Kids Club Age Change

[Mags2002]

I am recently off a DCL cruise and joined because I feel like people should know what is truly going on on-board the ships before making decisions about their cruises. Shoreside guest assistance is giving out incorrect information and there seems to be a lack of communication or clear guideline regarding this change.

For context, this was our 6th DCL cruise, but first since the pandemic. Our children are 16, 13, and 11. We planned this cruise, at this time specifically because they are all VERY different and we wanted them to have their own space and own activities. I have spent years telling people that DCL is the best because there is something for all ages, AND you can also have quality family time. Our youngest is an 11 year old immature boy who was completely happy that he could still go to Oceaneers, and his sisters were thrilled to have their own spaces. He does not have a phone yet, and there are no longer wave phones on board, so there is no way to communicate. And he needs to still have some supervision.

Several weeks before the cruise, my son asked about some Edge activities, and we emailed to see if he could be in both Oceaneers and Edge. We were told he did not have to commit to one club and could do whichever activities he wanted. We talked to him about going to Edge only for short periods of time, but going to Oceaneers for longer periods (like when we would be at Palo brunch) so we would know where he was. This was our plan at the time we received an email about the change, which was less than a week before we cruised. It was too late to cancel or change, so we emailed again, attaching the response from the original email. We were told there was no longer any flexibility, but that Edge would offer secure programming, similar to Oceaneers.

This was a complete lie, and we only found out when we boarded. There is no secure programming for Edge, they can come and go as they please. The CMs said they would watch him and message us when he left and where he was going, but they rarely followed through. On the second night of our cruise, they told us he left, and when we went to find him, Edge was closed and locked with no note posted. We went to Oceaneers to look for him because it was listed on the Navigator and were not allowed in because it was secured programming. We searched the ship and finally ended up at Guest services for help. It was 10 at night, everything was shutting down on deck and youth activities CMs that we spoke with would not help us out. Guest services tried calling all the kids clubs and was told he wasn't there. Concierge also started calling the youth activity CMs, but no one would answer their phones. It was over an hour and security had been called and was searching for him when someone finally answered concierge and they found him. He had left Edge, but come back and they went to take over Oceaneers, but no one notified us or even let us in to search for him. He says he asked them to message us that he was back, but there was no follow through. All they had to do was answer their phones or at least send a message through the app. I truly felt terrified and like no one cared about my son or my family. I was asked so many times if he had a phone, and even told that he shouldn't go to Edge without a phone. That should not be a requirement for an 11 year. There seems to be no guidelines on how to supervise the younger tweens who don't have a way to communicate with family.

Obviously this affected the rest of our cruise. I didn't want to let him go back at all, but that didn't seem fair to him. He is immature, but was able to follow some ground rules that we came up with so we would know where he was. We cancelled some adult only activites because we constantly had to be checking in to be sure we knew where he was. I never really got the relaxing vacation I was hoping for. If we had known ahead of time, we could have had time to make a plan or reschedule. I truly never would have booked this cruise if I had known he would not go to Oceaneers. I pay a premium for Disney to know that my kids are safe and happy. That was definitly not the case.

In addition, my 13 year old felt pushed out of Edge because of the amount of younger kids there. She tried doing ice breakers the first night, but felt out of place. We signed a wavier for her to go to Vibe, but she felt out of place there as well. There is a trickle down effect of pushing so many younger/immature kids into the Edge space. I'm also not sure why I can sign a waiver for my younger child to go to an older club, but can't sign a waiver to send one the other direction.

There were many other ramifications from this whole situation, but that was the start of our problems. Honestly, if anyone is on the fence about sailing with an 11/12 year old, just don't do it, especially if they are a bit immature. Disney has failed this age group. I understand if there needs to be changes, but this was pushed through with no notice and no planning. Not all kids can handle the freedom. There is a huge range of normal development in tweens and parents know their kids the best. And at minimum, parents should know that they can depend on the services that are offered at the time they book the cruise. Disney took our money and then changed things at the last moment with no apologies.

I’m sorry you had this experience. Hopefully they iron out any teething problems over the next few cruises

 

[supergirl04]

I am recently off a DCL cruise and joined because I feel like people should know what is truly going on on-board the ships before making decisions about their cruises. Shoreside guest assistance is giving out incorrect information and there seems to be a lack of communication or clear guideline regarding this change.

For context, this was our 6th DCL cruise, but first since the pandemic. Our children are 16, 13, and 11. We planned this cruise, at this time specifically because they are all VERY different and we wanted them to have their own space and own activities. I have spent years telling people that DCL is the best because there is something for all ages, AND you can also have quality family time. Our youngest is an 11 year old immature boy who was completely happy that he could still go to Oceaneers, and his sisters were thrilled to have their own spaces. He does not have a phone yet, and there are no longer wave phones on board, so there is no way to communicate. And he needs to still have some supervision.

Several weeks before the cruise, my son asked about some Edge activities, and we emailed to see if he could be in both Oceaneers and Edge. We were told he did not have to commit to one club and could do whichever activities he wanted. We talked to him about going to Edge only for short periods of time, but going to Oceaneers for longer periods (like when we would be at Palo brunch) so we would know where he was. This was our plan at the time we received an email about the change, which was less than a week before we cruised. It was too late to cancel or change, so we emailed again, attaching the response from the original email. We were told there was no longer any flexibility, but that Edge would offer secure programming, similar to Oceaneers.

