Oceaneer Club/Lab Questions

[sjaz22]

We sail on the Dream this month and my kids will be 11 and 9 at time of sailing. I registered by 9 year with the kids club, but they would not allow me to register my 11 year old because of her age. Does that mean that she does not get a bracelet and is free to come and go as she pleases? Will she be allowed in the same kids club with her 9 year old brother? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[lbgraves]

The Edge is for kids 11-13 and the Club/Lab is 3-10. The age limits have been strictly enforced since changes in November/December. From the latest reports, an 11 yo has to choose which one they want to do and has to stay in that club the entire cruise. This could vary on each ship, however, based on the latest revision to the policy. If the 11 yo is allowed to be in the lab, they will have a wristband issued to them since all kids in the club & lab have to have one. They are both old enough to have signout privs in the club.

 

[sjaz22]

I can't believe they don't allow an 11 year old to go to Edge and also the Oceaneers Club/Lab with her brother. If anyone has stayed recently on the Dream and can shed some light on this issue, I would appreciate it.

 

[TinkBell10]

I can't believe they don't allow an 11 year old to go to Edge and also the Oceaneers Club/Lab with her brother. If anyone has stayed recently on the Dream and can shed some light on this issue, I would appreciate it.

I started a thread yesterday asking about Open House times in the kids' areas. It appears your 11yo will be able to go in the club/lab with her brother during Open House times...as long a parent is there too.

 

[lbgraves]

I can't believe they don't allow an 11 year old to go to Edge and also the Oceaneers Club/Lab with her brother. If anyone has stayed recently on the Dream and can shed some light on this issue, I would appreciate it.

I started a thread yesterday asking about Open House times in the kids' areas. It appears your 11yo will be able to go in the club/lab with her brother during Open House times...as long a parent is there too.

Sorry, but that is now the case. As TinkBell10 notes, if a parent goes with the 11 yo to the open house times in the club/lab, they will be allowed to go to the lab while still being in the Edge. I was referring to what the child is allowed to do on their own without a child present.

This new policy also prevents 18 yos from participating in the teen program, as well as 17 yos who turn 18 during the cruise. Now THAT is an issue that isn't right, but it is the policy.

 

[lbgraves]

A quick search brings these threads up on this topic. Some start out talking about 3 yos, but as you can see from the legnth of the thread, everything is discussed. You might want to work your way back from the end of the first thread to find the actual examples. FWIW, my DD is 11 and we were just on the Fantasy last week. Her friend is 10. We were told the girls would have to decide which club they wanted to be in, and that would have to stay the same throughout the entire cruise. They could NOT go back and forth between the Edge and the Lab.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2858080&highlight=policy

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2848552&highlight=policy

 

[sjaz22]

Very confusing. I just spoke with a CM on the phone at DCL and she told me that the 11 year old can go back and forth between the two clubs! Sounds like they do not have their story straight. But, based on what lbgraves said, both my 9 and 11 year old can register for the Oceaneer's Club/Lab and stay in their together the entire cruise?

 

[lbgraves]

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for the CMs at the DCL 800#s to not have the correct information on many topics. The shoreside CMs are completely seperate from the ship CMs, which is a shame IMO. As of last week, your 11 yo can register for the lab once you are onboard so both of your children can be in the lab together. If they are registered there they will get a wristband with the GPS monitor in it. They will not be allowed to participate in the Edge during the cruise on their own. There were some open house times early in the morning when an adult could accompany kids in the Edge, just like it is set up in the lab. There aren't as many times open in the Edge, however. There will be times when they will have to be in the club area when there is open house in the lab. I talked to a YCM last week and noticed that there are more computers set up in the club area on the Fantasy. She said that they are specifically trying to create more space in the club for activities that interest the older kids, due to the policy change that requires them to spend time in the club now. She said they are having more of a challenge filling that need on the Magic/Wonder due to the space they have to work with.

 

[sjaz22]

Thank you. So we will just register our 11 year old for the Lab and then her and her 9 year old brother can be together. Just so I understand this new policy, if there is an Open House in the Lab, and our kids are in the lab when it begins, they will move them over to the secured Club programs?

 

[generaltso23]

If you don't have to register for The Edge and a wristband isn't required, how would they keep the 11 year old out if they're registered for the Lab? Is there a CM that checks tweens in and out of The Edge that would be looking for Lab wristbands?

 

[lbgraves]

Yes, they do not allow any kids who do not have parents with them to stay in the open house area at the time. Those kids are moved to the secure club area before the open house begins and adults are allowed into the area.

 

[lbgraves]

If you don't have to register for The Edge and a wristband isn't required, how would they keep the 11 year old out if they're registered for the Lab? Is there a CM that checks tweens in and out of The Edge that would be looking for Lab wristbands?

The YCMs in the Edge do pay attention to the kids who are there each week. The kids need to check in with the YCMs the first day they go and their name is noted on their list. The wristband is not small and is a red flag that a child is registered in the lab and not to be in the Edge area. Of course, an 11 yo who keeps needing to have their wristband replaced due to cutting it off would also raise a red flag that they could be trying to go to the Edge.

