Aloft/The Stack

[JustJus]

Posted this message on a trip report thread- wondering if anyone here has had a similar experience- hoping it was just a blip for us...


We recently did a 4 night on the Wonder with two 15yr old girls.

We were all disappointed with Aloft(Stack) compared to previous sailings.
This time it simply seemed to provide an initial meeting spot for any teens lucky enough to encounter like-minded souls.

Unlike our past experiences (3 ,10 & 12 night) there were very few structured and entertaining activities organised to grab the attention of the teens and to get them to integrate well.
Whilst you can't always judge from the Navigator, viewing the days timetable made for pretty depressing reading - most of the time was "Hanging in Aloft".

The teen hang out and the teen counsellors in particular have always been the absolute highlight of our teenagers cruising. The girls felt no bond with the counsellors this time and went as far as to say they felt the counsellors were disinterested in the teens on board and indeed irritated by them.

We have cruised Royal Caribbean too (and loved it-it's cruising!), but what kept us coming back to Disney was the Teen programme. Royal Caribbean offers plenty of good, dedicated teen areas but lacks the structured teen programme which gives every teen cruiser the option to get involved and make friends more easily and the great counsellors who facilitate that.

On our most recent experience, we are not gaining teen-wise on Disney, so may be better off as a family on RCL which imo shades it on entertainment for DH and me.

Every cruise we've taken with DCL has been different, but, until now, the teen programme has been a great, reliable constant. Felt moved to post by the reports from the EB re teens all over the ship. We had this to some extent too because there was nothing to keep them in Aloft, even over 4 nights.
I know a longer cruise presents its own challenges, but throughout 10 and 12 day cruises we've seen the Stack hold its own and act like a magnet to teens over any "exciting family adventures" we could dangle!!

Hope it's a blip, but I was concerned when taking the recent reports into account alongside our own experiences.

 

[LCTsMom]

Wow, that's sad to hear. The teen club and counselors were the highlight of our 4 night cruise in 2006, for my two sons. I hope it's indeed a blip and not a negative change. Sorry to hear.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Justine- I agree!
I know my daughter is on the young side and I know she prefers to be active rather than "hanging out" (or atleast did, and said so, before going on the cruise) but I was told that the stack DOES do lots of activities especially if the kids want to. I found the navigator boring- and it WAS the majority of it just "hanging in the stack" repeatedly all day and then a couple of things here and there (not often) and then some activities in the LATE HOURS when I really would have preferred she came back to the room at that time because I had to wait up for her. I mean for real- they had activities for the teens late hours from like 11 or 12 to 2:30am- there isn't even things for ADULTS to do that late at night! So the parents are either sleeping or waiting up for their teens to show up (which I did the latter- I wasn't going to go to sleep wondering when/if she made it to the room after the stack closed)

What "hanging in the stack" means (that is on the navigator about 80% of the time- atleast 80%) is basically "leave the stack because you're bored"- atleast that's the way it seemed for my daughter and MANY other teens that were all over the ship all the time except late at night!

And when I asked Ruby- she said the counselors basically didn't do anything, they were just "there" (that's her words). I know when I called a few times to check up on her (we had issues with her just running around with other teens and then we couldn't find her becuase we had no idea where she was!) the counselors had no clue who was there and who wasn't there... they always said they'd 'check' if she was there and then a couple of times they said she wasn't there or hadn't been there all day or hadn't been there since that morning (basically just making up stuff because it wasn't true! this was said on days that I physically went to the stack to talk to her so she sure was there that day!) when she WAS there. They had no clue- they weren't keeping tabs on the kids whatsoever, or keeping them busy with activities, AT ALL. Personally I think the stack is basically just a place where teens go... that happens to have counselors there that don't really do much. Cushy job those stack counselors IMO.
LOL

I really should have gone with my gut and put her in the OQ. They did lots more activities and I really think she would have fit in there more and had more fun there (she's 14 btw)

 

[JustJus]

Just wanted to add that it didn't spoil the trip- it was just a different experience, and a bit of a disappointment for DD who couldn't wait to show her best friend what cruising with Disney was all about (in her opinion! )

I will say again that we've never found this before- the teams of teen counsellors we've had the fortune to cruise with have always had something special, and they and their activities were a real hook to keep our teens desperate to get back to deck 11!