This was a complete lie, and we only found out when we boarded. There is no secure programming for Edge, they can come and go as they please. The CMs said they would watch him and message us when he left and where he was going, but they rarely followed through. On the second night of our cruise, they told us he left, and when we went to find him, Edge was closed and locked with no note posted. We went to Oceaneers to look for him because it was listed on the Navigator and were not allowed in because it was secured programming. We searched the ship and finally ended up at Guest services for help. It was 10 at night, everything was shutting down on deck and youth activities CMs that we spoke with would not help us out. Guest services tried calling all the kids clubs and was told he wasn't there. Concierge also started calling the youth activity CMs, but no one would answer their phones. It was over an hour and security had been called and was searching for him when someone finally answered concierge and they found him. He had left Edge, but come back and they went to take over Oceaneers, but no one notified us or even let us in to search for him. He says he asked them to message us that he was back, but there was no follow through. All they had to do was answer their phones or at least send a message through the app. I truly felt terrified and like no one cared about my son or my family. I was asked so many times if he had a phone, and even told that he shouldn't go to Edge without a phone. That should not be a requirement for an 11 year. There seems to be no guidelines on how to supervise the younger tweens who don't have a way to communicate with family.

Obviously this affected the rest of our cruise. I didn't want to let him go back at all, but that didn't seem fair to him. He is immature, but was able to follow some ground rules that we came up with so we would know where he was. We cancelled some adult only activites because we constantly had to be checking in to be sure we knew where he was. I never really got the relaxing vacation I was hoping for. If we had known ahead of time, we could have had time to make a plan or reschedule. I truly never would have booked this cruise if I had known he would not go to Oceaneers. I pay a premium for Disney to know that my kids are safe and happy. That was definitly not the case.

In addition, my 13 year old felt pushed out of Edge because of the amount of younger kids there. She tried doing ice breakers the first night, but felt out of place. We signed a wavier for her to go to Vibe, but she felt out of place there as well. There is a trickle down effect of pushing so many younger/immature kids into the Edge space. I'm also not sure why I can sign a waiver for my younger child to go to an older club, but can't sign a waiver to send one the other direction.

There were many other ramifications from this whole situation, but that was the start of our problems. Honestly, if anyone is on the fence about sailing with an 11/12 year old, just don't do it, especially if they are a bit immature. Disney has failed this age group. I understand if there needs to be changes, but this was pushed through with no notice and no planning. Not all kids can handle the freedom. There is a huge range of normal development in tweens and parents know their kids the best. And at minimum, parents should know that they can depend on the services that are offered at the time they book the cruise. Disney took our money and then changed things at the last moment with no apologies.

Whew. That is just awful.

 

[Marthasor]

I am recently off a DCL cruise and joined because I feel like people should know what is truly going on on-board the ships before making decisions about their cruises. Shoreside guest assistance is giving out incorrect information and there seems to be a lack of communication or clear guideline regarding this change.

For context, this was our 6th DCL cruise, but first since the pandemic. Our children are 16, 13, and 11. We planned this cruise, at this time specifically because they are all VERY different and we wanted them to have their own space and own activities. I have spent years telling people that DCL is the best because there is something for all ages, AND you can also have quality family time. Our youngest is an 11 year old immature boy who was completely happy that he could still go to Oceaneers, and his sisters were thrilled to have their own spaces. He does not have a phone yet, and there are no longer wave phones on board, so there is no way to communicate. And he needs to still have some supervision.

Several weeks before the cruise, my son asked about some Edge activities, and we emailed to see if he could be in both Oceaneers and Edge. We were told he did not have to commit to one club and could do whichever activities he wanted. We talked to him about going to Edge only for short periods of time, but going to Oceaneers for longer periods (like when we would be at Palo brunch) so we would know where he was. This was our plan at the time we received an email about the change, which was less than a week before we cruised. It was too late to cancel or change, so we emailed again, attaching the response from the original email. We were told there was no longer any flexibility, but that Edge would offer secure programming, similar to Oceaneers.

This was a complete lie, and we only found out when we boarded. There is no secure programming for Edge, they can come and go as they please. The CMs said they would watch him and message us when he left and where he was going, but they rarely followed through. On the second night of our cruise, they told us he left, and when we went to find him, Edge was closed and locked with no note posted. We went to Oceaneers to look for him because it was listed on the Navigator and were not allowed in because it was secured programming. We searched the ship and finally ended up at Guest services for help. It was 10 at night, everything was shutting down on deck and youth activities CMs that we spoke with would not help us out. Guest services tried calling all the kids clubs and was told he wasn't there. Concierge also started calling the youth activity CMs, but no one would answer their phones. It was over an hour and security had been called and was searching for him when someone finally answered concierge and they found him. He had left Edge, but come back and they went to take over Oceaneers, but no one notified us or even let us in to search for him. He says he asked them to message us that he was back, but there was no follow through. All they had to do was answer their phones or at least send a message through the app. I truly felt terrified and like no one cared about my son or my family. I was asked so many times if he had a phone, and even told that he shouldn't go to Edge without a phone. That should not be a requirement for an 11 year. There seems to be no guidelines on how to supervise the younger tweens who don't have a way to communicate with family.

