Children Clubs/Security...

[luvmyprincess]

Hi Everyone !

I'm new to this disscussion board. I'm hoping I can get some great advice over the next year, for my first ever planned Feb 2011 cruise.

My question/concern for now is the security in the kids clubs onboard Magic.
I was reading on a different board, a trip report posted by someone that got me more than worrried. She stated that her 10 yr DD, stayed behind in Oceaners, while they went ashore. At the end of the day her DD told them she managed to make it off the ship !! She then decided this was not a good idea and went back!!!

It was my impression that when you leave your child behind, you recieve a pager and they contact you if the child wishes to leave. How do they let a
10 yr old leave this area without being checked out by an adult to roam the ship ?!?!?

I'm hoping some experienced cruisers out there can help me put my fears to rest. Our selling point for this cruise was security. I'm now uneasy about leaving my 11 yr old in one of these areas !!

 

[5lilfish]

For starters, (personally) I would hope my 11 yr old would not be stupid enough to even attempt to walk off the ship alone. My oldest 3 kids are 10, 11 and 12. We have given them sign-in/sign-out priviledges for a couple years. They know where they are allowed and where they are not allowed (my rules). At 11 yrs old, aren't sign-in/sign-out priviledges automatically given by DCL? Obviously you can set the rules with your own child....saying he/she may not leave unless you go get him/her...but on DCL's end, I think he/she will have sign-in/sign-out. That may not be what you want to hear. Maybe I am wrong....since I have given my kids the priviledges, I have not payed that close attention to the age but I know that I no longer have to register my 12 yr old and 11 yr old for the clubs.

The 10 yr old you are referring to probably had sign-in/sign-out priviledges (per her parent's request). Therefore DCL would have definately allowed her to check out of the clubs alone. I would be completely shocked if they let her off the ship though. Kids are not allowed off the ship without an adult.

Jess

 

[calmpets]

Kids are not supposed to be able to debark without an adult. The only thing I can think is that they thought the child was with one of the adults getting off at the same time. There is a security kiosk where they swipe everyone's cards individually, so I guess that could happen in theory, although it shouldn't. Nowadays people frequently have a different last name than their kid, so why would they question it? Kids ten and up automatically have sign out privileges from the clubs, so you just need to make your own rules with your kids as to where they can or can't go.

 

[kcashner]

It is the parent's choice whether a child is allowed to sign themselves in and out of the Oceaneer's Lab. SO...if a child is allowed to sign themselves out, the CMs would definitely allow that. IF the parent chooses to leave a child in the programming while they are on an island, they can change the child's permissions for that day--making them NOT able to sign out. Of course, that means that the kid is "stuck" till the parent shows up to sign them out.

You do get a pager when you register a child for the Club or Lab groups. However, the pager has a very limited range on the islands. You will be told that they work on the ship only (not strictly true, but easier than trying to specify a distance on each island!)

As to a child getting off the ship without a parent--I guess I can't say it's impossible, but it would sure be difficult. EACH person is required to present and have computer swiped a KTTW card to exit. On the security computer, it shows up who is allowed to take each child off (it is tied to their cabin number). They DO identify that the correct adult is there--it's not just a matter of having an adult nearby. I went off with a group of 5 teens and myself...4 were 18, one was 17. Security made sure that I was behind him in line when the 17 year old presented his card, and didn't let him off till they had seen my card.

The exception is that you can go to security at the gangway and sign a permission for a teen to go off themselves. I did this at Castaway. They can always get themselves back ON, but not off.

Oh yeah, there was the time that a teen jumped off from the lifeboat area. That area has been closed off to guests now! He got caught when he tried to get back ON the ship, soaking wet, and the ship's computer showed him already on board. The captain was not amused. I was on the cruise where this happened, but this was NOT a kid I was responsible for.

