Current Youth Activities CM -- Ask me anything!

[CMontheseas]

From what I know of the ship, you guys have spaces on Deck 1, Deck A, and Deck B. (Dream and Fantasy) What's it like down there? How is it being so far below on the ship? Do you have your rooms on one deck and everything else on the other?

Also, thanks so much for taking the time to do this!

-More or less We do have some rooms located on upper floors but I assume I'd get in more trouble than I am already if I talk about those!

Being down there, you really don't feel like you are most of the time. It's weird really, I mean, when we look at the boat in Port and figure out where we live it's frightening - literally, we're "Under the Sea". I had a cabin position on the outside close to the Hull and you can hear water sloshing around while you sleep. Quite nice, when you get over the idea that there's a high likelihood of fish swimming a couple of feet away.

Just like with many other commercial cruise ships, Deck 1/A/B is like the utilidors at the Magic Kingdom. If you've been down there, you'll get what I mean. It tends to be where Crew Amenities would be like offices, our mess, our bar, garbage disposal, our shop, quarters that look like cramped college residence hallways, laundry, mechanics, food stores.

Just imagine...white walls. All white, with white metal staircases, and white floors. And every so often, bright yellow watertight doors. Not gleaming, most of the time, mind you.

 

[Mayakad]

Can kids just join the sport deck activities even if they don't belong to that club (vibe or edge)?
Thanks!

 

[CMontheseas]

Can kids just join the sport deck activities even if they don't belong to that club (vibe or edge)?
Thanks!

Only if it's listed as within "Open House" programming times. If you see any Youth Counselors around, just ask - they'll usually let you know if it's a "Secure" program (meaning only youth within the age group), but more often than not these activities are Open.

 

[TBMommy]

I'm curious what kind of training the youth activities CMs have when it comes to kids with special needs. Is there any?

We are sailing on the Fantasy at the end of the month, but we sailed on the Dream last year and I was too concerned to send my son to the clubs for very long. He requires a one-on-one at school. I think I sent him for 2 separate half hours. The CMs were great, when I picked him up they gave me a run down of what he did and how he handled things. He is hoping to spend more time in the clubs this time.

 

[CMontheseas]

I'm curious what kind of training the youth activities CMs have when it comes to kids with special needs. Is there any?

Not extensively enough for us to be able to provide 1-on-1 care, which is not only what we're expected to tell guests but it's the truth. A number of us on staff definitely have worked with special needs children (but it's not a requirement, nor recognized by the company for us to be given any different duties/responsibility than anyone else)

Your best bet is to talk to a manager & let us know early on the embarkation date of the cruise, also so you'll know if there are any Counselors from a special-needs background who would be able to address his needs. We tend to have our big meeting and inform each other of children we need to be especially attentive to on the first day, and share strategies and let everyone know who to call on for guidance.

 

[CMontheseas]

I would never have thought of magazines, are you talking about regular magazines like US, people, sports illustrated?

Yep! Edge and Vibe might get magazines from time to time, but you can really only read about teens, Selena Gomez and One Direction so much before you start intellectually regressing.

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

CM, did you see private message?

 

[mindy327]

A little something extra: If you really want to go above and beyond and thank a youth counselor (for free! Without having to pack anything!), it's by giving them a Mickey Bar. Did you know you can have as many of these as you want on the ships - for free? Did you also know that we as CMs never ever get to have them unless a guest directly gives us one? In fact, when the kids get to have them for a program/activity and there are a bunch left over - we have to toss them all in the trash. Heartbreaking. Mickey Bars are actually a big deal for us. We dream up clever ways to sneak one on our last day but never obviously do it. But one time, a pair of guests asked for a whole bunch of Mickey Bars from room service and promptly brought it down to us at closing time in the Club. You should've heard the cheering that ensued around the room.

be prepared for some Mickey bars from the muir's on our next cruise!

 

[Bonniec]

How is DCL going to feel when everyone starts ordering Mickey bars and giving them out now? Somehow I don't think that will go over too well. I don't mean to sound like a jerk but I just find it hard to believe a CM would post something like that. I'm assuming Disney has rules about message boards since its pretty rare to see a CM post.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

I'm grateful for the insight.

 

[mynameisnobody]

How is DCL going to feel when everyone starts ordering Mickey bars and giving them out now? Somehow I don't think that will go over too well. I don't mean to sound like a jerk but I just find it hard to believe a CM would post something like that. I'm assuming Disney has rules about message boards since its pretty rare to see a CM post.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

Of for crying out loud. The actual percentage of people on a ship that will have seen this thread would be very, very low. It's not going to have a noticeable impact and as indicated by one poster it's already being done.

 

[DbleTheFun]

How is DCL going to feel when everyone starts ordering Mickey bars and giving them out now? Somehow I don't think that will go over too well. I don't mean to sound like a jerk but I just find it hard to believe a CM would post something like that. I'm assuming Disney has rules about message boards since its pretty rare to see a CM post. Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

To be honest there are LOTS of CMs that post here on the DIS... Mostly from the parks, but it's certainly not all that unusual.

I love the fact that we get an honest look (albeit anonymous) at the work environment on board the ship and in park. It's these CMs who often give information about changes coming long before they hit the mainstream news.

This OP CM has been amazing in addressing concerns raised by parents considering the kids clubs and also sharing how we can say THANK YOU for making our kids (and our) cruise so magical... If you don't want to order Mickey bars- don't! There are a bunch of other suggestions for saying Ty.

