Provide your positive feedback on the Edge

[vspenn]

question for those who's 10-11yo kids had phones with them to communicate with you on the ship. How did they carry them? Lots of clothing doesn't have pockets (or big enough for a phone anyway). Did they take a small backpack? personally, i struggle with it myself on cruises when, for example, i'm going to the pool and don't need anything other than my keycard and sunglasses. i hate carrying a bag when I don't need it and am a little worried how an 11yo roaming around the ship won't lose the phone. i know kids are different, etc but what has worked for you? Our 10yo doesn't have a phone yet for that precise reason - she still manages to lose her waterbottles and coats and hats at school.

 

[Mags2002]

question for those who's 10-11yo kids had phones with them to communicate with you on the ship. How did they carry them? Lots of clothing doesn't have pockets (or big enough for a phone anyway). Did they take a small backpack? personally, i struggle with it myself on cruises when, for example, i'm going to the pool and don't need anything other than my keycard and sunglasses. i hate carrying a bag when I don't need it and am a little worried how an 11yo roaming around the ship won't lose the phone. i know kids are different, etc but what has worked for you? Our 10yo doesn't have a phone yet for that precise reason - she still manages to lose her waterbottles and coats and hats at school.

A lot just carry them, but also a lanyard with a pouch or some sort of small bag

 

[Sara Faught]

My son will have just turned 11 and will not be having a phone, but thanks for the info as we now have a decision to make

My kids are 10 and 12 and we also have a policy of them not getting phones (likely at 16 when they are out driving and working we will get one). However because the iwatch they have now does not do the disney app 2 cruises ago we purchased cheap old smart phones so that we could text back and forth and always know where they are. The phones get locked up when we return home and only use them on the cruise (they also don't have a cellular plan, just wifi). This week we are going on our 3rd cruise and will be using them again. Lets the kids have freedom, especially with the new club age limits, but you can also find them easily.

 

[Sara Faught]

question for those who's 10-11yo kids had phones with them to communicate with you on the ship. How did they carry them? Lots of clothing doesn't have pockets (or big enough for a phone anyway). Did they take a small backpack? personally, i struggle with it myself on cruises when, for example, i'm going to the pool and don't need anything other than my keycard and sunglasses. i hate carrying a bag when I don't need it and am a little worried how an 11yo roaming around the ship won't lose the phone. i know kids are different, etc but what has worked for you? Our 10yo doesn't have a phone yet for that precise reason - she still manages to lose her waterbottles and coats and hats at school.

My girls used fanny packs (or hip packs) that they could wear cross body. Small and fits close to their body and just big enough to hold the phone.

 

[Mags2002]

My girls used fanny packs (or hip packs) that they could wear cross body. Small and fits close to their body and just big enough to hold the phone.

Yes! I hardly go anywhere without my Lulu Lemon belt bag!

 

[DisneyPiPhi]

My son will have just turned 11 and will not be having a phone, but thanks for the info as we now have a decision to make

My daughter is 11 and also very much does not have a phone. But we take an old phone with us on DCL that just has the DCL app and camera. It gets the job done, and she likes taking pics around the ship with it, too!

question for those who's 10-11yo kids had phones with them to communicate with you on the ship. How did they carry them? Lots of clothing doesn't have pockets (or big enough for a phone anyway). Did they take a small backpack? personally, i struggle with it myself on cruises when, for example, i'm going to the pool and don't need anything other than my keycard and sunglasses. i hate carrying a bag when I don't need it and am a little worried how an 11yo roaming around the ship won't lose the phone. i know kids are different, etc but what has worked for you? Our 10yo doesn't have a phone yet for that precise reason - she still manages to lose her waterbottles and coats and hats at school.

My kiddo has a Loungefly bag she uses for her phone and a few other things (sweatshirt, art projects from the club, etc.) around the ship. A small bag like that works great!

 

[ThinkTink91]

Yay! A positive Edge thread!
I was a former Edge counselor on the Dream and I LOVED IT. And honestly I didn't think I would cause I had been a Vibe counselor before so I didn't think I'd like the age range but I loved it.

Some of my favourite activities were dodgeball, animation cells, craft corner, flubber. I don't know if they still do it but the pirate flashmob was amazing. And just going to the pirate party in general was a good time.

We loved teaching the kids new card games and board games and even better if they taught us new games.

Although I wasn't a Wish Edge counselor (I was in vibe, similar activities) the space on that ship is my favourite of the 3 classes, I love the design of it and I love that they have a "secret door"

Plus on the Wish they have Emperors New Game show, their own incredicourse time just for them, They invade hideaway for Karaoke (they also do it IN Edge but it's fun kicking out the Vibe teens) they do silent DJ and on I think it's the 4 night they started having a movie night where they get the wonderland cinema all to themselves.

