Kids Stateroom: Tips & Tricks Wanted

[Texaslady22]

We're going to have 4 kids in the stateroom next (not connecting) to ours.

 

17, 16, 13, and 10

 

They're good kids and know the rules, curfew, etc, but this is our first time with them in a room "alone."

 

What tips do you have to keep the stateroom organized and functional?

 

I know the following from years of summer-camps and travel with them:

1. A pop-up hamper so they have a designated place for dirty clothes
2. Colored packing cubes and assign them each a shelf
3. Hooks for lanyards
4. Over the door shoe organizer with essentials
5. Pockets we put over a bunk bed to store phones or tablets or whatever

 

I'm open to other suggestions people have! One of the 4 is a real slob, so I'm trying to keep expectations clear with them. 

[TwinMamainMN]

I think your list is sufficient. We use packing cubes and some hooks but none of the other things and it works fine. Our packing cubes came with "shoe bags" which we use for dirty laundry. 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

we never have anything like that. Been cruising with DS since he was 3.

Dirty laundry goes in a big plastic bag and it stays there till I pack it into the suitcase for the return home. There are three of us, so a large walmart bag or two is sufficient for a week's worth of dirty socks, underwear and undershirts, plus whatever else got dirty.

 

We started using small magnetic hooks post pandemic to hang a mask and a lanyard on next to the door so we don't forget them. Other than that - too much work for a vacation.

[woostergirl]

I like the magnet hooks to hang jackets/lanyards/etc.

 

I would also suggest air fresheners. Like the solid ones. I bring one for the closet but sometimes I wish I had another one for the cabin or bathroom.

[woostergirl]

Maybe a bottle of Poo-Pourri toilet spray. I bring a bottle for the bathroom, really helps with smells from number two!

[willoL]

We also color coded the lanyards we put our cruise card/door key cards on. Perhaps match these to each kid's packing cubes?

 

This helped my teens grab the correct key, not his brother's, including the extra "room key only" card we asked for so they could access our cabin even if we were out.

 

A tiny LED light per kid might also be good, possibly the keychain type on each lanyard. No need to wake up everyone with the room lights for a late night toilet visit, or if one likes to read in bed.

[Mum2Mercury]

On 1/31/2023 at 8:49 PM, Texaslady22 said:

A pop-up hamper so they have a designated place for dirty clothes

No need to bring something extra:  Just open a suitcase in the bottom of the closet and use it for a hamper.  When it's full, zip it up and put it under the bed ... bring out the next suitcase.  By the end of the cruise, you're already packed to go home.  

On 1/31/2023 at 8:49 PM, Texaslady22 said:

1. Hooks for lanyards

Metal hooks will stick on the wall.  Lanyards are good for kids who aren't good at keeping up with things.  

With four kids in a room, you might want enough metal hooks that they can hang wet swimsuits, etc. on the walls.  

On 1/31/2023 at 8:49 PM, Texaslady22 said:

1. Over the door shoe organizer with essentials

Not necessary.  The cabins have a good bit of storage for these small things around the desk and in the bathroom.  

On 1/31/2023 at 8:49 PM, Texaslady22 said:

Pockets we put over a bunk bed to store phones or tablets or whatever

Good idea to keep these things up off the floor. 

On 4/3/2023 at 4:07 PM, willoL said:

A tiny LED light per kid might also be good, possibly the keychain type on each lanyard. No need to wake up everyone with the room lights for a late night toilet visit, or if one likes to read in bed.

When our kids were younger, we used to bring glow sticks for them to take to bed ... enough light for them to get into the rest room, but not enough to keep others awake.  We started this with camping, but it worked great for hotels and cruises too. 

[SimplyMarvie]

We have tiny LED flashlights for the kids, that they can hook on to their lanyards. It really helps when one comes back later and needs enough light to brush his teeth and get to bed without waking his brothers by turning the big light on. Or one is ready for breakfast and needs to find shoes while the other two are sleeping (that's never the teenager, though...)

[Itchy&Scratchy]

we used to bring a battery operated night light before, but last year I bought a super cute, adjustable brightness, usb powered night light, and it's a life saver for me. My kid doesn't get up at night, but I do, and I am night blind. After falling down in the cabin bathroom at night last year due to being completely and utterly blind, I refuse to travel without a night light in the bathroom. This one is bright enough for me to see everything and dim enough not to keep anyone else awake. My mom is the same, so I got one for her as well.

 

I 

Edited July 25, 2023 by Itchy&Scratchy

[jbrinkm]

On 7/12/2023 at 3:09 PM, Mum2Mercury said:

No need to bring something extra:  Just open a suitcase in the bottom of the closet and use it for a hamper.  When it's full, zip it up and put it under the bed ... bring out the next suitcase.  By the end of the cruise, you're already packed to go home.  

 

When our kids were younger, we used to bring glow sticks for them to take to bed ... enough light for them to get into the rest room, but not enough to keep others awake.  We started this with camping, but it worked great for hotels and cruises too. 

 

We're always tight with space and weight in our suitcases because we fly. I like having a hamper - first because my teens are more likely to use it than something under the bed (they put in bathroom); second, it allows us to selectively pack dirty clothes where they fit (and even organize them by load for different washing when back home); and third, I like the smaller footprint of the hamper. I read in a trip report that someone actually brings a small vacuum seal system to put dirty clothes in and I loved that because the dirties ALWAYS seem to take more room in my suitcases than when they were clean. How does that work 🤔?

 

The battery powered candles work well for night lights too and you can get them at the dollar store usually.

 

I took one of these along and it was really helpful. I'd hang wet stuff in the shower until it stopped dripping and then attached this to the ceiling via 2 strong magnet hooks. Allowed 2 hooks to hang a bunch of stuff. https://a.co/d/diLodSm