Only child experiences on RCCL?

[jacknsally19]

As many others on these boards, we are big fans of DCL. We have done it 4x - 3x in the Caribbean and 1x in Norway. The biggest reason that we love it - is because of our daughter. She is an only child and so she really loves making friends on DCL via dining with other kids and the kids club. She gets really bored just hanging out with mom and dad.
We were strongly considering a DCL Europe next summer - and my daughter will be 8 - but looking at the early pricing being posted is really making me think its time to jump to RCCL. Frankly, my number one concern is the kids club. How have your kids adapted to RCCL from a friend making perspective? (Everything I've read is versus quality of food and shows.... while these are important - its not what makes or breaks our vacation experience.) Thanks in advance for your feedback / perspective.

 

[msjprincess]

I have 3 kids but when there have been times where they were all in separate groups because of their ages. They've always made friends in the kids club. I always make sure they go the first day when all the kids are meeting for the first time.

 

[Denise W]

Join the Roll Call on Cruise Critic for your cruise and then ask on there about others sailing with kids the same age. I have read on here of plenty of kids not liking the kids clubs on DCL (my kids didn't like them) but loving them on RCCL.
Denise

 

[jacknsally19]

Join the Roll Call on Cruise Critic for your cruise and then ask on there about others sailing with kids the same age. I have read on here of plenty of kids not liking the kids clubs on DCL (my kids didn't like them) but loving them on RCCL.
Denise

Oh Denise - thanks for that tip! I think that will be really helpful for us.

 

[starvenger]

If your child is the social type I feel like she shouldn't have trouble making friends on any cruise ship. My kids are quite social (i.e. they don't stop talking. Ever.) so they really don't have issues making friends, although by next cruise my older daughter will be 12 so she's stepping into the world of the teen/tween club and I'm really not sure how I feel about that yet. But I digress.

In terms of grouping, your daughter would theoretically be in the 6-8yo group. She's on the high end in terms of age but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

For a European cruise, I feel like it's hard to gauge exactly how many kids will actually be in the clubs, since you're in port every day. So I think there's a chance that the clubs would be merged together, so it would be more like how Oceaneers operates, with 3-11yo kids all in one area. As Denise mentioned, the roll call is a good tool to try and measure the number of kids sailing.

 

[SA mom]

We cruised Thanksgiving 2017 with our Girl Scout troop and one little brother. The little brother went to the kids club and made tons of friends. He really enjoyed it. He was 10.

 

[bbel]

From being in both clubs, kids seem to make genuine friendships quicker/easier on royal. The group's are already split into appropriate ages, and then they actually stick to the ratio so 25/50 kids max in one room, and it being sessions, kids can plan easier with each "are you going to the monring/afternoon/evening session?"
Its a lot more group activities, and it's an activity based programme so (unlike dcl) there isn't really anything else to do if they don't want to join in, so they either get stuck in and get to know each other or they chill on the side and get to known each other.
What i find really refreshing on the majority of royal cruises, by the end everyone knows everyone youth staff/kids/parents and all the the kids know each other too.

Plus, of you pick certain ships, they can meet up and do other things around the ship together too: splash away bay, laser tag, ice skating, flowrider, rock wall, slides, carousel, arcade, candy store (lol)...

 

[ubish00]

I take my niece on an annual cruise. She's 7 and has now done 6 cruises. We've done both Disney and Royal. I admit she's made better friends on Disney than Royal but she enjoys both. I think it's because on Disney we are matched with other kids her age for dinner where Royal does not do that. Every cruise she's been on she's met several friends. She usually meets them at the pools as she doesn't always go to the kids club. I'm sure your daughter will have a great time on Royal. I find the Royal ships has more for kids to do outside of the kids club.