Ahoy there, Cierra!
Welcome aboard planDisney! That is so exciting that you’re just a few short days away from embarking on the Disney Treasure for an adventure through the Caribbean!
I totally understand wanting your daughter to have the chance to
explore the Treasure while still being able to communicate with her throughout the day. Using iMessage onboard through your phone or Apple Watch does work, but in my experience, the connection on the watch is not very consistent and messages are often left undelivered.
If you lend your watch to your daughter, there’s another wrinkle to consider. Since the watch is attached to your account and phone, it can be a little like texting yourself, which could get confusing. The watch will also try to connect to your phone through Bluetooth, so if you decide to give it a try, you’ll want to turn Bluetooth off in the watch settings. All in all, I wouldn’t recommend this option, but it is possible if you want to give it a try.
I know that’s probably not the information you were hoping for, so let’s look at some other options! Before my kiddos had phones, we ran into this same situation, and what we did was bring along one of our old phones for them to use while onboard. It doesn’t need a cellular plan, just the ability to connect to Wi-Fi and decent battery life. You can either create an Apple account for your daughter and use iMessage or download WhatsApp and create an account there. I’d also recommend downloading the
Disney Cruise Line Navigator app. Once you’re at the cruise terminal and
connected to the ship’s Wi-Fi, she’ll be able to see the full list of onboard activities and use the app’s chat feature to communicate with you. If you go this route, definitely test iMessage or WhatsApp before leaving home so you know everything is working before your adventure begins.
If an old phone isn’t an option, I have one more method that we’ve used in the past that worked surprisingly well: a small whiteboard with a magnetic back. We hung it on the wall or door of our stateroom and had our kiddos sign out whenever they left the room. If they were
heading to Edge, they would put their location and the time on the whiteboard. If they decided Edge wasn’t where they wanted to be and
Hero Zone was the new destination, they’d swing back by the room and update the board. It may not be quite as high-tech as a communicator from Stark Industries, but it actually worked very well!
I hope this helps you find the right solution for your family and gives your daughter a little freedom to explore the Treasure while still keeping you connected. Whether you choose an old phone or our tried-and-true whiteboard method, hopefully you can let her enjoy her own adventure around the ship while you have some peace of mind knowing where your crew is headed.
Sea ya real soon as summer waves goodbye and autumn magic begins to shine,
Dustin