different age groups dilemma - princess

[cheeso]

We are a family of three from Brisbane (one boy just turned 13) and every year we cruise with a family of three from Melbourne (one boy 6 months off turning 13). The boys have cruised together every year for the past 4 years and have been excitedly emailing each other about their upcoming adventures in the kids club etc. I have just had a look at the brochure and it appears that our boy will now move up to the Remix club while our friends boy will be a few months short and will still be in the Shockwaves club.

Do you think they will allow one of the boys to move up or down so that they can be together.

Has anyone had this sort of probelm?

Cath B

[NoelsCat]

I am not experienced with this per se -- but from what I gather from being on this bulletin board far too much is that cruise lines are very strict about the age thing. However, they will sometimes make exceptions for the older child to go into the younger group -- but not vice versa. SOOO, I think you may have a good chance to get them all in the shockwaves club.

 

Good luck -- and I am sure you will get better answers from more experienced cruisers soon!

[scorpiomum]

hi cheeso - saw you were from brisbane and wanted to say hi. i am from camp hill but have been living in ireland for 3 1/2 yrs. as for the cruise, i think it will depend on which time of year you sail ie. how busy it is and maybe who is running the kids club. you would have no problem keeping the 13 yr old in the younger group so i wouldnt worry about them being seperated. but dont rule out the moving up...ask when you get there. and either way you and the kids will have a fantastic time.

[Keith1010]

I am going back about several years but on that Princess we had another family traveling with us and the boy who was less than a year shy of the next age group was able to switch to that. As long as the parents were fine and understood that there would be others a few years older than that child the cruise line accomoated this request. Your best bet will be to wait until you are on board to confirm this.

 

I hope it all works out and that is so nice that your two families cruise together.

 

Have a wonderful time.

 

Keith

[cheeso]

Hi Scorpiomum,Nolescat

Thanks for the input. In the greater scheme of things if that's all I have to worry about then what a life I must lead.

Here I am about to go on a brilliant holiday with my beautiful friends and family.!!!!!!

Cath B

[Lyndasline@aol.com]

From my experience, Disney is the only line that seems to let kids move around at all. We have had this same issue..... there is not much you can do. :( Lynn

[6rugrats]

My experience has been no problem moving down to a lower age group, not allowed to move up into a higher one.

 

However, you never know what they will allow you to do once on the ship.

[Onessa]

Most lines (including Princess) keep the decision as to whether kids can move age groups up to the kid's club staff on-board the ship. Thus the "answer" is "it depends". As others have said if there is a glut of kids in one age group, but not so many in the other, they may be glad to allow it. If both age groups are filled to the gills, they may be less likely to do so. Unfortunately you won't get a definitive answer until you ask while on-board.

 

On one Princess cruise (AK in late August) we requested a "move down" for a friend's son to be in the same age group as my DD and his sister -- since that group was SO large, they asked if it was OK for my DD and his sister to move up (6mo for my DD, just over 1Y for the sister). In our experience RCCI has always been pretty good about it assuming that it was under a year difference.

 

There are some insurance and regulatory considerations that will limit the size of the groups.

 

If the kids club does allow the switch, be certain that your kids know that it is an exception that the crew is granting them -- if either child behaves inappropriately, it is an exception that may be taken away from them.

 

Good luck

[notentirelynormal]

Our last cruise there weren't that many kids in the middle age group so they were often put with the younger ones. Of course, some of them were brothers and sisters already. I think it depends on the situation and is decided on an individual basis.