Just a little vent...

[MaryKatesMom]

I also post on another cruise board and you would faint if you heard the anti-children tirades. If you ask a simple question such as What hours, etc. there is immediatly a post saying and I quote "Why don't you leave your children at home and really enjoy your cruise?"

Really, behind Disney there is one other cruiseline that markets toward children (RCCL) but still the hostility towards children is amazing.

I post this so you know that whenever I've sailed Disney I've loved it and I would only be taking another line if the Magic weren't on the West Coast for the moment.

Maybe DCL is more expensive, but I certainly feel more welcome.

Thank you for listening!!!

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

I'm sorry to hear you've encountered hostility towards kids. I have written and posted many things with kids involved and always had very possative feedback from wonderful people.
We have done 7 Disney cruise, some by ourselves, some with our kids and grandkids. We have never experienced any hostility towards any kids in any way, shape or form.
If someone does not enjoy being around kids, they have NO business on a disney cruise.We get a lot of enjoyment from watching all the families havng fun together.
Even parents who don't want to spend all their time with their kids can have that option and know that their kids are being well cared for.
Of course , as with any subject there is always someone who will complain about it.
Don't judge everyone from a few verbal people. I'm sure they are the minority.
Have a Magical day,
mom x4,grandma x4

 

[staceymerrill]

the demographics for your typical cruiser is older, demanding relaxation rather than activity....In the past decade, much has changed in the industry to market to a younger, more family oriented cruiser...Nevertheless, IMO, the largest segment of the cruising community is still the older crowd, who I'm sure loves their grandchildren, but prefers not to cruise with children....

 

[bicker]

I think I know of which cruise board the OP speaks. And I think I know at least one specific user there who makes a point of putting his two cents in on the issue, at each opportunity. This one user does it tongue-in-cheek, to some extent at least. He's really quite harmless, I think, once you get to know him!

By the same token, there is a very strong contingent of cruise passengers (on cruise lines other than DCL, of course) who want an adult vacation, as was generally the case with cruising was in the (becoming distant) past. However, most of these folks are reasonable, and are seeking only an accommodation that provides them what they are looking for, side-by-side with a more family-friendly experience, rather one to the exclusion of the other. I don't think the kids vs. no-kids on cruises conflict is anything like the casual vs. formal conflict, where there really are a substantial number of people truly advocating that everyone on a cruise must be on the same vacation.

 

[tvguy]

I expected to see kids on Disney, and I did. I took my kids. Kids were never a problem.
As a parent I was a little surprised to see babies. I just got back from Disneyland and was surprised how many babies were there too. We waited until our kids were 4 before taking them to Disneyland, and my youngest was 11 on our first cruise. Not sure how much enjoyment the babies, or the parents get. I think 4 or 5 is the youngest anyone should consider for either a cruise or Disneyland, otherwise it can just be too overwhelming for both the kids and the parents.

 

[DVC Jen]

I expected to see kids on Disney, and I did. I took my kids. Kids were never a problem.
As a parent I was a little surprised to see babies. I just got back from Disneyland and was surprised how many babies were there too. We waited until our kids were 4 before taking them to Disneyland, and my youngest was 11 on our first cruise. Not sure how much enjoyment the babies, or the parents get. I think 4 or 5 is the youngest anyone should consider for either a cruise or Disneyland, otherwise it can just be too overwhelming for both the kids and the parents.

Our oldest was just a few months old the first time we took her to DL. It wasn't a problem at all. She was a very easy going baby however. I really think if parents get their children used to traveling early on and have realistic expectations (putting the childs needs before their wants) it is very feasible to travel with a little one.

 

[alikat99]

I expected to see kids on Disney, and I did. I took my kids. Kids were never a problem.
As a parent I was a little surprised to see babies. I just got back from Disneyland and was surprised how many babies were there too. We waited until our kids were 4 before taking them to Disneyland, and my youngest was 11 on our first cruise. Not sure how much enjoyment the babies, or the parents get. I think 4 or 5 is the youngest anyone should consider for either a cruise or Disneyland, otherwise it can just be too overwhelming for both the kids and the parents.

