Surprise!!!

[Texarribean Chick]

We surprised our parents years ago with a cruise out of Florida.

Did the whole wrapped big box down to small box thing. Started with shades, then and orange (Florida), then a Jimmy Buffet CD, then a hand held fog horn (like on a fishing boat)etc, etc, etc. You can use so many things. It was great fun and it took them quite a while to figure out what was going on..................none of us had ever cruised before and it was their first! :D

[donnaandtim]

We are surpricing my mom with a cruise my dad knows everything about it, the flights and where we are staying after the cruise this is also for their 50th. We told our dad just because he needs to get special insurance for health reasons for them both.

 

That and we had to make sure their passports were up to date.

[donnaandtim]

We are surpricing my mom with a cruise my dad knows everything about it, the flights and where we are staying after the cruise this is also for their 50th. We told our dad just because he needs to get special insurance for health reasons for them both.

 

That and we had to make sure their passports were up to date.

[CynLovesCrusing]

I surprised my daughter with a cruise for her 18th birthday. We cruise fairly often, so I knew she didn't need a lot of time to prepare. First I went to her supervisor to make sure she was scheduled off. Then for her cake I had the bakery scan a picture of her standing in Nassau from our cruise earlier in the year. (The surprise cruise was to Nassau). When she saw the cake, she did ask "why did you have this picture put on my cake" hahaha.

 

Then, for presents I wrapped a series of gifts for her to open in a specific order. First present was a bathing suit that she already owned. Second present was her passport, which again, she already owned. By this time she was really confused. The third present was airplane tickets. She had a hard time figuring out what that was because tickets these days are just email notifications (no boarding passes until check in). After she looked at the emails & was even more confused, she asked "Am I going to get all this when I open this next box?" I just smiled. The fourth, and final, box was our cruise documents. She is very familiar with what those look like. She nearly flipped. I have never seen such a reaction from her. Then she stopped, looked at me and asked "you wouldn't dare be kidding me would you?" Of course I was not and she was beyond estatic.

 

I was just happy that I was able to pull it off without her knowing. All of this happened at her birthday party on Saturday and we sailed the following Thursday. Needless to say, she packed quite quickly and was not upset about that at all. :)

[IrishLassie]

We gave our "adult" kids a cruise at Christmas (for Mother's Day wk.end) and I bought tropical looking picture frames and put the picture of the ship in it with a cute saying. Wrapped them up in BIG boxes and had each couple open them together! WOW, were they ever surprised. Then the other few gifts we gave them all related to the cruise, picture album, sunblock & lotions, tropical shirts for my son's, and taking the DIL's shopping nx. week for cocktail dress's. I think I'm more excited than they are! :D I LOVE surprising them! Only 21 days to go.

 

However you do it, I'm sure it will be a very special surprise for them & something they will never forget.

Have fun. :)

[riwehr]

It was for MIL's 50th b-day. After quite some time and debate as to what to get her for this occasion, hubby FINALLY decided that he wanted to get her a cruise (we hadn't even been on one before). Her b-day is in July so he said he wanted to make it for later in the year, when it wasn't so hot. HE said "like October". Well, our anniversary is in Oct, and I had been looking so I said "I happen to know there are some nice cruises in Oct". He said "well, do you want to go too?". Oh come on. Twist my arm!

So, we booked two cabins for 2 ppl each (she got to choose who she wanted to take w/her). It was when there were still paper cruise docs that got mailed to you, so we gave her the envelope full of everything at her b-day dinner. She still says it was the best birthday present ever! (except she took the wrong guy, but we didn't let that bother us. we just left him behind).:)

 

 

This is almost what happened with us. Hubbys and My 10th anniversary is in November 2013 and I have been having some Cruise Fever big time. My parents (mom and step dad) 10th anniversary is this year and also next year is my grandparents, so not only do we want to give them the cruise but the fact that the entire familt will be on it will probably be the biggest gift!

 

I'm loving all the ideas! My grandma is a big scrapbooker so maybe I can have a friend (who is sailing this november) buy me a couple of the scrapbooking kits? Also, grandpa is a big Beer drinker, does anyone know if you can purchase Red Frog Pub beer glasses? Does Red Frog come in bottles?

