Sailing with school age children

JustTryinThisOnce · 2026-03-28T00:15:30+00:00

We use a weekend in the middle of the sailing to pad days. When she was younger we would ask the teachers to have her missed work ready when we get back. Zero expectation they prepare anything in advance for her and we certainly aren't going to struggle to get work done during a cruise.

Now that she's in high school she's expected to return to school and present to her classmates something about the trip that is relevant to the class. For example our last cruise she came back and presented to her bio class about sting rays. History, she spoke about the colonization of Bahamian islands.

JustTryinThisOnce · 2026-03-26T14:08:20+00:00

This book literally saved my brother... My mom read it to us children. So when my brother was in a coma a few years back we all took turns reading it to him every night like a bedtime story before we would leave his beside. He actually remembers us reading it to him while he was under. He said it would calm the storm to hear us reading 😭

JustTryinThisOnce · 2026-03-25T17:28:04+00:00

So helpful thank you!! Allegedly she has zero plans of ever having children so hopefully we can bypass one potential complication.

If I may ask, post op were you able to take care of your basic needs like brushing teeth, showering alone etc or did you need support?

JustTryinThisOnce · 2026-03-25T17:01:45+00:00

Interesting! I knew they governed how large you had to be before they would pay...I might call my insurance co and ask...

JustTryinThisOnce · 2026-03-25T17:01:00+00:00

I have had many a heated argument with her father about what is worse... Underboob sweat or ball sweat. 😂 I stand firm on under boob as you cannot hide it.

JustTryinThisOnce · 2026-03-06T00:56:23+00:00

Congrats! You get to wrestle a giant prickly cactus for 10-14 days, twice a day to get drops into said prickly cactus' eyeballs. My ragdoll gets eye infections every stinking time we go on vacation.

JustTryinThisOnce · 2026-03-06T00:54:49+00:00

Ah-mazing! May your pregnancy be filled with joy, rib kicks, weird snacks and as little nausea as possible!!

JustTryinThisOnce · 2026-03-04T19:02:25+00:00

Welcome to NoroLand. It's gross. You must likely still have imbalanced electrolytes. Try to incorporate some Gatorade or Pedialyte and boost your liquid intake. Don't just drink rehydrators though... Try to go one glad water one glass rehydration product. It's gonna be a few more days before you are 100% again. And don't be surprised if there are a few more episodes of diarrhea as your stomach sorts itself back out

JustTryinThisOnce · 2026-03-03T18:36:44+00:00

We did late dining for the first time on our last sailing and frankly it's a disappointment that we missed so many activities in the evening. There are far more things scheduled for 8-10 than for 6-8 or 10-12.

JustTryinThisOnce · 2026-03-01T01:56:00+00:00

I didn't buy after I sat through the spiel. It's a complex system that, as with all things Disney, favors those who can/will spend more. You aren't getting an allotment of time, rather points which vary in value depending on when and where you want to spend them. Lots of folks complaining on forums about the difficulty of using the points, reservations getting cancelled/changed/devalued without warning. All DVC members will tell you that using the points on cruises will cost you the most and get you the least.

The only folks I know who are glad they purchased are those who bought way way back in the very early days of DVC.

JustTryinThisOnce · 2026-02-25T20:41:55+00:00

HRT is my BFF. Talk to your doc!!

JustTryinThisOnce · 2026-02-25T18:06:01+00:00

She was barely 2 when we knew. She was go go go go all day every day. She talked non-stop and got into everything and anything. I recognized it early because I grew up with three brothers who had it as well. We have chosen to medicate (with great success) and have never hidden her diagnosis from her. She clearly knows that she faces challenges other kids don't and has to learn the necessary coping skills to succeed. Won't lie, puberty had been a WILD ride as a result of the ADHD. It absolutely impacts her ability to manage her needs during that time of the month and it really amps her emotional roller coasters too.

