New NCL Kids Program

[staceyeileen]

This is being discussed on the NCL board, but I didn't see a thread over here. What do you all think of the changes to the NCL kids program? Details are sketchy, but they are changing up the age groups and activities.

 

The current program, Norwegian’s Kid’s Crew in place since 1999, will be renamed and the age groups are being redefined to better address the skills and interests of children. The new age groups will be: three to five years; six to eight years; nine to 12 years; along with two teen groups: 13 to 14 and 15 to 17 years. There will also be programming for babies and toddlers ages six months to two years.

Personally, I am so glad I choose Carnival to cruise with my 2yo next month! Not sure what "programming" entails, but it sounds like a downgrade for the 2yo set.

[Nebr.cruiser]

This sounds like too many groups to me, and it does sound as if now 2-year-olds won't be allowed in the kid's program without parents.

 

I do like dividing the teens into two groups, though I think 12-14 might be better. 13 and 17 year olds in the same group is a little much.

 

I'm afraid this will split up kids in families or traveling together even more, so if you have, say, an 8 & a 9 they won't be in the same group, when they really want to be.

 

To me, 2-5 (or possibly 6), 6-11, 12-14 and 15-18 makes sense.

[ToddlerMom]

Sounds like they will be adding a nursery which will probably not be complimentary and that 2 year olds will be relegated to the nursery. This is good news for parents of infants since nurseries can only be found on DCL and a few of the RCCL ships. But it is bad news for the parents of 2 year olds since presumably childcare will no longer be complimentary and will probably be limited.

 

Plus as the other of a 2 year old, I think it's a bad idea to include 2 year olds with the infants. I think my daughter would be bored in a room with infants.

 

My biggest concern about a nursery instead of the kids club for my DD, would not be the cost (although I'd prefer it to be complimentary of course) but instead the limited hours that are not guaranteed.

 

ETA that I'm really glad that we booked on Carnival instead of NCL. If I was booked on NCL I'd be freaking out right now.

[staceyeileen]

 

ETA that I'm really glad that we booked on Carnival instead of NCL. If I was booked on NCL I'd be freaking out right now.

 

Agreed. I'd be wanting my money back, I'm pretty sure.

[JennLuvs2Cruise]

Also glad that I will be sailing on Carnival this July with my 2 year old son! I agree that details are a bit on the vague side.

[youngestof9]

personally I love this breakdown. Most 2 year olds aren't potty trained and some aren't completely verbal - so being mixed with 5 year olds can make a big difference. I like having 2 teen groups - because 13 is very different from 17!!

[capriciousc]

I like the new breakdown, but I can see how it would be difficult/inconvenient for parents of younger children. Our daughter is 7 and will be turning 8 on our upcoming cruise, and I like that she won't be in with the "tweens". I think two age groups for the teenagers is a great idea, as well.

 

I think that NCL has probably done the breakdown for the 2-year-olds to make things easier on themselves. Realistically, there aren't all that many differences between, say, a 6 year old and an 8 year old, in terms of social skills, etc. However, there can be vast differences between a 24-month-old and a 35-month-old, just because of the significant amount of growth and development that takes place between ages 2 and 3. So maybe a 2 and 1/2 year old that's mostly potty trained and verbal would be okay with older kids, but a "young" 2 might have issues?

[Julienatul]

I guess until we know the details, it's hard to make an assumption. My DS is 3 now so it wont really apply to us. I wonder how soon they are going to impliment this. We are sailing the EPIC in March. I do hope they include a nursery of some sort for infants. I remember when my kids were that age, that is exactly what was needed. If it can be done succesfully on Disney and RCCL than I think the other family friendly lines should follow. It is wonderful for the parent of an infant to have just a few hours here or there to relax and take a break. Not everyone has family they can leave children with.

