BA: 8 yr old kids club question

[luckyinpa]

can the parents remain in the kids activity centers while the kids are doing their thing? i realize many parents drop their kids off and go about their business but my friend is crazy glued to her kids and would never leave them

 

so i wanted to find out if there are activities where she can at least be in the room. not necessarily participating.

 

or are the kids centers specifically for parents that want to leave their kids there.

[nolatravelgirl]

https://www.ncl.com/why-cruise-norwegian/family-cruises/youth-programs/faq

 

Are parents/guardians/adults allowed in the Guppies Nursery, Splash Academy and Entourage facilities?

Guppies Nursery*, Splash Academy, and Entourage are adult free zones (18+) regardless of what program is taking place.

 

Parents/guardians/adults are only allowed in the Guppies Nursery, Splash Academy and Entourage facilities on embarkation day during the registration process.

 

Any parent with a special needs child that would like additional information, please contact the access desk in advance of sailing by calling toll free 1-866-584-9756 or by sending an email to accessdesk@ncl.com.

 

*Guppies Nursery is only offered on the Norwegian Escape

[Sissaaaaaa]

can the parents remain in the kids activity centers while the kids are doing their thing? i realize many parents drop their kids off and go about their business but my friend is crazy glued to her kids and would never leave them

 

so i wanted to find out if there are activities where she can at least be in the room. not necessarily participating.

 

or are the kids centers specifically for parents that want to leave their kids there.

 

They will not be allowed to stay there.

[luckyinpa]

thanks for the link.

[luckyinpa]

i was reminded today the kids will soon be 9. since i now know what the kids activity rooms are, may i ask what besides them there are for kids to do

 

when i was on board remember mini golf. the kids pool, ropes course. the rock wall. and i know at certain times movies are in the atrium and i think even the theater.

 

just looking for other suggestions i may have missed because to be honest when i was on board i wasnt looking for childrens things at all. this would be a last minute thing.

[nicsmama649]

If the kids are 8/9ish maybe your friend can use this vacation as an opportunity to let the kids have a little freedom and see how they do. Start with a half hour and go from there. My son is 7 and we went a cruise when he was 5 and we are booked again on Getaway in January. He loved the kids club and is super excited to go back, it is all he talks about. If the kids dont like being separated from mom there are a lot of activities to do as a family. It didnt say if the kids go to public school or are home schooled but if they go to public school they may look forward to some time away from parents and interact with kids their own age. Its good for parents to get some time to themselves too, even if its just dinner.

[SuperMommy]

My kids are currently 11, 8 and 7 and have been sailing annually on NCL since they were 4, 5 and 7. Last year was our first time on the Getaway - similar in size to your Breakaway. They LOVE splash academy, despite the fact that several activities are the same from cruise to cruise. There will be a theme to each day and you will receive that information when you register your kids on the first day. On the Getaway there were several hundred children on board and there could be times that it is "full". Only once will they take your children out of the Splash Academy to the outdoor sports deck to do a Sport themed day. Otherwise they might take them to the theater to practice for the circus show. They do not take them on the ropes course, climbing wall or mini-golf. Those are family activities.

Your friend should know that NCL puts a lot of thought and planning to letting the kids have their own vacation. The youth counselors are some of the most imaginative and engaging staff members you will find. Don't forget to pack closed toe shoes for the ropes course and for the sports day. Chances are the child will blossom and your friend will learn to let them spread their wings in a great way.

 

 

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[luckyinpa]

part of the reason my friend is wary of leaving kids alone is because of what happened to her on a cruise when she was younger.

[Sissaaaaaa]

part of the reason my friend is wary of leaving kids alone is because of what happened to her on a cruise when she was younger.

 

I come from a long line of law enforcement. As such, I never left mine alone with anyone. Seriously! Our first cruise was when she was turning 8, and I decided I would "try" the kid's club. I went to check on her often, standing outside the door, looking in the window, and, at times, just walking in unannounced. Maybe your friend can try that? They are in a group setting, and it really is much different than the in-cabin babysitting (which I never in a million years would have done!!)