I have to respectfully disagree with the idea that the youngest that anyone should consider cruising or Disney would be 4 or 5. My DDs have been going to Disney since they were very, very young. My DH and I are HUGE Disney fans and enjoy taking our girls to Disney. Sure, when they were really young, they didn't know what was happening, but we had fun. And, as they got older past 1, they enjoyed seeing the characters and riding the rides. Will they remember? No, but that doesn't mean that they aren't having fun.

As far as cruising, we didn't go on our first cruise until our oldest was 2. This was not because we were waiting for her to be older, but because we had just never chose to cruise as a vacation before. We had a blast. She even remembers being on "Mickey's boat" and having "tea with Wendy". And, we're going on a cruise in Sept and our youngest will be 16 months.

I think that if parents want to take young children on vacation, then what better place to take them than anything Disney.

 

[KKB]

DH & I took our first cruise in Oct.--just us--and I am so glad we did! Princess, few children, no children responsibilities for us on the ship.
We are taking Disney w/ kids in Dec. MIL is treating--and the closer the trip is, the more excited I am! We did a 2 week family trip last summer, and had a WONDERFUL time--but it is different. There was no real down time--one of us had to be responsible for the children at all times.
Disney has the luxury of the best kids club out there--I think this will be remarkably more relaxing than our family trip last summer, but not quite as much as the Princess cruise. But there will be moments w/ the children that will compensate.
There are times & places for family and couple trips. As long as YOU are happy with your choice, you will have a wonderful time! (gee, this reminds me of the stay at home/working mother argument...but that is board altogether! )
Have a wonderful time no matter who you cruise with!
Kris

 

[dvcChrisVWL]

I expected to see kids on Disney, and I did. I took my kids. Kids were never a problem.
As a parent I was a little surprised to see babies. I just got back from Disneyland and was surprised how many babies were there too. We waited until our kids were 4 before taking them to Disneyland, and my youngest was 11 on our first cruise. Not sure how much enjoyment the babies, or the parents get. I think 4 or 5 is the youngest anyone should consider for either a cruise or Disneyland, otherwise it can just be too overwhelming for both the kids and the parents.

I have to disagree, also. When the kids are under 3 they are free - probably because they will not remember anything anyway. But to see a 2 year old squeal with delight and start yelling "Cinderella! Cinderella" or "Snow White! Snow White!" is an awsome memory for us. Young kids can certainly have fun even at 1 or 2 years old.

Like someone else mentioned, you would want to be respectful of the child's needs (more frequent snacking and naps), but that actually makes the day easier for the adults to tolerate. Think about it: You take them on Fantasy Land rides for a couple of hours, then it is time for a rest or snack. A few more tame rides and it is lunch time and nap time (Carousel of progress is a good 20-25 minute nap; the theater in Magic Kingdom's Exposition Hall is a nice napping place as well; TTC is also one they will usually let you stay on for a nap...). By the time you go home, you are not exhausted from being on the go and on your feet the whole day...

As for the cruise, I see the same advantages except you also have your room to go to. They have TONS of things to see and do even with a 2 year old... Our upcoming cruise will see our 3 3/4 year old and 1 1/2 year old. I think it will be a blast and I am sure I will once again fill a CD with pictures (I am rarely in the pics - mostly the kids). The 3 year-old will probably bring some of the princess dresses my wife's mother made...

 

[Jsme]

I also post on another cruise board and you would faint if you heard the anti-children tirades. If you ask a simple question such as What hours, etc. there is immediatly a post saying and I quote "Why don't you leave your children at home and really enjoy your cruise?"

Really, behind Disney there is one other cruiseline that markets toward children (RCCL) but still the hostility towards children is amazing.

I post this so you know that whenever I've sailed Disney I've loved it and I would only be taking another line if the Magic weren't on the West Coast for the moment.

