Secure Kids Club

We just got off the Disney Dream and was very impressed with the security of getting in and out of the kids club. Traveled with our almost 10 year old son who have autism. We were hesitant about cruising because we feared he would wander off, climb over railing and fall over board. After witnessing the right security of the Disney Dream, do other cruise lines have similar measures to keep kids in the kids club? Also, at age 10 or higher, can we restrict his ability to sign himself out on other cruise lines? Lastly, our youngest son is 6 and is typical, do other cruise lines allows both my boys to be in the same age group? My youngest looks out for his older brother. Thank you. Looking at other options since Disney is not cheap.

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One of the things that sets Disney apart from most of the other cruise lines is that they tend to have the widest age range of any cruise line in their kids clubs. This is perfect for your situation, and for intergenerational family cruises in which the cousins want to go to the same kids club group but creates problems mostly for the 3-5 year olds who sometimes are overwhelmed by being in a kids club with so much older children. Due to the wide age range, Disney kids clubs tend to be less structured than others.

You can contact the special needs department of different lines to see if they'd let your older child age down into his brother's group. If you don't get the answer you need, you are most likely to see them together if you find cruises that typically don't attract families in which there are very few children onboard and then the kids clubs will have all ages combined. Our first cruise was the Panama Canal on Princess. It's 10 days, and we left on January 3rd. The previous cruise over new years had a ton of kids, but ours had only 9. The children of all ages - including my 2 year old - were all in one room together. So you'd be aiming for longer cruises during the school year.

Princess puts 8-12 year olds together, which might not work for you now but I think might be an option for your children two years for now, depending on their birthdays. NCL's website says they combine ages 6-12 on cruises with few children, but I don't know if they can guarantee ahead of time which cruises this will happen for.

Another possibility might be that some cruise lines will let the parents stay - I was able to stay with my 2 year old on Cunard. It wasn't worth the stress of drop off at night (he was sad for 5 minutes during the transition so if I was only going to be there a half hour, I'd just go with him and watch him play.)

Once a child is old enough to be in the clubs, NO parents are allowed in. They may come to the door to pick up their child, after verifying that it IS their child... If you child is of age to "sign out" on their own, you have to authorize that privilege.....it's not automatic, especially if your child is autistic or challenged.

Some ships do allow parents and babies time to play together, but they are not mixed in with the rest of the kids. No worries! They take their child care duties VERY seriously!

I am more interested in the security of kids getting in and out. It appears only Disney groups all the ages together which is nice but he doesn't have to be with his brother.

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I know NCL is tight, parents are not allowed in the clubs at all, and you have to be on the list to pick up your child, with your pass. 10 - 12 year olds can be given permission to sign out (after being in the club for 2 hours), but can’t if you don’t give permission.

Once they are teens, the clubs are more of meeting places, no one controls coming and going.

Carnival is tight thru age 11. I like that they seperate age groups, but on quieter days, the groups get together for planned activities. We don't give our camp ocean aged kids sign in/out privleges and we like the way that Carnival requires that you be on the pick up list and that they check ID.

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Carnival is tight thru age 11. I like that they seperate age groups, but on quieter days, the groups get together for planned activities. We don't give our camp ocean aged kids sign in/out privleges and we like the way that Carnival requires that you be on the pick up list and that they check ID.

 

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We also like Carnival's security and I think it is the norm through all cruise lines when it comes to checking the kids out. I know on Carnival once they are 9 you can give sign out privleges, but don't have to. We have also found that most of the time ages 2-5 are together, then 6-11 are together. On our last cruise the Penguins (2-5) were on one side of the area divided off by walls and Stingrays (6-9) and Sharks (10-11) were in the same area. Worked well for our 6 year old that tends to play with older kids most of the time.

On RCCL we had to provide names & cabin numbers of those able to pick up DD (6 at the time). There was a gate with a computer by it. Parents could walk up as far as the gate, but not enter it. You provided your ship card. They swiped it and confirmed you were on the list (and looked at the photo to make sure it was you).

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Thank you for information on RCCL. It is good to hear they too use a gate and computer like Disney. I am mainly interested to make sure there is no way out except with parents coming to sign him out.

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Thank you for information on RCCL. It is good to hear they too use a gate and computer like Disney. I am mainly interested to make sure there is no way out except with parents coming to sign him out.

 

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Carnival has gates as well that lock.

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Thank you for the information about Carnival.

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NCL also has you make a password which must be given to pick up child. Must also have your sail card and childs

Princess you must be buzzed in and they scan your card as well as make you sign to pick up or drop off your child (you must be on a list) When you check them in they give you a buzzer so they can get ahold of you if they need to. I think it's around age 8 or 9 when you can choose to allow them sign in (or out, or both) privileges (last time we allowed our son to sign himself in but not out) Princess takes it's kids club security seriously!