Any point in contacting NCL over this?

[Cell1919]

We were on the same cruise last week - my almost 10yo ds' (3 months shy of 10) was told he couldn't go into the 10-12yo group so refused to go..... he just wasn't interested in being the oldest in the crowd or with playing with 6yo's even though both groups did the same stuff. My 15yo just isn't a kids club kid - both kids found plenty to do though and although they were bored at times it was ok for the majority of the time.

 

My son was just a few weeks short of his 13th birthday when we sailed on the Jade a couple of weeks back. Thoughtfully his grandparents had booked him the kids package which did contain the soda pass which was worth its weight in gold!

However the pack he got was sadly off target. He's a tall-ish but slim lad and the T-Shirt was so small he could barely get it over his head. In any event it's debatable whether a near teen would feel comfortable wearing a T-Shirt that has an arrow stating 'this is the face of a kid having fun' . When you're seven, OK, but nearly 13?

Similarly the back pack which was great for younger kids, but was simply too childish for him. Oh, and the 'souvenir' cup was the type which nurseries stop giving kids here in England when they're five years old!

Normally we'd have told him to 'get on with it' but on this occasion it really did seem that the 10-12 age group was lumped together without understanding the vast differences in kids who are just into double figures and those whose hormones are starting to fire up!

We didn't complain directly. Instead we returned the items that he wasn't using in the hope that they could be recycled, or perhaps replace someone else's lost items. Apparently it's all centralised though and the impression we got was that they'd just be thrown away .

In reality none of it was 'deal breaking'. We just thought that the age groupings and stuff that went with it could have been better thought out.

[newmexicoNita]

We have cruise a giant total of three times. We have had very interesting and different experiences in all. First DS was 10 on Carnival. We never saw him. He loved the place and they really did a lot to keep him entertained. Always had to set up family time around the fun kids club. Second was Princess DS was now 15. He loved the teen club, during the day and only about 1/2 of the night activities. Our newphew was in the 10 and he did not like their kids club. Third was the Pearl last year. this exprience was totally different for him. Of course, he was 17 and 360 days (turned 18 in Kethikan). We were not sure was it because of the age, or the lack of activites. There were only 13 kids in the teen club and really not enought to make it fun. The teen staff was really not into it and sort of non creative in the event planning.

 

The one thing he did do after the last Pearl cruise was write a letter to NCL. It was well written he expressed some of what he felt were the shortcoming of the teen program. He also praised the areas that he liked. He did receive a nice letter back thanking him for the information and hoped that he would cruise with them again. So, it cannot hurt to write and see what happens. Your kids should write and express the ideas about what they felt also.

 

Although he did not enjoy the last teen club as much as the previous two, he did say that for a few years he was done with cruising, unless he brings a friend along.

 

I however love the easy, slow pace of NCL. I know that with his personality he will return to NCL in the future. My closing comment is that really for kids clubs, Disney and Carnival are the place to go.

 

Nancy

 

I think the age your son was played a big part in his not caring for the teen program plus the Alaska itinerary. However I did have a family group that sailed Alaska last year and one just a few weeks ago, even the teens had fun. They made friends, exchanged emails with each other, etc. I do not think the teen programs are as good as the ones for the younger set. Mostly my experience, both talking to clients and my personal experience has been the older teens meet the first night and then just sorta hang out. I know our granddaughter, when she was on Celebrity, (I think she was about 17) actually didn't take part in any of the teen activities. She found them boring, preferring to hang out with us and her college age sister. She did go to the first night meeting plus I think one other activity. Others I have spoken with say the 13-15 year olds enjoy the teen activities.

 

Nita

[newmexicoNita]

My son was just a few weeks short of his 13th birthday when we sailed on the Jade a couple of weeks back. Thoughtfully his grandparents had booked him the kids package which did contain the soda pass which was worth its weight in gold!

However the pack he got was sadly off target. He's a tall-ish but slim lad and the T-Shirt was so small he could barely get it over his head. In any event it's debatable whether a near teen would feel comfortable wearing a T-Shirt that has an arrow stating 'this is the face of a kid having fun' . When you're seven, OK, but nearly 13?