[riwehr]

We plan on surprising DD for her 16th birthday next year, to be able to take a friend on our Spring Break NCL cruise. She didn't want to have a big party, and what better way to celebrate than to go on a cruise? :p

 

 

Thats my kind of birthday! We have already told the kids (8 and 10) when they graduate they will be able to go on a cruise with mom, dad and a friend of their choice LOL

[riwehr]

I surprised my parents with a cruise as their Christmas gift this year. I rolled the booking confirmation up really tight and put several rubber bands around it so it wouldn't come unrolled, then I stuck it in an empty wine bottle. I filled the bottle up with glitter, confetti, little paper drink umbrellas and Mardi Gras beads (the cruise leaves out of NOLA). They had to get all the stuff out of the bottle to find the "message in the bottle". Took forever and made an unholy mess, but it was fun (I'd stick with glitter and confetti though, the other stuff tended to get stuck pretty bad and for awhile Dad was afraid he'd have to break the bottle to get to the message in it).

 

I think Mom woke half her friends up on Christmas morning calling and telling them what her daughter got her for Christmas.........and Dad's STILL trying to figure out how to knock the Captain out and get to drive the ship! With more than 60 days left until we leave, who knows, he may still figure it out :-)

 

 

OMG love it!!!

[riwehr]

If you have a 50th Anniversary Party/dinner for them before hand;

 

Assemble a photo slide show of their lives together. Try to insert an occasional picture of them at a beach or on a boat...then for the last photo, take a picture of the some Cruise Documents and type their names into them.

 

 

That's a great idea!!!! I'll have to be sneaky in getting those pictures though, maybe one of the kids will have a "school project" that needs pictures lol :)

[rosecruise]

We surprised our teens with a Spring Break cruise 2 years ago. They knew we were going on a trip just not sure what kind and where. We gave them pictures of different items for 3 days. One was a mobile--We were cruising out of Mobile, AL. The next day they had pictures of beach items and the last day had food we'd eat on the ship. They were pretty confused until we asked them to guess where and what. We had to show them a picture of a cruise ship. They were very excited. Are you all going as well or just them?

[bobsfamily]

The ONLY note I would have - if there is anyway to make sure one or both might have an aversion to cruising I would do so. We talked about sending my parents on a cruise for their anniversary, talked about our cruises at a family gathering and Mom comes out that she hates the idea and the one time she was on a "cruise to nowhere" (in the '60s) she was violently ill with seasickness... had never mentioned it before, thank goodness we found out... made other plans.

PS - Mom's one of those that you are not going to change her mind.

[tracyanns]

I didn't suprise my daughter with a cruise but she entered a contest to be the godchild of the Carnival Dream and when I found out that she won I didn't tell her. Her birthday party was that weekend so I went to Microsoft publishing and I made a certificate for her and "borrowed" a picture of the ship online and pasted it onto the certificate. I then bought a nice certificate holder from the office supply store and I wrapped it up and gave it to her for her birthday.

 

When she opened it, she stared at it for a minute while she read it and was SPEECHLESS and then started SCREAMING and jumping around...actually, I hadn't told anyone yet, not even my husband so that is how they all found out.

 

I think something like this would be perfect as it would also give them something nice to hang on the wall or put on a shelf as a momento...and if you get 2 that match, get them a coupon from Bon Voyage for a photo and then they could get a picture and put that in the other frame and have them together...

[douglinc@msn.com]

Surprised my wife with an anniversary cruise a few years back. I gave her an anniversary card and had drawn a picture (sort of) of a cruise ship inside the card.

 

Doug

[BenjiRodney]

I had an 8x10 picture of the ship printed and framed and wrapped it up with a copy of the booking to prove I wasn't joking. Made a great Christmas present and he was suprised.

[jakeHOU97]

When we booked our cruise with our TA, we got a "welcome aboard" confirmation email. I'm not real good with ecards, but couldnt you attach the welcome aboard email to a birthday ecard you email them?

[gryffynsgirl]

I surprised my parents with a cruise as their Christmas gift this year. I rolled the booking confirmation up really tight and put several rubber bands around it so it wouldn't come unrolled, then I stuck it in an empty wine bottle. I filled the bottle up with glitter, confetti, little paper drink umbrellas and Mardi Gras beads (the cruise leaves out of NOLA). They had to get all the stuff out of the bottle to find the "message in the bottle". Took forever and made an unholy mess, but it was fun (I'd stick with glitter and confetti though, the other stuff tended to get stuck pretty bad and for awhile Dad was afraid he'd have to break the bottle to get to the message in it).

 

I think Mom woke half her friends up on Christmas morning calling and telling them what her daughter got her for Christmas.........and Dad's STILL trying to figure out how to knock the Captain out and get to drive the ship! With more than 60 days left until we leave, who knows, he may still figure it out :-)

 

What a great idea and gift. We need a "like" button on here :)

[riwehr]

The ONLY note I would have - if there is anyway to make sure one or both might have an aversion to cruising I would do so. We talked about sending my parents on a cruise for their anniversary, talked about our cruises at a family gathering and Mom comes out that she hates the idea and the one time she was on a "cruise to nowhere" (in the '60s) she was violently ill with seasickness... had never mentioned it before, thank goodness we found out... made other plans.