Maybe DCL is more expensive, but I certainly feel more welcome.

Thank you for listening!!!

It really is no ones place to tell you this. Chalk it up to bad form.
I think it depends on what you want from your cruise. We go with our children then sometimes when we just need a vacation together we leave them at home. We tend to go on a nice small vacation by ourselves once a year. But we go on several with our children during the year.

 

[OrcaPotter]

I agree with what everyone else has said. Anyone who complains about kids on a Disney ship obviously are a little dim. Hello, it's Disney!

From my experience going to WDW most of my life (born and raised here in Orlando), I always point out to my mother how I always see more kids crying at Disney than anything else. This is because the parents keep pushing the kids to see everything at once, and in 95 degree heat with 80% humidity, this is setting up for chaos. So, most young kids get overheated, overtired, and overstimulated. I'm not saying that these people shouldn't bring their really young children, but they should be smart about it and take frequent breaks in the shade or A/C'd building.

I haven't been on a Disney ship yet, although I hope to sometime next year, and from what I've learned from these boards is that you hardly see them. They have a deck all to their own, and if you want to swim, there's an adult-only pool (the NCL ship I was on 2 years ago, sadly, did not have that). It's your choice whether or not to go on Disney, and Disney = kids, automatically.

It *would* be cool, though, if Disney did a special adult-only cruise one time. It'd be interesting to see.

 

[grlzmom]

I expected to see kids on Disney, and I did. I took my kids. Kids were never a problem.
As a parent I was a little surprised to see babies. I just got back from Disneyland and was surprised how many babies were there too. We waited until our kids were 4 before taking them to Disneyland, and my youngest was 11 on our first cruise. Not sure how much enjoyment the babies, or the parents get. I think 4 or 5 is the youngest anyone should consider for either a cruise or Disneyland, otherwise it can just be too overwhelming for both the kids and the parents.

I also disagree with this. My kids (seven of them) have all done Disney and/or cruised Disney before they could walk. Our 2.5 year old twins will have five Disney cruises under their belt when we sail in November.

While Dh and I obviously spend our time on vacation taking care of the children, neither we or the children are "too overwhelmed".

We get plenty of enjoyment watching their excitement with the characters and having their daily mickey bars after dinner. Their favorite dvd is the disney cruise line planning one. They watch it daily the last few days before we cruise.

Nothing beats watching them wiggle their little toes in the sand of Castaway while daddy helps them build a castle.

While 4 or 5 might be a good idea for some families, alot of families do just great before then. Everyones idea of vacation is different (and dh and I have vacationed without our crew), but I am way more relaxed on vacation than I am at home. No laundry, no cooking, chocolate souffle, and on and on...

 

[Debbie H]

I have to respectfully disagree with the idea that the youngest that anyone should consider cruising or Disney would be 4 or 5. QUOTE]

I agree, you will take a family vacation with a 4 year old but not a baby? Then why call it a family vacation. We took all our kids when they were infants and we just returned from the Wonder with our 7 mo dgs. He absolutely loved it and the experiences we all had with him was priceless!

For the most part, we see very few kids when we are on the cruise when it is just dh and I. We stay in the Quiet Cove area. As mentioned elsewhere, some parents like bringing their children to the adult areas and then there is a problem. We dine at the late seating and again, it's never been a problem. We enjoy seeing them interacting with their parents. I think Disney has so much for kids to do that it keeps them busy. I'm not sure if the same can be said about other lines.

 

[markey]

I had a friend who cruises everyother year, not on disney, with a group as adult cruisers. The last time she went all she complained about was how many people are taking kids on a cruise and how she didn't like all the kids around. I don't see anything wrong with family vacations and are proud of the parents who take their kids with. We cruise DCL because we take our grandkids and love to be around kids and see their faces when something neat or new happens. Aren't there adult only ships out there for people who don't want children around? And also as long as the ship is open to children then no one had the right to complain, unless the parents let the children be annoying with bad manners.

