Goodies/Gifts for Kids?

[IMKTDQT810]

Yes, i will post this on the family board also. But I think there are alot of folks who only read those boards if they are sailing with their kids soon. This is a call out to anyone who has ever sailed with any kids.

 

I am going to get my son the one package from Bon Voyage that has a sand pail, tote, plush etc (this will thrill him to death, mainly for the plush alone). He is 9 and we are also sailing with his cousins (14 & 17). I was going to bring a few things that can be "left behind" like rafts from the dollar store, beach ball, I even saw a $2 set of plastic horseshoe set....but I think that might be too much to bring and might not be used (on HMC). They also had the flat water seal-able things that can go around their neck to hold money, S&S card etc.

 

Has anyone else ever made goodie bags for kids/teens and what else to put into it. I have another sand pail around here brand new I was going to also bring..my thoughts...it will give us room for souvenirs to bring home.

 

I figured a few flat gift bags and one pack tissue paper is easy enough to pack and the rafts will be flat also. I just wanted a little something for them. Still on the fence about the room decorations for them (Sister, Niece & Nephew)...I think $30 something is too much for paper that will hang for a week and then come down. This is also their 8th & 12 grad gift from their mom & g-ma. Any other ideas?

[MichelleChell]

I would do $ to spend on board. Its easy to pack and all kids love it! If you wanna wrap it up cute you could.

We are going for Christmas and I plan to do that and gift cards. My situation is a bit different though.

[tammi0916]

Yes, i will post this on the family board also. But I think there are alot of folks who only read those boards if they are sailing with their kids soon. This is a call out to anyone who has ever sailed with any kids.

 

I am going to get my son the one package from Bon Voyage that has a sand pail, tote, plush etc (this will thrill him to death, mainly for the plush alone). He is 9 and we are also sailing with his cousins (14 & 17). I was going to bring a few things that can be "left behind" like rafts from the dollar store, beach ball, I even saw a $2 set of plastic horseshoe set....but I think that might be too much to bring and might not be used (on HMC). They also had the flat water seal-able things that can go around their neck to hold money, S&S card etc.

 

Has anyone else ever made goodie bags for kids/teens and what else to put into it. I have another sand pail around here brand new I was going to also bring..my thoughts...it will give us room for souvenirs to bring home.

 

I figured a few flat gift bags and one pack tissue paper is easy enough to pack and the rafts will be flat also. I just wanted a little something for them. Still on the fence about the room decorations for them (Sister, Niece & Nephew)...I think $30 something is too much for paper that will hang for a week and then come down. This is also their 8th & 12 grad gift from their mom & g-ma. Any other ideas?

 

 

I always bring special gifts for my daughter and her friend (who travels with us). I too do the intertubes from the dollar store and at the last port that they would use it- we just leave it or give it to another child still on the beach.

 

Deck of playing cards is another great items as they can play while hanging in the cabin or on deck.

 

I have also taken the insulated cups as gifts for them to use as well as Frisbees for the beach.

 

Lately since they have most of that stuff now (many cruises later) I have some sweets delivered from Bon Voyage lke cookies or candy that they can share.

 

I think anything you decide will be appreciated and make the cruise that much more special!

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

 

Tammi

[irishnyc]

Last year my aunt made goodie bags for the kids in our group, aged 2-9. It was a nylon dollar store backpack filled with a whiteboard and marker, a book, dollar store sun hat, and stickers. I also brought a bag full of dollar store beach balls and pails/shovels, and we left those at HMC.

[Pine Bluff]

My kids think of the cruise as the treat. They've never even asked for goodies to go along with it. There are so many goodies happening in board that material thing mean nothing.

[IMKTDQT810]

All sounds like a good plan!! I forgot the inner tube type floats also.

 

@PineBluff- This is the 1st cruise for all 3 kids. I know they are not expecting the little extras but I just thought it would be a nice touch and I was planning on bringing some $ store stuff anyways =-)

[Pine Bluff]

All sounds like a good plan!! I forgot the inner tube type floats also.

 

@PineBluff- This is the 1st cruise for all 3 kids. I know they are not expecting the little extras but I just thought it would be a nice touch and I was planning on bringing some $ store stuff anyways =-)

 

All I'm saying is save your money. A cruise vs "things", and the things will get lost in the shuffle. I personally brought 2 favorite things with me on my first cruise, and neither were ever touched.

[MaiTaiMary]

My kids will be 7, 8, and 10 when we cruise this fall. I'm planning on putting a little something together for them. Nothing expensive or extravagant. Maybe a card game (like Uno) and some doodle pad books for the "down time" while we're in the cabin getting reading in the morning or in the evening.

