Surprising Dad with a Cruise

[nekicheese]

My dad is turning 65 in August so I've booked a cruise for he and I to spend some quality time together. His birthday is the day before final payment is due, a relief if he can't go for whatever reason.

 

I tend to splurge on his birthday gifts for milestone birthdays. For his 60th, I gave him a German, key wound wall clock. I love surprising him and making him happy with memorable gifts.

 

I'm struggling trying to come up with ideas to unveil his cruise gift. I want it to be exciting and a great big surprise. PowerPoint presentation? Fake newspaper article? Representative trinket in a wrapped box? Other, better ideas?? Help!

[Ocean Boy]

The first time that I gave the family a cruise for Christmas I took cruise line brochures and put them in LL Bean boxes that we had around the house. They unwrapped the boxes and were expecting Bean clothes....

[MrFunInTheSun]

Tell him your taking him to Disney. Then the day before the cruise spring on him oh by the way we are not going to Disney next week. Pack your bags for a cruise. We are going to X on the X of the Seas. That's what I did to my mother this past December. She was excited to be going to Disney for a few days but more excited to go on a cruise. A few days prior to that I had already got a hold of her passport and made a copy of it so I was able to do the online check in. All worked out quite well.

 

 

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[Wilda]

The first time that I gave the family a cruise for Christmas I took cruise line brochures and put them in LL Bean boxes that we had around the house. They unwrapped the boxes and were expecting Bean clothes....

 

Love that surprise:D

 

We bought luggage and put mock tickets inside them...with a brochure!

[Desert Cruizers]

nekicheese, what a wonderful idea, I almost wish now I had surprised our daughter that way. We had always promised her, if we ever made it to Australia we would cover her cruise cost and next March, we leave for Sydney.

 

An idea, wrap a brochure or something relating to the cruise, Photo of your ship.

[emeraldcity]

After several cruises, my DD and I had to find an alternate in 2008 when a conflict forced us to cancel our Alaska cruise. I told my daughter "I found a condo in Daytona ..." So she packed for a beach trip. In fact, that's what I told everybody ... because it only takes one person who can't keep a secret. I mentioned that Daytona is a little better than an hour's drive from Disney World, so we could do a luau and she agreed that sounded like a good idea, so I told her I booked a luau. I told her that the condo books from Saturday to Saturday, so if we give it three days we can drive down there leisurely, which is why we were leaving Wednesday. She asked Sunday night when we were leaving Wednesday morning and I said 4 a.m. "What? Well, I'm just going to crawl in the back seat and go back to sleep," she declared. "No, you won't ... you'll be too excited." She shot back, "No I won't ... you'll see." The joke went back and forth for days and I hugged my big secret to myself, knowing I was going to win this one.

 

Finally, Tuesday night after I got home from work I called her into the living room to discuss a few final details. She plopped down on the couch with that "OK, what do you want?" look that teenagers are so good at. "Honey, I never booked that condo." I only allowed a moment for the shock to set in before I added, "I booked a cruise." WOW! She shot off the couch in excitement, ran for her suitcase and headed back to her room to start adding things (A formal being the first item). It was a solid ten minutes before she came back to ask what islands we were visiting. I smiled, "Maui, Kauai, the big Island ... Oh, that luau we're going to is the Old Lahaina Luau on Maui." "Oh my gosh, it's my dream cruise ... Oh Wow!" It was an awesome surprise!

 

And the next morning I have a 5 a.m. picture of her waiting to board the plane for the connection to Houston ... she's bright-eyed and grinning ... far too excited to be sleeping.

 

We spent three days in Waikiki and then did the 7-day on the Pride of America. I'll never be able to top that surprise ... it remains one of our favorite memories.

[zoncom]

Disneyland? no way. Tell him several mos. in advance so he can get excited/ informed about the cruise. If Caribbean, get him a Hawaii shirt and a travel book on the ports.

[Ladysilver]

Our 34th Anniversary was on July 20th. I had just finished paying off my "secret cruise." After exchanging cards, I told my husband that his gift was "on the computer." I had brought up our booking info on the RC web site, then put a big blue bow on the top of the computer. He sat down and read it. The look on his face was PRICELESS! I took a picture of him. Needless to say, he was SPEECHLESS and VERY HAPPY! :D:D:D

[nekicheese]

Thanks for the suggestions. I can't tell you how excited I am to let the cat out of the bag. Thankfully, his birthday is only a few weeks away!

 

I want to prolong the unveiling so am going to do a scavenger hunt at his house. Locations may or may not be cruise/trip related (passport, suitcase, etc.). The final hint will lead to a travel guide book with a print out of our reservation.

[emeraldcity]

Sounds like you're having as much fun with the anticipation as I was. That's awesome!

[Desert Cruizers]

What a great way to present your surprise.

[Maybaybie10]

You could go on ebay and get a RCI ship ornament and when he opens it, tell him when he hangs it on the Christmas tree it will bring back all kinds of great memories. Then when he is thoroughly confused, you can tell him his surprise! Make the scavenger hunt, 'ship/boat related'...maybe a knotted rope, a keyring with Florida (or wherever you are sailing from) on it, a napkin folded like a towel animal :p....you get the idea.

 

You can also purchase a birthday decoration package through RCI so his stateroom will be decorated when he arrives.

 

Have fun....what a great birthday surprise!!!

[Debbdo]

Thanks for the suggestions. I can't tell you how excited I am to let the cat out of the bag. Thankfully, his birthday is only a few weeks away!

 

I want to prolong the unveiling so am going to do a scavenger hunt at his house. Locations may or may not be cruise/trip related (passport, suitcase, etc.). The final hint will lead to a travel guide book with a print out of our reservation.