Obviously this affected the rest of our cruise. I didn't want to let him go back at all, but that didn't seem fair to him. He is immature, but was able to follow some ground rules that we came up with so we would know where he was. We cancelled some adult only activites because we constantly had to be checking in to be sure we knew where he was. I never really got the relaxing vacation I was hoping for. If we had known ahead of time, we could have had time to make a plan or reschedule. I truly never would have booked this cruise if I had known he would not go to Oceaneers. I pay a premium for Disney to know that my kids are safe and happy. That was definitly not the case.

In addition, my 13 year old felt pushed out of Edge because of the amount of younger kids there. She tried doing ice breakers the first night, but felt out of place. We signed a wavier for her to go to Vibe, but she felt out of place there as well. There is a trickle down effect of pushing so many younger/immature kids into the Edge space. I'm also not sure why I can sign a waiver for my younger child to go to an older club, but can't sign a waiver to send one the other direction.

There were many other ramifications from this whole situation, but that was the start of our problems. Honestly, if anyone is on the fence about sailing with an 11/12 year old, just don't do it, especially if they are a bit immature. Disney has failed this age group. I understand if there needs to be changes, but this was pushed through with no notice and no planning. Not all kids can handle the freedom. There is a huge range of normal development in tweens and parents know their kids the best. And at minimum, parents should know that they can depend on the services that are offered at the time they book the cruise. Disney took our money and then changed things at the last moment with no apologies.

Wow, just wow. So, with less than a week's notice, it is now YOUR responsibility to get your 11 year old a phone so he can go to the Edge? I completely feel for you as my DS was also on the immature side when he was 11 and I can completely relate to your story. If this had been sprung on us the way it was sprung on you, I would have wanted to cancel my cruise, but, of course, you didn't have that option - just really bad customer service on DCL's part.

I’m sorry you had this experience. Hopefully they iron out any teething problems over the next few cruises

I know you are trying to be helpful, but guests should not have to bear the brunt of or be the experimental guinea pigs to iron out DCL's kids' club teething problems. DCL is 25 years old - they should know how to run a kids' club by now.

 

[Bruno33]

Wow, just wow. So, with less than a week's notice, it is now YOUR responsibility to get your 11 year old a phone so he can go to the Edge? I completely feel for you as my DS was also on the immature side when he was 11 and I can completely relate to your story. If this had been sprung on us the way it was sprung on you, I would have wanted to cancel my cruise, but, of course, you didn't have that option - just really bad customer service on DCL's part.


I know you are trying to be helpful, but guests should not have to bear the brunt of or be the experimental guinea pigs to iron out DCL's kids' club teething problems. DCL is 25 years old - they should know how to run a kids' club by now.

Particularly because the whole kids club situation is one of their main draws/selling points.

If they wanted/needed to do this, they should have informed people earlier. They could have potentially offered PIF people an option to cancel and get refunded, at least, if it HAD to be immediate?

The experience recounted by PP is not up to the DCL standard, period, full stop. They bungled this roll out and are still not being fully clear about the new rules.

 

[DCLMP]

I am recently off a DCL cruise and joined because I feel like people should know what is truly going on on-board the ships before making decisions about their cruises. Shoreside guest assistance is giving out incorrect information and there seems to be a lack of communication or clear guideline regarding this change.

For context, this was our 6th DCL cruise, but first since the pandemic. Our children are 16, 13, and 11. We planned this cruise, at this time specifically because they are all VERY different and we wanted them to have their own space and own activities. I have spent years telling people that DCL is the best because there is something for all ages, AND you can also have quality family time. Our youngest is an 11 year old immature boy who was completely happy that he could still go to Oceaneers, and his sisters were thrilled to have their own spaces. He does not have a phone yet, and there are no longer wave phones on board, so there is no way to communicate. And he needs to still have some supervision.

Several weeks before the cruise, my son asked about some Edge activities, and we emailed to see if he could be in both Oceaneers and Edge. We were told he did not have to commit to one club and could do whichever activities he wanted. We talked to him about going to Edge only for short periods of time, but going to Oceaneers for longer periods (like when we would be at Palo brunch) so we would know where he was. This was our plan at the time we received an email about the change, which was less than a week before we cruised. It was too late to cancel or change, so we emailed again, attaching the response from the original email. We were told there was no longer any flexibility, but that Edge would offer secure programming, similar to Oceaneers.

This was a complete lie, and we only found out when we boarded. There is no secure programming for Edge, they can come and go as they please. The CMs said they would watch him and message us when he left and where he was going, but they rarely followed through. On the second night of our cruise, they told us he left, and when we went to find him, Edge was closed and locked with no note posted. We went to Oceaneers to look for him because it was listed on the Navigator and were not allowed in because it was secured programming. We searched the ship and finally ended up at Guest services for help. It was 10 at night, everything was shutting down on deck and youth activities CMs that we spoke with would not help us out. Guest services tried calling all the kids clubs and was told he wasn't there. Concierge also started calling the youth activity CMs, but no one would answer their phones. It was over an hour and security had been called and was searching for him when someone finally answered concierge and they found him. He had left Edge, but come back and they went to take over Oceaneers, but no one notified us or even let us in to search for him. He says he asked them to message us that he was back, but there was no follow through. All they had to do was answer their phones or at least send a message through the app. I truly felt terrified and like no one cared about my son or my family. I was asked so many times if he had a phone, and even told that he shouldn't go to Edge without a phone. That should not be a requirement for an 11 year. There seems to be no guidelines on how to supervise the younger tweens who don't have a way to communicate with family.

