Wristband for kids?

[ruadisneyfan2]

I was just wondering if DCL gives kids wristbands. We've only cruised with Carnival (3x) and all kids under a certain age, 14 I think, wore a waterproof wristband with their muster station on it. If they were in the kids club, they would be reunited with their family in case of emergency. It had no name, age, cabin #; just muster station. Thanks!

 

[Vanvmom]

I can't speak for the WOnder, but on the Magic the kids in the club (not the lab) wore a Radio Frequency Location bracelet (or they could wear it on their ankle). It had their name and other information on it as well. They just tap the locator as they go in and out of the clubs. DCL's children's program is very well staffed. I don't worry at all about my younger son being reunited in case of an emergency.

The ones I worry about are the 8-12's that have sign out privlidges from the Lab. I made sure mine knew what to do if he was not in the lab and heard the emergency signal, but only an actual emergency would tell for sure if he would remember during a crisis. I know my teen knew what to do.

 

[*love*2*shop]

YES< both my kids ( at the time 4 and 6) had bracelets and the DCL has VERY strict secure sign in/ sign out policies and cast membersd at desks ..I had NO WORRIES AT ALL (* and we have a son who is ad/hd and NEVER HAd a PROBLEM@@@)

 

[Dsnylndlvrs]

My 10 year old never had a bracelet ID of any kind when we were on the Magic. We didn't give her sign out priveleges until about the 5th day. Perhaps the bracelets are for 9 and under?

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

thanks everyone,
I just worry that my kids won't remember where their muster station is. Ds9 will be 10 right before we sail. I don't mind him being able to sign himself out. He's an experienced cruiser and makes it a point to learn his way around the ship ASAP. I just assumed he have something to remind him where to go.
Does DCL give out pocket size maps of the ship, as in what's on each deck? He liked to keep it in his pocket to help navigate.

 

[kcashner]

I've never seen pocket sized maps of the ship, but there are maps at each elevator and stairway as well as in the book in your stateroom.

 

[goofyforlife]

My 10 year old never had a bracelet ID of any kind when we were on the Magic. We didn't give her sign out priveleges until about the 5th day. Perhaps the bracelets are for 9 and under?

Once they have sign out priveleges = NO BRACELET

 

[Dsnylndlvrs]

Once they have sign out priveleges = NO BRACELET

I'm assuming you mean that once they're old enough to have sign out priveleges (even if they don't officially have those priveleges), that they get no bracelet, correct? For the first five days of our cruise, my 10 year old was on the books with the lab staff (and with a special sticker on her KTTW card)as having no sign out priveleges, but still didn't have the bracelet.

 

[Vanvmom]

Bracelets are for the kids in the Club, not the lab (regardless of the sign out priviledges of the children in the lab). Sign out priviledges are indicated by the sticker placed on the lab child's KTTW. Even when you do the on-line registration you still need to check them into the children's programming either at the port or first day on the ship to get their sticker that indicates your choice for sign-in/out priviledges. If you do not do this, they can not sign themselves out (even if you said it was okay when you did your on-line registration).

 

[poohssmum]

Is the "no wristband" for the 10 and up group something new? We cruised in November 2005 and had a 10yo in our group. He had a wristband even though he also had sign-out priviledges We'll be cruising in April and my oldest will be 10, the youngest 7 ... can just imagine the hullaballoo if one has to wear the bracelet and the other doesn't

 

[goofyforlife]

Bracelets are for the kids in the Club, not the lab (regardless of the sign out priviledges of the children in the lab). Sign out priviledges are indicated by the sticker placed on the lab child's KTTW. Even when you do the on-line registration you still need to check them into the children's programming either at the port or first day on the ship to get their sticker that indicates your choice for sign-in/out priviledges. If you do not do this, they can not sign themselves out (even if you said it was okay when you did your on-line registration).

They must change procedures occasionally. DD was 11 when she sailed Sept 04. That was the first time we gave her priveleges. CM told me either sticker to get out or she gets a bracelet and no getting out.... DD was 9 in July 02 the time we cruised prior to that and in the lab and had a bracelet.

 

[cindalu]

We just got off the Magic on Sat and two of my DD's had to wear the bracelets with the locator. My 10 year old did not. When I signed them in at the port the person who signed them in told me it was something they were testing.


