Travelling on Princess with a 5YO

[MandL82]

Hi

we are travelling on Enchanted Princess in August, we are seasoned cruisers but stopped just before my DD was born, with Covid etc we have taken a longer break than expected. We are therefore excited to return.

This will be the first time we are all in the same room.

Our daughter is looking forward to the kids club, but we are unsure of a few things and would like to know in advance so we can be prepared before we offer any parental promises.

She is 5, she doesn't nap, but in the evening we expect she will get tired around 7pm.

If she was in the kids club, do they have a nap area. We saw they are open until 10pm and I wouldn't think any 3-5 yo could be awake until then, so was unsure how this works.

If there is no nap area/not allowed to nap is it acceptable to bring a pushchair into the bars so she can have a sleep or are we confined to cabins.

If the kids club need to contact us, how does this work is it via medallion or some other method?

We have princess plus. How can we order drinks for her, do we always have to go to the bar or can we somehow add her to my account and order on behalf? (or do we bring a smart device for her as well!!!)

What are the availability of booster seats in the dining venues? 

We have a balcony cabin with sofa bed. It looks like we do not have curtain. Is there a way to attach a sheet between areas.

 

Thanks, appreciate all the help

 

Edited April 18, 2022 by MandL82

[INeedAMaiTai]

Lots of questions, but maybe I can help with my experience.

Napping... There is not a napping area in the kids' center, and I don't know if they allow it or not, mine were always over stimulated so they would never have fallen asleep.  Mine have, however, fallen asleep in many of bars around the ship (mainly like explorer's lounge where there are long stretches of couches that aren't normally occupied).  And no one bats an eye, other than those walking by to say "how sweet".  We've also propped strollers up everywhere so they can nap when they fall asleep.  

Contacting... I have not yet cruised with the medallion app, so I don't know how that works.  I know, in the past, they have offered pagers to parents.  I'm sure there is a way of contacting you, I just don't know what it is with the new technology.  I also would frequent the kid center just to "check in" to see how things were going, but that was just me.

Princess Plus... You might have to deliver her drinks if she wants, but that just probably depends on the bartender, etc.  We have always had the drink package and I would take either one of my kid's cards and get them a drink if they weren't around to order it themselves.  Some working the bar areas are strict and won't let you order for someone else, but that case was rare, especially with a kiddo. 

Boosters... I always had to ask and they only had a select few, plenty of high chairs, but not many boosters.  If you plan on eating in the dining room often, make sure to make friends with the maitre'd and ask about availability for meal times (and maybe slip him/her some cash) and they will always make it happen.  Also, make sure to tip at the end too to show appreciation.

Curtain... this one is tough.  There isn't an easy way to do so, hanging anything.  One option is to try to bring your own curtain, sheet, whatever and get some of those super strong magnetic hooks and try to hang something that way.  But be sure to bring your own so you don't puncture holes in Princess' sheets.  Or even ask your room steward to see if they have any other ideas.  I found that brightish night lights helped in the evenings so we could turn off the cabin lights and still have some sort of light.

I hope this helps!

[mjkacmom]

I think magnet hooks on the ceiling with a shower curtain would work very well. My youngest were four on their first cruise and didn’t need booster seats.

[MandL82]

Hi @INeedAMaiTai and @mjkacmom

Thank you for your responses.

Sorry - it was a lot of questions in the end.

We are sailing from Southampton and are UK based, so for the sake of it, we will take a booster seat - it was just the inconvenience of carrying it around the ship - but it seems they could be limited and I wouldn't want to deprive someone of one because they hadn't checked - if there end up being plenty we can always leave it in the cabin.

The drinks is a concern, especially if we meet the strict bar tenders - I can see this for Alcohol but soft drinks seems silly, unfortunately, I know some are very scared of losing their job so I can understand why they follow rules religiously - we will work it out.

Do either of you have a link for some recommended magnetic hooks? We can see what we can get. We will use our own sheet 😀

If our DD is up until 10pm.... here is hoping it means lie in's 😁, but great to know that the bar staff and passengers seems an accepting sort should we find she needs to nap in the bar area.

I still would like some further experiences on the Medallion aspect on Kids drinks and also being "paged" through this method, if indeed this happens. or If it is a pager - then that's fine -

Knowing us, we will find a reason to "Check-in" but I just worry that if she is unhappy between check-in's it may ruin it forever for her.

Thanks in advance to all that respond.

[INeedAMaiTai]

I don't have any links to specific ones, but amazon has a ton to choose from; the heavier duty ones are the best.  Plus, you can hang random stuff with them like bags and lanyards and swimsuits or whatever around your cabin to free up flat space.

 

And one thing about cruising with kids...so many of the crew have their own kids and miss them terribly, so seeing a little smiling face makes them happy.  They appreciate the laughs, even the cries, something that reminds them of home.  I would suggest finding a space that you can build a "relationship" with some bartenders that will adore your family.  We learned that the bar where trivia was was the best, and I'm still friends with some of the bartenders to this day.

[MandL82]

@INeedAMaiTai That's awesome advice re the crew and yes I can imagine how hard it can be working away from home.

We will take a look on Amazon for those hooks, but taking a night light is an great idea as well.