Obviously this affected the rest of our cruise. I didn't want to let him go back at all, but that didn't seem fair to him. He is immature, but was able to follow some ground rules that we came up with so we would know where he was. We cancelled some adult only activites because we constantly had to be checking in to be sure we knew where he was. I never really got the relaxing vacation I was hoping for. If we had known ahead of time, we could have had time to make a plan or reschedule. I truly never would have booked this cruise if I had known he would not go to Oceaneers. I pay a premium for Disney to know that my kids are safe and happy. That was definitly not the case.

In addition, my 13 year old felt pushed out of Edge because of the amount of younger kids there. She tried doing ice breakers the first night, but felt out of place. We signed a wavier for her to go to Vibe, but she felt out of place there as well. There is a trickle down effect of pushing so many younger/immature kids into the Edge space. I'm also not sure why I can sign a waiver for my younger child to go to an older club, but can't sign a waiver to send one the other direction.

There were many other ramifications from this whole situation, but that was the start of our problems. Honestly, if anyone is on the fence about sailing with an 11/12 year old, just don't do it, especially if they are a bit immature. Disney has failed this age group. I understand if there needs to be changes, but this was pushed through with no notice and no planning. Not all kids can handle the freedom. There is a huge range of normal development in tweens and parents know their kids the best. And at minimum, parents should know that they can depend on the services that are offered at the time they book the cruise. Disney took our money and then changed things at the last moment with no apologies.

We cruised dozens of times with our kids in that age range and it was just fine. My kids were always safe and happy. The difference is I didn't expect the CMs to notify me every time my kids left the Edge or went to invade the lab, Vibe, or play on the sports deck. The CM's have never done that and will never do that.


I'm sorry you had a bad experience, but nothing has changed about the Edge. It's good you posted your story so other parents can make an informed decision. I think most posters on this board were already aware of how the Edge operated. They usually post on the navigator all the activities including the invasion times or the sports deck times.

I don't think Disney has failed this age group. It just didn't meet your expectations. The majority of kids have a good time it's been operating this way for over a decade.

 

[AZMermaid]

Im so sorry the communication was so bad. They never should have promised things that they couldn’t actually do and I imagine how stressful it must have been that night he was lost. Hopefully if nothing else, they don’t over promise again. I imagine the CMs are trying to make it work and especially on these early cruises want parents happy and it sounds like had better intentions than actions.

I did want to comment about your 13 year old feeling like there were so many younger kids. 10-12 year olds have always been there. My daughter went to the Edge at 10.5 last year. She may not have noticed as much when she was younger but there is irony in saying your 13 year old was disturbed by 11 year olds so instead the 11 year olds should stick with the 4 year olds. I know you didn’t say that, but that’s how it was. A 2 year gap is much less than a 7-9 year gap in the Club.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I am recently off a DCL cruise and joined because I feel like people should know what is truly going on on-board the ships before making decisions about their cruises. Shoreside guest assistance is giving out incorrect information and there seems to be a lack of communication or clear guideline regarding this change.

For context, this was our 6th DCL cruise, but first since the pandemic. Our children are 16, 13, and 11. We planned this cruise, at this time specifically because they are all VERY different and we wanted them to have their own space and own activities. I have spent years telling people that DCL is the best because there is something for all ages, AND you can also have quality family time. Our youngest is an 11 year old immature boy who was completely happy that he could still go to Oceaneers, and his sisters were thrilled to have their own spaces. He does not have a phone yet, and there are no longer wave phones on board, so there is no way to communicate. And he needs to still have some supervision.

Several weeks before the cruise, my son asked about some Edge activities, and we emailed to see if he could be in both Oceaneers and Edge. We were told he did not have to commit to one club and could do whichever activities he wanted. We talked to him about going to Edge only for short periods of time, but going to Oceaneers for longer periods (like when we would be at Palo brunch) so we would know where he was. This was our plan at the time we received an email about the change, which was less than a week before we cruised. It was too late to cancel or change, so we emailed again, attaching the response from the original email. We were told there was no longer any flexibility, but that Edge would offer secure programming, similar to Oceaneers.

This was a complete lie, and we only found out when we boarded. There is no secure programming for Edge, they can come and go as they please. The CMs said they would watch him and message us when he left and where he was going, but they rarely followed through. On the second night of our cruise, they told us he left, and when we went to find him, Edge was closed and locked with no note posted. We went to Oceaneers to look for him because it was listed on the Navigator and were not allowed in because it was secured programming. We searched the ship and finally ended up at Guest services for help. It was 10 at night, everything was shutting down on deck and youth activities CMs that we spoke with would not help us out. Guest services tried calling all the kids clubs and was told he wasn't there. Concierge also started calling the youth activity CMs, but no one would answer their phones. It was over an hour and security had been called and was searching for him when someone finally answered concierge and they found him. He had left Edge, but come back and they went to take over Oceaneers, but no one notified us or even let us in to search for him. He says he asked them to message us that he was back, but there was no follow through. All they had to do was answer their phones or at least send a message through the app. I truly felt terrified and like no one cared about my son or my family. I was asked so many times if he had a phone, and even told that he shouldn't go to Edge without a phone. That should not be a requirement for an 11 year. There seems to be no guidelines on how to supervise the younger tweens who don't have a way to communicate with family.

