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Just got off Symphony - Advice for people with children under 12


ChrisK2793

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I want to start off by saying ….. Overall, for us adults, this rates as one of our BEST cruises ever and we had a GREAT time every single night!!  BUT, it could have been a disaster if our kids weren't old enough to leave alone in the room together.  Or if one couple went alone and didn’t want to leave 1 kid all alone in their room.

If your kids normally like going to the Kid’s Club while the adults go out at night, be prepared to make other plans.  First off, they’re only allowing 12 to 15 older kids at a time and you need a reservation.  We thought it would be hard to get in, but after the first night we realized why it was so easy.  All 3 boys, two who are 9 and one who is 11 normally love to go to kids club and pre-Covid begged to go every night even if we wanted to take them to a show.  
They hated it in there this time and called us in less than an hour to come get them.  They wouldn’t let them do anything but sit on the floor at least 6 feet apart from each other.  Which is silly because random kids played with each other all day in both the kids pool area and on the water slides, but at night they weren’t allowed near each other if in Kid’s Club together with masks on.  Even the 3 boys in our group weren’t allowed to go near each other.  They didn’t have the usual video game stations in there for the kids to play at or anything.  We ended up leaving the 3 boys in one of our rooms every night with orders they weren’t allowed to leave without calling us first.

‘On the promenade as well, the only place kids are allowed are Sorrento’s Pizza, the cafe, and bionic bar.  They used to love to sit outside the pub with us or sometimes come to karaoke, but NOPE, kids under 12 aren’t allowed.  If you have younger kids you can’t leave alone at night, you’re going to be hard pressed to have much to do as an adult unless 1 parent stays in the room with the kids.

 

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Good info for those with a sailing coming up soon. My son would hate AO if he could only stare at the walls.

I would think (hope anyway) the policy will change in the next couple months. Once the vaccine is available for those under 12, I bet that it will become a requirement to sail, just like it is for the 12-15 year old group. Once vaccinated the 5-11 year olds should be allowed in all the venues again.

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8 hours ago, Dolfan9088 said:

Great info.  What day was there onboard test done? 


Day 7 which was also the day for CocoCay ….. kids couldn’t get off the ship there until the results of their test came back.  Luckily for us, we got our kids tested first thing and their results were back by 9am.  We were in CocoCay from 8am to 4Pm.  A lot of families who tested as early as 8am weren’t allowed to go to CocoCay until AFTER 12 noon.  I’m not sure why they didn’t do the testing on Day 6 which was a sea day.  They’re allowed to do it 2 days before returning into the country.  It would have saved many families from missing over half their day at CocoCay.

 

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This sounds really challenging, and wonder if it’s just this ship being overly cautious or interpreting the rules a bit too strictly? Or if perhaps there was a case of transmission linked to AO and now they’re overcompensating? I say this because @Matt recently had his kids on a cruise and it doesn’t sound like AO was so unpleasant. Different ages though, so who knows! 
 

I agree with the above poster that hopefully soon kids will be able to get vaxxed too, and we’ll ALL get to go back to having cruising experiences that are closer to pre-pandemic normal! 

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The overly strict and obsolete AO rules (which is a CDC thing, not RC's choice) really need to go away with the next CSO.  Kids aren't social distancing in schools or basically anywhere, why should they do the same on a ship where they've been tested twice in the last week? Then the "can't use any shared toys" is ridiculous too since it's been well over a year since surface spread was deemed highly unlikely.

 

I feel bad for RC having to abide by such archaic rules.

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We just got off symphony as well and I was so happy to see how much fun the kids we saw were having.  We saw them at all the water activities/pools during the day.  They were dancing at dazzles and were able to attend all of the shows they just had to sit in a designated area.  I was really happy the majority of the ship was still able to be utilized by them and from what I saw Royal did a great job making it work for the unvaccinated.  It was nice to see the kids having fun again.  

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This sounds like (I've decided it actually is) cruelty. Honestly, we're out. Calling to cancel our 11/1 cruise.

 

Edit: honestly we've been on the fence about it for a while, moreso in recent weeks as the language around the pandemic has started to ramp back up, despite reality for most of us reflecting something much different. I'm not going to go on a vacation that treats my kids like criminals to satisfy the fears of adults, but this is more the last straw than anything else.

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Most kids nationwide are in school and interacting regularly with other kids. There is no reason that the rules on a ship should be different than at school.

It's time to end the CDC's hold over our lives. Set up reasonable protocols and let parents decide whether to check their kids in.

