Letting kids wander around the ship

[jjje]

Meh. I'm still not worried about it. You would get many more results if you googled the crimes that happened in a two block radius of where you lived. Assaults by strangers are rare. But everyone has to do what feels right for them. For me personally I choose to be aware but not afraid and to allow my kids reasonable amounts of freedom and responsibility. Someone else might choose to never let their 14 year old out of their sight. It's possible both can be doing the right thing for their family.

 

[for my family]

We let our 10 year old boy wander the ship alone on our Alaska cruise this summer. He was in the Edge for the first time and really enjoyed the freedom. He had the option to stick with the Club or the Lab, but he complained there were too many "babies" in there. LOL

He had a great time!

 

[Mickeyhugger]

I am in no way minimizing what the victims went through, but that is an almost insignificant number compared to the hundred million plus passengers and crew for those 7 years.

It all comes down to common sense and being aware of your environment. If someone thinks their child can handle the freedom, it is their choice to grant it.

When I was a kid, I did not know a single child in my neighborhood that was not allowed to roam the streets, often until after dark. Sure, some had to let mom or dad know where they were headed or for what but that was about it. We all survived as did millions of others.

 

[jetskigrl]

Meh. I'm still not worried about it. You would get many more results if you googled the crimes that happened in a two block radius of where you lived. Assaults by strangers are rare. But everyone has to do what feels right for them. For me personally I choose to be aware but not afraid and to allow my kids reasonable amounts of freedom and responsibility. Someone else might choose to never let their 14 year old out of their sight. It's possible both can be doing the right thing for their family.

My DD was less mature during that 8-11 age range and would not have been allowed on her own to go places on the ship. But by age 13, she was allowed to go on her own with friends that we cruised with. But if she doesn't know anyone else on the cruise, she usually prefers to stay with us over going to the club and would happily hang out in the room drawing if we were going to Palo or something.

DS is the complete opposite. He is much more mature at 11 than DD was at that age. He has been asking for opportunities to "stretch his wings" and on our Alaska cruise this past summer, we gave him the opportunity. And he proved it to be a good decision. He was with us or his sister most of the time but was allowed to go back and forth to the clubs, get ice cream, etc on his own. He always checked in with us, remembered our rules and followed them.

Same family, different kids, different ages before they earned that freedom.

 

[ptcbass]

On our last cruise my ds left Vibe late at night and he called me on his wave phone to tell me he just left and was on his way. We were walking around the ship so we went to meet him. Well it was VERY windy outside and he somehow ended up out on the deck and all the doors to get inside/outside were blocked off so he couldn't get inside. I will never forget seeing him outside by himself looking in at us with the wind blowing hard and all the doors roped off. My dh found a door that looked like it was just part of the wall and it took all he had to push it open against the wind and let our ds inside. I was stressing over it at the time but soon after he was inside we were able to laugh at it. I guess this might be another reason to not let you child wonder around by themselves. I know he would have ended up inside somehow but he wasn't feeling too good about being trapped out on the deck late at night by himself with the wind blowing real hard.

 

[hardis5]

Everyone will have a different opinion based upon what they see as the maturity, responsibility and comfort of their own kids at a given age and their comfort level in providing freedoms to their child . IMHO an 8 year old would be to young to wander an unknown space (or ship) on their own. A 10 year old may manage, but I would not let them loose until they had proven they know their way around, know whom to approach if having a question or issue and could demonstrate what to do in case of serious emergency that can arise on a cruise ship.

I don't believe anyone would give a young one freedom of a neighborhood having just moved in - I would apply the same logic to a young one on a ship.

Our 12 year old stuck close to us most of our first short cruise (learning about the space, what was available, where she could go) and was given some freedoms to explore (specific areas, going to specific places - like the tween club or meeting us at the restaurant because ready early). Eighteen mos later sailing the same class ship, she was given open freedom knowing the layout, where she was allowed, showing demonstrated maturity and always having a wave phone to both check-in and if need be, be reached.

I would have to agree with several PP's that the ships are by nature safer than the our communities as a whole (as the highest majority on-board are there because they want to be and to be entertained by the Disney experience). True one cannot be oblivious to risk but (again IMHO) someone sheltering a child throughout their young years to too old an age is not equipping them with the tools needed in how to be safe on their own or developing in the child the confidence to learn such themselves.

 

[Pens Fan]

Everyone will have a different opinion based upon what they see as the maturity, responsibility and comfort of their own kids at a given age and their comfort level in providing freedoms to their child . IMHO an 8 year old would be to young to wander an unknown space (or ship) on their own. A 10 year old may manage, but I would not let them loose until they had proven they know their way around, know whom to approach if having a question or issue and could demonstrate what to do in case of serious emergency that can arise on a cruise ship.

I don't believe anyone would give a young one freedom of a neighborhood having just moved in - I would apply the same logic to a young one on a ship.

Our 12 year old stuck close to us most of our first short cruise (learning about the space, what was available, where she could go) and was given some freedoms to explore (specific areas, going to specific places - like the tween club or meeting us at the restaurant because ready early). Eighteen mos later sailing the same class ship, she was given open freedom knowing the layout, where she was allowed, showing demonstrated maturity and always having a wave phone to both check-in and if need be, be reached.

I would have to agree with several PP's that the ships are by nature safer than the our communities as a whole (as the highest majority on-board are there because they want to be and to be entertained by the Disney experience). True one cannot be oblivious to risk but (again IMHO) someone sheltering a child throughout their young years to too old an age is not equipping them with the tools needed in how to be safe on their own or developing in the child the confidence to learn such themselves.

I completely agree with you in all aspects of your reply. Our son was 11 on our first cruise and not only were we not comfortable letting him roam on his own, he had no desire to do so. On subsequent cruises when he was 14 and 15, it was a complete 180degree change. While he was required to check in periodically via the wave phone, or in person, he was free to run up to the pool deck for food or to go back and forth to the clubs as he chose. I realize everyone is different, but for us this was a wonderful opportunity to allow him to spread his wings a bit, gaining confidence as he went.

Last summer, at 16, he travelled to Europe for two weeks on a school trip. They were completely up front from the beginning that students would be given free time each day - an hour or two - to explore these cities in small groups of three or more completely on their own. It was an incredible learning and growing experience for the students. My son came home a more mature, repsonsible young man.

While I will always remain vigilant in attempting to keep him safe, I feel it is my duty and privilege as a parent to give him the tools he requires to venture out on his own. I can't do that by keeping him in my sight 24/7.

Off my soapbox!

 

[jahber]

I don't think it only depends on the child's age, though. I think it also depends on how comfortable they are with the ships. My daughter is 10, but we will be taking our 6th cruise this month (she was 8 on our first cruise). She is comfortable with the layout of the ship, how to locate officers and CMs for help, etc. She has asked for permission to go from the Club/Lab up to grab ice cream or walk around the atrium levels and then go back to the Club/Lab. We told her we would consider it. At first I was hesitant, but she is solid and mature and knows full well what will happen if I hear word of her running around or misbehaving, so we will probably give it a try.

I don't want to raise a child who is afraid of the world and I refuse to be frightened by scary statistics that are taken out of context. There is always a risk of harm, everywhere. But I would never judge a parent who had done his or her research and decided the risk isn't worth it.