Will a 3 yr old & 5 yr old enjoy the Kids Club??

[SoFlaFam]

This is something my husband & I are worried about as we plan our first cruise. Do kids this age usually have fun? We have left our kids at the YMCA babysitting for 1-2 hours and they like it, but they've been going there since they were babies. Do most kids enjoy Kids Clubs? How long would you leave them there? A few hours? We're debating btw. cruises RC, Carnival and Norwegian, FWIW...

 

Thanks in advance!

[crusinmama06]

Well the only answer I can give is "it depends", and you just won't know until you are on the cruise. ;)

 

I can tell you that MY kids LOVE LOVE LOVE the kids clubs. They were never "daycare babies"...my kids stayed home with me. They have never had a babysitter that wasn't family, blah blah blah. Yet, they LOVE the kids clubs and never had any separation issues.

 

BUT, small things can set a child off. On Disney, there was a child that came out crying because it wasn't "slide time". I know her mom was upset. We kept running into them all over the ship. And her daughter refused to go back unless it was "slide time". (Never saw the slide actually shut down so I don't know what time it was that got her upset to begin with)

 

My youngest daughter got upset on RCCL Freedom because they wouldn't let her on THAT slide while they were doing circle time or other activities. So that set her off, I got a call to come get her.

 

On Carnival, I never got paged. Neither ship, not one time. They loved every minute of it.

 

So who knows how your kids will react. I could sit here and say "Sure, they'll have a blast" ;) But kids know how to surprise us. :)

 

In my signature, there is a link to the activities offered to kids on the different cruise lines. Check out each line and see what you think your kids will enjoy.

[Onessa]

It does help with the pre-school set if they deal well with structured activities. Daycare kids are used to not being able to what they want to do when they want to do it, so they deal well with the more structured activities that the kids clubs provide. Kids who are most apt to have problems are those with little experience and/or tolerance for needing to follow a schedule or rules. Most kids with a SAH parent still have structure.

 

While any kid of that age can get "set off" by something, most kids will enjoy the variety of activities and the opportunity to play with other kids.

[jenseib]

Thats a good question, but I think it will just play itself out onbard and don't plan to have free time, but if it happens then great. My DD I would say normally would jump at the chance to play with other kids and never look back..but over the past few weeks (and she did just start a two day a week preschool program) has been "missing" me all the time. She goes to school fine, but tells me how she misses me alot. And I literally can;t walk away from her or she cries thinking I am leaving???:confused: MY DH is a farmer and she used to love to ride the tractors with him, but lately she won't because she doesn't want to be away from me. UGH! This is getting old realy fast! LOL!

So while I am still researching cruises myself, I have pretty much decided on DCL becuase I think she will love the characters and the kids clubs. But then again, she may never want to visit them.

[viking30]

It is hit or miss. My daughter has always loved the RCL kids clubs, first time when she was 3, no seperation issues, could barely drag her out.

 

We took my son on a Norwegian ship when he was 2 yrs 3 months (they take 2 yr olds into the kids club) and he threw a FIT - cried and cried until they paged us to come and get him. We never took him back, if we even got close to the drop off room (when we were taking my daughter to her room) he would start to shake and cry. ANd he has been in full time daycare since he was 3 months old! So you never know.

 

We are going on our next cruise in April, my son will be 4 1/2, is in preschool, but I'm still not sure how he will do in the kids club. We figure it is up to him - it is vacation, so if he doesn't love it we are just as happy to have him hang out with us!

[mandyq]

My son was 4 when he went to the kids club on the Carnival. I took a look at the schedule and brought him to the things I thought he would like. He likes the arts and crafts and also video games. He kept on requesting to go back more and more. We would probably bring him for 1-2 hours at a time and then he would hang out with us. It was mainly up to him what he wanted to to and he loved it.

[cb at sea]

Just know that unless the 3 year old is potty=trained, RCI won't take them! Check with each cruiseline for their own guidelines, if this is still an issue!

[jenseib]

I thought they had to be pretty much potty trained on all lines

[gtalum]

Our two year old loved Camp carnival. She cried the first couple of times we dropped her off, but only for a minute, and by the end of the cruise she didn't want to leave.

 

Camp Carnival allows 2-year-olds and they definitely DO change diapers. You just have to supply the diapers and wipes.

[crusinmama06]

I thought they had to be pretty much potty trained on all lines

 

Nope, not all. Carnival changes diapers. NCL takes non-potty trained kids and they just page you when the child needs to be changed. And Disney just puts the non-potty trained kids into Flounder's nursery (which isn't as fun as the kids club but it still gives parents an option to get out alone)

[Nebr.cruiser]

Our grandkids, 3, 4, 5 & 5 loved Camp Carnival when we went a couple of years ago. The 3 was a little reluctant a couple of times but loved it once he was in.

[DonnaK]

My kids, who are now teenagers, loved the kid's club on RCI when they were very young!!! RCI does an excellent job. (I can't speak for other lines, as we only sailed RCI when our kids were in the age group you are asking about)

[kangaand2roos]

On the last full day of our Alaskan Cruise on Celebrity last fall, my daughter (then 4) rolled over in bed and, in a groggy voice, without opening her eyes, said "Mommy, can I go to the fun factory?)

 

Granted, she is a pretty adaptable kid, but she was reluctant to be left the first time and ended up loving it. She is still talking about it and can't wait for Camp Carnival! She has also been a great help preparing her 3YO brother who is now also excited.

 

I try to prepare the kids by showing them pictures, videos, etc. that I find on the cruise lines' sites, you tube, here on CC, etc. I do this with excursions also. I figure that knowledge is power, especially with pre-schoolers.

 

In general, it really will depend on your child. You are the one who knows them best. Prepare them in whatever way works for your kids and hope for the best (but be prepared for the worst!)

 

Stace

[cruiseman40]

My kids loved it and wanted to go back each day. We're going on a S. Caribbean cruise in June 21, '09 and the my kids says they can't hardly wait to see the kids in the program.

[napls2]

My daughter started going to the kids room when she was 3 and absolutely loved it. She would get mad when I picked her up. I really like the younger kids rooms on Princess because you can see what they do every time you pick up your child. They always have something to take home and they get little prizes all the time. The older kids you see some of the stuff, but it's not as noticeable for them. With your children being 3 and 5, they would probably be in the same room for most of the cruise lines which would be helpful and if you say they've been away from you for a couple of hours already, they will probably be fine. The kids rooms are opened in little spurts anyway, so you have to go get them and bring them back after 2 hours for the next activities. It's alot of fun.

[mcfam5]

Because they definitely seem to be in the minority with the fact that they do not enjoy the kids' camp. Pretty much every other person I have talked to who's kids have gone LOVE it. Not mine. They always say "We just want to be with you." :rolleyes: As wonderful as it would be for them to go off and enjoy it, it just doesn't happen. It all works out though, we end up having a family friendy fun time together!

 

It just depends on your child!

[SoFlaFam]

Thanks, I guess we will just have to see! We booked the Carnival Imagination to the Bahamas--just three nights so if they don't like it, it won't be too long. My 3 yr old is potty trained and both have been in preschool/daycare since before they were 2, so we shall see...Thanks for the advice!

[rebeccalouise]

Your kids will love the kids program.