Any point in contacting NCL over this?

[Lessa11]

We got back from a cruise to Alaska last week on the Pearl. Many things about the trip were fun, though I have to say I don't think we are cruise people. But one thing just really upsets me. One of the main reasons I picked NCL was because their website made the kids program for 10-12 year olds sound really fun. This is the list directly from the website:

 

Navigators (Ages 10-12)

 

Wii

Sports Activities

Family Activities

Arts and Crafts

Parties

Video Arcade

Scavenger Hunt

Computer Games

Team-Building Challenges

 

When I took my DD to the kids club to check it out, I found out that only the teens get to do the parties, scavenger hunts, video arcade and computer games. And no, the giant Wii is not part of the kids programs. So what do they do? They hang out in the kids room with all the younger kids and do art projects and play games (probably aimed at the younger set, not the tweens).

 

I feel like this is false advertising. If they had been honest, I would've picked a ship with a pool that was covered so that my DD would have something fun to do.

 

Is it worth it to complain to NCL or will it fall on deaf ears? Who would I contact? Customer service? I don't expect any compensation or anything, I just would like it if they would provide an accurate picture of what the kids will get.

[pbadeer]

I'm glad you started this link (it saves me the trouble) because we were also disenchanted with Kids club (also for our DD aged 10), and I'm curious what the overall view on them is from other ships and ports

 

We just got back from the Baltics on the Jewel. We too chose NCL because of the kids club hype. Although we were still disappointed, I will say we seemed to have a different experience than you did. There was a computer room dedicated for 10 - 12 year olds, but the games on the computers were not very advanced (there were actually some coloring games on them), but the basic Pinball, etc. If we had given her our internet password, she could have wiped out our minutes too. They could use the video arcade, and they had Wii contests in multiple areas on the ship (I think the kids club ones were in the "Whatever Rooms", but they had them on the big screen in the lounge too (can't remember if that was part of kids club or just a regular activity).

 

We got a schedule for the 12 days of the cruise, and there were some special events our DD went to. Drama-Rama, Create Your Own Country, WhiteHot Party, one of the movies (although that was mixed with the little kids), and they went as a group to the family oriented shows.

 

DD was disappointed in the overall program, which upset us a little, but she did participate. One issue (maybe) was that although we had a 12 day cruise, we had only 4 sea days. Since Kids Club was actually closed when at port, there wasn't a lot of open time - but we did think they could have put more into that time for that very reason.

 

We all still had a great cruise, so it wasn't anything we planned to complain to NCL about, but we do feel the Kids Club was a little over-hyped for what we got.

[ruffs]

Please post what you hear back from them. Our kids don't have any expectations (since they don't even know they are going on a cruise yet) but I'm hoping they will at least marginally like the kids clubs. Did they have the Wii, computer games, etc.? Most of the things NCL posts on their website seem to be qualified by something like 'not available on all ships' or something to that effect, but I don't see anything qualifying their offerings in the kids club.

 

Was the 'Youth Program Supervisor' available on board? I wouldn't have thought to find that person, but after reading your post I'll have to look that person up to ask how they live up to what is posted on their website.

 

I think you should certainly call them on this, but I don't see how you would contact them. I'm sure someone else here can suggest the appropriate e-mail address.

[terrymtex01]

Not knowing you very well and just going from your posting, I would say your better choice in the future would be to stick with Disney cruiseline if your kids need to be that entertained while you are on a cruise. I don't think anyone will top Disney when it comes to the entertainment a child will recieve on a cruise. As far as should you write a letter, etc, I say go for it. What do you have to lose? Do I think it will change anything? No. But you never know. I will say it is rare you see anyone complain here on CC about the Kids Club. So overall they must be doing something right. I'm no judge for sure as we do not have kids so would never have need to use them.

[trawes]

We may have been on the same cruise, 8/9-16. My 12 year old son was bored on the ship. We still had a nice cruise and as a family, we really enjoy being together, which we were 24/7. This was our first cruise and I spent a lot of time sharing the website and getting my son excited about meeting new friends and participating in the activities. One look at the program and he was with us the rest of the cruise. He is a good kid, didn't pout, he just spent a lot of time listening to his iPod. His overall impression was that he really would prefer not to cruise in the future.

