Disney Cruise Line cracks down on youth activity policies

[HauntedGabe]

Traveling with children in different age groups? Might want to read this.....



From MousePlanets Weekly Update:

The youth activities on the Disney Cruise Line are arguably the best offered anywhere, with separate areas tailored to specific age groups from 3 to 17 years old. In the past, DCL has generally been willing to accommodate passengers who ask that their child be allowed to participate in out-of-age-group activities, most commonly when a mature 10-year-old wants to join an older sibling in the pre-teen Edge club, or parents ask that an 18-year-old who is still in high school be allowed to hang out in the Vibe club designed for ages 14 to 17.
In an internal memo sent to DCL cast members, the cruise line has instructed that age divisions be strictly enforced, and specifically instructed that 18-year-olds not be allowed to participate in youth activities. This poses a challenge for high school seniors who may have already turned 18, but may not be ready to participate in the less-structured 18*21 Club activities with college-aged passengers . Where Vibe is an actual lounge, staffed by youth counselors and offering a variety of activities and diversions from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. daily, the 18*21 Club is usually just a line item on the daily schedule, with only one or two organized meets a day.
Passengers who have called to ask about this very recent change are told little more than "there is now a need to maintain consistency across the fleet." One parent who has a child while will turn 18 during their upcoming cruise was received conflicting information from Disney Cruise Line representatives about what will happen on her son's birthday, and is still unsure if he will be allowed to remain in the Vibe club with his younger brother, or will spend the last three days of their cruise in the areas allowed to adults.
The cruise line has also implemented a new policy restricting parents from being in the youth clubs to do more than drop off and pick up their children, and requires adults to wear a lanyard or sticker whenever they are in the secured area. This change means parents can no longer participate in the youth activities with their children. While not a very common occurrence, some parents would stay with their children for a while to ease their fears about being left alone in a new environment.
To accommodate parents who can no longer participate in youth activities with their children, especially the popular "Flubber" or "Anyone Can Cook" sessions, a series of Open Houses will be offered in the Oceaneer's Club and Oceaneer's Lab during the cruise. Any passenger can attend these open house sessions, which are considered "non-secured" programming, and can come and go freely. Whenever an open house is offered in one venue, either the Oceaneer's Club or the Oceaneer's Lab, secured programming will be offered in the other venue to ensure young passengers always have a secured venue.

[TXTaylors5]

Luckily, my children now all happily go into the clubs and I have to "drag" them out. However, on numerous occasions I have seen hesitant children who like the security of their parent being in there too. It is understandable considering that these CMs are strangers to them. So, NOT allowing a parent to stay leads me to believe "something" has happened.

[DVCDad]

Great news. Some parents need to be forced to cut the leash on their kids. They'll all have a much better time when they do.