Elf On The Shelf ideas

Hi Families. We are going to be on the NCL Jewel when our Elf should be making his return from the North Pole. Does anyone have any cruise or vacation themed ideas to have our silly elf do?

Our elf Mistletoe has always stayed at home for cruises. There just aren't enough options in a typical cabin where s/he can sit ... let alone not accidentally get bumped. Room stewards also present a complication since he can't be moved during the day. I would set him up with a tiny suitcase, a tropical shirt, and have him waiting when you get back.

That said, our elf has gotten into the fruit loops, toothpaste, crayons, etc. He also loves hanging from light fixtures. Maybe snag a bowl and box of cereal from the buffet and have him get caught eating breakfast one morning?

Let me be the first to say it: Merry Christmas! :D

I can't wait til our Elf can make his return! As for the cruise... maybe have him show up one day on the cruise with a note stating for all to enjoy their trip and that he'll be waiting for them at home. Have fun!

We had a lot of fun with our elf, Trixie, last year on the Jewel. I agree, it's really hard to come up with things in a room (especially with the rooms being so small).

Here's what we came up with:

The first night she appeared and watched over my daughter on her bed:

Nothing special and it was really hard to come up with things with limited space. But, it's all I could find. I guess I could have utilized the bathroom a little more. :p

I think you can totally pull it off if you are willing to go more low key. You could have the Elf hiding in a suitcase, poking out of a drawer, in a formal night shoe that won't get worn that day, etc.

The main issue I would see is that presumably your kids are in the room with you, so you'd have to be really careful not to wake them up and risk ruining the magic. So if your kids are super light sleepers, I might consider leaving it at home and just leaving a note out one night on the cruise. Or just have the elf appear when you get back. I'm sure the kids won't notice that it didn't show up on exactly the right day.

Also, don't be worried that your elf can't make Christmas cookies or do crazy stunts or anything. Ours has never done anything like that, and my kids still think it is totally magical and cool. Crumpet (our elf) mostly moves from hiding in the tree, to the mantle, to the bookshelf, to peeking from a stocking, etc. No elaborate production required. It will be fine no matter what you do. Don't stress about it, you are on vacation! And the kids will be having such a great time that they won't wonder why the elf didn't take a bubble bath in the sink or whatever.