Cruise with 11 year old DD

[ClarabelleCow]

We watched the DCL DVD the other night, I am 100% convinced my DS age 4 will have a blast and will not want to spend any time with us!! But what about my DD age 11. It seems she falls into that forgotten age, other than the science lab, which went over like a lead baloon based on the dvd, what other activities are there for her? Thanks

 

[dancermom]

we just did the 7 night in January with our 5 year old DD and our 11 year old dd. Both had an amazing time. Our 11 year old started e-mailing with other girls her age from the board for our cruise date, and had an amazing time because she already felt like she had built in friends getting on the ship. She loved the independence of being able to come and go from the clubs as she pleased and also enjoyed feeling grown up because we let her stay out until midnight with her friends. I may be wrong, but I think your dd will have a blast.

 

[westjones]

My twin DDs will be 11 when we cruise later this year and they are going with another girl who will be 11 and one that will be 13. They are ALL so excited.

What is there to do? Well the shows are great! The food is great! There are movies shown all the time that they can go to (no extra charge). The Lab does many different activities. Check out the 10-12 year old program under navigators on Barb's website:

http://www.castawayclub.com

There are two pools she can go in (she may like the Goofy pool best because the smaller kids tend to go to the Mickey pool). On the days you dock you get off and see the sights.

It is wonderful! My girls will be on thier 5th cruise when we go this year and I asked them if next year would they want to try something different, maybe to go Discovery Cove at Sea World in Orlando. The answer was NO! They would love to go to Discovery Cove, but not if it meant giving up the Disney Cruise. We can't afford to do both. So it looks like we will be back on the ship again in 2005!

DJ

 

[ClarabelleCow]

WOW - they do all that without Mom and Dad in tow!!!

 

[westjones]

No, we take them to the pool and the shows and dinner. I was just saying there is a lot of fun things to do on the cruise. We spend most of our time together as a family, and the girls go to the Lab maybe 2-3 hours a day.

If you were meaning would she have fun being at the lab all day long; no that wouldn't be fun. My girls look over the navigators, pick out the activities they want to go to, and that is when they go to the lab. Other than that, we (as a family) are up at the pool, going to a movie, or grabbing something to eat up until around 6:00 when we get ready for the show and dinner which takes up the whole evening.

DJ

 

[kcashner]

We've done a total of 10 Magic cruises with DD ranging from age 7 to 13. Yes, she's one of the first to have been in all 3 kid locations (club, lab, stack). She loved the club. The key to success in the lab was making a friend in the first day or 2. Why not go to the "cruise meets" section and see if there is a thread for your date. If so, post something asking for mothers of 11 year old girls to e-mail you. If you correspond with them prior to the cruise, it is like meeting old buddies when you board. This should go a long way toward your daughter's happiness on board.

It really isn't a "science lab." The only "science" thing they do is make flubber. Other than that, there are crafts, games, music, parties, etc.

 

[ClarabelleCow]

THANKS FOR all the info, I wasn't implying that I was going to dump her off in the morning and pick her up at midnight!! She actually wanted to know what else she could do, the pool is great, but as she put it, and I agree, you can swim and play in the water anytime. It just seemed like the DVD/Video really caters to the younger or older kids, and leave that 10-12 age group out. Again thanks and I will hook her up with other kids going on the ship as it gets closer, we actually met a girl that will be on it in Vero! Just can't figure out if they hit it off or not!

 

[westjones]

I think it will surprise you how much there is to do and how quickly the time will go by. She will have a great time, and my girls have always seem to make friends (even though they are twims---just one is a girly girl and one is a tom boy, and they were always with other kids).

Have a great trip!
DJ

 

[PeachyK]

My DD (then 10) hooked up on-line with another girl, through this web site. I had been corresponding with fellow Dis cruisers as the excitement was building toward our trip and tow of us found out we had DD's the same age. It worked out great that the girls were able to chat a bit before hand, then they had something to talk about when they met. It was really helpful because the other girl had already cruised a few times and gave my DD the heads up on the cool activities.

It worked out so well we are all cruising again March 2005. My DD also met a lot of nice kids in the clubs and had a great time, she can't wait to go back, next time she will be 12.

Your daughter will have a great time! and so will you!!!
Wish I was packing now

 

[NAT&MAGSMOM]

Clara....

Our DD who just turned 11....our last cruise was 12-13....

looked at the Navs each day. If there was an activity at the Lab/Club she wanted to do...she did. If there wasn't anything going on...she either went to the pool with us, or went to the
arcade, the shows or whatever she wanted. She really enjoyed picking out her own activities. She also played about a million games of ping pong with her Dad!!!! She came and joined me at Bingo a couple of times...there is plenty for them to do.

She made one really great friend....and they IM each other. It's hard because we are on the East coast and the friend is on the West coast....but they still manage to get together.

She will be fine.....and she'll have a blast....
Phyllis

 

[tinksmom]

Clara, I think we may be on the same cruise -- Eastern, sailing July 24. If so, my DD is 10 and going into 5th grade. It will be her third Disney cruise. Email me if we're on the same trip.

Tenya