Club O2 question

[TakeAHike]

We are cruising for the first time in 100 days! We have two daughters, ages 17 and turning 14 on the cruise. They would like to check out Club O2 together. How flexible are the age requirements? It would be a great place for them to hang out together. Anyone experience a similar situation?

[serene56]

unless your 14 year old will be turning 15 in those 100 days she will be in her own group.

 

teen clubs are 12-14 and 15 - 17 There is no way that the counselors will allow someone who just turned 14 to hang out with those kids. Club o2 is a dedicated teen area for teens ages 15-17 (with a few 18 year olds) Circle C is for the 12-14 yer olds to hang out

Sounds like you will be cruising during a high peak family sailing time.

I doubt that your 17 year old will want to be going to the group with the 12-14 year olds

 

with that being sail most of these kids tend to hang out together.

 

Make sure each girl goes to their respective clubs the first night for orientation and at least participate in the ice breakers.

[bluesea4me]

I agree. Take them..I mean make them go to the orientation. She'll find plenty of kids to hang with her age. Also, sometimes the activities overlap and they bump into each other.

 

I have also been told by Carnival that no movement up unless the child is 6 months OR less away from the next age group. Quite frankly, I've seen how some of the 12-14 yo act on the cruise....and the 15-17. You might want her with her age group. ;) The kids will flock to kids their age even in those small 12-14 year groups.

 

Have fun!

[DTC]

We had a simular situation with our friends child and ours. I asked the camp supervisor if my son could come in the older club and she said sure no problem. It doesn't hurt to ask, all they can say is No, but they might say YES!!

[justajen2]

Just cruised on the Glory in October and they let me 5 year old go up with the 6/7 year old group and they let my 14 year old go up with the 15-17 group. Now granted it wasn't peak time so they weren't overflowing with kids. The first night with the 5 year old they asked that he go to his age group and we'd see how it went. He didn't like it and had a friend in the 6 year old group, they let him go up. The 14 year old never went to his club, he went to the 15-17 year old group with his 16 year old cousin.

[helicopter]

When two years ago on the Triump my grandson brought a paper for us to sign (the paper ask for his age), we put 15 and signed it (he was 14 at the time) but he wanted to be with his brother a few years older. Yes we lied:eek::eek::eek: but I didn't think it was a lie that hurt anyone. Didn't stop another child from being able to go, no one was hurt (I don't think they were anyway):o The paper was from the Club 02.

[TakeAHike]

Thank you for your input. I understand the need for the age restrictions. My girls would feel more comfortable going if they were together, and frankly so would I. Sounds like it is a gamble so the best we can do is ask and be prepared to hear no.:)

[nzdisneymom]

The youth program has a list of all the kids on board and their ages, so don't think that lying about a child's age is going to get them put into a different group - because they do (at least on the Dream last month), check the kids off on their passenger list when they turn their registration form in on the first night.

 

As for the OP's question, it absolutely doesn't hurt to ask - go to the Youth Orientation program that is usually held before dinner on the first night - the counselors are there and you'll want to speak to the O2 person then before you turn in a registration form. If they say ok, we'll do it on a trial basis, then they will mark the child's registration form as such.

 

Our situation is that our boys are 14 and 15 and the older one wanted to be with the younger one and do the activities that the Circle C had scheduled - there weren't many O2 activities that were of interest to him. We talked to both the O2 and Circle C counselors-in-charge and they said okay for him to move down on a trial basis. They gave us the material for both clubs, though, to be sure we had a chance to look over the activities that were scheduled. We turned our registration forms in, and then when we went to the Circle C registration later that night (where they give the kids the stickers to put on their Sail and Sign cards), they checked all the kids off - you can't participate without a sticker that means you turned in a registration form.

 

Anyway, the boys had a good time, enjoyed meeting some new kids, but they didn't hang out with other kids when they weren't in the club.

[serene56]

I think if the girls went in with an opened mind-- and went to their own respective orientation and participated in the ice breakers that first night it will be a whole different experience.

 

Its their first cruise. the whole thing will be really nice.

 

On our last cruise on the Pride we were sat at a table with other people. A family with a 14 year old girl. Got to talking and she was not going to the meet and greet because she felt weird. I told the girl the best thing she can do for her self that week was go to the first meeting. If she didnt like it she could leave. No one was gonna make her stay or do things she didnt want to do.

 

(after that first night we asked for a table change to sit by ourselves since we had a 5 year old)

 

I guess the girl went to the meeting because we saw her mid week doing the scavenger hunt and she thanked me tons for telling her parents to make her go. She had a blast the entire week. She was with maybe 4-5 new girls she made friends with

[DTC]

Serene is right. Just like if your traveling with friends your less likely to meet new people than if your traveling alone or with you family.

