Children's program - age question

[yazeee1]

This question is for those who have cruised on NCL with a 9 year old who is close to 10 years old and who did not want to be grouped in with the 6-9 year old children's group. Did you ask that your child be grouped with the 10-12 year olds? If so, how was your request received? On DCL, the practice is to allow a child close to the maximum age for one group to move up to the next group if the parents request it. I'm not saying it's a policy to do, since I don't know that to be true, but it does happen very often. I'm wondering if the situation is the same on NCL.

 

Please, only reply to this question if you have personally dealt with this kind of situation on a NCL cruise.

[flowerchild]

My daughter was between ages and within the same age groups you mentioned...she was 2 weeks away from her birthday.

 

BUT we had predecided that she would stay with the younger group because the older group was allowed to walk about the ship unaccompanied during certain activities...something we weren't comfortable with, that being her first cruise.

 

Big mistake; she HATED camp....the younger group was way below her maturity level, even though she was still technically "one of them", lol. She complained that they were wild and out control, would run around crazily, and it was definitely not her scene. She's a quieter, DS kinda kid. She had brought her DS in case she was not into the rest of the group was doing, but was not allowed to play with it while in camp...

 

Next cruise she is old enough to roam about at will so it will no longer be an issue, yipee!

 

But in answer to your question, NCL stated that they would allow her to bump up to the next group because she was within the two week period before her birthday, otherwise I believe there is very little flexibility, or so I have read on these boards...hopefully somone else will be able to answer more fully...

[Robandzog]

Flowerchild - when did you talk to NCL about the age limit? Was this on the ship or customer service?

 

Everything I've heard is that there is absolutely no flexibility unless the child has a birthday during the cruise. I would be thrilled to hear otherwise. My son's will be 6 four days after our cruise next week and I am very worried about the younger grouping for him.

[cruisebermuda]

We have sailed NCL and used the kids program many times...the answer completely depends on your sailing. If they are swamped with kids in that "older" group, it's likely you won't be able to switch. On the other hand, if the younger group is swamped, they may be more likely to say yes. We have also had the age groups switched around because of high numbers in one age (on our last cruise, the 2 youngest groups were together because the 3rd group was so huge it needed extra staff).

 

So, don't go crazy before you are onboard and can speak to someone in the kids program. You might think you have the perfect plan and then ship conditions will change it for you!

[mickey557]

There are big signs that say bumping of age groups is not allowed no matter what per NCL policy all over the paperwork and wall in the Kids Club. My daughter is 9 going on 10 and she was just in the kids club and had a blast, running around and being wild is part of being a kid and I didn't allow my dd to bring anything electronic on board the ship. They had hoola hoop competitions and played basketball. They did some crafts which although young for my dd she still enjoyed. They watched a movie, played wii and generally had fun. They did not play at the arcade or go roaming around unsupervised. Also NCL has freeplay time which puts the older and younger kids together so she can always just go to kids club at that time.

[Robandzog]

So, don't go crazy before you are onboard and can speak to someone in the kids program. You might think you have the perfect plan and then ship conditions will change it for you!

 

Thank you for that. I have been going crazy about this and I will now stop. I'll now focus on the tropical storm instead. ;)

[mjkacmom]

From what I've read on these boards, NCL is not flexible with ages in the clubs. DCL was flexible during our cruise (my twins were less than 2 months away from the next club, where their sister was going to be).

[Vyhanek]

NCL will not make any accomodation for you at all. You can ask and they will tell you NO.

 

Carnival will be flexible. Royal has been flexible with us before. But never NCL.

 

The only time I was able to work it on NCL when I wanted my younger daughter to be in the same group as my older dd and her cousins she never gets to see (imagine they WANT to spend their vacation with their cousins they never get to see and be grouped together?!") The only way I could work it is to play way ahead. When I booked the cruise I lied about her age I made her one year older than she was. So if her birthday was 7/10/99 I lied when I booked the cruise and told them her birthday was 7/10/00. Then when we checked in at the port they don't even look at the birth certificate at all. I was holding my breath at that point but they didn't so much as check with the lines out the door and wrapping around the building they didn't give a birth certificate AGE a second look. I was all prepared if we got caught at the pier........I would have been "mistaken.....sorry". It worked out great. My dd got to enjoy kids club with her sister and cousins and no one was the wiser. I've had several friends who've done the same thing with no issue either. I think if you have a well behaved kid that isn't going to cause them any suspicion It will work.

 

It certainly would be nice if they could have some flexibility with this as their competitors do though! When a kid comes on vacation with their cousins who live across the country they want to spend time together, not be seperated. It's a customer service issue!