What a clever idea. We (my 2 sisters and I) gave my mom a New England cruise for her 80th birthday. We gave her several gifts to open each one a little more hinting of the cruise, starting with fall leaves and ending with the brochure. I can still see the surprise in her eyes. It was a wonderful experience and the cruise was one we'll never forget.

Your Dad is a very lucky man..:) Enjoy!!

[jamesr3939]

You can also tell him about the cruise, but tell him you got an ocean view. Then upgrade to something better. I did this for DW for our Thanksgiving 2014 trip on Oasis. She thinks we are in a balcony, but I booked an OS. She won't bother noticing until we get to the cabin and then I can act stupid and like this must be a mistake. "I am not paying for this, it's way to expensive!"

[RevSmith]

Get a picture of the cruise ship, and then get a picture of something else. Paste them on opposite sides of a piece of cardboard. When they dry, cut them into about 7 puzzle pieces. Place one piece in an envelope and give it to your dad, telling him to just hold on to it. Don't say anything else. Next day give dad another envelope with a piece in it. At the end of the week he will have all the pieces. If he hasn't figured it out yet, tell him to put the puzzle together. Bingo a cruise ship! Happy Birthday dad, your going on a cruise.

[FOXTROT]

Gave Wife' a cruise for her birthday. Put the luggage tags in the box. :rolleyes:She just looked at them saying what are these? Our daughter in law finally told her they were luggage tags. She had been on 14 cruises.

This year I gave myself a cruise for my 50-10 birthday. This time I used the itinerary. She caught on faster this time. She found out Thur. night & we left Sat. morning. I love surprises.

[Hozhoni]

Oh how fun it is...one of our Christmases a few years ago, my DH who does wood working built the kids pirate chests. They had padlocks on them. I left a treasure map in the tree with clues which led them around the house then front yard. I had actually buried the keys in a ziplock bag in the front yard...the five kids had to work together to solve the keys to their treasure chests...once opened it revealed a small rolled up scroll (copy of their individual cruise documents). We were leaving the following day! The look of surprise when they open the chests, and read their scroll....caught on video. They got cruise items in their chests...water camera, gold dollar coins, new clothes.... Priceless. It's still their favorite Christmas. Have fun :)

 

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[aussielozzie18]

Wow. You are all so creative. Wish, I'd thought of this (or better yet, read this post) before I booked our first cruise this year.

 

What a lovely birthday gift for your Dad.

[nekicheese]

I love surprises, too, although I'm always the giver of them and would live to be the receiver some day.

 

LOVE the treasure chest story! Perhaps the only thing greater than a surprise is one for a kid!

 

Well, the countdown is on to my dad's surprise. Less than a week!

[Granny1]

Please come back and tell us how the unveiling did, and what did you eventually do and how did Dad receive it..Hope he was excited as I would of been..

We did a surprise xmas gift for the grankids to Disney World one year..;)

[nekicheese]

Today's the day! I'm more excited for my dad's birthday than he probably is! All of the clues are in place. Can't wait for the scavenger hunt to start!

[ticktoneer]

Today's the day! I'm more excited for my dad's birthday than he probably is! All of the clues are in place. Can't wait for the scavenger hunt to start!

Its exciting - ha ha ha !!

 

Let us know how it goes :-)

[cruisequeen10]

After several cruises, my DD and I had to find an alternate in 2008 when a conflict forced us to cancel our Alaska cruise. I told my daughter "I found a condo in Daytona ..." So she packed for a beach trip. In fact, that's what I told everybody ... because it only takes one person who can't keep a secret. I mentioned that Daytona is a little better than an hour's drive from Disney World, so we could do a luau and she agreed that sounded like a good idea, so I told her I booked a luau. I told her that the condo books from Saturday to Saturday, so if we give it three days we can drive down there leisurely, which is why we were leaving Wednesday. She asked Sunday night when we were leaving Wednesday morning and I said 4 a.m. "What? Well, I'm just going to crawl in the back seat and go back to sleep," she declared. "No, you won't ... you'll be too excited." She shot back, "No I won't ... you'll see." The joke went back and forth for days and I hugged my big secret to myself, knowing I was going to win this one.

 

Finally, Tuesday night after I got home from work I called her into the living room to discuss a few final details. She plopped down on the couch with that "OK, what do you want?" look that teenagers are so good at. "Honey, I never booked that condo." I only allowed a moment for the shock to set in before I added, "I booked a cruise." WOW! She shot off the couch in excitement, ran for her suitcase and headed back to her room to start adding things (A formal being the first item). It was a solid ten minutes before she came back to ask what islands we were visiting. I smiled, "Maui, Kauai, the big Island ... Oh, that luau we're going to is the Old Lahaina Luau on Maui." "Oh my gosh, it's my dream cruise ... Oh Wow!" It was an awesome surprise!

 

And the next morning I have a 5 a.m. picture of her waiting to board the plane for the connection to Houston ... she's bright-eyed and grinning ... far too excited to be sleeping.

 

We spent three days in Waikiki and then did the 7-day on the Pride of America. I'll never be able to top that surprise ... it remains one of our favorite memories.

 

how did you like the luau, we are sailing to hawaii on the Rhapsody of the Seas on September 6 and the six of us have reserved the luau

[emeraldcity]

Today's the day! I'm more excited for my dad's birthday than he probably is! All of the clues are in place. Can't wait for the scavenger hunt to start!

 

I'm waiting for the detail too! Surprises are so much fun!

 

how did you like the luau, we are sailing to Hawaii on the Rhapsody of the Seas on September 6 and the six of us have reserved the luau

 

We absolutely loved the luau ... much better than the one I went to at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikiki many years earlier. The full review was moved to the Hawaii forum (search for "Let the islands come to you")