Surprise cruises

[derf5585]

Anyone either given or received a "surprise" cruise from someone?

Suprise, honey we are going on a cruise.

What a suprise that you bought me a cruise.

[sa7776]

Yes, my first cruise.

 

In February 1993 my DH was in Memphis to attend a meeting. As he left the meeting and was trudging to his car in a light freezing rain, he passed by the offices of a travel agency. In the window was a large poster of a sunny beach advertising winter getaway cruises. He walked right in and booked our first cruise, a three day weekend cruise on the Carnival Mardi Gras. That night he walked into the house and asked " Can you get off a couple of days week after next?" When I said yes, he surprised me with the cruise.

 

Never realized we would be so hooked?

[jerseygirl3]

A year or so ago, I surprised my Mom and my sister with a 7 night cruise on the Grand Princess. We hadn't been together for Mother's Day, so a few weeks later when we were all together (the next day was my son's college graduation party), I told them I had belated Mother's Day gifts for them. When they each opened their gift bag, there was a "Princess" tiara inside. My Mom looked perplexed and asked if they were supposed to wear it to the party the next day. I told her there was something else inside the bag; in an envelope was the itinerary for our cruise. My Mom looked dumbfounded; my sister started screeching, "Am I going on a cruise????" Their looks were priceless and the best gift I could have ever received. My brother had died unexpectedly two months prior to this and my Mom had been so depressed. My sister was the tired Mom of two-year-old twins, so I figured she could use a respite. My BIL survived with the twins for the week and my sister got a much needed pampering. My Mom had some time to share a few laughs with her two daughters, and we had the absolute best time. My father and my husband felt a little left out, but they got over it. The funny this is, we took this cruise in mid-September. I can't tell you how many Moms and daughters and Moms and girlfriends were on the ship. Apparently, many of them make it a ritual that every year after they get the kids back to school, they treat themselves!

[CruiseIsGood]

I think that one of the fun things about cruising is the anticipation and planning, so I'd feel a little robbed of part of the excitement if I were surprised with one. Judging by the number of posters here, I'm not alone.

 

Why deprive someone of that anticipation and planning?

[AuntieBon]

I told my sister we were going to New Orleans for a vacation and then the morning we were leaving for the airport presented her with the cruise tickets. Good thing I did it at home because she was the one that remembered we needed birth certificates as I had completely forgotten that little detail :eek:

[caroliemarie]

I too love the planning and preparing time before a cruise. So when my mom decided to surpirse me with a cruise for my 21st B-day she had a surprise party 6 months out from my actual birthday. I had two presents - a pair of sandals and a video. The video was about the Carnival Victory. While I was watching the video my grandpa was video recording my reaction (quite embarrassing). It was nice to be surprised but also be in on the preparing before hand. Then when we returned home my grandpa helped me put together the video from the surpise and my cruise video so I have a nice treat to look at and remember the whole thing.

[Ship Addict]

I think that one of the fun things about cruising is the anticipation and planning, so I'd feel a little robbed of part of the excitement if I were surprised with one. Judging by the number of posters here, I'm not alone.

 

Why deprive someone of that anticipation and planning?

 

I agree, planning the cruise and doing the research is a big part of the fun of it, but if someone were to present me with tickets and say we're leaving this afternoon, I bet I could get over not getting to do all that stuff.

[basketballmom]

I did this for DH. I gave him the cruise for Christmas/40th Birthday. I made up a "newsletter" with all kinds of travel information, flight, hotel, cruise ship. When he read the story as to why he was getting the cruise (because he is such a great husband and stepfather to DD), he started to get tears in his eyes. He was very happy with the cruise but was embarassed that I made him cry. We leave at the end of July for our cruise!

[PINEVIEW01]

My first was a surprise College Graduation present from my Ex.

[anigru]

Two years ago, my daughters got a surprise cruise from me. My husband knew about it, but my daughters (they were 19, 19 and 15) thought we would spend one week in New Orleans. I just told them they have to pack something dressy, we would go to nicer Restaurants. We drove down from MI to New Orleans, checked into our hotel and the girls loved the hotel. We went around the French Quarter, saw the Parade (was in Feb) and my older daughters asked me if I thought that New Orleans is a good place for a family vacation. I of course said, sure why not.

