No kids in adult areas even with nursery closed?

[JWelch62]

Daycares & classrooms are like virus-producing factories during outbreaks.

The sickest I ever got was after putting our oldest in preschool. They're like little bio warfare labs.

 

[Dug720]

The sickest I ever got was after putting our oldest in preschool. They're like little bio warfare labs.

I don't call my classroom a petrie dish for nothing.

 

[kathi]

I really feel like DCL will come up with more on-board things for families with younger children to do around the ship, for when their kids aren't in the kids club (on the longer cruises). A sea day could be super boring if there are not plenty of activities. They could space them around the ship and have fewer people per session. It's just a guess, but it makes a lot of sense and they have the space for it. Guess we will find out soon when the Fantasy announces their procedures.

 

[KashasMom]

We don't go in any of the adult only areas and Palo was a one and done for us but I absolutely don't think they should allow children in ANY adult only area. Almost everyone is making concessions. If you can't or don't want to cruise with the new protocols, then it might be best to postpone your cruise.

 

[dvcdisney]

Opening Adult areas to kids would be opening a can of worms. It would snow ball with parents wanting their little ones admitted to all adult areas because it isn’t convenient for them not to be. If you aren’t happy with the way things on the cruise are right now or don’t want to adjust plans, then going on a cruise at this time may not be for your family.
re-evaluate your needs and do something that best suites you.

I agree...if this was more of a permanent change (which I know it isn't), I could see DCL offering something to accommodate...but nothing close to this.

 

[Disneyland_emily]

But to your point, how "quality" is it going to be when you're stuck in your stateroom watching movies? Frankly, there is NOT a lot of to on a cruise without sports, ping pong, clubs, etc.

Funny I’ve never been bored and have yet to do any of the things listed-

we’ve sailed 5 times/26 days combined with a kid whose never been left at a kids club (she only was eligible one sailing due to age though) and spent 3 hrs in the nursery total- and only once been in a pool and can say we’ve never been ‘stuck watching movies’ so it’s definitely what you make of it.

I feel for the adults banking on kid free time for Palo/tastings etc both depending on nursery or kids club available time.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I mean, I get it. I am bloody sick of my kids at this point and rejoice in every minute I can be rid of them. It's been a long pandemic.

 

[Cheburashka]

Another thing to consider is that even if the nursery & clubs were both open at their old schedules, it still wouldn't be a guarantee of uninterrupted Palo time for parents. The workers will try to redirect an unhappy child at the clubs, for example, but if the child exhibits strong persistent separation anxiety, just keeps begging to leave, or persistently crying or tantruming, they will call and ask you to come get your child. I remember reading one particularly scathing review of DCL from an angry mom who expected them to keep her toddler in the club on Palo night no matter what happened, and had her "special romantic evening" interrupted due to the child's persistent separation anxiety, to where the couple had to cut their dinner short and pick the child up. I've seen other parents complain that their child didn't want to spend as much time in the clubs as the parents wanted.

If part of your reason for cruising is to get a break from your child or infant, you're always taking a gamble with DCL even under normal circumstances. Bringing a beloved grandparent or other relative along at your expense, with the understanding that they'll watch the child occasionally, is really the only sure way to get that adult-only time that you want.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

No kids in adults' only areas ESPECIALLY with nursery closed. I will cancel if Disney eases up on these rules.

I have kids (teens now), and I know what it means to adjust plans to meet the needs of my family. For years we didn't go to any restaurant other than Tex-Mex because that's what was appropriate with little kids (the regular noise and mess of kids would not disturb other customers). The other guests at Remy will think the experience is in no way worth it if there are 1YOs and toddlers in the restaurant.

 

[belle032]

DH & I don't have kids, so I don't feel like I can often jump into kid-related topics. And usually they don't affect our situation, but in this case, I would not be OK with kids allowed in adult-only areas on ANY cruise line. Adults without children (and parents sailing without kids) put down their same hard-earned dollars to enjoy a vacation, and part of that fare includes having spaces for them alone to enjoy. Adults have just as much of a right to a space, just like kids do. This would be DCL seriously inconveniencing one set of passengers in order to accommodate another, which isn't right.