[luckyinpa]

I come from a long line of law enforcement. As such, I never left mine alone with anyone. Seriously! Our first cruise was when she was turning 8, and I decided I would "try" the kid's club. I went to check on her often, standing outside the door, looking in the window, and, at times, just walking in unannounced. Maybe your friend can try that? They are in a group setting, and it really is much different than the in-cabin babysitting (which I never in a million years would have done!!)

 

thanks for the encouragement, i'm passing along all messages to my friend.. since i was just on BA i'm the sole planner and researcher for the ship but when i was on i truly wasnt concerned with any kids activities. and i know the saying there's no bad vacation but i do like to make sure of what we are getting into. plus ive never been with the kids more than a day at their house so i have apprehension about that myself but they are generally excellent kids. they listen to their mom!

[pacruiser13]

They did also have some family activites like button making, balloon animal tutorials, pizza making and stuff that was for parents to do with their kids. My kids enjoyed those as well as the activities on their own with the kids club and my youngest is almost 9. We went on BA in September.

 

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[SuperMommy]

Pacruiser13 is right. I forgot about those. We really liked the trivia and the cupcake decorating. We came in second in a name that tune contest too. I think they did a family movie once too with free popcorn.

 

 

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[Eliisa77]

Does anyone have any experience with children who don´t speak English? We are from Finland and are cruising in Dec 10. Our children are 7 and 9 so they would be in the same group in Splash Academy. The older has one year English studies behind and the younger says "hello" and "thank you" :D. I showed some videos and they were hoping they could participate. :)

[luckyinpa]

the hands on things sound great. will pass them along

[Pitzel]

Does anyone have any experience with children who don´t speak English? We are from Finland and are cruising in Dec 10. Our children are 7 and 9 so they would be in the same group in Splash Academy. The older has one year English studies behind and the younger says "hello" and "thank you" :D. I showed some videos and they were hoping they could participate. :)

 

 

 

My 6 yo met a young German-speaking boy on our last cruise and they seemed to play together well, even with the language barrier. You may find that there is a counselor who is able to speak their language. If not, they are pretty good at finding ways to include all of the kids in the activities.

[LrgPizza]

You might explain to your friend that the fact that they don't allow random adults in the club is specifically to keep it safer.

[ncklhaus]

You might explain to your friend that the fact that they don't allow random adults in the club is specifically to keep it safer.

 

I was thinking the same thing! I'm sorry but if I'm not allowed in, neither is any other unauthorized person. It's for safety.

My daughter has been gone to Splash Academy since she was 4 and has loved every moment. She's counting the days until we cruise again in 57 days. :D

[Jopo1]

Does anyone have any experience with children who don´t speak English? We are from Finland and are cruising in Dec 10. Our children are 7 and 9 so they would be in the same group in Splash Academy. The older has one year English studies behind and the younger says "hello" and "thank you" :D. I showed some videos and they were hoping they could participate. :)

How did it go? I will have similar situation ahead next December when going on a cruise with 6 year old and 13 year old boys. Older one speaks english but younger one none. From Finland ass well..

[negn]

Recently on Escape with 6 yo GD. She loved splash academy. As for safety, you need to appoint someone to sign them in and out. Have your key card and your their card and give a password you ha cr decided on Pretty safe in my opinion

[photomikey]

We were on a Celebrity cruise last year with a girl my daughter's age (7) who didn't speak a word of english. They'd played together a little at kid's club but once the girl saw us in the pool at the same time (not kid's club of course) it was game-on. They were climbing on me like spider monkeys. They would go to the buffet and eat together. My daughter would chat incessantly in English, the girl not understanding a word, and then the girl would chatter away in Sweedish and my daughter would listen intently. This went on all week. I'm not sure they ever understood a word each other said but they sure seemed to get the point across. There was one kid's club employee who shared language with the girl but most did not and it didn't seem to be any trouble.

[NLH Arizona]

Just realized that the thread is from November 2016, so I'm guessing the OP might have already cruised.

Edited September 30, 2017 by NLH Arizona