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20 hours ago, ChrisK2793 said:


Day 7 which was also the day for CocoCay ….. kids couldn’t get off the ship there until the results of their test came back.  Luckily for us, we got our kids tested first thing and their results were back by 9am.  We were in CocoCay from 8am to 4Pm.  A lot of families who tested as early as 8am weren’t allowed to go to CocoCay until AFTER 12 noon.  I’m not sure why they didn’t do the testing on Day 6 which was a sea day.  They’re allowed to do it 2 days before returning into the country.  It would have saved many families from missing over half their day at CocoCay.

 

Do you know if people who are getting tested for re-entry into their country are allowed off before getting test results, or does everyone who gets tested need to stay onboard until they get their test results back?

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22 hours ago, ChrisK2793 said:


Day 7 which was also the day for CocoCay ….. kids couldn’t get off the ship there until the results of their test came back.  Luckily for us, we got our kids tested first thing and their results were back by 9am.  We were in CocoCay from 8am to 4Pm.  A lot of families who tested as early as 8am weren’t allowed to go to CocoCay until AFTER 12 noon.  I’m not sure why they didn’t do the testing on Day 6 which was a sea day.  They’re allowed to do it 2 days before returning into the country.  It would have saved many families from missing over half their day at CocoCay.

 

Question for you. Did kids need to get tested for other ports prior to disembarking? Does anyone know if testing for cococay is a standard procedure currently? I am going to be at CocoCay in november and would want to plan accordingly. 

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23 minutes ago, leesam82 said:

Question for you. Did kids need to get tested for other ports prior to disembarking? Does anyone know if testing for cococay is a standard procedure currently? I am going to be at CocoCay in november and would want to plan accordingly. 

This wasn't testing specifically for CocoCay. This is the end of cruise testing required for unvaccinated passengers for cruises 5 days or longer. The testing day just happened to coincide with the CocoCay port stop on that cruise.

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18 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

This wasn't testing specifically for CocoCay. This is the end of cruise testing required for unvaccinated passengers for cruises 5 days or longer. The testing day just happened to coincide with the CocoCay port stop on that cruise.

That’s what was annoying …… the US allows that testing up to 2 days before re-entry.  They could have tested on the Day 6 sea day and avoided the problems on Day 7 that ruined CocoCay for so many families. We were among the lucky few who only missed an hour of CocoCay time, I would have been furious if we were among the many who missed over half the day there.

 

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45 minutes ago, ChrisK2793 said:

That’s what was annoying …… the US allows that testing up to 2 days before re-entry.  They could have tested on the Day 6 sea day and avoided the problems on Day 7 that ruined CocoCay for so many families. We were among the lucky few who only missed an hour of CocoCay time, I would have been furious if we were among the many who missed over have the day there.

 

Any tips on getting tested early in the morning? Did you have ro schedule the test the day before? 

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2 hours ago, LaurCurr said:

Any tips on getting tested early in the morning? Did you have ro schedule the test the day before? 


You had to schedule ahead of time by scanning a QR code they left in your room earlier in the week for appts between 8am and 11am.  The earliest time we could get was 830am , but we showed up early and checked in at 740am ….. they checked us in and let us get in the line that already had about 50 people in it.  Our group’s 3 kids were tested by 8:15 and we had our results by just after 9am.  You do have to call guest services to find out your results.  It was 5 hours later when we finally got an email with the results.  One of the kids in our group was still refused exit off the ship in CocoCay because the people at the gangway said his results weren’t in the system.  His parents had to go up to guest services in person and complain before they were finally let off the ship.  That took them 30 minutes longer to get off the ship than the rest of us.  But again, even with that hassle, they were still glad they weren’t in the big group of families with kids that was stuck on the ship until the afternoon missing more than half the time at CocoCay.  I just don’t get why they didn’t test everybody the day before on the sea day, as 2 days before re-entry is allowed.

 

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8 hours ago, jack_4321 said:

Do you know if people who are getting tested for re-entry into their country are allowed off before getting test results, or does everyone who gets tested need to stay onboard until they get their test results back?


‘They must stay on the ship until the test results are returned and in the system.  This is what ruined CocoCay for so many families as their test results were delayed for hours and we were only there from 8am to 4pm.

 

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On 10/23/2021 at 1:24 PM, ChrisK2793 said:

I want to start off by saying ….. Overall, for us adults, this rates as one of our BEST cruises ever and we had a GREAT time every single night!!  BUT, it could have been a disaster if our kids weren't old enough to leave alone in the room together.  Or if one couple went alone and didn’t want to leave 1 kid all alone in their room.

