Why Rush to Check Kids Into Clubs?

[kath1210]

I have been reading complaints about the time it takes to check kids into the kids' clubs, so I wonder why there is such a rush to do it? Does this have to be done before you board? Or before the emergency drill? Is it OK to check them in later in the evening or perhaps even the next morning?

I hate standing in long lines, (well, no one likes it!) so why rush? There must be something I am missing?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

[Serena6010]

There isn't really a rush to register Kids for Clubs. But you have to do it the 1st day. I usually checked in my son before the emergency drill and there was never a long line. But sometimes there is a line when you are trying to drop off your child at night.

 

[DrCavin]

Only one I can see someone needing to rush for is some who has a child in Flounders, since you have to reserve date/times. It took us about 10-15 minutes to fill out the paper-work & speak to a CM who gave us the pager. This was when they were only doing them onboard & not in the terminal. You only have to have them registered before you can use the service, so no need to rush IMO.

 

[allears]

Other than Flounders, there really isn't any need to rush or wait in long lines. They already know the number and ages of the kids on board. You can certailnly wait unitl there isn't such a crowd to register.

 

[mommasita]

There isn't really a rush to register Kids for Clubs. But you have to do it the 1st day. I usually checked in my son before the emergency drill and there was never a long line. But sometimes there is a line when you are trying to drop off your child at night.

Actually, you can register them at ANY point during the cruise..It does not have to be the first day. IT is just a good idea IMHO, because then they are well identified by name, and age, with a bracelet on them..

By booking children into the cruise, you are guaranteed a spot for them in the clubs..

To answer your original question, You are not missing anything, there is no rush...We are just a bunch of obsessive compulsive's here...At least I am..

 

[crisi]

Part of it is that you have time when you first board. Say you have first seating. You board the ship at noon, have lunch, swim - but have plenty of time to stand in a ten or twenty minute line (or do it when you aren't doing anything else in the terminal). Once the safety drill happens, you are going to be busy....There is the sail away party, then dinner. Your kids want to go to the club for their own sail away party, but you don't want to miss the show. A ten minute wait after dinner (and there often is a wait that first night as well) might well mean missing the first few minutes of the show if you've lingered over dinner.

We had lines to check kids into the club (when they were already registered) of five to ten minutes on a few occations - mostly because someone ahead of us hadn't registered yet....sometimes because that many kids were being checked in for a special event.

You can keep checking back until there is no line at all, or you can just plan to spend a few minutes in line when your schedule allows.

 

[kcashner]

There is no reason at all to rush to check into the club/lab/stack. Every kid on board is assurred of a spot, and there are no activities there until the evening.

IF you are there early and can register before boarding, it isn't a bad idea. However, if they are already boarding when you arrive, get on board and register later. Once on board, there are sometimes lines in the club, but rarely in the lab....you can register your child/children either place no matter what age. Remember that you need only one parent with the kids, but the kids do need to be with you so that they can get the wristbands.

We generally board, do Palo and Spa ressies as well as any dinner changes needed, then go to lunch. After lunch, there is plenty of time to register kids. If you have time, then go for a swim (put suits in your carry ons!), then time for safety drill......

 

[kath1210]

Thanks everyone! I am a recovering obsessive-compulsive myself and am trying to figure out ways to make this a stress-free vacation - at least as much as possible!

 

[markey]

We have been on 5 cruises. The best time I have found to register is right between the drill and the sail away party. In August there was no one there. Another suggestion, you can register the kids without them being there, however they cannot enter the clubs without the wristband. Take the kids with and get the wrist band. If you wait until the first drop off for the wristbands you probably will be waiting in line.

 

[musicgirl]

Also, I don't think there is even that much going on the first night is there?

 

[crisi]

Depends if you are on the three/four or seven night....what you consider "not much" is and what your kids consider "not much"

On the three and four day, one of the "big" shows is the first night (Hercules for ours, which turned out to be our favorite). There is a full programming schedule after the sailaway party. The kids clubs hold their own sail away party (one of the highlights of our cruise was my four year old daughter yelling "Mom, Lilo and Stitch taught me to HULA!" And then spending the cruise showing us the hula.)

On the longer cruises the first night show is (I believe) a variety show. The kids clubs are possibly MORE important, because friendships are made that first night and kids of a certain age can get cliquish really fast. There is still a full evening of programming.

 

[Heathercat]

I registered my daughters on the 2nd day...It was NO PROBLEM at all. I never had to wait to pick them up or sign them in....just my experience....

 

[Otisp]

I agree with just about everyone who says there's no rush to get the kids in the clubs. However, some have noted that it's not a bad idea to have them begin going to the clubs the first night instead of waiting until the next day after the cliques have started to form (that sounds meaner than it really is, but the general sense from our kids is that relationships do begin that first night).

 

[musicgirl]

Well, when we went on a 3 night, the only thing they had the first night was a movie. It totally turned off my nephew, 7 at the time. He wouldn't even go back.

Crisi, I'm a bit confused about the posting of the Variety Show and Hercules. Are you referring to the theather shows or what is going on in the kids clubs? My comment was strictly about the kid's club, not what was going on around the ship since the post was on rushing to the kid's club. Sorry for any confusion.

You can check out the navigators for the kids on the different cruises for the different ages. I just did a quick view on a 3 night and it says that there is a scheduled activity(mickey mania or the party) from 8:30-9:30 with the rest of the time arts/crafts or a movie depending on which age group.

So if you have the late dining like we did, you'll miss out on that one.

 

[cristit14]

We didn't have much of a wait at all last summer. We didn't board until about 2pm (DCL busses). Then we had a bite at the buffet and my DD and I went and got the paperwork. I took the paperwork back to the cabin to fill it out and then after the sailaway party we went back and turned it in. I think there was only one or two people in front of us at that time. My DD loved the first night there and the party that the Lab had. DS didn't really care anything about the first night though. I think he was just overwhelmed with everything though.

 

[crisi]

Crisi, I'm a bit confused about the posting of the Variety Show and Hercules. Are you referring to the theather shows or what is going on in the kids clubs? My comment was strictly about the kid's club, not what was going on around the ship since the post was on rushing to the kid's club. Sorry for any confusion.

Theatre shows.

Most sailings have a sail away party (according to the Navigators on Dave's site) in both the club and the lab the first evening. The movies start after that. In the club its from 7-9 (lab, according to the posted Navigator 8:30 to 10) - which means your kids are missing the theatre show (if you have first seating) to go. I'm surprised you didn't have one on your cruise.

 

[musicgirl]

Crisi, I think you have mis-read what I wrote.

Yes, I do know the theater shows (Hercules, Variety shows, etc.) begin on the first evening.

When I mentioned in my first post about there not being alot going on the 1st evening, I was referring to only the kids clubs. The original post is about the kids club sign ups.

I was confused about your comment because you mentioned things going on outside of the kids club. There is always alot going on (outside of the club/lab) all the time while onboard.

Yes, I understand that there is a party in the clubs on the first night as I mentioned in the last post. It was listed as 8:30-9:30 only in the one club with low key activities (movies, open exploration, arts and crafts) for the remainder of the evening.

And yes, occasionally activities will happen at the same time. As I stated, my nephew couldn't have gone to the kid's club sail away party because it was during dinner.

I'm really not trying to be difficult. It's just that with all the craziness of boarding, ressies if you want, unpacking, the drill, dinner, the main theater show etc., it seems like if you need to, you can wait until 1st the next morning to avoid the lines.

 

[crisi]

Of course you can, but someone had posted "nothing" was going on the first night. A lot goes on the first night (whether you choose to attend or can attend), both in the clubs and on the ship.