Grinch here! Or perhaps Scrooge.

[iluvthsgam]

Unfortunately having diaper age children is very difficult. We have been there, and it does limit your vacation. You should not impose your frustration on other people by breaking the rules. Nemo's Reef is not your private play area. Other people can be annoying in any situation but that is life. My advice would be to frequent Nemo's at less crowded times. That's what we always did. Early morning. Dinners. Etc.

I do follow the rules and do not go in the pool. That is the point. I never said it was my private play area. It is meant for little kids, not older kids with no younger kids or parents to run around (like posted above said).

 

[cgolf]

On the card point, I completely understand where you are coming from and agree. I will say though that in the Concierge rooms on the Fantasy they give you a card to do exactly this.

The best was our stateroom host showed us how to use the do not disturb sign instead of a card

 

[gotomu212]

Only place to go with a swim diaper - i.e., play in the water. I am not a helicopter parent who hovers over the kid while he plays. He wants to go play himself. He's crawling and just learning to walk. When the older kids are in there and overpowering the slides and area it is hard for him. It is not unreasonable to ask those kids to go play elsewhere, especially when they have options and I don't.

I’m not a helicopter parent in the slightest and also have a toddler. I’ve never thought of Nemo’s Reef as a place that a non walker can go off and play themself. It’s not a safe play yard but a slippery, watery, public place. I would never think it safe for a crawler even if it only had parents and kids under 5 unless the parent is right next to them.

 

[Quellman]

For everyone complaining about the kids in the pool areas with swim diapers, it is equally as frustrating when the ONLY area my kids are allowed to go is Nemo's Reef, the sign is posted for little kids only, and parents either let (or don't watch) their older kids run like crazy people through the area - making it impossible for my little one to enjoy the area because the big kids are running around fast. Of course the CM's there watching don't do a thing about it.

We've used Nemos reef in the past. If I remember correctly, kids up until age 8 can use that space, which is a bit much. But I have policed the slide on occasion or grabbed a life guard. This area is one they are supposed to patrol from time to time during peak hours. I hope your next experience is a better one.

 

[MomOTwins]

I’m not a helicopter parent in the slightest and also have a toddler. I’ve never thought of Nemo’s Reef as a place that a non walker can go off and play themself. It’s not a safe play yard but a slippery, watery, public place. I would never think it safe for a crawler even if it only had parents and kids under 5 unless the parent is right next to them.

Yeah, I agree—I also would not just let my toddler wander around castaway cay on his own (which,along with other beach excursions, is where our toddler gets the bulk of his water play on a cruise). It’s not being a helicopter parent to understand when it is appropriate to let you child roam free and when you need to be closer at hand because they are in a crowded place and can be easily lost or hurt. Even if they limited Nemos to age 5 or even 4 and under, a four year old can be pretty rough on babies, especially when they are worked up and in an exciting place (speaking as a mom with a four year age gap between her older and younger kids).

 

[LNMom]

While we're talking about things that annoy us--the extreme casual dress in the MDRs makes me nuts! If there's a white table cloth, then a tshirt worn straight from the pool and a baseball cap should not be acceptable (really, a baseball cap should never be worn indoors at any time). We are all paying a lot for a Disney cruise, and in public areas there are rules of decorum that should be adhered to by all. I am not suggesting that every night should be formal night in sequins and heels, but a quick hair brush and clean clothes are appropriate. Alas, everyone is dressing more casually today. But, the ships are so elegant it's disappointing for me to see people dressed way down at dinner.
I wonder if people on Cunard, Ponant, or Crystal lines would ever state that they don't want to dress for dinner because they are paying a lot for their vacation and prefer to wear cutoffs and a pool t-shirt.

 

[Sunshine2U]

While we're talking about things that annoy us--the extreme casual dress in the MDRs makes me nuts! If there's a white table cloth, then a tshirt worn straight from the pool and a baseball cap should not be acceptable (really, a baseball cap should never be worn indoors at any time). We are all paying a lot for a Disney cruise, and in public areas there are rules of decorum that should be adhered to by all. I am not suggesting that every night should be formal night in sequins and heels, but a quick hair brush and clean clothes are appropriate. Alas, everyone is dressing more casually today. But, the ships are so elegant it's disappointing for me to see people dressed way down at dinner.
I wonder if people on Cunard, Ponant, or Crystal lines would ever state that they don't want to dress for dinner because they are paying a lot for their vacation and prefer to wear cutoffs and a pool t-shirt.

I can't say that I'm bothered by sloppy dress in the MDR - I'm able to ignore it pretty easily. But I do think people SHOULD dress in decent street clothes for dinner. That's how I feel so that's what we do. On the other hand, we are not the kind of people who get a charge out of putting on cocktail finery so there are probably people who wish we would dress up more on formal nights.