 

[ltlqtgrl]

Hello!  I just got off the Discovery Princess on Sunday with my 6 and 8 year olds.  I will tell you – they had SO much fun in the kids club and were always mad when I picked them up early.  However, try to save room in your luggage because they did so many crafts/activities and got items to bring home (there was t-shirt coloring, hat decorating and they were each sent off with a small backpack and 2 stuffed animals each in addition to multiple crafts…. they also had 2 Easter egg hunts since we embarked on Easter).  I’ll try to answer some of your questions based on what happened on the Discovery…

 

-During sea days, the kids club closed for lunch and dinner.  It was open 9-12, 2-5, and 7-10.  They will give you a schedule of all events for the week on the first day and you can choose what you want her to participate in.  I will say that I picked my 6 year old up about 9-9:30 most nights and she was the first one to leave the room (and also the oldest many times).  Her bedtime is 7:30 normally, but she was so excited by everything going on that she had no trouble staying up later for the week.  She did also sleep in a bit more than normal (normally awake by 5, but slept until 7-7:30 at least).  There is no dedicated nap area at the kids club.  During Port days, they are opened a little differently.  However, they still close 5-7 and I was told they are only keeping kids during lunch if the parents are on a Princess excursion during that time.  You also need to let them know the day before.

 

-In the 3-7 year old rooms you are required to sign-in and sign-out the kids (they just scan your medallion).  They also gave me a pager every time I dropped her off and I returned it when picking her up.  They do a great job with the kids and I was never notified. 

 

-My kids LOVED being able to order mocktails (and soda) throughout the trip.  You can order via the medallion app for everyone at the same time and they will deliver to your location.  I had no trouble ordering drinks for both kids and myself at the same time (and room service food).  There was no trouble ordering multiple non-alcoholic drinks at any bar or dining venue either.  The only one that I had to call room service for was if they wanted milk in the evening.  There was no trouble getting it, but it was not an option on the medallion app.

 

-I did not see any booster seats in the dining room when we were there.  However, they will bring a kids menu and crayons each night.  They will also bring out the entire meal for the kids first (excluding desert) and pace the adult meal like normal.  Also, if she wants something not on the menu just ask and they will do their best to accommodate.  My daughter asked for soft rolls the first night (the typical bread has a harder crust) and they were waiting on the table every night after.  She also asked for grilled cheese one night and the head waiter came over to say it would not be a problem, it would just take a couple extra minutes.  Also, if she likes ice cream, have her order a volcano!   

 

-We had a deluxe balcony with the sofa bed as well.  There was no curtain to separate the areas.  Also, if you want to use the balcony, you have to climb over the sofa bed until it’s made into a sofa again.  I’m not really sure about attaching a sheet – the magnetic hooks may work that were suggested previously.

 

I’m sure you will all have a wonderful time.  As others have said, the crew love kids and many will go out of their way to make the trip extra special for them. 

 

Please let me know if you have any other questions I can help with.

[MandL82]

1 hour ago, ltlqtgrl said:

 

-My kids LOVED being able to order mocktails (and soda) throughout the trip.  You can order via the medallion app for everyone at the same time and they will deliver to your location.  I had no trouble ordering drinks for both kids and myself at the same time (and room service food).  There was no trouble ordering multiple non-alcoholic drinks at any bar or dining venue either.  The only one that I had to call room service for was if they wanted milk in the evening.  There was no trouble getting it, but it was not an option on the medallion app.

Hi @ltlqtgrl

 

Thank you for you in-depth response, this was so helpful.

Can I ask were you on a drinks package/ Princess Plus

We have heard that on a package /PP you each have order indervidually your one drink, otherwise you are charged for these "additional" drinks.

Think makes life tricky as our DD is still learning to read so would need assistance, it would be great if all of us can use one device to order as this will make things so much easier.

Thank you again

[ltlqtgrl]

6 hours ago, MandL82 said:

Hi @ltlqtgrl

 

Thank you for you in-depth response, this was so helpful.

Can I ask were you on a drinks package/ Princess Plus

We have heard that on a package /PP you each have order indervidually your one drink, otherwise you are charged for these "additional" drinks.

Think makes life tricky as our DD is still learning to read so would need assistance, it would be great if all of us can use one device to order as this will make things so much easier.

Thank you again

I'm glad to be able to help!   We all had the soda package for the cruise.  My understanding of Plus is that alcoholic beverages are supposed to be ordered one at a time with a maximum of 15 per day.  However, all other beverages are unlimited.  Also, when you are on the medallion it should recognize everyone in your travel party.  When you are on the app, it will tell you "included in drink package" and it will tell you what the total is without the package and then deduct it to show a zero balance.  

[QuilterGirl]

I got Neosmuck magnetic hooks from Amazon for a cruise.  (They are on sale just now there!)  There are 10 in a package and they truly do hold 22 lbs. as advertised.  Note:  the 22 lb. load is if the hook is stuck on a horizontal surface ("upside down"), such as on the ceiling of a cruise ship; for vertical load, it is less than 22 lbs.  The magnetic hooks worked great on the cabin's vertical walls and doors for lightweight jackets and hats, Covid masks, cabin door décor, and displaying paper schedules, tickets, etc.  Great when used on the ceiling, hung near a ceiling vent, for drying clothing on hangars.  The weight of all 10 hooks is not oppressive in regards to luggage weight limits. We are going to pack these for every cruise, for sure!  Do use care in removing (or trying to move) the magnets; you don't want to scratch the wall/ceiling/door.

[MandL82]

Thank you @QuilterGirl

We will investigate those hooks.

@ltlqtgrl Thank you for your response. It seems all very easy really.

Good to see technology is smoothing the way