[PhotoGal07]

My husband and I were considering an NCL cruise next year with our daughter who will be 2 1/2 at the time. So obviously this is making me re-think things a bit. This is the first I've read about the change up. When do they plan on implementing it. Could anyone direct me to NCL's release of the information? Thanks!

[kj55]

Anyone know any details about this. We switched from royal to NCL just so my 21/2 year old could go to the kids club with his 4 year old brother. He is way too big, verbal and advanced to go to a nursery. Final payment is due in 2 weeks how can I be sure he will be in kids club before then?

[Emilie]

Same thing here, I'd like more info if anyone has it. We'll be on the Gem in March, and my youngest daugther will be 3 weeks shy of her third birthday.

What do you think I should do? Call NCL? I can't cancel since final payment is done, but I would certainly have considered Carnival if I had know she could not participate in the complimentary kids program. What a bummer! :(

[gaylemh]

Same thing here, I'd like more info if anyone has it. We'll be on the Gem in March, and my youngest daugther will be 3 weeks shy of her third birthday.

What do you think I should do? Call NCL? I can't cancel since final payment is done, but I would certainly have considered Carnival if I had know she could not participate in the complimentary kids program. What a bummer! :(

 

I am sailing on the Gem in April with my 2 year old grandson. My final payment is in a couple of days. I called NCL reservation department, didn't have any info, supervisor didn't have any info. I called guest services today, and they are going to try to contact the Gem, to get more info. They are supposed to get back to me tomorrow. I'll let you know if I hear anything.

 

Maybe you should call, if they get enough calls maybe they will give out some more information.

[CruiseBoston]

Here is a link to the thread on the main NCL board. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1541870 I was just coming over to post it up here. :)

 

In answer to some of the questions I saw in this thread, they are rolling it out on the Gem first in mid-February, the subsequently to the rest of the fleet. I haven't seen anything with a specific timeline for the roll-out yet, and they haven't even announced the official name yet.

 

The text of NCL's full press release is below. Here is a link: http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/pressroom/pressRelease.html?storyCode=PR_010512

 

Jenn

(sailing with dd 4 and ds 2.5 on the NCL Dawn in May, so very interested in how this shakes out, though generally confident it will be ok)

 

Norwegian Cruise Line To Introduce New Youth Program

Family Fun Takes Center Stage

 

Miami **- ** Jan 5, 2012 **--- **

 

To better meet the needs of the growing family vacation market, Norwegian Cruise Line announced today that it is revitalizing its current youth program and will implement a new best in class program fleet wide. The re-branded program will be introduced on Norwegian Gem in mid-February and will be rolled out to all of the line's Freestyle Cruising® ships subsequently.

 

"More and more families are choosing a cruise for their vacation since it represents such a good value and offers so much for the entire family. In fact, close to 150,000 children sailed on our ships in 2010 and that number continues to rise," said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian Cruise Line's chief executive officer. "We've already taken family programming to the next level by offering Nickelodeon experiences on some ships. Now, we want to make sure that we are continuing to offer the best possible experience for families. To do this, we are investing millions of dollars in revamping our youth and family programming."

The current program, Norwegian's Kid's Crew in place since 1999, will be renamed and the age groups are being redefined to better address the skills and interests of children. The new age groups will be: three to five years; six to eight years; nine to 12 years; along with two teen groups: 13 to 14 and 15 to 17 years. There will also be programming for babies and toddlers ages six months to two years.

 

The new fully developed and enhanced curriculum tailored to each age group is being produced in conjunction with The King's Foundation and Camps, a United Kingdom-based organization that provides high quality sport and activity programs designed to make a positive impact on children. More focus will be placed on sporting activities, arts and crafts, theater and technology. Activities will change every 30 to 60 minutes depending on the age group and will be set within blocks of programming time in the morning, afternoon and evening.

 

The new curriculum will also include creative themes, such as circus day, theater/technology/sports and port of call day. The company has engaged Cirque Du Jour, a New York-based company that specializes in teaching children real circus skills such as scarf juggling, ball juggling, plate spinning, clowning and acrobatics. Circus workshops and shows will also be offered for the entire family.

