What if dd needs to nap during drill???

[HooKooDooKu]

As to the people who question the comment of "it must be an only child". I think the person who said that meant that people are usually much more rigid with napping schedules when it is an only child, but as you have more children, and you have such a more varied schedule, (take older child to preschool, wake little one up) parents tend to be much more laid back on nap schedules and it is no big deal at all to wake a sleeping child.

Thanks for the explination. Being the parent of only one child, I didn't get it.

 

[sharonk]

I got the same impression. Although I know families with multiple kids with less flexible schedules, most of the time the schedule goes out the window with the second. It isn't a slam - its just the way parents of more than one child giggle at parents of one the same way parents of one giggle at some of the naive ideas of the childless. Ah, to remember a more innocent me.....

I totally agree! ; ) I don't think was a meant as a slam on the OP....just more like a little joke. When I had my first child, we planned everything around his schedule (because we COULD) and we wouldn't have dreamed of interrupting his sacred nap. Now that we have 3, it's very different. My third child will nap wherever and whenever she's tired and we don't have a schedule at all. And if we have to wake her up to go someplace, we just figure she'll fall back asleep later if she's still tired.

I think people made some great suggestions though. We're taking our first cruise in June (kids will be 3, 7 and 9) and I'm going to tell them about the drill in advance and explain why it's important. If there ever WAS an emergency, my kids would be a lot calmer (and I would be too) if we had done a dry run.

Sharon

 

[Jiffymom]

Good grief.
Chill out mom, let the kid skip nap for a change. After all it is the first day of a cruise.

 

[missyoh8]

Sorry for all the ill feelings about the "only child" comment. Just my idea of humor I guess. It was just a commentary on how things change once you have more kids. I was not trying to be nasty........just remembering how things used to be all those years ago with only one!! We still laugh about how we gave our daughter a bath every night no matter what time we got home or what we had done, even if it was midnight there was no going to bed w/o the BATH. Same with the naps and no one could even talk in the house, for fear that it might wake her up.


To the original poster, I was not trying to offend you in any way........enjoy your baby and her/his solo time, it is so very precious. If you have more children.....one day you will think back on this and say "now I know what that witchy woman on the dis boards was saying!"

Have a good week all,
Missyoh8

 

[missyoh8]

Let me also add that last year on our cruise we were all sweating bullets with lifejackets on and the Magic sailed through at least 300 dolphins.......it was unreal! Like something an imagineer dreamed up! It was a hurricane cruise and we did not have the drill until we got up the day after embarkation......I am still wondering if Mickey had something to do with it?

I am glad we all got to see it, both sides of the ship. People at dinner were upset when they found out about it and they had their drills inside.

Missyoh8

 

[jrabbit]

A couple of answers to questions asked...

If your muster station is in Animators Palate where's my life boat. I don't know exactly where, but you will have a life boat (Remember the "boats" on the ship are there incase the ship fails). There are seats on the boats for all passengers. You know those "partial obstructions" by the SPH rooms - those (and all of the other barrels on deck 4) are life rafts for the crew and I suppose that if something went wrong with one of the boats that passengers would go aboard them.

What if you are up on deck 9 and an emergency happen? You are supposed to go to your stateroom and get your life jacket, THEN proceed to the muster station.

What rooms go to which muster station and is it on the starboard or port side of the ship? That's a project that no one has undertaken yet. If someone would volunteer to compile the data, and cruisers were willing to remember their muster station and submit it, I'm sure that within 6 months we would have 90% of the staterooms accounted for.

 

[Ariel Wanna-be]

What rooms go to which muster station and is it on the starboard or port side of the ship? That's a project that no one has undertaken yet. If someone would volunteer to compile the data, and cruisers were willing to remember their muster station and submit it, I'm sure that within 6 months we would have 90% of the staterooms accounted for.

Great idea! I'm going to start a new thread on this...

 

[SweetSpot]

Thanks jrabbit I always wondered where all the crew would go because there didn't seem to be many of those covered lifeboats. I still prefer to bear the heat knowing that my muster was right in front of a lifeboat.

Also, another important reason to go to the drill that hasn't been mentioned is that's the time to find out if you have proper life jackets in your stateroom. We've had the wrong size twice and the stateroom host was able to switch them right away for us.

 

[debster]

I can't believe the debate on this!

It's for your own Safety. If your husband only goes, I guess in a real emergency he will know what to do. What if you aren't together, where would you meet up.

IMO it's just like at the airport with people who are "inconvienenced" when they get "double checked" or delayed in the baggage check area.

It's for your own safety!!

 

[minniemouse1]

On our last cruise in 2003 my 1 1/2 yo DD was asleep so I stayed in the room and DH went to the drill with my 2 1/2 yo DD. DH stated upon his return that there was not a problem with this. I am unsure if it has changed but with 3 DDs on this trip the same is likely to happen. My DH brought me to the lifeboat station after DD awoke so I would know where to go.

