Hair braiding for a 39 y.o.

[MrsPete]

Two comments:

Make an appointment to have the braids done as soon as you board. My 6-year old DD wanted to have it done, backed out, wanted to have it done, backed out . . . then suddenly there were no appointments left, and she was disappointed. Next time I'll push her to get it done early.

I wouldn't have it done in Nassau. Those people were like vultures swooping to their prey -- very aggressive with a desperate tone. It was very sad. And I would worry about the cleanliness.

 

[jlawall]

I finally got my hair done two summers ago, and I loved it. This was at CC. It seemed very clean. Last summer I did it again in GC and I was also good. It was fun to have on the trip. I would probably try to use the DCL or CC people if I had a choice.

 

[goofyforus]

Wanted to give some advice on the hairbraiding.
I will be going on the Disney Cruise in June but am reading the forum to get an idea what to expect. As an African American woman who used to have braids here is what to expect.
Don't do it if you have very fine thin hair. Since this is now very popular with caucasians now its best to warn you. The hair will be pulled very tight and the first time it will hurt. My hair is healthy and thick and I had a headache for at least 3 days. Make sure you have a healthy head of hair and it will look great and last awhile. Use the products recommended. It is a type of moisturizer gel or spray that will keep the braids looking good and shiny. You need to sleep in a headscarf so they don't frizz so much. Pretend you're a pirate!
Ditto on the sunscreen, even I got burned when I did it in the summer
For little kids it is great, but expect a few complaints till they get used to it. They complained about it hurting because of the pulling.
If you have time before the cruise, give it a try at one of the ethnic beauty salons specializing in it just to see if you really want to spend time on your cruise with that look. Some people change their minds and your $100 look gets taken down the next day.
When washing it, don't soap up so much. The hair is not loose so it is not really dirty. A lot of washing and drying will loosen the braids and here comes the frizz.
Always be careful taking down the braids. This is where you could lose some hair. It takes a while but just be patient and careful. The look afterwards is great also.
This is an excellent style and saves loads of time in the morning! Have Fun

 

[DVCcruise]

Those tips are very helpful for the braids. My DD (7) had her hair braided in Nassau last summer. It looked great and she loved them; however, they only lasted 1 week. Some of the rubberbands broke which loosened up the braids a little too much. Nassau is not a bad place to braid your hair, just do it with the sanctioned braiders by the dock. Don't go with the ladies by the market. You may pay more, but it will be worth it. I didn't use the scarf, but will carry one on the June cruise. Thanks again!

 

[Roemama1]

my girls, ages 5 and 8, had their hair done on CC. (If felt it was clean there). Next time will probably get it done on the ship earlier.

Anyhow, they had theirs done on February 17th and I just took the braids out this Sunday, March 7. So it lasted quite a while. So I would say have it done on CC or on the ship. They'll do a good job and it will last for quite a while.

 

[Sandyrella]

I just returned from the Wonder February 29 cruise and here is my scoop on the hairbraiding situation.

First of all, everywhere I read on this board told me that sign up for hairbraiding started at around 5:30 on embarkation day and slots filled up fast. Because of this I had 11 yr old DD's hair braided before we left because I didn't want to miss any part of the sailaway party or miss watching the ship get out of the channel. I paid quite a lot of $$ but didn't like it at all (don't tell her I said that)

We got on board around 12:30 and were at the pool by 2:00. Imagine my surprise to see sign up starting at 2:30 by the Goofy pool. I was happy to see that yet disappointed that we hadn't waited until getting on board to do DD's hair. Well, as the days on and I saw all of the other little girl's with their beautiful braids, I "suggested" to my daughter that we take her braids out and get her hair done again but in a hairband. She was so excited about this. Even though she kept telling me how much she liked her hair, when she saw the other girls she like their's better. It is a top notch job done on the Disney Wonder.

Well, we signed her up around 5:00 p.m. on Castaway Cay day and the whole day at sea was still wide open for appointments. We had them done at 9:00 a.m. the next day and she had the braids for the rest of the cruise and for 4 days at WDW afterwards. She is still wearing them and loving it.

- Cornrows were $2.00 per braid
- Regular braids were $1.00 per braid
- Her hair band was $22.00 for approx. 15 braids and took about 30 minutes. She has fine long blond hair. On the appointment card they asked us to bring our own comb and brush. They used our brush but thier combs which are kept in one of those sterilizing jars that salons use.
- They also did hair wrapping at the stand
- The same girls that do it on the ship do it at Castaway Cay. There is no hairbraiding on the ship between 9 - 5 on that day as they are on the island.
- The girls who had there hair done in Nassau were not as nice as those done on the ship. It may have been cheaper but so was the quality of the braids.

Anyways, that's all I have to say on the subject except DON'T forget the spray on sunscreen. We were diligent about spraying between the braids and it paid off.

Sandy

 

[MerryPoppins]

Anyone remember what the wraps cost? DD had a headband done last time. She loved it. But this year she has a different hair cut with lots of different lengths. I'm afraid that shorter hairs would be sticking out of all her braids, so I'm pushing for her to get a wrap instead. Do they stay in pretty well? Maybe if I offer a gift to her for the price difference.