Have you been on a cruise on your birthday?

[rkacruiser]

If so, did you specifically have a special dining event to celebrate your birthday?  

[CGTNORMANDIE]

Not my birthday but our anniversary.  We were on the Celebrity Summit and we dined with friends in the Normandie specialty restaurant and we were given the wine cellar which was a special treat…along with 3 bottles of very good wine.  I gave my wife a ruby and diamond ring and we had a Bomb Normandie for dessert.  A memorable evening for sure.

[BklynBoy8]

We have been on Cunard for both birthdays and anniversaries and celebrated but at a regular evening dinner with regular selection.

 

We arranged and notified the staff on board at one of the first nights after boarding at dinner.

 

They arranged to have a stock cake bought to the table with script on it noting the occasion.

 

Of course all the close waiters and Asst Captains came over and sang.  

[CGTNORMANDIE]

The best birthday I ever experienced was my dear mother in-law.  We had flown to Spain and boarded the RCI Liberty of the Seas for TA to Ft. Lauderdale.  We were celebrating my MIL’s 100th birthday!

 

We went down to dinner the second night and the Maitre d’ came up to us and said that he understood that we were celebrating a special birthday.  My TA had alerted them.  When I told him that DMIL was celebrating her 100th birthday he almost fainted…lol.  My MIL was incredible, stylishly dressed and walking on her own without help.  The Maitre d’ walked out into the center of the room, we were on the first level of the three story MDR.  He announced to the entire dining room at the top of his lungs…”Ladies and gentlemen, we have a charming lady who is celebrating her 100th birthday!!”  The entire MDR broke out singing Happy Birthday.  It was an event we will never forget.  Three tiers of that beautiful MDR all singing in unison.  Two nights later we were invited to the Captain’s Table for a spectacular dinner…great memories.  No need for specialty dining.  

[MamaFej]

Thank you for sharing, @CGTNORMANDIE. That's a lovely story! I'm so glad your family got to experience that.

 

 

In 2017, we were on a cruise with a group of 30, all connected to my TA, a friend since high school in the 80s. I was in his sister's class, he was in my brother's.

 

His sister, her friend from college, and I were all celebrating our 50th birthdays. The sister had daughters graduating high school and jr. high. My oldest had just graduated college, and my middle had just graduated High School. The college friend had just gotten married. The TA and his wife were celebrating their 25th anniversary. Another couple were celebrating their 30th, and another their 35th. 

 

We had four tables and wonderful wait staff. One night, we celebrated the wedding and anniversaries, one, the graduations, and one, the milestone birthdays. Each celebration night, we were brought a special cake to share. Each was memorable. 

 

 

[CGTNORMANDIE]

5 hours ago, MamaFej said:

Thank you for sharing, @CGTNORMANDIE. That's a lovely story! I'm so glad your family got to experience that.

 

 

In 2017, we were on a cruise with a group of 30, all connected to my TA, a friend since high school in the 80s. I was in his sister's class, he was in my brother's.

 

His sister, her friend from college, and I were all celebrating our 50th birthdays. The sister had daughters graduating high school and jr. high. My oldest had just graduated college, and my middle had just graduated High School. The college friend had just gotten married. The TA and his wife were celebrating their 25th anniversary. Another couple were celebrating their 30th, and another their 35th. 

 

We had four tables and wonderful wait staff. One night, we celebrated the wedding and anniversaries, one, the graduations, and one, the milestone birthdays. Each celebration night, we were brought a special cake to share. Each was memorable. 

 

 

Thank you Mama!  Sounds like you kept the staff busy with all the celebrating!  Reminds me of the time DW and I were on the Amerikanis.  We were seated at a table with 3 other couples who were all friends.  Each night they had a birthday or anniversary celebration with a cake.  By the third night DW and I were missing the featured dessert on the menu…lol.  We were eating cake every night.  I mentioned to the waiter that the baklava sounded really good…after all we were on a Greek ship.  We returned to our cabin later that night to find a plate of baklava waiting for us.  Now that’s what I call service!

