No kids clubs on RCL UK cruise at half term!!

[Jaz52002]

I suppose that this is the future of holidays!   You just don't know whats going to happen!

2 days before we set sale, RCL has infomed us that the kids clubs won't be open.    We can cancel or get $50 crerdit for our 10 year old.    We knew it wouldn't be good weather in late Oct, so we were relying on having access to the kids clubs just to break up the day for our 10 year old.

[a_cruise_fan]

We're also impacted by the same thing on Anthem next week. Does anybody know if the kids club was open on the last cruise? I do wonder how this can have only just become apparent. The other thing that has only recently come out for this cruise is that kids will only be let off the ship with a shore excursion. I'm not really sure how a wherever "on your own" trip can be any safer than walking around the port, but apparently it is 🤔

[YorkshireGuy]

We’re on this cruise too. Will be interesting to see the impact it has around other areas of the ship. I’m similarly vexed as to why this has only come to light 2 days before! 

[a_cruise_fan]

I wonder how many will take the option to cancel. This will have a big impact for lots of people, but of course the late announcement means it's virtually impossible to book an alternative for this week. 

[PJL1973]

I understand the kids club have been cancelled due to a child testing positive for Covid on our cruise.

Edited October 24, 2021 by PJL1973

[Interestedcruisefan]

17 minutes ago, PJL1973 said:

I understand the kids club have been cancelled due to a child testing positive for Covid on our cruise.

Meaning staff would need to quarantine etc

[Mapleleafforever]

17 hours ago, Jaz52002 said:

I suppose that this is the future of holidays!   You just don't know whats going to happen!

2 days before we set sale, RCL has infomed us that the kids clubs won't be open.    We can cancel or get $50 crerdit for our 10 year old.    We knew it wouldn't be good weather in late Oct, so we were relying on having access to the kids clubs just to break up the day for our 10 year old.

If you cancel do you get a full refund or FCC? Hope it's a refund......

[a_cruise_fan]

6 minutes ago, Mapleleafforever said:

If you cancel do you get a full refund or FCC? Hope it's a refund......

They've given the option of 125% FCC or a 100% refund. Or $50 OBC if you still sail.

[Trixie21]

7 minutes ago, Mapleleafforever said:

If you cancel do you get a full refund or FCC? Hope it's a refund......

You can choose either a full refund or a 125% FCC.

Seems fair enough .

[poocher]

Not when it leaves you without a viable vacation alternative.

[kernow]

I can't imagine it being a great cruise for anyone without the kids club, when we were onboard a couple of weeks ago the concierge said they were expecting 1000 kids on this one. That's a lot of bored kids!

[Itchy&Scratchy]

20 hours ago, Jaz52002 said:

We knew it wouldn't be good weather in late Oct, so we were relying on having access to the kids clubs just to break up the day for our 10 year old.

in a different blog someone wrote that kids in the kid's club were not allowed to play together. All they were allowed to do is sit on the floor 6 feet apart with masks on. So, perhaps, your kid isn't missing much.

 

Signed, a mother of a 10 yo who simply doesn't do kid's club anyway.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

2 hours ago, poocher said:

Not when it leaves you without a viable vacation alternative.

cruising with your kid by your side at all times is still a very viable vacation alternative. That's what we do.

[ReneeFLL]

1 hour ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

cruising with your kid by your side at all times is still a very viable vacation alternative. That's what we do.

It’s nice for kids to be able to get out and socialize with other kids. They also learn important lessons from this.

[mjkacmom]

1 hour ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

in a different blog someone wrote that kids in the kid's club were not allowed to play together. All they were allowed to do is sit on the floor 6 feet apart with masks on. So, perhaps, your kid isn't missing much.

 

Signed, a mother of a 10 yo who simply doesn't do kid's club anyway.

I can see being disappointed, when are kids were younger the kids clubs were a big factor as to why we cruised.

 

Signed, a mother of 5 very social kids who loved making new friends on cruise ships.

[cured]

21 hours ago, a_cruise_fan said:

We're also impacted by the same thing on Anthem next week. Does anybody know if the kids club was open on the last cruise? I do wonder how this can have only just become apparent. The other thing that has only recently come out for this cruise is that kids will only be let off the ship with a shore excursion. I'm not really sure how a wherever "on your own" trip can be any safer than walking around the port, but apparently it is 🤔

I believe the bubble excursions rule for unvaccinated children has been in place since August 15th. It is nothing new for your cruise.  This is from the Healthy Sail Center for sailings from Southhampton. The same rules are in place for pretty much every port except Port Canaveral and Coco Cay.

 

At Ports of Call

From 15th August 2021, fully vaccinated parties have the choice of booking a shore excursion or visiting freely. Parties that wish to go ashore and include any unvaccinated guests, must book a shore excursion through Royal Caribbean that is provided by an independent local tour operator that has agreed to comply with recommended health protocols.

Vaccinated parents wishing to go ashore freely can visit our youth facilities once onboard to learn about drop off program hours and availability, and reserve time for their child on the day they wish to go in port. Drop off facilities will only be available for children aged 6 months to 11 years of age. Children aged 12 – 17 will not be permitted to stay onboard without their parents and will need to accompany their parents if they decide to go ashore.

[binro01]

During this time, we need to expect the unexpected. At any time not just the kids club activities can be cancelled but the whole cruise.
 