Sadly, the magic factor was missing for them this time.....

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

It didn't spoil our trip either.
I just think that she would have had more fun (even if she doesn't realize it) and we would have been happier with her not wandering around with friends (because they were bored just sitting in the stack) if we'd put her in OQ instead.

the only "hook" I noticed with my daughter (meaning she REALLY wanted to go to the stack then and stay in the stack because it had activities) was the last couple of hours up to 2am or 2:30am stack closing time- they did some fun stuff then (smoothie time, karaoke, guitar hero, taking over the arcade room to play games for free- stuff like that in the last couple of hours until the late closing of the stack)

 

[DMMarla07860]

I'm not a teen anymore so I haven't been to the stack since 2005, but my friend went this summer on her first disney cruise she is 14 and went on a 4 day cruise and loved it. She met a bunch of friends and she said it was one of the greatest trips ever. She said there wasn't much activities, but they all found other stuff to do like go to the pool and swim during the day, go to movies, and then she said they would just walk around the ship and talk at night

 

[gingerfeathers]

Wow, that's quite a change from when I was a teen on the Magic back in 1999 (pre-Stack/Aloft days.. it was all about Common Grounds back then! ...that WAS what it was called, right? Geez I feel old now.)

Yeah, there was some "hanging out" times, but there were TONS of activities--so many I remember that I just couldn't possibly participate in all of them (though I do recall that the Magic's glass elevators could (un)comfortably hold approximately 32 teenagers at one time!). I wandered around the ship at times, but it was rarely with a group of more than one or two other people. It was my first ever cruise, so needless to say a year later when I cruised on Carnival I was horribly disappointed because there was virtually NO teen activities!

That's a true shame if they are in fact skimping on teen activities. If that is the case, it's time for someone to step up to the plate and make things happen. Good or bad programs can really make or break a cruise for teens.

 

[DMMarla07860]

Wow, that's quite a change from when I was a teen on the Magic back in 1999 (pre-Stack/Aloft days.. it was all about Common Grounds back then! ...that WAS what it was called, right? Geez I feel old now.)

yeah, it was Common Grounds, I went in 2002 when it was that

 

[lotsofboys]

We just returned from the EB repo too (Hi BIP ) and my 15yo twin DSs were really excited to be able to go to the Stack for the first time. Their biggest complaint when I asked halfway through the cruise why they weren't going much was there was nothing going on but sitting around. They also did not like that if there was an activity it didn't start until midnight and got over around 2:00am. They were usually tired from the day's activities and wanted to go to bed by midnight.

It in no way affected our or their enjoyment of the cruise but I think the boys were disappointed because after six years of cruising DCL and finally being able to go to the Stack it wasn't what they had built it up to be.

And truth be told, I really thought they would be out so late that they would need to sleep in and we would only see them at dinner time so I was secretly happy it didn't work out because we spent more time as a family than I thought we would.

 

[xangav]

We have cruised Royal Caribbean too (and loved it-it's cruising!), but what kept us coming back to Disney was the Teen programme. Royal Caribbean offers plenty of good, dedicated teen areas but lacks the structured teen programme which gives every teen cruiser the option to get involved and make friends more easily and the great counsellors who facilitate that.

On our most recent experience, we are not gaining teen-wise on Disney, so may be better off as a family on RCL which imo shades it on entertainment for DH and me.

Every cruise we've taken with DCL has been different, but, until now, the teen programme has been a great, reliable constant. Felt moved to post by the reports from the EB re teens all over the ship. We had this to some extent too because there was nothing to keep them in Aloft, even over 4 nights.
I know a longer cruise presents its own challenges, but throughout 10 and 12 day cruises we've seen the Stack hold its own and act like a magnet to teens over any "exciting family adventures" we could dangle!!

I agree and am a little concerned. We just got back from RCL on the Rhapsody which is the same size as the Magic. The kids areas were terrible. The teens just roamed around and we never saw a counselor. We couldn't find our son at one point even though everyone else had seen him. This was something that didn't happen on DCL; he loved all the activities when we went to the MED.
We were planning on going wherever Disney goes in 2010 with our 13 yo DD but these reports worry me to the point that I am beginning to reconsider. If we have to hunt down our kids than a land based vacation might be better.

