braids

[billyandted]

I hope this isn't a double post, for some reason the first post stopped.

Here goes - My DGD, 11 years old, wants to get braids in Costa Maya. This is a first for both of us & we need your help.

Should she get it done first before her day on the beach while it's clean & dry?

Or should she shower & wash her hair & have it done at the end of the day?

Are there facilities on shore at the pier area to shower? Could she bring her dryer & plug it in there? Can she get braids if her hair is wet?

Wow - Lots of questions! :eek:

[BlueHerons]

Bring your own rubber band thingys.

 

This is very damaging to your hair and whatever you can do to make it less damaging helps.

 

Get the hair braided dry so it is stronger. Less chance of breaking.

[Mysticks1]

Bring your own rubber band thingys.

 

This is very damaging to your hair and whatever you can do to make it less damaging helps.

 

Get the hair braided dry so it is stronger. Less chance of breaking.

 

Also, bring your own brush and comb. Maybe a spray on, leave in conditioner to spray and don't forget that the scalp can easily get sunburned when in those braids. ;)

[HeidiHo]

Just a tip about sunblock. Use a lip balm with a high spf between the braids. This is much easier than trying to apply a liquid between them.

[cruisy]

My daughter's first braids were done at a salon in Hawaii, and they went along gently with her hairline (curly hair). She had them for about two or three weeks.

My daughter's second braids were done in Nassau, and they were so tight, we had to remove them the next day. Her scalp was getting all puffy around them. I have pictures of her happy, getting them, and then crying the next day, because she liked them, they were expensive and they hurt like heck.

I guess my point is, if you can somehow tell them she is a child, and not to make them too tight it might be helpful.

[caprcorn28]

Should she get it done first before her day on the beach while it's clean & dry?

Or should she shower & wash her hair & have it done at the end of the day?

I guess that I would just get it done at the beginning of the day - not for any real reasons other than you don't have to worry about it the rest of the day/cruise. Then you also don't have to rush thru your day to go back, wash and dry it and then get it braided before you have to be back on the ship....

Can she get braids if her hair is wet?

I don't know for sure...but I would suspect that it would be alot harder to do. They braid really ReALly fast!!! I would guess that wet hair would impede the process....not sure though.

 

About it being damaging...My daughter has had it done in both the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic. The Bahama braids were way better (they were the corn row variety).

If you think about how much hair that you lose to your brush/bathroom floor/back of your shirts etc. on a daily basis when your hair is free-flowing...With your hair bound up in braids, you are not losing your hair during that time. SO, when you take out your braids, you are going to be brushing out a lot of hair...but it is just the accumulation of hair you would have lost anyway....

When you do take those braids out...the hair is WiLd!!! A nice shampoo and conditioning is going to work wonders!! You'll be back to normal in no time...the ends will be a little gross, but that's an easy fix! No big deal!!

 

I am sure that my daughter will be getting them again... in Costa Maya ...this time! They look so cute when they are little with all those braids!! Heck, it makes your life easier as a mom too to get them ready for dinner or whatever!! Hair is already done!! ;)

[jw4jg1mg2eg1]

When my daughter had hers done, we were all stupid....LOL...

#1- She had bright orange & white beads put in the braids (her formal dress was white chafon(SP?) with beautiful blue roses).

#2- Her hair is very fine & thin. Some of the braids fell out in her sleep that night...I think we paid $35. for them in Belize.....it took that woman about an hour to put them in. A few hours of our day in Belize was spent getting my daughter & daughter-in-law's braids.

#3- Not a major issue so to speak, but an uncomfortable one in a foriegn country. When we walked past all the women we said "No Thank You" to in the beginning, they all gave us some pretty nasty looks & I don't think I wanna know what they said.....:eek:

[billyandted]

Thanks so much for all the ideas.

She is taking her own comb plus black & white elastics to go with her Dressy outfit the next night.

I'll be sure to take a sunscreen stick of some kind because that is an excellent suggestion.

Everyone here is great!!

[rsham]

You might consider having the braiding done on the ship. We have had braids done while in port and seem to have a stressful time chosing a place. That wastes time in port and you can just schedule it on the cruise. Last cruise we had the braids done on the ship. Also you know that they are not going to get lice or any other foriegn bugs on the ship. I highly recommend using the beauty shop on the ship.

[BlueHerons]

Also you know that they are not going to get lice or any other foriegn bugs on the ship. I highly recommend using the beauty shop on the ship.

 

Domestic bugs are much preferable to foreign ones.

[hawaiideb]

Anyone know how much it costs to have your hair braided at the salon on the ship. I told our DD, (age 11) that I would not allow her to do it on shore because I had been warned about tightness, sanitation conditions and etc.... Plus, she is extremely tender headed, so we weren't going to go there. However, hearing about having it done on the ship, I'm reconsidering allowing her have braids. Anyone out there know about how much allowance she should save for that????