Obviously this affected the rest of our cruise. I didn't want to let him go back at all, but that didn't seem fair to him. He is immature, but was able to follow some ground rules that we came up with so we would know where he was. We cancelled some adult only activites because we constantly had to be checking in to be sure we knew where he was. I never really got the relaxing vacation I was hoping for. If we had known ahead of time, we could have had time to make a plan or reschedule. I truly never would have booked this cruise if I had known he would not go to Oceaneers. I pay a premium for Disney to know that my kids are safe and happy. That was definitly not the case.

In addition, my 13 year old felt pushed out of Edge because of the amount of younger kids there. She tried doing ice breakers the first night, but felt out of place. We signed a wavier for her to go to Vibe, but she felt out of place there as well. There is a trickle down effect of pushing so many younger/immature kids into the Edge space. I'm also not sure why I can sign a waiver for my younger child to go to an older club, but can't sign a waiver to send one the other direction.

There were many other ramifications from this whole situation, but that was the start of our problems. Honestly, if anyone is on the fence about sailing with an 11/12 year old, just don't do it, especially if they are a bit immature. Disney has failed this age group. I understand if there needs to be changes, but this was pushed through with no notice and no planning. Not all kids can handle the freedom. There is a huge range of normal development in tweens and parents know their kids the best. And at minimum, parents should know that they can depend on the services that are offered at the time they book the cruise. Disney took our money and then changed things at the last moment with no apologies.

That's a prime example of where it becomes very frustrating for information given that ends up not occurring once you're there.

However, it's also an example where round peg square hole. The issues stems from your son's maturity level although nothing can excuse being told you'd be contacted and then not (sounds like they should have just said that's not in their wheelhouse to call you when he leaves). But my biggest question is where was your son when he left? Was he just aimlessly walking around or was he trying to find you? Was there a plan put in place ahead of time between you? Was he not given set rules for when he can and cannot leave or where he can and cannot go? I'm just honestly confused on how a child (and this is a general comment) who lacks maturity, who lacks the ability to adhere to set rules is expected to behave on a large enough ship with several thousand passengers? And how that ultimately ends up being the cruise company's fault? Of course there are problems that should be addressed lying at the feet of the cruise company but not the main gripe IMO. I just don't know why if you (general you) have a child that struggles at that moment with freedom, with maturity level issues, etc is appropriate at that time to cruise? Cruise ships aren't designed for that type of situation no matter what age group their kids clubs are.

 

[Marthasor]

That's a prime example of where it becomes very frustrating for information given that ends up not occurring once you're there.

However, it's also an example where round peg square hole. The issues stems from your son's maturity level although nothing can excuse being told you'd be contacted and then not (sounds like they should have just said that's not in their wheelhouse to call you when he leaves). But my biggest question is where was your son when he left? Was he just aimlessly walking around or was he trying to find you? Was there a plan put in place ahead of time between you? Was he not given set rules for when he can and cannot leave or where he can and cannot go? I'm just honestly confused on how a child (and this is a general comment) who lacks maturity, who lacks the ability to adhere to set rules is expected to behave on a large enough ship with several thousand passengers? And how that ultimately ends up being the cruise company's fault? Of course there are problems that should be addressed lying at the feet of the cruise company but not the main gripe IMO. I just don't know why if you (general you) have a child that struggles at that moment with freedom, with maturity level issues, etc is appropriate at that time to cruise? Cruise ships aren't designed for that type of situation no matter what age group their kids clubs are.

Because when OP booked the cruise, she didn't expect her child would have the freedom to simply roam around a cruise ship on his own. Yes, cruise ships with supervised child programming are designed PRECISELY for this type of situation. A 3-year old would struggle with freedom and maturity level issues - are you saying a cruise ship is not designed for a family with a 3-year old? Or do you expect a 3-year old has the maturity level to "behave on a large enough ship with several thousand passengers"? How about a 4-year old? A 10-year old? What is the arbitrary age cut-off that you would like to impose on other families? Basically, your argument is any child who might require secured, supervised programming doesn't belong on a cruise ship. My DS also did not have "roaming" privileges on any cruise ship until he was 13 years old - we made sure any cruise we booked had secured programming and he was either with his family or in the secured programming at all times - why, exactly does that mean we shouldn't be cruising? Every family gets to decide what is appropriate for their own family and and their own children based on advertised policies. When those advertised policies are changed last minute it is completely unfair to guests who planned their vacations based on those policies.

 

[Chirple]

In addition, my 13 year old felt pushed out of Edge because of the amount of younger kids there. She tried doing ice breakers the first night, but felt out of place. We signed a wavier for her to go to Vibe, but she felt out of place there as well. There is a trickle down effect of pushing so many younger/immature kids into the Edge space. I'm also not sure why I can sign a waiver for my younger child to go to an older club, but can't sign a waiver to send one the other direction.

Where did your daughter end up? If the 11 year old wasn't mature enough for Edge, why wouldn't you engage your daughter to keep an eye on her brother, even if they didn't spend one-on-one time in Edge?

