Hi I am thinking about applying for the DCL after I complete my CRP. I have more than enough retail experience to do a merch role, but I have noticed the YAC role. Does anyone know if 2 years volunteering in a school and 1 year working as a student primary teacher (oh and a few months in a nursery) would count as relevant experience for the role. Also anyone out there have anything to say on the role, do you always need to have games to play with the kids or do they have activities planned, I am torn between merch and YAC. Thanks
the experience has to be within a time limit i think like a year of u applying/? so you would need to show that you have up to date experience working with kids
Merch and YA are very different. I spent 3 years as a YA counselor. A lot of the time programs are lead by entertainment hosts - these are the bigger programs with characters etc. Counselors lead smaller programs and either have a guide or a theme to go with. Most of the time counselors are support for the bigger programs, meals etc. It's always good to have a couple games in mind to play when time permits. While they do want the recent experience - your experience sounds like it would be a match. Obviously there are a lot of difference between merch and YA. YA is kids - all the time and very intense with high numbers (200 +). If this is something that scares you, YA might not be the right choice. The one nice thing about merch is that the stores cannot be open when in ports - there is work to do in ports but from what I understand the schedules allow for more time to see the ports.
Soooo I've just got back from my first YA contract and can honestly say I loved it! (And when I say 'just got back' I mean I landed yesterday! So happy to be on vacation!). I've been on the Magic in the Caribbean, Transatlantic and the Med and have done and seen so much! From what I've been told, us as counselors get to do so much more now. I've run my own big programs that used to be done by Ent Hosts and made so many crafts I could write my own book. Roxy74 is right in saying have few games up your sleeve! You never know when an Ent Host program is going to finish early and you've got 150 kids with nothing to do for a few minutes. The great thing about being in the Med is that we got to help Port Adventures out a lot as well...meaning we spent a good amount of time out of the kids spaces and doing things like pier running and taking tour groups to the peer and even being shore excorts for excursions! I got to go to Florence and Pisa (twice!), and Pompeii, Sorrento and Capri, all because I'm in YA (although Merch get to do it too!). The one thing I can say about YA is that you certainly have fun. Of course, there are some cruises that you just want to end, but they are few and far between.
DisneyGibbs makes a great point about also being about to do port adventures in the med - but that is only for specialty cruises. If you are on the Dream or on the Magic when if it in the Caribbean you will not be doing any port adventures (paid). We had such low numbers of kids on the specialty cruises that they used us for port adventures. I go to do some great ones last summer in Europe (I got to do Florence and Pisa as well! also wine tasting in Cadiz spain, and a trip to the Nobel peace center in Oslo, Norway). From what I've heard from friends on the wonder in Alaska - they are getting to do excursions too but just the americans (due to work visas etc). It also really depends on the ship you are on (I've done all three). I just finished on the Dream and found that counselors get to do nothing compared to on the Magic or Wonder. I was lucky if I got to do one or two craft programs a week. I found that I was just supervising a room or setting up lunch. If I went back I would definitely want to go to the Wonder or Magic. I'm hoping also that since the Dream is new, it's just a matter of getting things in order so the counselors get to do more. But I must say the crew spaces on the Dream are MUCH better (including crew cabins, bar, etc). The only exception to that is the food in the Mess (the worse is on the Dream).
Your experience sounds more than adequate to me. I think the fact of how recent it is depends on how desperate they are for people. And as the turnover can be quite high this works in your favor. But seriously, when I applied most of my experience with kids was from the end of high school. And being 21 to be able to work there made it much less recent than you. To be honest, everyone is trained the same way and has to follow the routines. My experience in YA on all the ships was that the ones that were more qualified were more frustrated because they felt undermined by the whole operation. Aslong as you show them in your interview you can be trained the disney way and that the intense ship atmosphere doesn't scare you... you'll be fine. And you'll have fun! From my experience with the role... you do have to lead activities as a counsellor but you have freedom to be as creative as you want. I've seen many people get nervous and worried about it but it will become second nature to you. And it's a gradual process. They won't just throw you into it... unless you want to be. I possibly hold some kind of record for that. I think I lead a parachute game my fifth day on the ship. But that's not normal... honest! Haha. As for the ships... generally the longer the itinerary the easier it is. But it's not really that black and white. When the Magic was in the Baltic it was so quiet it was extremely boring. Some days there would be major programs with four children participating. Everyone has a favorite ship. While I did feel like I had more free time on the Magic, there was something I always liked more about the Wonder. But I wouldn't worry where they put you as a newbie because you'll learn to love it and you'll be ignorant to how 'the other side' works haha.
Haha one day in the Med we had Counselor Gases in Action. Most fun I've ever had with no kids in the space. But that's what they get for holding it at 9am on a Port day on the Transatlantic cruise. I think it might have been the first port day after our 6 sea days, hence everyone got off the ship. Must see where those pictures got to....
Haha that's great! It does happen! Usually if there's any doubt as to what to schedule they shove in Junkanoo Jam. *shudder*
How about the Do-si-do with one 4 counselors and 1 8 year old boy!! lol! and Louisa you know that you love junkanoo jams... dont try and deny it!! im guna request that you get put in the club just for junkanoos as soon as you get back!!