I'm echoing pretty much every other poster - this might not be the right time to sail right now for your situation, which is totally fine. I know if DH & I were facing these choices, it wouldn't be the right time for us either.

 

[Dug720]

DH & I don't have kids, so I don't feel like I can often jump into kid-related topics.

I agree if it has to do with parenting things. BUT you 100% have the right to jump in when it involves kids in adult-only areas/experiences.

 

[tvguy]

I mean, I get it. I am bloody sick of my kids at this point and rejoice in every minute I can be rid of them. It's been a long pandemic.

LOL. Certainly the pandemic might have changed my perspective, but like I post above, our cruises, and all our vacations were our time to be WITH our kids.

EDITED

 

[Pens Fan]

Disney would never admit this, but they're probably trying to get families with young ones to cancel, because none of them will be vaccinated anytime soon (especially babies/toddlers). It also isn't a very safe time to take your baby on a cruise, unvaccinated, in the middle of a pandemic.

This is exactly what I was thinking. These cruises are sailing at a diminished capacity, so filling them up won't be nearly as hard. They'd much rather have them full of vaccinated adults and older children than families with young, unvaccinated children. The last thing any cruise line wants right now is a Covid breakout on one of their ships. Disney is not going to risk alienating their safest passengers (vaccinated adults) by compromising their experience to appease their most risky passengers. It's just smart business at this point.

It stinks for families with little kids, but our if son was still young and unvaccinated I'd find a different vacation that would be both safer for him and less restrictive.

 

[TinkLoverSam]

I am a mom with 2 small kids booked for spring 2022 and I am watching carefully to see if nursery and clubs reopen “normally” and we will discuss as a 3 generation family booked for Alaska if the cruise will still meet our needs without them operating “normally”. If we decide it won’t meet our needs we won’t go. I would never expect that they would open adult only areas to young children if they couldn’t open the nursery and clubs and I wouldn’t want them to.

 

[lanejudy]

all our vacations were our time to be WITH out kids.

Based on your prior posts, I think you have a typo that completely changes the meaning...

 

[belle032]

I agree if it has to do with parenting things. BUT you 100% have the right to jump in when it involves kids in adult-only areas/experiences.

Which is why I stay the heck away from those threads - y'all can handle the parenting things!

 

[tvguy]

Based on your prior posts, I think you have a typo that completely changes the meaning...

LOL.

 

[Dug720]

Which is why I stay the heck away from those threads - y'all can handle the parenting things!

Yep. They can! Single and childless by choice here!

The only time I did chime in was threads about kids wearing masks and I shared things the school where I teach was sharing with parents to help get their kiddos used to wearing masks.

 

[Marthasor]

I am a mom with 2 small kids booked for spring 2022 and I am watching carefully to see if nursery and clubs reopen “normally” and we will discuss as a 3 generation family booked for Alaska if the cruise will still meet our needs without them operating “normally”. If we decide it won’t meet our needs we won’t go. I would never expect that they would open adult only areas to young children if they couldn’t open the nursery and clubs and I wouldn’t want them to.

You've hit the nail on the head for me. My DS will be 14 on our next DCL cruise and DCL is not requiring reservations for the teen clubs, so the new format completely works for us. If he were an infant or if I had to try to line up Oceaneer's Club reservations with a Remy or Palo reservation, I think I would throw in the towel and look for a different vacation until DCL worked for us again.

 

[AquaDame]

The nice and terrible thing about children is they grow up very fast... I don't see Disney changing the rules around the adult-only areas even with the nursery closed. Two wrongs do not make a right. Luckily they are only so small for a blip of time - perhaps pushing your cruise out to when your kid(s) are a little older or the nursery has resumed would be the best course of action this time if having dinner at Palo is very important to you. We'll be doing the same if DCL removes the things we enjoy most on our cruise for sure...!