[CntPAcruiser]

Several years ago we were on a back-to-back cruise for the week prior to and the week of Thanksgiving, and my husband's birthday fell within those dates. During the first cruise, when it wasn't his actual birthday, they brought a small cake or dessert to the table, can't remember which, and sang. On the second cruise, the night of his birthday happened to be a night the hotel director was entertaining at the captain's table, and our main waiter was also serving that table. So in addition to extra wine, we enjoyed the special dessert from the captain's table as well, but no singing (not that we minded).

[rkacruiser]

Thanks to all who have responded.  I hope more will do so.  

 

I have celebrated 2 special birthdays during a cruise.  My 60th on the Zuiderdam with three friends and a tablemate mate who became a cruising friend.  Dinner was in the MDR with the usual HAL MDR festivities.  

 

My 70th was on the Eurodam with one of the friends who were with me 10 years earlier.  We were sailing on the Viking Passage cruise from Amsterdam to New York after enjoying the Baltic cruise that preceded it.  The PG was offering the special De Libjrie dinner.  "Deconstructed cuisine"?  What did that mean?  We decided to try that.  That was a mistake.  Neither of us liked what we were served.  "Deconstructed Apple Pie" is not a satisfactory Apple Pie in my opinion.  I was presented with a nice small, decorated cake.  But, none of the MDR "hoop-la" that I would have enjoyed.

 

And, thus my 70's began.  Given the beginning dinner, it's not been my most outstanding decade.  

[CGTNORMANDIE]

10 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

Thanks to all who have responded.  I hope more will do so.  

 

I have celebrated 2 special birthdays during a cruise.  My 60th on the Zuiderdam with three friends and a tablemate mate who became a cruising friend.  Dinner was in the MDR with the usual HAL MDR festivities.  

 

My 70th was on the Eurodam with one of the friends who were with me 10 years earlier.  We were sailing on the Viking Passage cruise from Amsterdam to New York after enjoying the Baltic cruise that preceded it.  The PG was offering the special De Libjrie dinner.  "Deconstructed cuisine"?  What did that mean?  We decided to try that.  That was a mistake.  Neither of us liked what we were served.  "Deconstructed Apple Pie" is not a satisfactory Apple Pie in my opinion.  I was presented with a nice small, decorated cake.  But, none of the MDR "hoop-la" that I would have enjoyed.

 

And, thus my 70's began.  Given the beginning dinner, it's not been my most outstanding decade.  

RK, Let’s hope you have better luck on your 80th!! 😁

[rkacruiser]

13 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

RK, Let’s hope you have better luck on your 80th!! 😁

 

Thank you.  Today, my 78th has been a very good one.  Even enjoyed a very long and clear to hear phone call with my Niece-in-Law--which is a rarity because of phone issues on her end of the the line in the past.  

 

I am working to get to my 80th.  God willing.  

[CGTNORMANDIE]

18 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Thank you.  Today, my 78th has been a very good one.  Even enjoyed a very long and clear to hear phone call with my Niece-in-Law--which is a rarity because of phone issues on her end of the the line in the past.  

 

I am working to get to my 80th.  God willing.  

And so you shall celebrate your 80th.  Happy Birthday RK!!

[rkacruiser]

1 minute ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

And so you shall celebrate your 80th.  Happy Birthday RK!!

 

Thank you so very much!  

[Lois R]

Yes I have sailed on my birthday and I am sailing on my next birthday too!I have  a TA crossing booked for March and sails right on my bday😀

[geoherb]

I've celebrated several birthdays on cruises. In 2003, my husband forgot to wish me a happy birthday that morning. When we were checking in for the cruise, the agent looked at my passport and said, "Happy birthday!" I replied, "You're the first person to wish me that today." He felt bad. He did talk to a head waiter that night to make sure I had a birthday cake.

