Connecting cabins with small children

[MarlboroBell]

We're headed off on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas right after Thanksgiving with our six-year-old and three-year-old. They'll have their own promenade cabin connected to ours. (Their grandparents get the balcony across the way...!)

 

Obviously, I want to make sure they never use the external door of their cabin and always just come to/through ours. In an ideal world, I'd like them to never have an idea that their cabin has a door into the corridor at all!

 

I'm thinking about a few things:

(1) 'Do not disturb' permanently attached to the door

(2) A note on the door asking housekeeping to enter through the cabin next door -- will they respect that?

(3) A chair across the door if it won't block things like the bathroom too much

 

It looks like Royal Caribbean's cabins don't have the loop-and-hook metal bars you often see on hotel room doors -- that was my first idea but I don't think it'll fly.

 

Anybody got any better ideas?

[erinpdx]

We did a connecting cabin with our kids last year. My husband bought these small stick on alarms at a marine supply store. You just peeled back a sticker and put it on the top of the door. They were about the size of an eraser and only cost a buck each. They had an on/off switch. He stuck one to their cabin door and one to their balcony door. When we went to bed we would turn them on. It gave me a little peace of mind to know that if their door opened for any reason an alarm would go off. We also never shut the connecting door between our rooms.

Happy Cruising!

[Marie51]

We're headed off on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas right after Thanksgiving with our six-year-old and three-year-old. They'll have their own promenade cabin connected to ours. (Their grandparents get the balcony across the way...!)

 

Obviously, I want to make sure they never use the external door of their cabin and always just come to/through ours. In an ideal world, I'd like them to never have an idea that their cabin has a door into the corridor at all!

 

I'm thinking about a few things:

(1) 'Do not disturb' permanently attached to the door

(2) A note on the door asking housekeeping to enter through the cabin next door -- will they respect that?

(3) A chair across the door if it won't block things like the bathroom too much

 

It looks like Royal Caribbean's cabins don't have the loop-and-hook metal bars you often see on hotel room doors -- that was my first idea but I don't think it'll fly.

 

Anybody got any better ideas?

 

Ask your cabin attendant to come in the cabins only through your door. I'm sure they will honor that request. Be sure the say that you want the connecting doors left open. Then put a chair against the door to the hallway so the kids won't escape.

Perhaps there is some sort of rule that you cannot block the door, but I've never heard of it.

Have fun!!!

[cb at sea]

At 6 years old, they are quite old enough to mind what you say, the first time you say it, every time!

I don't think you need to "barricade" them in...just tell them they are NOT to touch that door...easy!

[uppitycats]

Ask your cabin attendant to come in the cabins only through your door. I'm sure they will honor that request. Be sure the say that you want the connecting doors left open. Then put a chair against the door to the hallway so the kids won't escape.

Perhaps there is some sort of rule that you cannot block the door, but I've never heard of it.

Have fun!!!

 

 

Blocking the door from either side would be a real safety hazard. What if there was some emergency in the room and the kids HAD to exit through the door?? And a chair in the hallway would of course block the hall.

 

I like the idea of the stick-on alarm. I also wonder if the children would even be able to OPEN the door? I've not been on an RC ship, but others that I have been on have been pretty heavy.

[twoplus3]

At 6 years old, they are quite old enough to mind what you say, the first time you say it, every time!

I don't think you need to "barricade" them in...just tell them they are NOT to touch that door...easy!

 

 

If only life were so easy. ;)

 

Maybe putting a suitcase in front of the door (inside the cabin) might be enough of an obstacle to prevent/discourage a 3 & 6 yr old from opening the door, but not so much that in an emergency it could be opened quickly. Also, as long as you're keeping the connecting door open, they'll probably be more likely to come through that way instead. The door alarms are a good backup, too. Just be sure to remember to turn them off when you leave so as not to frighten your room attendants. :D

 

I hope this helps a little. Good luck & have a wonderful trip!:)

[sas80]

I think you are going to be very surprised that the only door those kids care to open is the one that leads to YOUR cabin ;)

 

We did connecting with our 3 and 1 year old and all they cared about was being in our room. The doors to the hallway are not entirely easy to open anyways. Are you going to bring the baby monitor?

[5waldos]

At 6 years old, they are quite old enough to mind what you say, the first time you say it, every time!

I don't think you need to "barricade" them in...just tell them they are NOT to touch that door...easy!

 

Sorry but that is hilarious. Do you have kids? Even the best behaved children sometimes forget. Or test you. My take on it is trust- but verify. You don't want to be worried all night that just maybe they might decide to explore. Or "need" some pizza and not want to wake you up. Or hear something in the hallway and "need" to find out what.

[junglejane]

We had connecting promenade rooms on the Mariner OTS. It's a very workable arrangement, but also they're cozy (i.e., small!) rooms and you'll practically be within spitting distance of the kids' beds if you keep the connecting door open. I don't think you'll need a baby monitor at all because they'll be very close. I also agree with Uppitycats that blocking the hallway door is a safety hazard.

[Marie51]

Blocking the door from either side would be a real safety hazard. What if there was some emergency in the room and the kids HAD to exit through the door?? And a chair in the hallway would of course block the hall.

 

I like the idea of the stick-on alarm. I also wonder if the children would even be able to OPEN the door? I've not been on an RC ship, but others that I have been on have been pretty heavy.

 

Yes, I agree that blocking the door is not the best idea but I did not know if there is actually a rule about it. The more I think about it I realize it was a stupid suggestion. Sorry everyone.

[beachchick]

If only life were so easy. ;)

 

Maybe putting a suitcase in front of the door (inside the cabin) might be enough of an obstacle to prevent/discourage a 3 & 6 yr old from opening the door, but not so much that in an emergency it could be opened quickly. Also, as long as you're keeping the connecting door open, they'll probably be more likely to come through that way instead. The door alarms are a good backup, too. Just be sure to remember to turn them off when you leave so as not to frighten your room attendants. :D

 

I hope this helps a little. Good luck & have a wonderful trip!:)

 

Actually, I suspect that a suitcase in front of the door would only make it easier for the 6-y/o to reach the knob and try to open the door, likely falling off the suitcase in the process. And it would still be a safety hazard because the door could not be opened from the passageway in case of emergency.

 

beachchick

[erinpdx]

I was the person who posted the idea about the stick on alarms. My husband said he actually got them at a Harbor Freight store. He said you can also get them at the "As Seen on TV" store.

Like a previous poster stated, despite being in separate cabins, you will still be in very close proximity to one another.

[5waldos]

How about stick-on velcro put high on the door? Sticky enough to keep it closed for kids, not so in an emergency. Comes off easily when you leave.