 

[Indea88]

My now 14yo DS thought the stack was awesome last cruise (last year)Of course he was 13 at the time. Now 14, big differences...he is looking forward to the stack on this trip in Oct. but he has been in contact with friends he had met on board in the stack last year, who have cruised recently and they told him it wasn't the same, a huge diappointment

I like him in the room by 12-1, don't sleep until he's in.We'll see, hoping for a positive experience for him.

 

[Remember_the_magic]

As i teen reading this i have to disagree with the lack of things to do in The Stack or Aloft. I've been on 3 cruises with disney each one i was a teen. There has never been a time that i felt "left out" or "Bord" I had things to do every hour of the day and when hanging in the stack was on the navigator a bunch of people and sometimes a councler would go shoot some hoops or do a scavanger hunt or we would all go swimming or even go grab a bit to eat. There were times when i couldn't do every activity becouse of dinner. The teens have plenty to do.

Now about the late hours. Disney does this to allow the parents some "night time" ... Some parents will agree that this is needed. As a teen staying out late is our little step into becoming independent from the parents. Remember were on the water theres not many places a teen can go. (you as a parent won't loose us at the mall or we won't drive off to cuba) its our freedom on the seas. My first cruise i had a curfue with my parents requiring me to be in my stateroom by 11:30 each night but i still had that little freedom that made the cruise so much fun. just a sugeston it may help..
Once again DISNEY does an amzing job with every age group and that sucks that your experience with the stack counclers wasn't the best. I'm sure that its just a blip. Don't give up on disney just yet.

Remember it's magic

 

[JustJus]

As i teen reading this i have to disagree with the lack of things to do in The Stack or Aloft. I've been on 3 cruises with disney each one i was a teen. There has never been a time that i felt "left out" or "Bord" I had things to do every hour of the day and when hanging in the stack was on the navigator a bunch of people and sometimes a councler would go shoot some hoops or do a scavanger hunt or we would all go swimming or even go grab a bit to eat. There were times when i couldn't do every activity becouse of dinner. The teens have plenty to do.

Now about the late hours. Disney does this to allow the parents some "night time" ... Some parents will agree that this is needed. As a teen staying out late is our little step into becoming independent from the parents. Remember were on the water theres not many places a teen can go. (you as a parent won't loose us at the mall or we won't drive off to cuba) its our freedom on the seas. My first cruise i had a curfue with my parents requiring me to be in my stateroom by 11:30 each night but i still had that little freedom that made the cruise so much fun. just a sugeston it may help..
Once again DISNEY does an amzing job with every age group and that sucks that your experience with the stack counclers wasn't the best. I'm sure that its just a blip. Don't give up on disney just yet.

Remember it's magic

Agree with everything you said - that's exactly why our teens have always loved the Stack or Aloft, but also exactly what was missing this time, sadly. "Hanging" meant just that while counsellors on duty did paperwork or were just there without any of the extras. Remember that on a 4 night cruise you probably wouldn't make friends quickly enough to really enjoy just hanging without the activities that fast-track integration.

You are also right about the late night freedom a well run Stack or Aloft offers- it's great to be able to offer this to our teens, though I have to say that it would be easier to bear if the ship weren't so dead for adults after midnight!

 

[stephent2008]

Hi people,
I have been reading DIS for some time, and after reading this I felt I must reply. I worked with DCL for a couple of years - leaving the ship about a year ago. I worked in Youth Activities, and worked in every age grouping (from nursery - teen).

The reason there would be alot of time 'hangin' is because it was asked for. We have all the comment card comments by 3pm on the day you leave the ship, and discuss them in our departmental meeting (which is during your drill). One comment we kept getting from teens (and lab-aged kids) was that there were too many activities! DCL does a great job of responding to comment cards, and this is what has happened.

If you want more activities/ an activity at a certain time put it on the comment card (or fire off an email to DCL). If enough people agree - it will happen.

I think one of the huge problem with kids is... they are all unique. They want differing things from a vacation - you try to please them all, but it cant be done... gosh, darn it... why do kids have to be so awkward

Hope you guys had an awesome vacation all the same. Can you tell I miss ship life? lol

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

We were on the 8/17 sailing of the Wonder. My DS14 went to Aloft the first 2 nights and said it was, "Lame. Boring people lying around."

