We need a really good lie!!

[pearose]

appointments? LOL. my friends did this and they pulled all the way up to the port. the kids were excited to see the ships...(they were just having a family day together) mom pointed them out and said do you want to eat lunch on the ship? the kids said "can we do that??" mom and dad said "absolutely because we are going ON a cruise!" kids flipped out. LOL have fun!

 

I like this idea! Tell them you're just taking a day off for family fun, and thought they might like to go see the ships and explore Galveston, just a fun day. Kinda like we used to go to the airport to watch the planes take off and land when I was a kid LOL. We're going to the port to see the ships!

[Starlight Durban Cruising]

Tell him that mom and dad know someone who is getting married on the ship, and you are all going to the ceremony, and that the suitcases belong to those people in the wedding. (Like most kids the whining may come up, then say "OK, dad can take you for a swim in the pool while I go to the ceremony."). :)

[Ellusionz]

Pick the most interesting/scary topic they've been watching lately and tell them the world is ending and you're going to meet survivors in a safe place... extra points for finding pre recorded news and playing in the car on way. Even more points if you can get your neighbors to run around like chickens with their heads cut off as you peel out of your drive way? LOL j/k...

 

but seriously it depends on how much time you have and your travel arrangements. Some popular ideas I've seen (you can google this topic) is scavenger hunts prior to leaving or some type of game during the drive for them to guess. I live in Orlando so we took some neighbors kids to Disney and had their eyes covered and surprised them once we got out of the car...joke was on us they still had no idea were they were LOL.

 

Another idea is to let them know they are going but not when, let them go to school that morning and pick them up in tacky vacation clothes (an embarrassing way to start a fun vacay?)

 

Good luck and hope y'all have fun! :)

[christyran1228]

You're going to pickup a sister for him. :p

 

 

+1 lololol!

 

 

 

Dentist appointments?

[christyran1228]

Tell them mom and dad can no longer take care of them and you are dropping them off at a foster home.

 

That should make for an entertaining ride.

 

 

This is exactly what DH (my kids' stepdad) would say. Without a doubt. lolol

Edited March 18, 2014 by christyran1228

[Mysticks1]

 

Another idea is to let them know they are going but not when, let them go to school that morning and pick them up in tacky vacation clothes (an embarrassing way to start a fun vacay?)

 

 

I like that idea. LOL , Dad in a tacky, Hawaiian shirt, black socks and sandals. With him being 12 he would be horrified. :eek::D

Edited March 18, 2014 by Mysticks1

[LCTXcruiser]

when my kids were 12 -- they would't have seen the luggage if they were sitting on it -- their faces would be buried in their ipod.

 

That's sooo true! I'm not even worried about the luggage. We'll be in a SUV and I'll just throw a couple towels over it and he won't even notice.

[LCTXcruiser]

OMG - Didn't think I would stir up a hornets nest with such a lighthearted subject.

 

I'm sorry if anyone was offended that I am taking my child out of school for a whopping 3 days. If those three days truly effect my child's education then I guess we'll move to a different school district:eek:. As for the teachers - they were made aware of this months in advance and I actually asked for permission and was given their blessing (from the Principal as well).

 

As for my son's grades... Proud to say he's a straight A student in gifted classes.

 

So, with that said, we'll definitely enjoy our cruise:D. In fact, I'm stopping by the school this afternoon while he's on the bus to gather his homework.

 

PS - No offense to the poster, but I'm glad I live on this side of the pond too! ;)

[grumpyjr88]

Did half the thread disappear??? :rolleyes:

[nunuc2000]

Hey mods... no fair... my post was a good one!! :mad:

 

To repeat: Tell your son you really want to win a photo contest to win a free cruise, and the deadline is a day away, and the photo must feature a kid in front of a cruise ship, so you're taking a one day trip to get that picture. When you get there, take the "before photo", then tell him "SURPRISE!! We're actually going on this cruise!!" and be sure to capture his reaction in the "after photo" and share it here on CC! :D Along the way, you can all "dream" about what you would do on a cruise if you were actually lucky enough to win it. :D:p

 

Have a great cruise!!

[nunuc2000]

Did half the thread disappear??? :rolleyes:

 

yup... because some posters chose to go wayyyy off topic from the OP's original post of how to surprise her son with the cruise.

[SMSACE6]

This might have been said before and I missed it, but;

 

I would tell kiddo, that you are driving down to Galveston to watch the cruise ships sail out and get photos....

 

Then when you get to the port, and park your car, you fess up and tell him/her that you going to watch sailaway, from the deck of the ship and take photos as you sail out to sea.:D

 

First scenario is kind of the truth, but not quite, but close enough.

 

ps...I am not into lieing to children..though my own parents did it to me, in a good way, so little white lies are ok I think.

 

Look forward to how it goes for you all.