The next day, my husband said he didn't like the hotel and we should go and find something else. The girls talked to him, they really liked the hotel and wanted to stay. But he said no, he doens't like it and so we checked out. The girls still had no idea. So we went driving for a little bit and they kept asking him, where he thinks he would find a nicer hotel. He just told them, he wanted something on the water. So we went down to the harbor and saw the Cruise ship, it was the Holiday, we went there and stopped. The girls still didn't get it, they told him that they didn't want to spend more time in the car, he should just make up his mind and find a hotel. We just said we are here, you should have seen their eyes. They just couldn't believe it.

They had no idea until the end, that they would spend the next week on a ship. One of my daughters had to call her boyfriend and tell him, that he can't reach her for the next week, because she will be on a ship.

It was the third cruise for the girls and they loved it. I wasn't to sure about it at the beginning, because of the older and smaller ship, it was the Holiday, but we all had a great time.

The girls still like to tell about the total surprise cruise and they are still amazed that I was able to keep it a secret the whole time.

[derf5585]

My first was a surprise College Graduation present from my Ex.

 

Your ex gave you a cruise. That must be an interesting story.

[sea_u_onboard]

Your ex gave you a cruise. That must be an interesting story.

Obviously BEFORE he was an Ex.

[TeriG2]

Our tenth anniversary is in July and I thought about surprising my hubby with a cruise, but then decided there was NO WAY I could keep it a secret. So, he knows about the cruise, but he DOES NOT know what I have planned, read on for the details:

 

I plan to give him a small gift every day while onboard, I have a dinner party planned onboard at one of the specialty restaurants (our families are all cruising as well), and although he thinks he knows what our shore excrusions are, he has a big surprise in St. Maarten......... A boys only fishing trip! He thinks we are shopping!

 

Note: If my sister-in-laws read this, remember shhhhhhhhhhhhhh......

[derf5585]

A boys only fishing trip!

 

Descrimination isn't it. I think a protest should be mounted.

[CoachTerry14]

Anyone either given or received a "surprise" cruise from someone?

Suprise, honey we are going on a cruise.

What a suprise that you bought me a cruise.

 

I can honestly say that I have never yelled "suprise"! :D

 

Of course I am under strict orders to never shock my wife with a surprise cruise or any trip for that matter. But with four cruises planned - when would I sneak in a surprise cruise?

[mc'smom]

Back in Decemeber my DH was away golfing ( yes boys only ) in South Carolina.

Normally when he does a boys thing, my daughter and I head to disney and we meet back at home after our week vacations ( I personally get ripped having to take the child but hey )

 

but this particular week I had scheduled a long overdue bathroom renovation and new carpeting and painting to be done in the house.

On the very last day when I was writing the checks for these projects and finding out they were all over budget from what was quoted I was so mad, I was fuming.

 

I called Carnival, spent 3 hours on the phone with a PVP and booked the Victory....

 

My husband called a while later and said how was your day ? LOL

anything new .... He asks ????? ( Little did he know )

 

I said yes honey the budget was blown while you were away.... the entire project was 4000.00 over budget and since you were not here to take care of it, looks like christmas may suck this year..... I made him feel a little guilty for going golfing...

 

On christmas monrning my daughter opered the docs and said to her daddy what is this ?

 

He looks at me and says I think your mother has gone overboard ! :) We sailed 2 weeks later...

 

The project was only $ 2000.00 over budget.... The rest went to manage my sanity the rest of the week he was gone.

[lahoban]

I suprised my husband last Easter. I booked it a year in advance and ended up telling him two weeks before we left. It was our first cruise and he had alway's said he never wanted to take cruise. He thought there would be nothing to do. It was one of the best vacation's we ever had. Now were hooked!

[WiggleBay]

II 2003 I surprised my DH with a 7-day Western on the Glory. I had pulled alittle asidefor 6-month. The in June I paid for the Cruise. On our anniversary June 25th I gave him a small box- inside was a note (sent him on a wild goose chase around the house to various notes. The last clue: "You will need this to get there it has 4 wheels" Inside the car was a shirt box wrapped up nicely with golf paper (DH is a golfer). He still had no clue. He opened up the box inside was all the pictures from the computer about the cruise. he said " okay we talked about this we can go if we can afford it" I then told him to look at the folded piece of paper. He unfolded it , it said " your'e going on a cruise ALL expenses are paid for in FULL" He was speachless

[MrsBoo]

I surprised my mother with a Mexican Riviera cruise for her 80th birthday. I did send her a birthday card a month early with the inside notation to pack her bags and board her dog, as we were going on a cruise:). She passed away 14 months later and when I was going through her belongings, I found the cruise pictures with a note written by her that it was the best birthday ever.