[Robandzog]

The only way I could work it is to play way ahead. When I booked the cruise I lied about her age I made her one year older than she was. So if her birthday was 7/10/99 I lied when I booked the cruise and told them her birthday was 7/10/00. Then when we checked in at the port they don't even look at the birth certificate at all. I was holding my breath at that point but they didn't so much as check with the lines out the door and wrapping around the building they didn't give a birth certificate AGE a second look. I was all prepared if we got caught at the pier........I would have been "mistaken.....sorry". It worked out great.

 

Wow - I've been wavering on what to do about this. My son misses the older group by 4 days. I've called NCL twice and they just say to ask on the ship with no indication if there is any flexibility at all. Folks on a different board scared me and said we could be denied boarding if the reservation and passport info were different. And I'm only thinking of changing Sep 10 to Sep 1. Was your trip international? Do you think it is different when needing passports? How long ago did you do this?

 

Glad to hear at least one success story!

[Why Knot Me]

NCL will not make any accomodation for you at all. You can ask and they will tell you NO.

 

Carnival will be flexible. Royal has been flexible with us before. But never NCL.

 

The only time I was able to work it on NCL when I wanted my younger daughter to be in the same group as my older dd and her cousins she never gets to see (imagine they WANT to spend their vacation with their cousins they never get to see and be grouped together?!") The only way I could work it is to play way ahead. When I booked the cruise I lied about her age I made her one year older than she was. So if her birthday was 7/10/99 I lied when I booked the cruise and told them her birthday was 7/10/00. Then when we checked in at the port they don't even look at the birth certificate at all. I was holding my breath at that point but they didn't so much as check with the lines out the door and wrapping around the building they didn't give a birth certificate AGE a second look. I was all prepared if we got caught at the pier........I would have been "mistaken.....sorry". It worked out great. My dd got to enjoy kids club with her sister and cousins and no one was the wiser. I've had several friends who've done the same thing with no issue either. I think if you have a well behaved kid that isn't going to cause them any suspicion It will work.

 

It certainly would be nice if they could have some flexibility with this as their competitors do though! When a kid comes on vacation with their cousins who live across the country they want to spend time together, not be seperated. It's a customer service issue!

 

Pass the popcorn, please.

[flowerchild]

I think it really has to do with the individuals running the camp, like the poster said above.

[yazeee1]

I'll ask, and see what happens. We can handle no, and it may work out for the best. You know what they say about one door closing and another door opening.

[flowerchild]

Good luck and if your child doesn't really like camp, they can spend the time with you...which is what happened to us. Thank goodness my Mom was along on that trip! She spent time with her at night, giving us a chance for some alone mommy/daddy time. You have a great attitude and I'm sure everything will work out for the best for you.

[newmexicoNita]

Flowerchild - when did you talk to NCL about the age limit? Was this on the ship or customer service?

 

Everything I've heard is that there is absolutely no flexibility unless the child has a birthday during the cruise. I would be thrilled to hear otherwise. My son's will be 6 four days after our cruise next week and I am very worried about the younger grouping for him.

 

My understanding is like yours, it is very cut and dry. In fact on most lines it is cut and dry. Maybe in the past few months things have changed. I would love to hear from someone who has actually requested their child be moved up and hear what they say..

 

Nita

[newmexicoNita]

NCL will not make any accomodation for you at all. You can ask and they will tell you NO.

 

Carnival will be flexible. Royal has been flexible with us before. But never NCL.

 

The only time I was able to work it on NCL when I wanted my younger daughter to be in the same group as my older dd and her cousins she never gets to see (imagine they WANT to spend their vacation with their cousins they never get to see and be grouped together?!") The only way I could work it is to play way ahead. When I booked the cruise I lied about her age I made her one year older than she was. So if her birthday was 7/10/99 I lied when I booked the cruise and told them her birthday was 7/10/00. Then when we checked in at the port they don't even look at the birth certificate at all. I was holding my breath at that point but they didn't so much as check with the lines out the door and wrapping around the building they didn't give a birth certificate AGE a second look. I was all prepared if we got caught at the pier........I would have been "mistaken.....sorry". It worked out great. My dd got to enjoy kids club with her sister and cousins and no one was the wiser. I've had several friends who've done the same thing with no issue either. I think if you have a well behaved kid that isn't going to cause them any suspicion It will work.

 

It certainly would be nice if they could have some flexibility with this as their competitors do though! When a kid comes on vacation with their cousins who live across the country they want to spend time together, not be seperated. It's a customer service issue!

 

I am shocked to hear you say both Carnival and RCI were flexible. I have only to depend on what clients have said about Carnival, but that is not what I have been told. I have a personal experience with RCI, no flexibility at all...

 

I will also add, I can't believe you admit to doing what you did. Oh well, it takes all kinds.

