brady.bunch

Allure also June 2017... can I ask when you're sailing and teens? Mine are 16, 15 and 12 at time of sailing. I've found reading trip reviews the best way to get that detail. Even CC'ERS without kids are great to go take pics of the areas and post compasses

I did not notice that, maybe they are holding something down with it?

 

 

Thank you for following and commenting :)

Or maybe they were using it to dry articles? You have amazing attention to detail!

Since the floor space is taken up by the table top, I can't see it as saving space.

We sail June 25, 2017. Just past the cutoff. With 2 staterooms I was hoping to apply this one.

LOL those girls just weren't having it.

Question though. We have 2 teens 1 Preteen. If we are in Solarium and they are off in teen areas and decided to pop over and see us to check-in. Can they come in - check in, say HI MOM I'm OKAY and then head back out.. is that okay? Imagining DS15 might want to come say "hey I'm going to go flowride, come watch me" then head back out. Going no cells for the week, we need to go old school and actually TALK to eachother

This is awesome. Thank you. We are cruising next summer with 16 girl 15 boy and 12 girl. These tips will really help us out.

I was folding towels last night and thought of this exact question. So glad you asked. We are doing independent excursions so need towels and wanted to make sure we had some. Also we will be driving and at Ft Lauderdale before hand so we will have our own then. Thinking I'll just run a load of laundry and leave them on the car. Just want to make sure we have them.

Great minds think alike. Also on Allure!!

Thanks you guys. I think I might stick with 25th and extend our drive home to include a fun stop to watch them.

I'm going back and forth about next summers plans. I have Allure booked June 25th but am wondering is it better to book a July 2nd cruise (I think Oasis is Eastern that week) that is cruising over the holiday?

I'd have 2 days off work I wouldn't need vacation for... do they do fireworks or anything special?

Thank you

We haven't cruised as a family but I'll equate it to a disney trip which we pack 2-3 days out. Watching the weather and doing laundry before we pack.

You can only use the SeaPass card (room key) for purchases on board.

Thank you both. This is hard. I can see them wanting to get things on the ship and buy food (snacks) that aren't complimentary... the cupcake place is $$, no? and i know DS15 will eat Johnny Rockets 4x day if he could. I can also see them watching to get fun things in port. DD16 loves to buy her friends things when we go on vacation. She rarely comes home with something for her, it's always for her friends.

Maybe we'll do a split, some for onboard some on a card for in port. Thank you!!

We'll have our 3 kids (12, 15, 16). We want to give them each $100 to spend on the 7-day cruise. They can spend it on board, in port, wherever.

If we give them each a Visa Card, can they use that for purchases on board or can they only use the room key to make purchases on board?

Thank you in advance

I have 15 mos to wait, so I'll continue living through you and your report

On Allure there are several complimentary lunch places on embarkation day: Solarium Cafe, Wipeout Cafe, Boardwalk Doghouse, Vitality Cafe, Cafe Promenade, Sorrento's. I'm sure I'm forgetting something.

 

Main Dining Room is not open for lunch (except for special events) on embarkation day.

Which of these gives you good people watching? Park Cafe sounds great but it also sounds like popular choice (= can get busy) Thank you.

Yup. Some schools are out this week. Then most are either the week before or week after Easter.

I dont have any pics but from the research I've done for our upcoming cruise in a "hump" room it just means you get the extended (front to back, not side to side) balcony.

http://www.icruise.com/cabins/royal-caribbean-cruises-allure-of-the-seas-cabin-7594.html

Aaaaaugh! I booked!!!! I bit the bullet because of the balcony deal they have and booked before I got my EOY bonus. I'll pay my savings acct back. Got deck 12, mid ship connecting superior ocean view balcony rooms. They noted to have a fridge and sharp container in the room for 3 ppl. I didn't get the $50 excursions credit, but we like to go Rouge anyway and I'm hoping for other promotions to come up that allow me to reduce cost or add some OBC

I am officially waffeling. DH and I had decided RFS sounded perfect. In his words "all you gotta say is special sun deck with private bar, and I'm hooked". But then I called and got a quote. I dunno.... As much as I want to make this a Trip of a Lifetime. I don't want it to be all THAT $$. Those of you who can do it.. love y'all.

