Princess Kids Club Questions

[aseyrick]

Hello!

 

Can someone please help me with a few kids club questions:

 

1. Our son will be be 1 month shy of being 8 when we board Ruby Princess in August. Most of his friends are all 8 or 9, and he's HUGE for his age. Would Princess allow him to go up to Shockwaves versus stay in the Pelicans? I honestly think he'll be very bored with the 3-7 yo age group, esp. if all they do is arts 'n crafts.

 

2. I understand that they offer a Jr. Chef's program as well as Jr. Explorers program, and they can sometime fill up. Can we sign our son up before boarding?

 

TIA!!

[shredie]

I suspect they will put him in Pelicans, and you need to be on the ship to sign up for Jr Chef. Lots of arts and crafts in Shockwaves, too.

Edited February 23, 2015 by shredie

[willtravel8090]

Our experience was that our daughter had to stay with her age group;however, there were a lot of over lapping opportunities between the 2 groups so it was never an issue. She Ioves the programming so worried. As for the Jr programs. They have always been part of there open programming and needed no additional sign up.

[kitkat343]

It is also going to depend upon the time of year you sail. During the school year, depending on the itinerary, there may be very few children on board and they will combine all the age groups. When there are a lot of kids, the programs are much more structured and they are more likely to strictly enforce age limits, along with separating all the children. You can try to call Princess to ask how many children will be on board your cruise, but there is no guarantee they will answer that question (some CC members have been told the information; others have been told its against company policy to release it).

 

Its also always worth politely requesting that your child be moved up an age group on the first day of the kids club, but there is no guarantee they will accommodate this request.

[aseyrick]

Thank you for your responses. One more - do they have the Wii and other console-type games in the Pelicans or is that just in Shockwaves?

[CruisinFinsUp]

Our son used to not like crafts. We would speak to the staff on the first day and let them know our preferences and that we were ok if he didnt do the crafts and asked if he could do other things. They were always ok with it and often appreciated us saying so as they told us some parents specifically wanted their kids to do the activities as scheduled and nothing else.

 

Talk to the staff. Depending on the numbers of kids they may give him some leeway.

[aseyrick]

Ok. I sure will. Thanks!

[shredie]

Our experience was that our daughter had to stay with her age group;however, there were a lot of over lapping opportunities between the 2 groups so it was never an issue. She Ioves the programming so worried. As for the Jr programs. They have always been part of there open programming and needed no additional sign up.

 

Junior Chef is a separate activity from the kids' club. It costs extra (Around $25?) and you have to sign up for it when you are on the ship. The kids get to go to the galley and make something with the chef. My grandsons made cakes. They deliver them to your table at dinner or to your cabin. They get a picture with the chef and a hat and apron to keep.

[DENNSDMNCE]

Is there an age requirement for the Jr Chef program? My 6 yo DD loves to help around the kitchen and it may be fun for her to join.

[aseyrick]

I was wondering the same thing ^^^.

[shredie]

Is there an age requirement for the Jr Chef program? My 6 yo DD loves to help around the kitchen and it may be fun for her to join.

 

I don't remember. My grandsons were eight at the time. There was once a longish thread here about the program and there was a picture of the sign up form. Searching might bring it up. In any case, it looked like a whole lot of fun for the kids.

[Cruisin' Chick]

On the Princess website, it seems to indicate it's for those in the Shockwaves age group: http://www.princess.com/learn/faq_answer/onboard/youth.jsp

 

The staff will have your child's birthdate and generally the groups are fixed. There's undoubtedly insurance issues that the cruise line would have with kids moving up. And I would imagine that if the kids' staff had a nickle for every parent who has said, "my child is mature for his age," they would be able to afford several coffees from Starbucks.