 

Nita

[Ask4Jay]

@yazeee1

We cruised with our granddaughter on her 12th birthday. Since the cruise started when she was still 11, she was put with the younger group. No exceptions. At first she was a bit disappointed, but in the end she had a great time. We only saw her for meals.That was 4 years ago, and she is still talking about it.

[flowerchild]

I am shocked to hear you say both Carnival and RCI were flexible. Nita

 

I only have experience with my daughter on Carnival and NCL and we always sail with her about the same time...end of summer, right before school starts...her bday is always one to two weeks away...we had the same experience on Carnival, too. If her birthday was within the next two weeks, we had the option of moving her up...same thing that was told to us by NCL when the same thing happened...

[pumpkin228]

All I have EVER read or heard or seen when being on board is that it goes by the age the child is upon boarding, no exceptions.

 

http://www2.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/freestyle-family-fun/kids-crew-and-teen-crew

[flowerchild]

I've only sailed with my daughter twice and can only comment on those two times...

[orangegrove]

They absolutely do not let ages cross. This was a big issue on the last cruise I was on with a fellow cruiser. We were on the Epic. Their child was 12 and would be 13 in 5 days after the cruise sailed. They wanted to be in the teen group. No dice. NCL already has the ages when you board. It is on the passport. The camps are very strict. There also was an 18yo who wanted to hang out with their 17yo cousin in the teen group, also no way.

[DAGVBSB]

NCL will not make any accomodation for you at all. You can ask and they will tell you NO.

 

Carnival will be flexible. Royal has been flexible with us before. But never NCL.

 

The only time I was able to work it on NCL when I wanted my younger daughter to be in the same group as my older dd and her cousins she never gets to see (imagine they WANT to spend their vacation with their cousins they never get to see and be grouped together?!") The only way I could work it is to play way ahead. When I booked the cruise I lied about her age I made her one year older than she was. So if her birthday was 7/10/99 I lied when I booked the cruise and told them her birthday was 7/10/00. Then when we checked in at the port they don't even look at the birth certificate at all. I was holding my breath at that point but they didn't so much as check with the lines out the door and wrapping around the building they didn't give a birth certificate AGE a second look. I was all prepared if we got caught at the pier........I would have been "mistaken.....sorry". It worked out great. My dd got to enjoy kids club with her sister and cousins and no one was the wiser. I've had several friends who've done the same thing with no issue either. I think if you have a well behaved kid that isn't going to cause them any suspicion It will work.

 

It certainly would be nice if they could have some flexibility with this as their competitors do though! When a kid comes on vacation with their cousins who live across the country they want to spend time together, not be seperated. It's a customer service issue!

 

 

 

Oh look a criminal and bad parenting all in one person.

 

1.) Lying on a government form is a criminal offense. In these days of terrorism and close security for passports and other things, it is a big deal to knowingly lie like that.

 

(and then to claim ignorance and say it was just a mistake when you pruposely did it is a typical criminal response.)

 

 

2.) Instead of teaching kids that following rules are necessary, this parent is teaching them that it is ok to lie and cheat to get what you want.

 

3.) Kids need to be taught that you aren't always going to get what you want... sometimes things and rules prevent that. Its called maturity and teaching children the right way. Not the illegal way.

 

Another problem with society is excatly what all these fools on here are trying to do.... change the rules to suit what THEY want.

 

Rules are there to do what is in the best interests of ALL the people... not just what a certain person wants. To try an circumven the rules is disrespectful to not only those who follow the rules but to yourself. You are putting youself and your own selfish needs/wants ahead of everybody else.

 

"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few" is a great quote to live by.

 

 

Some great examples of poor parenting on this thread.

 

 

Oh, and by the way... nearly everything that has been reported on this topic is that NCL is very strict with the age groupings and grant very few, if any exceptions. Which I commend NCL for. If you let every Tom, Dick and Harry decide what group their child was in, it would be mass chaos.

 

Thank God NCL does not let the loons run the show.

[newmexicoNita]

They absolutely do not let ages cross. This was a big issue on the last cruise I was on with a fellow cruiser. We were on the Epic. Their child was 12 and would be 13 in 5 days after the cruise sailed. They wanted to be in the teen group. No dice. NCL already has the ages when you board. It is on the passport. The camps are very strict. There also was an 18yo who wanted to hang out with their 17yo cousin in the teen group, also no way.

 

I do think I have heard of the rare time when there are very few kids aboard they have bent a little, but you are about on target and I undestand their reasoning. There has to be cutoffs and rules. Otherwise you would have 1/2 the parents wanting to change the kids to different groups. This is like saying, can't my kid please start school early because he/she only misses the breakoff by a few days and is mature and smart.

