Please tell me about signout privileges for kids

[pangyal]

I am taking DS9 on a surprise Halloween cruise on the Dream next month. Since it will just be him and me, I have a few questions about the general format of allowing independence on the ship and what is permitted, as I’m having trouble finding this information.

On our last cruise, we didn’t allow him signout privileges from the kids club and did not allow him to stay in the room by himself. I would sincerely appreciate some help. My questions are:

1.) Is he allowed in the Concierge lounge by himself?

2.) Is he allowed to be in the stateroom by himself?

3.) What has been the experience of others with regards to letting a responsible child of this age sign himself out of the club and going back to the room? Of course, I would like to spend time with him, but he doesn’t like a lot of the club activities that mix in the much younger kids, and I have a few things booked such as Mixology and Palo Brunch that I am willing to cancel if the consensus is that he should really be either at the kids club or with me. I just don’t have the experience with this to make an informed decision and would love some advice. Thank you !

 

[Rob1872]

You are the best judge of how responsible he is. On our first cruise, my DS11 had check-out privileges and my DS9 did not. DS11 thought it was incredible that he could go get food at the pool side locations by himself, go in and out of the room, etc. However, my DS9 is slightly autistic and I was not comfortable with him going around by himself. Your DS9 is definitely allowed in the room by himself. I have no concierge experience.

 

[cruiser21]

1. I don't know. I haven't sailed concierge
2. Yes
3. I let my kids do it at that age. You're probably going to get people telling you the opposite. Ships aren't safe etc etc. I think you're the only person that can decide that...based on your comfort level and the maturity of your son.

 

[MichelleCanada]

We just got off of the Fantasy this morning. One thing I learned was that when your kid has sign out privileges you get a notification through the app when they sign out! Not when they sign in. But I thought that was great! We gave my DS7 my phone to take with him in the club some of the day times so he could text my husband via the app if he wanted.

 

[TestingH2O]

I see no reason he couldn't go in the lounge. It's a family space. It's also staffed whenever it's open, so he'd have more supervision than at a quick serve restaurant.

Be aware that there are restrictions on room service and they cannot enter the room if a child is alone.

 

[pangyal]

Actually, these responses have already been beyond helpful! I wasn’t even sure if it was allowed to have him in the room on his own per DCL rules, so that’s great. Giving him the phone is an amazing idea that I totally hadn’t thought of! As long as he remembers to take it with him, that might be the perfect solution. Thank you all so much who have responded, I really appreciate it !

 

[Weedy]

Download the Navigator app before you leave home. The day you board the app will start working. You will be able to see all the activities in the kids club (and everything else)for the length of your cruise.
So.... have your son look at what’s going on on the sea days that have Palo brunch and make sure there is something going on that he enjoys. If there is nothing going on during your Palo time you may be able to change it. There is a area usually one of the restaurants that is set up to make dining changes.
Hope this makes since

 

[cruiser21]

Actually, these responses have already been beyond helpful! I wasn’t even sure if it was allowed to have him in the room on his own per DCL rules, so that’s great. Giving him the phone is an amazing idea that I totally hadn’t thought of! As long as he remembers to take it with him, that might be the perfect solution. Thank you all so much who have responded, I really appreciate it !

My kids are teens now, but I never felt uncomfortable letting them check in and out starting at age 8 or 9. Now they stay until the Edge or Vibe until close. It kind of sucks being woken up at 1 am, but it is what it is. As far as the App goes...well my son took his brand new galaxy 7 to the Edge a couple of years ago and some kid sat on it and broke it. Since then the phones stay in the room.

 

[tlprice]

I let my daughter have checkout privileges when she was 10 (that was our 3rd cruise). I didn't really know about checkout privileges before that and I really don't think I would have allowed it her 1st cruise. Now she knows the ships so well that we are both comfortable with it. I LOVE not having to go wait in line to pick her up. I agree with cruiser21 about being woken up at 1 AM, but at least I don't have to stay up and go check her out at 1 AM!

 

[pangyal]

Ah, I thought you all were talking about the phones they give you in the room. In no universe is he getting my phone to take to the kids club

 

[gotomu212]

At selfcheck out age tHey can go anywhere on the ship except the adult only areas (concierage lounge is fine). We’ve let my son check out since 8 and never had any concerns.

For us we have a rule that he’s not allowed in anyone else’s stateroom, he’s not allowed to bring any friends to our room, and when he’s in the room alone he puts the do not disturb sign out (that’s more for the staff since they can’t come into a room with a kid alone), and no going in the pools without us. We also ask that if he’s going somewhere for awhile he sends us a quick text (used to be writes a note in the stateroom) so we know that he’s in a movie, or going to the club.

 

[meliscan]

We made a rule that our son had to text us when he was going to leave the club and let us know his plans. Often he wanted to run out to eat something as he didn't want to eat in the club. He also thought it was so cool to go back to the room and hang out alone. It was a way for me to test his freedom in a relatively safe environment. I know no where is completely safe but the ship seems pretty safe to me. I think if you feel your son can understand your rules and follow them then follow your gut with what is best for your family.

 

[bigAWL]

Another comfort is knowing that on port days, a child cannot leave the ship without checking out with a parent from the same stateroom at the gangway.

One other consideration, if you give your child checkout privileges, is whether or not you want him to have purchasing privileges on his room card. Without it, he can get food and soft drinks from deck nine. With it, he can also get popcorn at the movie theater, smoothies from the bar, and souvenirs from the shops.

 

[gotomu212]

Another comfort is knowing that on port days, a child cannot leave the ship without checking out with a parent from the same stateroom at the gangway..

Just want to clarify that now during online check in you complete a section for your children and specify if they can leave/return to ship with another staterooms adults, leave/return to ship alone at all ports, leave/return to ship alone only at Castaway Cay, or can only leave/return with adult in your stateroom.

 

[bumbershoot]

Ah, I thought you all were talking about the phones they give you in the room. In no universe is he getting my phone to take to the kids club

We used an old no-SIM phone that could get WiFi. Set him up on the Navigator app.



Now, I didn’t actually let him do self checkout, but he would text us from the Lab when he wanted to go. Was far better in our experience than hoping thy called the wave phones. Because they called the ROOM phone the one time they felt there was an urgent need to contact us. We got that message when we all got back to the room hours later. They hadn’t let him eat because that’s what the message was about (“he says he’s vegetarian, is that true?”).


Anyway, I’d let him use an old phone with WiFi to contact you through the app when he goes some place. Maybe give him a waist pack or something to keep it in. My son wore cargo shorts with buttoned big pockets and kept his in there.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

We used an old no-SIM phone that could get WiFi. Set him up on the Navigator app.



Now, I didn’t actually let him do self checkout, but he would text us from the Lab when he wanted to go. Was far better in our experience than hoping thy called the wave phones. Because they called the ROOM phone the one time they felt there was an urgent need to contact us. We got that message when we all got back to the room hours later. They hadn’t let him eat because that’s what the message was about (“he says he’s vegetarian, is that true?”).


Anyway, I’d let him use an old phone with WiFi to contact you through the app when he goes some place. Maybe give him a waist pack or something to keep it in. My son wore cargo shorts with buttoned big pockets and kept his in there.

This. My niece had an ipod Touch that could get WiFi. Worked fine with the Navigator. Most any wi-fi capable device that can do apps will do. If you don't feel comfortable with him having your real phone, you don't want to give him the phone from the room either, because those carry like a $150 deposit if you break them or don't return them. Ouch!