Kids/ teens Club Question for shy teen

[shelby333]

Hi All

We will be sailing on Diamond Princess in Jan 2010 with our three children. My eldest daughter will turn 13 in December. She is quite shy. I know she will feel uncomfortable with the teens, she has already said she doesn't want to go to the teens club. Can anyone advise whether Princess would allow her to stay in the 8-12yrs considering she will only be a month out of the age bracket. One of her sisters is in this age group.

I just wondered what others experience of this is.

I am aware that Princess are very strict on their ages, as in not allowing kids to go up an age bracket, just wondering if it works both ways.

sally

[karatemom2]

I have seen Princess counselors allow a child close to the age break to move down a level, especially when they have a sibling in the program. My daughter is in the 8-12 group and there were a couple of just 13 year olds allowed to move down into her group. It is the moving up that Princess is very strict about.

You should speak with the head of the children's program the first evening at registration and see if they will allow it. Since your daughter will be just barely 13, my guess is that they will let her stay with the younger group.

[kooljamming]

I asked about this on my last cruise. The reponse was on that ship and sailing they would. They also said there were cases when they allowed a child to move up. This was on Golden Princee 8/7 to 8/15. I had concerns about my 13 year old with the much older kids but he did fine.

Good luck

[Colo Cruiser]

Originally Posted by shelby333

Hi All

We will be sailing on Diamond Princess in Jan 2010 with our three children. My eldest daughter will turn 13 in December. She is quite shy. I know she will feel uncomfortable with the teens, she has already said she doesn't want to go to the teens club. Can anyone advise whether Princess would allow her to stay in the 8-12yrs considering she will only be a month out of the age bracket. One of her sisters is in this age group.

I just wondered what others experience of this is.

I am aware that Princess are very strict on their ages, as in not allowing kids to go up an age bracket, just wondering if it works both ways.

sally

They are very strict, you can always ask but don't count on it.

[DrivesLikeMario]

Originally Posted by karatemom2

I have seen Princess counselors allow a child close to the age break to move down a level, especially when they have a sibling in the program...It is the moving up that Princess is very strict about.

You should speak with the head of the children's program the first evening at registration and see if they will allow it. Since your daughter will be just barely 13, my guess is that they will let her stay with the younger group.

This is exactly our experience too. Okay to move down, not to move up.

[karatemom2]

Originally Posted by DrivesLikeMario

This is exactly our experience too. Okay to move down, not to move up.

Yes this is what the reports reflect here. I have yet to see anyone come back and say that their child was actually allowed to move up. We have inquired about moving my daughter up a couple of times, and the answer has always been a firm no.

Yet we have seen a number of instances where kids were allowed to be moved down so I'm betting the OP will be OK with her request.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I haven't read or heard that any child was able to move up to another group and I would be surprised to hear that. Besides the obvious reason, letting one kid do so would invite a storm of other parents insisting that their child is "mature" for their age. Better to hold firm.

[shelby333]

Thank you all for your responses. I will check it out when we sail. I also thought that moving down, when she is only just 13 would be a possibility.
sallyb

[karenem]

Yet more anecdata: my 13.5 YO son was allowed to move down on our Alaska cruise without a problem (probably helped that he was 5'0" and 80 lbs). It was definitely a good choice because the younger kids' progam has a lot more structure and supervision than the teens', so less chance of being stuck in a corner with nobody to talk to.

[shelby333]

Originally Posted by karenem

Yet more anecdata: my 13.5 YO son was allowed to move down on our Alaska cruise without a problem (probably helped that he was 5'0" and 80 lbs). It was definitely a good choice because the younger kids' progam has a lot more structure and supervision than the teens', so less chance of being stuck in a corner with nobody to talk to.

Hi Karenem

I have my fingers crossed that my daughter will be able to move down. She wants to be with her sister. Did you just ask the kids club staff on the first day or was this pre arranged before boarding the ship?