 

We had a nice trip and I cruising Glacier Bay but I was disappointed for him.

[tgptmp]

Our kids are now adults so this is not something that we are concerned with. But I will tell you that any business that is worth their salt will want to hear feedback. It may not do you any good (in that there probably won't be any compensation) but the only way that they can improve is that people like yourself and others who were dissatisfied speak up. Who knows what good it will do. Frankly, if I were taking kids on a cruise I would probably go Disney or Carnival.

[uneamie]

What a shame for your daughter. :(

 

They really need to be more specific in their advertising. I believe Disney maps all their programs out for you and I agree with the other poster that you just can't top Disney in that department.

 

I think customer feed back is a good thing....if they actually pay attention to it.

[MrsLeo]

Our experiences with NCL kids clubs fall into two distinct categories... we either have the staff who can't do enough to make our kids cruising experience a special one, or we have the kid's crew that is looking to do as little as possible, and really is not putting out much effort aside from showing up when they have to be there. In fairness, most of our experiences have been more of the former and less of the latter. I would encourage you to write NCL and express your feelings and your experience with them so they are aware and can fix the issue.

 

Going forward though, if there are issues with any part of your cruise, deal with it while on board. Give the feedback directly to the people who can change it before the entire cruise is over and you are disappointed.

 

If you feel the kid's club isn't living up to what was promised, go to the kid's club supervisor and explain what your expectations are based on what NCL is advertising and where it is falling short. If they do not offer a satisfactory resolution, then escalate to the hotel director. If it still doesn't meet the expectations that NCL has set, then write a letter or email when you get back home.

 

For the most part we've been happy with the kid's clubs from four of the cruise lines we've sailed with. We've had few issues with NCL's, but when we did, it was nipped in the bud immediately.

[LOWTYD]

I think you have every right to complain to NCL. Tell them what liked about your cruise and then tell them about your disappointment with their Kid's Club. If it say those things on their site, they should be doing these activites as advertised with the 10-12 year olds. It hard to keep the kids occupied and if they have activities that kids want to do, then they should do them. When my DD was younger we did a Celebrity cruise which had a fantastic kids program as well as Carnival. both 7 days . My thoguht here is that most kids are on a 7 day cruise and I think they have a better turn out. Not that this is an excuse for not providing the activites on a 12 day.Were there a lot of kids on the 12 day cruise? I remember a post about parents taking the kid to the Kids Club and there wasn't even a counselor there for the activity.

Sorry about your disappointment.:( Please let us know what NCL says.

[nunuc2000]

I'm not a cheerleader for any particular cruiseline - my theory is try them ALL before I make that commitment!!:D

 

But when doing research for our Easter Cruise with 5 kids of varying ages this past April, we decided to go with Carnival for exactly the reasons pointed out in this thread. If you go in search of info regarding the NCL kid's programs, you'll find a lot of dissappointment and negative feedback. The opposite is true of the Carnival kid's programs. So, when all was said and done and the price was roughly the same between the two lines, it seemed like a no-brainer for us to choose Carnival.

 

I can honestly say that Carnival has it down pat when it comes to cruising with kids... and that doesn't mean they entertain the kids while the adults have their own vacation - they're just really good at engaging the kids when they are participating in those programs. We've already decided that we'll likely sail with cruiselines other than Carnival when it's just us grownups... but when we have our kids with us, it's Carnival all the way!!

[sverigecruiser]

I agree that the advertising shall be correct and what's advertised, they shall have.

 

I don't really understand why they shall have a kids program at all! When I was a kid the vacation was a way for our family to be together so I don't understand the need for splitting up!

[bplazo]

I agree that the advertising shall be correct and what's advertised, they shall have.

 

I don't really understand why they shall have a kids program at all! When I was a kid the vacation was a way for our family to be together so I don't understand the need for splitting up!

