Princess Pre Cruise Gift essentials

[Ula]

I do my holiday shopping in advance. My sister and family are going on their first cruise on Sapphire over spring break. They will have 3 boys a 17 year old, 12 year old and 8 year old. I was thinking for Christmas of setting up an essentials kit to give them.

First and we love this a clothes steamer. Also the over the door shoe rack with an explanation on how to use it in the bathroom. With 5 in the room I think that would be a good thing. A power strip for all their various and sundry. Since this would be a perfect time for a nice family portrait a less then subtle hint might be some neckties. Would maybe more youth oriented ties with like Sponge Bob on them be inappropriate?

I would welcome any suggestions. I am having fun planning this gift.

[espmass]

An underwater camera if they are going to the Caribbean? Travel size cosmetics?

[adgtravel]

Roll of quarters for Casino, or a gift certificate from the ship for Casino (if they sell them?).

[Toto2Kansas]

Roll of quarters for Casino, or a gift certificate from the ship for Casino (if they sell them?).

 

Stike the roll of quarters as the quarter slots normally use Princess tokens. Only machines I know of that don't are the nickle machines.

[Coral]

Question for you - what type of room did they book that they can get 5 in a room?

[mikesteg]

I'm not sure the 8 year old would be all that interested in Sponge Bob, probably not the 12 year old, and certainly not the 17 year old. Let them buy their own clothes, with Mom's help for the younger ones. They'll probably come up with something that you'd actually want to see in a portrait (no offense to Sponge Bob, but formal he ain't!)

 

I'm not sure the neck ties would necessarily get recognized as a hint for something specific like a family portrait anyway. Neck ties are needed for dinner and that is all I'd read into it. If you want to drop a 'hint' that won't get missed, get them two gift certificates for photos and tell your sister "one is for you to get a family portrait and the other is for me to get a copy." Maybe a 3rd one for your parents also?

 

Also: get them the 100 count bottle of generic Bonine from Walmart! :D

[Ula]

Coral,

Sapphire Princess has Family Suites that hold up to 8 people. I dare not ask the cost. From the layout it looks bigger than our first apartment. But most things do.

I like the Underwater Camera idea. Since they are doing Mexico I imagine there will be lots of beach stuff with the boys. I am going to add in Sunscreen. Better time of year to purchase now and they have it at the 99 cent store.

I wish I could get away to see my sisters reaction to her first cruise. She tends to be of the Drill Sergeant personality. But since she actually had 5 children one is in college and we lost the youngest to meningitis a couple years ago. Structure is the key to getting things done with them. But I just bet she makes the boys clean the cabin and make their beds before they leave the room.

[Coral]

Coral,

Sapphire Princess has Family Suites that hold up to 8 people. I dare not ask the cost. From the layout it looks bigger than our first apartment. But most things do..

 

That makes sense Jeanne! I knew regular suites didn't accomodate 5....

 

Double check the expiration date on the sun screen if you buy it at a dollar shop. I have read some reports that sun screen loses effectiveness after being a year old. Others say 2-3 years old. Most bottles do list expiration dates.

 

Have fun planning!

[Amy G]

Neck pillows for the plane ride (if they need to fly). Decks of cards, including Uno. Travel journal. A plastic container that holds your ID's and money in the water, without getting wet.

[DandyCandy]

I'm not sure the 8 year old would be all that interested in Sponge Bob, probably not the 12 year old, and certainly not the 17 year old. Let them buy their own clothes, with Mom's help for the younger ones. They'll probably come up with something that you'd actually want to see in a portrait (no offense to Sponge Bob, but formal he ain't!)

 

 

ok i sorta have to disagree with this, my hubby is 25 and very much interested in spongebob, lol. In fact, tomorrow i have to go to claire's and get him a spongebob lanyard. and i've read another thread where a woman went to claire's and got her husband and child one of these(hence where i got the idea).

 

Maybe give them gift cards to stores that you know have what they need and maybe provide them with a shopping list? keeps from having to wrack the brain.

[Amy G]

Batteries for the boys' video games. Film? Small sewing kit. Cruise book for the Riviera. Downy Wrinkle Release..

