Only child at kids club?

[gunka]

I wouldn't worry about it, give it a try and see how it goes. On our first cruise our dd was ok with the club, but if she missed mom/dad the counselors would call us on our wave phone and we would go get her. On our second cruise she had turned 4 and wanted to go to the club. She maybe went there a couple of times for an hour or two and it worked out perfect....we never had to push it.

 

[It's A Small World]

I can relate. I was so hesitant that my girlies would not like it that I refused to take them. My hubby checked them in the first morning while I was in the gym. My 6 and 8 y/o were split into 2 different age groups. I am not kidding when I tell you they cried when we picked them up...they loved loved loved going. They met so many kid's their own age. Let him try it and see how it goes.

 

[Stephandy03]

My son was 5 when we cruised with Carnival. His younger sister was 2 at the time. He went to the club alone, so was essentially an only child in the kids club. He had no problem leaving sister and mom and dad behind!

 

[DisneyRegulars]

I was going to ask the same question! Our only son will have just turned 4 for our first cruise in feb 2014, and its great to here positive stories about the kids club. He's shy, and I would just feel so bad if he didn't have a good time, like I was being extremely selfish, so its nice to here all the positive experiences. I may consider it now, especially if I can find him a friend to go with him before hand.

 

[toniosmom]

Generally speaking, kids clubs on cruise ships can be a great experience for any child. However, the Disney cruise kids clubs are a whole different animal. They take kids clubs to a whole different level and are unbelievably amazing! They are truly the gold-standard of kids clubs. My son wouldn't leave at midnight, I had to wait until closing time 1am.

 

[Meghatron]

I think the problem is that people tend to see the clubs as "babysitting", with all the baggage that entails when we hire babysitters as home. The clubs are to babysitting what the adult areas of the ship are to adult-sitting: they are a dedicated space designed for a specific audience, paid for by cruise fare, with the intention of maximizing one's enjoyment of a vacation. The CMs are part of that and will do everything they can to get the children engaged and having fun, much like the CMs who run the pool games at Quiet Cove.

And, as much as the nursery is called babysitting by DCL itself, I think the CMs in there get underestimated, too. DD had an AMAZING time and we still have the folder of stuff she made with the CMs while she was in there--so there are activities for the toddlers along the lines of the clubs that is above and beyond merely paying someone to watch your child. I think the $6/hour is a steal given what we get in return.