 

[Nala301]

Because when OP booked the cruise, she didn't expect her child would have the freedom to simply roam around a cruise ship on his own.

Thank you for this, that is exactly the problem. For those who didn't read closely, I booked THIS cruise at THIS time, specifically because of where my children would go while on board. My daughters can handle the freedom, my son cannot, and I wanted him supervised for my peace of mind. He is immature but does not have special needs or any diagnosis. He is simply on the lower end of maturity within normal development, not a round peg/square hole. If you've never had this type of child, count your blessings and move along. At 11, he was well within the age range to go to Oceaneers, and he was fine with it. As I mentioned, we came up with a plan for him to explore Edge for short periods of time. This was our 6th cruise, so I am well aware of what Edge has to offer and made a plan accordingly that would work for everyone. When they changed the age, I acted proactively, and emailed to see if we needed a new plan. Here was the response from shore-side guest services as of December 19th:

The Edge club will be secure to kids from ages 11-14, as well at 10-year olds with a parents permission. You should still be able to set it up with the Youth Club Counselors, for an adult to have to check children out of the club, so they aren't able to leave unsupervised.

This was very reassuring, and sounded like he would be in secure programming at Edge. I don't care what space he goes to, just that he was supervised. It was an absolute lie, and I believe they just said it to get us on board so they wouldn't have to refund our cruise. The CMs on board had no idea what to do and were speechless when I showed them the email. Honestly, they tried their best, but there is just no clear plan in place.

That is my whole point. There is no communication and no clarity on what they can offer parents. I would have either waited another year or two, or explored other cruise lines, but I didn't know I should've done this until 6 days before our cruise. And even then, they assured me they would offer secure programming. They lied, took my money, and most heartbreakingly ruined a cruise that was supposed to celebrate Christmas, our daughter's 16th birthday, and possibly our last big vacation as a family. I will never get that time back. We planned and saved for something that was not delivered. And that is my whole point in posting is to let people know what is going on on-board at the moment. I'm not opposed to changes. Everyone has different needs and challenges. But there needs to be notice so people can make the best plans that work for their family.

 

[KrzyKtty101]

Thank you for this, that is exactly the problem. For those who didn't read closely, I booked THIS cruise at THIS time, specifically because of where my children would go while on board. My daughters can handle the freedom, my son cannot, and I wanted him supervised for my peace of mind. He is immature but does not have special needs or any diagnosis. He is simply on the lower end of maturity within normal development, not a round peg/square hole. If you've never had this type of child, count your blessings and move along. At 11, he was well within the age range to go to Oceaneers, and he was fine with it. As I mentioned, we came up with a plan for him to explore Edge for short periods of time. This was our 6th cruise, so I am well aware of what Edge has to offer and made a plan accordingly that would work for everyone. When they changed the age, I acted proactively, and emailed to see if we needed a new plan. Here was the response from shore-side guest services as of December 19th:

This was very reassuring, and sounded like he would be in secure programming at Edge. I don't care what space he goes to, just that he was supervised. It was an absolute lie, and I believe they just said it to get us on board so they wouldn't have to refund our cruise. The CMs on board had no idea what to do and were speechless when I showed them the email. Honestly, they tried their best, but there is just no clear plan in place.

That is my whole point. There is no communication and no clarity on what they can offer parents. I would have either waited another year or two, or explored other cruise lines, but I didn't know I should've done this until 6 days before our cruise. And even then, they assured me they would offer secure programming. They lied, took my money, and most heartbreakingly ruined a cruise that was supposed to celebrate Christmas, our daughter's 16th birthday, and possibly our last big vacation as a family. I will never get that time back. We planned and saved for something that was not delivered. And that is my whole point in posting is to let people know what is going on on-board at the moment. I'm not opposed to changes. Everyone has different needs and challenges. But there needs to be notice so people can make the best plans that work for their family.

I completely get the more immature end of a development spectrum. My daughter is 10.5, and just asked for a Barbie Dream House for Christmas. Where a lot of others going into middle school are starting to be concerned less with dolls and make believe, my daughter is still fully invested. I don't see this magically changing by 6 months from now. I would never trust her in Edge alone by this June, she just isn't there based on what I read above.

 

[AZMermaid]

Honestly, I’ve been pretty vocal that this change is fine and people should take the refund if it’s not okay, even last minute- but I would be so upset to have that in writing and not have it be the case. Not with the on board CMs, their hands are tied, but with DCL management. I’d follow up with them. And not with the change/ that is what it is, but that you proactively asked for advice and were lied to.

 

[Mags2002]

Thank you for this, that is exactly the problem. For those who didn't read closely, I booked THIS cruise at THIS time, specifically because of where my children would go while on board. My daughters can handle the freedom, my son cannot, and I wanted him supervised for my peace of mind. He is immature but does not have special needs or any diagnosis. He is simply on the lower end of maturity within normal development, not a round peg/square hole. If you've never had this type of child, count your blessings and move along. At 11, he was well within the age range to go to Oceaneers, and he was fine with it. As I mentioned, we came up with a plan for him to explore Edge for short periods of time. This was our 6th cruise, so I am well aware of what Edge has to offer and made a plan accordingly that would work for everyone. When they changed the age, I acted proactively, and emailed to see if we needed a new plan. Here was the response from shore-side guest services as of December 19th:

This was very reassuring, and sounded like he would be in secure programming at Edge. I don't care what space he goes to, just that he was supervised. It was an absolute lie, and I believe they just said it to get us on board so they wouldn't have to refund our cruise. The CMs on board had no idea what to do and were speechless when I showed them the email. Honestly, they tried their best, but there is just no clear plan in place.