 

[Tarabra]

That does seem pretty crazy. I guess I'm impressed that she found her way off the ship. I'm an adult w/ 7 DCL cruises under my belt and we still find it tricky to get off the ship. "Hmmm...which floor is it that we get off of 1 or 2? Is it forward or aft...starboard or port?" We seem to always go the wrong way.

I can't imagine that this would be something your child would do.

 

[shaylahc1]

In order to get off the ship the child would have had to have had her own room key. It seems unlikely they would allow her off unless they thought she was with a family in line and simply mistook her for one of their children.

That being said, I would not give sign out priveleges to a child unless I was 100% sure I could trust them to make smart decisions (i.e. not trying to get off the ship alone). The fact is the ship is full of "strangers"....who is to say one might not lure a child in to a room and abuse them? Anything could happen My oldest DD is 13 and she had pretty much free reign of the boat but I was still aware that bad things can happen. I let her know what her boundaries were and warned her not to accept drinks, etc, from people she didn't know. I also told her not to talk to strangers.

I think people have a false sense of security on the Disney cruises. Just because it's Disney, and just because it's a cruise doesn't mean bad things can't happen. My middle 2 girls are 10 & 8.5 and they did not have sign in/out priveleges because I don't trust them to be mature enough to handle the freedom. I saw several packs of roaming kids playing on the elevators and running up and down the hallways on the cruise ships. Not good. I wish Disney would make 12 the minimum age for kids to sign themselves in/out. I saw more than one worried parent trying to figure out where their kids were as they showed up to check their kids out only to discover the child had checked themselves out and were roaming the ship

If you wouldn't let you kid roam free at a hotel (or the mall, etc) then they shouldn't be roaming free on the ship. Disney may have screened their staff but you have no way to know which passengers might have criminal records, etc.

 

[cakesnjammom]

Kids are not supposed to be able to debark without an adult. The only thing I can think is that they thought the child was with one of the adults getting off at the same time. There is a security kiosk where they swipe everyone's cards individually, so I guess that could happen in theory, although it shouldn't. Nowadays people frequently have a different last name than their kid, so why would they question it? Kids ten and up automatically have sign out privileges from the clubs, so you just need to make your own rules with your kids as to where they can or can't go.

my kids are younger but they were strict about checking who was going off the ship and who they were with???

I felt good about my kids being in the club!! Very secure but they did not have priviledges to sign out of the club!!

 

[nic_x]

Whenever we went off the ship with our kids, the security station personnel were VERY thorough in checking our kids' faces and ours against the room key cards, which have all the ID info on them. They even double-checked to see that the kids were with us (as in, that the kids were OUR kids) as we checked out and back in. It was very similar to the way you go through security at an airport, when you show your boarding passes and the TSA guys look the kids up and down and compare names to cards and ensure they're with the proper guardians.

I doubt it's impossible for a 10 or 11 year old to get off the ship unaccompanied, but I think it'd be extremely difficult.

 

[mobopolo]

This is our first cruise, so because we are new to this, I decided to not allow my 10 yr. old son to check in and out on his own. Maybe if we were traveling with family, and he had a cousin or two to hang with... I might consider it. Children are safer and more annoying in numbers... But all kidding aside, I want to know when he wants in and out of there, just as I do at home. He calls when he walks to his friends house, and lets me know he made it there safely. It's not that I don't trust him, it's the other people that I worry about. This is also a common courtesy in our family. We always let each other know where we will be, that way if there is ever an emergency we would at least have a good idea where to start looking for each other. You never just walk off and not tell someone where you are going...right? Hopefully this will become a good habit, so by the time he's a teenager, it will just be something he does automatically...Yeah right!! It's worth a shot

 

[luvmyprincess]

Thanks so much everyone !! I did not know about the sign in/out privilege!!!
Then this story makes more sense to me now.

First off ... the off ship stuff I'm sure we'll do as a family. I'd have to be available to come get her out the club,for me to leave her there. I don't see a reason to leave her behind for shore stuff.That's the point to travel "together" ....

