Hi there, Susan! Welcome to planDisney!
It’s so exciting that you’re considering booking a
Transatlantic Disney cruise with your son! Cue a “Cool Mom” award!
I understand wanting to ensure that there are other kids in the Youth Club for your son to hang out with. This has been a thought of mine before as well. But not to worry, as you’ve come to the right place! As a mom who’s planned many Disney cruises with my tweens, I can share my own experiences to help you decide if this sailing would be right for your family.
First, I have also sailed on a Disney cruise with my kids in early May. Guess what? There were other kids and families on board with us! This wasn’t a “typical” Disney cruise itinerary out of a more popular port, like Port Canaveral or Fort Lauderdale, either. This was my concern then-that maybe without a school break and a less popular sailing port and itinerary, there wouldn’t be as many kids on board. But my kids found other kids in the
Youth Clubs, as well as much to do around the ship with us. It remains one of our most memorable sailings!
I know your concern might be that early May is a time when many kids are still in school. But it’s worth noting that different schools get out for the year at different times, including late April and early May. There are also different school options, such as homeschooling and year-round school, which present plenty of opportunities for other families to sail. Being a super family-friendly Disney cruise (it’s
award-winning for this!), it’s pretty much always a safe bet that there will be kids sailing with Captain Mickey!
I frequently sail with my family during “low-season times”, which aren’t during school breaks due to the great cost or can’t-miss-itinerary, and there are always kids on board. In fact, I recently sailed on the Disney Treasure in the middle of January, and the Cruise Director made a point of telling us that this sailing had more adults than kids. But guess what? My tweens found plenty of other tweens in the tween club, Edge, and made many friends!
Let’s talk about
Edge, the tween youth club on board. The Youth Counselors are amazing, and really do their best to make every kid feel included and welcome. They even play the games along with them. I suggest visiting Edge with him during
Open House on embarkation day, so that, together, you can explore and chat with the Youth Counselors and other families. I also suggest having him attend the “Ice Breakers” sessions that evening, because he’s sure to make some fellow tween-cruiser friends there. During your cruise, keep an eye on the Edge activities schedule in the
Disney Cruise Line Navigator App, because there are so many happening all cruise long!
Some other activities my tweens love doing on every Disney cruise ship are the trivia games and family karaoke. They provide great family bonding time, and my kids always find some of their Edge friends there, too!
Susan, I hope this helped offer some guidance. I wish you and your family beautiful memories, always. Please sail back to planDisney if you have any other questions.
Seas the Adventure,
Rana