 

Debbie

[PaigeM]

there were many people last week getting their hair braided on the beach. we did it in jamaica. anyway, the kids we were with didn't bring any rubber bands or brushes and no one had any problems!

[billyandted]

You might consider having the braiding done on the ship. We have had braids done while in port and seem to have a stressful time chosing a place. That wastes time in port and you can just schedule it on the cruise. Last cruise we had the braids done on the ship. Also you know that they are not going to get lice or any other foriegn bugs on the ship. I highly recommend using the beauty shop on the ship.

OMG just the thought of bugs makes my skin crawl. Please tell me how much it is on ship because I just checked at a salon near me & they want $80 (that's Canadian eh) for half a head & I think you would need half a brain to pay that much. LOL

[cruise.freak]

My 11 year old daughter had hers done at Paradise Beach in Cozumel for half head for 35.00 dollars. All they used was like the stick part of the comb and their own rubber bands. We had been swimming and her hair was not combed out but they were able to do it easily because they do it daily. It lasted for about 2 weeks. We used the spray on sunscreen for her head. It turned out beautiful.

[Partyof7]

I too would like to know how much braids are on the ship. My DD and Niece get theirs done every year at one of the stops. We would love to already have it done instead of wasting time on our stops. Also do they do a good job and how long does it take the girls in the salon to do it.

[momsoftwins]

i have worked in a salon for 12 yrs now and i have went on a few cruises and watched the locals do the braids and i would not suggest having them done on land because they used the same comb brush on each person. that means if the first person had lice or anything else you will to. they didnt even wash hands in between people. nasty i think, but on my last cruise i used the salon on ship to get mine. i might have paid i think 35 or 40 bucks and after like the 2nd day of lots of snorkeling a few got loose i just went back and they happily fixed them. well everyone can do what they want but i think i will stick to the salon and not the locals.

[bethinks]

Hoping someone could answer the question about cost on the ship. Maybe I'll try Stacey and Tim on the Liberty to see if they can get info for us!

[Bellarose]

My four year old had them done last year; once in St. Maarten and once in Nassau; two different trips. The St. Maarten braids were great and they lasted for about two weeks. We used their comb and rubber bands. I didn't think to bring any.

 

The second set in Nassau was terrible. It took three different women to do them, one at a time, because the first couple were doing such a bad job. The other woman actually came over and shook her head and started taking them out. They were so tight she cried while they were doing them. I kept telling her she did not have to do this, but her friend had hers done already at the same place. I felt terrible and was upset with the braiding ladies (to put it in nice terms).

 

I would recommend, if you get them done on land, to watch another girl do it and see what it looks like or if it hurt. Also, when we went on the Disney Cruise, the price to braid on the ship, outside by the pool, was actually the same price.

 

Good luck! Little girls love having those braids.

[elspeth]

My husband had his done in Montego Bay. He has long, shoulder blade length hair. We didn't have any problems, but don't pay what they ask ( at least in Jamaica ). The lady first wanted $40.00, but settled for $20.00.:)

[caprcorn28]

but don't pay what they ask ( at least in Jamaica ). The lady first wanted $40.00, but settled for $20.00.:)

Yes, and make sure that when you go in to port to do your bartering, you aren't wearing all of your fabulous (fake or otherwise) vacation jewelry. We met this family on the ship, the mom/wife was really always fabulously dressed to the T...gold, diamonds etc jewelry of all kinds. She was just one of those people that could look fancy in a pair of jean shorts and a t-shirt with all that jewelry on. She had her daughters hair braided in Nassau for $75...they refused to barter with her. We paid $20. Her husband was appalled!! He had told her not to go in to town all dressed up like that. We ran in to them again on another island, sans jewelry...and she was soo excited about all the deals that she was getting!!! ;)

[Ehpride]

Yes, and make sure that when you go in to port to do your bartering, you aren't wearing all of your fabulous (fake or otherwise) vacation jewelry. We met this family on the ship, the mom/wife was really always fabulously dressed to the T...gold, diamonds etc jewelry of all kinds. She was just one of those people that could look fancy in a pair of jean shorts and a t-shirt with all that jewelry on. She had her daughters hair braided in Nassau for $75...they refused to barter with her. We paid $20. Her husband was appalled!! He had told her not to go in to town all dressed up like that. We ran in to them again on another island, sans jewelry...and she was soo excited about all the deals that she was getting!!! ;)

 

Mom and I tried to convince Grandma not to wear her gold necklace and her rings but she just kept saying, "But they aren't expensive." Bottom line is it doesn't matter if they are expensive if they look it.