 

[AndreaDM]

How is DCL going to feel when everyone starts ordering Mickey bars and giving them out now? Somehow I don't think that will go over too well. I don't mean to sound like a jerk but I just find it hard to believe a CM would post something like that. I'm assuming Disney has rules about message boards since its pretty rare to see a CM post.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

I agree. How long before DCL starts charging for these or eliminates them altogether. If you want to so something special for a CM, bring candy or whatever from home, don't abuse room service.

 

[CMontheseas]

Thanks for all of the concern, everyone! As far as social media goes, our managers told us that as long as we didn't say anything clearly confidential / something a guest couldn't find out from talking to us onboard, we're within our standards of business conduct!


(Incidentally, if you're a current Youth Activities manager and mine was completely off track telling us that, let me know otherwise all of us with blogs and tumblrs would've been punished by now!)

 

[sabrecmc]

Love this thread!

One thing I have always been curious about, and I don't know how much you are able to answer this, but I wondered how the clubs are handled in an emergency...So, if DD is in the Club or Lab and there was an actual ship emergency, get to the lifeboats type situation, what happens to the kids? Because I'm not getting off the ship without my daughter...so, um, how does that work?

We are looking forward to our 9th Disney cruise in March on the Magic. DD loves the club and counselors. You are all amazing. I will try to be better about catching names, but since we now can't really go in and hang out, it is more difficult. So, with that in mind, and because I do want to recognize you all, I would suggest trying to get the child to remember your names because I always ask who she liked in the Club. On our Magic/Wonder cruises, she has been able to give me names. On the Dream cruises, I think it has just been too crazy in there. Again, thank you for all the wonderful information!

 

[tankin]

Love this thread!

One thing I have always been curious about, and I don't know how much you are able to answer this, but I wondered how the clubs are handled in an emergency...So, if DD is in the Club or Lab and there was an actual ship emergency, get to the lifeboats type situation, what happens to the kids? Because I'm not getting off the ship without my daughter...so, um, how does that work?

@sabrecmc .... This one I know because my wife is a worry wart and asked. While we may not see it, the club has a list of every child's lifeboat station. In the event of a true "blow the horn... AH SH...ucks type moment," the crew will bring the kids to the lifeboat station. In fact, they'd prefer you NOT go to the club. 100s of panicked parents make for a bad day...

CMontheseas ... am I right or was it a line of bull?

 

[CMontheseas]

@sabrecmc .... This one I know because my wife is a worry wart and asked. While we may not see it, the club has a list of every child's lifeboat station. In the event of a true "blow the horn... AH SH...ucks type moment," the crew will bring the kids to the lifeboat station. In fact, they'd prefer you NOT go to the club. 100s of panicked parents make for a bad day...

CMontheseas ... am I right or was it a line of bull?

Oh my goodness, whoever told you that? I hope it wasn't one of us - if you can imagine our team having to escort all of our 100+ kids in each space to their individual parents- in pairs, of course - it simply would take far too much time/ we don't quite have enough of us to be able to! Not to mention it certainly wouldn't be safe (which is #1 for us on DCL!).


The way we explain to guests what happens in an emergency - and what they really MUST do - is immediately head upstairs and collect them, where we'll be waiting with the kids and clipboards having divided them in half A-M, N-Z by last name. If you're on board during a crew drill, you'll be able to watch and see exactly how we do this!


That said, we DO bring the kids down if for whatever reason the parents don't show up to pick up the children and all the others have left. You can easily see what assembly station they're in- it's printed on their Mickey Band!

 

[finest14]

CM, thanks for all the insight. It's been really helpful with our first Disney cruise coming up in December. I'm confident now that our son will have a great experience in the club!

 

[minniemouse1]

We sailed on the Dream during the first year at sea and unfortunately my children did not like the new kids clubs. There complaints were that there were too many electonics and not enough to "do". They were 9, 8 and 6 at the time. They are worried that they will be bored again. The older 2 should be in the teen club they will be 13 and 12 at time of sailing and DD9 will be with DS5 at the regular club. Do you know if they have improved the programing or do you have any suggestions for us parents to help the kids enjoy the clubs more? We will also have a niece that will be 7 at time of sailing with us too.
Thank you for taking the time to do this. This is great!! I am alreadly planning to bring some starburst, mini chocolate bars and magazines with us and am definately going to bring up mickey bars!!! The kids will love being able to bring a gift to the CM's but I will tell them not until club closing time.

 

[CMontheseas]

We sailed on the Dream during the first year at sea and unfortunately my children did not like the new kids clubs. There complaints were that there were too many electonics and not enough to "do". They were 9, 8 and 6 at the time. They are worried that they will be bored again. The older 2 should be in the teen club they will be 13 and 12 at time of sailing and DD9 will be with DS5 at the regular club. Do you know if they have improved the programing or do you have any suggestions for us parents to help the kids enjoy the clubs more? We will also have a niece that will be 7 at time of sailing with us too.

Oh! Sorry to hear that I know that on the newer ships us Counselors don't get as much freedom to create our own programs and activities like our counterparts on the classics. The programming hasn't really changed - with the exception of the Disney Magic. Oh man, such exciting new stuff!

I can get why they might feel bored though; all of the electronics was really because guests wanted more, more! With a space like we have on the Dream we Counselors spend more time helping the kids on the computer or telling them not to climb on Rex in Andy's Room than coming up with things to do. I'd recommend that you aim for a classic ship if you wanted less computer time - I know they tend to get to do more crafts/activities/games than we do on their Counselor schedules.