If your kids normally like going to the Kid’s Club while the adults go out at night, be prepared to make other plans.  First off, they’re only allowing 12 to 15 older kids at a time and you need a reservation.  We thought it would be hard to get in, but after the first night we realized why it was so easy.  All 3 boys, two who are 9 and one who is 11 normally love to go to kids club and pre-Covid begged to go every night even if we wanted to take them to a show.  
They hated it in there this time and called us in less than an hour to come get them.  They wouldn’t let them do anything but sit on the floor at least 6 feet apart from each other.  Which is silly because random kids played with each other all day in both the kids pool area and on the water slides, but at night they weren’t allowed near each other if in Kid’s Club together with masks on.  Even the 3 boys in our group weren’t allowed to go near each other.  They didn’t have the usual video game stations in there for the kids to play at or anything.  We ended up leaving the 3 boys in one of our rooms every night with orders they weren’t allowed to leave without calling us first.

‘On the promenade as well, the only place kids are allowed are Sorrento’s Pizza, the cafe, and bionic bar.  They used to love to sit outside the pub with us or sometimes come to karaoke, but NOPE, kids under 12 aren’t allowed.  If you have younger kids you can’t leave alone at night, you’re going to be hard pressed to have much to do as an adult unless 1 parent stays in the room with the kids.

 

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This is what I feared with cruising now. Now our son is 8 and pretty much stays with us but what you described are all things I feared would be the case. Hopefully by 2030 it'll be back to normal but I'm not holding my breath. 

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What is funny is on land here at home in NJ where I live its basically anything goes. There may be some rules, some "strong suggestions" but no one is following any of it. Out at dinner last Saturday the 2 restaurants next to each other were  beyond packed, I mean not an inch between anyone. I said to my wife when we drove in the parking lot and I saw the parking was over filled, Covid may not be technically over but its over. 

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1 hour ago, RCIfan1912 said:

I said to my wife when we drove in the parking lot and I saw the parking was over filled, Covid may not be technically over but its over. 

Yeah, for most of the country it is. Which is why we're electing to cancel. We can have a completely normal vacation in Florida (or pretty much anywhere now) and not have to worry about our kids being treated like disease vectors. We'll try again in April, but honestly not optimistic at this point.

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2 hours ago, TheRoll said:

Cruising 12/20 on Independence and wondering if our 11  yr old will be allowed into shows?  Does anyone know if they are being kept out of shows, etc?

They have two levels in the theater and one of them will be for unvaccinated during the unvaccinated shows. Also the ice show should have an unvaccinated showing. You will have to look on the app and the Cruise Compass once onboard to find the correct times.

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4 hours ago, jrapps said:

Did you book any excursions thru Royal so that you could take the kids off at ports, and if so which ones do you recommend?


Chachoben Ruins in Costa Maya is an amazing excursion.  Highly recommended.  We did it on a previous cruise though.  This cruise we only left the ship for CocoCay.

 

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This is horrible.  I'm traveling solo with twins (aged 5).  I was absolutely depending on the Aquanauts programs for some badly needed down time for myself.  However I won't put them somewhere they will be miserable - this is OUR vacation.  I know RC did away with the "Sitters at Sea" program but does anyone know if in-stateroom sitting can be arranged while at sea?

 

 

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2 hours ago, VolantTraveler said:

I know RC did away with the "Sitters at Sea" program but does anyone know if in-stateroom sitting can be arranged while at sea?

No, in-room babysitting is not available at all.

2 hours ago, VolantTraveler said:

I was absolutely depending on the Aquanauts programs for some badly needed down time for myself.  However I won't put them somewhere they will be miserable

I don't follow why Aquanauts (3-5 years old) that you were depending on is going to result in them being miserable?

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On 10/23/2021 at 1:24 PM, ChrisK2793 said:

If your kids normally like going to the Kid’s Club while the adults go out at night, be prepared to make other plans.  First off, they’re only allowing 12 to 15 older kids at a time and you need a reservation.  We thought it would be hard to get in, but after the first night we realized why it was so easy.  All 3 boys, two who are 9 and one who is 11 normally love to go to kids club and pre-Covid begged to go every night even if we wanted to take them to a show.  
They hated it in there this time and called us in less than an hour to come get them.  They wouldn’t let them do anything but sit on the floor at least 6 feet apart from each other.  Which is silly because random kids played with each other all day in both the kids pool area and on the water slides, but at night they weren’t allowed near each other if in Kid’s Club together with masks on.  Even the 3 boys in our group weren’t allowed to go near each other.  They didn’t have the usual video game stations in there for the kids to play at or anything.  We ended up leaving the 3 boys in one of our rooms every night with orders they weren’t allowed to leave without calling us first.

Adventure Ocean experience will vary by ship (and perhaps by sailing).

We had our 8 year old daughter with us on Oasis at the end of September, and she couldn't wait to go to AO every day.  Spent a good number of hours there.  Kids were allowed to choose their preferred activities (play distanced, but still fun, games with others - I saw modified floor hockey and the like), Nintendo's, science experiments in the lab, or crafts.

This was daughter's 6th cruise, our first since pandemic started, and she did not complain that AO is boring.