 

I agree with your statement. I only allowed my daughter a certain amount of time when she went to a childrens club because I wanted her to spend time with me. She always found it boring and rarely spent time there.

[op1]

I agree that the advertising shall be correct and what's advertised, they shall have.

 

I don't really understand why they shall have a kids program at all! When I was a kid the vacation was a way for our family to be together so I don't understand the need for splitting up!

 

Just curious, how many kids do you have? I have 2. It's nice to do things together on vacation. It's also nice for me to get some down time. A good kids club program keeps the kid entertained and engaged while I get some down time. It also breaks the ice for the kids and gets them playing with each other. Then they can play even when they are not at the club.

 

OP1

[blindrid]

I agree that the advertising shall be correct and what's advertised, they shall have.

 

I don't really understand why they shall have a kids program at all! When I was a kid the vacation was a way for our family to be together so I don't understand the need for splitting up!

 

I agree also.

 

But that is a fairy tale to a certain extent also. In looking back out our kids at that age, that's a tough age regardless of the onboard activities. Some kids would still enjoy themselves regardless i.e. making friends, etc. while others could care less about making friends and need to electronic fix of today's world. I now have g-kids approaching that age and have one that is easily entertained regardless of what's offered and another that is a high maintenace PITA that would prefer an IPOD and does not find things to do by himself. Different kids, enjoy different things and that's the way it is and will be.

 

The adults today always have their ipods, cell phones and whatever else fits in their ear and why would we expect anything else of the kids we raise.

 

I'm not sure it's fair to blame NCL and agree with PP's comments using only Disney. In saying that I would suggest it's worth a letter.

[ruffs]

My biggest problem with the situation, and we haven't cruised yet so it hasn't happened to us on NCL yet, is that if they promise X, Y and Z to the kids, at least one of my kids will be looking forward to one of the options and if it is not offerred as promised they will be dissapointed. They should not promise things to kids that they do not want to deliver on.

 

We are going on a cruise to travel as a family so the kids club to us is a bonus, but they don't need to start off by promising something they don't have.

 

From re-reading the original post, the complaint seems to be they said they would have the items listed on the website, but they did not.

[bplazo]

Sometimes some of the activities listed are cancelled because of no participation.

[ace6636634]

Sometimes some of the activities listed are cancelled because of no participation.

 

That’s true... But how many kids do you need for a scavenger hunt? Only 1 if you have a fun counselor.

[BitsnBearsmom]

We were on the same cruise last week - my almost 10yo ds' (3 months shy of 10) was told he couldn't go into the 10-12yo group so refused to go..... he just wasn't interested in being the oldest in the crowd or with playing with 6yo's even though both groups did the same stuff. My 15yo just isn't a kids club kid - both kids found plenty to do though and although they were bored at times it was ok for the majority of the time.

[Hunding]

Interesting, this thread. I remember many trans-Pacific and trans-Atlantic voyages when I was a kid (3-13), and there wasn't a single activity for "kids" on board any ship - that I remember. I also don't remember being bored - but I'm sure I was! I agree, though, what's "promised" ought to be delivered.

[newmexicoNita]

I'm glad you started this link (it saves me the trouble) because we were also disenchanted with Kids club (also for our DD aged 10), and I'm curious what the overall view on them is from other ships and ports

 

We just got back from the Baltics on the Jewel. We too chose NCL because of the kids club hype. Although we were still disappointed, I will say we seemed to have a different experience than you did. There was a computer room dedicated for 10 - 12 year olds, but the games on the computers were not very advanced (there were actually some coloring games on them), but the basic Pinball, etc. If we had given her our internet password, she could have wiped out our minutes too. They could use the video arcade, and they had Wii contests in multiple areas on the ship (I think the kids club ones were in the "Whatever Rooms", but they had them on the big screen in the lounge too (can't remember if that was part of kids club or just a regular activity).

 

We got a schedule for the 12 days of the cruise, and there were some special events our DD went to. Drama-Rama, Create Your Own Country, WhiteHot Party, one of the movies (although that was mixed with the little kids), and they went as a group to the family oriented shows.