 

[Mickeyhugger]

Some of you who have more than one child may don't realize how an only child's (preschooler) 'skipped nap' can ruin the whole day for Mom and Dad. The only child doesn't have the stimulation and entertainment (?) of another sibling. Our DD was a great kid (still is), but when she didn't have her nap..well, it wasn't a pretty sight.

That said though, skipping the drill is out of the question. Accept that you might not be able to enjoy the first day as well as anticipated. I don't believe the drill is anyone's favorite cruise experience, but it's mandatory.

Worst case scenario would be skipping the dining room the first night, and ordering room service. Who knows though? Maybe your DD will surprise you. She'll definitely take in her new surroundings.

 

[DIS NURSE]

All you people who are "trying to" or "thinking about" skirting around the drill are too much! Surely, the DCL employees are going to get word of some people's "plans" and the whole procedure will become even more strict! It seems that people's manipulation of the "rules" is exactly what creates tighter reins. DON'T PUSH IT....and ruin it for all.

Be good family, DIS NURSE from Oregon

 

[MickeyB426]

All you people who are "trying to" or "thinking about" skirting around the drill are too much!

Hi DIS Nurse,

I don't think the OP is thinking about skirting the rules as much as it is people who HAVE skirted the rules saying it's no big deal.

And it IS a big deal.

Like I said before, these are the same kind of people that save 10 chairs in the Walt Disney Theatre. Even though it's not allowed, it's no big deal to them because the CM's let you get away with it.

 

[crisi]

Some of you who have more than one child may don't realize how an only child's (preschooler) 'skipped nap' can ruin the whole day for Mom and Dad. The only child doesn't have the stimulation and entertainment (?) of another sibling. Our DD was a great kid (still is), but when she didn't have her nap..well, it wasn't a pretty sight.

That said though, skipping the drill is out of the question. Accept that you might not be able to enjoy the first day as well as anticipated. I don't believe the drill is anyone's favorite cruise experience, but it's mandatory.

Worst case scenario would be skipping the dining room the first night, and ordering room service. Who knows though? Maybe your DD will surprise you. She'll definitely take in her new surroundings.

Unless we had twins, all of us with more than one child once had an only child and know the terror of a skipped nap or the frightening prospect of being off schedule. (I don't think it was any better with two, IME, if anything, two kids who didn't sleep picking on each other more than doubled the headache).

 

[Mickeyhugger]

Unless we had twins, all of us with more than one child once had an only child and know the terror of a skipped nap or the frightening prospect of being off schedule. (I don't think it was any better with two, IME, if anything, two kids who didn't sleep picking on each other more than doubled the headache).

_____________________________________________________

 

[Limmer]

On our last cruise in 2003 my 1 1/2 yo DD was asleep so I stayed in the room and DH went to the drill with my 2 1/2 yo DD. DH stated upon his return that there was not a problem with this. I am unsure if it has changed but with 3 DDs on this trip the same is likely to happen. My DH brought me to the lifeboat station after DD awoke so I would know where to go.

Well it WAS a problem on our muster drill where they said cabin name and then counted hands. There were a couple who did show up 10 mins late and we all (including screaming children) had to wait while they took their sweet time. It is extremely discourteous to theoretically keep 50 people waiting in the sun and heat so you do not have to disturb 1 child for 10-15 mins. What about the other little kids who had to stand in the sun with a life jacket on?

 

[missyoh8]

I was thinking the same thing about the twins.........

Missyoh8

 

[madisonsmom]

Never having been on a cruise before, I honestly thought about skipping the drill(don't flame me...ignorance is bliss ) and after reading this thread I most certainly will NOT miss it. I had NO IDEA that it was a LAW! to be there. And never crossed my mind that there possibly could be an emergency, (something else to worry about, yes I have seen Titanic but haven't we progressed since then? and don't tell me no or I may cancel my DCL ) Thank you to the OP for starting the thread and those that have answered because for those that have been thoughtful in their replies/opinions about being at the drill, you have truly enlightened my opinion on it.

 

[iggbees]

ok, i've read all of your replies and i'm pretty sure that if you skip the drill that you are just required to make it up at another alloted time. i'm sure if the first poster's husband was at the drill and stated that his wife and child were in the room due to a napping child, that there would be no serious life threatening problem. i've been on 2 cruises before (one disney, one princess) and both times they have said that you are "required" to be at the station, but if there is an emergency that you are able to make up the drill at a later point. skipped drill info from other cruisers hope that helps. the worst part about the drills are those awful life vests, they really need to rethink the design, especially for women (too tight in all the wrong places!).

 

[DL_DCA_fans]

One more thought...some posters seem to think that the CM's aren't checking everyone off because they aren't calling names or staterooms, but I seem to recall that the life vests had the stateroom numbers on them and the CM's could check off the guests without saying a word.