 

Nita

[beachchick]

Wow - I've been wavering on what to do about this. My son misses the older group by 4 days. I've called NCL twice and they just say to ask on the ship with no indication if there is any flexibility at all. Folks on a different board scared me and said we could be denied boarding if the reservation and passport info were different. And I'm only thinking of changing Sep 10 to Sep 1. Was your trip international? Do you think it is different when needing passports? How long ago did you do this?

 

Glad to hear at least one success story!

 

You could be denied boarding if the reservation and passport info are different. Period! That one person was able to "slip through" is no guarantee that you will. You know what, you've asked and asked and don't want to hear the truth (or the fact that lying to get what you want isn't exactly what I'd consider a great example): Go ahead, change the date. Maybe you'll get lucky; maybe you won't. Sure, take the chance that you'll have a problem. You know you're going to do it anyway, regardless of what truth others tell you. (Yes, I am being judgmental in this situation. You seem to think that everyone here, many of them experienced cruisers/travelers, who has already answered you and "scared" you is wrong, stupid, or lying.)

 

beachchick

Edited August 24, 2010 by beachchick

[Robandzog]

You could be denied boarding if the reservation and passport info are different. Period! That one person was able to "slip through" is no guarantee that you will. You know what, you've asked and asked and don't want to hear the truth (or the fact that lying to get what you want isn't exactly what I'd consider a great example): Go ahead, change the date. Maybe you'll get lucky; maybe you won't. Sure, take the chance that you'll have a problem. You know you're going to do it anyway, regardless of what truth others tell you. (Yes, I am being judgmental in this situation. You seem to think that everyone here, many of them experienced cruisers/travelers, who has already answered you and "scared" you is wrong, stupid, or lying.)

 

beachchick

 

Ummm...yes I have asked and commented on these threads because I am agonizing over a situation that I didn't realize I would face. This will be my first cruise experience, and I have seen that there are rules and "rules", and I'm trying to figure this one out by gathering as much info from all of those who have experience so I can make an informed choice of what to do. I never said anyone here was stupid or misinforming me. Don't know where you got that from. There are hundreds (thousands?) of people here with different experiences at different times and on different ships. Just doing some research.

 

I certainly wouldn't ask my child to lie or even tell him about the age rules. I just want him to be happy. And I don't think he will be happy grouped with 2-3 year olds. He will want to be with his sister doing the things they do in the 6-9 year old group, with kids that he is normally grouped with in every other camp and school experience he has. Of course he can hang with us as needed, but he will be happier playing wii and running around with the other kids. If NCL has a strict rule, I get that. I hear that others lines are more flexible and maybe that would have been a better choice for us for this particular week. But, I didn't book this vacation myself. I'm trying to make the best of it so we can all have a positive, fun experience. Everything else about this cruise looks awesome and I'm very excited to see for myself how it is.

 

I don't think that anyone else's cruise experience will be ruined or safety endangered if I ask that my almost 6-year old first grader be grouped up. I would hope that NCL would honor that request, but indications are that they will not. So, I either deal with it, or see if I have any other options. And, that's all I'm trying to figure out.

[newmexicoNita]

Ummm...yes I have asked and commented on these threads because I am agonizing over a situation that I didn't realize I would face. This will be my first cruise experience, and I have seen that there are rules and "rules", and I'm trying to figure this one out by gathering as much info from all of those who have experience so I can make an informed choice of what to do. I never said anyone here was stupid or misinforming me. Don't know where you got that from. There are hundreds (thousands?) of people here with different experiences at different times and on different ships. Just doing some research.

 

I certainly wouldn't ask my child to lie or even tell him about the age rules. I just want him to be happy. And I don't think he will be happy grouped with 2-3 year olds. He will want to be with his sister doing the things they do in the 6-9 year old group, with kids that he is normally grouped with in every other camp and school experience he has. Of course he can hang with us as needed, but he will be happier playing wii and running around with the other kids. If NCL has a strict rule, I get that. I hear that others lines are more flexible and maybe that would have been a better choice for us for this particular week. But, I didn't book this vacation myself. I'm trying to make the best of it so we can all have a positive, fun experience. Everything else about this cruise looks awesome and I'm very excited to see for myself how it is.

 

I don't think that anyone else's cruise experience will be ruined or safety endangered if I ask that my almost 6-year old first grader be grouped up. I would hope that NCL would honor that request, but indications are that they will not. So, I either deal with it, or see if I have any other options. And, that's all I'm trying to figure out.

 

You are totally missing the point, rules are not made to be broken. Don't you think your son would question the age thing when he finds out he is the only 5 year old in the program? His key card and other things will have his age on it. Won't he wonder why the date is wrong? sorry, remember he will not be the only almost 6 year old in the group. He can hang out with the other 5 year olds. You do not have any other options, but it seems you don't want to accept this. The sooner you accept it and explain it to him, but better off he will be. Your being unhappy with the policy will rub off on him and could spoil his cruise.

 

Nita