Kids club fancy dress.

[Jo and Rob]

Do they need to bring their own costumes or will the costumes be provided? It is fine either way as long as we know.

 

Thanks

 

What are the other themes and do we need to bring anything for those?

[Suebiker]

Do they need to bring their own costumes or will the costumes be provided? It is fine either way as long as we know.

 

Thanks

 

What are the other themes and do we need to bring anything for those?

 

Hi - you do not need to take a fancy dress costume. On the day of the fancy dress you just go to the kids club and make one. You have access to scissors, coloured paper, crepe paper and lots of art supplies and you just make your own. It's great fun!!!!! Make sure you get there early as it can get very chaotic!!!!!!

 

Also there has been a pirate party on deck on our last few cruises so you may want to take pirate costume. Quite a few people do dress up for it (adults too)!!!!!

 

You may also get a tropical night. One of the formal nights will be black and white too.

 

Hth's

 

Sue

[Jo and Rob]

I take it that Emily (6) will not have to be in black and white? The rest of us are sorted. Emily can carry her little bridesmaid bag (she has since grown out of the dress) to add a little white to her outfit (well ivory!)

[Britchic4]

Afraid I have to disagree about making the costumes being great fun - just the opposite but that's just me. My son (8) insisted on making his and it was cringingly dreadful but he didn't seem to care. You will find there are parents there who have painstakingly planned out the costume(s) they are going to make and spend the entire 4 hrs or so possible in the kids' club making them. That's just really not me so I plan to either take something that can be easily added to (which guarantees your child won't win so mine will be prepared for that!) or not have the children in kids' club for that time.

This isn't meant to be controversial, everyone enjoys doing different things and spending hours making costumes in a chaotic environment where 10 people are sharing a roll of sellotape is not for me. It also ends up being more about the parents than the children IMO.

[lancashire_cruisers]

I'm with Britchic on this. Thankfully our DD is now too old for the fancy dress competitions but when she was in that age group I used to dread it with a passion.

 

It brings out the worst side of some of the parents and I really can't be doing with all the competitiveness of it all. At one point the Youth Crew stopped doing the fancy dress comps because of the bad behaviour of some parents.:eek:

 

Debbie:)

[cclarke12]

Afraid I have to disagree about making the costumes being great fun - just the opposite but that's just me. My son (8) insisted on making his and it was cringingly dreadful but he didn't seem to care. You will find there are parents there who have painstakingly planned out the costume(s) they are going to make and spend the entire 4 hrs or so possible in the kids' club making them. That's just really not me so I plan to either take something that can be easily added to (which guarantees your child won't win so mine will be prepared for that!) or not have the children in kids' club for that time.

This isn't meant to be controversial, everyone enjoys doing different things and spending hours making costumes in a chaotic environment where 10 people are sharing a roll of sellotape is not for me. It also ends up being more about the parents than the children IMO.

 

I know you enoyed it really :D (well about as much as I did....). I found DS's pirate outfit from last time - torn jeans and a t-shirt. I think it will be going back in the case.

[mrspjotter]

Jo and Rob - remembered that you asked me to post back about kids bed linen and goody bag after we came back from Azura. None of the kids got any special bed linen my son is 10 and shared a cabin with my mother-in-law and woz'nt bothered anyway. My twin girls aged 7 slept on the pull out sofa bed each night so I doubt they had kids double bed size bed linen anyway.

 

As for the goody bag the girls got a drawstring bag with a mug and disposable camera in it when I registered them at the kids club but they didn't like the kids club so never went back - shame coz they really enjoyed it on RCI :confused:

 

My son spent most of our 4 sea days in the kids club but he never got anything - we did ask one of the youth crew for lanyards for the kids cards as it was easier for them to wear them round their neck - they weren't happy though when the cards were taken off of them as we disembarked - on RCI they were allowed to keep them!

[Suebiker]

I'm with Britchic on this. Thankfully our DD is now too old for the fancy dress competitions but when she was in that age group I used to dread it with a passion.

