How strict is Oceaneers Club & Lab with the upper age requirement of 12?

[HHMcG]

I think I can guess the answer to this but I have to ask. How strict is Oceaneers Club & Lab with the upper age requirement of 12?
Doing research for a winter 2019 cruise. DD will turn 13 during this time. I know she would want to spend time in Oceaneers Club since that is were her siblings would be. If she has already turned 13 will she be allowed in the Oceaneers Club? One of the cruises we are considering is actually over her birthday. Would she be allowed in the Oceaneers Club for the duration of the cruise?

This may affect when we choice to cruise. She is our shiest and would prefer to be with her siblings. Sigh.

TIA

 

[lklgoodman]

From my understanding, she could go to the club while she is still 12, but then once she turns 13 on the cruise she would have to go to the next club. She could go during open house to be with her siblings, but that would be the only time once she turns 13.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

Yep. You are right. They are strict. It will stop on her birthday, even in the middle of a cruise.

Now some good news. There are open house times every day when she can still go with her siblings. And if any of her siblings are 10 or 11, they can go with her to Edge. Although the top age is firm, the bottom age has some wiggle room. So if there is room on your sailing a 10 year old could get permission to go to Edge.

And the other good news is that since you haven't picked a date yet and have some flexibility, you can still pick dates when she is 12 if that is critical for you. Who knows? She might meet a new friend in Edge and decide to leave a little bit of the shyness behind.

Have a great trip!

 

[HHMcG]

Thank you both. That is what I expected. Here middle brother would be 11 and could go to The Edge with her. But it will KILL her anytime he "chooses The Oceaneers Club over her".

During these Open House times does a parent need to be present or is it business as usual at Oceaneers?

 

[cruiser21]

Well at some point she's going to have to be with kids her own age. Why delay the inevitable.

 

[WishUponAStarryNight]

Thank you both. That is what I expected. Here middle brother would be 11 and could go to The Edge with her. But it will KILL her anytime he "chooses The Oceaneers Club over her".

During these Open House times does a parent need to be present or is it business as usual at Oceaneers?

A parent is not required, but the programming is not secured. Your kids can come and go as they please and any passengers of any age are allowed in. Note that either the Club or the Lab will always be secured, so if one goes into open house mode, the kids who are already in that space will be moved to the secured side. Of course, if they have the ability to check themselves out, they can choose to do that as well.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Thank you both. That is what I expected. Here middle brother would be 11 and could go to The Edge with her. But it will KILL her anytime he "chooses The Oceaneers Club over her".

During these Open House times does a parent need to be present or is it business as usual at Oceaneers?

Can I just say that it's possible her brother will go to the Edge and never go back? My 12 year old went to Oceaneers once and never went back once he went to the Edge. He thought there were too many little kids in Oceaneers. (and there were one or two kids in Edge who called him a baby because he had a wristband on, but that was a one-off for that cruise.)

 

[Dug720]

The big key is for her to go the first night to meet the people. That is when everyone is new and meeting. If she doesn't go then, from what I understand, the kids have already "grouped up" and it will be much harder for her to make "friends" and want to go back.

And yes, it's important even if the younger brother gets permission to go to Edge - because what if he meets a group to hang with and doesn't want his sister hanging on him? It would be better if she had people she could hang out with from meeting them the first night.

 

[MomOTwins]

A parent is not required, but the programming is not secured. Your kids can come and go as they please and any passengers of any age are allowed in. Note that either the Club or the Lab will always be secured, so if one goes into open house mode, the kids who are already in that space will be moved to the secured side. Of course, if they have the ability to check themselves out, they can choose to do that as well.

Just noting this because the OP mentioned siblings plural, but if one of the kids is not old enough to check themselves in and out of the club (I believe the minimum age is 8) they will require a parent to be present and remain during open house. That is what we were told when we went with our 6 year olds.

 

[HHMcG]

Just noting this because the OP mentioned siblings plural, but if one of the kids is not old enough to check themselves in and out of the club (I believe the minimum age is 8) they will require a parent to be present and remain during open house. That is what we were told when we went with our 6 year olds.

You are right. Littlest brother is 7. I didn’t realize there was a minimum age to let them sign themselves out.

 

[Dug720]

Just noting this because the OP mentioned siblings plural, but if one of the kids is not old enough to check themselves in and out of the club (I believe the minimum age is 8) they will require a parent to be present and remain during open house. That is what we were told when we went with our 6 year olds.

I thought there was a side that was secured and kids without parents present went into the secured side and had to stay there when the other side was in Open House.

 

[meliscan]

Can I just say that it's possible her brother will go to the Edge and never go back? My 12 year old went to Oceaneers once and never went back once he went to the Edge. He thought there were too many little kids in Oceaneers. (and there were one or two kids in Edge who called him a baby because he had a wristband on, but that was a one-off for that cruise.)

I have to agree. I was shocked that my son who loved the Oceaneer's Club so much would not want to go to Edge but he asked on the last cruise and never looked back at the club.

 

[lanejudy]

I thought there was a side that was secured and kids without parents present went into the secured side and had to stay there when the other side was in Open House.

Yes, you are correct. However, if s child has self-check-out privileges, that child can “check-out” of the secure space and go to the open house.

You are right. Littlest brother is 7. I didn’t realize there was a minimum age to let them sign themselves out.

I believe they must be 8 for self-check-out.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[bumbershoot]

A parent is not required, but the programming is not secured.

We were NOT allowed to leave our son during open house time. That was on our third cruise and he would have been...at least 9 by then.

The big key is for her to go the first night to meet the people.

Yes. Unless you have a major extrovert who can make friends when they think hat “everyone already know each other”.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We were NOT allowed to leave our son during open house time. That was on our third cruise and he would have been...at least 9 by then.

Did he have self-check out privileges? Only kids with that can be there without a parent/guardian.

 

[ChicosWife]

if there is room on your sailing a 10 year old could get permission to go to Edge.

Is this for sure? How do we get permission? By the time, our next cruise comes around, my youngest will be 10 and will probably be more interested in Edge, than Oceaneer's Club (he got bored last November, as an 8 YO).

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Is this for sure? How do we get permission? By the time, our next cruise comes around, my youngest will be 10 and will probably be more interested in Edge, than Oceaneer's Club (he got bored last November, as an 8 YO).

You have to go to Edge onboard and ask the CMs there. They are the ones who make the call.

 

[ChicosWife]

You have to go to Edge onboard and ask the CMs there. They are the ones who make the call.

I wonder what it is based on? Their age, personality, maturity?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I wonder what it is based on? Their age, personality, maturity?

Pretty much, if the space in the club hasn't reached it's maximum, they will probably be allowed in. There are XX number of spaces in each club level. It's possible that the number of kids onboard in the correct age for any given club is not the maximum number of spaces in the club. Then the CMs can make exceptions.

 

[ChicosWife]

Pretty much, if the space in the club hasn't reached it's maximum, they will probably be allowed in. There are XX number of spaces in each club level. It's possible that the number of kids onboard in the correct age for any given club is not the maximum number of spaces in the club. Then the CMs can make exceptions.

This is great to know. We thought we were going to be stuck with the age requirements. It's good to know, we may have options.