suggestions for surprise someone on board

[va2vegas]

Shhh!  I don't want to spoil the surprise!  My dad and step mom are taking a cruise this July for my dad's birthday.  As a surprise to my dad, my husband and I are taking the cruise too and plan on surprising him onboard.  Working with my stepmom, we have linked our reservations.  I am looking for suggestions as to how and when to surprise him.  I was thinking of making specialty dinner reservations for embarkation night and having a note sent to his room inviting him to dinner.  Have any of you seasoned cruisers out there ever surprised someone on board and how did you pull it off?

[VMax1700]

I like the idea about Speciality restaurant and invitation in the room, but take it a stage further and speak with the restaurant supervisor, then when your Dad arrives have the supervisor tell him that there is something wrong with his reservation and he will have to share a table............guess who with?!

 

Just be careful at the pre departure safety drill that you don't 'bump' into each other.

[George C]

I like the idea of getting specialty restaurant ,  what ship?

[kerryincork]

As some one has stated if you booked a room close to your dad you could be in the same muster point. Everyone has to go,

 

You would have to get your Step-mom to distract your dad. You will know where you are going as it will be on your room card.

 

As you are in port your step-mom can text you her muster point and this might help to avoid them.

 

Also you will have to be sure to arrive at different times as well.

 

You should also arrange with your step-mom where are you going to eat once on board for lunch so you don't bump into each other.

 

On the surprise front I would call your dad when he is on the ship to wish him Bon voyage and happy birthday

😊🎂

It would also be an opportunity to ask what they are going to do first etc. So you can avoid them.

 

You'll have to come back to us and let us know how you got on.

[janetz]

My sister surprised me

She just walked up to me in the cruise terminal as we were waiting to board.

it was a great surprise as I had not seen her in a couple of years. 😊

[GeezerCouple]

5 hours ago, va2vegas said:

Shhh!  I don't want to spoil the surprise!  My dad and step mom are taking a cruise this July for my dad's birthday.  As a surprise to my dad, my husband and I are taking the cruise too and plan on surprising him onboard.  Working with my stepmom, we have linked our reservations.  I am looking for suggestions as to how and when to surprise him.  I was thinking of making specialty dinner reservations for embarkation night and having a note sent to his room inviting him to dinner.  Have any of you seasoned cruisers out there ever surprised someone on board and how did you pull it off?

 

Meeting them for dinner as a surprise sounds lovely.

 

And it reminds me of what we did for my parents 60th.

We lived across country from each other.

 

One of my children, who lived close (on the same general coast area, at least, but still more than 1,000 miles away) invited her grandparents to join them for an anniversary visit.  Without letting them know, we arranged that DH and I would join them, but be already waiting at the restaurant.

 

Now, given the cross-country flight, that took some planning, and a LOT of waiting that day, lest the plane be late, etc.  (If it was too late, then we'd just show up later, etc.)

We arrived in town, went to the hotel near our daughter and took a nap.  Then we arrived at the restaurant a full hour in advance, and we'd arranged to have the table ready early.

 

So... when the four of them walked in, we could tell that my parents were clueless.

It wasn't 'til the very last minute that my father GASPED, and I almost panicked that we had provoked a heart attack (he had already had one, and had had quadruple bypass surgery!).  My mother let out a little squeal!   

 

My parents never forgot it, and it was one of the best surprises ever (ahem, given that everyone survived!).

 

Showing up unexpectedly ON the ship, for the entire cruise... even better!!

 

Have a GREAT TIME!
 

GC

[MicCanberra]

I was surprised for my birthday, we were just having a drink at the sail away party on the deck by the pool and some friends arrived asking if they could sit down. It was awesome. I suppose if you show up at any time on embarkation day, it will be a surprise, it doesn't have to be in front of everyone.

[Reina del Mar]

We surprised our D, SIL and GD a few years ago. 

 

We had booked what we thought was half term and asked if they would like to join us. They wanted to...then we found out half term was late so we had booked the week before. Travel agent and cruise line would not play ball regarding changing the cruise date,(not easy to make changes in UK) so we told them it was too expensive for us to book a second cruise and additional return flight....

Then gave in and booked them secretly.

 

At the end of our 1st cruise, we transferred to a different cabin to be on the same deck as them. ...and hid when embarkation started.

 

Texts went back and fore about flight (we weren't catching) time check ins and their embarkation times. We told a little white lie that we had left a gift for GD with the occupants of cabin XXX and they needed to pick it up ASAP so occupants could get out and about.

 

There was a very tentative knock on the cabin door as they were a little nervous to disturb strangers. The looks on their faces were priceless when they saw it was us.

 

Maybe dinner would be better for adults, but it could be difficult to avoid them if checking in, going to muster, lunch etc at the same time or in same place. Maybe Guest services would allow you to attend muster in a different place if you explained the circumstances..as long as you go to a muster station...don't know if might be possible ???                    Lots of texting needed!!

 

Possibly order some champagne/ chocolate covered strawberries to your cabin, then go to theirs, knock and say 'Room Service' ?? You could even take something they really like, on board with you, as long as you get Step mother to keep Dad in cabin till you arrive.

 

Sure Dad will appreciate you being there whatever you do.

 

 

[ZoeyVictoria]

Does the ship you are sailing on have specialty restaurants open for lunch on embarkation day?  It is a great way to avoid the craziness of the buffet, an excellent price compared to dinner, and by the time you are finished with lunch, cabins are ready.  Plus it would save the effort of making sure you aren’t spotted at muster or sail away.

[ger_77]

Friends from another country surprised us by joining us on a Mediterranean cruise.  We were lined up for muster drill, squeezing together to make more room, when a man bumped into me and told me rather roughly to "shove over".  I looked up and was about to tear a strip off him for pushing, when I realized it was our friend!  What a great surprise, being to spend two weeks together with them.

 

Smooth Sailing!  🙂🙂🙂

 

 

[MicCanberra]

3 hours ago, ger_77 said:

Friends from another country surprised us by joining us on a Mediterranean cruise.  We were lined up for muster drill, squeezing together to make more room, when a man bumped into me and told me rather roughly to "shove over".  I looked up and was about to tear a strip off him for pushing, when I realized it was our friend!  What a great surprise, being to spend two weeks together with them.

 

Smooth Sailing!  🙂🙂🙂

 

 

That is my point, it doesn't really matter when the surprise happens.