The Lollipop Road

You can read more about this topic, as well as many other family cruising topics, in our new book–Cruising With Kids: A Guide To The Perfect Family Cruise Vacation. Visit our dedicated Cruising With Kids website for more details.

In recent years, viral outbreaks aboard cruise ships have become a more regular occurrence.  When Norovirus outbreaks began to soar in 2002, passenger related sanitation became more of a priority for both the CDC and the cruise lines.  Prior to this, the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) had mostly focused on typical crew and ship sanitation issues.

Although Norovirus outbreaks also occurred prior to 2002, they were less prevalent.  The CDC, in addressing this question, points to the growth within the cruise industry as well as the ease with which the Norovirus is transmitted. 

Fair enough, but what has been done about the problem and is cruising safe for my kids?  Let’s take a look at what the CDC has to say about the danger of the Norovirus.

“Noroviruses are highly contagious, but infections are not usually serious. People may feel very sick and vomit often or get diarrhea, becoming dehydrated if lost liquids are not replaced. Most people recover within 1 or 2 days and have no long-term adverse health effects.” – Centers For Disease Control

Although the virus itself isn’t dangerous according to the CDC, children and those with a weakened or compromised immune system may be more susceptible and experience more intense symptoms.  If you are sick, the best advice is to get plenty of rest and stay hydrated.  Confining the sick party to the cabin and limiting contact with others can also help to combat the spread of the virus.

Although the Norovirus is the number one outbreak reported on cruise ships each year, in 2009, Shigella, E Coli, and Cyclospora were also reported. 
Again, these encompass reportable outbreaks, which is limited to ships subject to the Vessel Sanitation Program, carrying 100 or more passengers on sailings of 3-21 days where 3% or more of the total passengers (including crew) reported symptoms of gastrointestinal disease.

In response, the cruise lines have been proactive in setting more aggressive sanitation guidelines for passengers as well as crew.  Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, for example, provides dispensers with hand sanitizer at the entrance to all dining venues and kids areas in addition to crew members dispensing sanitizer to passengers who may have missed the dispenser.  Royal Caribbean had no reportable outbreak of the Norovirus (or any other disease) between June 2007 and December 2010. Royal Caribbean’s outbreak free streak was broken on the February 22, 2010 sailing of the Jewel of the Seas, then again on the January 3, 2011 sailing of Radiance of the Seas and the January 28, 2012 sailing of Voyager of the Seas.

A quick look at the CDC’s Outbreak Update is revealing.  During 2009, the reportable outbreaks by cruise line were:  Holland America (7), Princess (3), Celebrity (2), Carnival (1), NCL (1) and Regent Seven Seas (1).  The numbers may not tell the whole story.  For example, one event for Regent Seven Seas may be significant in light of the fact that they only have 3 ships and there are fewer cruise each year.  In contrast, one event for Carnival, the largest cruise line in the world, may be less significant.

This information should be used in conjunction with historical trends as well as the CDC Cruise Ship Inspection Scores.  Looking at historical trends for the cruise line that reported the most outbreaks in 2009 may be telling.  Holland America reported 6 outbreaks in 2008, 5 outbreaks in 2007 and 7 outbreaks in 2006.  Of course, history does not always predict the future.

So, let’s take a quick look at the results in the years since we first wrote this article. In 2010, Holland America reported (3) outbreaks, a vast improvement, while Celebrity reported (4), Cunard (3) and Carnival and Royal Caribbean (1) each. In 2011, Holland America would report another (3), Celebrity (3), Princess (4) and Royal Caribbean (1).

Note the cruise line that is missing from recent reporting – Disney. Even with the launch of a new ship, they have managed to avoid any outbreaks since 2002. Likewise, Carnival had no reportable outbreaks in 2011, which when combined with the single outbreaks in previous years is a significant achievement for the largest cruise line in the world. We should note that Royal Caribbean has had a relatively good showing, as well.

In 2012, we’ve seen one reportable outbreak for Royal Caribbean and two for Princess.

