Kids Club Concerns

[KT2038]

hi Everyone,

If you have a comment or concern about any of the youth spaces, please share them. I will do my best to help you or pass things on to management if needed. We can't push for change if we don't know what you guys think!

Thanks for your time,

KT

 

[PrincessShmoo]

hi Everyone,

If you have a comment or concern about any of the youth spaces, please share them. I will do my best to help you or pass things on to management if needed. We can't push for change if we don't know what you guys think!

Thanks for your time,

KT

Oooo... good thread! Maybe you should ask the mods if they could make it a sticky, so it remains on the first page?

 

[DCLDVC1]

I think everything is fine the way it's set up now.

 

[lklgoodman]

There's something I've been wondering about for awhile now. I've been told that it is OK to leave kids in the clubs and to go on a port adventure trip without them. A few years ago we went on an Alaska cruise. My dd absolutely loved the clubs and never wanted to leave. One night she didn't want to go to the after dinner show, so she went to the Oceaneer's club instead. During the show we got a message that she wanted us to get her. She was upset because she had on a dress and had torn it. It was a really small torn and no big deal, but she was upset and wanted me to get her. This makes me wonder what happens if I were to leave her in a club and go ashore without her. I trust the CMs on the ships and know they to do a wonderful job with the kids, but you never know when a child could get sick/hurt and they want their parents. It just makes me wonder, is it really ok for parents to leave their kids in the club and go ashore without them? Is there anyway to reach the parents if something happened and the kids needed to leave the club? We're going on a West. Carribean cruise next Jan. and I'd love to go on one of the adults only port adventures, but don't feel right about leaving dd on the ship, although I know she would LOVE to stay in the club. Thanks.

 

[Hundredacre]

I think everything is fine... but could do with less open house.

 

[wl1117]

Totally agree with less Open House time.

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

Another vote for less open house, other than that my kids love it.

 

[drea21]

We haven't been on in a few years, but we were very happy with the clubs as is on our last trip.

 

[Carrie in AZ]

There's something I've been wondering about for awhile now. I've been told that it is OK to leave kids in the clubs and to go on a port adventure trip without them. A few years ago we went on an Alaska cruise. My dd absolutely loved the clubs and never wanted to leave. One night she didn't want to go to the after dinner show, so she went to the Oceaneer's club instead. During the show we got a message that she wanted us to get her. She was upset because she had on a dress and had torn it. It was a really small torn and no big deal, but she was upset and wanted me to get her. This makes me wonder what happens if I were to leave her in a club and go ashore without her. I trust the CMs on the ships and know they to do a wonderful job with the kids, but you never know when a child could get sick/hurt and they want their parents. It just makes me wonder, is it really ok for parents to leave their kids in the club and go ashore without them? Is there anyway to reach the parents if something happened and the kids needed to leave the club? We're going on a West. Carribean cruise next Jan. and I'd love to go on one of the adults only port adventures, but don't feel right about leaving dd on the ship, although I know she would LOVE to stay in the club. Thanks.

We left our DD age 13 onboard while we left the ship for a couple of hours to snorkel in Cozumel. We were pretty nervous. I went to speak to the CM in Edge and explained we were leaving the ship. She assured me all would be fine and it was. She said parents do it all the time. We also talked to our DD at length about us being off the ship and how she would need to trust the CMs and really listen to them if she needed help because we could not be reached. We were all on the same page. I am replying to your question, even though it is not directed toward me, to share what my response was when I spoke to the CM. How does your DD feel about remaining on the ship? If you explain you will back and that you can't come to her right away if she needs you but that you WILL be back and the CMs will know you are off the ship and will help her for sure during your absence. Good luck. I know the pull you feel about wanting to do something for yourselves while on vacation. It's your vacation, too!

 

[tee11]

I really liked the special preschool programming (3-5) when we sailed the Wonder in 2014, and that we even got invites to that to our stateroom so we would not miss it! I very much hope to see this again on our upcoming sailing on the Fantasy!

