lvssushi Posted March 11, 2006 #26 Share Posted March 11, 2006 Thanks caprcorn28!! I'm having a great time with this!! Hope I can pull it off without them catching on!!!! I'll let you know how it goes!!!:D:D:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike91911 Posted March 11, 2006 #27 Share Posted March 11, 2006 We are leaving on the NCL Spirit on March 19th. We told my 8 y.o. step son that he isn't going due to various reasons. He thinks that he is staying with grandma for the week. He has an aunt who lives on Staten Island who we had call him and ask him if he wants to stay there on the Sunday we sail and she will drive him back to Rhode Island on Monday when she goes to visit the family. So he thinks we will take the Staten Island Ferry when we get to NYC but really he will be getting on the ship with us. It's his birthday on the Wednesday of the cruise so we will have the room decorated too. I can't wait to see his face. One week today till we sail!!! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imlulu Posted March 11, 2006 #28 Share Posted March 11, 2006 We surprised our kids last year with the Miracle cruise. I booked it 1 year ahead and my dh didnt even know for months. I wanted to do the whole Christmas gift thing but dh convinced me too wait it out. It worked. We packed the night before we flew down to Tampa after they went to bed. We even packed their carry on. In AM, they went down to family room to play video games. My dh took dog to boarders. He came back and we quickly loaded up my Taurus wagon. He covered luggage with fabric. We only had 3 peices.:) Around 11 we headed out to run errands and have lunch. When opening garage, dh mentioned something about taking the boxes covered in back to a friend's. They got in car( I couldnt believe that worked) without questioning or even glancing at back. We had lunch and headed to airport.(20 minute ride) My then 6yr old asked where we were going when we got off at airport exit. My dh said over to CompUSA which is close by. We pulled into airport shuttle parking. My 12 yr old finally looked up from his Gameboy and asked where we were. We parked and told them we were going to FLorida so take off their jackets. My 12 yr old sat there with his mouth open. I will never forget that look. MY 6yr old threw off his coat and put on sweatshirt. At aiport we just told them we were going to Tampa and once there we would see what we wanted to do for the week. We flew to Tampa, spent night etc. IN AM my oldest headed over to lobby to get brochures of places to visit. He and the 6yr old debated what they wanted to see. Dh and I then had to tell them we were going on a cruise as we had to catch taxi in 1 hour. They did not believe us until we showed them docs. It was the best family vacation we have taken so far!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caprcorn28 Posted March 12, 2006 #29 Share Posted March 12, 2006 We surprised our kids last year with the Miracle cruise. I booked it 1 year ahead and my dh didnt even know for months. I wanted to do the whole Christmas gift thing but dh convinced me too wait it out. It worked. It was the best family vacation we have taken so far!!! AHHHHH!!! I am speechless!!! I love it!!!! That must have been the BEST!!!!!! You are all giving me sooo much strength to HOLD TIGHT to the secret!! We leave on the 23rd....so not toooo much longer considering how long I have been keeping it!!! Because we are flying in to FL early, we will be in Orlando and making our way down to Miami during a couple of days' time. I WILL keep the ship a secret until the night before!! Thank you!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudithEM Posted March 16, 2006 #30 Share Posted March 16, 2006 This is fabulous, but I don't know if I could ever to it. We just got back from our last cruise less than 3 weeks ago and I just booked our next one (for Feb. 07) today. Then, I found that ticker web site that a lot of people on this site use, created a ticker till the date of our cruise, and even emailed it to my husband at work (who thinks I'm crazy) and my 13 year old (not sure she's been on her email yet today, too much HW). But, maybe this is a good excuse to plan a short less expensive cruise when it's not a school vacation.... if I do that, maybe I could keep a secret. Somehow, I doub it! But kudos to you all! What a great idea! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkkskyzz Posted March 16, 2006 #31 Share Posted March 16, 2006 I know it's not quite the same as some of the awesome surprises on here...but here is our plan. We live in Mass...all of our family is up here except my parents and sister. My DD, 9, gets upset every now and again because she doesn't get to see her Nana and Papa often. So....here's the deal. My aunt and uncle were planning on taking their 2 boys (12 and 9) on a cruise....and we decided to jump on and go with them. THEN...another aunt and uncle decided they wanted to come and bring their 2 oldest grandkids (12 and 8)....so DD is psyched she will be on her first cruise with all sorts of cousins. Well...then my parents caught wind of all of this...and they and my sister booked too. DD doesn't know about them. Funny enough...we were looking at pictures of the ship the other day and she was looking at the teen club (my sister is 18) and was saying how "Oh, if Auntie came with us she would love this" Of course I am smothering my giggles with coughs! We are staying overnight in Miami...we