Celebrating a birthday on board

[srk70]

First off, hello! I have been a long time lurker here, but just recently created an actual account so that I can jump in and participate :)

 

We will be cruising on the Allure in July and the first day is my daughter's 8th birthday. Our TA has listed that we are celebrating a birthday on our reservation, but I'm wondering what, if anything, to expect in terms of acknowledgement or anything special? Just trying to determine how much I need to bring from home (i.e. room decorations) to make the day special for her (not that being on the Allure isn't special enough in it's own right!)

[Clarea]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

If you want room decorations, you will need to arrange that yourself, or buy one of Royal's room decoration packages.

 

You may get a small piece of cake at dinner, and the wait staff may sing Happy Birthday. If you want a full size cake, then you will have to order that from Royal too.

[Langley Cruisers]

Hi and welcome!

 

They ask if you are celebrating something but it has been our experience that nothing is ever done about it, sorry. The last time we had a "freebie" was our 20th anniversary cruise to Alaska in 2003 (small cake) - since then, NOTHING, and we have had some celebrations. You can absolutely order (and pay for) your daughter a cake and they will bring it to her in the dining room at dinner that evening. As well, just a mention of a birthday should produce a candle in a dessert.

 

Purchased room decorations are, in my opinion, overpriced. You can grab some items at the dollar store and put them up in the cabin (with painter's tape or magnets - not Scotch tape) for her.

 

Have fun!! Enjoy your family cruise. :)

 

.

[canuckcruiselover]

My experience has been that if you tell your server when you are in the MDR, or the day before, he/she will bring a slice of cake with a sparkler and there will be several wait staff singing Happy Birthday. I don't recommend purchasing the decorations from RCL. They are expensive for what they are and after one day they will have fallen off the ceiling on to the bed/floor.

[abbflex]

My niese is turning 8 too in july while we`re on Jewel of the seas. Gonna follow this thread and look for options for her. Was thinking of buying the decoration but since lots of posters here recommand not I might have to reconsider and find something else. Cake it will be anyway :)

[cindy_k]

I ordered the room decorations and cake for my son's 18th birthday for a trip on the Monarch about 5 years ago.

 

While a bit pricey I found having the room decorated when we arrived on board was a nice thing and made everyone smile.

 

As for the cake... make sure to remind your server the night before.

We were a day late in the cake because they failed to bring it out on the proper night and I had to ask after it, which was after desserts were done.

 

I sail on Sunday for a 7 night Freedom cruise and this time, its my SO's birthday. So I have ordered the room decorations and cake again. :)

(and I will be reminding the server the night before about the cake.)

[cruisingsince94]

The decorations are much nicer now than they used to be. You can check them out under the gifts and gear category.

I ordered an anniversary package for our Brilliance cruise next month. I plan to post a review after our trip and will include my opinion on the decorations.

Are they worth the price is subjective to each person. If my wife reacts as I believe she will, those first few seconds will be worth every cent.

[MClemans]

The decorations are much nicer now than they used to be. You can check them out under the gifts and gear category.

 

I ordered an anniversary package for our Brilliance cruise next month. I plan to post a review after our trip and will include my opinion on the decorations.

 

Are they worth the price is subjective to each person. If my wife reacts as I believe she will, those first few seconds will be worth every cent.

 

 

I just purchased the anniversary decorations for our cruise in August. I will be patiently waiting for a review of yours!

 

 

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[cruisingsince94]

I just purchased the anniversary decorations for our cruise in August. I will be patiently waiting for a review of yours!

 

 

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Happy to let you know. Will be posting my review on March 19th.

[GUT2407]

I think RCCL fall down in this area.

[MClemans]

Happy to let you know. Will be posting my review on March 19th.

 

 

Awesome! Thanks! I'll keep an eye out for it. Have a fantastic cruise!

 

 

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[shanley]

My daughter's 12th birthday was on embarkation day. I preordered a cake and they had it waiting in the MDR. We had my time reservations. They brought it over and about 6 staff came and sang happy birthday.

 

I made my own door decoration. I photoshopped a picture of the FOS and put Happy Birthday Reilly on it. I printed it on magnetic paper and placed it on the door just after we went into the cabin.

 

I choose not to buy the RCCL decorations partly because of the price and partly because I wasn't sure if they would be set up for embarkation.

 

We also look at limo to Port Canaveral as part of the birthday celebration and she loved it!

 

 

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[junior8]

First off, hello! I have been a long time lurker here, but just recently created an actual account so that I can jump in and participate :)

 

WELCOME TO CRUISECRITIC!

[Lerin]

My niese is turning 8 too in july while we`re on Jewel of the seas. Gonna follow this thread and look for options for her. Was thinking of buying the decoration but since lots of posters here recommand not I might have to reconsider and find something else. Cake it will be anyway :)

About a week ago there was another thread on room decorations and the majority said they were great and to buy them.

Personally I think for an 8 year old, the package with the pillowcases and beach towel would be a big hit.

[gi_pam]

Both of my kids have had birthdays on board (not on purpose, just kind of happened as we planned the vacation). DS turned 9 on our FOTS cruise and DD turned 12 on our Mariner cruise.

 

We didn't order anything like a cake or decorations. It was noted on our reservation in both cruises. We made sure to mention it to the waiter anyway. Can't remember on Freedom, but on our Mariner cruise, they definitely had it in hand based on the reservation, when I tried to quietly whisper to the server he was definitely on top of it already.

 

In both cases, they brought a dessert and several of the crew members sang. They put a sparkler in my daughter's dessert, can't remember if they put a candle/sparkler in my son's on Freedom, but I do remember there was a little sign stuck into his cake that said Happy Birthday.

 

My son's birthday was in St. Thomas and we gave him the biggest vote in what we would do that day. Showed him our short list of shore excursions and basically let him pick from about 3 or 4 - he chose a kayak/snorkelling excursion. My daughter's was a sea day, we didn't do anything special.

 

We didn't decorate anything, but if you want to do that I personally would bring things to decorate the room or door. The packages from RC seem extremely expensive and kind of generic. I don't know about the special cakes on RC, but the one we ordered on our NCL cruise to celebrate wasn't really anything special, for the price. It was good, but the "free" desserts are good too.

 

I wonder if the Johnny Rockets waiters would do something on a Birthday? They sing and dance all the time anyway!