Similarly the back pack which was great for younger kids, but was simply too childish for him. Oh, and the 'souvenir' cup was the type which nurseries stop giving kids here in England when they're five years old!

Normally we'd have told him to 'get on with it' but on this occasion it really did seem that the 10-12 age group was lumped together without understanding the vast differences in kids who are just into double figures and those whose hormones are starting to fire up!

We didn't complain directly. Instead we returned the items that he wasn't using in the hope that they could be recycled, or perhaps replace someone else's lost items. Apparently it's all centralised though and the impression we got was that they'd just be thrown away .

In reality none of it was 'deal breaking'. We just thought that the age groupings and stuff that went with it could have been better thought out.

 

Like the older teens, those 12 year olds have in tough and most lines do group 12 year olds with 10 year olds. I don't know what the answer is, maybe 8 to 11 year olds and 12-14 year olds, who knows, but this is a big complaint many have.

 

Nita

[Lessa11]

Hi All - OP here. I forgot to turn on my email reminders and forgot about this post. I appreciate all your feedback and now I think I didn't do as good a job of researching as I thought I did. Unfortunately Disney and Carnival didn't do the Alaska route from Seattle, so they weren't options (I wanted to go to Alaska more than I wanted to go on a cruise). In retrospect, I think I should've picked a ship with a covered pool. She just really wanted to swim, but it got so windy it wasn't worth it. I agree that part of the problem is that it's just hard to please that age. She did have fun with us, but DH and I would've liked a little more us time. There were a couple times we left her in the room with her Nintendo DS and we went and had a drink and listened to the musical entertainment (Wildfire - we really liked them).

 

I got a letter yesterday from my "cruise consultant" saying she looks forward to helping me plan my upcoming cruise with NCL. Huh? She did call me a few weeks before our cruise to introduce herself, but I wasn't sure what she was there for. I guess I could've ask her about the kids program, but it would have been too late to change anything since we had booked thru an online travel agent and it was paid in full. I guess I will email her and explain why I felt deceived by them regarding the kids club.

[Pianoman6582]

Is it worth it to complain to NCL or will it fall on deaf ears? Who would I contact? Customer service? I don't expect any compensation or anything, I just would like it if they would provide an accurate picture of what the kids will get.

I think you should certainly call them on this, but I don't see how you would contact them. I'm sure someone else here can suggest the appropriate e-mail address.

 

No, don't call the Ghostbusters.... I don't think Dan Akroyd could fit into his "Ray Stanz" coveralls anyway:rolleyes:. But I digress.... My over-the-top wonderful PCC at NCL gave me this number for contacting customer service post-cruise: 1 866 625 1164. I hope this helps.

 

Also, with respect to the question about the "Cruise Consultant:" A Personal Cruise Consultant, or PCC is like a travel agent exclusively for NCL. They help you plan your cruise, hook up airfare if you require it. Ours has called us excitedly telling us she found more OBC for us on more than one occasion. If you're going to book on NCL and not looking for any other cruise lines or vacation options, an NCL PCC is the right person with whom to book your cruise. They are paid by NCL. You do not pay them commission. I hope THIS helps

 

& i thanK You!

JWK: 80's and 90's pop reference guru and PCC Booster

[CanadianTwosome]

We've had entirely different experiences - including on the Pearl. On that particular cruise there were very few kids on board, also, so I think there was a fair amount of age mixing. Our daughter is very easy going, though, and enjoys helping with smaller kids, so even though there wasn't much of a group for 10-12, she still had a good time. She also spent time in the pool, on the slide, and in the hot tub she was allowed in. She didn't spend any time in the arcade or on the ship's computers. In the evening, in our cabin, she alternated among reading, watching movies on the laptop or tv, and playing her DS (it wasn't allowed out of the cabin). At no time on this or any of our other cruises (3 total, all NCL) has she complained about being bored, and on the Star she actually cried because she couldn't go back to the Kid's Crew.

