Teens at castaway cay

[westjones]

Can teens go on and off the ship at Castaway Cay by themselves? Our twins are 15 1/2 and we were going to let them go to the teen beach by themselves while we go to the adult beach, but we will probably want to return to the ship before them. But I didn't know if we needed to be with them to go on and off the ship.

Thanks,
DJ

 

[Kphelps16]

The night before, if they're up in the Stack or Aloft, then they will be able to get this permission slip type forms, that you sign that says they can get on and off by themselves.
Alternatively they also have these down when you get off of the ship and you can fill them out while you both get off or if they get off after you (I know personally that us teens like to sleep in, especially after a late night in the club! lol).
I hope this helps, and that you have a great trip!

 

[westjones]

Thanks! I didn't know about the form. I will be sure to tell them about it so they bring it to us to fill out. I'm glad they can do this because I know I will want to return to the ship by early afternoon and they will want to stay as long as the rest of the teens are there.
DJ

 

[Jillpie]

I know you didn't ask this, but I thought I'd let you know about this as we have 3 teenagers...if you are wondering if your kids are back on the ship or whether they are still on the island, you can simply go down to where you board and ask them to check their computer and they can tell if their card has been scanned or not. I panicked one day, not knowing if my kids got back on the ship, and I just asked the staff when I boarded on CC and it was a simple computer check, very easy. Have a fantastic cruise, your kids will LOVE it.

 

[Melrosgirl]

I'm sure it won't be a problem.

My 11 year old was on Castaway Cay in the Ocean Quest club (doing activities with them). I told her to meet me in our meeting spot after it was over. At 3 p.m., when the activities were over, she never showed up. We waited and waited. I had her room key, so I knew she wasn't on the ship.

Wrong.

I got a beep at 3:30 (they gave me a beeper for my 4 year old) and the beeper said "FYI she (dd 11) is back in the stateroom on the ship" !!

HUH? How was that possible? I had her room key.

Turns out, according to dd, after kids' club, she told the camp counselor that she was to meet me (remember they all have sign in and sign out privileges) and the counselor said it was easier to just go back on the ship. Counselor told the security people to let her on, they did. Then counselor got guest services to open our stateroom door for her.

I found that very strange. I'm still confused by it.

 

[westjones]

I know you didn't ask this, but I thought I'd let you know about this as we have 3 teenagers...if you are wondering if your kids are back on the ship or whether they are still on the island, you can simply go down to where you board and ask them to check their computer and they can tell if their card has been scanned or not. I panicked one day, not knowing if my kids got back on the ship, and I just asked the staff when I boarded on CC and it was a simple computer check, very easy. Have a fantastic cruise, your kids will LOVE it.

Thanks that is really good to know! I am a bit nervous about it, but I do have twins, and they will stay together, and I am really looking forward to going to the adult beach (this is our 9th cruise, but we have always stayed together).

It is nice to know we can check on them. At least they have been there 8 times before and they know where everything is, and we have the same stateroom that we have had on the last 5 cruises. So hopefully things go smoothly.

DJ

 

[westjones]

I'm sure it won't be a problem.

My 11 year old was on Castaway Cay in the Ocean Quest club (doing activities with them). I told her to meet me in our meeting spot after it was over. At 3 p.m., when the activities were over, she never showed up. We waited and waited. I had her room key, so I knew she wasn't on the ship.

Wrong.

I got a beep at 3:30 (they gave me a beeper for my 4 year old) and the beeper said "FYI she (dd 11) is back in the stateroom on the ship" !!

HUH? How was that possible? I had her room key.

Turns out, according to dd, after kids' club, she told the camp counselor that she was to meet me (remember they all have sign in and sign out privileges) and the counselor said it was easier to just go back on the ship. Counselor told the security people to let her on, they did. Then counselor got guest services to open our stateroom door for her.

I found that very strange. I'm still confused by it.

I think that sounds strange too! But at least she was safe. Perhaps they have had problems with people leaving kids on the island and they thought this was one of those situations.

