Help, please--concerned about sleeping arrangements

[HappyMommy2]

I'll be cruising soon with DH and our two DS (ages 4 and 2).
I just looked at photos of the fold-down bed that we'll have in our Cat. 8 stateroom and it looks REALLY high! I'm concerned about our 4-year-old sleeping up there! He wiggles quite a bit in his sleep.

Our 2.5-year-old would do fine on the lower (sofa) bed with a bedrail but I'm wondering if for safety's sake I should let DS 4 sleep on the sofa bed and have DS 2 in the large bed with DH and me. Or, possibly, is there room to make a pallet on the floor for one of the kids to sleep on so the other could have the low bed?

Would you feel safe letting a 4-year-old sleep on the upper bunk? Not having seen the setup in person it's just hard for me to get a feeling for it. Thanks!

 

[CamColt]

Our DS slept up there when he was 3 1/2, and had no problem whatsoever. This was actually a highlight of the trip for him. He couldnt believe the first morning when we returned to our room after breakfast and his bed was gone. He searched the cabin, LOL! When we returned home and it was time for him to get a big boy bed(his 4th birthday) he chose a loft bed..."just like on the Disney Boat".
Good luck!

 

[aprilgail2]

Personally I wouldn't let my 4 year old daughter sleep up there but to each their own.....it was high and I know they had a safety rail on it but I was afraid she would find a way to roll off in her sleep. They don't recommend you get any bunk type bed for any child under 5 and I wouldn't feel comfortable having my 4 year old sleep in one even for just a week. I kept my daughter in bed with me and my 14 year old god daughter took the top bed and my friend took the bottom bed.

 

[Red71]

Is there any way to convince the 2.5 yr old to sleep in a Porta-Crib/Happy Camper? "Oooh look, special vacation bed just for you?" ( and tell the 4 yr old not to say anything about 'baby') or can you just stick them in the same bed? Either next to each other or with their heads at opposite ends? I've put my two together in a twin, and they do it on their own plenty even if we're not on vacation.

 

[gritzel4]

We went on a Disney cruise when my kids where 2 1/2 and 4. The kids slept in the bed with me and my husband slept on the lower bed. There is not really too much room for a porta crib. I defintely would not but a child under the age of 7 on a top bunk. Having an accident in the middle of the ocean just does not sound like fun.

 

[yvettpal]

My 4-yr old niece slept up there with no problem. She really enjoyed it, which was suprising since she refuses to sleep by herself at home.

 

[ciadriamom]

My four year old is a "WILD" sleeper, falls out of her twin bed at home. However, on the cruise, she had no problem with the bunk. I made sure that the rail was in place, it held her in quite nicely and she slept "like a baby"!!!

 

[traycie2201]

I think they could probably get away with sleeping top and tail and sharing the sofa bed. But why not see how you feel when you get there and if you really need to i'm sure the 2 yr old could squish in with you and DH and put the 4 year old on the sofa.

 

[DisneyNutMary]

My son slept in the top bunk last year, he had just turned 5. My main concern was not rolling over, but waking up and trying to get out of bed in the dark. He did fine though, he slept better that week than any other time in his life It must have been the rocking of the ship.

Only you can decide what you want to do, and hold your decision until you see the bed in person, you might reconsider. But, if you are nervous, have your kids share the lower bunk and sleep at opposite ends, there is plenty of room for both of them.

 

[my3kids]

Couldn't both little ones just share the bottom bed? It is twin bed size. Maybe with each child's head at an end. I don't think their feet would even touch in the middle.

 

[ohiominnie]

Don't they have some other safety rail? I thought I read here on the DIS that they have a bigger, longer rail that you can use. You needed to ask the stateroom host for it.
If I'm off base, I apologize, but I thought I had read that here.

 

[JenLynn]

We have cruised twice. The first time my children were 4 and almost 3 and the second time they were 4 and 6.

The first time they both slept in the top bunk (heads at opposite ends). I was a bit concerned, but we put an extra pillow between the bunk and the verandah door and that filled up that gap pretty well).

The second time they took turns (or as my son would say, they made an "A-B-C pattern"). They took turns sharing the top bunk, then DD would get the top bunk, then DS would get the top bunk. Worked out well for us.

But as others said, you need to decide what is best for you and for your children. It seems to me that they could rather easily share the bottom bunk (heads at opposite ends) or you could make a bed on the floor next to the bottom bunk.

Have fun on your cruise!
JenLynn

 

[aprilgail2]

Originally posted by ohiominnie
Don't they have some other safety rail? I thought I read here on the DIS that they have a bigger, longer rail that you can use. You needed to ask the stateroom host for it.
If I'm off base, I apologize, but I thought I had read that here.

They have that for the regular bed, not sure it would work with the metal rail they already have on the top bunk though.

 

[aprilgail2]

Originally posted by ohiominnie
Don't they have some other safety rail? I thought I read here on the DIS that they have a bigger, longer rail that you can use. You needed to ask the stateroom host for it.
If I'm off base, I apologize, but I thought I had read that here.

They have that for the regular bed, not sure it would work with the metal rail they already have on the top bunk though.

 

[aprilgail2]

Originally posted by ohiominnie
Don't they have some other safety rail? I thought I read here on the DIS that they have a bigger, longer rail that you can use. You needed to ask the stateroom host for it.
If I'm off base, I apologize, but I thought I had read that here.

They have that for the regular bed, not sure it would work with the metal rail they already have on the top bunk though.

 

[HappyMommy2]

Thanks for the great replies. From what everyone has said, it looks like we'll need to see the upper bunk for ourselves before we can make a firm decision.

Thanks for all the alternative ideas. Putting both kids on the sofa bed might be a good option--if they don't get too silly and keep each other awake, that is! DS 2 is very tall for his age and too big for a Pack N Play but maybe making a little bed on the floor in front of the sofa bed would work out well if there is room. We may end up with one kid in the bed with us which would be fine too.

Thanks again for all the input!