The cruise lines that continue to have sanitation issues with respect to disease outbreaks, particularly with the Norovirus – Holland America, Princess and Celebrity. We’re not suggesting that you avoid these cruise lines, but perhaps you might want to take a few extra precautions when sailing. There are a few things that you can do to help avoid becoming sick.

• Wash hands frequently
• Sanitize your hands prior to and after all meals and activities
• Make sure that kids sanitize their hands frequently while using the kid’s club facilities
• Avoid touching your mouth, eyes or nose if your hands have not been washed or sanitized

Check out the CDC’s list of suggestions for more detail.

One incident or one bad score should not deter you from choosing a cruise line or a particular ship, however, consistent failures or trends should be noted.  So, is cruising safe for my kids?  Yes, it is just as safe as any other vacation.  When traveling, we should always take precautions to maintain our health.  Disease outbreaks can occur anywhere, not just on cruise ships.  We’re fortunate in the fact that the CDC requires cruise lines to report these outbreaks, whereas a hotel or resort may not.  Use the information as a guide to stay healthy and enjoy your cruise!

You can read more about this topic, as well as many other family cruising topics, in our new book–Cruising With Kids: A Guide To The Perfect Family Cruise Vacation. Visit our dedicated Cruising With Kids website for more details.

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In December 2011, Disney Cruise Line rolled out several unannounced changes in the way that it administers its extremely popular kid’s program. The chatter that ensued was quite overwhelming, so we thought it might be time (now that the dust has settled) to take an objective look at what really has changed – for better or worse.

Disney Cruise Line has always offered one of the most comprehensive and extensive programming schedules for kids of all ages. In doing so, they traditionally allowed some degree of flexibility in the age categories, which was always much appreciated by parents who sailed with children who straddled age groups. Officially, the categories are and have been: Oceaneer Club/Lab (Ages 3-10), Edge (Ages 11-13) and Vibe (Ages 14-17).

The flexibility that existed at one time would allow 18 year-old teens who were still in high school or older developmentally challenged adults to participate in Vibe at the discretion of the counselors. From what we understand, one or more incidents may have led to a change in this policy. So, as it stands today, Disney is strictly enforcing the maximum age for Vibe.

However, there still appears to be some flexibility on the lower end. We are aware of situations where a 14 year-old has been allowed to downgrade to Edge and a 13 year-old has been allowed to upgrade to Vibe with parental waiver. One thing is clear, however, this choice must be made at the beginning of the cruise and it may not be changed.

That leaves an open question with respect to the Oceaneer Club/Lab. Although the guidelines state that the maximum age is ten, the “unwritten policy” has been that children up to the age of twelve were able to participate. We have seen guidance that leads us to believe that is still accurate. We are sailing at the end of February and will return with a full report on the implementation of the new guidelines.

If this were the only change, it would have caused a bit of a stir, but probably would not have received as much attention as it has among families. The change that seems to have elicited more concern among parents is the elimination of parents in the Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab. According to the new guidelines, adults are only allowed into the secure space briefly for drop-off and pickup. Now, what “briefly” means is open to interpretation, but from passenger accounts it appears to translate into five minutes or less. Parents are also required to wear a badge during this time.

This change hits parents with children who are not potty-trained the hardest. Prior to this change, these toddlers were allowed to play in these spaces under parental supervision. Likewise, parents of children who require special assistance could also enjoy time with their children in these spaces. Now, they are restricted from using the space, which is what has caused the most uproar.

In order to offset the inconvenience of this new policy, Disney has added a daily open house where children and adults can participate in activities together. As a matter of fact, participating children MUST be accompanied by an adult. During this time, the opposite space (Club or Lab) runs the normal supervised program.

This setup has resulted in several complaints. First, the one secure space becomes overcrowded during open house. Second, children ages 3 to 10 are now vying to participate in activities within the same space. Third, times are not announced prior to sailing, so parents are unable to plan dinner or spa reservations with certainty. Finally, passengers have complained that the duration (3 hours) is too long. Our response – this is a work in progress and Disney will undoubtedly make adjustments that make sense for their passengers.