 

[westjones]

Hey, we just got back, and it worked out great having the girls go back on the ship when they were ready. I got the form from the front desk and turned it in at the gangway when we all went off together. We walked them over to the teen beach but that was the last we saw of them until they returned to the ship.

This was our 9th Disney cruise but the first when my kids were in the teen club (when they were 13 I made them stay in the Lab and then we skipped the year they were 14 because I was still not ready for them to be in the teen club). They had the BEST cruise ever and I think 15 is the perfect age for the teen club. We even booked again for next year (I hadn't planned to do that, but I know in a couple more years they won't care for the teen program).

I really wasn't expecting them to like it so much, but they loved it so much! I think a lot had to do with them making friends (I know that had a lot to do with it).

So anyway, thanks for the info everyone, and for anyone taking teens for the first time, I can just go by my girls, but they loved it.
DJ

 

[kcashner]

Kids can get back ON the ship at any time if they have KTTW card. They don't need a parent to get ON, just to get OFF. Kid to get off will either need adult of permission form.

Above of counselor getting kid back onto ship without KTTW has me puzzled too.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

I'm sure it won't be a problem.

My 11 year old was on Castaway Cay in the Ocean Quest club (doing activities with them). I told her to meet me in our meeting spot after it was over. At 3 p.m., when the activities were over, she never showed up. We waited and waited. I had her room key, so I knew she wasn't on the ship.

Wrong.

I got a beep at 3:30 (they gave me a beeper for my 4 year old) and the beeper said "FYI she (dd 11) is back in the stateroom on the ship" !!

HUH? How was that possible? I had her room key.

Turns out, according to dd, after kids' club, she told the camp counselor that she was to meet me (remember they all have sign in and sign out privileges) and the counselor said it was easier to just go back on the ship. Counselor told the security people to let her on, they did. Then counselor got guest services to open our stateroom door for her.

I found that very strange. I'm still confused by it.

Wow that's so weird!
But you brought up a point I was really wondering about...
I knew they had the club/lab on CC and I knew they have the teen beach (along with an excursion just for teens- which my daughter has done before and will do again) but I was kinda wondering what those in the OQ do. I didn't figure they go in scuttles cove and they can't go to the teen beach and can't do the teen wild side due to their age... so I wondered what THEY do? the middle aged kids just have to hang with their parents all day? I was kinda concerned we STILL wouldn't be able to make it to the adult beach -again!

So the 11yr olds (-13yr olds) do have activities with the OQ counselors while on CC?

 

[kcashner]

Wow that's so weird!
But you brought up a point I was really wondering about...
I knew they had the club/lab on CC and I knew they have the teen beach (along with an excursion just for teens- which my daughter has done before and will do again) but I was kinda wondering what those in the OQ do. I didn't figure they go in scuttles cove and they can't go to the teen beach and can't do the teen wild side due to their age... so I wondered what THEY do? the middle aged kids just have to hang with their parents all day? I was kinda concerned we STILL wouldn't be able to make it to the adult beach -again!

So the 11yr olds (-13yr olds) do have activities with the OQ counselors while on CC?

All age groups have activities. The Stack group had the Wild Side excursion (supervised) if desired....parents can sign permission slip for kid to get off ship with counselor. On our cruise, the teen group arranged to have lunch together, but the counselors made it clear that this was NOT a supervised part of the activity. Suggest that you plan a meeting time/place if your teen does this. Also activities on teen beach--counselors are there but it really isn't supervised. The kids can come and go as they please.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

All age groups have activities. The Stack group had the Wild Side excursion (supervised) if desired....parents can sign permission slip for kid to get off ship with counselor. On our cruise, the teen group arranged to have lunch together, but the counselors made it clear that this was NOT a supervised part of the activity. Suggest that you plan a meeting time/place if your teen does this. Also activities on teen beach--counselors are there but it really isn't supervised. The kids can come and go as they please.

