Taking the Kids: What You Need to Know About Cruise Safety
I can't think of another vacation venue where kids are away from their parents so much of the day and evening or where kids have more freedom to roam. It's not uncommon for even 10 year olds to be able to sign themselves in and out of organized programs and have the run of the ship. That's why it is important to keep in touch by having regular meeting places and times (noon at the pool waterslide), using walkie-talkies, or if they are available, onboard devices like the complimentary Wave Phones on Disney ships (www.disneycruiseline.com) that enable you to text or call your kids while at sea.
Major lines like Norwegian (www.ncl.com), Royal Caribbean (www.royalcaribbean.com) and Carnival (www.carnival.com) insist that kids under 12 wear wristbands imprinted with respective muster stations and have established special safety protocols and they train their staff accordingly. For example, Norwegian ships have a central Child Pick-up Point where children are taken by the Child Care Team on the same deck as the assembly stations so parents can meet them. "If a child is not picked up, a Child Care Team member will accompany the child into the lifeboat to ensure they are accompanied at all times," said NCL spokesperson AnneMarie Mathews.
It's important for you to know these protocols and to play the "what if" game with your kids and teens so they know what to do in an emergency. Can teens and tweens find the muster station on their own? (Have a dry run or two!) Its location typically is printed on their room key card, as well as in the room. (No need to return to the cabin if there isn't time -- there are lifejackets at the kids' clubs, muster stations and lifeboats.)
Take the safety drill (typically right before you embark) seriously and pay attention rather than texting or taking photographs though it, as many do. Revisit the info with the kids on your in-room TV.
Even in non-emergency situations, there are common-sense rules on board ship to keep your kids safe and healthy, notes Dan Askin, news editor at Cruise Critic (www.cruisecritic.com). Can they find their way back to the cabin? (It is easy to get lost on these floating cities!) No swimming without adult supervision (there are no lifeguards). No running on deck (easy to slip and fall). Wash hands frequently to prevent catching a norovirus. Enforce curfews (you don't want teens wandering the ship in the middle of the night).
Even though you'll likely leave the ship together in port, should you somehow get separated, it's smart to make sure the kids know the ship's name, phone number, as well as your cell number (write it down and put it in your child's pocket).
Just remember, you're on vacation but not on vacation from parenting.
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For more on Eileen's experiences on board cruise ships with kids, read her trip diaries at www.takingthekids.com and also follow "taking the kids" on www.twitter.com, where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments.
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