first cruise and want to start a "tradition"

[glm7777]

This is the first cruise my adult daughter and I are going on and I really want to do something on the cruise that we can do every cruise - sort of like a tradition. For example, every time we go to Walt Disney World, we first take a picture in front of the train station and the first ride we ALWAYS go on is "It's a small world" (I bet you're singing it right now - sorry). We love looking back at 20+ years of pictures in front of that train station and seeing how the girls have grown (and me too unfortunately!). I'd like to do something like that on our cruise - not the practical things like "check luggage", "make spa reservations" etc. Something fun that if we love cruising, we can do every cruise! Any suggestions?

Edited March 4, 2014 by glm7777

[boopsahoy]

This is the first cruise my adult daughter and I are going on and I really want to do something on the cruise that we can do every cruise - sort of like a tradition. For example, every time we go to Walt Disney World, we first take a picture in front of the train station and the first ride we ALWAYS go on is "It's a small world" (I bet you're singing it right now - sorry). I'd like to do something like that on our cruise - not the practical things like ":check luggage", "make spa reservations" etc. Something fun that if we love cruising, we can do every cruise!

 

How about a wine or martini tasting?

[LrgPizza]

We always take pictures on deck beside a life preserver with the ship's name. (You'll find one). It's fun to look back and watch our son growing up. Maybe you can do that?

 

 

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[Fishbait17]

May not be suitable for all, but we start every cruise with a shot of good tequila. Don't really know how it started, but we toast a wonderful, safe vacation to come, and so far it's worked - no catastrophes or bad vacations yet! :D Another good one for people with kids is the "embarkment photo". We always do a very silly embarkment photo with the goofiest face/body language we can make. We do this on all vacations, not just cruises, and we have them framed and hung on the "Wall of Shame" in our basement.

 

Robin

[youngestof9]

I love the life preserver pictures!

[kcwingwalker]

We always take pictures on deck beside a life preserver with the ship's name. (You'll find one). It's fun to look back and watch our son growing up. Maybe you can do that?

 

 

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Great idea! Don't forget to grab a drink before the photo:)

[miataman19]

My tradition is a cigar and a glass of Knob Creek during sail away. The life preserver is a good idea..:D

[Medtech2]

This is the first cruise my adult daughter and I are going on and I really want to do something on the cruise that we can do every cruise - sort of like a tradition. For example, every time we go to Walt Disney World, we first take a picture in front of the train station and the first ride we ALWAYS go on is "It's a small world" (I bet you're singing it right now - sorry). We love looking back at 20+ years of pictures in front of that train station and seeing how the girls have grown (and me too unfortunately!). I'd like to do something like that on our cruise - not the practical things like "check luggage", "make spa reservations" etc. Something fun that if we love cruising, we can do every cruise! Any suggestions?

Well, you could buy the embarkation photo but it's more fun to get a picture with a life preserver on deck then get the drink of the day at the lido deck bar :)

[cpcanuck]

I too like the life preserver idea.

 

The other would be to have a fun photo in the magnificant open atrium of each ship - they all have a central open space with spectaular stairs, chandelier or statue of some kind, art on walls. Might be a fun photo op to compare the various atriums on different ships! It would make for a great family trivia quiz later...what ship had (you fill in the blank).

[JLBKL]

We always take pictures on deck beside a life preserver with the ship's name. (You'll find one). It's fun to look back and watch our son growing up. Maybe you can do that?

 

 

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What a great idea, thank you for sharing! We, too, are on our first cruise, one of many I hope; I will definitely do this with my kids! Thank you!!

 

 

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[glm7777]

I think the life preserver pic with us holding a signature drink would be great! And it would be fun to try to determine which ship's atrium each pic is from!

And I didn't know they even offered wine and martini tasting - how lovely!

 

I love all these ideas -please keep them coming!

[Twelvevman]

My favorite cruise tradition is buying a Future Cruise Credit so I have a reason to book another cruise once I get home :D

[deladypilot]

And I didn't know they even offered wine and martini tasting - how lovely!

 

They will listed in the Freestyle Daily that you will get each night for the next days activities. They also offer a Rum Run and Beer Tastings. They do cost but its not a bad price and you can have lots of fun

[susanbratwurst]

We saw a couple do this on a cruise once and the idea has always stuck with me. During breakfast on debarkation day, they brought a bottle of champagne, had the waiter open it and they shared it with the rest of the table. They explained that the cruise wasn't ending today, it actually had ended the night before. They were toasting the beginning of a new cruise.....they were just going to be in port a little longer. They had their picture taken toasting each other. They said it helped with the sadness of ending the cruise if they thought of it like that.

[jam&tea mom]

We too take a picture, its great to see how my children have grown. Our 5th cruise is next week (yeah! I can hardly wait to get away from the cold). My children's favourite tradition first day is to have lunch at the Blue Lagoon. We are usually on board by 1130/12 and its much better than going to the Garden Café. It is their favourite place to eat on board.

[LrgPizza]

What a great idea, thank you for sharing! We, too, are on our first cruise, one of many I hope; I will definitely do this with my kids! Thank you!!

 

You're welcome. This is my son on his first 3 cruises:

 

[garycarla]

Some do first meal in MDR while everyone is crazy.

 

Or drink at one of the topside bars.

[The Islanders]

We always take pictures on deck beside a life preserver with the ship's name. (You'll find one). It's fun to look back and watch our son growing up. Maybe you can do that?

 

 

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Love this idea! Wish we did it from the start!

 

For us, it's cocktails and appetizers on our balcony for sailaway and a bottle of Dom Perignon on our last night to celebrate a great cruise and plan our next one.

[BusyBlond]

When getting off in port, I like to take a pic of the family standing on the dock with the ship in the background. Usually just the front portion where the name of the ship is. (especially when we sail NCL since the hull art is beautiful and unique to each ship)

[Oldgoat61]

I say ditto to the life preserver, with a drink of the day held high.:D

[gys]

Our family tradition is to eat at Teppanyaki on the first night. After the craziness of getting to the port, checking in, and unpacking, we can finally relax and know we're on vacation as we sit around the Teppanyaki grill. We've managed to get quite a few of our fellow cruisers to make this their tradition also, so I hope Teppanyaki won't get too crowded on the first night!

[newmexicoNita]

This is the first cruise my adult daughter and I are going on and I really want to do something on the cruise that we can do every cruise - sort of like a tradition. For example, every time we go to Walt Disney World, we first take a picture in front of the train station and the first ride we ALWAYS go on is "It's a small world" (I bet you're singing it right now - sorry). We love looking back at 20+ years of pictures in front of that train station and seeing how the girls have grown (and me too unfortunately!). I'd like to do something like that on our cruise - not the practical things like "check luggage", "make spa reservations" etc. Something fun that if we love cruising, we can do every cruise! Any suggestions?

 

I guess the tradition we have, but it might not be all that exciting to you: we always eat in a specialty dining room the first night, usually Asain.

[Delbankin]

I always try to get a couple of "standard" photos on each cruise we take. One is with the lifebelt (that's what we call it in the UK) and the other is a photo with me standing at the stern with the name of the ship and place of registration in view. Enjoy your cruise!

[52marv]

Love the pics of your son, LrgPizza!

 

Our kids started our family tradition: First, they announce that our vacation has started the moment we leave the gangplank and step onto the ship. Second, we all head straight to the nearest bar and get Virgin Strawberry Daiquiris and take their pic. It's a lot of fun for them and I like the pics.