I've been thru the "teen" stuff and teen beach with my daughter- but our younger two were still in lab and club ages.... it's my son now in OQ age that had me concerned what he'd be doing. Granted we usually end up spending the whole day together at the beach (this last time the only different being our teen doing the excursion and then at the teen beach without us) but THIS time we were hoping to do that earlier half of the day, have lunch with them and then somehow get away from them so we can finally see the adult beach for the first time! LOL I started thinking uhoh, what about our 11yr old son? Too young for teen excursion/teen beach- too old for scuttles cove since not in the lab anymore. That was the only thing that worried me- I wasn't sure how I'd feel about him just being left alone at the beach-although he is a strong swimmer still...yanno? If they have some activities he can participate in that would primarily just be giving him something to do- not that I'd expect them to watch him like a hawk. Simlar to how OQ is on the ship- it's a place they can go and do things but the counselors even there don't keep them from leaving OQ. Yanno?

I'm glad to hear they have some activities on the island!

 

[lbgraves]

I have not dealt with teens yet...it's been challenging enough up until now for me so no rush either ...but I find the fact that the CM saw to it that the child was safely back in the room a bit of a comfort that they followed through and didn't just get the kid onboard and then expect them to get to the room safely by themselves. Also, responsible that they followed up with a message to the younger child's pager. I have read posts about the CMs for the OQ and Stack age groups not being so conscientious about sending pages to parents.

 

[We Love Tinkerbell]

This will be the first cruise that DD is old enough for the teen club. I am so glad to read that everything works out well with them getting back on the ship. (I had visions of a missing child waving to me from the dock at CC ).

I do have a question about storing their KTTW card. What is the best way for them to carry it. I know they sell small hard plastic containers for this type of thing. It this the "best bet"?

Also, does anyone have experience with the "wild side" excursion on CC. My DD is interested.

Thanks for the help

 

[westjones]

This will be the first cruise that DD is old enough for the teen club. I am so glad to read that everything works out well with them getting back on the ship. (I had visions of a missing child waving to me from the dock at CC ).

I do have a question about storing their KTTW card. What is the best way for them to carry it. I know they sell small hard plastic containers for this type of thing. It this the "best bet"?

Also, does anyone have experience with the "wild side" excursion on CC. My DD is interested.

Thanks for the help

About the KTTW, it was a battle that I just gave up on. My DDs did not want to use laynards (what they had used on the last 8 cruises). They stuck their cards in the tops of their shorts which is not the safest thing, but somehow they never lost them. I think they carried them a lot too, like how kids carry cell phones all the time (and on the ship they didn't have their cell phones, so I guess the card replaced that).

My kids didn't do the excursion at CC (they didn't want to, I offered to let them). They just went over to the teen beach when they got off the ship (which was around 10:00 am I think--one of my DDs did the 5K with DH and they came back on board and met me and my other DD for breakfast). They played volleyball most of the day I think and just hung out.

DJ

 

[kcashner]

DD liked the bikes and the kayaking...didn't like the snorkeling. The deal with the snorkeling on the Wild Side is that they only have the equipment for one hour (not all day like the regular rental). HOwever, on future trips, she didn't want to do it again. It rather depended on the kids that she'd met on the cruise and what they were interested in. Hanging out on the teen beach was great. Say "sunscreen" about 500 times that morning!

They won't leave Castaway with an underaged person not on board.

As to KTTW, wherever they want to carry them. They don't like the lanyards, and not all clothes have pockets. I figure if she can handle school, she can handle a KTTW card.

 

[westjones]

Say "sunscreen" about 500 times that morning!

OMG! YES!!!!! Both of my DD's got so burned on the back of their arms and legs. They would spray the sunblock on the front parts and I guess they thought they were getting the back, but they didn't. I told them they should have done it for each other on the back or gotten someone to spray it for them. The sad part is they were exhausted the rest of the day from their sunburns. We were on the 4 night which has a day at sea after the CC visit, so they were back up and about the next day, but we actually got to bed at a decent time the day we were at CC due to their sunburns. I felt bad for them though because our cruise was so short and they were having so much fun in the Aloft, it was a shame for them to miss an evening there.

So YES!!!! Remind them to put on SUNBLOCK and remind them to put it on the back too! They will regret it if they don't!

DJ