Daughter Graduating College Days Before Cruise--How to Celebrate On Board?

[Katems75]

My daughter graduates college the Sunday before our Saturday cruise.  Our whole extended family will be on this cruise so we thought it made sense to celebrate her accomplishment then.  But how to make it special??  She doesn't want it at dinner because she says it's too hard to hear people and with a large group we're too spread out anyway.  She also wants a cake if possible, but I don't know if that's possible, and if it is, I don't want to spend a small fortune on it.

 

Any ideas??  Thanks!

[c-leg5]

11 minutes ago, Katems75 said:

My daughter graduates college the Sunday before our Saturday cruise.  Our whole extended family will be on this cruise so we thought it made sense to celebrate her accomplishment then.  But how to make it special??  She doesn't want it at dinner because she says it's too hard to hear people and with a large group we're too spread out anyway.  She also wants a cake if possible, but I don't know if that's possible, and if it is, I don't want to spend a small fortune on it.

 

Any ideas??  Thanks!

 

Probably would help if you gave some idea of the number of people, children/adults, ship you are on and ports of call.
 

It is possible something in port may be more economical.

[jalves]

Is the cruise itself not enough?

[fsjosh]

7 minutes ago, jalves said:

Is the cruise itself not enough?

I was going to say buy her a drink package and "see you on Saturday" lol

[Katems75]

It's 16 people, all adults--Grandma, aunts, uncles, cousins, and me, her mom.  It will be Harmony with CC, St.. Martin and St.. Thomas.  Not everyone likes to leave the ship so I'm not sure a port of call is the answer.  None of us drink so bars are out.  I just don't think we'll all fit in our balcony ocean view stateroom, and none of us have a suite or anything large.

[Coralc]

How about a specialty restaurant, when they first open at 5:30 or so? 

[Mum2Mercury]

1 hour ago, jalves said:

Is the cruise itself not enough?

I was thinking the same thing. 

[baldilocks]

A lunch at a specialty restaurant is a good idea (i.e. Chops). The cost is lower and there is less congestion so tables could be arranged to accommodate the group. For this to work, I would suggest that you call Royal to get a reservation ahead of time...and the cake. When you board, make a beeline to the restaurant to confirm everything. It is best to pick a sea day so it will not conflict with folks going on excursions.

[poocher]

Only thing I see for cakes is a birthday cake with strawberries & some decorations for $79.99.  Not sure it would even serve 16 people.  Perhaps email rcldining@rccl.com and inquire about a cake?

[Fontaid]

Pick a port day - have a couple of people go order several whole pizzas from Sorrentos, someone else head to Park Cafe and pick up several different sandwiches and salads, have someone else get more food from Cafe Promenade and have everyone meet at one of pools where you can all get together at the same time. PARTY!!!  Cost - $0  If you don't like this, maybe it will help you think of a better way to celebrate. And tell her CONGRATULATIONS from everyone at Cruise Critic. 😀

[mailmama]

What ship are you on? Harmony (and others) have an escape room which might be a fun time for everyone as it requires group input. Or how about everyone going ice skating during open skate? Ask the maitre D for a single serving piece of cake with candle that has Congrats on it instead of Happy Birthday/Anniversary.

[Rouque]

Maybe a little more than what you are looking for, but RCI does have an event group:

https://www.royalcaribbeanincentives.com/discover/event-customization/

 

[Kellie in Texas]

@Katems75 how exciting that so many family members get to go. We have two sons, now age 30 and 21. Then the 30-year-old graduated from high school in 2011, we did our first Alaska cruise for his celebration. When he graduated from college in 2016, we did a Baltics cruise from Copenhagen. Younger son graduated from high school in the Dreaded Covid Year of 2020. We had another Alaska cruise booked two years' ahead of time -- an aft balcony on Serenade! -- which of course we didn't get to go on until June of 2022. Now he's graduating from college in May 2024, so we'll see what he wants to do. 

[Katems75]

1 hour ago, mailmama said:

What ship are you on? Harmony (and others) have an escape room which might be a fun time for everyone as it requires group input. Or how about everyone going ice skating during open skate? Ask the maitre D for a single serving piece of cake with candle that has Congrats on it instead of Happy Birthday/Anniversary.

I will be on Harmony but I didn't think it had an escape room!  When do you have to book that?  Cruise is May 13 so if it's ahead of time booking I bet I'm too late :-(.