That is my whole point. There is no communication and no clarity on what they can offer parents. I would have either waited another year or two, or explored other cruise lines, but I didn't know I should've done this until 6 days before our cruise. And even then, they assured me they would offer secure programming. They lied, took my money, and most heartbreakingly ruined a cruise that was supposed to celebrate Christmas, our daughter's 16th birthday, and possibly our last big vacation as a family. I will never get that time back. We planned and saved for something that was not delivered. And that is my whole point in posting is to let people know what is going on on-board at the moment. I'm not opposed to changes. Everyone has different needs and challenges. But there needs to be notice so people can make the best plans that work for their family.

Secured programming basically means that it is just for the kids of that age range, no adults or kids of other ages allowed (eg: Open House). Not necessarily that it is “secure” in that they can’t leave (for older Oceaneers, Edge and Vibe).
That was not correct or fair for them to tell you that kids in Edge would need to be checked out by a parent as that has never been the case. I’m sorry you were told the wrong information. We always say to check with the crew when you embark as they have the most up to date information

 

[AZMermaid]

That was not correct or fair for them to tell you that kids in Edge would need to be checked out by a parent as that has never been the case. I’m sorry you were told the wrong information. We always say to check with the crew when you embark as they have the most up to date information

But considering the change I don’t blame the OP for believing the ability to decline self check out had changed too when that is what she was told. It sounds like she is familiar with the tween and teen programming with her older kids but was told things had changed in regards to checking edge kids out. What else could she have done when she was the second (?) cruise affected by this and contacted DCL with her concerns?

 

[CMontheseas]

I wish I could say that there hasn’t always been a big divide in reality between the people who work shoreside who aren’t actively updating guests with information accurate to what’s on board but it’s kind of been like they make a policy, we have to implement on board and since crew members don’t stay for very long, are expendable to deal with guests.

And then when a guest is dissatisfied on the cruise the comment or complaint reflects on the poor crew who don’t get a chance to be promoted or maybe even transfer to a ship to be with their significant other while the shoreside decision makers comfortably get things like minimum wage and days off and vacation pay without taking any responsibility for it.

Sorry it’s been a rough end to 2023 with all of these changes and we get people pay a lot more to celebrate nye on board and be told no to anything

 

[Marthasor]

Thank you for this, that is exactly the problem. For those who didn't read closely, I booked THIS cruise at THIS time, specifically because of where my children would go while on board. My daughters can handle the freedom, my son cannot, and I wanted him supervised for my peace of mind. He is immature but does not have special needs or any diagnosis. He is simply on the lower end of maturity within normal development, not a round peg/square hole. If you've never had this type of child, count your blessings and move along. At 11, he was well within the age range to go to Oceaneers, and he was fine with it. As I mentioned, we came up with a plan for him to explore Edge for short periods of time. This was our 6th cruise, so I am well aware of what Edge has to offer and made a plan accordingly that would work for everyone. When they changed the age, I acted proactively, and emailed to see if we needed a new plan. Here was the response from shore-side guest services as of December 19th:

This was very reassuring, and sounded like he would be in secure programming at Edge. I don't care what space he goes to, just that he was supervised. It was an absolute lie, and I believe they just said it to get us on board so they wouldn't have to refund our cruise. The CMs on board had no idea what to do and were speechless when I showed them the email. Honestly, they tried their best, but there is just no clear plan in place.

That is my whole point. There is no communication and no clarity on what they can offer parents. I would have either waited another year or two, or explored other cruise lines, but I didn't know I should've done this until 6 days before our cruise. And even then, they assured me they would offer secure programming. They lied, took my money, and most heartbreakingly ruined a cruise that was supposed to celebrate Christmas, our daughter's 16th birthday, and possibly our last big vacation as a family. I will never get that time back. We planned and saved for something that was not delivered. And that is my whole point in posting is to let people know what is going on on-board at the moment. I'm not opposed to changes. Everyone has different needs and challenges. But there needs to be notice so people can make the best plans that work for their family.

Wow, just wow on that e-mail . . .

I've been checking the DCL website occasionally to see if they ever updated the policy online so people can make an educated decision as to whether DCL is the right choice for their families at this time. It currently says, "Venues, experiences, offerings and policies are subject to change at any time without notice." I honestly can't imagine trusting them with thousands of vacation dollars at this point given how they rolled out this new policy.

