RCL now only allows children a SINGLE slot in the kids club for the entire cruise!

[infosec123]

Found this out from someone who just got off the Freedom of the Seas. Originally each child was allowed 4 hours per day in the kids club, but it has been reduced to a single slot per child for the entire cruise (confirmed). Of course RCL isnt actually telling anyone this, they find out when they get on board, but plenty of people here think RCL is transparent, who need to look up the definition of the word.

[Reigert2008]

15 minutes ago, infosec123 said:

Found this out from someone who just got off the Freedom of the Seas. Originally each child was allowed 4 hours per day in the kids club, but it has been reduced to a single slot per child for the entire cruise (confirmed). Of course RCL isnt actually telling anyone this, they find out when they get on board, but plenty of people here think RCL is transparent, who need to look up the definition of the word.

Not sure if you’ll find this helpful, but @Mattwrote a very good post on the blog about Why cruisers need to be flexible to cruise during these uncertain times.

 

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2021/12/28/why-you-need-be-flexible-if-you-want-go-cruise-right-now

[WAAAYTOOO]

7 minutes ago, Reigert2008 said:

Not sure if you’ll find this helpful, but @Mattwrote a very good post on the blog about Why cruisers need to be flexible to cruise during these uncertain times.

Also, I believe that @Matt was told the same thing (limited AO reservations) but found that the staff was able to accommodate more reservations than AO originally promised. 
 

@infosec123 hopefully you will find more AO availability also.

[AlmondFarmer]

Guaranteed one slot which can be selected on day 1. Can use as much as is available after day 1. My kids went three times in evening and loved it. 

[smokeybandit]

AO is one of the reason parents pick RC though.

If adults were guaranteed but one night in the casino or in the bar or one day at the pool, how well would that go over?

Now granted, AO is stuck having to follow the massively antiquated CSO rules, so it's not really RC's fault (at least for 3 more weeks) but there's "be flexible" and there's "take away a key component of the cruise completely"

[PetraElise]

Is it just a little bit possible that the slots/ hours available during a holiday cruise filled with a lot of kids might be different than an average week? You may find, depending on a lot of factors such as number of kids sailing your week, number of available staff with negative covid tests, etc that your mileage may vary.  Cruising during a pandemic is not a great choice if you can’t adapt, and recognize with equanimity that not everything is going to be guaranteed.

[barbeyg]

I guess it comes down to having to have flexibility if choosing to cruise during a pandemic.  

[twangster]

Summary of various cruise line approach to their children programming in case you decide to try another cruise line:

 

Disney

Guests can book one session per day per child on a first-come, first-served basis.

 

Carnival

With the approval of vaccines for children ages 5-11, our Camp Ocean program will be re-opening, on a modified basis. Based on the advice of our medical advisors, Camp Ocean will be limited only to fully vaccinated children within this age range. Unvaccinated youth and teenagers will not be permitted to participate in supervised Circle “C”® and CLUB O2® youth programs, or access Sky Zone® if cruising on Carnival Panorama®.

 

Princess

We'll continue to operate our Camp Discovery youth and teen programs at reduced occupancy and promote physical distancing and mask wearing. Following the CDC’s recommendation, we look forward to welcoming vaccinated children.

Yes, our youth and teen programs will continue to operate with reduced occupancy, physical distancing and mask wearing.

As the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine becomes available to children 5-11 years old, following the CDC’s recommendation, we look forward to welcoming vaccinated children from the age of 5 and above.

To limit crowding in the centers, entry will be restricted to youth participants. High touch surfaces, supplies, and equipment will be sanitized frequently. Activities such as singing events, Stanley the Bear, dining events (including Kids Dinner and port day lunch), and contact sports will not be offered.

 

NCL

As of November 24th, Our Kids clubs and drop-off services are not available until further notice on all ships/sailings. Activities for youth and families will be provided onboard including movie nights, game shows, and other activities. There will not be a drop-off service and parents must attend the session with their children. Times and locations will be noted in the Freestyle Daily and on the NCL app when you board the ship.

 

MSC

Our Kids Club and family activities will welcome kids and parents in a healthy and safe environment while ensuring a fun and enjoyable experience.

New measures include reduced capacity, a streamlined registration process, contactless temperature check and hand sanitization upon entry. We're adding new exciting activities and family game shows that will be available for booking up to one day in advance. Toys and water will be provided by our staff, while personal belongings are not permitted as an additional safety measure.

[MattG]

6 hours ago, PetraElise said:

Is it just a little bit possible that the slots/ hours available during a holiday cruise filled with a lot of kids might be different than an average week?

I'm 100% in this camp.

Due to how much crew quarantine we've been seeing, I bet the "one session per cruise" limitation was a hedge against AO staff possibly needing to quarantine mid-cruise. The staff would much rather set the expectation of one session per cruise, then "surprise and delight" by opening more sessions, then having to call guests and cancel sessions because AO staff popped a positive test and shut down AO. 

[Pattycruise]

 I read too quickly and thought it was "shot".  

[Matt]

Just back from Navigator and we had the 1 advanced reservation rule too.

I was able to get my kids in for the evening session on all but 2 days, and we didn't really try hard for the last day.

Basically, I just kept asking for another reservation when I picked my kids up. This worked all but one time. On two occasions, they told me I didn't need a reservation because they weren't booked up.

As the cruise progressed, other parents started figuring out "the system" and by day 5 I started getting the "sorry, we're all booked up"

The weird thing about AO on Navigator was late night was only open until 11pm.  On all other ships in the fleet it's been at least midnight. On Harmony over Thanksgiving it was 2am.

[Angie2045]

How long is a time slot for the kids club? Also, is it just one per day - so if we used the slot for a couple of hours in the afternoon, you wont be able to get a slot in the evening? Their website talks about dinner in the kids club and doesn't mention anything about time limits or booking ahead. Also, has anyone found that the Disney cruise lines allow for a longer time slot or more frequent? Just wonder if the extra cost is worth it from that perspective. 

[Matt]

10 hours ago, Angie2045 said:

How long is a time slot for the kids club? Also, is it just one per day - so if we used the slot for a couple of hours in the afternoon, you wont be able to get a slot in the evening? Their website talks about dinner in the kids club and doesn't mention anything about time limits or booking ahead. Also, has anyone found that the Disney cruise lines allow for a longer time slot or more frequent? Just wonder if the extra cost is worth it from that perspective. 

There are no longer time slots or reservations for Adventure Ocean. Things are back to normal in AO without any of the things posted in this thread 7 months ago