In addition, the youth programs will be expanded to utilize other areas of the ships, including the sports courts, rock walls, theaters, lounges and public spaces and will feature more family events such as parades and scavenger hunts.

"We want to ensure our youth and teens are engaged in the programs we offer and that they are having fun," said Richard Ambrose, Norwegian Cruise Line's vice president of entertainment. "We have designed this new youth program to cater to the specific interests and skill sets of children and teens to ensure that they are having the vacation of a lifetime."

 

The company is also investing in its youth staff, by increasing the ratio of staff to children and establishing new criteria for the hiring of counselors, including the requirement of a college degree in recreation or child care (or the equivalent experience).

 

The line currently offers exclusive Nickelodeon family events, shows and activities on three ships: Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Jewel and Norwegian Gem (beginning mid-February). Activities include pool games, breakfast with the characters, where kids ? and adults ? can eat, sing and play with SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Patrick, Diego and more; Dora's Dance Party, where kids can join Dora and the Nickelodeon cast to dance and sing along; meet and greets with popular Nickelodeon characters, including SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer and many more. In addition, there are also other family activities offered, including Nick Jr. story time, family trivia and special arts and crafts sessions.

 

Norwegian Cruise Line has already been recognized for its family programming as one of the best family cruises by Family Circle magazine; best onboard children's program and best cruise ship for families (Norwegian Pearl) by Travel Age West magazine; and best family-friendly staterooms by Smarter Travel magazine.

 

More details of the new youth and teen program will be released in the coming months. Further information on Norwegian's family offerings can be found on the line's website. Families wanting to book a cruise on Norwegian to a variety of family-friendly destinations such as the Caribbean, Bermuda, Alaska, Europe and more, should contact a travel professional, call 866-234-7350 or visit http://www.ncl.com.

[Mom2B&Z]

I like the new breakdown, but I can see how it would be difficult/inconvenient for parents of younger children. Our daughter is 7 and will be turning 8 on our upcoming cruise, and I like that she won't be in with the "tweens". I think two age groups for the teenagers is a great idea, as well.

 

I think that NCL has probably done the breakdown for the 2-year-olds to make things easier on themselves. Realistically, there aren't all that many differences between, say, a 6 year old and an 8 year old, in terms of social skills, etc. However, there can be vast differences between a 24-month-old and a 35-month-old, just because of the significant amount of growth and development that takes place between ages 2 and 3. So maybe a 2 and 1/2 year old that's mostly potty trained and verbal would be okay with older kids, but a "young" 2 might have issues?

ITA, although I can understand how people who already booked expecting a 2yo to have access to the kids club would be upset.

DS2 is 4yrs and he was quite frustrated with his kids club group last week. He goes to school and many of the activities were aimed at preschool level, rather than his abilities. I don't expect a kids club program to be as tailored as school, but I do prefer him being in a group with 3-5yo versus 2-5yo. There's just too much difference between the average 2yo and 5yo child.

[gaylemh]

ITA' date=' although I can understand how people who already booked expecting a 2yo to have access to the kids club would be upset.

DS2 is 4yrs and he was quite frustrated with his kids club group last week. He goes to school and many of the activities were aimed at preschool level, rather than his abilities. I don't expect a kids club program to be as tailored as school, but I do prefer him being in a group with 3-5yo versus 2-5yo. There's just too much difference between the average 2yo and 5yo child.[/quote']

 

I think there is even a bigger difference between a 2 - 3 year old and a 6 month old. I can't see how they will be able to combine them. 6 month olds are barely sitting up, 2 and 3 year olds are all over the place.

[djmess]

I've been loyal to NCL for a few years now, but I hate when they throw out a change is coming and don't give details. Makes for a lot of very nervous people.

 

I'm very concerned for those of you with the 2 y/o kids. Fortunately for me, mine is 8.