PS - Mom's one of those that you are not going to change her mind.

 

 

yea, Ive thought about that. My mom is visiting them now, and she is supose to scope out the situation. I know my Grandpa is good, he fishes on the bog boats in alaska- not sure about my grandma though.

 

Question- with Early saver, are we able to change the date of the cruise or are we locked in? I know we can't cancel or change passengers (planning on getting insurance) but if the date we choose has to be changed, are we able to do that?

[GeorgiaMomof4]

I surprised my parents with a cruise as their Christmas gift this year. I rolled the booking confirmation up really tight and put several rubber bands around it so it wouldn't come unrolled, then I stuck it in an empty wine bottle. I filled the bottle up with glitter, confetti, little paper drink umbrellas and Mardi Gras beads (the cruise leaves out of NOLA). They had to get all the stuff out of the bottle to find the "message in the bottle". Took forever and made an unholy mess, but it was fun (I'd stick with glitter and confetti though, the other stuff tended to get stuck pretty bad and for awhile Dad was afraid he'd have to break the bottle to get to the message in it).

 

I think Mom woke half her friends up on Christmas morning calling and telling them what her daughter got her for Christmas.........and Dad's STILL trying to figure out how to knock the Captain out and get to drive the ship! With more than 60 days left until we leave, who knows, he may still figure it out :-)

 

 

 

Great story - I love it when I read about all these families doing cruises and vacations together. My Mom will be 79 next Saturday and she won't travel with us any more and I lost my Dad 20 years ago! I would give ANYTHING for one more vacation with my Mom and Dad and all my family.

 

Have a great time and cherish those parents while they are still with you and able to travel!

[GeorgiaMomof4]

If you have a 50th Anniversary Party/dinner for them before hand;

 

Assemble a photo slide show of their lives together. Try to insert an occasional picture of them at a beach or on a boat...then for the last photo, take a picture of the some Cruise Documents and type their names into them.

 

 

 

Great idea!

[amcjeep4life]

I booked a cruise to celebrate my then-husband's 40th birthday in May of 10. Had it all paid off when he decided to walk out on the marriage in March. It was too late to cancel (booked ES). Guess who went on a solo cruise to celebrate her ex's 40th? :rolleyes:

[munchkin4]

We decided to make our 25th Anniversary cruise a family affair and took our 2 kids with us (ages 18 & 21 at the time). Booked the July cruise in November. DH and I had to go to my work to do it because we were afraid they would see or hear us. For their Christmas present, I made a little scrapbook with a copy of the airline ticket, picuture of ship, places we were stopping, etc. Let them open a day or 2 early while all the family was there as I knew it wouldn't be a big deal if it was just the 4 of us. They loved it and were so shocked and surprised. Now ages 24 & 26 and they still have the books.

[JustUs2Finally]

For my Grandparents' 50th Anniversary, we gave them an all expense paid trip to Washington DC as a Christmas gift (this was almost 20 or so years ago). Our family LOVED Trivial Pursuit so we rigged a game so that they'd win. They caught on at one point that things were not 'right' because my cousins and I were answering questions wrong that Grandma knew we should have known. It was priceless to see their faces at the end when they won!

[JustUs2Finally]

I booked a cruise to celebrate my then-husband's 40th birthday in May of 10. Had it all paid off when he decided to walk out on the marriage in March. It was too late to cancel (booked ES). Guess who went on a solo cruise to celebrate her ex's 40th? :rolleyes:

 

Good on ya!!! I'm glad that you took the trip instead of being discouraged not to. Hope you had a blast!

[tfm1134]

DH and I gave my parents a cruise for their 40th Wedding Anniversary. That was a about 9 years ago but if I can recall, we made them a brochure with the pic of their boat and their itinerary. The only thing was that we bought it many months in advance and as it happened our DD was born on their last day at sea. My Mom was freaking out, but we were able to fax the pics to them on the ship

[wardwhitty]

I have 2 surprises:

 

First--We did not tell our elementary school aged children we were going on a 4 day cruise. We had it all planned, mom, dad, nana, papa, uncle and aunt all caravaned to the school and we checked them out early. We parked right in front of the front office so when they were called to the office they would see us. We were all decked out in cruise wear. The look on their faces was priceless.

 

Second--My parents were going on a 7 day cruise but my mom thought they were going alone. Myself, husband, sister, son and daughter all got on board before they did and hid so when they got to their cabin we were waiting for them. My mom was very surprised and we had a great cruise.

 

We often cruise with multiple generations sailing together and it makes for some of the very best memories.