Secondly... I would not allow her this privilege. Not because I don't trust her, I just wouldn't want her someplace I'm not aware of. I watch her every minute while we are in the parks. I'm not going to change my way of thinking just because I'm on a Disney cruise. It's all about stanger danger.She is aware of the rules, but that doesn't mean something can't happen.

Soooo ...for us , once she's in ..she's in till she lets me know otherwise!!

Thanks for the quick responses, and putting my mind at ease!!

 

[nettii]

WOW so some 10 yr olds are allowed to walk around the ship alone?

 

[kcashner]

Some parents allow their 10 year olds to sign out of the Lab. What they are allowed to do after that is totally up to the parents.

DD's first year being allowed to sign out (we did it after a bad experience where the group started "transition" before the scheduled time and insisted on DD lining up even though she KNEW I'd be there to pick her up...then refused to release her because they'd already counted heads in the line) she had strict instructions that if she left the Lab, she had to go straight to the cabin. Her alternative was to have them page me to tell me that she was leaving and I'd meet her at the cabin.

 

[SplashMountainManiac]

I find it incredibly hard to believe that a 10 year old would be able to get off the ship. Even when I was 16 and 17, they always made sure I was with my parents and that they were my parents before letting me leave the ship. The security screen shows your picture now as you disembark, so there is no way someone can get off with someone else's card. Also, it shows your age range such as 18-20, 21-29, etc. I believe that it blinks or highlights the age of a minor, calling special attention to the security staff to look for the parents. That story seems pretty unbelievable.

 

[atm55]

For starters, (personally) I would hope my 11 yr old would not be stupid enough to even attempt to walk off the ship alone. My oldest 3 kids are 10, 11 and 12. We have given them sign-in/sign-out priviledges for a couple years. They know where they are allowed and where they are not allowed (my rules). At 11 yrs old, aren't sign-in/sign-out priviledges automatically given by DCL? Obviously you can set the rules with your own child....saying he/she may not leave unless you go get him/her...but on DCL's end, I think he/she will have sign-in/sign-out. That may not be what you want to hear. Maybe I am wrong....since I have given my kids the priviledges, I have not payed that close attention to the age but I know that I no longer have to register my 12 yr old and 11 yr old for the clubs.

The 10 yr old you are referring to probably had sign-in/sign-out priviledges (per her parent's request). Therefore DCL would have definately allowed her to check out of the clubs alone. I would be completely shocked if they let her off the ship though. Kids are not allowed off the ship without an adult.

Jess

For starters, I think that was an uncalled for remark and/or judgment of another person's child. Second, the easiest solution - do not give sign out privileges to children under 12. They're kids (they love adventure), and to reinterate another post - you have no idea who is onboard - I know it's Disney and we love the magic - but as adults and to repeat your own phrase - let's not be stupid about the safety of our kids. Finally, NEVER LEAVE THE SHIP WITHOUT YOUR CHILDREN, that's just common sense.

 

[5lilfish]

For starters, I think that was an uncalled for remark and/or judgment of another person's child. Second, the easiest solution - do not give sign out privileges to children under 12. They're kids (they love adventure), and to reinterate another post - you have no idea who is onboard - I know it's Disney and we love the magic - but as adults and to repeat your own phrase - let's not be stupid about the safety of our kids. Finally, NEVER LEAVE THE SHIP WITHOUT YOUR CHILDREN, that's just common sense.

huh, I have an 11 yr old. I was talking about my 11 yr old. I said MY 11 yr old. I would certainly hope she would be bright enough to not walk off the ship alone.

My kids 10, 11 and 12 have done just fine with sign out privileges. I can see the arguement for having DCL make it the parent's choice though.

I actually asked my 3 oldest about this at lunch today (we're currently driving to Fl to get on the Magic). I asked them if they would get off the ship without me. They all looked at me like I was insane. They're comments were basically, "what...do you think we're stupid? Why in the world would we do that?"

