Just booked a Christmas present cruise...

[hlb76]

Now how to break the news to my son and his family. My son has been out of the cruising game for a few years. His fiancé has never vacationed before. So we decided to splurge and take them on one next fall. I want to do something fun to let them know. Would love to hear some ideas of how to break the news!!!

[naz022292]

What a great gift! Your son is a lucky guy! One thing you could do is wrap up a few smaller presents that would be handy... start with lanyards, then maybe a small carry-on or shaving case, then maybe some motion sickness pills, and finally a model ship or picture of the boat.

 

That's just a start... hopefully it will help some creative people start thinking...

[SweetPea0517]

Don't forget the little umbrella that goes in your drink🍾. If you have some sea shells & a little bottle of sand you could add that too! It might be good to number the gifts so they are opened in the right order.

[Lerin]

Hope it is well received, post what you do and their reactions :)

[Taters]

My husband surprised me with a cruise reservation for Christmas one year. He knows better than to give me kitchen stuff for Christmas (don't even go there! LOL), so he bought me a new mixer. When I was opening this thing up on Christmas morning, I was disappointed in the "gift", to say the least. He was over in his chair trying to hold back the giggles... Anyway, he encouraged me to continue on and open up the box to look at the mixer.. I sighed and moved forward... Well - Inside the mixing bowl was a fancy envelope! When I opened up the envelope I was so surprised and elated to find the confirmation for exact cruise he'd been dragging his feet on booking! Holy smokes! I nearly cried with excitement, as a bunch of our really great friends were going to be on board and we'd already had a cruise booked for the month before and we couldn't really afford it, blah, blah, blah! Holy smokes! Best gift EVER!

[SewMuch]

If you go to a travel agent you can get a copy of the Carnival cruise brochure, for free. They hand them out all the time to potential customers. Bookmark the page, circle the cruise and wrap it up. You could also buy a copy of Fodor's Guide to the Caribbean (assuming that's where you are going) and wrap that up. That way the wife could learn about the places she'll be visiting.

[Drazil65]

Have a special Christmas keepsake ornament engraved with some thing like "Family vacation cruise October 2016" or whenever it is and hang it in a not so obvious place on tree.

 

Then do not have any other wrapped gifts for them to open under tree. Hand them an envelope with a card in it and a "clue" to the next clue and so on. Send them on a scavenger hunt that ends at the tree and directly to the "special personalized ornament". Then as they are in total shock reading the ornament you hand them the confirms/cruise paperwork etc.:D They will hang that ornament for years to come and talk about the time the whole family went on cruise to together etc.

 

Have fun!!!!!

Edited December 5, 2015 by Drazil65

[CRocks]

Just remember fall is hurricane season. Itineraries subject to change!

[hlb76]

Thanks for the great ideas... I'm hoping it's well received. Good news is it can always be canceled or rescheduled if need be. Yes we know it's hurricane season. Of course hoping for the best and a smooth ride though know that may not be the case. Twice we have sailed in Oct already. Once missed a port due to the turned up seas and the port we did make the beach was too rough. Second time made all port had some rougher seas along the way and Grand Turk the beach was so turned up many excursions cancelled. But we roll with it and have a blast.

[TomAceEsq]

You could make shirts for the cruise and give it to them as presents. Put the dates on the shirt and it'll always be a reminder of this Christmas AND the trip.

[lvetocruise2012]

Turn your thermostat in the house to 85 and walk around in your shorts and T-shirts and play Caribbean music while serving frozen drinks with umbrellas in them. When your son arrives to your house not only will he get his surprise gift that atmosphere will get him in cruise mode. [emoji484]