In the past, we’ve given Disney high marks for the flexibility in the kid’s program. Honestly, it really is what sets them apart from most other cruise lines. With this move, we’ve seen them move closer to Carnival or Celebrity in their implementation, so only time will tell if this will hurt their rating and popularity among cruising families.

Check back with us in early March for a complete first-hand account! In the meantime, feel free to share your thoughts and experiences.

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After covering the topic of safety at sea in depth in light of the November 2010 incident aboard Carnival Splendor, I never dreamed that I’d feel compelled to address this topic again just 14 months later. Well, unfortunately, serious safety related questions have arisen in light of the recent tragedy aboard Costa Concordia.

On the evening of January 13, 2012, Costa Concordia struck a solid object off the coast of the Italian island of Giglio. The twelve hours that followed will undoubtedly become legendary in a very short time, but we as cruise passengers must react to this tragedy with swift action today by changing some of our behaviors now.

I’m about to sail on my 32nd cruise and each and every time I step aboard, I wince when thinking about having to sit through yet another muster. Well, perhaps it is important after all. New passengers who boarded Concordia in Rome didn’t have the advantage of a general muster and organized safety briefing. Perhaps that exercise may have saved their lives that night – we’ll never know.

In accordance with SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea), cruise lines are required to perform a general muster of passengers within 24 hours of sailing from an embarkation port. In the case of Concordia, she has three ports of embarkation, so the decision was made to minimize the discomfort by performing a single muster for both Rome and Savona passengers on Saturday. That day would never arrive for some.

Thankfully, most cruise ships departing from North America conduct a general muster prior to sailing, even during heavy rain or other inclement conditions. However, in the event that it does not occur prior to sailing, there a a few things that you can do to prepare yourself. It may even be a good idea to perform these few simple steps even if your muster does occur prior to departure.

1. Check your cabin to be sure that all lifevests are present and in good condition. If you have children, their lifevests should be weight appropriate. Any issues should be immediately addressed with your cabin attendant. (Note that on the world’s largest ships, Oasis and Allure of the Seas, lifevests are not kept in cabins)
2. Review the map on the back of your cabin door. Not only will your muster station be clearly marked, but the evacuation path will be highlighted. Make it a priority to memorize this path and any alternates as you begin exploring the ship.
3. Take 5 minutes to do a trial run. Walk from your cabin to the muster station, then to the lifeboat embarkation area. Note any landmarks that would help you to navigate this path in the dark. Having a small flashlight is an essential item for your packing list.
4. Make a plan for your family to follow in the event of an emergency. We cover this topic more extensively in our book – Cruising With Kids.

Keep in mind that your muster station may be a lounge or other public area. Not only should you familiarize yourself with this location and the various entrances and exits, but also familiarize yourself with its location relative to your lifeboat and other lifeboats.

Costa Concordia was an unusual situation in many respects. Within a few short minutes of impact, the ship began to list. By the time the order to abandon ship was given, the ship was listing so badly that launching the lifeboats became a rather difficult process. So, what do you do when your lifeboat is unavailable? Luckily, there are canister launches that inflate upon hitting the water, so a lack of lifeboats is rarely an issue, although in extreme circumstances there may be a shortage of usable launches. Ships are required to have enough capacity for all passengers and crew plus 25%.

In the past, we’ve always advised passengers to follow the instructions of the crew. Unfortunately, this event has us revisiting that mantra. While crew instructions are typically accurate and based upon the most updated information from the captain, the chaos on the Concordia proved that perhaps we as passengers need to be partly self-reliant, as well. For example, if the ship is listing at 20%, returning to your cabin might not be a wise idea, despite what a crew member may tell you. Lifeboats are only designed to launch up to a 20% list. I guess what I’m saying is that we need to utilize common sense. Lifevests are always available at your muster station, so you will not be without one should you not retrieve it from your cabin.