 

[AlexandNessa]

As a couple who doesn't have kids, we are looking forward to cruising DCL because I grew up with the Magic (DF, bless his heart, is willing to humor me. ). Of course we expect to see kids, and we love when they are excited! One of the reasons we are cruising DCL is because they have such excellent kids' programs. To us, well entertained kids are happy, well-behaved kids, and, really, does cruising get any better than that?

For people who don't want to travel with kids, might I recommend Silversea, which, I believe, doesn't have kids' programs at all and reserves the right to limit the number of children under the age of 3?

 

[DisneyDadJax]

I take total advantage of the free before they're 3 at the parks. We've done it with both boys. We're lucky enough to live in Florida and don't feel rushed to do it all in the same trip.

As far as DCL goes, 5 years ago, my wife and I took our then 4 year old DS on a 4 nighter. DS was in the Oceaneer Club while my wife and I went to lunch at Triton's. We were seated with a group of about 6 women, and all they did was complain about the number of kids on board. Later in the meal we discovered that they were actually travel agents! DUH!

We're actually taking the 7 day Eastern in September with my 2 boys (9 & 4), my brother and sister-in-law and their kids (5 & 10 months) and my in-laws... should be a real adventure!

My 2 cents...

 

[Skaught]

My daughter is 3 1/2 years old and she's been two the Magic Kingdom twice, Epcot Center twice, Disney/MGM twice, Animal Kingdom once, Islands of Adventure twice, Sea World twice, Busch Gardens twice, and Disneyland once.

Is that too much?

Scott

 

[Miss Eeyore]

I started taking children on DCL when they were no longer children.....but I took them to the parks every year. I have no problem with children aboard cruises until unsuperivised behavior gets in my way of relaxation. Of course I expect to see the kids, enjoy their delight at new and exciting adventures. I also expect that when I want to enjoy and adult-only area of the ship I can enjoy that area child-free. In our experience it has been hit-or-miss whether DCL enforces this policy. I have seen many, many parents just expecting to go enjoy these quiet, adult areas and bring the kids along because it is too crowded and noisy in the family areas. That is NOT OK with me. I do not hesitate to speak up, to either the parents or the kids themselves. I am an educational behavior specialist and my DH is a principal......we reek of authority. Most of the time the kids by themselves will quickly leave if requested nicely. Sometimes I have to give the parents the benefit of the doubt when they claim not to know it is an adult area. Sometimes I have been subjected to a barage of back talk from the kids, and many times the parents will tell me to mind my own *bleeping* business. At that point I wander to the nearest phone and call the purser's desk. In my experience, sometimes they will respond and sometimes not. I carefully keep track of the names that respond or not, and turn in comment cards by the handful, good and bad. I think this problem is getting worse and worse abaord DCL. So many families have such high expectations for their vacation and have paid such a high price that they feel they should be able to enjoy their vacation regardless of the rules, completely ignoring the fact that they might be ruining the vacation of someone else who follows the rules and is paying just as much money and has the same high expectations.

There has got to be some sort of middle ground....somewhere between "No children allowed" and "If you don't like the way I break the rules go take some other adult only cruise and let my children wander the ship anywhere they please."

I wish I knew what that happy medium was.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

I also post on another cruise board and you would faint if you heard the anti-children tirades. If you ask a simple question such as What hours, etc. there is immediatly a post saying and I quote "Why don't you leave your children at home and really enjoy your cruise?"

Really, behind Disney there is one other cruiseline that markets toward children (RCCL) but still the hostility towards children is amazing.

I post this so you know that whenever I've sailed Disney I've loved it and I would only be taking another line if the Magic weren't on the West Coast for the moment.

Maybe DCL is more expensive, but I certainly feel more welcome.

Thank you for listening!!!

I agree...some other boards can be VERY different than the one we have here.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

I agree...some other boards can be VERY different than the one we have here.

Disney people = nice people