[corina27]

I surprised my mother with a Mexican Riviera cruise for her 80th birthday. I did send her a birthday card a month early with the inside notation to pack her bags and board her dog, as we were going on a cruise:). She passed away 14 months later and when I was going through her belongings, I found the cruise pictures with a note written by her that it was the best birthday ever.

wow! Thanks for sharing,that is very moving..

[kjunea]

I have two stories.

 

My mother had been wanting to go on a cruise for years and my father promised to take her on one for their 50th wedding anniversary. On the morning of their 50th anniversary party, my father had a heart attack and was in the hospital for 2 weeks. He was very ill for over 2 years with congestive heart failure and couldn't travel before he finally died. I promised him that I would take Momma on a cruise as soon as she would feel like traveling. I gave her a toy boat for Christmas with a brochure about the cruise. We went right after school was out and we had a great time!

 

Then for my 40th birthday, my younger brother gave my mom and I a 3 night cruise on the Fantasy.

 

June

[ppeckham]

I love this thread. Terrific stories.

 

I surprised my daughter (11 at the time) with a cruise. The boys (husband and son) were going to New Mexico for boy scout camp. Rather than having her home alone during the day, I told her I'd take a few days off to go to "Galveston and to the beach". I actually scheduled the trip two months ahead of time and got MIL, FIL and hubby's grandmother to go.

 

A couple of days before the trip, my daughter spent the night with a friend. I took that opportunity to pack her nice dresses. Fortunately we had been on a cruise just four months earlier.

 

The morning the boys left for camp, we girls left for Galveston. Once we reached Houston, MIL called with their cabin number and to let me know they were boarding. We managed to arrive about an hour later.

 

I first suggested we drive on the other side of the island from the hotels to get a glimpse of the Elissa. Since that's her name, Lissa agreed. As we approached the port, Lissa noticed the Carnival ship. I told her it looked like they were going out that day with all the people walking around. Still, she had no clue. As we got to the terminal (had to make a left-hand turn), I said "Let's go". She looked at me puzzled. I told her to look in my planner. When she finally found the tickets, she said "We're going? We're really going?"

 

She didn't find out her grandparents were on board until dinner. What a wonderful surprise. It was difficult to avoid Grandpa - he wanted to be discovered first.

 

We had a wonderful cruise in spite of the hurricane we sailed around. The trip is cherished a bit more since we lost my father-in-law about four weeks later when we were all hiking together in Montana.

[sea_u_onboard]

Phyllis and I work together so I had first hand knowledge of the plot and boy she was so tempted to spill the beans earlier - but she was a good girl. Even though I've heard this story a few times it still gets to me because I know that this was a special time for all of them - losing her father-in-law so soon after. It only shows that you should enjoy your family while they are here.

[LHP]

surprised our two boys who were 12 and 15 at the time. It wasn't like they weren't used to crusiing...this would be their 9th cruise. But it was the first time that our schools had a Fall Break. The boys thought we were just going to the Mississippi Gulf Coast (where hubby is from) for some kind of reunion.

 

We stayed in the same hotel that we usually stay at when sailing out of New Orleans. Our oldest son even said " man, this feels like the day before a cruise". We all just laughed, but gave no hint. The next morning, our sons had their heads buried in their Gameboy things (as usual) and they did not even notice the turn we made toward New Orleans.

 

It wasn't until I said " look where we ended up" that they looked up and saw the terminal. They were shocked.

 

It was so much fun to pull one over on the young little whipper snappers.

[jimvern1966]

I'm Planning To Do The Same To My Two Kids In October. Trying To Keep The Rest Of The Family Quiet About It Is The Hard Part. Going To Try To Pack The Suitcases And The Van Without Them Noticing.... Keeping Fingers Crossed! My Neice Has Slipped Twice Already, Thankfully The Kids Weren't Paying Attention At The Time. Going To Watch The Ship Sail On Saturday, Just To Start The Game...just Can't Wait.