9/13/03 7 night western who's going??

[skycon]

Taking my first DC on 9/13 with DH, DD 5.5 and DS 1.5. Any other takers.....??? Getting very excited but the carribean is heating up. Looking for anyone else travelling with same age. Also, any tips please share.

 

[Blisscoy]

Hi! We are taking our DC on 9/13 also (third cruise, second DC).

I have a 5.5 yo DD who we took on a 4-day cruise last year.
Tips we learned from last year with Jackie:

• 
  If you will be taking excursions that require a lot of exercise, bring extra bottled water on board. While DCL does supply bottled water in your room, the bottles were rather expensive. On just a 4 day trip, we drank a case of 16 oz bottles between the 3 of us. This trip, we are going to get the bigger bottles in case form.
  
  We expected that we would be doing a lot of family activities. But my DD was so into the Oceaneer's Club that we could only drag her away (under protest) for dinner and excursions. She prefered to have lunch at the club (they will provide it) and wanted to stay even after dinner! (This gave us a lot of personal "sweetheart" time which was welcomed, just unexpected.) This year, we planned one "sweetheart" excurision without Jackie as the Club will watch her while we are out.
  
  Plan at least 1 hour a day of "Mickey Pool Slide" time for your DD. My daughter didn't have swimming experience but the water is so shallow where the slide is that you can sunbathe while your child water slides. There are two other pools with deeper water (which was very warm, like a bath!) but only one is family. The other is adult. (Both are too deep for a 5 year old.) It is best for you to use these pools without your children.
  
  Our cabin last year was inside. The pros was that it was very dark and easy to sleep in. The cons was that it was very dark and hard to get around in the middle of the night (and even in the day!). Definitely bring at least 1 or 2 night lights. Even in outside statestooms, it will be somewhat dark. As with kids, you know how many times you'll be getting up at night and the bath to the bedroom or even to your kids is a tight trail.
  
  Do bring Dramamine or RX patches from your doctor if you are prone to motion sickness or sea sickness. Depending on the weather, the sailing can be smooth or rough. The first night of our cruise, it was rough and a lot of people didn't show up for the dinner as a result. We also used it for snorkeling, boat trips, and days we were going to be spending all day in the ocean (to ward off that ocean-wave-feeling afterwards). Dramamine (4 to 8 hour kind) can be used by young children but Bonine cannot. Check with your doctor.
  
  Bring anti-bacterial gel or anti-bacterial wet wipes. Useful during excursions and when a sink isn't in immediate reach.

You will have a wonderful time on this cruise. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask me. I'm sure our DDs will be meeting each other in the Oceaneer's Club on this trip!

Sincerely,
Christie

 

[skycon]

Christie,

Thanks so much for your reply. It was very helpful. Great minds think alike. I have a list on my fridge that already has the dramamine, wet one wipes, night lights, suction cups for suits, other wipes for the beach and a lot of other items. I also have a 1.5 DS so my time will most definitely be spent at the pool. We do not have a lot of excursions planned. We want to spend time as a family and relax. Well relax as much as one can on a cruise. LOL!!!

I am signing my Skylar (DD) up at Oceaneer's Club so maybe she will meet Jackie. She will turn 6 in December, What about Jackie. My son will be at flounders reef nursery at some point of the cruise. I am not sure how he will do. Skylar will have no problems departing from us.

We are staying on deck 2 room 2136 cat 9. Maybe we can try to upgrade at port if availablity allows. We will see. Plan on getting to PC early as our flight into Orlando arrives at 9:10. Hope to be one of the first on board. Hope to meet up with you .

One last question.... How do we get a case of water on board? Can you bring snacks/wine too? Well wine for me but snacks for the kids. LOL!!!! Thanks.