We went up to Deck 12 to play mini golf again, this time in much less wind.
It was much busier today. What struck me is that so many kids were wandering around on the course, playing in the middle of others using the course.
They weren’t older kids, like teens, most I encountered were actually polite, but rather random young kids. One was with his mom, maybe aged 4-5, and she just wandered around watching him walk all over the course while people are playing, hitting balls into the playing area while occupied. Mom seemed to encourage it. She’s in the photo on this post.
Then there was an 8-10 year old boy, doing exactly the same. I stopped him a few times, but he kept wandering all over, hitting the ball on the course where others were playing. I didn’t see a parent in sight anywhere.
The number of children without manners is astounding.
At lunch, we were sitting at the table next to a family with three young children. They were encouraging the children to climb in the windows, to eat desserts in the windows, and when the little girl spilled her drink all over, they just let it drip on the floor and did nothing to correct it for the 15 minutes we were there. The windowsill was full of drippy food.
I am not a hypocrite. In 2011, I took five young children ages 14 months to 9 years old on a Disney cruise by myself (no husband) and my parents, brothers, and their kids. Three of the kids were in my room, and the two oldest were in my parents adjoining room in a bunk bed at night. It was a 4 night cruise, and aside from a few stints in the Kids Club, the girls were with me. We did dinners in the rotating dining rooms, and breakfast and lunch at the buffets. I would never let them stand on the seat and eat, or run around, and they weren’t allowed to go to the buffet line without an adult. They were well-behaved children because I expected it, and they had consequences for not behaving.
So I understand it is difficult to take children on a cruise. I’ve done it 3 times.
But many parents just check out, and let their kids make others miserable. I understand why some adults don’t want to cruise with children, some parents make it miserable.
See ya later gators!
~Dawn