Even on family-friendly cruise lines, children can be a contentious topic.
This is because when some children are left unsupervised, they can wreak havoc.
Some parents come aboard and decide that their children can do whatever they want on the ship. That's fine for some kids, but it's not uncommon to see unruly teens running up and down the halls, knocking on doors late at night, and even stealing or smashing items from passenger cabin doors.
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Most parents are, of course, responsible and keep an eye on their children. Many children are well behaved and not disruptive, but a few unruly children can create big problems that disrupt other passengers' vacations.
It's a tricky situation for cruise lines because the line between annoying and actionable is a bit gray.
It's hard to know when security should step in and when they might be overstepping their boundaries. Parenting other people's children rarely goes smoothly, so ship staff only step in when a serious breach occurs.
But passengers are never shy about voicing their opinions. Thousands of them have spoken out about a controversial issue involving the youngest children on Carnival Cruise Line ships.
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Image source: Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival brand ambassador tackles a difficult topic
Carnival has a number of rules regarding children on their ships.
“Infants must be at least 6 months old at the time of embarkation to sail,” the company says. “Children must be at least 12 months old at the time of embarkation to sail on transoceanic voyages and remote itineraries, where there are more than two consecutive days at sea.”
Once a child turns six months old, they can travel on most cruise ships. This has led to situations that some passengers find controversial. And Carnival brand ambassador John Heald addressed the issue on his facebook page.
“Is it wrong for a guest to walk around the Lido deck this morning on the Carnival Sunrise with a baby, in a carrier or scarf while being breastfed?” Heald wrote. “One guy wrote me very upset about this. Surely it's OK… right?”
The topic of when it's appropriate to breastfeed has become a contentious political issue, but Carnival passengers seem to be very united on the issue. More than 3,200 people publicly commented on Heald's post, and most had the same opinion.
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Carnival passengers speak out
While Heald's post was in response to someone who was offended by the idea of a woman breastfeeding on a public deck, most passengers were very supportive.
“I have no problem with that,” wrote Judy Morris. “I used to nurse my daughter ringside at dog shows in the 70s. I'm sure some people were horrified, but I'm not and I don't care. Oh, she grew up to breed winning show dogs. Maybe that baby at Carnival will grow up to be a brand ambassador in 30 or 40 years.”
Many commentators pointed out that the pool deck is not exactly a place characterized by modesty.
“I doubt I've ever seen anything more offensive than some of the bathing suits on board. I'm sure the baby's face was covered,” Linda McLain posted.
Jennifer Harrell shared a variation on that same idea.
“I once saw a woman on the bench breastfeeding without a baby carrier, without a blanket, without anything. Babies need to eat too. I felt more offended by the older man in his tight bathing suit at the pool than by someone breastfeeding his baby,” she said.
Many posters fully supported the measure and pointed out that covering the child was not a requirement.
“Even if it's not covered, it's okay to breastfeed. I doubt any of us would eat with a blanket over our heads,” Terri Lynn wrote.
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Amanda Martin echoed that sentiment even more strongly.
“Anyone who says you have to cover your mouth, please lower the temperature to 98 degrees and cover your head with a blanket the next time you eat,” he added.
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