Can you tell me about NCL kids program?

[Agocruisin]

My DD loves Camp Carnival; they do a lot of arts & crafts and that is right up her alley. She also loves Carnival's Vegas reviews.

 

We are considering NCL for next year. Any kids experience with the kids club? She'll either be 5 or 6 depending on when we go. How about the nightly shows?

 

tks!

[shellgoodman]

We are leaving on NCL this Sunday for Alaska and I am really hoping the kids club on NCL is good. My girls (11 & 9) loved Disney and Carnival kids programs but hated RCCL's. My kids complained that there was too much PE types of programs and not any real arts and crafts on the RCCL. Needless to say, my kids ended up with us at night on RCCL whereas on Carnival ships they wanted to stay to when the kids club closes up. In fact, my DH and I went to pick them up on the Carnival and they told us to come back later. We went back to the cabin and had to set our alarm clock to 1:00am to pick them up. Talk about role reversal!

 

I will post when we return. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

[CeleBrat]

We've done all 3 cruise lines, and can share that Carnival and NCL have similar kids club programs. NCL definitely has NICER facilities, in that there is usually a jungle gym/rope net/ball pit type structure in each of the clubs.

 

Have fun!

 

CeleBrat

[CanadianTwosome]

I wish I could tell you more, but my daughter is older, so she's not sure exactly what the younger kids do. She has done some crafts, and of course on the last night everyone gets to decorate a souvenir tee shirt. What I can tell you is that my daughter always has a great time, and every time I see the younger kids, they always appear to be having a ton of fun as well. :)

[kauaigirl722]

We cruised on NCL (Star) to Mexico in Dec 2007 when our DS was 2 weeks shy of his 3rd birthday. He ABSOLUTELY loved the kids program. In fact, towards the end of the cruise we had problems getting him to leave at the end of each session (think serious temper tantrums). The counselors were great and each had a nickname they went by (i.e. Pineapple, Trouble, etc.). At his age he probably did not need as much activity as a 5-6 yr old, but they did arts & crafts, singing, dancing, movies, legos, etc. One night they took the kids on a romp around the ship. While enjoying an adults only dinner at one of the specialty restaurants we saw him with the group walking by. It was really cute. They did a talent show in the movie theater on the last sea day. My son is a little shy in that type of format, but he still enjoyed it. The room for this age group is pretty basic with bins full of toys, but there was also a section that at a ball pit with those large tubes kids crawl around in. He LOVED that. If you have them in after hours, for instance if you want to see a show that doesn't get out until 10:30am, they get to go into the bigger kid room which is bigger and has more activities. We were really surprised at how much the kids loved it. I always felt that he was safe and well taken care of.

[CanadianTwosome]

We cruised on NCL (Star) to Mexico in Dec 2007 when our DS was 2 weeks shy of his 3rd birthday. He ABSOLUTELY loved the kids program. In fact, towards the end of the cruise we had problems getting him to leave at the end of each session (think serious temper tantrums). The counselors were great and each had a nickname they went by (i.e. Pineapple, Trouble, etc.). At his age he probably did not need as much activity as a 5-6 yr old, but they did arts & crafts, singing, dancing, movies, legos, etc. One night they took the kids on a romp around the ship. While enjoying an adults only dinner at one of the specialty restaurants we saw him with the group walking by. It was really cute. They did a talent show in the movie theater on the last sea day. My son is a little shy in that type of format, but he still enjoyed it. The room for this age group is pretty basic with bins full of toys, but there was also a section that at a ball pit with those large tubes kids crawl around in. He LOVED that. If you have them in after hours, for instance if you want to see a show that doesn't get out until 10:30am, they get to go into the bigger kid room which is bigger and has more activities. We were really surprised at how much the kids loved it. I always felt that he was safe and well taken care of.

 

We were on the Star in January 2008 so no doubt we encountered the same counsellors, and I have to agree they were fantastic. When we were wandering around Zihuatanejo, a group of them walked past us and I didn't even recognize them until they all greeted our daughter by name and stopped to ask her how her day was going. I think maybe ONE of them was actually a counsellor for her age group, but the others clearly had all spent time talking with her and making her feel welcome and included. She cried at the end of that cruise because she knew she couldn't go back. :)

[lamolesky]

We have had the same experience with our kids on NCL. They can't get enough of it and NEVER want to leave. Even my two year old loves it. The counselors are really nice, the facilities are nice and they love the Jungle Gym. I have all our experiences on my site and all the kids club schedules and hours, kids menus, etc. Hope you have a great time!

[PassionFruit]

I am so glad to read this -- especially about the Star. We are sailing this fall on the Star and it will be my son's first time in the Kids Club. He'll be celebrating his 3rd birthday the last day of the cruise. I'm hoping he loves the kids club as much as the other posters have said their kids did!

[CanadianTwosome]

PassionFruit, I'm sure your son will love it! I didn't get to see much of that age group when we were on the Star because they had their own room apart from the bigger kids, but they were all having a great time at the kid's talent show. It was really obvious how much they were enjoying the group, and they had a little number rehearsed and clearly had a ball performing it. :)

[Suebee]

We cruised the Star when it was still in Hawaii...when our kids were 3 and 5. The first day I couldnt get them IN there....last day I couldnt drag them out. They loved it. Even my son who was the type who never wanted to leave me.

You cannot leave your kids on ship (I know other lines let you leave them if you want to take a ships tour) and there is the lunch breaks and dinner breaks (which worked out for us) and they do not have the club in port so even if you stay on ship the club is closed. BUT, the kids played LOADS of games, had theme evenings, did crafts that we still have, and enjoyed their time tremendously.

We put them in after breakfast, and at lunchtime we would go to the pool, then eat (opposite of everyone else)_ and then at dinner we would chill inthe room before dinner so they could have down time. We liked the breaks...but I DO wish they were open on port days so if we didnt want to stay ashore the entire day, we could go back to play. Overall though, they loved it and thats what counts.