Cruise Tips and Packing Hints (long!!)

[tink too]

Great tips - thanks! Our DD will be 6 when we cruise, so potty training isn't an issue for us, but the packing/storage tips are invaluable!

And I will ensure that DH is supervised when packing!

 

[lg3]

6) The staterooms have safes like you’d find in a hotel room. They are activated by your Key-to-the-World card. We locked up everything like our cameras, our wallets, my jewelry, the Oceaneer Club beeper when we weren’t using it, the kids’ Key-to-the-World cards when they didn’t need them, etc.

36) If your little ones usually stand on a stepstool to brush their teeth, you might want to bring one. I have a folding stepstool that I could have thrown in a suitcase, but I didn't know we'd need it. DS(3) wasn't tall enough to get his chin over the edge of the sink to brush his teeth. I held him up sometimes, and he stood on the toilet lid and leaned oooooverrrr sometimes. That was precarious and scary! All week I kept wishing I had our step stool, and I couldn't think of anything we had in the room for him to stand on.
Laurie

Great information!
Two questions: 1)When, exactly do you (or especially your younger kids) not need their KTTW card? When going to a show I suppose? May sound silly, but I never thought of that.
2)Do you think a fairly tall 4 yr- old could have used the sink with out a stepstool? Was your 5 yr old okay?
thanks so much!

 

[smores]

if my kids can't reach the sink, i have them brush at the tub (hurts my back hinking abou it but kids never complain!

 

[HappyPeach]

I'm just 3 weeks away from my first Disney Cruise! Your post is great!! Thank you for all the helpful hints. I've had so many questions since DH and I will be with our 23 month old DS. Just today, I wondered specifically about whether or not to bring my umbrella stroller!

 

[LaurlieMT]

Great information!
Two questions: 1)When, exactly do you (or especially your younger kids) not need their KTTW card? When going to a show I suppose? May sound silly, but I never thought of that.
2)Do you think a fairly tall 4 yr- old could have used the sink with out a stepstool? Was your 5 yr old okay?
thanks so much!

1)We grown-ups needed to have our KTTW cards with us all the time, to get in and out of the room. I don't remember the kids ever needing their cards, except when we got on and off the ship. They had their wristbands for getting in and out of their clubs, so they didn't need them then. And no one asked for them at dinner or at shows, etc. If your kids are old enough to shop or buy food/smoothies, etc., they'd need them then...
2) My 5 year-old (who is very tall) didn't need the step stool, and probably wouldn't have at 4 either. I'd say it is just an issue with 1, 2, and 3-year-olds. The bathtub suggestion is a good one!

Thanks for the nice comments!
Laurie

 

[Sarangel]

36) If your little ones usually stand on a stepstool to brush their teeth, you might want to bring one. I have a folding stepstool that I could have thrown in a suitcase, but I didn't know we'd need it. DS(3) wasn't tall enough to get his chin over the edge of the sink to brush his teeth. I held him up sometimes, and he stood on the toilet lid and leaned oooooverrrr sometimes. That was precarious and scary! All week I kept wishing I had our step stool, and I couldn't think of anything we had in the room for him to stand on.

When our DD was little, we let her use the hassock from the desk. It's a little tall, but she could hang on to the edge of the sink & see her self in the mirror (what can I say, she's a gemini). I stayed with her to make sure she didn't fall, but it worked great.

 

[Kimmielee]

Bump... great information!

 

[Maria395712]

great tips thanks
maria

 

[angipoo]

We leave TOMORROW, so I am so glad I found this thread!

 

[Da Ebels]

Thanks so much for all the great info. I have DD 2 and DD 6, and you a bunch of the questions I had as we got ready this week.


We leave in 6 Days

 

[Monica D]

Thanks so much--I've copied/pasted many of your tips!

 

[yndygo]

adding a note to this list:

we discovered that the metal trashcan, turned upside down, makes a killer 'step-stool' for the bathroom for our barely-over-3-ft DD.
Yes, you have to keep your room trash in something else (the laundry bag from the closet works fine! lol) but our room attendant figured it out quickly and we just left it in front of the sink for her.

 

[wonderapril2007]

Great tips! Thanks

 

[simzac]

Remembered this thread many months ago. Had to look it up again as our first cruise ever leaves next Thursday. Thanks again for all your info(I packed 2 pairs of slacks)

 

[Morgan4]

Thank you for finding this post. I loved the ideas, great things to know.

 

[kbuckley]

I can't even thank you enough for all the helpful tips. We're going on our first cruise in a few weeks and there are a lot of things I hadn't even thought of. The nightlight is a great idea. I travel for work all the time and you'd think I'd have one for dark hotel rooms but never remember one. Thanks again!

 

[hache]

WOW! So much I haven't thought of yet. Thanks for the information.

 

[KrisannB]

Don't let the kids lock the safe and then go off to clubs/lab - while they like being helpful doing this the problem came when hubby and I were in the stateroom and DD who closed the safe last time was in Ocean Quest with her KTTW (she is 12). Well the key used to close it must also be the one to open. Live and learn - from then on we let the kids do it but they had to use one of our keys.

 

[Hypermommy]

Excellent tips... thanks for posting them!!

 

[Pocahantas]

Great info!!! Thanks so much for posting. We still have a few months to wait for our first cruise but I am so glad to have found this info!!