As usual, YMMV...

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9 hours ago, Matt said:

No, in-room babysitting is not available at all.

I don't follow why Aquanauts (3-5 years old) that you were depending on is going to result in them being miserable?

I'm sorry, but maybe you didn't read the original post possibly? It appears like the "fun" factor in that setting today, given COVID potocols, is a firm negative. Speaking for my kids only, they will absolutely want to run around and engage with other children.  If a strict 6 foot distancing protocol is place, to include their own sibling, I'm going to believe they will be "miserable".

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  • 1 month later...
On 11/1/2021 at 10:00 AM, VolantTraveler said:

This is horrible.  I'm traveling solo with twins (aged 5).  I was absolutely depending on the Aquanauts programs for some badly needed down time for myself.  However I won't put them somewhere they will be miserable - this is OUR vacation.  I know RC did away with the "Sitters at Sea" program but does anyone know if in-stateroom sitting can be arranged while at sea?

 

 

Thought I'd follow up after coming off of our Cruise on Harmony of the Seas, 28 Nov - 5 Dec. My concerns from the original post, for the most part, were unfounded.  My kids enjoyed their time in AO and on a few occasions would point out other kids on the boat and say, "that's my friend from Adventure Ocean", meaning they did get a chance to socialize.  When walking to pick them up I always observed the staff doing their best to keep the kids entertained while socially distancing (mostly). Lots of running around and having to land on designated spots games, LOTS of art, coloring, painting, and they'd set toys out in a dispersed pattern and kids could chose to fall in on one and play in that area solo.  I can't say they asked to go back or thought it was funner than hanging out with dad in the pool or riding the carousel for the 1,000th time but they didn't complain when dropped off when Dad needed a break. Not ideal, but three thumbs-up from two five year olds and a Dad up for the COVID-protocol'd AO.

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If Royal wanted to relax restrictions they could fight it. I know they'd have a sympathetic ear from Florida and Texas governors.  The reason they don't fight the restrictions is because they WANT them.  A major outbreak on their ships is bad (catastrophic) for business.  It will shut them down...again.  I don't blame them one bit for being overly cautious.  If it were my business I'd do exactly the same thing.  I wish COVID was over but it's not over folks.  Hospitals still keep filling up and the virus keeps mutating.  If you think Royal is going to relax restrictions in a few months, I would bet (strongly) against it.  I've been on 2 cruises since they started sailing again.  My family had a fantastic time on both but its not the same as it was.  I personally think kids will have a great time on the ships.  Restrictions are there but manageable.  However if your expectation is pre-pandemic or bust,  you should look at other family vacation options.

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8 hours ago, amcooper said:

 A major outbreak on their ships is bad (catastrophic) for business.

This is what I wish more people would understand. All of us who love cruising need to realize that sacrifices have to be made currently not necessarily for serious safety protocols, but because the industry is in a very delicate place and cannot afford a setback on any cruise ship, on any cruise line. RC needs to begin driving sustainable revenue by getting the full fleet cruising again, but they also know that an outbreak or other issue at this moment in time could have long-lasting effects on the industry. We're one major issue away from the general public's perception of cruises being that they're big petri dishes that aren't safe under any circumstances. 

Realistically, we need to accept that cruise ship protocol is going to have to be more strict than other types of tourism for the next couple years. 

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2 hours ago, MattG said:

We’re on Anthem right now with three kids (5. 3.5, and 2) and they all can’t get enough of AO! For the older two, each AO session has a theme with crafts, toys etc. Our kids can’t wait to go back the next day! 


Sounds like the AO on Anthem has a much better staff working in it.  The one night our kids went to AO on Symphony in October, all the kids in there were just sitting on the floor spaced far apart and doing nothing.  When we went to pick them up an hour or so later after they called us bored, all the kids were still sitting on the floor doing nothing while the 2 workers were sitting at the checkin desk in the same spot they were in when we dropped the kids off.  Even the 3 kids in our group that went in together weren’t allowed near each other while they were there.

 

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1 hour ago, ChrisK2793 said:


Sounds like the AO on Anthem has a much better staff working in it.  The one night our kids went to AO on Symphony in October, all the kids in there were just sitting on the floor spaced far apart and doing nothing.  When we went to pick them up an hour or so later after they called us bored, all the kids were still sitting on the floor doing nothing while the 2 workers were sitting at the checkin desk in the same spot they were in when we dropped the kids off.  Even the 3 kids in our group that went in together weren’t allowed near each other while they were there.

 

Yeah, ours had a curriculum (gonna try and attach here) - the kids were definitely interacting with each other, doing crafts, etc - all masked. 

3DD51C84-6B4A-4FCE-B47D-095F4923B735.jpeg

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