The KTTW card is also somehow coded for the Edge, like the cards are coded for the Vibe. Only the KTTW cards with this access can use the elevator that goes to the Edge on the Dream/Fantasy. The 10 yo's card had to be reissued once she had decided to choose the Edge. This is probably another way for the CMs to track who belongs where, though I do not completely understand how that system works.

 

[Svenson]

This is all so confusing!

So we have a 12-y-o son -- he would definitely be in Edge, able to come & go as he pleases.
We have a 10-y-o daughter (2 months from turning 11) -- would she be able to join him in Edge, or is the Lab her only option? Also, would my son be able to join her in the Lab?

I understand that either one could be in either place IF we parents are there during Open House, but I'm trying to understand when or if they could be together in Edge or the Lab without Mom & Dad.

Thanks!!

 

[Ziggette]

I can't believe they don't allow an 11 year old to go to Edge and also the Oceaneers Club/Lab with her brother. If anyone has stayed recently on the Dream and can shed some light on this issue, I would appreciate it.

I also take issue with this policy but on a different side....I can't believe they group my 3 yr old in with 10 yr and 11 yr olds and think that both will have a magical experience.

 

[lbgraves]

This is all so confusing!

So we have a 12-y-o son -- he would definitely be in Edge, able to come & go as he pleases.
We have a 10-y-o daughter (2 months from turning 11) -- would she be able to join him in Edge, or is the Lab her only option? Also, would my son be able to join her in the Lab?

I understand that either one could be in either place IF we parents are there during Open House, but I'm trying to understand when or if they could be together in Edge or the Lab without Mom & Dad.

Thanks!!

Your DD10 will need to go with you to the Edge the first afternoon and talk to the YCMs there. According to current practice, she will be given the choice and it will be explained to you that the decision is final for the cruise. I do not know if you have to sign papers acknowledging that fact or not like they do for the Vibe when a 13 yo makes that choice. Your 10 yo's KTTW card will need to be recoded.

If your DD chooses to be in the lab, your 12 yo son will not be able to be in the secured area of the lab/club with your DD. The only way a 12 yo can go to the lab area is during open house with an adult. The previous post is one reason for that. When we were looking at the club, the YCM told us that DD could go in and look around duirng the open house if I went with her. She would not have been able to do that by herself. HTH!

 

[KristiMc]

I also take issue with this policy but on a different side....I can't believe they group my 3 yr old in with 10 yr and 11 yr olds and think that both will have a magical experience.

In most cases, you 3 year old will not be with 10 year olds. Most 3-6 year olds will be more interested to stay in the Club, while the 7-10 years olds will like the activities in the Lab. They will be in the same area when the Lab has open house and the lab kids come over to the Club - but this is not all the time.

Question about the Open House times for those that have sailed recently? Are they still have OH at the Lab on some nights from 9-11 or so? This just seems to be an odd time to have OH. Most kids that want to be in the lab do not want to be in their with their parents.

 

[Svenson]

Thanks, Lisa, for explaining that to me.

Oh dear, what a stressful decision for a 10-y-o girl. Do you want to hang out with your brother, whom you absolutely love and adore? Or do you want to be in a place that offers all the types of activities that you absolutely love and adore, but no brother? And your decision is FINAL! For an entire week.

Ugh! I can see the tears coming.

Hmmm, now to think of a way to gently present this to her which will not stress her out and severely deflate her excitement about the cruise. I honestly don't know which one I would choose if I were 10. Any suggestions?

 

[TinkBell10]

Your DD10 will need to go with you to the Edge the first afternoon and talk to the YCMs there. According to current practice, she will be given the choice and it will be explained to you that the decision is final for the cruise. I do not know if you have to sign papers acknowledging that fact or not like they do for the Vibe when a 13 yo makes that choice. Your 10 yo's KTTW card will need to be recoded.

So many details to consider! So, if a 10 yo wants to 'upgrade' to the Edge (which I didn't realize was even allowed)...does it matter how close they are to their 11th birthday? I'll have 2 ten-year-olds and a 13-year-old on our next cruise, and the 3 of them DO NOT want to be separated. I've already told them about family activities in the D-Lounge, etc. But, both 10-year-olds are very mature and we always give them sign-in/sign-out privledges. So, I know they'd love to upgrade to the Edge, as they found the lab/club a little too young for their tastes in November. The problem is...one will be 2 months from turning 11 and the other will be 6 months from turning 11. Anyone have experience with the Edge upgrade and how close they need to be to 11?

 

[lbgraves]

Have you been participating in the meets thread for your cruise? We have always found kids the same ages as ours prior to the cruise and they email & skype. By the time we board, they are already friends and have made plans. We have also linked dining with their families.

 

[sjaz22]

So an 11-year old can still decide to register for the Lab, but a 12 year old cannot register for the lab? Do I have that correct?