Help please:: Opinions on places to stay

[SailorMom92 (DIV 244)]

I was wondering what some of the mom's opinions are, who already attended PIR and made hotel or lodge reservations.  I am thinking of looking for some place with a pool now but then I don't know how much time there will be, from the time they graduate, to the time they have to be back on base & will there be time to actually swim..or do they usually just want to hang out for dinner or whatever.  Obviously it depends on if they are grad n go but my son will be going to A-school in Pensacola, so I assume they fly out late at night. I will be asking my son when I get a call from him but just seeking out some opinions for now.  

[Tina (4/9/12)]

hey jakes mom92, my experience (june 1, 12) was that they need some down time.  we got a hotel with a kitchen and after graduation we went back to the hotel and i made lunch. (sandwiches, chips, soda, cookies etc). we just hung out and everyone ended up taking a nap and then we went out to eat around 5.  my sailor had to be back at 7:30.  he left for the airport at midnight and his flight took off for groton, ct the next am at 7:30.  he arrived in CT before we got back to St. Louis

it was a very short but very enjoyable time for all of us.  mom, dad, sister, neighbor (grandma type) and three friends attended.  it was the best.  it was very casual good luck to all of you

[salpetty]

My experience was this with my daughter: We went out to a nice lunch after PIR, then we just went back to the hotel to lay around.  Keep in mind, they are not allowed to just lay on their rack (bunk) at bootcamp...ever.  So just being able to sit on a couch or lounge on a bed was like being in heaven.  My daughter actually took a bath at our hotel.  As for swimming, they are technically not allowed to be just swimming around in anything but Navy issued swim gear...but I really doubt anyone is going to report them if they do...how would they know they were a newly graduated sailor? 

My daughter is a CTT and her A school was in Pensacola.  They will usually fly out from Midway airport and show up there around 2:00 am.  RTC only sends one bus regardless of when their flight leaves.   It is in your best interest to get there at that time.  There is a guy there from the USO that walks them (and you) through the whole process so that you can accompany them to the gate and hang out until they leave.  Hope this info helps...and enjoy the heck out of your son!!!!  Congrats :)

[GMom]

What time did your recruit have to be back to RTC?

 

[SailorMom92 (DIV 244)]

thank you tina and salpetty. I will just keep my reservations with the Lodge then.  Great idea to just hang out and then go out for dinner later.  I am also planning on going to the airport as well. Have a good holiday.

[MomofDarren (Ship 11 Div 252)]

Thank you for all this info..... my son also is going to A school in Pensacola. Does this mean that he will fly out the same night as graduation?

[salpetty]

Not necessarily. But here's how it works. You have many sailors leaving RTC to go to their various A schools. They are not going to send 10 different busses to the airport to accommodate the variety of flight times. Some have flights booked for 7:00 am on Saturday, while others have flights for 5:00 pm. A bus will typically leave RTC on Saturday morning at around 12:30 am, arriving at the airport at around 2:00 am. Now this is not always set in stone, but this is generally the way it goes.
Here's what we did: We took our daughter after PIR to lunch and for some down time in our hotel. She had to be back by around 8:00 pm because she had watch duty that evening (yes they still have watch schedules even after PIR). I went back to the hotel, slept for 2 hours, got up and headed to the airport in order to arrive by 2:00 am. Your Sailor will know which airport they are leaving from and will tell you after PIR. You will be able to check in with them and go to the gate and wait, eat, visit, etc. This is where you will give them their phones, laptops, etc.
My best advice I can give you is that this can be a stressful day due to lack of sleep, etc. So just go into it expecting to be a little stressed out. But all in all it goes pretty smooth.

[Doreen(07/272)]

I know my son wanted to go to the mall, so we went to the mall. We ate dinner at at the Backyard Steak Pit (not much to look at but the food was phenomenal). He also wanted to take a long hot shower, so we went back to the hotel so he could do that. We stopped at Walgreens, and bought him his usually toiletries. We had to bring those to him at the airport, but he was happy to have his razor and shampoo stuff. Also, he was under the impression that he had to be back by 8:00pm. By 5:30 another sailor texted him that he had heard they needed to return at 7. When he called to verify that liberty ended at 7, he got his ass reamed by whomever answered. Never got an answer, so we played it safe, and brought him back early. When we got to base, everyone else seemed to be arriving too.

[kathyrc(Ship03DIV175)PIR 6/08/12]

JakesMom - The Springhill Suites in Waukegan has an indoor pool and offers a discount for Navy PIR. Also, one block away is a Holiday Inn Express with an indoor pool and has the discount too. Each Sailor is different on what they want to do. Some want to go to hotel, relax and chill out. Others (like my son, but he was staying in GL for A school and had more time) wanted to go and see Chicago and other sites. It just depends...

[Dan]

We had good luck with The Red Carpet Inn.  It's 1.5 miles from base, and on the same road "Buckley." It is old, but very clean.  We stayed from Thur through PIR weekend to Tues, this past weekend.  We got up early every day, and rolled in about 9pm or later every night.  Kids enjoyed the pool, I swam also, but it was very cold to me.  Wife enjoyed the hot tub.

At $55 a night, it was a deal, and they handed us information on PIR when we checked in, including gate pass.  Free Wifi and they also have a computer in the lobby that you can print your boarding passes on.

The room had a small refrigerator, so we had a twelve pack of cokes, bottled water, and juices for the kids in it.  We never ate at the motel room.  Except for grabbing the breakfast muffins and honey buns for the kids in the morning.  I had their tea every morning before taking off, others had the coffee.  It met our needs.

Good luck.

[tdbridges]

My son is staying in GL so his liberty was a little different but he was really happy having us make the decisions.  Remember our sailors haven't made a decisions for themselves in 2 months and some of them are really nervous about making the wrong one.  Even ordering in a restaurant was a little difficult.  We just hung out in our room for awhile and then went to eat.  He wanted to make sure he was back in plenty of time so we took him back to base about 2 hours early.  There were alot of others arriving early, too.  We had to sign him in and out at his barracks (I doubt you will have to do this since your sailor will be leaving) which adds to the time.  It isn't just being on base, it is being checked back in to their barracks that counts!!!  I am so glad I read so much on this site because it really helped me be prepared for the emotional part of things my son would be dealing with.  It goes way to fast but is an amazing visit :)

[kathyrc(Ship03DIV175)PIR 6/08/12]

They are definitely all different.  My son wanted to go and see Chicago and go to Navy Pier. He had no problem ordering food or just hanging out at the hotel for awhile. No need to worry, your Sailor will let you know what he wants.  Just don't plan too much ahead, it helps to have some idea of things around, but be prepared to change if need be. Either way, it is an incredible weekend!!

[Raberta]

Jakes Mom:  Most definitely get a hotel room.  Many are affordable and close to the PIR site (my sailor was 11/4/11).  Sometimes just a bed with a real mattress is a treat!  We took our sailor out to lunch, and then he TRIED to relax at the hotel.  We wound up having to get him back by 7:30 for the midnight flight.  If your sailor doesn't leave until the next day, even better.  We needed the next day to recoup before hitting the road.  Tears of love and pride continue to follow our sailor.  P.S:  Keep a pack of tissue on hand.  The site of each division being marched in, will take your breath away.  Congratulations!