 

It brings out the worst side of some of the parents and I really can't be doing with all the competitiveness of it all. At one point the Youth Crew stopped doing the fancy dress comps because of the bad behaviour of some parents.:eek:

 

Debbie:)[/quote

 

Out of interest were you cruising in the school holidays? As I could understand it being chaotic!!!!! I too was dreading the Fancy dress but I really enjoyed it as it took me back to being a kid again. Tbh it wasn't that competitive , but there were only about 80 kids onboard and they were mainly under 5's. I just thought it was nice to see people making things and using their imagination instead of just going to a shop and buying something.

 

Perhaps I will have a very different experience on our next cruise as we are cruising in school holidays.

 

Sue

[lancashire_cruisers]

[/quote

 

Out of interest were you cruising in the school holidays? As I could understand it being chaotic!!!!! I too was dreading the Fancy dress but I really enjoyed it as it took me back to being a kid again. Tbh it wasn't that competitive , but there were only about 80 kids onboard and they were mainly under 5's. I just thought it was nice to see people making things and using their imagination instead of just going to a shop and buying something.

 

Perhaps I will have a very different experience on our next cruise as we are cruising in school holidays.

 

Sue

 

Hi Sue

 

The worst experience we had was on a cruise at the beginning of June, so not school holidays! It was just carnage in the kids club with parents snatching crepe paper etc. out of the hands of other people, hiding stuff so that no-one else could use it, etc.:eek:

 

It was beyond stressful and was nicely capped off at the actual competition itself when one of the fathers proceeded to mow down all the kids in front of him whilst wheeling in his son standing on top of some wheeled contraption borrowed from the waiters, dressed as one of the thunderbirds:eek:!

 

On the other hand the best experience we had was on Aurora to the Caribbean with only 30/40 kids on board. Everyone was really chilled out and the winning costume was totally amazing - a Dad had sat with his DD for the whole morning painstakingly making a hat in the shape of the Black Pearl from Pirates of the Caribbean. They both had a great time doing it and the hat really was a work of art.

 

Debbie:)

[Suebiker]

Hi Sue

 

The worst experience we had was on a cruise at the beginning of June, so not school holidays! It was just carnage in the kids club with parents snatching crepe paper etc. out of the hands of other people, hiding stuff so that no-one else could use it, etc.:eek:

 

It was beyond stressful and was nicely capped off at the actual competition itself when one of the fathers proceeded to mow down all the kids in front of him whilst wheeling in his son standing on top of some wheeled contraption borrowed from the waiters, dressed as one of the thunderbirds:eek:!

 

On the other hand the best experience we had was on Aurora to the Caribbean with only 30/40 kids on board. Everyone was really chilled out and the winning costume was totally amazing - a Dad had sat with his DD for the whole morning painstakingly making a hat in the shape of the Black Pearl from Pirates of the Caribbean. They both had a great time doing it and the hat really was a work of art.

 

Debbie:)

 

 

Wow !!!!!

 

No wonder you didn't enjoy it. I guess it's pot luck ! fortunately I've never come across that sort of behaviour on a cruise before. Yes there are always one or two pushy parents but nothing quite that bad.

 

I'm just hoping that we won't experience it on our next cruise as it is the first time we be cruising in the school holidays and I expect it will feel very different to our other cruises!!!!!

 

Here's hoping

 

Sue

[ROSEBASKETS]

It's much more entertaining to make a scene / kick up a fuss to the kids club manager when you walk into the kids club after the parents have been painstakingly putting their costumes together for the little darlings for 3 & a half hours and demanding that they give a prize to the child with the best outfit that has received no help from any parent.

 

The sickening look on the parents faces ........... priceless :D

[William Dean]

My son spent most of our 4 sea days in the kids club but he never got anything - we did ask one of the youth crew for lanyards for the kids cards as it was easier for them to wear them round their neck - they weren't happy though when the cards were taken off of them as we disembarked - on RCI they were allowed to keep them!

 

There is an easy answer to this problem. "Lose" the card early in the cruise and get a replacement from the Purser's Office. Place the original card in the safe. Use the replacement.

 

You now have a card to keep!

 

WD

[mrspjotter]

WD - thanks for that - you should've seen my kids faces last saturday in Barbados when they took the cards off them - they love taking them into school and have both their RCI one's in their "treasure box". I'll remember that for the future!:D

[Jo and Rob]

I'm stunned that P&O take the cards off you. We keep all our cards (Princess, Costa and RCI) why on earth do P&O keep them? Can you keep hold of them if you want?