 

DD was disappointed in the overall program, which upset us a little, but she did participate. One issue (maybe) was that although we had a 12 day cruise, we had only 4 sea days. Since Kids Club was actually closed when at port, there wasn't a lot of open time - but we did think they could have put more into that time for that very reason.

 

We all still had a great cruise, so it wasn't anything we planned to complain to NCL about, but we do feel the Kids Club was a little over-hyped for what we got.

 

well reading these reports it does seem to say some are not thrilled with the kids program, but I will honestly say, as a travel agent, I have had complaints about all cruise lines about different things, nothing is perfect, but one thing I have never heard is any complaints about the kids programs on NCL. In your case, I don't know that to say, maybe your daughter is very advanced so found the internet games boring, maybe she expected something more involved. I do not think the kids programs are designed to be total entertainment, but maybe I see things a little differently as we no longer have kids. Anyway, I am sorry your daughter didn't enjoy the program, hopefully next time you will find a cruise line that meets her needs better. When our grandkids cruised with us, they found plenty to do without kids programs.

 

Nita

[Spike in FL]

The best kids programs are on Disney, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival, in that order.

 

Disney does not have casinos.

 

My grands loved RCI's program, and had no desire to be with the adults. Disney, of course, is all about the kids. Carnival is a party for everyone. Any other line - you take your chances. Some days will be great, some days the kids will hate it. Plan on that.

 

Spike

[AWEST84532]

I remember my first kid's club... It was on the Prince George (CN) back in 1964, I was nine-years-old on a cruise to Alaska. The ship was huge, I'm not sure, but I bet it was over 15,000 tons. The kids club consisted of the kids on board chasing the guy who rang the dinner-bell around the ship. He hated it and usually tried to ditch us in the bar (no kids allowed). I wasn't bored for a minute.

[tahoeca]

We were on NCL Pearl in July. We signed our son up to go to the kids club because we heard so many great things about it and he didn't enjoy it at all. He said he was with the younger group, unfortunately, he was with the right group age 6-9 years old group, but said there were too many younger kids in his group. He refused to go back which was fine with us, but we were disappointed in the club because as well. We were on Carnival three years ago and he said he preferred Carnival kids program. Just my input.

[nancyfancy40]

We have cruise a giant total of three times. We have had very interesting and different experiences in all. First DS was 10 on Carnival. We never saw him. He loved the place and they really did a lot to keep him entertained. Always had to set up family time around the fun kids club. Second was Princess DS was now 15. He loved the teen club, during the day and only about 1/2 of the night activities. Our newphew was in the 10 and he did not like their kids club. Third was the Pearl last year. this exprience was totally different for him. Of course, he was 17 and 360 days (turned 18 in Kethikan). We were not sure was it because of the age, or the lack of activites. There were only 13 kids in the teen club and really not enought to make it fun. The teen staff was really not into it and sort of non creative in the event planning.

 

The one thing he did do after the last Pearl cruise was write a letter to NCL. It was well written he expressed some of what he felt were the shortcoming of the teen program. He also praised the areas that he liked. He did receive a nice letter back thanking him for the information and hoped that he would cruise with them again. So, it cannot hurt to write and see what happens. Your kids should write and express the ideas about what they felt also.

 

Although he did not enjoy the last teen club as much as the previous two, he did say that for a few years he was done with cruising, unless he brings a friend along.

 

I however love the easy, slow pace of NCL. I know that with his personality he will return to NCL in the future. My closing comment is that really for kids clubs, Disney and Carnival are the place to go.

 

Nancy

[ruffs]

Just like for the adults, the kids really need to make the trip what they want it to be, but the cruise line really needs to live up to their part of the bargain and provide whatever it is they promise. For example, if they promise computer games there should be some in the kids club for that age group. They don't necessarily have to be the newest and best, but there should be some. If they promise a Wii, there should be a Wii there - though not necessarily one per kid nor on a giant screen tv.