Never wait to react. Take precautions and always put safety ahead of comfort. Having said that, do not overreact. Know your surroundings. Before sailing, you should research your route, becoming familiar with water temperatures and conditions. Also, pay close attention to the daily report from the bridge and other posted information regarding route and weather conditions during your cruise. Having this information in the back of your mind might be useful in the event of an emergency. Many passengers jumped from Concordia in an effort to swim to nearby land. For some, the cold waters were unexpected and deadly. It is never a good idea to jump into the sea unless it is a last resort.

Remain clam, listen closely for information updates and don’t be afraid to consult seasoned cruisers who might be able to provide valuable information. Thankfully, tragedies such as this are infrequent. However, they do remind us of the things that we take for granted. Crew members train for these emergencies each and every week. Cruising is safe, but the risks can’t be ignored. Prepare yourself and your family for potential emergencies and you’ll feel much more confident and in control if and when an emergency situation arises.

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Yet another reader recently commented on our much controversial Norwegian Jewel Review that we posted almost 18 months ago. Surprisingly, it continues to be the number one article in terms of views each month and it also continues to elicit heated, and sometimes angry, comments. In this instance, we moderated the comment due to its vitriolic tone and its direct attack on a specific group of individuals, so it isn’t available for the public to read (sorry – this is a family-friendly website). However, some of the observations made by the writer has led us to finally address head-on the notion that “You get what you pay for” and the frequent complaint that “I can’t afford a Disney cruise”.

We’d like to believe that the quality of a cruise and the level of service provided by the crew are directly related to price. While I believe that is a fair generalization, I’ve sailed on the best and the worst cruise lines - the cost of the best isn’t always justified and the hidden costs of the worst is shocking. This leads to one of the most frequently asked questions – which cruise line is the best value? Well, that is quite simple with respect to families – Carnival Cruise Lines and Disney Cruise Line. Hold on one minute – how can Disney, the most expensive of the mass market lines, be the best value? Simple, they provide an amazing product, along with amazing service, at a price that is less than luxury or upscale lines, such as Cunard or Crystal.

One of the biggest misconceptions with respect to Disney Cruise Line is that their cruises are not affordable. To that, I say, nonsense! You just need to be patient, have a good travel agent, or simply follow us on Twitter. We tweet all of the significant promotions available to the general public before they sell out. For example, we’re booked on the Disney Wonder for a prime week at the end of February. Our Deluxe Outside Cabin for four cost us a whopping $1,965 total, plus we get a $100 onboard credit. You’ll pay more than that on most other mass-market lines.

Okay, so you missed out on that special promotion or simply were not interested in those voyages – now what? Well, try Carnival Cruise Lines. While the quality and service doesn’t compare to Disney, the kid’s program is quite extensive and the facilities (including Waterworks and mini-golf) keep families entertained. A family of four can regularly sail for a week with Carnival for less than $2,000. That is affordable for most families, not to metion a good value for your money.

On the other hand, we consider any money spent with Norwegian Cruise Line to be a bad investment. No, we aren’t snobs, nor do we expect to receive 5-star service for a 3-star price, but we do expect NCL to compare favorably to Carnival Cruise Lines, the other mass-market cruise line within NCL’s price category. From a family persepctive, they fail miserably on that front.

So, if you’re looking for value, my recommendation is to wait for a super sale on Disney Cruise Line, or alternatively, give Carnival Cruise Lines a try. While the situation has improved slightly with the launch of Norwegian Epic, NCL continues to provide a mediocre product, albeit at a low cost, at least initially. If any of our readers who have sailed both Carnival and NCL would like to put together a head-to-head comparison, I’d be happy to post it. Until then, I’ll stick with my assessment and recommendations as it relates to NCL.

Bon Voyage!

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We had lots of snow early this year in the Northeast, but we’re not expecting any measurable snowfall in New England during the annual tree hunting season. Going in search of the perfect Christmas tree is always a joy, but even better when you have to trudge through 6 inches of snow, right? We really will miss the snow again this year – oh well, I guess that means no puddle on the floor from melting snow.