Jess

 

[SmallWorld71]

For starters, I think that was an uncalled for remark and/or judgment of another person's child. Second, the easiest solution - do not give sign out privileges to children under 12. They're kids (they love adventure), and to reinterate another post - you have no idea who is onboard - I know it's Disney and we love the magic - but as adults and to repeat your own phrase - let's not be stupid about the safety of our kids. Finally, NEVER LEAVE THE SHIP WITHOUT YOUR CHILDREN, that's just common sense.

huh, I have an 11 yr old. I was talking about my 11 yr old. I said MY 11 yr old. I would certainly hope she would be bright enough to not walk off the ship alone.

My kids 10, 11 and 12 have done just fine with sign out privileges. I can see the arguement for having DCL make it the parent's choice though.

I actually asked my 3 oldest about this at lunch today (we're currently driving to Fl to get on the Magic). I asked them if they would get off the ship without me. They all looked at me like I was insane. They're comments were basically, "what...do you think we're stupid? Why in the world would we do that?"

Jess

I don't think the comments were about another child and that lilfish was insulting anyone. My 11 year old (and most 11 year olds) would know that it is indeed a stupid thing to do to go wondering off in a foreign country alone. There are, of course, exceptions and children with special needs who would not be able to make this distinction and should not be able to sign themselves out! Shame on their parents if they don't know their kids well enough to know this.

The more posts I read, the more I think that either the story the OP saw was exaggerated or the original story teller (not the OP) was trying to make excuses for their child's poor behavior!

 

[luvmyprincess]

This is a piece of the strory I was questioning .....



went to that blue tent. Needless to say we started the 20 Q and she got frustrated and upset. We continued to question her and she plainly told us that she went looking for us. She asked a crew member how to get off the ship and they told her where she needed to go. She managed to make her way off the ship. I don’t know how but my DD (10) got off the ship without an adult. According to her, she made it past the “blue tent” and then figured out this was not a good idea and was making her way back. Luckily the men checking ID noticed she was alone and contacted the ship. They then had a crew member come meet her and escort her back to the Lab. Well, this will not do, not at all. We quickly made our way to Guest Services to discuss this with someone. GS didn’t have any information for us but said they would have someone promptly to speak to us. However, they were in the middle of a shift change or something and asked if we could come back. We didn’t want to be late for dinner so we told her we would be back. She told us that this would give them the opportunity to investigate and possibly view video footage and check the log that would show her card being swiped when she came back on board.
We went to dinner and it so happened that our tablemates saw her being escorted back on board. We just couldn’t believe it but did manage to have a pleasant dinner and then headed back to GS to speak to someone. They did have one of the head of security there to speak to us. He was very apologetic and said that this definitely should not have happened. As far as they could figure out is that she managed to leave when there were other adults leaving at the same time and the security just didn’t pay close attention. He informed us that he would definitely investigate this further and that this was most certainly an isolated incident. We were not upset but definitely relieved that nothing worse had happened. We just wanted DCL to inform their crew to pay closer attention.


How much truth I don't know?? I appreciate you all answering my question. Made me feel much better about the clubs. I again, was unaware of the sign out privilege....

 

[atm55]

I still would never leave the ship without my children, but that's me I guess.

 

[SmallWorld71]

Well, if the story is 100% correct, hopefully everyone involved learned from their mistakes:
*Disney should take a look at the security process
*The child's parents need to have a very serious talk with their child about safety/rules and common sense

Thankfully, nothing happened to her.

 

[vvv]

From reading what luvmyprincess copied and pasted from the person's trip report, it almost sounds to me that the girl got off the ship without having her card swiped. I can actually see that happening very easily. I do believe that if they would have swiped her card on the way out, they would have stopped her since no guardian was present.

Lucky for her she at least had her card with her so that she was able to get back on the ship with no hassle.