overnight ferry - any tips?

[babydriver]

We're off to Denmark with DS1 3.5yo and DS2 6mo - any tips about what to take on board, what to do, where to eat etc? And are the cabins usually cold or hot?? (We're going with DFDS.)

Haven't been to Denmark, but we go every year o'night on Brittany ferries to France.
we have always found the cabins too hot, so defo take water with you. we used to take a picnic becuase it was easier with small children than trying to feed them in the overpriced cafes'restauarants on the ship.Fantastci start to the holiday though, defintiely recommended!

We only did a long overnight once. Ditto take loads of water/drinks. It was really hot in our cabin, and because our DC were only 2 and 6 we were in the cabins from quite early on. Didn't help that little DD was sick, and that we didn't get our family cabin. The food available was awful, and all the pros had brought sandwiches/snacks/drinks etc.

I wnet DFDS from Harwich to Esbjerg about 4 years ago and the food was excellent. We had the fancy Smorgasbrod. can't remember the details - dh had made all the arrangements as a surprise for me to go to a family reunion that he had precioulsy said he didn't have time to go to.

They had a great wee all pit that ds loved.

Can't remeber the cabin, which means they can't have been too bad - but not wonderful either!

We're bad parents though, of the type that 'cos ds is a good sleepr, we will settle him down in the cabin and then go for our meal.

bring pillows if you can - we had v thin uncomfy pillows one each, not good if you are used to two fat ones!

The travel sickness pills which are OK for kids (sorry, can't remember which they are, but I went into the chemist and asked for travel sickness pills that were safe for kids!) knock them out very satisfactorily ime. Mine slept all the way from Hull to Zeebrugge... So much so, we repeated the dose on the way home, even though the sea was as flat as a boating lake!

The food on the Hull-Zeebrugge crossing was good (buffet style). But I have never used DFDS, sorry.

Make sure you pack overnight bags so that you don't have to haul the big bags out of the car.

We went when I was about 10, mum kept us up late at the disco, full of families of all ages. Plus we wandered about until exhausted. Don't try to get an early night wait until the kids are tired enough to sleep,four restless people in a little cabin is no fun. Outside or at least a veiw is best for avoiding seasickness.

Just checked the site and if it is the Harich to Esbjerg rout the cabins even have TV's, big change from when we went, some cabins didn't have doors ust curtains and shared loos. we nearly ended up in a huge bunk room full of students but mum went and booked acabin on board so we could get a little sleep and somewhere to leave the bags as we didn't have a car.

Thanks, all useful stuff. Any more thoughts from others still welcome, but I feel a little more prepared already.