Can 5 year old (still in preschool) be with 3-4’s in kids club?

[ct7878]

I understand that the 3-4-year-olds are placed in their own cohort within the kids' club. My son will have turned 5 when we sail, but since he won’t even be in kindergarten yet due to the school calendar, I feel he’d be a better fit with the younger group. He also is developmentally and speech delayed (he attends special education preschool with 3-5 year olds- so this is his normal peer group he is used too) so from both a developmental and supervision standpoint, the younger cohort would better meet his needs. Does anyone know if there’s any flexibility with this policy? This might be a deciding factor for whether we sail or not, so I’d really appreciate any insight.

 

[lanejudy]

Generally age groupings are determined by actual birth date (which DCL knows) and while "aging up" may be permitted but to my knowledge "aging down" is never permitted. However since the preschool group is technically within the Club/Lab, maybe they would allow it on request. However, I'm honestly not sure you'll be able to get a firm yes/no on the matter until you are onboard and make the request at the Club. It may depend on how many kids are in the 3-4 age group on your particular cruise. That's the standard response when folks ask about aging up to a different group and likely applies to your situation if there is any flexibility for a 5-yr-old to join the group.

 

[lscrivan18]

I'd be interested to know others experience with this as we are considering cruising with family. My son would be 5 and his cousin 4 and we all agree it would be best for them to be together in the kids club. My son wouldn't have a problem sticking with the 3 & 4 year olds.