[MichelleChell]

Im sure the kids will love anything you do. First time cruise is so fun. My kids loved the in room gifts I had waiting for them and still talk about it! Don't let someone that is always negative on this board make you feel like you shouldn't do it. Have fun and enjoy your cruise.

[Cruise Envy]

We had goodie bags from our group on our last cruise. Among the kids AND adults, the hits were:

 

• Lip Balm
  
• Pen & Highlighter
  
• Playing Cards
  
• Reusable water bottle
  
• 24 oz bottle of water
  
• Lanyard
  

We had a beach ball, but it blew to Puerto Rico at HMC :). Frisbees would be fun. Lots of us used the cloth bag our goodies came in for a beach bag. If you want sweets, hit the Cherry on Top or Formalities once you board. I bought tshirts for my son last year and he enjoyed those. The older two might enjoy Cruise Cash to spend in the gift shop.

 

Someone decorated my cabin when we cruised for my 46th birthday. I kind of enjoyed it :p.

 

You are sweet to go the extra mile to make this a great trip for these kids.

[Kova15]

I also think this is a great idea and plan on doing something for my kids when we cruise next year. At that time my daughter will be 11 and my son will be 2 so I will be looking at some dollar store items and things for quiet down time for my son.

[IMKTDQT810]

Thanks!! I never thought about UNO..my son loves that game and with so many places on board to sit and play I bet that would be a hit.

 

Does the gift shops on board take gift cards? Maybe something little like 15.00 each to offset their mom buying them something but at the same time it would end up being 45.00 from me out of pocket. I'd much rather do that then spend 30.00 on room decorations. =-)

[magsbags]

Great ideas so far! We're taking our two boys in their first in June, so I've been trying to figure out a little something I could get for them. I'm sentimental like that! ;)

 

I think I'm going to get them a Tervis. They love them and they'll be able to use them to put their drinks in on the cruise. Plus, they can use them when we get back home.

 

Whatever you decide, I'm sure they'll love it. Have fun! :D

 

 

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[kazbar]

When we cruise out of the US we have a long flight before hand.

I pack bags for our three children that serve as activity packs for the flights and as well as downtime on trips our land portion and cruise portion.

 

We include things like age appropriate activity books, markers and pencils, cards, small magnetic travel games, a few of their favourite snacks and a bound book to use as a trip journal.

[Almost Packed]

When we cruise with our ds, he still likes to make his own stuffed animal and the "build a bear" workshop. So no need to order one. They are very reasonable in price as well.

 

The only thing ds brings is his DSI with him and a few games and we bring his snorkel gear. we also allow him to have his small goggles for use in the pools.

 

I too visit the dollar store or walmart pre cruise and purchase a few cheap air mats for our day at the beach. We give them away to other kids when it's time to go.

 

There's plenty of food and snacks/junk on the ship so no need to bring those. The teens (most) just want the adults to leave them alone lol...so they can hang out with their friends.

 

The kids will have plenty to do. We do bring our own little "travel" yahtzee game with us. It's a ziploc bag, a yahtzee scorepad, 5 dice, ink pens and a stolen cloth napkin from a cruise ship lol. We always travel with that. It helps kill the time while waiting, late at night in the cabin, at the airport etc and fits easily in our carry on.

 

DS has his backpack that he's allowed to pack for our trip with books, games etc. for the plane ride etc.

[Momma1980]

Who doesn't love getting a little gift?! It doesn't have to cost a lot, and it sends a message that you cared enough to take time to do something nice.

 

When we had a family reunion cruise, I made up small goodie bags for each family's cabin. Used brown paper lunch bags and decorated them with white paint stamps of sand dollars and shells. Tied them with raffia string. Looked very nautical/beachy. I included travel sizes of sunscreen, individually packaged snacks, SPF lip balm, blow-up rafts and beach balls, packs of gum,lanyards for sign and sail cards, etc.

 

As far as ordering gifts online from the Carnival Fun Shop... I purchased an oversized roomy Carnival sweatshirt for my 12 year old that she loved and used almost every night of the cruise (AC gets the ship pretty cold in the evening)

 

I have also purchased candy and cookies for my daughters and nieces. I know that there is ALOT of food available on the ship, but the purchases were very much appreciated.