 

A couple of years ago, I took a solo cruise over my birthday. I was quarantined to my cabin with an upper respiratory infection for a few days, including my birthday. The medical center sent me a box of Godiva chocolates for my birthday. I ordered room service and had a Caesar salad that night with chicken fingers from the kids' menu. I never bothered to get the individual birthday cake in the dining room later in the cruise.

[TeaBag]

Yes, I have celebrated more than one.  One year as I was leaving our cabin in the morning, our steward asked me how I was.  i told her that I was feeling old since I was going to have my birthday on Sat.  Never thought another things of it.  When we came back to our room on Sat after breakfast, our cabin was totally decorated!  Streamers everywhere, a huge banner saying Happy Birthday and decorated with balloons.  A lovely bouquet was on the table.  What a surprise!  She was one of the best stewards we have ever had.

[rkacruiser]

2 hours ago, TeaBag said:

What a surprise! 

 

One of the joys of celebrating occasions during a cruise is not knowing what one will experience when that "special date" is known in advance by the ship's staff.  

[kd1irk]

Princess has a special dessert for birthdays. Worth getting it if you're on ship.

[rkacruiser]

5 minutes ago, kd1irk said:

Princess has a special dessert for birthdays. Worth getting it if you're on ship.

 

Thanks for participating in this thread!  Please describe the dessert.  

[kd1irk]

17 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Thanks for participating in this thread!  Please describe the dessert.  

 

I don't have a photo and it was my wife's birthday.

It's an individual sized chocolate cake with pieces of chocolate around the perimeter and whipped cream on top with some other decorative elements. Sorry I can't be more specific. I usually grab photos of everything but I missed that one.

[rkacruiser]

14 minutes ago, kd1irk said:

 

I don't have a photo and it was my wife's birthday.

It's an individual sized chocolate cake with pieces of chocolate around the perimeter and whipped cream on top with some other decorative elements. Sorry I can't be more specific. I usually grab photos of everything but I missed that one.

 

Thanks for your description.  I get the idea.  That's similar to what I have been served during my birthday dinners.  Like you, I try to remember to take photos and have been guilty more than once to remember when the food is either partly consumed or totally eaten.  

 

In my experience, the night that the birthday cake is presented is often the night when there are several desserts on the menu that I would like to order as well.  

[Dolcevita Diva]

Not yet, but my birthday will fall during a voyage that I just booked for next June.  

Will likely to be celebrating retirement on that cruise too. 🙂

[MBP&O2/O]

Perhaps I am the odd one out? I have spent so many birthdays / Christmas’s / anniversaries etc working and away from home that i usually don’t even bother ‘celebrating’, and the last people I would tell would be the staff on a cruise ship 🤣

To me, a birthday is just another day …. 

[Lois R]

1 hour ago, MBP&O2/O said:

Perhaps I am the odd one out? I have spent so many birthdays / Christmas’s / anniversaries etc working and away from home that i usually don’t even bother ‘celebrating’, and the last people I would tell would be the staff on a cruise ship 🤣

To me, a birthday is just another day …. 

That is what makes us all different😃 and that is a good thing. Because if we were all the same, life be so very boring. 

[Lois R]

1 hour ago, Lois R said:

That is what makes us all different😃 and that is a good thing. Because if we were all the same, life be so very boring. 

I meant to say life would be so very boring.

[joeyancho]

On 10/23/2021 at 8:13 AM, MBP&O2/O said:

Perhaps I am the odd one out? I have spent so many birthdays / Christmas’s / anniversaries etc working and away from home that i usually don’t even bother ‘celebrating’, and the last people I would tell would be the staff on a cruise ship 🤣

To me, a birthday is just another day …. 

I am with you.   My mother used to make me my favorite meal on my bday.   Since her passing I don't enjoy any celebration of the day.  I will go to a specialty restaurant for a good meal, but that's it.