Hi! I am taking my daughter on the disney cruise to Cabo, it is to celebrate her third birthday a week from the trip. Is it possible to take her into the oceaneer club if sue is a few days short?”

Ahoy there Ran, and welcome aboard planDisney! 

I'm glad that you've come to ask us about your upcoming voyage to explore Mexico's western coast; sailing into Cabo San Lucas is always such a beautiful sight to behold with the rock formations jutting out of the sea while cliff jumpers bravely leap into the foamy waters below. I hope you and your family will be able to enjoy it during your journey to celebrate your daughter's birthday! I've personally had a lot of experience with younger children taking part in the Youth Activities programming on board and am happy to help with your question.

Unfortunately, the official policy of the youth spaces onboard remains very firm on that fact that any child entering the secure programming within Disney's Oceaneer Club and Disney's Oceaneer Lab must be between the ages of 3 - 12. In my personal experience, I've observed management strictly adhering to this policy and only approving children when they've met the age requirement - even if they're celebrating that eligibility milestone in the middle of the cruise. I've also witnessed first-hand how frustrating it may be for some kids and their families when they're developmentally more advanced than their peers in the lower age ranges and feel ready to be able to move up to the next level.

Whenever possible, the one thing that I always recommend to every friend and family member that I know who are interested in any of the Youth Activities secured programming is to wait until your child is ready for it. I find that it's always worth waiting until a child accomplishes the following: being at least three years old prior to sailing with the ability to independently use the restroom without being reminded to do so, having the willingness to listen to instructions from the Youth Activities Counselors (adults who they may have never met until that moment) whenever directed and able communicate their needs without being prompted.

I encourage you to take her to the designated Open House times listed in your Personal Navigator or via the Disney Cruise Line Navigator App; these will allow you to enter the spaces together as a family and observe her level of comfort in engaging with activities alongside other children, and determine whether she'll be able to feel confident finding the restrooms and using them on her own whenever she needs to. Speak with the Youth Activities Managers (they typically wear white clothing in contrast to the rest of the Youth Activities team) about ways that she can best take advantage of these spaces before her third birthday. Exceptions are exceptionally rare and never guaranteed, but also note that policies are subject to change without prior notice with the final word given to the management team on board.

When we keep each child's happiness at the heart of it, I've found that the most successful first experiences in these spaces are often enjoyed by the children towards the middle of the age range; hearing them share the magical memories they made on their own is totally worth the wait!

Don't hesitate to come back to planDisney to ask us any more questions about your upcoming trip; I'm always happy to shed more light on the activities and experiences kids can enjoy on board.

Wishing you all the best in celebrating a fantastic cruise to Cabo!
Prince