Do you do kids programs at hotels too, or just cruises?

[gt95stang]

We've never felt "safe" leaving DD at the kids programs at resort hotels - especially in foreign countries. The idea of leaving her with a stranger just doesn't sit right. I've noticed that the kids programs at hotels are much less popular than the cruise kids clubs. Part of it might be that there is no upcharge on the boat while there is at the hotel. But are there other reasons?

 

I feel somewhat safer leaving her alone on a ship because, while the ships are big, they are still a self-contained area. If she were to somehow get lost by the counselors, there's only so far she could go. At a land-based hotel, she could get lost, taken, and end up anywhere.

[chapichapo]

My son has never done kid's clubs at hotels. Most resorts offer the service and I've been at Four Season's and Club Med, for example, where the service is included as is in a cruise. But we never used it basically because it doesn't look too appealing - it just feels like a place to "drop off" your kid. And when we are on holidays we really take a lot of fun beeing with him and by no means whish to get rid of him. Whereas in a cruise we feel like it's a lot of fun and he really enjoys it.

I went on a cruise as a child (8 yo) and I remember feeling really "dizzy" with enchantment over the activities we did on board. It seemed as though we were in a fairy tale, in a children's book, the activities were really glamorous and no one bothered to insist with me, so we really just tried what we really wanted to do.

My son absolutely adored the kids club at Celebrity last year, so this year I'm sure he will be longing to try it again.

The only place I remember leaving my nephew when he was 2 yo was in a sky resort. But he cried when we left to go sky so we only did it once and regreted it forever. I can't imagine how we had the courage to do it but of course we wouldn't be able to sky with him, at least as a group. But even so, I still think we were too mean for leaving him at the kids club. It's not like he was alone, there were other children there but any way, we shouldn't have done it. Well, it was only an afternoon. :cool:

[crusinmama06]

Nope, won't do it. ;) Which is ironic since I love all SHIP kids clubs. But I won't allow them in hotel kids clubs.

 

When we do land based vacations, the kids are with me 24/7 {the poor kids :p}