Anyone else's children not enjoy Oceaneer's?

[DISNEYMOMTO1]

So what's going on at Edge that's so fascinating, I wonder?

I'm really hoping my kids like the club/lab, because I will be a sad panda if I have to spend my entire vacation figuring out ways to amuse my kids while trapped in the middle of the ocean. Ha!

There is plenty to do on that ship other than the clubs, believe me. No problem finding something to do. I went as a single parent with my daughter, she did not enjoy the clubs and we had a blast!

 

[DnA2010]

Between the two clubs, we had to drag our 11 year old out!

 

[princesscate]

Thanks for all your input! DD's reaction would not keep us from another DCL! I think I would insist on going the first night to Edge and see what happens. We are hopefully going again in two years so she will be 13 yikes!

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Our problem is usually to get the grandkids out of the clubs!

AKK

 

[Bree]

My DD was almost 9 when we cruised last year. She found the club/lab to be completely boring and she didn't like being lumped in with all the really young kids. We only made her go when we had reservations at the spa, Remy & Palo. There was plenty of stuff to do with her on the ship. We were never bored. She will be 10yo on our cruise in November. I'm hoping they will let her age up into Edge, but if not it won't be the end of the world.

 

[cmangel1125]

My daughter went when she was 10 and had a great time but never wanted to stay long because she's rather hang with us. She did make a friend last time so we ended up hanging out with that family for the rest of our cruise.

 

[fairytalelover]

Our son adores the club and wants to be there all day long, sometimes until midnight. He has been going since he was 7 and he is now 9.

 

[Ofinn]

I guess I'm not fun to hang with because my kids never wanted to leave the clubs. Now they're in the Edge I barely see them at all.

 

[The Sasquatch]

We cant keep our Daughter out of the club, she loves it so much and has met a few good friends that still talk to each other. In fact, we were introduced to the parents and ended up spending some of our time hanging out with them. She is 8 and has been on 5 cruises since age 6 and has always enjoyed it. She cant wait to get back on board in April and talks about it all the time. I guess it all depends on your child and just like anything else, not everyone will like it. I would never sit in one of those hot tubs on the main deck but I sure see alot of people enjoying it.

 

[Ofinn]

So what's going on at Edge that's so fascinating, I wonder?

I'm really hoping my kids like the club/lab, because I will be a sad panda if I have to spend my entire vacation figuring out ways to amuse my kids while trapped in the middle of the ocean. Ha!

The reason we fell in love with cruising is because we didn't have to entertain our kids. According to my kids this is what goes on in the Edge. They play video games, guitar hero contests, make friends, hang out, scavenger hunts, midnight dodge ball, gender wars, push up races, Goofy's world record or as they like to call it Goofy's death trap, movies, unlimited ice cream runs, and I'm sure there is more. They stay busy and happy. I'm happy because their happy, and I get to do my own thing. It's been a while and probably will be a while before we take a non-cruise vacation.

 

[STLEdge]

My two girls (ages 10 and 12) did not enjoy Oceaneers at all. I got them in the door once and they were done in less than an hour. We did an open house at Edge and they liked that better-unfortunately our cruise was too full for Edge to allow my 10 yo in during regular hours. So we just didn't use the kids clubs. We still had a totally wonderful trip.

I hadn't heard about this (but I wasn't listening until recently) - we are going on the Fantasy in October and my older son's 11th birthday is in November. Is this a thing - letting old 10-year-olds into Edge? I suspect he'd enjoy that a lot more than Oceaneers now that's he older. Anyone have any more data or info on how that works?

 

[Ofinn]

I hadn't heard about this (but I wasn't listening until recently) - we are going on the Fantasy in October and my older son's 11th birthday is in November. Is this a thing - letting old 10-year-olds into Edge? I suspect he'd enjoy that a lot more than Oceaneers now that's he older. Anyone have any more data or info on how that works?

You have to sign a waiver for the ten year old. We did it several times for both kids. The CM's may give you a speech about trying the lab first and if he doesn't like to try to come back. Just tell them he's already been to the lab on previous cruises and he wants to try the Edge. You shouldn't have a problem with too many kids in October. It seem like a lot of kids outgrow the Oceaneer's by age 10.

 

[STLEdge]

Great - thanks for the info, Ofinn!

