Is your family planning an epic cruise ship vacation this summer? Our partners at Susie’s Place have identified a few core tips to help keep your kiddos safe while you’re sailing away.
Susie’s Place promotes the prevention, justice, and healing of child victims of abuse and violence while maintaining the comfort and safety of the child as the first priority. Susie’s Place has centers in Avon, Bloomington, and Terre Haute. For more information, visit their website.
- First and foremost, set clear guidelines and expectations for personal privacy and behavior, and discuss them with your family and any other adults who will spend time around and/or supervise your children.
- Be cautious of how much personal information you share about your children and your itinerary on social media. Help your child understand how to be polite while not providing strangers too much personal information about themselves, your family, and your plans.
- If you plan on utilizing the cruise ship’s children’s club services, ask staff if circumstances could arise where your children could be unobserved for any period of time, and when different age ranges might mingle together.
- Be cautious of new friends (adults or kids) you meet on board that take a strong interest in your family, even if they seem helpful. If someone seems “too good to be true,” ask more questions.
- If you decide that your child is responsible enough to stay in your stateroom alone for a period of time, ensure the Do Not Disturb light or placard is posted and make sure they understand now to open the door for others.
- Establish a family secret word and discuss, at the start of your trip, that anyone asking your child to go with them in an emergency situation will use that word to indicate they are safe and known to your family. Note: Try to make the word something you wouldn’t normally use in conversation, just to avoid confusion. Consider a unique fruit or animal, like “kumquat” or “wallaby”.
For more information about safety and expectations at sea, check out John Graham’s book, I can be safe on a cruise ship: Helping young children learn safe and positive behaviors for the ship. John is the Education and Outreach Manager at Susie’s Place.
By taking a few simple, proactive steps, you can help ensure your family’s cruise is not only fun and memorable, but also safe. Open communication, clear boundaries, and a little extra vigilance can go a long way in protecting your children while at sea. With guidance from experts like those at Susie’s Place, your family can focus on enjoying the adventure—knowing safety is always part of the plan.
