Kids Club on Freedom of the Seas

[StorkRN]

Hello, We are booked on the FOS to Eastern Carib in April 2014. We will have six kids in our group ranging from 6-16 years of age. I have a 13 year old son and 13 year old step daughter. My son is debating whether he wants to participate in the kids club. I have heard from Royal Carib operators that the club is really fun. I would like to hear from my CC friends! If you have recently sailed on Royal Carib, especially Freedom of the Seas, what kinds of activities did the kids club do for the 12-17 year old group? Also, if there are activities he or she does not want to do can they decline the club for that activity and rejoin them for other activities? Please provide any and all info you can! This is a first cruise for the kids, but Mom & Dad love cruising. So, we want them to love it so they want to go back! Thanks in advance!

[L33_RYM]

Hello, We are booked on the FOS to Eastern Carib in April 2014. We will have six kids in our group ranging from 6-16 years of age. I have a 13 year old son and 13 year old step daughter. My son is debating whether he wants to participate in the kids club. I have heard from Royal Carib operators that the club is really fun. I would like to hear from my CC friends! If you have recently sailed on Royal Carib, especially Freedom of the Seas, what kinds of activities did the kids club do for the 12-17 year old group? Also, if there are activities he or she does not want to do can they decline the club for that activity and rejoin them for other activities? Please provide any and all info you can! This is a first cruise for the kids, but Mom & Dad love cruising. So, we want them to love it so they want to go back! Thanks in advance!

 

Great question. It is something I have been thinking about to. We are all first time cruisers & on FOS on April 20th. My daughters are aged 6 & 9 & are a little bit nervous about it as they don't know what to expect. The little one is especially nervous as she thinks that the age ranges mean that she will be split from her big sister. I will be interested to hear what people have to say about the kids clubs.

Edited January 21, 2014 by L33_RYM

[DrD]

My experience last year with a 8 and 11 yo was that they are pretty strict about the age groups. They let my 8 yo go into the older group with his brother but only after he did a session with his own age group and was judged sufficiently mature to get promoted. So your daughters will indeed be split up at least initially. My 8 yo was less than a month from being 9, so that helped a bit I think in terms of letting him go to the older group.

 

You can come in and out as you like, you don't have to do any activities you don't want to. You get a schedule ahead of time so you can decide. Overall it was ok, a bit rough at times (there were a lot of kids!) Once as I was walking away after dropping off I heard some kid say "dude you made me bleed."

 

The best part is there's no beepers, so you don't have to worry about getting called back!! :) ;)

 

I don't know what they do for the teen group but I'll find out in (see below) days as my eldest will be 12 by then.

Edited January 21, 2014 by DrD

[coordinator23]

It's all in how you "sell" it to kids this age. (former 8th grade teacher) If it's a kids club, they'll want no part of it. If it's a place to hang out and "chill", away from the little kids and "old" people it's much more attractive. There are activities geared just for their age group. They can check in and check out giving them a sense of independence and being in control (yet the security of having a place all their own). If they see it as a place, of their own, to hang out without being bugged by parents/adults, they'll have a good time. You can point out that the adults have hang out places too (like the piano bar where, heaven forbid(!), people sometimes sing along (and they REALLY don't want to hang around places like that with Mom and Dad, right??) not cool.

[mickev99]

Not sure what ship you're sailing on, but I found these Adventure Ocean kid's program flyers that someone posted from the Allure, I'm assuming they're all pretty similar. It's for ages 3-11.

 

 

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1800571

[lrn2cruise]

My experience is with my 11 yr old in 2011 on FOS.

 

He LOVED AO!!!!! He wanted to go and stay!

 

The 1st night, I believe is Open House and you can go and take a look and get your child(ren) signed up.

 

I would suggest on nights that your child wants to go to AO, let them eat room service or Serrentos, or WJ and then take them there.

 

There is a program where AO will meet your kids in the MDR.

 

If I did it again, I would choose MTD, feed my son, then Hubby and I have a quiet meal in the MDR. The kids get pretty restless in MDR, but if you want a family meal in MDR, then by all means-GO. This is your vacation and your money. Do exactly what you want for you and your family

 

My son will be 14 this year. So he would not be in AO, but the teenage area and I have no experience with that at this point, but AO is great

[mailmama]

A group of families sailed on the FOS last Sept. One of the kids (age 14) went to the teen area. At first he thought he was "too old/too cool" Turns out after telling him he had to try it one night at least, he was hooked. He played basketball a lot. They had a scavenger hunt, played electronic games and ice breaker type games to get the teens to mingle. He made several friends immediately. We had the early seating in the MDR where the kid's club supervisors came to the dining room and collected the kids. (They will rush the children's supper) Most of the young teens ate dinner and went up as a group on their own. They have a radar of their own and will some how always find each other on this ship! He loved the teen lounge area and did a lot of just hanging out as teens do! My 6 yr. old granddaughter even stayed on the ship in some ports just so she could stay in the kid's club....