At what age would you leave a child alone in a stateroom?

[tlprice]

she cried when we had to wake her up to get off the boat.

Don't we ALL cry when we have to wake up and get off the boat?

 

[Karin1984]

It's always safe until it isn't.
I really don't like the thought that if you would do it at home you would be fine on the ship. Do complete strangers have keys to your home and access to it when you slip out for a drink. Probably not however several people have access to your stateroom if they want. I would bet most staff could get access to it if they wanted. Its not like these sort of things never happen on cruise ships, a quick google will show you different. And yes, it has happened on DCL. This is a floating city with 6000 strangers on board. Even those you meet in the chat rooms before your cruise, do you know them? Hardly. And that is only one scenario. What happens if there is an issue with the ship and you can't get back to your cabin? What happens if for some one in a million chance a fire starts in the stateroom. What happens if your ten year old who is brave enough to say go ahead and leave us wakes up and suddenly realizes she/he is not as brave as she/he thought? How scary could that cabin be at night when no adult is around?
Leaving young children alone is not something I would ever do but that is just me. I know people who do and nothing bad has happened but I bet if something did they would regret it for the rest of their lives. The cost of going out to get a drink could be more than someone is willing to pay.
Sorry if I sound dooms dayish but that's the way my mind goes. I'm a 'better safe than sorry' type of person. Only you can make the decision for you. Just make sure to have a good, safe vacation.

Everything you mention can happen at home as well, on their way to school, at school etc. At after school activities, most harm is done to children and people in general by people they know and trust.

I think I would be much more comfortable at Disney due to the amount of CMs and people around, than at home. At home the whole world could talk his way into your house or by the use of force. On a ship it is 'only' 6,000 people.

Not just every child is different in this case, also every parent is different. Even between mum and dad there can be different opinions on what would work.

 

[MomOTwins]

I do agree the odds of a stranger attack are small, BUT the odds of an accident are far far higher, and that is what makes me nervous. What if the kids decide to jump on the bed? Detach the ladder from the bunk bed and use it as an unsecured climbing wall? Fall off the bunk? Just run around and be crazy and bang their head on the corner of a door or table? Go out in the hall and lock themselves out. These are actual things my kids have done on vacation while I've been in the room sleeping or in the bathroom. Good thing I was there to get to them and apply first aid as needed. Kids aren't always on their most perfect behavior after a long vacation day, especially when some for of candy or ice cream is involved, which is pretty abundant on Disney cruises.

 

[Tasmen]

Like others have said, it depends on the child. We left ours alone in a hotel room for the first time when she was 10. Naturally (because the odds never seem to be in our favor), it ended up being a teaching moment with a leaking window that resulted in her calling the front desk and letting a stranger (albeit hotel staff) into the room to look at the water.

Every kid is different. Some will do great. Others will not follow directions. Go with your gut.

 

[mab2012]

I do agree the odds of a stranger attack are small, BUT the odds of an accident are far far higher, and that is what makes me nervous. What if the kids decide to jump on the bed? Detach the ladder from the bunk bed and use it as an unsecured climbing wall? Fall off the bunk? Just run around and be crazy and bang their head on the corner of a door or table? Go out in the hall and lock themselves out. These are actual things my kids have done on vacation while I've been in the room sleeping or in the bathroom. Good thing I was there to get to them and apply first aid as needed. Kids aren't always on their most perfect behavior after a long vacation day, especially when some for of candy or ice cream is involved, which is pretty abundant on Disney cruises.

Absolutely. And this is why virtually every poster who has said that they might be comfortable with it has qualified their opinion with "it depends on the kid".