The first day if you go to Edge or Vibe before dinner/show I can see how kids would think it's boring because not many kids are there. But after 930pm on the first day, that's when the kids show up and they get to meet everyone and hear what the counselors have planned for them.

 

[CMontheseas]

Edge (and Vibe) Counselor here, and the truth about these spaces is that the experience for our tweens/teens depends more on the bunch that we have on each cruise and how much they gel, like Mags said sometimes scheduled activities fall flat if no one's really into it but we do our best to adapt and keep them engaged with whatever the group wants to do.

There's definitely much more freedom in this sense, but if your kid's REALLY into characters - the plus is when someone drops by for a visit we could really end up hanging out with them for a long time or they might make a very quick stop but nothing scripted to the same extent as what they might experience in the Oceaneer Club/Lab.

 

[supergirl04]

Does anyone know or think that 10 years old will be able to go to Edge?

Think I said in the other thread that I have a 10 and 12 year old. We booked the cruise specifically for the older to do oceaneers one more time. And are less than 40 days out.

They don’t have cellphones or play video games. They spend the majority of their time together except when in their respective classes at school.

They are not mature and are in elementary school. I teach middle and my oldest is not as mature as the 12 year olds I teach. For those reasons, I was not thrilled with these announced changes. Trying to make lemonade out of these lemons.

 

[Mags2002]

Does anyone know or think that 10 years old will be able to go to Edge?

Think I said in the other thread that I have a 10 and 12 year old. We booked the cruise specifically for the older to do oceaneers one more time. And are less than 40 days out.

They don’t have cellphones or play video games. They spend the majority of their time together except when in their respective classes at school.

They are not mature and are in elementary school. I teach middle and my oldest is not as mature as the 12 year olds I teach. For those reasons, I was not thrilled with these announced changes. Trying to make lemonade out of these lemons.

They have not announced whether or not they will stop having 10 year olds in Edge. Onboard, I heard that it will depend on space available. You won’t know if this will be an option until the day you board and you speak to the Counselors in Edge

 

[gotomu212]

Hi everyone, trying to go positive about this new kids club policy change. So, if you have kids who have enjoyed their time in the Edge let’s hear from you! What type of programming did they participate in etc? Were there any activities that involved characters? What made it more “Disney” than other cruise lines?

Thanks for your help in softening the blow!!

My oldest is pretty introverted and the Edge was his favorite kid space. The programming felt more age appropriate (my words not his) and he made actual friends while hanging out together with counselor led activities that didn’t compete with a random 4 year throwing a fit trying to play along (I also have a random little one so no shade there but they do have vastly different developmentAl play styles).
Other than grabbing ice cream, our son preferred to stay in the Edge space rather than go out alone (although we were okay with him stretching his wings). He did the pirate party flash mob, but two counselors were with them then too and when they went to the sports deck it was still organized by the counselors and they played basketball and had a foosball tournament. On our 4 edge aged cruises we didn’t find a ton of out and about activities that were completely free range.
Although it’s very true that nothing is stopping your child from leaving, we were very clear what acceptable behavior was, where he could and couldn’t go, and what out expectations were for communication. It honestly, to us, felt way safer than any of the other places preteens hang out in our community, and we’ve seen officers and other CMs speak to kids out and about who were getting rowdy so it felt like there were many more eyes watching.
Our son said those were his favorite cruises.

 

[EveV]

My kid, 13, loves Edge... but she also loved Oceaneers Club and we had to pull her out of there. She likes meeting new groups of people and just using Edge as a meet up and some chill space. She mentions the karaoke a lot and scavenger hunts. She's been free range kid a while now, maybe since like 8-9 and texts and calls us regularly. Usually, with some question as to what a 'reasonable" purchase might be. Ha! She has had great things to say about the counselors too.

 

[doctorofpeace]

Hmm that's concerning. So there is a chance I will need to roam the ship to find my child?

I'm planning on getting an Air Tag and a necklace holder for my kiddo so I know where she's at during the cruise. She's aware and agreed that it's a good plan. I know you can also text the kids through mobile devices on the app once onboard.

 

[Mags2002]

I'm planning on getting an Air Tag and a necklace holder for my kiddo so I know where she's at during the cruise. She's aware and agreed that it's a good plan. I know you can also text the kids through mobile devices on the app once onboard.

Definitely give it a try, it may not work as well as you want it to though

 

[randumb0]

I'm planning on getting an Air Tag and a necklace holder for my kiddo so I know where she's at during the cruise. She's aware and agreed that it's a good plan. I know you can also text the kids through mobile devices on the app once onboard.

I just returned and it was a terrible experience. I bought my 11 year old a cheap Android phone and asked him to checkin periodically. He fell into the peer pressure to roam the ship and didn't let me know where he was. They checked into Edge only to quickly leave because they found it boring. Because he failed to check in or respond to my messages he was stuck with me for the rest of the trip.