What is fun about Edge?

[JOY K]

We have a trip booked on the Dream in November 2021. We will be bringing 2-13 yo boys. We know that the boys will have a blast on the ship. We know there are tons of fun things on the ship for them to do that they will really enjoy. We are really curious about Edge though. I have watched a bazillion YouTube videos that highlight the awsome Starwars simulator and other amazing areas in the kids club. The teen club looks like it also has cool spaces and things to do for teens in Vibe, but Edge looks like it doesn't have much except seating and an interactive dance floor. When reviewers talk about the clubs they skim over Edge and don't give much insight into what makes this space great for tweens and younger teens. I really want my son and his friend to have a blast doing things that are special and they can't do at home. What do tweens do in Edge that makes them want to go there?

 

[T & R]

We cannot keep our kid's out of there. My sons (13 and 14) say there are all kinds of games like dodgeball, 4 square, gaga ball, fusball, etc. They also play Xbox and other games. Sometimes they do group activities where they're running around the ship and we occasionally run into them. They also allow food in there. Basically a giant club hang out for kids of similar same age. Your kids will get back real late too, prolly like midnight or 1am. We rarely see our kids onboard and our only rule is they have to come to dinner with us in the MDR. We'll also be onboard in Nov 2021 and have 2 DCL cruises scheduled for that month.

 

[PurplePencil]

As opposed to the Oceaneers Club and Lab, much of the fun in the tween and teen clubs come from the people and activities rather than the physical space. There are a lot of activities that take place outside of Edge (ie. game shows, cooking, scavenger hunts, basketball, dodgeball) which make up for the lack of appeal within the space. Additionally, there is almost always some form of video game tournament going on which draws the tweens together and contributes to the atmosphere. A lot of tweens use edge as a space to make friends and meet up with friends before going swimming or grabbing a bite to eat. Finally, since the tweens are older than those in the kids clubs, they usually get a say in what activities occur.

 

[Joe Brig]

As others have said, the Edge is the central location to meet up with their new friends. Most of the ship becomes their playground, at 13 what could be better?

 

[Spiffy MacSpiff]

My kids enjoyed the scheduled activities inside and outside Edge, and having a place to meet new friends, and yes, gaming on the giant screen... but I think for both of them the sense of independence was the best part. If our August cruise had sailed it would have been our younger son's last year in Edge; by the time we can cruise again he'll have aged out, and he's crushed.

 

[CamColt]

I don't think this is what you are looking for but the highlight for my DS at the Edge age, was the freedom he got there. I know a few times we would see him around the ship, once doing a scavenger hunt with friends (having a blast), and another time just getting ice cream...because he could! We had to force him to come to dinner with us each night and that was pretty much the most we saw of him. But that holds true for both DSs, throughout the Edge and Vibe years.

 

[Mitura]

Like others said, its the freedom. The Edge is the "edge" between kids and true teenager/adult.

The area isn't what's important. What happens is that the kids use the other spaces around the ship as well. Such as the Oceaneers club. They do go in there for specific things. The also go to the Vibe as well.

On the first day of the cruise they check in they get stickers designating them as Heroes or Villains. And throughout the cruise they play as a teams, villains vs heroes, in things like mentioned above, dodge ball, basketball, tag, scavenger hunt, mini golf, etc. They are always on the move.

They are more active because when they get to Vibe things start settling down and there are more "social" things, like going to the club (no alcohol), hanging out more, making movies, DJ parties and the like.

I know when my 2 boys moved up from each space (Oceaneers to Edge to Vibe out of Vibe) they missed each one and had great memories of the times they spent there.

 

[Michele325]

My son absolutely loved Edge. He is bummed he is no longer young enough. He is not a super social kid but the way they had things set up in Edge he left with 2 good friends. The best part of the trip for him.

 

[nherbert]

edge made the cruise for us. Our son is a bit of a computer nerd, spends lots of time playing computer games. On a long trip (with almost no games) being able to do this with a bunch of like minded other kids was fantastic. But more importantly they got him Doing other stuff, normal games and just doing stuff with new friends. We almost never saw him, except for dinner, occasionally breakfast and lunch, or the odd excursion. All the activities I planned for him, he didnt want to do, he just wanTed to be with his new friends in edge. allow some late nights it’s part of the fun,

 

[JOY K]

We cannot keep our kid's out of there. My sons (13 and 14) say there are all kinds of games like dodgeball, 4 square, gaga ball, fusball, etc. They also play Xbox and other games. Sometimes they do group activities where they're running around the ship and we occasionally run into them. They also allow food in there. Basically a giant club hang out for kids of similar same age. Your kids will get back real late too, prolly like midnight or 1am. We rarely see our kids onboard and our only rule is they have to come to dinner with us in the MDR. We'll also be onboard in Nov 2021 and have 2 DCL cruises scheduled for that month.

Awsome! Maybe we will be on the same trip and our boys will become friends.

 

[SnowWhite2]

It is important to go the first night as that is when all of the introductions happen, friendships form and programming is planned.

 

[kathi]

I think it really depends on the group of kids you have on any particular sailing. My daughter had a negative experience in Edge and never wanted to go back. She found other things to do on the ship with a few kids who also were not fond of the scene in the club.

 

[JOY K]

We have a trip booked on the Dream in November 2021. We will be bringing 2-13 yo boys. We know that the boys will have a blast on the ship. We know there are tons of fun things on the ship for them to do that they will really enjoy. We are really curious about Edge though. I have watched a bazillion YouTube videos that highlight the awsome Starwars simulator and other amazing areas in the kids club. The teen club looks like it also has cool spaces and things to do for teens in Vibe, but Edge looks like it doesn't have much except seating and an interactive dance floor. When reviewers talk about the clubs they skim over Edge and don't give much insight into what makes this space great for tweens and younger teens. I really want my son and his friend to have a blast doing things that are special and they can't do at home. What do tweens do in Edge that makes them want to go there?

Update!! I have now sailed on the Dream and am booked for the Wish. We sailed and will sail in November which is not peak season and we sailed during limited capacity. This mad the ship super not crowded which was amazing. The aqua duck was a walk on any time we wanted to do it. I say that to point out that my son's experience may be very different on our next sailing. He was 13 and we traveled with a friend with a son his age. They were allowed to bump up to Vibe, but could go to Edge when they wanted so they stayed in Vibe except when it was closed and then went to Edge. Both were often empty besides our boys. They did not make any new friends. The outdoor area in Vibe was closed almost the whole time even though the weather was great. I am still disapointed with the lack of cool theming and imagineering of these spaces. Teens and tweens enjoy cool theming too. Now for the positives, our boys love going to the clubs. They spent every min. They could in there. They came out for a few things we did together and dinner/shows and went right back. They are gamers and enjoyed playing the video games available (to me video games all day on a cruise seems lame, but they really had fun). The staff also accomedated them a lot and really got to know them bc they were often the only ones in there. The reason there is so few details about teen/tween clubs is that there really isn't much to tell. They could be so much more, BUT I strongly encourage teens/tweens to give it a shot.