[William Dean]

I'm stunned that P&O take the cards off you. We keep all our cards (Princess, Costa and RCI) why on earth do P&O keep them? Can you keep hold of them if you want?

 

I can't answer specifically for P&O, but it sounds the same system as Cunard, where the claim is that they are recycled. I've not heard of anyone keeping their card after presenting it at the gangway on disembarkation.

 

I agree - it is completely daft.

 

WD

[Rum Rat]

I'm stunned that P&O take the cards off you. We keep all our cards (Princess, Costa and RCI) why on earth do P&O keep them? Can you keep hold of them if you want?

 

If you want to keep them you can. The only one I have bothered to save is the World Cruise one.

 

Unless you are going to make a scrap book sort of thing for each and every cruise, what are you going to do with your card?

 

.

[u2cruiser]

I can't answer specifically for P&O, but it sounds the same system as Cunard, where the claim is that they are recycled. I've not heard of anyone keeping their card after presenting it at the gangway on disembarkation.

 

I agree - it is completely daft.

 

WD

 

Our steward asked us to leave our cards in the cabin. He even came by as we were leaving to check that we'd left them and to say goodbye (we'd tipped him the night before). We must not have needed them to disembark :confused:

[Jo and Rob]

Our steward asked us to leave our cards in the cabin. He even came by as we were leaving to check that we'd left them and to say goodbye (we'd tipped him the night before). We must not have needed them to disembark :confused:

 

Don't you need to use your cards to disembark? How do they know that you are not still onboard if you leave your cards in your cabin?

[u2cruiser]

Don't you need to use your cards to disembark? How do they know that you are not still onboard if you leave your cards in your cabin?

 

Just asked my husband. He says the key card was different to the cruise card. We both had a cruise card and a door key card. It was the key card we had to leave behind and cruise card to disembark. :o

[Britchic4]

I know you enoyed it really :D (well about as much as I did....). I found DS's pirate outfit from last time - torn jeans and a t-shirt. I think it will be going back in the case.

 

Ah yes you can be my witness on JUST how cringingly dreadful DS's costume was......

[cclarke12]

Ah yes you can be my witness on JUST how cringingly dreadful DS's costume was......

 

But he enjoyed himself! This discussion reminded me of that pushy mum who was appalled that anyone would suggest bringing a ready made costume with them. I also pitied her son that clearly wasn't flavour of the month when his sister did won best dressed girl and he didn't win the boys category. She clearly wanted to win the trophy for the boy and girls category:eek:

 

I wish P&O would hurry up with next year's brochure as RCI/Celebrity have already released details :( DS is really keen to do a cruise with your two again.

[Britchic4]

But he enjoyed himself! This discussion reminded me of that pushy mum who was appalled that anyone would suggest bringing a ready made costume with them. I also pitied her son that clearly wasn't flavour of the month when his sister did won best dressed girl and he didn't win the boys category. She clearly wanted to win the trophy for the boy and girls category:eek:

 

I wish P&O would hurry up with next year's brochure as RCI/Celebrity have already released details :( DS is really keen to do a cruise with your two again.

 

Ah yes. I remember her well. Hiding the stapler.

[Jo and Rob]

So what are the resources then? Cardboard? paper? loo roll? The children seem to think that making costumes will be fun!!! :rolleyes:

[Britchic4]

There's lots and lots of different colour papers, card, crepe paper, felt etc. What's lacking a bit is sellotape, staplers etc, ie there's only one or 2 and there's 15 people trying to use them.

I've only been on one cruise, on which there were about 500 children, so my experience may be different to others, but in the room my kids were in my son was pretty much the only one making his own costume. Indeed I heard one mum who told her children this was for the adults to do and they should get out of the craft room. The more 'competitive' parents were past cruisers who had planned out what they were doing and were determined to get it done! Each to their own. If your children want to help you, stick to your guns, why on earth shouldn't they?! Indeed surely they should or what's the point of it at all?!

[capasamari]

Could be worth packing your own sellotape and stapler.

 

Carol x