on the furniture. After that, I never thought or worried about it again.

 

[lorimay]

Yes, I was nervous when we traveled with our kids in the early 2000's and now I'm nervous with our grandkids.

Its true that the door is super hard to open, but 10 & 13 is about the age our kids were on our first cruise, we told them they couldn't be out there unless we were in the room.
The only time they were in there alone was in the morning when they slept in and we went for coffee and breakfast.
The grandkids are younger and never left in the room, but they were told kids aren't allowed on the verandah without adults, they couldn't open the door anyway.

 

[DCSWO]

Take them out on the verandah, have them look down, and let them know that landing in water stops being fun after about 20 or 30 feet.

 

[cruiser21]

At age 10 and 13 your kids should have a enough common sense not to stand on chairs or sit on a balcony railing. I'm guessing they have to follow rules at home and at school. I've never heard of a kid falling off a balcony, only drunk or suicidal adults.

 

[Shanti]

Were any of you nervous having kids with a verandah. My kids are 10 and 13 so I'm not sure why I'm worried. They know not to horse around, etc. But, we are at the point where we will separate throughout the day at times. They'll check themselves into the kid's clubs or go back to the room earlier sometimes. Did you have rules that your kids can't go out onto the verandah if you're not with them or in the room?

Prior to my first cruise I was slightly worried about my son falling overboard off one of the public decks. But that slight worry faded away once we were onboard. At 10 and 13, your kids should be able to be trusted not to climb the verandah railing or stand on furniture out there, or not go out at all without you present (& of course you'll go over those rules with them upon arrival at your stateroom). But if you're not confident that your kids would follow those rules, then in your position I would get an oceanview room, not a verandah.

 

[WishUponAStarryNight]

I took DS out to the verandah on our first cruise and told him to look down. I told him that if he went over, he would die. He was nearly 5 at the time and needed to hear things straight, no beating around the bush with this kid. We've had no issues. He won't go out alone and we keep it locked, so he can't get out on his own anyway.

 

[FigmentSpark]

I told my 12 and 14 year old that if they ever tried anything stupid on the verandah or anywhere on the ship, assuming they lived through it, I would sell all their video games and get their library card updated. Grounded for life. I also told them all the ways things could go wrong, like "but I was just leaning over to see what's below" and "I was climbing up to see if I could touch the roof." and "I thought my friend was on the next balcony and I wanted to see around" and "I wanted to be taller than my brother for a change" and the classic, "we were just wrestling and fooling around". My reply.... THERE IS NO FOOLING AROUND ON THE BALCONY!

My kids, who usually challenge me, got it.

 

[cadien]

It's not necessarily logical but you're not alone. I'm scared to death of them even when traveling without my son. It's a heights thing in general.

 

[MUN]

Were any of you nervous having kids with a verandah. My kids are 10 and 13 so I'm not sure why I'm worried. They know not to horse around, etc. But, we are at the point where we will separate throughout the day at times. They'll check themselves into the kid's clubs or go back to the room earlier sometimes. Did you have rules that your kids can't go out onto the verandah if you're not with them or in the room?

Tell them they can't stand on the chairs or on the railings. Unless one of them throws the other over the side, there is little chance one will fall into the water.

MUN

 

[AndreAggie]

We've had a veranda with our son at age 3 and 6. He did just fine. Once they see over the rail and realize how high they actually are, common sense will set it. At age 10 and 13, they'll be fine.

 

[kiford]

It's also a challenge even for adults to open the verandah door due to the locks.

Got that right; it's not just the lock but the strength needed to open it. Kids of ages 10 and 13 would no doubt be able to open it (i.e., they can at least reach it - whether they can get the stupid thing aligned properly is another thing and sometimes it feels like opening a heavy vacuum sealed door in a windstorm) but would have to be doing something really incredibly insanely dangerous to go overboard. You can't easily fall over the railing, you can't stand on the rails (they are on the other side of the plexiglass), you can't simply fall over by rough housing or wrestling. It's far too high - over waist height on me. You'd literally have to be sitting on the railing to do that and most people, kids included even of that age, have better sense than to do that (OK, some people don't but I think most do). A strong warning probably won't hurt but I've rarely seen or heard of kids doing that in hotels with balconies so I can't see too many doing it on a moving ship where you are probably even higher up. Obviously everybody knows their own kids well enough to know what they would or wouldn't do but my sister and I stayed at many hotels when we were young - even younger than the OP's kids - and we never would have done anything dangerous on a balcony without even having to be told. It was just an instinctive aversion to putting ourselves in danger.

 

[lorenni]

Aside from one concierge cruise with my parents, we do not book veranda rooms. Yes, I know that the odds are against DS (5 now) jumping over the railing. But yes, I'll worry about it before and during the cruise and why do that to myself and take away some of the fun? So, we book ocean view, and I have one less (irrational) thing to think about.

On home turf, my kiddo has the run of our row of houses, and plays outside "by himself". Because he knows the rules and we've tested him to make sure he follows them. But small kids are just not always smart, especially in new places with interesting things to see and do.

 

[RedStars]

My kids aren't allowed out there without an adult. And they're never alone in the room. They were 3 and 6 on the last cruise and they barely went out there. It was my little haven. Lol
They'll be 6 and 9 this time and same rules apply. I book the verandah for me. I love early morning coffee and reading while they all sleep.