Mama_Rana Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Oh, I don't mean clothes and stuff... I THINK, I can figure that out [but if there's something not obvious feel free to fill me in!]. No, I'm just wondering what if anything I should take in the way of brain stimulation? I DON'T plan on HSing on this cruise, this is our vacation after all. But I don't want our brains to go to complete mush either! :lol No, I'm just thinking we should take a few books for bedtime stories, a deck of cards?, ??? Am I overthinking this? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 I take our travel edition Settlers of Catan with me almost everywhere. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Dramamine. :tongue_smilie: I went on one cruise. One. Several good books I guess. But I'd be worried about a cruise that didn't offer enough entertainment to keep us having fun during our vacation! Take a sweater in case the evenings are cool. I ended up buying a $60 jacket on the ship because it never occurred to me that I would need a sweater in the same place where I'd be laying on beaches during the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 A bathing suit, towel and sunscreen. Brain's won't go to much that fast. Just soak up the sun, the ambiance and local flavors while in port. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 It's nice to have a small bag of things (books, drawing, legos) if you need some quiet time or someone doesn't feel well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyce Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 If you're going on Carnival they'll be plenty for you and your kids to do. In fact they have special camps for the kids to go on. They'll probably fall asleep the minute they hit the bed. I went this past January on Royal Carribean, which is more for adults, but with teenagers and even then we had so much today there wasn't any problem going to sleep. I did bring a book but never opened it. Be warned you're going to gain 5 lbs at least if it's a 5 day cruise. Several people had told me that and I didn't beleive them but it's very true. The food is fabulous and the portions more than generous in the evening and all you can eat for breakfast or lunch and they make it very hard to not go back for seconds so don't bring any clothes that are tight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In2why Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Oh, I don't mean clothes and stuff... I THINK, I can figure that out [but if there's something not obvious feel free to fill me in!]. No, I'm just wondering what if anything I should take in the way of brain stimulation? I DON'T plan on HSing on this cruise, this is our vacation after all. But I don't want our brains to go to complete mush either! :lol No, I'm just thinking we should take a few books for bedtime stories, a deck of cards?, ??? Am I overthinking this? Thanks! We are going the beginning of December and I have thought about the same thing. We also have a 14 hour trip in our van. We decided to drive...hmm. So I am bringing our audio version of Dr. Doolittle. We are going to go to the Mayan ruins as well, so I want to refresh their memories of the history before we leave. I also thought it would be fun for them to make a lapbook of the places we go using pictures they themselves take when we get back. But I am not planning any actual school or core subject work while we are gone. I figure they will get an education just being there. I would suggest that if you haven't found the Cruise Critic message boards that you give it a go. I found great tips there, from everything to packing, ports, customs, and everything in between. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom in High Heels Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 There was so much to do on our cruise it wasn't funny! I brought 2 books and never cracked them. Our cruise had board games and cards available if we wanted them. I say just enjoy the cruise. You're going to be so tired at night you're not going to want to do anything but sleep and during the day, you'll have loads to do. Even on our days at sea (we had 3 out of 12 total days) we were busy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natalieclare Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 I packed my own snorkel and mask which I used several times when I disembarked but didn't go on a ship sponsored excursion. I didn't like the thought of using a snorkel that had been passed through who-knows-how-many mouths. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytwomonkeys Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 We just got back from a cruise a few weeks ago. We didn't have our children with us, as we were celebrating our 10 year anniversary (which was in August, but the rates were best in late September). It was awesome! There was SO much to do. The only thing I really needed was bonine (like dramamine). we also brought our own snorkeling gear (in an easy to carry bag from target), and that was a lot of fun & saved us some $$$. i did bring a few books, but i never even read one. we were so busy with other things. it was so much fun!!! enjoy yourselves!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytwomonkeys Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 I packed my own snorkel and mask which I used several times when I disembarked but didn't go on a ship sponsored excursion. I didn't like the thought of using a snorkel that had been passed through who-knows-how-many mouths. :tongue_smilie: yes, we did the same thing! on our first cruise we rented it, and it was quite expensive. buying our own beforehand was a huge money saver!...not to mention, it was more sanitary! lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaMa2005 Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Cruise junkie here (25 cruises and counting). We have never been bored on a cruise - usually just the opposite. So much to do and making the choices can be hard. The last couple of cruises we have been on, I did take a workbook of pages that I made from computer sites. DS and I would sit down after breakfast, usually from 8-9 and do schoolwork. He also had to get in 30 minutes of reading per day. All easily done, no brain rot or going back to re-teaching when we got home. Have a great time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Don't take anything extra. You won't use them. A couple things we liked having on our cruises: 1. Your own snorkel and masks, if you plan on going to the beach. Much cheaper than renting. 2. Your own blow-up intertubes if you plan on going to the beach. Ours were BRIGHT orange so we could find them easily at the end of the day. Again, much cheaper than renting. Then you can use that saved money on things like drinks of the day!! 3. We brought a multi-plug thingy (yes, that's a technical term!). There weren't enough plugs in the stateroom when we wanted to plug our things in - phones, iPods, hair straightener, blow dryer, etc, etc. Another hint I was given was: put everything you think you'll need on your bed. Remove half of those things. Now you;re ready to put it into a suitcase. Really, you need less than you think. Which cruise line are you going on? Is your whole family coming? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama_Rana Posted October 18, 2010 Author Share Posted October 18, 2010 OMG ya'll are great. :D Let me clarify, I do NOT think we're going to be bored. :D We're on the Carnival Pride, so there is a camp of some sort for my older boy. My younger is less than 2, so he can't go to camp. Oh well. I am SOOOO worried about the weight gain. :( I lost almost 50 pounds over the last year, and just the last month or two, I've put on 3-4 [i haven't been exercising; I have another thread around here about that], and I really need to fight that. The ship we're going on apparently has a sushi bar, a weakness of mine. I'm sorta hoping it will be gross. :lol So DS1 really likes his bedtime stories, so I think we'll bring a few of those. Maybe some chapter books. There IS a library on board, but I have no clue what they'll have. And maybe a blank journal in case he wants to draw or write anything. And a deck of cards for any wait time. What was that website about cruises someone mentioned? I want to check that out. The guy we talked to to book the cruise warned us that most people overpack. I will definitely pack sweaters since we're leaving Baltimore in December! I fully expect to be cold for the first day or so, and perhaps in the evenings. Ok, Ok, I've got 2 months to get this all figured out. I CAN DO THIS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 www.CruiseCritic.com and http://boards.cruisecritic.com are what you need. I'm a frustrated travel planner ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmiraGulch Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 www.CruiseCritic.com and http://boards.cruisecritic.com are what you need. I'm a frustrated travel planner ;) I was going to post this same link. Between CruiseCritic and WTM it's a miracle I get anything done in my "real" life. :D I love love love planning travel, and cruising is my favorite vacation type. Also, the Carnival Pride is a lovely ship with a great Kids Club. If you haven't already read, they do have replicas of famous art, some with nudity, very prominently around the ship. This doesn't bother me in the least, but some people have been very surprised and not at all happy that their children were exposed to it, so I wanted to give you a heads up. Enjoy your cruise! I just got back from one and I've already booked my next. I'm an addict. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepymommy Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 I would take: -Water -Snorkel/mask/fins if this is a an island beachy type cruise -If your going with another family, I'd get a little magnetic message board for the door. -Binoculars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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