I sent DH a text at work to get his thoughts - no resposne. But I'd rather use the money (fraction of it) to fly down, that's an entirely other adventure we've never done as a family.

I don't know... In decision. I have until 3/31 to decide - that's when i get my bonus and will make the reservation and plant a big deposit.

We have a 13 year old with T1D - she's been on several cruises since diagnosis. She always uses a ton of insulin on vacation, not sure why, but we bring two or three times as much as she should need just to be safe. Also, we fill a prescription for zofran ahead of time, just in case of stomach issues. Never had one - but the first time we skip the prescription will be the time she catches something.

 

Have a great time!

THANK YOU for the advice. Yeah i don't know why they'd run high. You'd think all the activity, they'd run a bit low. unless a lot of the at sea days are spent relaxed and lazy (vacation should be). Weekend days that that make us high.

Hello-

 

I wanted to chine in - my daughter is 16 now, T1D, pumps as well. Dx when she was 12. I'm also an ER doc.

 

The first cruise I brought a mini ICU. I brought IV fluids and meds etc etc. Didn't need any of it. We pretty much don't bring much now. Certainly a GI bug will affect her more than someone without T1D, so just bone up on the sick day rules. Don't freak if she does get noro, just try to keep fluids up, use the medical services sooner rather than later. Unless she develops significant DKA the docs can manage the worst case just fine. Even I turn most mild DKA kids around in my ED and send them home in a few hours just with zofran and fluids. We do bring a ketone meter with us to be more aware - just vomiting versus developing DKA.

 

My daughter has a tandem pump and when we travel far (overseas) we bring an extra pump, loaner from the company. We don't bother when going to a Caribbean because we are so close and just bring back up pens and lantus as needed.

 

Be advised that most security still thinks all of the pumps can go thru, but Tandem specifically recs against this as it can change the settings. So she has to be pretty assertive about requesting a pat down. They usually don't even bother and just waive her through, but that's changing as she looks older.

 

This is your call but we tell no one she is a diabetic. Many people/culinary cannot understand that T1D and T2D are largely different diseases. They try to change meals to "diabetic meals" with no sugar added, etc. They are bland and just not tasty in our opinion. But with the pump it is irrelevant. She just has to inject for whatever she eats. My daughter's first hospital meal at the time of diagnosis was a triple sundae with everything. Endo just shrugged.

 

We have found that even the chefs have little idea about carb counts, so you just have to guess. Disney parks in particular will not even release that info.

 

On a cruise (in comparison to a weekend) her BG will be all over. Take it with a shrug, if she is generally good like my daughter is (it sounds like it) she'll get back on track soon after and it really won't effect the A1C much.

 

As far as activities, as long as there are other kids on board (not during school) they will be fine. Agree re the VOOM. Small price to pay to keep in touch with kids with issues - we are doing it for the first time in 6 days when we sail the Anthem. (Yep, we're adventurous!)

 

Feel free to ask or DM any Q's.

 

Ken

Did a whole long PM but it didn't work, I blame cell service. Thank you, your message was awesome. We are pretty relaxed and want her to be a kid. I'm a project Mgr so feel most relaxed when I have a plan. Then if something comes up, I'm good.

DH and I are away for a night - just us and got to talk about everything. We decided on RFS and to keep it a complete suprise. We wull drive instead of fly to save money and tell kids we are headed to Keys LOL who knows if they'll buy it. Who knows if I'll be able to keep the secret. .. im.pretty horrible at that.

While we drive back home today (2 hrs away for a concert last night) I think I'll call RCCL and get quotes. How do people book this far out? I do Disney 11 mos out but I have dining 6 mos out and Fast Passes 2 mos out to keep me occupied. 15 mos of nervous excitement. .. lord help me

So excited I got here before you finished. .. Where'd you go btw...?

Planning our 1st famiky cruise and considering Royal Family Suite over 2 ocean balcony rooms. At sailing DD will be 16, DS will be 15 (he's 6'2 now at 14) and last DD will be 12. Itinerary will be same so looking fwd to rest of your report to see what yall do and how the kids like it. I'm stuck on what to do at Nassau. Being 1st cruise would hate to stay on ship. I've cruised 3 previous and like to book direct and not through cruise line so that let's you have more control, but still... nassau...? Anyway, enjoying your review... also fellow heel! UNCC alum now living in Wilmington!