HTH

 

[Vanvmom]

Correct, they are testing the locator. The bracelet has been around for a while (just without the locator). On our 7/2005 cruise our middle son was 8 (bumped up to the lab and not in the club) and did not wear a bracelet. He had sign out priviledges as his older brother did too (and they were to always stay together). DCL paged us whenever they left the lab with the location on the ship the boys were headed to so we could meet them there. Giving them revocable sign-out priviledges just made things easier for our family when we were meeting up for a meal.

On our 11/2006 Magic cruise, friends we were traveling with did not give their 10 year old sign out priviledges and he did not wear a bracelet (they just did not put the sticker on his KTTW). Now maybe they made a mistake, and he should have been wearing a bracelet, but no one ever said anything.

 

[ldeninge]

What about the babies/toddlers in Flounders? Do they have locator bands, too? Also, do DCL staff ever take them out of the nursery?
thanks!

 

[flexsmom]

No wristbands for Flounders, but they don't take the children anywhere, either. At least, not when we used it.

 

[yellownovawife]

What do these young kids (8-12) do when they sign themselves out? I am just asking because I would not let my daughter roam around our town all alone and so I would not let her roam around the ship all alone. The ship is huge! I am sure she is capable of finding her way around but it is still huge and full of strangers. If she had a same-age friend or cousing travelling with her and they made a specific plan with me in advance that would be fine but on her own? No way!

 

[Vanvmom]

In the mornings we reviewed the Navigator to determine which activities they were going to do. When the activities were over they checked themselves out and met us where we'd determined to meet. They enjoyed the freedom of not having to wait for mom or dad to come get them, and so did we! Not once on either cruise did we have a problem with our boys checking themselves out at a time we'd not already agreed upon. We know this because the lab paged us when the boys checked out, together. Occasionally we would let them go to a movie together without us, and on our most recent cruise our middle son would sometimes go to Ocean Quest (which does not sign in or out- it is purely drop in), and would stay in there until the time we'd agreed to meet.

I don't let them even go to the park alone at home, but checking themselves out and going up 4 flight of stairs to meet us on deck 9, or down 3 flights to meet us at our room was perfectly acceptable to us. They were together, and are very responsible kids (they know we have HIGH expectations of their behavior, and they've yet to do anything that would make us not trust them). If and when they ever do break our trust... we'll have to re-assess our game plan. I know as a kid I didn't do anything I knew my parents would not trust until I was out on my own at 18, and by then... they may have to pay for their own cruise!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

What do these young kids (8-12) do when they sign themselves out?

ds9 only wanted to go to the kids club for 1 activity while we ate dinner. When the club moved on to the next activity, he signed himself out, went back to the cabin and watched cartoons until dinner was over.
It's not that he wants the freedom to roam the ship, he just doesn't like to feel stuck in the club doing an activity he doesn't enjoy. He only s/o once but then again it wasn't DCL and didn't spend a lot of time at the club anyway.
Now, ds6 is another story. He won't be alone for 2 mins. until he's at least 25! lol!

 

[yellownovawife]

In the mornings we reviewed the Navigator to determine which activities they were going to do. When the activities were over they checked themselves out and met us where we'd determined to meet. They enjoyed the freedom of not having to wait for mom or dad to come get them, and so did we! Not once on either cruise did we have a problem with our boys checking themselves out at a time we'd not already agreed upon. We know this because the lab paged us when the boys checked out, together. Occasionally we would let them go to a movie together without us, and on our most recent cruise our middle son would sometimes go to Ocean Quest (which does not sign in or out- it is purely drop in), and would stay in there until the time we'd agreed to meet.

I don't let them even go to the park alone at home, but checking themselves out and going up 4 flight of stairs to meet us on deck 9, or down 3 flights to meet us at our room was perfectly acceptable to us. They were together, and are very responsible kids (they know we have HIGH expectations of their behavior, and they've yet to do anything that would make us not trust them). If and when they ever do break our trust... we'll have to re-assess our game plan. I know as a kid I didn't do anything I knew my parents would not trust until I was out on my own at 18, and by then... they may have to pay for their own cruise!

Thanks for your response. Of course it sounds perfectly reasonable - especially when there are two together and you know where they are going and what they are doing. I guess I just had visions of all these kids running around the ship unsupervised and doing whatever they want.

 

[lindaso]

We were on the Magic last month and were told that any child 10 and older did not have to wear a bracelet. Although my 4 year old refused to wear one so he didn't have any ID on him but he was with us at all times.