Our local tree farm has new owners who have promised to begin planting lots of new trees – exciting! In what we can only assume is a new world record, it took us only five minutes to find a tree this year - the sparse offerings made that feat possible. Ironically, this may also be the nicest tree that we’ve had in years – a little pudgy, but beautful nonetheless.

When looking for a tree, we try to find a symmetrically round tree without any bald spots. Last year we had to scale down to fit our new ceiling height, so this year we thought we’d expand outward rather than upward. There is something to be said for a short, pudgy tree – stability. A few years ago, our tree was so big that it tipped over, partially landing on our oldest son. Don’t worry, all was well and we had a good laugh. Hopefully our selection this year won’t have to be anchored to anything.

Pricing and the perfect tree are always the subject of debate. Inevitably, the perfect tree always seems to win out, to the dismay of my wallet. I’ve failed to mention that many tree farms, only accept cash or check, so fair warning, come prepared with at least $50, because most tree farms no longer allow you to tag trees and return later to cut and collect them.

If you’re brave and doing your own cutting, make sure you bring a well sharpened saw, or be prepared to hack away at the sticky stump for a while. You’ll need someone to hold the tree and guide it to the ground as you get near the end. If you have young kids that need entertaining, try to make short order of it or enlist the help of a nearby family or one of the kind helpers. Most farms have carts, so be sure to grab one if you are going long and far for the perfect tree. Dragging can lead to broken limbs and dirt or snow in your otherwise perfect tree.

Having the tree bundled is quite an interesting task to watch. If you’ve selected the right tree, it will struggle to fit through the bundler. That is a sign of a full, rotund tree that will compete with Santa for girth. This year, it took three people to get the tree through the bundler – ah, a job well done. Now comes time to pay and partake in snacks and hot cider – my favorite part of the trip. Of course, this is encouragement to haul your tightly constrained tree to the car and tie it down for the trip home. Once you get the kids settled into the car, mount the tree on the roof like a trophy. If you’re one of those lucky folks with a pickup, we’re jealous! We use heavy twine (which we always bring with us) to wrap the top and bottom twice, through and over the tree, then cross tying the two sides. Make sure that the doors are open when you do this. Don’t laugh, the first time we did this we opened the windows, not even thinking we wouldn’t be able to open the doors afterward…lesson learned. Folks with SUVs or Minivans may be tempted to stuff the tree inside. Don’t do it – you’ll be cleaning the sticky, messy remains well after the tree is gone.

When you arrive home, immediately cut the bottom branches to fit it in the stand. We use these branches to make a wreath or spray. Experts recommend making a fresh cut to the trunk, but we’ve always felt that if the tree is cut fresh and put into water with an hour it isn’t necessary. Most experts also recommend a flat cut, but we disagree. We always cut it at a slight angle (approximately 5-8%) so that if the trunk rests against the bottom of the base, there will be an unobstructed surface to absorb water. Never make a “V” cut and never compromise the stability of the tree. Mounting the stand while the tree is lying on the ground makes the process a bit easier.

Now you’re ready to stand it up, fill the base to the rim with warm water and let it drip dry. If you plan on storing it longer, you should put it into a sheltered area to protect it from drying winds.You should do this outside if the tree is wet or if you haven’t prepared the area where it will stand, in advance. Once inside, get it in the perfect spot and cut the netting. It should unfold quickly, perhaps to reveal some remaining surprises inside. When placing a tree, be sure to test its tendency to tip by giving it a little push or pull. Once you’ve determined its most likely path should it tip, rotate the tree to ensure that path is toward the wall.

Fill the tree base to about 1/4 below the rim with warm water. You will need to water the tree every day for the first week. Thereafter, you should check it every other day. We do not add anything to the water and most experts recommend just plain water.

We’ve provided some tips based upon our experiences and opinions, but for more, The University of Illinois has an excellent comprehensive list of tips as does the National Christmas Tree Association. Most importantly, enjoy the time with your family and have fun!

This post is part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby. If you’ve enjoyed our photos, be sure to check out other great photos at Delicious Baby.

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