Reassure me that my daugther will love AO on RCCL

[Bobbigrl27]

We are planning a cruise for this April. My husband and I have been on 2 cruises with Royal Caribbean. This time we are taking my daughter, who is 8. I have heard lots of great things about the kids club, but I am afraid that I might have a hard time getting her to stay there without me. Will they let me hang out for awhile until she get used to it or maybe makes some friends? If I have to just drop her off and leave without her knowing anyone, I am afraid she won't do it. But I am pretty confident she will have a blast if she just gives it a chance.

[cb at sea]

She'll love it. But, make sure you take her to the "orientation" (or whatever it's called!) That's where everyone is new at the same time, and they start to form the groups....you don't want to wait until everyone has started making friends...then, she'll feel like the "new kid"....never pleasant!

She'll be fine...don't let YOUR worries affect her!

[MnAsMom]

Well we went on the Nickelodeon cruise last year. My boys had never been on a cruise before. My just turned 8 year old had a BLAST! My 4 year old was not into it the first day but once he went, he discovered that he loved it. They didn't want to leave the program. We had to drag them away for lunch and some family time in the afternoon... then it was right back to "camp". They had dinner the last few nights on the cruise with the kids program too. Just encourage your DD to try it. Tell her you will come back in an hour and if she isn't having fun she can come out. The first night they had the club open for all the kids to check it out... parents stayed with them and filled out the necessary papers and the kids got their muster station wristband etc. My boys both met a few of the kids who would be in their age groups so there were a couple of familiar faces the next day.

 

I hope your daughter gives it a chance and loves it too! Our neighbors son is not particularly social and he decided after a short visit to the kids program on their cruise that he didn't like it and spent most of his time tagging along with his parents. They were ok with it but a little disappointed that he didn't want to participate.

 

Good Luck!

[Ula]

Truth, the people I know first hand that have cruised with children your daughters age could barely get them out of the kids club to even sleep. Go the first day when it is set up and enjoy the cruise. Your daughter is the perfect age for this.

[Bobbigrl27]

Thanks, you have all made me feel much better about this. It's not the end of the world if she doesn't want to go to AO, but I know she would enjoy it, and it would give my husband and I some time to relax without entertaining her 24/7. She makes friends easily, so I'm sure she will find some buddies to hang out with for the week.

[Baxter]

We took my husband's son when he was 9, I believe. It wasn't RCCL but Princess -- he hated the kids club. We had hoped he would find a few of the activities interesting and connect with a few of the kids but it didn't happen.

 

I am taking our 3 year old and it is the first time she's able to go to the kid's club. I'm cautiously optimist that she will have a blast. The activities I have read about seem right up her alley. But it is far easier to entertain a 3 year old!

[QTMichele]

As others have said, I'm sure she'll enjoy it, if not love it. I know you followed along on my review so you know that my kids enjoyed it. :) Both my girls enjoyed it enough that if I suggested they go, then it was no problem. They even asked to go without my suggesting it too! I won't lie and tell you they wanted to be there 24/7 though - they wanted to spend time with the family and do some of the activities on the ship too. Oh... I didn't take my girls to the "orientation" - time slipped away from us and it was over before I realized it began (there's so much to see and do when you get onboard - time gets away from you very easily!), but it wasn't an issue with the girls at all. They just went the next evening (we were on Cococay the next morning and the activities were "blah" since most were changed due to weather - the girls stayed with me instead).

[beachchick]

I'm pretty sure that they do not allow parents to stay at AO with their children. I suspect it has to do with liability, that is having adults other than AO crew around the children while they are in AO and the cruise line is responsible for them.

 

beachchick

[Bobbigrl27]

I'm pretty sure that they do not allow parents to stay at AO with their children. I suspect it has to do with liability, that is having adults other than AO crew around the children while they are in AO and the cruise line is responsible for them.

 

beachchick

 

I can understand that. I was thinking more along the lines of 5 of 10 minutes, until she gets used to it.

 

I will take her to the orientation and see what she thinks. If she decides that she doesn't want to go to the kids club, I certainly won't force her.

[Huddler]

Truth, the people I know first hand that have cruised with children your daughters age could barely get them out of the kids club to even sleep. Go the first day when it is set up and enjoy the cruise. Your daughter is the perfect age for this.

 

This^^^Your child will only be upset when you come to take her OUT of the kids area, not when you leave her there. We have taken our 2 kids on a couple of cruises and they didnt want to leave the kids club area even in the evening. This past summer we took my daughter 8 and my son 6 on Disney cruise. They loved the kids area and it was hard to get them to leave. They give you a pager that they can page you on if they need you but they never did page us for anything. A couple of nights they took our kids to dinner so the wife and I could eat at the specialty restaraunts alone. Dont worry as they have plenty to do and will absolutely love it!

[crusinmama06]

Yeah, sorry, Royal Caribbean doesn't allow any parents into the AO area for safety reasons. It's because by allowing you in, you now have access to other children. And that is a safety risk because you are now the stranger. ;)

 

That's not to say that we can't see what's happening in the AO area because we can, it's all open. We can see into the entire area. We just can't walk past the front desk. We can see past the front desk and see the entire area. So you can stand there and watch her if she wants. You just can be sitting next to her and participating in the activities with her.

 

I set 10pm as the pick up time for AO and every night at 10pm I am met with a "Ohhhh MOM! :eek::rolleyes:!" and then of course, after they get over the initial eye rolling that mom is there, they are asleep before their little heads hit the pillows because moms always know best. :D

[Cruzden]

We are planning a cruise for this April. My husband and I have been on 2 cruises with Royal Caribbean. This time we are taking my daughter, who is 8. I have heard lots of great things about the kids club, but I am afraid that I might have a hard time getting her to stay there without me. Will they let me hang out for awhile until she get used to it or maybe makes some friends? If I have to just drop her off and leave without her knowing anyone, I am afraid she won't do it. But I am pretty confident she will have a blast if she just gives it a chance.

 

 

Hi - I took my then 5-year old on a caribbean cruise on the Mariner a few years ago. She loved the AO! Do go to the orientation the first day so you know how it all works. Although my daughter is a bit more on the outgoing side, she had no problems adjusting to the program and being away from me.

 

We did try the in-cabin babysitting service one night, which I was nervous about, and she ended up crying hysterically (we wound up forgoing our evening and letting the sitter go). There was nothing wrong with the RCI sitter we hired - she was very kind. The problem was due to my daughter never having an unknown babysitter before and it was bedtime when she is used to mommy putting her to bed.

 

But as for the AO program - she loved it!