club vs lab

[baileybaby]

I have been reading all the posted navigators I can find and it seems as though the club has more activites with science and the characters visit. I have 2 dd's and one will be in each. Is the club more fun? How do they really compare?

 

[sstucush]

My DDs 8 and 10 both tried the lab on our March cruise and didn't really like it. I think my younger DD may try the club when we cruise again in September because it does look like more fun for her.

 

[hydster]

All of my kids preferred the Lab vs the Club (that is the few times they actually went) mostly because they said the Club is too babyish for them! They loved the computer games, video games and all of the "older" things to do over there where at the Club they have the little climb on characters, the stage and a slide made to look like a tree. My kids are 10, 9 and 5 if that helps.

Heidi

 

[TammiMcMan]

I think that they really do try and target the activities for the specified age group. My DD was just shy of her 8th birthday on our 5/27 cruise, but she is tall for her age and in the 2nd grade. She was very happy to be in lab and loved making flubber, having computer time and playing games up on the sports deck. The club had things that I thought the younger kids really enjoyed, like playing dress up and magic shows. A little more in the way of entertainment for them.

I was really happy with the kids activities and I honestly had no idea about what my daughter would choose to do. At breakfast, she would look through her navigator and plan out the whole day. One night she ate 2 dinners, one with the club and one with us and on another night, she chose to have dinner with the club and then stay to make flubber.

 

[kcashner]

The groups and activities really are age appropriate. DD did feel the club was more fun because of the dress up and play areas, but the club certainly is not the place for an older kid (and they usually won't allow it). The lab has more free time and neat stuff for the older kids to do....in addition, they "invade" the teen area in the morning when it isn't yet open to the teens.

DCL really does know what they are doing with the age thing. The key to us (after 10 Magic cruises) is meeting a friend in the first day or 2. If DD finds someone to hang with, the programs are great. If not, she doesn't like them.

 

[CM_Mom]

The Club is targeted to 3-4s and 5-7s and has more structured activities with dress up and fantasy play since that's appropriate to the developement of those age groups.

The Lab is for the 8-9s and 10-12s and has more computers, science experiments and free time than the Club since that's more appropriate for that age group.

My suggestion is that you let your children participate in the age appropriate group. Then they have something to look forward to on your next cruise.

I do agree with kcashner that the kids like the activities more if they make friends quickly and can "meet" their friends in the Club or Lab.

One thing you can be sure of is that the counselors have LOTS of experience with children since there are usually between 700 and 1000 of them under 13 on any given cruise.

 

[baileybaby]

Originally posted by CM_Mom

The Lab is for the 8-9s and 10-12s and has more computers, science experiments and free time than the Club since that's more appropriate for that age group.

B]

When I read the navigators it looked like the 5-7 did more science and they got the charaters visits. Do they also visit the
8-9's? Maybe they do more than what I am seeing? I guess it is one of those things you just have to wait to find out.

 

[CM_Mom]

The 5-7s may have more listed activities that sound like science but if you'll look closely, you'll see that all those activities that are science types are DONE during "stormin the lab" when the Lab kids are elsewhere in another activity and the kids from the Club come to the Lab to do experiments.

I should be talking to DD tomorrow and she's currently working with the 5-7s so she should be able to tell me if the 5-7s do more science type stuff than the 8-9s. I'll post again when I have an answer.

I do know the computers are more featured in the lab than in the club.

 

[Bopperdoodle]

The kids in the Club go to Lab also. You have to check your Navigator to see where they will be. I went to drop off my two year old (she was able to be in the 3 -4 group since she was potty trained) and her age group was in the lab.

My other daughter was in the 5-7 group and the two of them rarely saw each other. They take them to different areas at different times

 

[baileybaby]

Originally posted by CM_Mom

I should be talking to DD tomorrow and she's currently working with the 5-7s so she should be able to tell me if the 5-7s do more science type stuff than the 8-9s. I'll post again when I have an answer.
.

THank you, I can't wait to find out! My girls both Love science and I can hear the "it's not fair" already!

 

[BethA]

My son found the club to be more fun and would have liked to be there again, but was 8 on this cruise. He missed the play area and dress up, but I'm sure most in the lab do not. There were not as many planned activities as in the club from what I saw. He did not really make any friends in this group--he always has in the past-- so he did not want to go.

 

[CM_Mom]

Just talked to DD. She said that the Lab does much more science stuff, but it may not recognize it in the Navigators. For example one of the games is Marble Madness where they use blocks and sticks to design a track for marbles to see who's marble takes the longest to get to the bottom.

The key here is that the activities for the 5-7 group are designed for 1st to 3rd graders and are much simpler, require fewer thinking skills and the kids have less freedom to create and work it out themselves. The 8-9 group had sometimes the same activities as the 5-7 (all ages get to make Flubber) but they go more in depth and do more with it.

The Lab also has more activities where they leave the lab and do things in other areas of the ship like a treasure hunt for Hidden Mickeys or spending time on the sports deck.

The other thing to consider is that there are usually fewer kids in the Lab than in the Club probably because the parents feel better allowing the older children more independence.

FYI, both areas have character visits scheduled regularly although the schedule is no longer shown on the Navigators. (No more Mickey hand to designate character appearances) Sometimes the characters drop in to say HI during free time activities also.

 

[baileybaby]

CM_MOM, Thank you so much for asking your daughter for me! That is exactly the answer I was looking for!