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Original poster

Is club med too French for kids to make friends?

17 replies

ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 20/01/2022 13:22

Love the look of club med but 9 and 6 year olds will want to make friends and don't speak French.

Will they be the only English speakers?

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CrimbleCrumble1 · 20/01/2022 15:42

We went with teens and there was only our family and one other family from the UK. One of my DC tried the club a few times and they tried their best to include him but unfortunately the language barrier was too great. There were lots of activities for us to do together or for the DC to do. We all got really good at archery and the food was delicious.

LakeShoreD · 20/01/2022 15:49

I’ve only been to the Florida and Mexico ones and excluding the staff there were very few French people, especially in Florida.

Original poster
ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 20/01/2022 17:17

Thank you both, we're looking at Cancun. @CrimbleCrumble1 do you mind saying which you went to?

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Original poster
ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 20/01/2022 17:19

Doh! @CrimbleCrumble1 sorry, just reread. You went to Mexico!

Were the other guest brits or us?

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Original poster
ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 20/01/2022 17:19

And would you recommend the Mexico one?

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CrimbleCrumble1 · 20/01/2022 17:20

I went to a resort in Italy in a place called Calabria . There were no Italians only French people. There were no direct flights from England then either so I should have thought it through a bit more. I think you’d be ok in Cancun, check out trip advisor and see if all the reviews are in French.

alpinia · 20/01/2022 17:22

Have been to multiple Club Med with family. None of the children in the extended family speak much French and there has been a pretty big mix of nationalities at the resorts. Sports options are always good and the food is pretty decent too.

LakeShoreD · 20/01/2022 17:33

@ThinkAboutItTomorrow

And would you recommend the Mexico one?
On Cancun: We weren’t dissatisfied because we’d come from the US so it was a short cheap flight and we were just desperate for a break from the Chicago winter. If I’d come from the U.K. I would have been really disappointed. We stayed in the upgraded accommodation that had its own pool/bar, it was nice enough, DD liked the kids club, but it was just all a bit meh and nothing special. There was also damp problem and it took multiple washes to get the smell off our clothes, I ended up throwing out a fabric suitcase, and the staff didn’t even seem to think there was any there was anything wrong so they’d clearly gone noseblind.
ffscovid · 20/01/2022 18:01

Don't let the language barrier be a problem. Kids can easily learn to communicate, especially if the club leader is bilingual and can help everyone to understand each other. It's a perfect way for children to learn about other languages and cultures.
At the same age we moved to Wales and I spent the summer at a childminder whose other charges only spoke Welsh. Naturally most of the day was in Welsh (TV, chat between the other children and she spoke to them in Welsh - but to me in English). I never really felt left out and the other children and I played board games together etc. even though they didn't speak English and I didn't speak Welsh.

Original poster
ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 20/01/2022 18:27

@ffscovid

Don't let the language barrier be a problem. Kids can easily learn to communicate, especially if the club leader is bilingual and can help everyone to understand each other. It's a perfect way for children to learn about other languages and cultures. At the same age we moved to Wales and I spent the summer at a childminder whose other charges only spoke Welsh. Naturally most of the day was in Welsh (TV, chat between the other children and she spoke to them in Welsh - but to me in English). I never really felt left out and the other children and I played board games together etc. even though they didn't speak English and I didn't speak Welsh.
My 9 year old's idea of holiday friends is someone to talk ten to the dozen with about Taylor swift and roblox. We go away to Italy every year and she really struggles with there being loads of girls her age she can't talk to. She just gets really shy and awkward, then hates herself for not being braver (& not practicing her Italian more in the year ) then is just sad and mopy.
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Original poster
ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 23/01/2022 11:36

I'm a bit worried now I've heard it's so tired. Does anyone else have experience of Cancun Club Med please?

Still especially about kids club frenchness

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CrimbleCrumble1 · 23/01/2022 16:31

Try trip advisor and out kids club in the search?

Original poster
ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 23/01/2022 20:49

Thanks, the tricky bit is the kids club reviews are all fab but mostly for the staff and little kids. There's a few that mention the issue of all the other kids being french, mostly for teens. I guess if that wasn't an issue you had you'd not mention it. So was just trying to see if it was a general thing or a few people got unlucky.

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CrimbleCrumble1 · 23/01/2022 20:51

Why do you want to go to that hotel and not one of the many others in Cancun?

Original poster
ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 23/01/2022 21:54

Because it's really hard to find proper suites. All the ones that say they're suites are basically big rooms with seating area.

We want 2 rooms, even just partitioned for a bit of privacy from the kids.

Plan b is Hard Rock.

Any other options would be very welcome.

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Original poster
ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 23/01/2022 21:58

And the trapeze. My kids are sold on the trapeze. But could probably be convinced elsewhere.

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CrimbleCrumble1 · 23/01/2022 22:14

Or Moon Palace?

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