If you are worried about plans changing, a cruise vacation at this juncture of time and conditions might not be your best choice for a vacation.

 

But if you can be fluid and go with what is thrown at you, there is probably no better vacation option. I’m lucky to be flexible at this time.

 

I completely understand your quandary. I cruised with pre teens, and the kids club program is awesome. But you do have options. You can bring along small board games. Paper and crayons, playing cards, etc. and come up with family activities you can do on the ship if you can’t alter vacation plans. Or reschedule your current vacation and do some present staycation ideas near home.

[a_cruise_fan]

1 hour ago, cured said:

I believe the bubble excursions rule for unvaccinated children has been in place since August 15th. It is nothing new for your cruise.  This is from the Healthy Sail Center for sailings from Southhampton. The same rules are in place for pretty much every port except Port Canaveral and Coco Cay.

 

At Ports of Call

From 15th August 2021, fully vaccinated parties have the choice of booking a shore excursion or visiting freely. Parties that wish to go ashore and include any unvaccinated guests, must book a shore excursion through Royal Caribbean that is provided by an independent local tour operator that has agreed to comply with recommended health protocols.

Vaccinated parents wishing to go ashore freely can visit our youth facilities once onboard to learn about drop off program hours and availability, and reserve time for their child on the day they wish to go in port. Drop off facilities will only be available for children aged 6 months to 11 years of age. Children aged 12 – 17 will not be permitted to stay onboard without their parents and will need to accompany their parents if they decide to go ashore.

I didn't say it was new for this cruise. My point is more that I fail to see how a "Manchester on your own" trip is any safer than a stroll around the port. 

[cured]

2 hours ago, a_cruise_fan said:

I didn't say it was new for this cruise. My point is more that I fail to see how a "Manchester on your own" trip is any safer than a stroll around the port. 

Sorry I misunderstood. When I read "this cruise" I misunderstood that you thought the bubble excursions just came out for your cruise.

The other thing that has only recently come out for this cruise is that kids will only be let off the ship with a shore excursion.

 

As for the difference in safety, you will have to ask the people who are advising the ports on who to let off the ships and how.  

[a_cruise_fan]

54 minutes ago, cured said:

Sorry I misunderstood.  

That's ok, no need to apologise. 

Edited October 24, 2021 by a_cruise_fan

[Chauncey Picklepants]

Aren’t you concerned that having a roomful of unvaccinated children together is asking for an outbreak?  Kids here are passing it to each other and to vaxed and unvaxed teachers so frequently that our school district has just shut down in person classes again.  I think all kids club activities should be boarded up until all kids are vaccinated. 

Edited October 25, 2021 by Chauncey Picklepants

[Itchy&Scratchy]

23 minutes ago, Chauncey Picklepants said:

Aren’t you concerned that having a roomful of unvaccinated children together is asking for an outbreak?  Kids here are passing it to each other and to vaxed and unvaxed teachers so frequently that our school district has just shut down in person classes again.  I think all kids club activities should be boarded up until all kids are vaccinated. 

since most of the posters are in the UK, perhaps, they are handling the epidemic differently. Heck, different states handle it differently. Even different school districts with the same municipality.

 

Also, the kids are wearing masks in the kid's club, so they are not worse off than at school.

[Interestedcruisefan]

3 hours ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

since most of the posters are in the UK, perhaps, they are handling the epidemic differently. Heck, different states handle it differently. Even different school districts with the same municipality.

 

Also, the kids are wearing masks in the kid's club, so they are not worse off than at school.

Schools in UK not doing very well at all with Covid at the moment

 

So not being worse off than schools isn't really saying a lot

 

Many UK schools have been forced to close and teaching on zoom from home again

 

Many others still open have loads of kids with positive cases not attending

 

I have a friend who is a teacher in Nottinghamshire and she says it's by far the worst she's seen for positive cases at school since Covid started

 

 

Edited October 25, 2021 by Interestedcruisefan

[Itchy&Scratchy]

3 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Schools in UK not doing very well at all with Covid at the moment

sorry to hear that.

It differs from school to school here. Our elementary school (4-12 yo) is doing pretty well because they do have risk mitigation measures in place (masks are mandatory indoors, kids are limited to playing only with their class during recess, etc.), whereas other schools aren't as diligent and, therefore, have a very different situation.

So, imho, kids wearing a mask in the kid's club are no worse off than at school, especially since RCI requires a neg test 1-3 days before the sailing and a neg test at the terminal for all unvaxxed kids under 12 for sailing out of Florida.

[Chauncey Picklepants]

6 hours ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

since most of the posters are in the UK, perhaps, they are handling the epidemic differently. Heck, different states handle it differently. Even different school districts with the same municipality.

 

Also, the kids are wearing masks in the kid's club, so they are not worse off than at school.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a parent.  I get wanting to vacation with ones children.  
 

That being said -I’m not concerned about the kids being “better off.”  I do not want an outbreak on my cruise nor do I understand why a cruise of all vaccinated adults has an exemption for unvaccinated children. If my adult son needs vaccinated, a 10 year old should too.  The fact that kids can’t get vaccinated yet should 100% prohibit them from sailing on any sailing designated as vaccinated ONLY. Sorry parents.  Get a sitter, go somewhere else, or stay home. 
 

 Children tend to not wear their masks properly which is why they’re having outbreaks in school and spreading it to teachers and each other.  Why Royal and other lines are leaving this loophole open is beyond me. Money I suppose.