Edited March 18, 2014 by SMSACE6

[LCTXcruiser]

You all have such great ideas! I'll give you an update when we get back and let you know what we went with. My husband's going to have some fun reading tonight:).

 

Thank you all! Love my fellow posters!!

[LCTXcruiser]

Hey mods... no fair... my post was a good one!! :mad:

 

To repeat: Tell your son you really want to win a photo contest to win a free cruise, and the deadline is a day away, and the photo must feature a kid in front of a cruise ship, so you're taking a one day trip to get that picture. When you get there, take the "before photo", then tell him "SURPRISE!! We're actually going on this cruise!!" and be sure to capture his reaction in the "after photo" and share it here on CC! :D Along the way, you can all "dream" about what you would do on a cruise if you were actually lucky enough to win it. :D:p

 

Have a great cruise!!

 

That is a good one:)!

[beberenn]

You were smart to keep the secret, because we have been waiting 7 months for our cruise April 6. The kids are going crazy they cant wait...Wanting every stitch of clothing they see for the past 7 months for "the cruise" Im doing the same thing you did next time! I think I wouldn't go threw with the whole not telling until the day of the cruise, but I will definetly hold out on telling them until a couple days before hand. Have a great time!

[morganboys]

I'd not say a word to him until the morning of sailing. Wake him up and tell him that the two of you decided to call in sick and will call him in sick as well. That you are going to have a fun day of adventure & just drive. Once you get close enough to the ship say that sure sounds like a fun idea. Should we go see if they have any cabins available. Make it seem like a spur of the moment adventure.

[cruisemama1]

I'd not say a word to him until the morning of sailing. Wake him up and tell him that the two of you decided to call in sick and will call him in sick as well. That you are going to have a fun day of adventure & just drive. Once you get close enough to the ship say that sure sounds like a fun idea. Should we go see if they have any cabins available. Make it seem like a spur of the moment adventure.

 

I love this idea the best. A wonderful memory for your child. I'm into that...:)

[winddawn]

I've already talked to all of our kid's teachers so they know we're leaving in two days on our cruise, but.... our kid doesn't know. We figured we'd make it a surprise. I'm AMAZED we've been able to keep our mouths shut for as long as we have:)!

 

Anyway, we are packing the car tomorrow evening, but we need a good excuse so we don't blow the surprise. We're driving to the Galveston (about 1 hr away), but need an excuse of why we're going that way, and why Mom and Dad have taken off work for the day and why we've taken him out of school for the day.

 

Suggestions????;)

Tell him that you are picking up some friends at the cruise port after their cruise and that you're taking him because you thought he'd enjoy seeing the big ship. Then when you get there, spring the surprise on him. If you have to explain the suitcases, tell him you are going to spend the night in Galveston with your friends because you haven't seen them in a long time.

 

Have a great cruise!

[pbsteve]

Why lie? Nyquil is pretty cheap

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

[CatlinSTJ]

I'd not say a word to him until the morning of sailing. Wake him up and tell him that the two of you decided to call in sick and will call him in sick as well. That you are going to have a fun day of adventure & just drive. Once you get close enough to the ship say that sure sounds like a fun idea. Should we go see if they have any cabins available. Make it seem like a spur of the moment adventure.

 

I like this one! :)

 

 

Next cruise: Carnival Breeze June 2014

[cruzinlisa]

As horrible and cruel as that suggestion was, I couldn't help but to laugh out loud. :o

 

I was going to suggest something that the kids would not be looking forward to (like needing to go to a doctors appointment in Galveston).

 

I was going to say dentist appointment.

[MichelleChell]

Please tell us how it goes! I have been booked since last Oct for our Christmas 2014 on Magic. We are not telling the kids till 4 days before we go!! I have had to keep this secret a long time!!

[huggs]

I'd not say a word to him until the morning of sailing. Wake him up and tell him that the two of you decided to call in sick and will call him in sick as well. That you are going to have a fun day of adventure & just drive. Once you get close enough to the ship say that sure sounds like a fun idea. Should we go see if they have any cabins available. Make it seem like a spur of the moment adventure.

 

PLEASE do not teach and encourage children that calling in sick when you are not sick is ok. I work in healthcare and know for a fact that this happens all the time. So patients, colleagues and others are left to work short handed at risk to everyone, so you can have fun. It is morally and ethically wrong and not a good message to teach our children.

 

Sorry to burst the bubble of what has been a fun posting so far, but this really upset me.

 

I am looking forward to reading about how the OP finally decides to make this exciting family holiday extra special with this big surprise. If you take children out of school,with teachers knowledge and plan to make sure home work is all done, the learning from travel is invaluable. Not the same as calling in sick for a fun day or vacation.

[Lerin]

Tell him you all have to join the FBI Witness Protection Program.

[lady_cruiser]

I can't wait to hear how this went.