Current Youth Activities CM -- Ask me anything!

[CMontheseas]

Thanks for clearing that up. When you said earlier there was never any adults in the club unless it was open house, I started to wonder what was happening when we were there!
I'm hoping the clubs are a little less crowded when we go on the Magic this winter. ;-)

Ah gotcha.

Yes, apart from Open Houses and for pickups, we do also allow adults in to check up on their kids, take them to the potty/get changed, bring them medication (if necessary), or to speak with them if there's a behavior issue. But only for 5 minutes at a time, and not to stay and linger in the space/take photos or interact with any children that aren't theirs!

 

[aymekae]

Do you know, or have a theory, why DCL charges for the nursery? (I've enjoyed reading your answers to everyone's questions, even though it will be years before we use the kid's clubs!)

 

[CMontheseas]

Do you know, or have a theory, why DCL charges for the nursery? (I've enjoyed reading your answers to everyone's questions, even though it will be years before we use the kid's clubs!)

No idea really, you'll find CM's couldn't really answer that for you considering how much it costs. I think part of the answer is prevention - if it were advertised as "free" nursery care, there may be parents who leave their babies in there all day. And considering the stories of how many parents insist on leaving their babies there as long as possible, people would!

 

[aymekae]

Thanks for the quick response. I wondered if it had to do with child ratios.

 

[CMontheseas]

Thanks for the quick response. I wondered if it had to do with child ratios.

Ratio still comes into play though - because the nursery requires a 1:3 or 1:5 ratio, the limited reservation system at certain times helps to deter this. But what if a family "forgets" or is running late to pick up their child from the nursery? They call in counselors or managers to make sure the ratio is still met until the number of babies decreases.

 

[roxy84]

Do you know, or have a theory, why DCL charges for the nursery? (I've enjoyed reading your answers to everyone's questions, even though it will be years before we use the kid's clubs!)

Children under three have a cheaper cruise rate than children above three. I imagine they charge for the nursery in order to limit the demand. The nursery has a much lower ratio of care givers to children. If they did not charge for nursery time, cruise fares would increase for children under three, and logistically speaking, it would be a nightmare trying to ensure that all families had equal access to the service.

 

[melonz]

Hi I have a question

We are on the 14 night westbound tranny next September At the start of the cruise my dd will be 17 and turns 18 eight days later.

Will she be thrown out of Vibe halfway through the cruise?

I really hope not as she will have made some great friends by then and we'll also be cruising with her friend who will still be in Vibe.

You guys do a great job btw

 

[sjem20]

Hi! I will be boarding Disney Fantasy in about 2 weeks as a YAC. I'd love to chat and ask you some questions!!

Thanks,
SAm

 

[jjje]

During the Panama Canal crossing we have different programming that may be Base Camp (where the Club is moved up to the Sports Deck for the kids to play around while enjoying the sights of the Panamanian Jungles), and our super favorite SLEEPOVER NIGHT (for many reasons, the grownups on board really really like having a whole night without the kids in the room)! The kids have a whole evening of parties and fun with Disney Characters and then all sleep over with Counselor supervision overnight. You can pick up your kids at anytime!

The best part? If you're lucky, the characters might be scheduled to "tuck the kids in" to sleep. Nothing like a Disney Princess or Peter Pan saying good night to really highlight one's childhood.

I didn't think it was possible but you made me look forward to my PC cruise even more! Thanks for all the great information you've shared here!

 

[CMontheseas]

Hi I have a question

We are on the 14 night westbound tranny next September At the start of the cruise my dd will be 17 and turns 18 eight days later.

Will she be thrown out of Vibe halfway through the cruise?

I really hope not as she will have made some great friends by then and we'll also be cruising with her friend who will still be in Vibe.

You guys do a great job btw

This is a tricky one, because in this case I've seen two different scenarios:

One girl turned 18 3 days into the cruise, and wasn't thrown out per se, but told she was no longer eligible to be in the space as she was now considered an adult and out of the age range. Poor thing didn't fight it, but was never seen again in Vibe.


One boy turned 18 2 days before debarkation day at the end of the cruise. The Vibe counselors tried to stand up for him but ultimately their manager put his foot down and refused to let him back in. Understandably the other teens found this very unfair (not to mention the boy's parents) and all of them rallied together and refused to go back to Vibe or their events in solidarity. They also got each of their parents to bombard the Cruise Director and Youth Activities Manager with written letters and in person in front of other guests.