[mikesteg]

ok i sorta have to disagree with this, my hubby is 25 and very much interested in spongebob, lol.

 

Yeah, I thought I'd leave us older boys out of it. :p I'm not a Sponge Bob fan, but I also have interests in the cartoon genre. Some of those shows seem to be a more realistic portrayal of life than the nightly news... certainly more realistic than the "reality" shows! :D

 

 

I second the sunblock, water safe, and also would suggest a compact bottle opener (if they might like to have a bottle of wine in the room). Even if you don't give them gift cards, a couple of the packing lists from hearabouts would be great. I sent my parents a list of URLs of packing lists, reviews, "what to know", etc, before their first cruise. Of course, they didn't read anything and thought they had to book a tour to get off the ship, but that is another story.

 

That does bring up another idea: before the cruise I organized the rest of the family to send them bon voyage gifts. At dinner the second night, the head waiter showed up with a small stack of vouchers to present. By the time we were done, that got attention from all the surrounding tables and was quite nice for my parents. (That was Carnival though. Princess may just leave them in the cabin or present them some other way.)

[mikesteg]

Cruise book for the Riviera. ..

 

The movie Titanic? :D :D :D

[Lobbylin]

Walkie-talkies so everyone can keep in touch with each other....

[cherylandtk]

Small-ish daypacks with zipper pockets. Very handy for taking on shore excursions, with backpack straps to keep your hands free, and you can stash your towel, camera, flip-flops, sunblock, cash, excursion ticket, ID, cruise card and walkie-talkie. Also good to wrap gifts in to put under the tree.

[Cruisin' Chick]

"Roll of quarters for Casino, or a gift certificate from the ship for Casino (if they sell them?)." Don't think the boys would be able to use those.

 

I wouldn't count out SpongeBob. My 8-year-old daughter just had her birthday last month and she requested a Spongebob theme. Didn't hear one kid (ranging from 6 to 11) complain about the theme. You can always ask your sister what they're into (parents do that all the time before buying a present for someone else's kid). And one thing to consider, SB ties in nicely with a cruise, don't you think.

[mmsoko]

Put in aloe when they forget their sunscreen.

 

Also lanyards are great to hold your cruise card (Purser's desk will punch a hole for you). Especially nice for little ones but convenient for adults too. No hunting for the card as you exit and enter the ship

The card won't drop out of your pockets and you won't have to carry wallet or purse on board. No need on a cruise....just that cruise card!

[Ula]

I want to thank everyone for their great responses. My sister is supposed to e-mail me a what they are now interested in list to help Holiday shop. Lanyards are a great idea, especially for the boys. I also checked the cruise essential list. Travel alarm clock. I think also a battery operated night light for the bathroom.

I think a water resistant back pack would be good also. They will all have Passports and I assume my sister will keep those under her care. Also all the Notary Permission letters for the kids.

This will make shopping fun and I hope to cach some end of season close outs.

[Widespreadpanic]

shirts, shorts or jackets with the name of their hometown city or sports team (it's interesting how many times someone will notice you're from the SAME city/state they are when in a foreign city), glow sticks, bracelets, necklaces, earrings (from the $ store or party store) for fun at night, a travel game or puzzle for the flight or car, info on the ports they'll stop at (cut & paste from travel sites/port websites), ball caps to protect from the sun, or a gift cert. from a local dive shop for face mask/snorkel/fins.

 

Have fun shopping!

[prarie cruiser]

I can't believe people take all this stuff on a cruise. There is not really any need for a travel alarm clock. If you want to know the time, the ship channel on the tv always has it, as well as being on many of the phones. If you want a wake up alarm, use the auto call back system on the phone in the cabin.

Forget the shoe rack too. It only takes up valuable luggage space. In a suite there are plenty of built in spaces for shoes.

Focus on the things one can really use. Things like the waterproof ID card holders, suntan lotion, small bags or packs to carry shopping onshore. The underwater disposable cameras are a really great idea. Lanyards are definitely a plus for kids and adults too. So are memory sticks or cards for digital cameras. Maybe new headphones for the kids music players. But don't go crazy adding in lots of things with little to no use that only adds weight to the luggage!