fly in later in the day. My parents booked the same hotel as us...and are driving in that am. My father plans on calling DD on the hotel phone to wish her a good trip, and to tell her this that and the other. THEN he plans on playing the "Oh I wish I could be there with you right now...wouldn't it be neat if we could come too" card. Saying I love you and goodbye....and then knocking on our door....luggage in hand. She is going to be beside herself. She will be in sensory overload due to the vacation, the cousins, etc....this will just push her over the edge. I know it's not the same as keeping it a secret for a year or more....but it's a huge surprise that will send her reeling. Don't you think? :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melre Posted March 17, 2006 #32 Share Posted March 17, 2006 Well, we leave tommorrow for the port of Miami and our 2 dd's still do not know a thing yet. DH has told our oldest we were going to see some old friends for her spring break. And she has not figured it out yet. What these 2 will do when we pull over that bridge and see the funnels. They will for sure freak out. I am so ready to leave and let them know. But we have kept it a secret this long. A few more hours is gonna be so hard. MELANIE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike91911 Posted March 17, 2006 #33 Share Posted March 17, 2006 2 more days and my 8 y.o. step son still doesn't know. Or he's a good actor. My wife bought him a new suit, he thinks it's for easter. Some new clothes and shoes...just cause "he needs them". Secret note to teacher and a sealed package of homework. "What did my teacher send you mommy?" He's not dumb but I still think he doesn't know. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACTingout Posted March 18, 2006 #34 Share Posted March 18, 2006 Great Ideas! Unfortunately, my family knows and expects their trips... I use a big desk calendar and have my youngest mark off each day as we get closer to the trip. Creates a sense of excitement and she knows not to ask "how long to the cruise." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeckyR Posted March 20, 2006 #35 Share Posted March 20, 2006 We've done this twice. Once when we were going to WDW. The girls were young and I didn't want the "is it time to leave yet?" When we got in the van, I handed them each an envelope that had a disney coloring book, crayons, and a brochure from WDW and told them that's where we were going. When they were 9 & 14, we booked a cruise over New Year's Eve out of LA, but flew in on 12/28. On Christmas Day, they each received new carry-on bags. When they examined the insides, they discovered their cruise docs. THAT was fun!! Becky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jandie Posted March 22, 2006 #36 Share Posted March 22, 2006 I thought what I had done was fun, but you blew it out of the water! I might have to use your next time, if I can keep my mouth shut! :p Last Summer I cut out letter to spell out "In December we are going on a cruise!" I used it as a reward and each day that the kids didn't fight or cause me a gray hair they received a letter. They got the very last letter (u to spell cr*ise...) the Friday before school started! They were sure it was going to spell Disney, so they were shocked and elated! Have a wonderful time! Jandie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andynlala Posted March 25, 2006 #37 Share Posted March 25, 2006 Well, we got home almost a week ago, and boy were the kids surprised!!!! I packed while they were at school on Friday so they wouldn't see the suitcases. On Saturday did a little of last minute running around, even taking my 11 yo son out to buy a apir of sandles, still no clue. Our flight didn't leave until 10:30 that night, so we went for dinner with a friend, and then drove to the airport afterwards. They didn't look up from their gameboys until we were curbside at the airport, they still didn't get it. They thought we were picking up my friends husband who was out of town. We told them to get out, that it was time to go, they decided amongst themselves that we were going to Legoland. The next morning while driving from FLL to MIA, they were still asking about Legoland! We told them to look at the license plates, They finally realized what state we were in. So then they thought we're going to Disneyworld! We dropped off the car at MIA and got on the shuttle bus to the pier, and told them we were going to the hotel. They kept asking when we were going to get there, and finally when we saw the top of the ship when we went over the bridge, I said "there's our hotel!", and pointed to the ship. They were in shock!! My 11 yo had tears in his eyes. They were just in awe over the size of the ship. He just kept hugging us and telling us thank you. We had such an awesome time! There was a surprise around every corner. We didn't tell them about the excursions we had planned. After awhile they just stopped asking and just rolled with it. They cried when it was time to get off of the ship, they didn't want it to be over. They still say every day that was the best vacation ever. My 11 yo wore his sea pass around his neck for a couple of days after we got home. The morning after we got home, they were online chcking out the Freedom of the Seas, planning for our next cruise!!! I don't think I can pull that off again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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