Secured programming basically means that it is just for the kids of that age range, no adults or kids of other ages allowed (eg: Open House). Not necessarily that it is “secure” in that they can’t leave (for older Oceaneers, Edge and Vibe).
That was not correct or fair for them to tell you that kids in Edge would need to be checked out by a parent as that has never been the case. I’m sorry you were told the wrong information. We always say to check with the crew when you embark as they have the most up to date information

How would checking with crew at embarkation have helped OP? Guests need to be able to make decisions about their vacations prior to PIF and embarking on a ship. Again, I know you are trying to be helpful and are coming to this conversation with a different perspective, but DCL is one of, if not the most expensive family cruise line. We are talking thousands and thousands of dollars. No one can just wait until they embark to learn if they need to completely adjust their vacation plans because DCL decided to change major policies last minute. And we aren't even supposed to trust what shoreside is telling us in writing? Sorry - DCL needs to get its act together. We are CC Gold and, at this point, I would not recommend sailing DCL to any family given how they handled this roll-out and the verbiage on their website. Who would trust them at this point?

 

[AZMermaid]

I’m sorry CM. It’s not at all fair and that was my point. This is probably not the only family given misinformation ahead of time and it’s the onboard CMs who have to be the bad guys. Most guests don’t see the division and just see “Disney cruise line.” This person did her due diligence and it was the negligence of the email CM who gave her false hope. So I understand her frustration as the guest too.

 

[Marthasor]

I wish I could say that there hasn’t always been a big divide in reality between the people who work shoreside who aren’t actively updating guests with information accurate to what’s on board but it’s kind of been like they make a policy, we have to implement on board and since crew members don’t stay for very long, are expendable to deal with guests.

And then when a guest is dissatisfied on the cruise the comment or complaint reflects on the poor crew who don’t get a chance to be promoted or maybe even transfer to a ship to be with their significant other while the shoreside decision makers comfortably get things like minimum wage and days off and vacation pay without taking any responsibility for it.

Sorry it’s been a rough end to 2023 with all of these changes and we get people pay a lot more to celebrate nye on board and be told no to anything

Sounds like a bad situation and, I agree, I have been sailing on DCL since 2011 and there has always been a disconnect between shoreside and onboard info (honestly, communication between departments at WDW is terrible, too). DCL has put the crew and the guests in a very bad situation with the way they rolled out this policy.

 

[randumb0]

We cruised dozens of times with our kids in that age range and it was just fine. My kids were always safe and happy. The difference is I didn't expect the CMs to notify me every time my kids left the Edge or went to invade the lab, Vibe, or play on the sports deck. The CM's have never done that and will never do that.


I'm sorry you had a bad experience, but nothing has changed about the Edge. It's good you posted your story so other parents can make an informed decision. I think most posters on this board were already aware of how the Edge operated. They usually post on the navigator all the activities including the invasion times or the sports deck times.

I don't think Disney has failed this age group. It just didn't meet your expectations. The majority of kids have a good time it's been operating this way for over a decade.

I think your post is unfair to OP. Their expectations were based on what Disney CM's told them. If a CM tells me that they will send me messages to update me on the status of my child then I have no reason to distrust them. I also expect that Disney would allow customers to make changes to their reservation based on changes such as what just happened.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Because when OP booked the cruise, she didn't expect her child would have the freedom to simply roam around a cruise ship on his own. Yes, cruise ships with supervised child programming are designed PRECISELY for this type of situation. A 3-year old would struggle with freedom and maturity level issues - are you saying a cruise ship is not designed for a family with a 3-year old? Or do you expect a 3-year old has the maturity level to "behave on a large enough ship with several thousand passengers"? How about a 4-year old? A 10-year old? What is the arbitrary age cut-off that you would like to impose on other families? Basically, your argument is any child who might require secured, supervised programming doesn't belong on a cruise ship. My DS also did not have "roaming" privileges on any cruise ship until he was 13 years old - we made sure any cruise we booked had secured programming and he was either with his family or in the secured programming at all times - why, exactly does that mean we shouldn't be cruising? Every family gets to decide what is appropriate for their own family and and their own children based on advertised policies. When those advertised policies are changed last minute it is completely unfair to guests who planned their vacations based on those policies.

When you have a child whom you know struggles with maturity level it means they may not be best suited for something. And no I was not talking about a cruise ship not being designed for a 3 year old obviously..and I'm not sure why you keep mentioning that. A 3 year old is a toddler. An 11 year old is way different than a toddler. A 3 year old's developmental capabilities are so far different than an 11 year old and we all know that.

However, there's a very large difference between parents who are upset because they had siblings who now may be separated and they didn't get anywhere near the level of notice they should have nor can they alter their cruise without penalties due to the timing and a parent discussing their child's immaturity level and laying it all out on DCL.

Like any cruise line they are not designed for a particular child's developmental stages that may not match the majority. DCL is a mainstream cruise line meant for the masses. In that case you as the parent truly have two choices which is to have your child with you at all times or forgo the cruise for the moment. Depending on one's situation bringing someone on board who can watch your child could be done but that's not something that I think DCL is a common cruise line for that (i.e. bringing a nanny or such).

You're absolutely right every family gets to decide what is appropriate for their family but that is not on DCL when you make particular choices knowing your child's capabilities. Saying your child is immature is never the same as saying the child has special needs nor should anyone assume that saying a child is immature means they have special needs. It does however mean they may struggle with adhering to rules set forth by parents or by those in authority, or like another person mentioned easily swayed by older kids. These things put the child in a situation where they are unlikely to be properly suited for a situation where they are away from their parents and if the parents are wanting alone time (which they absolutely deserve) a cruise may not be best suited for this at this moment.

In a nutshell policy change only affects certain situations. A child who is being described as immature no policy change is responsible for that.