 

[Remember_the_magic]

I guess every experience is diffrent for every cruiser be it a teen or an adult. I know every cruise i went on i've made friends right off the bat. Some kids just don't make friends that easy. To appease everyone disney bends backwards trying to offer time for people to get to know each other. "hang time" Some teens who don't like hang time or don't use it to make friends seem to dislike the Stack or Aloft. Its just a matter of what you make it. DCL staff members/ counclers are trained to try to make every cruiser's vacation fun. And thats alot to ask. So teens who aren't haveing fun in the Stack or Aloft shouldn't give up, keep trying Disney was made for kids by an adult-kid. I understand every cruiser is diffrent but if you have the will to make your cruise fun, I promise it will be.
For future teen cruisers "if theres somthing you don't like right off the bat with the Stack or Aloft tell a councler, find a friend, find something you like about cruising" I promise if you give it a chance Disney will provide.

JUST THROWING MY CENTS IN THE HAT...

Remember its magic

 

[JustJus]

Hi people,
I have been reading DIS for some time, and after reading this I felt I must reply. I worked with DCL for a couple of years - leaving the ship about a year ago. I worked in Youth Activities, and worked in every age grouping (from nursery - teen).

The reason there would be alot of time 'hangin' is because it was asked for. We have all the comment card comments by 3pm on the day you leave the ship, and discuss them in our departmental meeting (which is during your drill). One comment we kept getting from teens (and lab-aged kids) was that there were too many activities! DCL does a great job of responding to comment cards, and this is what has happened.

If you want more activities/ an activity at a certain time put it on the comment card (or fire off an email to DCL). If enough people agree - it will happen.

I think one of the huge problem with kids is... they are all unique. They want differing things from a vacation - you try to please them all, but it cant be done... gosh, darn it... why do kids have to be so awkward

Hope you guys had an awesome vacation all the same. Can you tell I miss ship life? lol

We have always found the counsellors do a great job to entertain as many varieties of teen as possible!!! There will always be some for whom it doesn't click that time, for whatever reason.

Our teens have always loved the hanging bit the best (which would correspond to the comment cards you mention), but it was never really just hanging, as a pp said, hanging included one or two counsellors who often directed other casual activities or a focus for the group. Also on the Wonder the "back room" where the real hanging could happen was closed due to the sound systems being broken and therefore guitar hero and the Wii were also out of action.

 

[stephent2008]

Dang! you lot are quick at replying!

 

[JustJus]

I guess every experience is diffrent for every cruiser be it a teen or an adult. I know every cruise i went on i've made friends right off the bat. Some kids just don't make friends that easy. To appease everyone disney bends backwards trying to offer time for people to get to know each other. "hang time" Some teens who don't like hang time or don't use it to make friends seem to dislike the Stack or Aloft. Its just a matter of what you make it. DCL staff members/ counclers are trained to try to make every cruiser's vacation fun. And thats alot to ask. So teens who aren't haveing fun in the Stack or Aloft shouldn't give up, keep trying Disney was made for kids by an adult-kid. I understand every cruiser is diffrent but if you have the will to make your cruise fun, I promise it will be.
For future teen cruisers "if theres somthing you don't like right off the bat with the Stack or Aloft tell a councler, find a friend, find something you like about cruising" I promise if you give it a chance Disney will provide.

JUST THROWING MY CENTS IN THE HAT...

Remember its magic

Think that's the point really- our teens did have great fun, they made friends and found their own entertainment which didn't include Aloft as much as it should have done.
I felt prompted to post having read lots of accounts of teens "all over the ship" on the EB repo and wondered whether it was simply a case of the cruise being overlong or whether the Stack wasn't as attractive a proposition as it could be, as we have recently found with Aloft.

DS and DD have often talked about their last cruises as teenagers (bit of and )- hope yours is fabulous

 

[DMMarla07860]

ok, I can't go to the teen club anymore, but after not being able to go there for 3 cruises, I found out I like the Adult activities much better. One all three cruises I met a bunch of young adults ages 18-23 and hung out doing things with them, yes there isn't much for college age people to do. But teens can do some of the stuff we did if they are outgoing and make friends easy and don't like the stack. We would go swimming, go to movies, play ping pong, we ate lots of ice cream and even had a ice cream contest , sat of deck 10, 9 or 4 and just talked, and played basketball