kids crew age cut-off

[mikenpat]

Hi everyone,
Have an important question on my mind.
we are going on cruise in August. My son will be 12 a the time but he is going to turn 13 in November. He is worried about being too old for the kids crew and wants to see if he can get into the teen group seeing as he is so very close to being 13. Can he do it? has anyone else tried or failed? What do you think?
Thanks!

Bermuda Bound!
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[margu1241]

Have been on two cruises with my 15yo and 12 yo (who will be 13 in September). They are coming with us this summer. I don't think I would want my younger one to be in the teen group-the kids are enough older that they may be into things that you don't want your child talking about (I am not talking about drugs and alcohol, just general behaviour, particularly with the opposite sex). I wouldn't even consider allowing mine to move up. He wouldn't even ask-his sister would KILL him!
Patty

ALOHA! Pride of America 7/18
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[mikenpat]

Thanks for the response. I actually started to think about that after I posted the question but it is kind of a sticky issue with my son. He is not into girls (just yet) but I can see what you mean. Some teens may be into more advanced things than he and he does not need any sex ed classes at sea! My thoughts were based upon him feeling too young to hang out with the younger kids. Again, thanks....

Bermuda Bound!
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[cruisepro19]

Hi there,

I actually worked in the Kids Crew on the M/S Norwegian Star. The age group he would be in is 10-12... trust me.... there will be many kids his age in his group. There is a big difference in the activites in these two age groups.

In the teen group, the teens are free to come and go during the different activities. We had activites such as Battle of the Sexes, Karoke night, and there was a Teen Disco every night which ran from about 11pm - 1am or so. Quite a few weeks the teens that came were about 15-17 years of age.

In the 10-12 group, there is scheduled programming time for example 9-12, 2-5pm, 7-10pm. Some of the activites included, video games, movies, karoke, pizza making, ice cream sundae making, basketball etc. Sometimes the Youth Staff will take them to the shows onboard like a Magic Show or one of the Theatre Shows. The activites are very geared towards this age group. If they come to a session, they can only come and go if their parent/guardian sign them "in" and/or "out".

NCL is pretty strict on age groups. I know that parents and children worry at that age that they will be playing little kids games or something, but most people end up pleasantly surprised. NCL will know the age of your son and will know by the master paperwork they get, so there is no point in lying about his age. People always get caught.

I hope this helps!

[cortray]

Hi Cruisepro19:

I have a question that you may be able to answer.

My son will be 19months old next month when we go on NCL Dawn. I know he's too young for the Kids Crew, but can I take him there when it's quiet or off hours and let him play with the toys, etc?

[margu1241]

Cruisepro19,
Do I take it from your posting to mean that the 10-12 age group must be signed out by the parents? I have been on RCCL and Carnival and both allowed the kids in this age group to sign themselves out with parental permission.
Please clarify if you can.
Thanks,
Patty

Pride of Aloha
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[mikenpat]

cruisepro19, thank you for your input. I hope you are correct and we are surprised. Your comments have answered our question but I also would like the same answer as the post above. Can my 12 year old leave on his own and enter when he wants? We want him to be able to explore and make some choices on his own.

Thanks again

Bermuda Bound!
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[MidtheNight]

Last time we were on the Sun (that was 2 years ago) I believe it was "over age 10" that was allowed to sign in and out by themselves.

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Sailin' on the Wind 5/29/04

[mikenpat]

thanks midthenight...
glad to hear it.

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[margu1241]

Nina,
Are you saying that they only had one group for age 6-12? According to their website, there should be 2 separate groups:

First Mates (ages 6-8) Onboard NCL, First Mates participate in wacky cooking classes, decorative T-shirt painting, sing-alongs, and poolside root beer float parties. The "Kid's Crew™ Program" program also coordinates on-shore activities including a treasure hunt and sandcastle building competition on NCL’s private island.

