Cruise related gifts for a 9 year old?

[kasi1979]

We decided to spend next christmas aboard a cruise ship in the caribbean.

We have done quite a few cruises before (it will be dd 11 th cruise).

However we have never been on a ship during the holiday season.

 

I want to have a few gifts for DD that she can use or experience during this trip.

We´ll be aboard MSC Seascape.

 

Do you have any ideas for me?

 

I´ll  have  4 days in her advent calender to fill that will be opened during our trip (flight + pre-cruise hotel + cruise), a christmas stocking and maybe 1 or 2 further gifts, small enough to be taken home with us on an international flight after the cruise...

 

Also, what can we expect christmas wise onboard? A vist from Santa? Will they hold mass? A special dinner?

Any tip is welcome so that I can set expectations accordingly and prepare if we want something else than what is provided.

Edited March 1, 2023 by kasi1979

[Essiesmom]

Without knowing your daughter, I won’t make any suggestions there.  But I will suggest for questions about holidays on MSC and Seascape, you visit the board here for MSC.  EM

 

[woostergirl]

We did a Celebrity cruise over Christmas this past December with my family (including 11 year old daughter and 7 year old son). I brought heavy duty magnets with hooks and hung our stockings from home along with soft felt garlands to decorate our cabin. (And some gnome plushies!) It made the cabin feel more like Christmas and home. I know some families even bring a small Christmas tree, but I didn't want to manage a tree on flights!

 

I brought our stockings to Target/the store to make sure the things I bought would fit in my kids' stockings!!

 

Some suggestions would be binoculars for shore excursions and maybe craft kits that she can do with new friends on board. (My daughter got friendship bracelets kits.) I got her the card game Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza which was a huge hit and fun to play on board. My son got some smaller pool toys to play with in the pool.

 

We were on Celebrity Beyond and not MSC, but I posted the holiday activities from the kids club and around the ship. They had a special Xmas craft making, holiday treats, and holiday themed games on Christmas Eve Day. There was a visit from Santa on Christmas Day (Many families went to see Santa in matching pajamas. I didn't think of this but it was cute, especially for the pics.) Santa gave out small gifts to each child. There was caroling and Xmas song performances by the entertainment crew. There was an inter-denominational Christian service on the ship. There were also special items on the menu for Christmas Eve Day and Christmas Day.

 

Good luck and have fun! We really enjoyed Xmas on a ship. We will do it again for Christmas 2024.

 

 

Edited March 28, 2023 by woostergirl

[kasi1979]

Thanks for your suggestions and the insight on acitivities at Celebrity.

We are really looking forward to christmas at sea, even though it means I have to do some last minute shopping in Miami before we board as not everything can be packed and tranported from Germany.

 

I will look into a card game. That´s a great idea, thanks.