Questions Re Kids Club - RCCL

[dea71]

We are travelling on the Rhapsody of the Seas in December 09. We have a 3 and a 5 year old and are travelling with friends and their 6 year old twins. Are the 2 younger age groups (3-5 and 6-8) able to mix at all - are their rooms nearby or do they mix at certain times of the day? My 3 year old lives in a world of his own...so won't be too worried but Miss 5 would love to play with her friends!!

 

This is our first cruise with RCCL - any other pointers for travelling with 3 and 5 year olds (pretty easy going and have cruised before) would be appreciated! Any not to miss activities or advice on kids dining etc (We have taken them to dining room with us in the past - no kids dinner on P&O ships at the time).

 

I have also read that the Adventure Ocean staff will collect them from dinner if they are having dinner with us - is that the case?? Also any advice on babysitting - need to book early or just as we go - or are we better to leave kids this age in Kids Club later at night - we are not really going to be up until the wee hours - maybe 10-11 o'clock!

 

Thanks in advance for your help!!

 

Dea:)

[LAnn]

The age groups 3-5 and 6-8 don't mix at all. I have a five year old who is mature for her age and asked if she could go with the older age group. The staff suggested giving the younger age group a try and moving her if she wasn't happy, but as it turned out she decided she wanted to stay with the 3-5 year olds. But if your 5 year old wants to be with the 6 year olds, it may be possible to move her over -- just ask.

 

As for activities not to miss, I'd say the Pirate Parade -- all the kids in the kids club dress up as pirates and march around the ship chanting that they're going to take it over -- so cute. Also towards the end there's a kid's talent show that they videotape and show on the ship TVs.

 

On dining, we always took our daughter to the dining room with us. If she got bored, I'd run her up to the kids club and come back. I never looked into having the Adventure Ocean staff pick them up for dinner so can't tell you about that.

 

As for babysitting, I'd just leave them in the kid's club if you're only going to be out until 10:00 or 11:00.

[crusinmama06]

The dining where the AO staff gets the kids is relativly new, so I haven't seen anyone report back about it yet. It's called "My Time FAMILY dining" - so you might want to call RCCL and see if its available on your ship.

 

Also, as far as combining, nope, not those ages. The only time that those ages will combine is for the Pirate Parade and for the Talent Show. Other than that, they will be separated.

 

My kids could see each other through some netting (on both Freedom and Independence) but they couldn't join each other.

[dea71]

:)Thank you both for your replies - Michele we are booked for My Time Dining so will just check out the kids club 'pick up' when on board.

 

The Pirate Parade sounds like something my little boy will just love - life is all about pirates and witches at the moment so he will be very excited! Shame we do not live in USA where Halloween would be his favourite day/night of the year!!

 

I will see how my little girl goes - she may prefer to stay with her little brother and new friends (she has always made new playmates pretty easily on previous cruises). And from the Activity Programs I have seen I think there will be plenty for her to enjoy!

 

Thanks again!!

 

Dea:)

[boulders]

We did "My Family Time Dining" on board the Radiance last month. It did not work well at all. The first night, when we mentioned to the waiter that we wanted to do this, he became quite snippy and said to talk to the headwaiter about changing our table. Umm, that's not what we asked for! He then said "Enjoy the rest of your cruise" as we left our table that FIRST night (of a 7 night cruise). Needless to say, I went to the headwaiter to change our table and to sign up for My Family Time Dining. The location was poor, right next to the kitchen away from the windows and the 4 of us were seated at a table for 8 by ourselves.

 

So, OK, now we're set up, right? Nope. I talk to the AO staff. They say that we have to tell them EVERY day that we went My Family Time Dining. Their procedure was to come to a spot outside the dining room and pick the kids up at 6:40. My Family Time dining means that the meals are expedited, including everybody at the table. With the waiter's just gathering orders at 6:20, that means that they have 10 minutes to get the entrees out and we have 10 minutes to eat? Nope, I don't think so. After one night of that, we make arrangements with our waiter that only ds4 will be on My Family Time Dining. So, at 6:38 on the 3rd night, ds has finished his macaroni, and my entree has just arrived. Time to take ds outside the dining room. And wait, and wait. AO staff shows up a few minutes late and works at signing the kids in. By the time I return to my meal, it's 12 minutes later and my 2 other children are waiting for me, having finished their dinners by themselves. They are only 13 and 11. My meal is sitting there, cold. This is really not the more leisurely dining experience I had envisioned.

 

We tried it a couple of more nights. By the last night, we were the only ones on the ship using it. I often forgot to tell AO in the morning, because , honestly, who is thinking of dinner at 9 am? If I forgot and I was the only waiting for them, they didn't show. One night, when I was headed back into the dining room, a waiter almost collided with me with a trayful of entrees. What the heck was I doing walking around at 6:45? :rolleyes:

 

IMO, it would have been a better experience just to take ds to AO at 7:00, when it opened up. And I did do that. It was faster, and I had a more leisurely dinner. As it was, I was always watching my watch to make sure I didn't miss 6:40. Would I use MFTD again? No way. Not the way it's currently set up.

[crusinmama06]

Boulders, that didn't sound like alot of fun. :( I was wondering how this would be set up. Well if that's the the way it's going to go, then I will stick with my early seating and hubby can run the kids up to AO at 7pm.

[dea71]

Sounds like WAY to much hard work!! I think we will also stick to running our kids up/down when we are ready - we have always just asked for the kids meals to come out with our starters and by the time our main had been finished we had the kids fed and ready to go - then we would sit and have dessert and a few drinks in peace.....ahhhhh! Then onto a bar for a few quiet ones....:rolleyes:

 

Does the kids menu change each night - or is it the usual suspects each day!! My daughter loves cruising - because she can have spaghetti bolognaise and ice cream every night - it's the little things!! My 3 year old son likes to 'mix it up' - spaghetti and icecream one night then spaghetti and cookies the next....repeat 6 times!!

 

Thanks again for all your input....as we have only taken the kids on P&O cruises before it feels like we are cruising for the first time all over again...all the excitement!!

 

Dea

[dea71]

Just another quick question - do they issue you with pagers (for kids club) for the duration of the cruise?

 

Thanks again!

 

Dea