 

It would be an opportunity for your girls to make new friends that they might just have for the rest of their lives!!

 

Enjoy your cruise!!

[DragonMouse]

You can ask...worst you will here is "no". My son was 14 on a August cruise getting ready for his first year in HIGH school. He was uncomfortable hanging with "Short" :p middle schoolers.

 

HE went in to the first one felt weird because he was a head taller than every one else...went next door talked to the youth counselor himself...told him YES he was still 14, he was going to be starting high school and he'd be 15 in a couple of months, but didn't feel comfortable in the younger group...The counselor asked him "why"? and the boy just put his hand about to his neck and rolled his eyes :rolleyes:. He said the counselor just laughed and told him "Welcome".

 

It's all going to depend on the "maturity" level of the girl and mostly the capacity of the 2 clubs (if they're over flowing in O2 they may say they just don't have anymore room but thats not common).

 

If she JUST turning 14 on the cruise don't be too quick to consider she MIGHT feel more comfortable in the younger group. Club O2 is full of high schoolers and Circle C is Middle school. She might not feel really comfortable with high school kids...BUT every kid is different. When my son was 13 and still in middle school (starting 8th) he had a BLAST in Circle C. The following year he was starting high school and he just felt too old for it.

 

Really at their ages they simply meet in the clubs then they do other activities with their groups but quite often they end up doing activites with people they meet in the clubs. The girls can still get to do some stuff together IF they want.

[jjtimes6]

I agree with Serene 100% here. We have four kids, and getting them to orientation the first night (or day for Circle C) is CRUCIAL. Having watched the way some of the 15-17 group behave (and they will be joined by the "kids" that came with them that are 18 and older!), I wouldn't want my youngest there...

 

That might sound really bad, but there are lots of kids in the older age group that get into all kinds of trouble. The stories my kids have told me... all post cruise, of course!

 

On our first cruise, my DD (then 13) missed the Circle C orientation. This was due to teen age girl stubbornness: she refused to let me help her find it! She then proceeded to spend the first day (at sea) in the cabin, reading a book and pouting. I finally coerced her to come with me to Circle C, where she immediately made a friend, leading to a group of about seven of them. She still keeps in touch with those kids, and one of them came to stay with us for two weeks this past summer!

 

Had she been in the older group, I don't think she would have bonded in the same way, and she for sure would not have found herself engaged in the same activities. They did goofy kid things like taking pictures of themselves all laying down on the stage in a big star.

 

Although you can ask for the younger to move up, and they might say that is what they want (right now), the reality of the cruise for kids and teens is that they can get involved with a group their own age that they can continue to be friends with post cruise. The kids come from all over (the US, Canada, and sometimes further) and that is a really cool experience for any age!

 

I have to say that I am so happy that this spring break we are NOT taking our three oldest! Oh my, the stories... :eek:

[lablover61]

I would agree with what a lot of people have already stated. It varies by ship and also by cruise. You can always ask. I have heard stories of kids being moved up, and also being told no. As a side note, we are in a similar situation this April . My daughter is 14 and in 9'th grade in High School. On our cruise , she will be less than two weeks away from turning 15. She indicated to me she is happy with Circle C group. I think this is because she likes to be a leader and not a follower , and this is easier to do when you are the oldest in the group, and also her 17 year old brother will be in O2 , and we all agree that it would be better if those two weren't together ! :o

[TakeAHike]

Thank you all for your thoughts. I was so focused on keeping the two girls together that I didn't put enought thought into a 14 year old hanging out with other 17+ year olds. My 17 year old is such a good, honest, level headed kid that I was't considering the mature content that the 14 year old may be exposed to. Point well taken.

[Pudiimom]

I have a similar problem - we have 2 daughters, ages 14 & 17. They are very close & people frequently ask if they are twins. My 14 yr old is a 5'10" tall freshman in high school (early summer birthday), so I really can't imagine her hanging out with middle schoolers! We'll just have to ask the counselors & see how it goes.

 

As far as the stories you hear from older kids - our high school has more students than the cruise ship will have passengers, so I imagine we've seen it all here at home anyway :eek:

[serene56]

I have a similar problem - we have 2 daughters, ages 14 & 17. They are very close & people frequently ask if they are twins. My 14 yr old is a 5'10" tall freshman in high school (early summer birthday), so I really can't imagine her hanging out with middle schoolers! We'll just have to ask the counselors & see how it goes.

 

As far as the stories you hear from older kids - our high school has more students than the cruise ship will have passengers, so I imagine we've seen it all here at home anyway :eek:

 

 

if she is already in high school you take her school id. It will be easier to present your case.

[DDFla]

This is daughter speaking and when I was fourteen I wanted to go into club O2 and if they just behave and blend in then they will be fine. I've never had a problem with my age in club O2! They've always been very flexible.