Navigators (ages 9-12) Navigators test their skill at Sega and video games, and search for treasures on scavenger hunts. Evenings are filled with pajama parties, movies, and camp-outs with flashlights and tents.

I know that you had problems with getting a correct answer from their website, so was wondering if this from the website was true, or if the age breakdown can vary from ship to ship and depending on the number of kids on board. My 12 yo is not going to be a happy camper with 6 year olds, but I was under the impression that it is not simple to just move them up. Besides that, his 14 yo sister might not be too thrilled!

I am curious to hear the rest of your review.

Patty

Pride of Aloha
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[Tomct]

Just a note on moving a 12 yr. old into the teen group.

1.) Some teens on our cruise ending yesterday, were able to buy some alcohol in the Bahamas, and partied a bit too much with it Saturday night. Based on some 3rd party info, they did lots of damage on the ship including smased lights on the elevators, and broken railings about the ship. Due to the high volume of security cameras around ship, they did catch some of the culprits, and their families were assessed damages.

2.) I was in a hot tub with some young teens on Friday, and a 13 yr. old girl asked me if my other cruises were better. She complained of not having anything to do. I asked if she had been to any of the shows, and she said "no", but her father had been called to the stage in the magician's show. I asked bout the many TV game shows performed, and again it was no. Same for other organized activities for teens. I happened to have coffee in Java Cafe with the hotel director on Saturday, and discussed the young ladies plight. They can only make these things available, and it's up to the passengers to make the most of it.

The bottom line to both of these situations is the background, upbringing, interests, and attitude of each youngster, just as it is with us adults. Everyone is different, and there is always the half full, half empty analogy. and with bringing up our kids, a lot has to do with who they hang around with, and a lot of luck!!

Tom/Connecticut

[eric-n-beth]

On our Sun March 21st cruise age groups were broken up (2-5yr,6-9yrs,10-12yrs,and teens). It might depend on how many kids are on board. Total the week of our sailing was 280 under the age of 18.

Eric and Beth

Seaward (Norwegian Sea) - Southern Caribbean - 1995
Norway - Eastern Caribbean - 2001
Sea Princess - Mexican Riviera - 2002
Norwegian Sun - Western Caribbean - 2004

Hoping our next cruise is in:

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[cortray]

Would anyone know the answer to my question?

My son will be 19months old next month when we go on NCL Dawn. I know he's too young for the Kids Crew, but can I take him there when it's quiet or off hours and let him play with the toys, etc?

[ninafromct]

Cortray,

You will not be able to use the kids facilities. When the program is not running (which is most of the time), the kids rooms are locked and unmanned and the counselors are off tending to other duties. They informed us very clearly not to be late picking up the children as they had "other things to do" and couldn't wait for us.

No tagline, on the grounds that it may incriminate me.

[cortray]

Thank you ninafromct,

Bummer...

However, I plan to bring a ton of his own toys (and new ones) and make sure he doesn't see that room or else I'm in big trouble. He'll have plenty to keep him occupied anyway, since my parents, in-laws and brother are going on our same cruise.

[cortray]

Thanks ninafromct,

Bummer...

However, I plan to bring a ton of his own toys (and new ones) and make sure he doesn't see that room or else I'm in big trouble. He'll have plenty to keep him occupied anyway, since my parents, in-laws and brother are going on our same cruise.

[cortray]

Oops, sorry about the stuttering.

[punkie022002]

The last cruise we went on was when my daughter was 12. We tried to sneak her in the 13+ group and were cought.She had the same fear of being surrounded by youngsters. She did attend the 9-12 after all. She had the most wonderful time. She met a friend from Hawaii and they have written every since. We Visited her and her family last time we were in Hawaii and plan to see her again in June when we sail on the Wind. My advice"Just let things unfold" Now I am a little worried after reading the reviews reguarding sex and alcohol. I will keep a watchful eye. My daughter is 14 and will be in with the 13-17 group. My daughter has never had a bad time in the kids clubs. This will be cruise #6 and she is looking forward to meeting new friends. Have fun !