Needless to say...he was given special access for the remainder of the cruise. They treated this as a HUGE exception to the rule, but guest service comes first, and what matters a lot to Disney management are the scores on comment cards!

So I hope her the best, it might come down to whether the Youth Activities manager on board at the time is a real... stickler. (Feel free to add in an appropriate alternative word here )

 

[melonz]

This is a tricky one, because in this case I've seen two different scenarios:

One girl turned 18 3 days into the cruise, and wasn't thrown out per se, but told she was no longer eligible to be in the space as she was now considered an adult and out of the age range. Poor thing didn't fight it, but was never seen again in Vibe.


One boy turned 18 2 days before debarkation day at the end of the cruise. The Vibe counselors tried to stand up for him but ultimately their manager put his foot down and refused to let him back in. Understandably the other teens found this very unfair (not to mention the boy's parents) and all of them rallied together and refused to go back to Vibe or their events in solidarity. They also got each of their parents to bombard the Cruise Director and Youth Activities Manager with written letters and in person in front of other guests.

Needless to say...he was given special access for the remainder of the cruise. They treated this as a HUGE exception to the rule, but guest service comes first, and what matters a lot to Disney management are the scores on comment cards!

So I hope her the best, it might come down to whether the Youth Activities manager on board at the time is a real... stickler. (Feel free to add in an appropriate alternative word here )

So it's a wait and see I know on the last tranny there were about 20 teens so I'm hoping that if it's another "quiet" one they may be more lenient perhaps

Thanks for answering my question. Will English chocolate, magazines and a couple of CD's help our cause?

 

[CMontheseas]

Hi! I will be boarding Disney Fantasy in about 2 weeks as a YAC. I'd love to chat and ask you some questions!!

Thanks,
SAm

Oh boy. 2 weeks? I know the feeling. I sent you a private message, ok? Us counselors, we look out for each other!

 

[CMontheseas]

So it's a wait and see I know on the last tranny there were about 20 teens so I'm hoping that if it's another "quiet" one they may be more lenient perhaps

Thanks for answering my question. Will English chocolate, magazines and a couple of CD's help our cause?

Well, the counselors will always rally on the side of the kids no matter what. So you don't need to give us anything to convince us! The managers on the other hand...live quite comfortably to not need extra magazines or CDs! Making friends with the Cruise Director on the first day and keeping up their friendship throughout the cruise will likely do you wonders.

 

[melonz]

Well, the counselors will always rally on the side of the kids no matter what. So you don't need to give us anything to convince us! The managers on the other hand...live quite comfortably to not need extra magazines or CDs! Making friends with the Cruise Director on the first day and keeping up their friendship throughout the cruise will likely do you wonders.

I will try this tactic

 

[vinotinto]

What we REALLY value most -or rather, what our supervisors/managers value - beyond sweet treats and things, are those Comment Cards. Yep, innocuous little things with a little area to scribble "Who made your trip enjoyable".
Please, please try your best to remember our names. And write our names down.

Definitely!

And thanks for answering!

Here are some additional questions:

1. Which activities would be a cannot-be-missed for a 9-year old boy? What about for a 6-year old girl? We're only in the 3-night Dream.

2. What are the club hours? Do you take them to the buffet to feed them lunch and/or dinner?

3. How long do kids stay at the Clubs? Is it normal for them to go for a few hours, then hang out with the parental units, and then go back for a few hours?

 

[MomsOf2boys]

Oh it's happened. Especially consider some ports like Nassau with "late-night" all aboard times - leave the children in the club past midnight, adults still not on board. Frantic calls are made, children are upset they're all alone in the Club. Luckily family friends were on the ship and one of their teens was designated an Authorized adult the day before, and the children were sent to stay with them. As for the parents - they rejoined the ship at a later port.

I will say there are far too many close calls, however. I've never seen it so bad there wasn't a last-minute thing that resolved it or the adults were finally located (inebriated), but if I was ever in the situation where an excursion had me stranded and my child wasn't Self-Check - the least I'd do is try to contact the ship and give Authorization to another family I trusted on board, so my children aren't left abandoned.

That is so scarey. I was never able to leave mine when off the ship because if that fear. I did allow them to join activities on CC if they chose to. The beach is fun with friends!

 

[CMontheseas]

Definitely!

And thanks for answering!

Here are some additional questions:

1. Which activities would be a cannot-be-missed for a 9-year old boy? What about for a 6-year old girl? We're only in the 3-night Dream.