 

[Julylady]

We took my niece when she was 4. She didn't like the club at all. We assumed it was because she was traveling without her parents and was fearful to leave us too. She would go to the Clubs with us during the Open House times, but wouldn't stay alone. Fast forward to her next cruise. She was 7 and her little sister was 4. Neither one liked the clubs. They only went when they were forced to go (we ate at Palo one night) or when they had specific activities like making Flubber when they would ask to be picked up right after the activity finished. However, they both made friends with other kids at the pool and spent time with them. (Can you take us to see the Cars movie this afternoon? Katie and her Mom are going. Can we go too?)

At 10 and 7, we did a RCCL cruise on the Allure and they LOVED the clubs. Go figure. The best I got out of them was that RCCL had more structured activities and Disney was more of a free for all, do what you want. They said the RCCL counselors played WITH them rather than just watched them play. We are planning a Magic cruise for next spring and they will both be old enough to go to the Edge. I have no idea whether they will like it or not.

On our first cruise, I assumed that she would love the clubs and that she would never want to leave since that's what I had heard from everyone else. I was surprised to find out that a lot of kids don't like the clubs. I guess you need to know your own kid. My nieces like very structured activities with adults totally in control. The Disney clubs didn't provide that for them.

 

[DnA2010]

I hadn't heard about this (but I wasn't listening until recently) - we are going on the Fantasy in October and my older son's 11th birthday is in November. Is this a thing - letting old 10-year-olds into Edge? I suspect he'd enjoy that a lot more than Oceaneers now that's he older. Anyone have any more data or info on how that works?

My DD was 10, within weeks of being 11 and we were allowed to sign a form for her to be able to go into/out of Edge on our May Fantasy cruise- our tablemates had a 12 year old and they really enjoyed the more specific counselor interaction. We did more family stuff in the day, and she was allowed to stay in Edge with our tablemates daughter till close at night (as long as she wasn't grumpy in the am, and she never was) she loved all the games and stuff they did together, enjoyed dancing as a group after the pirate party etc. She is also super tall, so certainly didn't look out of place in there.

 

[fairytalelover]

The reason we fell in love with cruising is because we didn't have to entertain our kids. According to my kids this is what goes on in the Edge. They play video games, guitar hero contests, make friends, hang out, scavenger hunts, midnight dodge ball, gender wars, push up races, Goofy's world record or as they like to call it Goofy's death trap, movies, unlimited ice cream runs, and I'm sure there is more. They stay busy and happy. I'm happy because their happy, and I get to do my own thing. It's been a while and probably will be a while before we take a non-cruise vacation.

We feel the same as you do. Our cruises are the only time my husband and I get to have a piece of mind that our son is safe, happy and having fun meanwhile giving us alone time to have fun.

 

[n2mm]

My granddaughters have cruised with us 4 times. They have gone to the clubs many times, but in November they no longer wanted to go. They were 9 and 7 and while we tried to get them to go they wanted to hang with us. Finally on the last night we got them to go for a few hours. This was a 7 night cruise. They said it was boring. The oldest wanted to do other things like trivia, pool, karaoke, and movies.

 

[michellekcm]

At 10 and 7, we did a RCCL cruise on the Allure and they LOVED the clubs. Go figure. The best I got out of them was that RCCL had more structured activities and Disney was more of a free for all, do what you want. They said the RCCL counselors played WITH them rather than just watched them play.

The first time my daughter went to the kids club she was so excited to go, but asked to be picked up after half an hour. Same with the scond time. The third time we dropped her off (again, at her request to go), I spoke with one of the counsellors at the front desk and explained that she really wanted to be there, but I thought she was getting overwhelmed.

The counsellors were amazing, and played with her that time, and from then on I couldn't get her out of the club. I think the DCL counsellors are more than willing to play with the kids, but maybe it's not their default position? Having never travelled on any other cruise line I have no idea how that differs.

 

[mab2012]

Our kids have been on two DCL cruises (Fantasy a year and a half ago, and Magic last week). My daughter was 8 on the Fantasy and is now nearly 10, and did not care for the club/lab on either cruise. I think there were just too many kids for her. She likes to have one particular friend, and cares more about who she is with than what she is doing. She's not exactly shy, but neither is she one of those kids who'll just go up to another kid without an introduction and make a new friend. She will likely be eleven before we cruise again, and I think that Edge will suit her better.

My son did a bit better at the club, at 5 and now almost 7, but still doesn't choose to spend much time there. He will go if we tell him he has to (ie. we are doing an adult activity), or if his other option is not palatable (ie. "you may sit quietly while we eat our dessert, or you may go to the club"). But he rarely asks to go, and never resists at pick-up. On this last trip, most of the time when I arrived to get him he was just sitting and watching episodes of Micky Mouse.

We have fun doing other things, but the clubs haven't been a big draw for our kids.