[GradUT]

Here's a "green" idea for the goodie bag. Instead of buying a paper bag for the goodies, buy a reusable shopping bag. The bag can be used during the cruise to carry things around, especially if you are going to HMC and at the end of the cruise, you can "re-appropriate" the bags to use for your grocery shopping.

 

I found the cutest bag yesterday at our local supermarket with cats on one side and dogs on the other for only 99 cents. And it is plastic-coated, so you can carry wet things in it.

[txmom11]

I ordered my DSS, who was 15 at the time, a soda package from Bon Voyage. It had a cooler and a mug. He's 20 and still uses the mug.

 

 

 

 

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[IMKTDQT810]

I like the re-usable bag idea....great thinking!! I'm going to post to the "main broad" to see if they do build-a-bear on the Pride. If so then I guess there is no sense doing the bon voyage when I can bring little things myself.

[beberenn]

My Kids Are Spoiled!!! And I love bringing gifts for the kids for each night when they go to bed! DD 7 I had the Bon Voyage decorate the room, bring cookies and the arnival sweat shirt. Night 1 she got a teddy bear, Night two she got a Barbie in a bikini, Night 3 she got inflatable surf board and googles for florida, Night 4 she got coloring books, crayons and pail and shovels, Night 5 she got Light up tiara and lias and glow bracelets, Night 6 silly putty and comic books, Night 7 back pack to take her presents home in. They are only Little ONCE!!!

 

DS is 17 and we gave him the sweatshirt, and cookies, new sunglasses, new hat, new watch, surprised him with the behind the scenes tour, and decorated his door all crazy (his first room w/o parents) He didn't care for the sweatshirt, but loved everything else, well....the door decorations, he acted embarrassed, but I no he liked it ;)

[magsbags]

My Kids Are Spoiled!!! And I love bringing gifts for the kids for each night when they go to bed! DD 7 I had the Bon Voyage decorate the room, bring cookies and the arnival sweat shirt. Night 1 she got a teddy bear, Night two she got a Barbie in a bikini, Night 3 she got inflatable surf board and googles for florida, Night 4 she got coloring books, crayons and pail and shovels, Night 5 she got Light up tiara and lias and glow bracelets, Night 6 silly putty and comic books, Night 7 back pack to take her presents home in. They are only Little ONCE!!!

 

DS is 17 and we gave him the sweatshirt, and cookies, new sunglasses, new hat, new watch, surprised him with the behind the scenes tour, and decorated his door all crazy (his first room w/o parents) He didn't care for the sweatshirt, but loved everything else, well....the door decorations, he acted embarrassed, but I no he liked it ;)

 

They are only little once... I agree! I have a teen (gotta wait a few more years for the other one to turn into one :p )...he'd probably love all that stuff. Great ideas...thanks for sharing!

 

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Edited April 22, 2014 by magsbags

[bunchesofun]

Thanks!! I never thought about UNO..my son loves that game and with so many places on board to sit and play I bet that would be a hit.

 

Does the gift shops on board take gift cards? Maybe something little like 15.00 each to offset their mom buying them something but at the same time it would end up being 45.00 from me out of pocket. I'd much rather do that then spend 30.00 on room decorations. =-)

 

There are the Carnival gift cards, or you could simply go to the guest relations desk and put $15 on their S&S cards. We usually do that first thing for the kids. You designate how much you want to put on it, and it won't let them go over that amount.

[LynnTH]

DS15 and DD13 both got $100 Carnival Gift Cards in their Easter Baskets. Figured this way I can put this money on their S&S Cards and they don't have to ask each time they go to the arcade or candy store or getting a smoothie.

They will have their own money to spend as they like.

[grammacassi]

Dont forget goggles if you have a beach day planned. I also made sure each kid had a disposable camera. They loved being able to take the pics THEY wanted to!

[IMKTDQT810]

Thanks for the suggestions. I did get goggles already (a 3 pk for 2.50 at $ General....gotta love it) and I got rafts already. i spent about 30 bucks at the $ store and DH rolled his eyes saying "are you kidding me?' I said NOPE since one raft to rent at HMC is 14.99 so I think I saved a bundle. I also got door decorations, those travel bladders with the hook so everyone can put water in it before leaving the ship and be set with something to drink on shore excursions etc.

 

I just read about platinum folks getting tumblers and I saw someone post that they have tons of them. So I just posted if anyone wanted to sell some. I thought that would be good for them esp if my sister brings soda on for her kids!!

 

I'm off to Ebay to buy some NFL lanyards for DH, DS, myself & nephew. I will get jeweled ones for the other two females...I go for NFL they go for Bling & Glitz LOL !!