Hi, Jenna!
Welcome back to planDisney. It looks like you are in the fun planning stage for your upcoming Disney Cruise next year. How exciting!
Generally,
Disney's Oceaneer Club and
Disney's Oceaneer Lab are open at most Ports of Call, except for
Disney Castaway Cay and
Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. In those two ports, parents can check their children into the kid's areas on the islands. Since these island areas are staffed by Disney Cruise Line youth counselors, the onboard Youth Clubs are usually closed.
My kids love spending time in Disney's Oceaneer Club and Disney's Oceaneer Lab! During one of our Disney Cruises, my oldest child chose to stay in the youth club while my spouse, younger child, and I explored the town next to one of the ports. My youngest child was not ready to be left for a significant amount of time, but my oldest loved playing with new friends in Disney's Oceaneer Club! We didn't feel comfortable venturing too far from the ship at that time, and we made sure to notify the youth counselors of our plans. We also fed my child before departing, as food is not currently provided in the Oceaneer Club and Lab. Older children seem to feel comfortable spending time in the youth clubs for longer periods in my experience, while the little ones sometimes get antsy for their family after a while.
I suggest downloading the
Disney Cruise Line Navigator app if you have not done so yet. It has a cute countdown calendar for your upcoming cruise, and you can use it to book
Port Adventures and
Onboard Activities during your
booking window. While on your voyage, the app can also show you entertainment schedules, rotational dining information, and youth club operational hours. It also has a helpful
onboard chat feature to communicate with other family members on the cruise with you!
Jenna, have a wonderful voyage! We hope to see you real soon!
Happy sailing!
Jen