We have typically sailed with the parents in a balcony and the kids (2 girls) in an inside across the hall, as Brillohead suggested. It does save some money.

This was an idea, with a BW view balcony... but I'd feel better being able to pop into DD12 and checking her in the middle of the night. DD16 is great at being mini mama with her though so it's not fully off the table just need to really think about it. Glad I'm not the only parent considering putting kids across the hall.

We've done the RFS's a couple of times on INDY & Liberty (love that large balcony for breakfast)...Only problem I've had is couldn't do (monitor) price drops and had to be flexible with our dates as to when they were available...otherwise great cabin's.

Question about these. And not to sound ackward, how is the privacy for the sleeping areas? We are a blended family. Next summer will be 8 years for DH and I. We still act like a bunch of honeymooners sometimes.

Also, with 2 girls and a boy teen, are there 2 bathrooms? That's a perk of 2 staterooms (and 2 hotel rooms when we travel ).

Thank you all for the great advice. We have done weekends in Myrtle Beach and will do a Mtn weekend this summer with DD12 but this will be our 1st BIG vacay since her diagnosis. I had planned on travel insurance incase she gets sick. I've read about the chance of gastro issues on ships and I know with her, if she gets a tummy bug - we're done. Thank you for the contact information! I will contact him and get that added once we book. She's on a pump so I plan to bring triple supplies and a backup pump the company will supply us with as a loaner (just in case). I over plan as a norm, even before she got sick this past summer. She has great control for a kid and I'm super proud of her. By then too, she'll have 1 (maybe 2) diabetes camps under her belt. I hear they get SUCH independence at those! I love the concept of VOOM so we can keep in touch with her and give her freedome, something we prob wouldnt do on an island vacay somewhere.

I'm so glad to hear so many kids love the activities. We are actually a blended family so DD15 will be turning 16 later in the summer. He's only 5 mos behind DD16. He's 14 right now and 6'2" so he'd pass for 17 if you let him. LOL I can see him spending tons of time on the sport courts. DH is just worried about having to scare the boys away from DD16. They are great kids though! DH is worried about the ocean balcony and one of them falling over. We cruised once just the 2 of us on Carnival and had ocean balcony (i love them), but with the kids he's nervous they'll go overboard. LOL He's a dork. But if we are connecting and we put the fear of dad into them, they should be okay. the 2 DDs are pretty sensible.

Excited to keep planning and learn more about our options... booking in a couple weeks!!!

Hi! We are planning next summers vacation and DH and I decided to make it a cruise. Kids want tropical. With a kids with diabetes I want safety and knowing her food is good and we have goid medical care. So we decided to cruise. We can drive to FL from NC but want to make it a huge deal and fly down. We will soon lose oldest to college so want this to be a biggie.

At time of sailing ( June 2017) DD16, DS15, DD12 (diabetic). My EOY bonus comes 4/1 so we will book then. I'm thinking..RCCL Allure. 2 ocean view balconies (connecting). Eastern Caribbean. I've done 3 western Caribbean and seen those enough. Would love to see some new islands. Allure looks to have a lot of entertainment and fun to keep the kids happy. RCCL divides their young teens so DD12 won't be the youngest in her group, so she won't be bored and feel kiddie.

Any thoughts... suggestions?

US citizen children may cruise with a birth certificate on closed loop cruises and if they are 16 or older they will also need a government issued photo ID. They would not be able to fly internationally with those documents and neither would an adult. The Consulate has the authority to waive the passport requirements for an emergency or for humanitarian reasons, so one isn't stuck but there would be a delay while the Consulate completes its process. For most cruisers the risk is low and one must decide if the risk is something they can live with. (And some premium and luxury lines require a passport for all passengers on all itineraries.)

This sounds like if my DD needs to fly home for health reason she could do so on her BC? Shell be 12.

She'd Type 1 diabetic so I try to be prepared for everything. We are cruising as a suprise so getting her passport might tip them all off (DD12- at time of sail) is youngest.