Suggestions on how to surprise somebody on cruise who doesn't know you're onboard

[Zoey]

Any suggestions on how to surprise somebody who doesn't know you're going to be onboard with them? It's my elderly parents. I thought of just showing up at their cabin door but afraid I will keep missing them, and I don't want to drag the surprise out any longer than before dinner. I also thought of putting a note under their door that they had been gifted a free dinner the first night in a specialty restaurant, make reservations, and then be sitting at the table when they arrived. Any better suggestions? Thanks.

[funat55]

Any suggestions on how to surprise somebody who doesn't know you're going to be onboard with them? It's my elderly parents. I thought of just showing up at their cabin door but afraid I will keep missing them, and I don't want to drag the surprise out any longer than before dinner. I also thought of putting a note under their door that they had been gifted a free dinner the first night in a specialty restaurant, make reservations, and then be sitting at the table when they arrived. Any better suggestions? Thanks.

 

I love your idea. They will be so excited. Maybe you can get the cruise line to help out by having the dinner reservations placed in their cabin when they get there. When are you going? How long do you have to wait to pull off the surprise?

[suzycruiser2]

Any suggestions on how to surprise somebody who doesn't know you're going to be onboard with them? It's my elderly parents. I thought of just showing up at their cabin door but afraid I will keep missing them, and I don't want to drag the surprise out any longer than before dinner. I also thought of putting a note under their door that they had been gifted a free dinner the first night in a specialty restaurant, make reservations, and then be sitting at the table when they arrived. Any better suggestions? Thanks.

 

Haha...I hope this will be a GOOD surprise for them!

 

If you live close to the terminal, I think I would just tell them that you are going to meet them there to see them off and then instead of leaving say "surprise, I am sailing with you!"

[meatloafsfan]

Haha...I hope this will be a GOOD surprise for them!

 

If you live close to the terminal, I think I would just tell them that you are going to meet them there to see them off and then instead of leaving say "surprise, I am sailing with you!"

 

I would do something like this. You could make all of the arrangements for some big, momentous surprise on the ship only to have the whole thing blown by an accidental encounter before the muster drill.

[asalligo]

Bribe the room steward and then sneak into their room and hide under their bed of course. Wait until 3am to yell surprise though.

[dulcimergirl]

Haha...I hope this will be a GOOD surprise for them!

 

If you live close to the terminal, I think I would just tell them that you are going to meet them there to see them off and then instead of leaving say "surprise, I am sailing with you!"

 

Yes, this,,, because I couldn't keep it a secret until dinner. LOL have fun, good luck...

Actually, my Sister and BIL did it this way once. lol

[dmdiver]

Our neighbors surprised us at the port. We thought they had gone to the lake for the weekend. In reality, they had spent the night before at a hotel. While we were waiting to check in, they found us. They also had tshirts made for the 6 of us.

[Captain Funtime]

I love the OP's idea. We did it one to some friends. We sent them a drink at the pool with no note. They didn't figure it out until later in the day. It was fun watching them from a distance before the "reveal".

[Zoey]

Bribe the room steward and then sneak into their room and hide under their bed of course. Wait until 3am to yell surprise though.

 

Hahaha! I really don't want to give one of them a heart attack near the beginning of their cruise!

[Mary Ellen1]

Do you know their booking number? You could make advance arrangements (Traditional Dining, Early or Late seating, email the ship's Maitre'd' to set it up) for a private table for just the four of you, then be seated at the table when they show up for dinner the first night. IF you can stay out-of-sight for that long!

[Mary Ellen1]

Or this: send a gift to their room (could be anything from bottled water to soda or booze to flowers or chocolate -- any of the on-board gifts you can order from carnival.com). You can personalize the gift card that's delivered with the gift, and have it tell them to come to Cabin #XXXX (your cabin) at a certain time...

[Zoey]

Unfortunately none of us live near the port. The sailing is in October. They wanted me to go but because of work commitments I couldn't. I was just recently able to resolve the conflicts.

 

To the person who said they might see me before or at Muster - that's very possible since I booked a cabin on the same deck! If I haven't done the surprise before muster, maybe I could put my hair in a ponytail, and wear a hat and sunglasses.

[PAPERBKWRITER]

You're idea is perfect. You may want to check on their muster station so you can prevent bumping into them. And if you do, so what.

[Adge01]

Or at muster bump into them and be like funny bumping into you here.

