If you have gone on a cruise with kids in the kids club

[sunshineandpinot]

We did, a few years ago with 3 other couples so our kids had built in friends. Yes, we got a lot of adult time! In fact, on some of the days we planned to "play" with our kids they asked if they could go to kids club! Be my guest! Mom will just sit here and drink another bloody mary! I'm not a huge fan of cruising but it was a great experience and our daughter had a blast. She was 3 3/4. (gah, that seems so young now;)

[dellabear]

We went last year when DD was just over 3. She loved the kids club and wanted to spend tons of time there. Her grandparents, who were on the cruise with us, were not so happy about this but I was!

[cherry1111]

My kid screamed and cried when we tried to leave him and they called us to come back and get him after 20 minutes. We didn't try again. RIP lazy laying out and drinking umbrella drinks time.

[ginkgoleaf]

We did a Disney cruise last November when DS was 3.5. He loved the kids club and only ended up eating 2 of the 7 dinners with us, the rest were all in the kids club. It was great, we even left him to do an excursion without him with no problems.

[Pilsy]

Jul 29, 2015 22:33:40 GMT -5 cherry1111 said:

My kid screamed and cried when we tried to leave him and they called us to come back and get him after 20 minutes. We didn't try again. RIP lazy laying out and drinking umbrella drinks time.

Uggghhhh. That rots.

Poor child, poor you.

[auntie]

We did DCL when DS was almost 7. He hated the kids programming. He felt it was too school-like and structured. The staff did little to engage him and would call us to collect him within 20 minutes of dropping off.

It sucked.

[orval]

We did a short Carnival when ds was about 6. He went to the kids club after dinner every night for a few hours. I think there was a daytime activity he wanted to do as well that he did. We mostly hung out together during the day. He had fun.

[lishie]

We took the boys on a Disney Alaska cruise last year. We waited to do one until DS2 was 3 so they could both do the kids club. They loved it. DS1 never wanted to leave, he had so much fun. We thought the boys would stay together in the club, but they split up and each did their own thing, often each in a different club (they had two sections). On the sea days, we spent the morning together, would take the boys to the club after lunch, then do a mixology or wine tasting class, hang out, pick the boys up and take them to dinner, and then we'd either see a show together or take them back to go see a movie---most nights they wanted to go back to the club and we had the evening alone.

On port days we usually did activities as a family, though our last port day DS1 wanted to go to the club while we explored the port, he loved the kids club that much. I wasn't comfortable with that, so he came with us.

We're doing Disney Aulani next year. I hope they love Aunty's beach house just as much, so we can have lots of time to relax at the resorts the days we don't go out to sight see.

[buckeyegirl]

We just got back from the freedom of the seas on Sunday. Our DS is a little over 3. We had intended to leave him in kids club every evening for some adult time. He cried, screamed, and made me feel absolutely guilty. He wound up going three times for about Two hours each but each time took an hour of coaxing and bribing before he would go. We went last year and left him in the nursery several times at two and he did great.

[dcrunnergirl52]

We did a Disney cruise in May when DD and DS1 were 4.5-years old, and they LOVED the kids club. DS1 didn't want to leave right from the start. The first two days, DD called us within the hour, but then after that, she never wanted to leave either. DS2 was almost 2 years old, and he liked the nursery but cried for the first 20 minutes every time we dropped him off. But, after that, he did great. We even left him for a full day while we took the older kids to the beach in Jamaica.

As for the older two, they spent several hours each day in the kids club, and DS2 in the nursery. For example, we sent them to the kids club and nursery when were in port in Cozumel when DH went diving and I lounged around on the adult deck. They did something similar on our two days at sea...we took them swimming for a bit from like 9-11am in the morning and then sent them to the kids club/nursery from 11am-3pm while DH and I relaxed. DS2 basically went to the nursery for every nap time. He wouldn't nap in the room, but he'd pass out in the nursery cribs, so it worked out. Then DD and DS1 would go to the kids every night after dinner and the family dance party for a few hours while we put DS2 to bed.

DH and I definitely felt like we got time to ourselves and relax, for the first time in years. So much so that we've already booked another cruise for November 2016. And, DD and DS1 still talk about the kids club. During prayers at night sometime, they pray they can go back to the kids club someday.

[arch01]

Jul 30, 2015 7:15:31 GMT -5 buckeyegirl said:

We just got back from the freedom of the seas on Sunday. Our DS is a little over 3. We had intended to leave him in kids club every evening for some adult time. He cried, screamed, and made me feel absolutely guilty. He wound up going three times for about Two hours each but each time took an hour of coaxing and bribing before he would go. We went last year and left him in the nursery several times at two and he did great.

Were you on there when it caught fire? 

[arch01]

Following. We're going on Oasis in February, I don't anticipate DS having any issues but we'll see.

[ginkgoleaf]

Fwiw, I think if your kids are used to going to daycare/preschool, they'll have an easier time getting dropped off there.

[redheadbaker]

We're going on the Oasis next August (2016), and I hope DS will go to the kids club a few times.

[buckeyegirl]

Jul 30, 2015 7:35:26 GMT -5 arch01 said:

Jul 30, 2015 7:15:31 GMT -5 buckeyegirl said:

We just got back from the freedom of the seas on Sunday. Our DS is a little over 3. We had intended to leave him in kids club every evening for some adult time. He cried, screamed, and made me feel absolutely guilty. He wound up going three times for about Two hours each but each time took an hour of coaxing and bribing before he would go. We went last year and left him in the nursery several times at two and he did great.

Were you on there when it caught fire? 

Yes we were on it when it caught fire. That was a new experience and one I hope I don't have to relive. 

[arch01]

Jul 30, 2015 8:47:08 GMT -5 buckeyegirl said:

Jul 30, 2015 7:35:26 GMT -5 arch01 said:

Were you on there when it caught fire? 

Yes we were on it when it caught fire. That was a new experience and one I hope I don't have to relive. 

I can't imagine how crazy that must've been! Glad everything ended up OK.

[buckeyegirl]

Actually the ship and workers were very organized and calm. The captain kept us up to date of what was going on. It just sucked to lose half a day in port.

[origami]

My kids were 4 when we went on a 5-day RC cruise. They went to the kids club for a 1/2 day, the day at sea. I originally planned to put them in the club every day for a 1/2 day, so DH & I could go on excursions without them. But then I found out the excursions on our cruise were long. Like 8 hrs+. So I couldn't go through it. We took them on the excursions and it was actually kind of fun with them. My kids are used to preschool, so dropoff wasn't terrible. They were not happy to go there but they did have a good time once they were there. They probably would have gone for a 1/2 day every day without too much of a fuss. If they had not been used to dropoffs I think they would have flipped out. The dropoff area didn't look fun. No toys were out and you couldn't see where the other kids were playing. I think they thought they were being left in a boring office-type space. But the workers seemed good and within 5-10 min (when I checked on them) were having fun. They LOVED the rest of the ship.