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Has a cruise line kids' club ever misplaced your child?


Dori Saltzman

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Have you ever put your child into a cruise line's kids' club and had that child escape from the club without permission (like what happened to this family -- http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1778201)?

 

We'd love to hear your stories of kids escaping from kids' clubs without staff realizing.

 

Thank you!

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Aboard the Norwegian Epic, my daughter was given an identification wrist band with another child's name on it.

 

It wasn't a big deal to us. She's 8 years old and there weren't too many other Asian girls in the club the first week of November 2012. We just went back the next day and had them fix the issue.

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No, and I am disturbed by the word "escaped" that the OP of the referenced thread used. To me, the use of the word escaped means that the child was fleeing a situation where they felt confined and did not want to be. I hope that I never placed my child in a situation where she felt she needed to "escape"

 

DD is not special needs, but is a bit sensitive and does sometimes feels the need to get way from loud, confusing situations -- fortunately she is able to communicate this, and I have found that on those occassions when DD had been in any children's program (daycare, camp, resorts and/or on a ship) and she began to feel overwhelmed she can make her needs known.

 

And in most cases the couselors have noticed and have helped her out. Once when she was 8YO and on a particularly child-full AK cruise, I came to check her out and one of the counselors showed me over to a "quiet" corner near an emergency exit where he had stacked up pillows and cushions and had a group of kids each quietly reading books -- he had noticed that my DD and another kid were looking a little overwhelmed so he offered them the option of leaving the rather rawckus game they were playing to build a "nest" where they could read. Two other kids noticed and asked if they could join. It was in the same room, but off in one corner where the counselors could keep an eye on everyone while two wildly different activities took place.

 

All-in-all when she was young enough to be in the kid's programs I found the couselors very good at their jobs, the programs solid, and the facilities top rate.

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There have been cases where the kids club closed 15 min early (read this about Carnival) and the kids were kicked out and didn't know where to go.

 

While I don't personally know of any other situations where a child escaped, I would not be surprised if a child left the kids club when they were not supposed to....especially given the amount of kids who cruise each year. Just because it isn't posted on cruise critic, doesn't mean it hasn't happened. I am just saying I wouldn't be surprised if it has happened before.....hopefully not frequently. :)

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Our children have been on 3 NCL cruises and have never been lost, misplaced or otherwise unaccounted for at the kids club. This includes the NYE cruise we took with you on the Jewel :). I did find that kids club much more chaotic than our other cruises, all of which have been over New Years and had lots of kids. There were a few times where there was so much going on that DS1 asked to leave. However, I had full confidence that my children would not leave without someone noticing.

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Nope. My kids have been on six cruises and that never happened.

 

I usually have to beg and plead them to leave Adventure Ocean... they love it SO MUCH! :D

 

We've been on many cruises with our kids. I know they wouldn't leave on their own for the reason mentioned above. They hate it when we show up earlier than expected.

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Nope.

But we were concerned the rules allowed children of a certain age to request to leave and were allowed if parent permitted it when they enter. From memory I think it was 8 and above, we think thats too young.

Ours were always happy to stay all day......and we told them only leave when we get here. That worked.

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