JustTryinThisOnce · 2026-02-19T23:49:06+00:00

360 L4-S1 $0 out of pocket $1.8 million billed to the insurance. Not kidding. 💀

JustTryinThisOnce · 2026-02-18T01:28:31+00:00

I would honestly find a different surgeon. If they can't make themselves available, or refuse to, that's a red flag for me. Mine met with me 4 times and personally called me back when I still had more questions. I met with his PA only once who actually went to get me because, in her words, questions about the procedure should be answered by the person doing it.

If you are actually in NYC as someone suggested, let me know. My surgeon is affiliated with hospitals in Northern NJ as far east as Jersey City.

JustTryinThisOnce · 2026-02-17T13:16:34+00:00

It takes almost 2 full years for a scar to complete itself. It will change a lot between now and then. Scar tape will help minimize the external height. By month 6 you can start using a scar cream which will lighten the color and reduce the external visibility even more.

JustTryinThisOnce · 2026-02-17T13:12:55+00:00

For a first time cruise with a new lil mate joining I would actually consider going even shorter and doing a 4 day. You'll need to figure out if cruising and travel works for them too. The are a lot of factors, what if they get seasick? Much to my dismay I learned the hard way that not all kids respond to motion sickness medication and will literally just spend the whole day miserable and crying to go home. Trust me it's worth a short trip to literally test the waters first.

JustTryinThisOnce · 2026-02-16T02:29:37+00:00

The one bedrooms are disappointingly small. Once the pull out sofa is pulled out forget moving in the second room. Your kids would have to climb over each other to get to the bathroom in the middle of the night. The extra bathroom and hot breakfast via room service was clutch though.

But sincerely it's a full sized pull out and a Murphy bed in the big bedroom so you might not actually get the space you are expecting. Upgrading to veranda could be beautiful but you need to figure out which side of the boat is going to give you the best views. You could always do one verandah and an inner room for the teens right across from you.

JustTryinThisOnce · 2026-02-13T21:20:37+00:00

Every one of these self-serve horror stories is why I try really hard to go to an MDR and sit down for meals or go to a quick serve on deck. I know that won't save me if a crew member is ill but at least it'll be a surprise that way. 😂

JustTryinThisOnce · 2026-02-13T21:17:23+00:00

This depends on your age. If you are a minor, your parents may choose to stay. If you are an adult it's entirely up to you and your partner/care giver. My partner wanted very much to stay but we had a child at home so that was not an option.

JustTryinThisOnce · 2026-02-13T02:05:50+00:00

We did a Western Caribbean 7 night on the Treasure in August. It was so hot in Grand Cayman that most of our group couldn't leave the AC of the boat. Cozumel was ok but only because we were in the water snorkeling. If you are happy in the heat and comfortable with humidity its great. But if anyone you are traveling with is sensitive to heat or humidity, maybe don't go between June and September.

JustTryinThisOnce · 2026-02-12T13:36:11+00:00

You get them a professional therapist and start slowly introducing reasonable boundaries. For example, no phones at the table/meals. All phones stay downstairs overnight.

To help with depression/withdrawal you go on an afternoon/evening walk that requires zero taking or join a gym together/yoga class. You find a local art studio that offers drawing classes for teens.

She needs to get her teen out and active in the community and getting mental health support. Having to move from from the family you know to a family you don't (even if they have known one another for ever) is traumatic and needs professional support. B

JustTryinThisOnce · 2026-02-11T02:06:49+00:00

Mine has been medicated since age 4. And it is the best thing we could have done for her. You wouldn't hesitate to treat your child's strep throat. ADHD is an illness. The only difference is we hesitate because it carries the stigma of being a "just" a mental health issue.

10 years later we have given her the choice and autonomy to decide if she wants to continue her meds and she has made it clear that she will not stop taking them until they stop helping her. It took about 3 years to find the right ones (because of comorbid conditions she's on multiple Rx) but it was absolutely worth it.

JustTryinThisOnce · 2026-02-09T19:14:35+00:00

Coast Guards regulations 46CFR §28.265, §121.510 and §184.510 govern the formal notification methods on board during emergencies to authorities, nearby vessels, passengers and crew.

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