<p>My S is sailing on his first voyage headed to the Far East. I tried to search for any postings about Christmas at sea and couldn't find anything. So my question is how does one send packages to the cadets at sea and is it ok to do so?</p>
<p>I'd like to hear from midshipmen and families who have experienced Christmas and other major holidays at sea. Tell us about your experiences...</p>
<p>Christmas at sea is lonely for both those out on the water, and those at home, but you try to make it as fun as possible. I have had husband and son at sea over Christmas. Here are some suggestions, others may have better ones.
Send gifts early, wrapped, with signs that say "Do not open until Christmas"
Miniature tree, miniature light and ornaments they can put in their room
Disc of Christmas music
Favorite candies and food. (can make cookies etc. and find a vacuum packer, they travel and last very well).
Christmas stocking for him or her to hang
Smellerizers with the pine tree smell
Get everyone, friends and relatives to give you Christmas cards with notes, and send a package with a sign "Do not open until Christmas".
Try to email, or contact him on Christmas day, if possible. Then don't make him feel bad by crying , tell him what is going on, so you are his eyes as if he is there.</p>
<p>On the ships they often will get a tree and hang it, and have special food etc.
Also, if you know ahead of time they will be gone over a holiday, pack a small package for them to take on the ship with instructions to not open it until a special date. Try to keep things small and light.</p>
<p>To be honest I wouldn't even bother trying to send packages to the mids at sea. We always did christmas in October when I was at KP and just did my gifts and a few family ones when I was home over break. </p>
<p>It's not worth the worry of the package not making it to the ship and then the package being sent around the world following the ship and possibly never making it. But you can try to send it really early like was mentioned above.</p>
<p>LearningLots - did you receive my pm from Sunday? I'm not sure it was received.</p>
<p>All the ideas previously posted are good and valid… bottom line though is Christmas at sea - bites, plain & simple…</p>
<p>I like the take the packages early and don’t open them till Christmas, also include any sort of thing that you and your family do on Christmas/the Holidays as traditions if you can even remotely approximate it in those packages…</p>
<p>We always (twice) just waited and had Christmas in June/July. We did send a package to the Matson folks in Oakland, and it <em>barely</em> made it to Long Beach.</p>
<p>Here are my 2 cents…
Christmas at sea. Well my experience being both wife of a ship’s Captain and mother of a 2nd classman (gone last Christmas) is that we don’t really make a big deal out of it. Son has grown up with father gone on any given holiday. He usually has gifts waiting when he returns. We keep in mind that there will be another Christmas next year and the next, so we don’t cry over what we can’t change.
Son was gone last Christmas so we gave him “going to sea gear” i.e. steel toed boots, warm jacket, etc. before he left (called it early Christmas) and in March when he returned I went down to KP and gave him offshore sailing gear that he wanted for sailing team. So he made out in the gift department! He was in Korea over Christmas and did call. He had a great time going ashore with some of the crew. This might be a good year to either get cadet an overseas calling card or Blackberry with worldwide chip in it.
I know that in my family if a big deal is made by anyone (usually people outside the family that don’t understand the lifesyle) it makes it harder emotionally. My husband (KP grad 1978) says that with every goal there is sacrifice. He also says that Christmas to him at sea means overtime pay which always puts a smile on his face!
You will soon see what the Indoc period was in terms of preparation for the parents. It prepares us to have our kid gone for extended periods. It’s easier for those of us used to the industry, but for those that have the Norman Rockwell type holidays it will be a challenge. Your kid will sacrifice as will you, and it will all be well worth it. (trust me)
My husband says if you want to send packages it doesn’t hurt. Send overseas packages to Japan only. China no, and Korea no. Send it early as it takes a week or so to get there.
I say have a heart to heart with your family including cadet. Remember that this is part of the longterm goal and agree to celebrate in whatever way you decide and then don’t pine over feelings. Man-up and get through it, it isn’t as hard as it seems.</p>
<p>No experience with my family being gone at Christmas, but my son has now been gone on 2 birthdays…one Indoc(18)and one at sea. We celebrated both before he left and had a great time.</p>
<p>Husband in Afghanistan. He does enjoy the overtime holiday pay(also puts a smile on his face).</p>
<p>You make the best of it,because you know there will be many more to celebrate.</p>
<p>while it is tough, onboard the ship they do everything they can to make you feel good about life and make it as bearable as they can. lobster, candies, etc… it’s not that bad, but i can say that i’m definitely excited to finally having Christmas with the family this year! wooo hoo!</p>