[c-leg5]

4 minutes ago, Katems75 said:

I will be on Harmony but I didn't think it had an escape room!  When do you have to book that?  Cruise is May 13 so if it's ahead of time booking I bet I'm too late :-(.

16 in an escape room sounds like a lot of people?

Edited April 22, 2023 by c-leg5

[S.A.M.J.R.]

IIRC, you can have Royal decorate the room before you board (for a fee).  I don't know if that came back after Covid though.

 

You can order champaign and chocolate covered strawberries (maybe a bunch of orders) to have ready in your room when you board (also fee).

[D4]

20 hours ago, Fontaid said:

Pick a port day - have a couple of people go order several whole pizzas from Sorrentos, someone else head to Park Cafe and pick up several different sandwiches and salads, have someone else get more food from Cafe Promenade and have everyone meet at one of pools where you can all get together at the same time. PARTY!!!  Cost - $0  If you don't like this, maybe it will help you think of a better way to celebrate. And tell her CONGRATULATIONS from everyone at Cruise Critic. 😀

I like this idea!  I imagine that not everyone in the extended family would want to pay extra for a specialty restaurant.

[DirtyDawg]

40 minutes ago, D4 said:

I like this idea!  I imagine that not everyone in the extended family would want to pay extra for a specialty restaurant.

Count me in on this one too. 

 

For those who think a cruise is too much of a graduation gift, our three boys wanted, as a graduation gifts, for us to forgive their student debt they borrowed from us. That would be WAY more than the cost of a cruise!

We bought them a couple of pizzas! 🍕

 

Edited April 22, 2023 by DirtyDawg

[Katems75]

The cruise isn't a grad gift.  It's a total coincidence that my mother decided she wanted to take her family on a cruise and this was the time frame that worked for everyone.  The last time she did this was five years ago and it just so happened to be the week of this same daughter's 18th birthday, lol (as well as two other family members!).  Just total coincidences!!!  A niece on this trip will have a birthday which my sister gets to figure out. With lots of family members I think it's inevitable that some big events will coincide with trips.  🙂

 

I appreciate everyone's ideas.  🙂. 

[emeraldcity]

Make sure she at least takes her grad cap for some pictures. We did a number of photos each evening at the photo backdrops. We also took the cap ashore with us (it was a Greek Isles cruise), so I have pictures of her wearing her cap at the Colosseum in Rome and on the Acropolis in Athens.

[Katems75]

4 minutes ago, emeraldcity said:

Make sure she at least takes her grad cap for some pictures. We did a number of photos each evening at the photo backdrops. We also took the cap ashore with us (it was a Greek Isles cruise), so I have pictures of her wearing her cap at the Colosseum in Rome and on the Acropolis in Athens.

Fun!!  Thanks for the idea!

[mailmama]

22 hours ago, Katems75 said:

I will be on Harmony but I didn't think it had an escape room!  When do you have to book that?  Cruise is May 13 so if it's ahead of time booking I bet I'm too late :-(.

They keep some days open just for those booking onboard. Guest relations can give you more info. With a large group, they may even open up a special time slot for ya'll.......

[Katems75]

4 minutes ago, mailmama said:

They keep some days open just for those booking onboard. Guest relations can give you more info. With a large group, they may even open up a special time slot for ya'll.......

I"ve just never even seen the escape room as an option on Harmony.  It's not listed under onboard activities nor entertainment.

[molly361]

44 minutes ago, Katems75 said:

I"ve just never even seen the escape room as an option on Harmony.  It's not listed under onboard activities nor entertainment.

You know you're in for a memorable experience when the spaceship you've just boarded has propulsion problems, and you're suddenly floating in space being slowly drawn into the sun. Welcome to Escape the Rubicon, found on Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas!

 

What It Is

Part of the escape room craze sweeping the planet, Escape the Rubicon on Harmony of the Seas is an adventure game in which participants are locked in a room (on Deck 14, located right outside the kids club) and have to solve a series of puzzles to escape. In this particular version, four to 12 people "board" the steam-powered starship, the S.P.S. Rubicon, which very quickly experiences a power outage leaving it tumbling in space dangerously close to the sun. Participants have 60 minutes to get the power and navigation back up by solving a variety of puzzles and finding necessary props.