My First Fish Extender Experience

Maggie Ballantyne5.3.20I participated in my first Fish Extender exchange on my 4-night cruise aboard the Disney Dream this past November. This was a highlight of the cruise and I became borderline obsessed with all of it: the planning and getting gifts ready, delivering the gifts, checking my FE, the whole thing! Anyone who knows me knows that the Christmas stocking is my favorite thing to open and go through on Christmas morning. Well this was like the stocking of vacations! It was so much fun.My cruise was in November 2019 and I started planning for this experience in December 2018 or January 2019. I joined a Facebook group for our cruise (most individual sailings have one) where I signed up to be part of the exchange. I gave them my information, my mom’s information, our stateroom number, how many cabins I would like to participate with (10), as well as our Disney likes, and let them know we have no allergies.My next step was to get a Fish Extender. For those of you who have never participated, it is called a “Fish Extender” because outside of each door is a fish hook and that’s where you hang your pockets. Many passengers make their own… major props to them! I found one I LOVED on Etsy that was easy to pack and travel with. Now that I know I like it, I will look to get a customized one in the future.Shortly after the final payment date, the extender sign-up group closed and the administrator assigned us our cabins. It is then that you can decide if you want to do an individual gift for each person in each cabin, or do a cabin gift. I opted for a cabin gift centered around a Maryland theme. I love receiving things that are unique to one’s hometown especially if I have not been there.Each cabin received a “Greetings from Baltimore” postcard with a container of Old Bay. If you are not a Maryland native, you should know we put this on EVERYTHING from crabs and seafood, to mac and cheese, popcorn, etc. I have seen it incorporated into craft beer, cocktails, and even desserts. It’s a staple in our home and I wanted to bring a taste of our home to everyone on the cruise. Each cabin also received what I think are travel essentials: a Mickey bottle opener, a waterproof sunglasses case, hand sanitizer, and a package of gum. I labeled each staterooms bag with a luggage tag that they could then use again. I also got each cabin a magnetic whiteboard.Traveler Tip: All the doors and walls in your stateroom are magnetic. So magnets, whiteboards, magnetic hooks, clips, etc. can all hang on your wall and serve as décor or storage.When you sign up for a Fish Extender exchange group, you are given the names of everyone in the cabins, the ages, and some of their likes just as you provided. It was from that list that I added to the rest of the gifts. I loved that I had a two-year-old in my exchange that was a Winnie the Pooh fan so I could get her a Tigger plush, we had a couple celebrating an anniversary, there were a few birthdays, Cinderella fans, Star Wars fans, etc. That was how I chose what other items would go in the exchange bags.Packing for the Fish Extender was my least favorite part. I don’t like packing for trips in general and this required an entire small suitcase for all of the items, the gift wrapping, etc. However, it was nice to have a suitcase for the gifts in return and souvenirs.Once I was on the cruise, I put the bags together and labeled them. This was time consuming, only because I did not just take care of this in one sitting. I was so distracted on all there was to see and do that I only delivered to a couple staterooms a day and with 10 it felt like a never-ending process. All of a sudden it was day 3 and I still needed to deliver some bags. I would definitely recommend doing this in the beginning of the cruise. It will be nice to explore as you deliver the gifts and it will free up time in your schedule and room in your stateroom.Coming back to the stateroom at different points in the day to gifts at our door was really fun. I loved it! Some of my favorites included Pirate Night Party packs, new shirts, Keys to the World card holders, a sign for my office, new drawstring bags personalized for the cruise full of goodies, snacks, and more.Some cruises will have people to coordinate ornament exchanges as well. I would love to try this and receive a Christmas ornament from people from all different backgrounds and cultures. You never know who you will be paired with and wear you will get a gift from.I recommend everyone do a Fish Extender exchange at least once. It does involve planning in advance and it is a small financial obligation, but it is fun and adds a unique element to your trip. If you have kids, I am sure they will love going around and delivering the gifts with you as much as they will love receiving them!If you want more information about how to sign up for a Fish Extender, how to choose the gifts, or other fun activities on a Disney Cruise, contact me today at maggie@wishesfamilytravel.com or follow my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/wishesfamilytravelmaggie