 

So what made the Pearl's 'fun' even though there weren't many kids on board? I'm thinking it was a mix of the staff, who were wonderful, and the few kids that were there. What made the Star so good she cried? The same things - only on the Star there were also quite a few more kids, and as a result, more age-segregated activities. Honestly, though, our daughter can have fun anywhere; she's an only child that is very capable of amusing herself, so if something doesn't interest her, she just finds something else to do.

 

That being said, what 'else' is there to do on a ship if you're not interested in the kids' program? A heck of a lot more than there was on the cruise ships I was on as a kid!! On one of the two cruises I enjoyed as a child, there was a 'Kids' Room' that had some craft supplies and a few tables. My sister (freak) amused herself one day by tidying it up, but I didn't spend one minute there - I could draw and cut up construction paper at home!! (I think this is how my daughter feels about sitting at a computer on a cruise ship now) There were maybe a half dozen to a dozen kids on each - both over Christmas, which explains why none of the lines bothered with a kids' program back then, and we'd all kind of find each other make friends with those we got along with. I always liked spending time in the pool... which was about 10'x10' or so, but outdoors in the middle of December and I loved it! There were no hot tubs, no climbing walls, no bowling lanes, no waterslides... just warm ocean breeze, tropical sunshine, and plenty of free time to relax and enjoy being on vacation. I absolutely believe that my daughter would be perfectly happy on a similar ship.

 

I spend quite a bit of time on the family board here as well, and I can confirm that I've seen complaints about every children's program - even Disney's. Like everything that involves humans, for it to be a good experience, the humans involved have to come together the 'right way'. One crappy counsellor can ruin a kid's experience. One bratty kid can ruin it for everyone. NO other kids of the same age group can't help but have an effect. We simply have no control over who will be on the ship as passengers or crew, and every individual that has anything to do with the kids' program affects all the other individuals in some way, directly or indirectly.

 

I'm sorry to read about so many experiences that weren't as good as ours have been. I don't believe it is strictly an NCL thing, but I do strongly support writing to them about any negative experiences on their ships. It not only gives them a chance to acknowledge and address the situation on an individual basis, but to take measures to improve their product for future cruisers. :)

[kruzkid]

Just a few things

 

I've been on 4 lines, and spread over each of the age groups, and I can say that I have yet to not have fun on a cruise. It's all about the attitude, and the way you look at things. I can see where the 9 year olds would be upset going with the younger group, but there is still pleny of fun things to do. Even though my memories of those 6-9 and 10-12 days are slowley fading away, I do remember that my favorite cruise in that age group was on NCL, and on the Majesty of all ships. I remember that it was luck of the draw, it was a group of fun kids, and my parents had to drag me out at the end of the night.

 

The momories that are definatly are fresh are the recent cruises as a 13-15 year old. My favorite line is NCL, I think there teen program is a step above the rest. But for a teen, the only way to not have fun is to not be social. All it even takes is one other teen that you get along with, and you dont need wii, or scavenger hunts. As a teen I only participate in the activities tat appeal to me, but there are lots of good ones. But my fondest memories are wondering around the ship, just talking with the other teens. Every cruise, I always find myself with other teens, and we see another teen somewhere around looking sooooo bored out of their mind. I always feel sorry for them, but its usually their choice not to go to the teen club and be social. It's also critical that a teen (any age for that matter) is there on the first night. Its when everyone gets to know each other. If you roll in on day three, there wont be anyone there, because the teens are gone doing there own thing. If your a parent about to take their teen on a cruise, you might as well force them to go, they will end up thanking you later. I left a lot of things out of this but my 15 y/o attention span needs to get up and check out the snack department of the kitchen.

[rian90]

I have never taken our kids on an NCL cruise but I had the same experiences with the kids' program on Royal Carribean. We only had two sea days but when my children were late one day, they missed the sign up for the talent show. The next sea day was all about practicing for the talent show so my kids were left out. My youngest didn't even realize she would not be able to participate until we were sitting there watching the other kids perform. They were very disappointed. They enjoyed meeting the other kids but the activities really depended on attending as much as possible. Quite honestly, I think they were set up to provide videos for the parents to buy of their children performing rather than for the kids. When you have only two days, short activities that don't require 'signing up' or don't take up the entire day excluding some children would have been better.