 

[Krissy22222]

I have always felt that the Edge programming goes on too late. It makes us, as parents, have to say "no" to our child when he wants to stay up until midnight because of something really enticing. I don't want to have to say no to him and to disappoint him on vacation, but when we have a port the next day, he may not stay up until midnight, regardless of what fun things are planned. I write this each time on the survey at the end, I wish they would make it go until 11:00 at latest so the children can get to bed. Am I in the minority about my thinking here?

 

[Krissy22222]

And yes, less open house. My son is bummed when others are taking over the special place reserved for him and other children his age.

And don't let kids younger than the stated ages into Edge/Vibe. The kids like to feel they have earned the right to enter the special spaces due to their age. It makes my son proud that he is old enough to be in Edge but so often nowadays they are letting club/lab aged kids join. What's up with that?

 

[FamilyHolidayPlanner]

I would agree with previous posters about the excess amount of open house time. Our 4yr old was loving the club until the day we dropped him off at the lab during open house- he started refusing to go after that.

 

[Naterfan]

It makes us, as parents, have to say "no" to our child...

That's kind of your job. Other children shouldn't have to end their days early for the sake of sparing you a quilt trip.

And add another vote for a little less open house time, but remember, Disney will not be able to please everyone.

 

[TrySomethingNew]

I see both sides of this one. One child had high sleep needs and would have had to been put to bed on the earlier side (yes, even at age 12) otherwise we would have paid for it the entire next day with bad attitude, etc-that kid just needed their sleep (high sleep needs from birth to age 13). However, that kid was never really into the kids club, so this wasn't an issue on the ship but in other situations we just had to say "No" for sleep/early rise/busy day reasons. Our other kid handles less sleep so very much better-we've let that one stay up late in various situations without any notable repercussions the next day -even for busy excursion days. I think it is more typical of Edge aged kids to be able to handle the midnight end time.

 

[drea21]

I previously commented earlier that we enjoyed the kids clubs, but want to add that we didn't have the excessive open houses back then that I'm reading about now. I would also like to see a decrease in the amount of open houses and the kids that are in secure programming being forced to the "secure" side because of them.

As of the late hours, I don't have older ones, but 3-6 years old, and I appreciate the late hours, otherwise my husband and i would also have to call it a night too since they can't be alone. My kids have always been flexible with their sleep requirements so up late a night or two isn't going to wreck the vacation. I think the option should remain for late programming.

 

[MrsSmalls]

My kids are not late nighters, and never have been. We are pretty scheduled, so they are used to us saying 'no' when other kids get to stay up later. They turn into rabid cranky bears around 10:00.

I would think that if you were West Coasters, it would be nice to have the clubs open late. When my kids feel like it's 11:00, someone who's on "California time" is going to feel like it's 8:00. Does that make sense?

 

[bbel]

As for open house, the o.club and lab are open for 15 hours a day (more on some port days) and open house is usually only a couple of hours on each side.
It takes at least 10 counsellors to open one space, and the counsellors work 10-11 hours a day.
Open house always happens at dinner time because the spaces are so much quieter and food can only be served in one space.
Open house is used by a lot of people who wouldn't usually get to see the space: children who are too old/young, special needs, children who don't want to go in by themselves, families who want to spend time together...
Just putting it out there...

 

[Ofinn]

I have always felt that the Edge programming goes on too late. It makes us, as parents, have to say "no" to our child when he wants to stay up until midnight because of something really enticing. I don't want to have to say no to him and to disappoint him on vacation, but when we have a port the next day, he may not stay up until midnight, regardless of what fun things are planned. I write this each time on the survey at the end, I wish they would make it go until 11:00 at latest so the children can get to bed. Am I in the minority about my thinking here?

My kids usually close the Edge at 1am. It's a vacation. If their tired the next day they make it up on a sea day. Sometimes they come back early on their own if they're tired. I think at that age kids can start figuring things out for themselves.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

And don't let kids younger than the stated ages into Edge/Vibe. The kids like to feel they have earned the right to enter the special spaces due to their age. It makes my son proud that he is old enough to be in Edge but so often nowadays they are letting club/lab aged kids join. What's up with that?

I thought children were only allowed to flit between the club/lab? What age range is the edge/vibe ? As I thought that that was pretty strict? Or is that no longer the case?