 

My other concern is the wording of "blocks" of time or activity. I've purposely cruised NCL as I've liked that the kids club was never closed during the sea days from like 9am to 10:30pm. It helped us as a family so that my son went to the program when we wanted him to, versus when the cruisline dicated. I know some cruislines close their programs for a couple hours during the day. Thats my worry and I hope they keep it open and the "blocks" just refers to differect activities.

 

The press release definitely sounds like it is going to be improved, so hopefully all our negative speculations are just that, speculations, and they have only improved upon what they already have.

[CruiseBoston]

I totally agree! I really love the NCL product, but it feels like someone in their PR department constantly releases partial info either before they actually know the details or intentionally in dribs and drabs to "pique interest." It almost always ends up causing unnecessary worried speculation, not really positive buzz. But, maybe that is just in my little corner of the world. :D

[gaylemh]

NCL got back to me this afternoon. He assured me that there will be a drop off program for 2 year olds. I asked him to confirm with an email. The following email was received. (I deleted the names)

 

I got the feeling that they really don't know what programs are going to be available, or when they will actually start, but there will be drop off of the younger kids according to the guest services rep.

 

Now time to pay for my cruise

 

Please be advised that your 2 year old son will be accommodated in the Drop off Program in the event the Nursery is not operational at the time of your sailing. If the Nursery is operational at that time, the nursery will be offered to the 2 year olds.

[ctfamilyof5]

NCL got back to me this afternoon. He assured me that there will be a drop off program for 2 year olds. I asked him to confirm with an email. The following email was received. (I deleted the names)

 

I got the feeling that they really don't know what programs are going to be available, or when they will actually start, but there will be drop off of the younger kids according to the guest services rep.

 

Now time to pay for my cruise

 

Please be advised that your 2 year old son will be accommodated in the Drop off Program in the event the Nursery is not operational at the time of your sailing. If the Nursery is operational at that time, the nursery will be offered to the 2 year olds.

 

Did he say whether or not there would now be a charge for 6mo-2yr?

 

I am freaking out, as I have a potty trained 2 yr old and we are sailing on the GEM out of NY 2/26/12 - and from everything I read it will start with the GEM, and in mid February - THIS IS CRAZY for those of us who booked under a different pretense...

[ctfamilyof5]

I just spoke to someone at NCL, and she stated they would still take the 2yr olds for no fee (except of course the usual in port and after hours). They would actually be by themselves - not really with the "babies"

[gaylemh]

I just spoke to someone at NCL, and she stated they would still take the 2yr olds for no fee (except of course the usual in port and after hours). They would actually be by themselves - not really with the "babies"

 

Thanks for the update. Be sure to come back and let us know how it worked.

Can't wait for our cruise in April.

[djmess]

I just spoke to someone at NCL, and she stated they would still take the 2yr olds for no fee (except of course the usual in port and after hours). They would actually be by themselves - not really with the "babies"

 

Please keep us all posted upon your return. Any printed info you get onboard with the new program will be very helpful to all. Thanks for your diligence in contacting NCL.

 

Have a great cruise!

[guk]

Aaaaargh just having a complete panic, we are booked on the epic tranatlantic in november and the whole reason we booked this cruise if for the kids club for our 2yr old. We have travelled on IOS in the past and decided after our last cruise to give cruising a miss until our son could participate in the kids drop off progam. However found out that NCL offer kids clubs age 2 up which is why we booked. Does anyone know who is best to email and seek clarifacation as our travel agent will probably not have anymore information?

[NJ Johnny]

Anyone get any other info on the New Kids Club, especially the 2 - 3 year old situation?

[katyf]

The only thing I can add is that we are booked on the Jewel for 2/25 and NCL "told" me (via Facebook) that it would not be in effect for our cruise (I was concerned b/c we are traveling w a 2 year old....and we very carefully time this cruise so he could be in the same group as his 5yo sister)