2. What are the club hours? Do you take them to the buffet to feed them lunch and/or dinner?

3. How long do kids stay at the Clubs? Is it normal for them to go for a few hours, then hang out with the parental units, and then go back for a few hours?

Hello!


1. Hmmmm I would say definitely don't miss the first evening welcome parties on the cruise, but on the 3-night Dream cruise guaranteed most of the bigger programs will be jam packed! I wish I could give you a better answer here, but I don't know what your kid's personalities are like to recommend anything! Even kids who parents would assume would love a certain program end up surprisingly uninterested when it happens. I'd point you towards things that have a photo component (like Toy Story Boot Camp, or Picture This) for some free souvenir photos. Or Ratatouille Cooking School for some yummy cupcakes or cookies! Considering their age, that might be a bit too advanced (especially if it's on a busy cruise) - so I'll take a stab and recommend the programs where a character actually comes in for part of it. Ask the CM Managers which ones will happen on the cruise when you embark and plan around it!



2. The hours change depending on your cruise. Generally, they're 9am - midnight. For obvious allergy reasons, we cannot take the kids to the buffet to eat. This apparently used to be the case years ago, but now so many of our kids are allergic to nuts/dairy/gluten. I talked about our mealtimes and what food to expect in this thread!


3. I also talked about this earlier in the thread, but the kids can stay as long as they want. This tends to be different based on the personality of the child!

 

[Mom2PrincessesLinSy]

Ok, I have read this entire thread from page one and are my eyes tired!

I don't think I have seen anything about the Friendship Rocks Show. When my daughter was little they still had D Sea U and all the kids got Mickey Mouse graduation caps. I LOVED that Then they changed it to Friendship Rocks. No matter what, I always tear up to see my kiddos on the stage, even for a brief shining moment. That said, are they still doing the show? If for no other reason, I make my kids go for the shirt!

Also, what would be your Dave Letterman "Top 10 things parents shouldn't do on DCL" and "Top 10 thing parents should do on DCL" I look forward to entertaining yet useful knowledge, as has been your theme so far this post!

You rock Oh, and favorite ship of the four?

 

[lorrie322]

Ah gotcha.

Yes, apart from Open Houses and for pickups, we do also allow adults in to check up on their kids, take them to the potty/get changed, bring them medication (if necessary), or to speak with them if there's a behavior issue. But only for 5 minutes at a time, and not to stay and linger in the space/take photos or interact with any children that aren't theirs!

Are we allowed to take pictures during the open houses? My son is so excited to see the kid spaces that I hope I'm able to catch that excitement with my camera...

 

[CMontheseas]

Are we allowed to take pictures during the open houses? My son is so excited to see the kid spaces that I hope I'm able to catch that excitement with my camera...

YES YES YES! I know if I was a parent and had my kids in the space, I would take every Open House program opportunity to dress them up and take pictures of them in their space. And have them do a little play-by-play and show me locations where they met a character, or crashed into a wall when they weren't looking where they ran. Do it whenever you can!

Ok, I have read this entire thread from page one and are my eyes tired!

I don't think I have seen anything about the Friendship Rocks Show. When my daughter was little they still had D Sea U and all the kids got Mickey Mouse graduation caps. I LOVED that Then they changed it to Friendship Rocks. No matter what, I always tear up to see my kiddos on the stage, even for a brief shining moment. That said, are they still doing the show? If for no other reason, I make my kids go for the shirt!

Also, what would be your Dave Letterman "Top 10 things parents shouldn't do on DCL" and "Top 10 thing parents should do on DCL" I look forward to entertaining yet useful knowledge, as has been your theme so far this post!

You rock Oh, and favorite ship of the four?

Friendship Rocks as of right now....only exists on the Disney Wonder. (Can't say what's on the Magic just yet if it'll be the same or replaced by something different now!) It's crazy because they simply don't train us on the other ships for it - the quick rehearsal and dance instruction with the kids, the week of taking photos and videos and piecing it together, the massive military effort of bringing the kids backstage to the theater and back again without losing a single one. Making sure they don't all rush Mickey and Minnie at once when they give them a little "pep talk" behind the wings. All while toting along their individual Epipens and extra clothes.)

But yes. It's still alive and well


I LOVE the idea of the top 10 lists... this has the potential to be very handy! Work in progress as of...now!


And favorite ship of all four? (I base this on the children's programs, the people on board, the destinations we go, the sorts of guests who sail with us, the overall happiness and "feel" of the crew)
The Disney Wonder. CMs put themselves on waiting lists to get transferred there. I want to be on the new Magic next!