[TX Catty Cruiser]

Your idea is really good but you asked for other suggestions so .... get with cabin steward and arrange with him to tell your parents that their cabin isn't quite ready and to come back in a half hour then he calls you and then be waiting in the cabin. Have the cabin decorated with a big Surprise sign either done by yourself or maybe one of packages offered by Carnival.

[Cuizer2]

Any suggestions on how to surprise somebody who doesn't know you're going to be onboard with them? It's my elderly parents. I thought of just showing up at their cabin door but afraid I will keep missing them, and I don't want to drag the surprise out any longer than before dinner. I also thought of putting a note under their door that they had been gifted a free dinner the first night in a specialty restaurant, make reservations, and then be sitting at the table when they arrived. Any better suggestions? Thanks.

 

Hide in their cabin while the cabins are still open for cleaning. Then when they come in jump out and yell SUPRISE!!! If you do it right, you might be able to collect your inheritance a little earlier then you expected.

[Zoey]

Hide in their cabin while the cabins are still open for cleaning. Then when they come in jump out and yell SUPRISE!!! If you do it right, you might be able to collect your inheritance a little earlier then you expected.

 

Inheritance??? You must know something I don't know!!!

[Zoey]

Or at muster bump into them and be like funny bumping into you here.

 

Or I could act like I don't know who they are or what they're talking about and walk away really fast. And with a semi-disguise of sunglasses and hat maybe they'll both just think they've gone kind of crazy. Awww, but that sounds kind of mean. LOL

[stevefrisco]

So, I have to tell this story. We were on a 6 day out of Miami in 2008 and a wife surprised her husband (and his lover) by booking a trip with her sister-law! They ran into each other at sail away and boy were there fireworks! The husband and his boyfriend were seated with us at dinner (really lovely guys actually) and the whole thing just played out like an episode of Jerry Springer.

 

I guess they both were being dishonest about where they were going that week. Hubby said he was going to South America on business and wife said she was going on a mission trip with their church! She had booked a really expensive cabin I guess and he complained a lot about her spending and how this was a normal thing for her.

 

I'd love to know how the story played out after the cruise! Like I said, the hubby was really nice and I played BJ and poker with the wife a couple nights in the casino and she was a nice lady too. I just don't think they were meant to be.

[CruzinScotty]

Have they cruised before?

 

Do the have any embarkation routines the usually do? IE. have a drink at the Atrium Bar, usually go to the Lido for lunch at a specific time?

 

I'd try to scout out the Lido and surprise them at lunch.

[wingnt68]

Send them on a scavenger hunt. Slip something under their door or put it on their door.

[Ms. Fun Bunch]

My DS, SIL and cousin surprised me on a cruise I had booked with a good friend. When we walked up to the line to CheckIn the person behind me tapped me on the shoulder and when I turned around it was them. I was really surprised!!!!

[Cuizer2]

My DS, SIL and cousin surprised me on a cruise I had booked with a good friend. When we walked up to the line to CheckIn the person behind me tapped me on the shoulder and when I turned around it was them. I was really surprised!!!!

 

Well, if your son, sister in law and cousin tapped me on the shoulder while I was in line for a cruise, I would be surprised also.

[NOLALADY]

My sister and her husband surprised us once. They always cruised with my family, but this trip they claimed they couldn't work it out. We were so disappointed. We walked into the atrium bar as usual and there they sat having a drink. I screamed (everyone looked at me like I was crazy) and my entire family was beyond thrilled. They said the hardest part was hiding from us in the embarkation area. They got to the ship extra early to get onboard before us (and we always get there super early). There was some port issue, so we were delayed embarking and they had to keep hiding so we wouldn't see them. :D Best surprise ever!

 

Your parents will be so happy. Enjoy your trip!

[CJHAN]

Any suggestions on how to surprise somebody who doesn't know you're going to be onboard with them? It's my elderly parents. I thought of just showing up at their cabin door but afraid I will keep missing them, and I don't want to drag the surprise out any longer than before dinner. I also thought of putting a note under their door that they had been gifted a free dinner the first night in a specialty restaurant, make reservations, and then be sitting at the table when they arrived. Any better suggestions? Thanks.

 

Call them on the phone once they board the ship and sneak up to where ever they are. We did the the restaurant thing with the in laws in Colorado and their face was priceless so thats also a good one if you can insure that they will actually show up. We had a person In Co to insure they did.