Trying to think of a creative way to surprise my 13 yr old

[libertylover]

My son (13) and I are going on the RCCL Liberty cruise on Aug 15.

 

His father and I (we're divorced now) went on a cruise when he was 5 and we promised to take him the next time we went. Needless to say, we never went on another one. :p

 

So, anyway, this will be our first vacation ever with just him and I. I'd like to surprise him in some kind of special/unique/fun way. He knows something is up because I've mentioned a week we'll be gone in August and we got his passport.

 

Any ideas? :D

[Kimjergen]

My son (13) and I are going on the RCCL Liberty cruise on Aug 15.

 

His father and I (we're divorced now) went on a cruise when he was 5 and we promised to take him the next time we went. Needless to say, we never went on another one. :p

 

So, anyway, this will be our first vacation ever with just him and I. I'd like to surprise him in some kind of special/unique/fun way. He knows something is up because I've mentioned a week we'll be gone in August and we got his passport.

 

Any ideas? :D

Hi there,

 

Congratulations on planning your next adventure. I too have a 13 and 11 year old son who absolutely love cruises and the adventure of exploring new places. Why not get him guide book(s) for the ports you are going to visit as an end of school type gift and wrap up with the itinerary, tickets, and shore excursion booklet. Then, tell him he is in charge of planning what you will do in port using whatever your set budget for shore time is? Many times you can do similiar or better things on your own but the ships shore excursion choices help you see the type of activities available/places to see etc as a guideline. It will be fun, educational, and help in his decision making tools and budgeting abilities in his future. He can combine the books with online searches or reservations for your trip together. My kids enjoy the ports even more when they have read about what they will see, the history of the place, the geography, wildlife etc. They've also learned that you can't see and do everything and to go for quality over quantity to really get the most of our shore time. Where are you going and what are you most excited about seeing? There is such a wide range of things to do from zip-lining, to snorkeling, biking, hiking, kayaking seeing pyramids or historic forts etc that appeals to kids his age. The run of the mill bus tour is really not as adventurous for travelers like you. Make sure he knows what you'd like to do and see too so it's a joint adventure. I don't know where you are going but my kids loved Alaska, Europe and Carribean itineraries and are now looking forward to an upcoming New England/Canada cruise in early June. Some of their favorite things were hiking to a glacier in Alaska and seeing wild killer whales, wandering around Rome and being in awe of the architecture, being surprised by the Indiana Jones like streets of Marrakech, and snorkeling in the Carribean. I wonder what your son will enjoy most????

 

Godd luck and hope this helps, as the anticipation and planning of trips is half the fun!

Kim

[jhdoublin]

My son (13) and I are going on the RCCL Liberty cruise on Aug 15.

 

His father and I (we're divorced now) went on a cruise when he was 5 and we promised to take him the next time we went. Needless to say, we never went on another one. :p

 

So, anyway, this will be our first vacation ever with just him and I. I'd like to surprise him in some kind of special/unique/fun way. He knows something is up because I've mentioned a week we'll be gone in August and we got his passport.

 

Any ideas? :D

 

Where are you going? And are you talking about finding things to do because he knows about the trip or how to tell him it is a cruise?

[libertylover]

Where are you going? And are you talking about finding things to do because he knows about the trip or how to tell him it is a cruise?

 

Eastern Caribbean. He does not know about it yet and I am looking for a creative & fun way to tell him. :)

[CeleBrat]

What a coincidence...we too are sailing on 8/15 on a "surprise" cruise with the kids. But--we're on the Carnival Freedom.

 

So, here's what we're planning on doing. The cruise is the VERY-LAST week of our summer break, so we are going to make a big deal about telling them that we are going to spend that last week at the beach. And they will say, "Awwwww....Mom! No!"

 

Some of you may think they are being silly and spoiled, but we live in Florida, so we go to the beach a lot. They will absolutely not want to go that last week of summer because they will want to soak up as much time with playing with friends as possible.

 

We will pile in the car with suitcases and drive to Ft. Lauderdale the night before, and announce, "Here we are!" Then, the next morning we will announce that we are going to drive even further down Florida to another hotel. Again, they will say., "Awwww...Mom!"

 

But instead, we will pull up to the port.

 

HeHeHeeeeeeeee!

 

Can't wait to trick them!

 

CeleBrat

[giraffist]

When my son was 8 we surprised him by taking him on his first cruise. We told him we were driving to Texas for spring break. My in-laws live in Texas, so we go there once or twice every year, so it is not that big a deal. We did drive to Texas - but we drove to Galveston and took a 7 night cruise on Rhapsody of the Seas. We told him in the car on the way down. A tradition for when we take long road trips is to do a treasure hunt if he takes a nap. While he naps, I hide little clues, like look in seat pocket in front of you, look in the snack bag, look in the drink holder, etc., with the last clue leading to a prize (usually a book and some candy, or a small toy and some candy). For this trip, the cruise book with a note telling him about the cruise was his prize. He absolutely loved it. He is 11 now, and we leave in 2 1/2 weeks for Alaska for his 3rd cruise.

[Kristi Williamson]

In 2007 we took our two oldest, both boys, on their first cruise. We told them we were driving down to Florida to look at a car for their Dad. After we hit the road I couldn't keep my mouth shut and ended up telling them. They were SOOOO excited they could hardly sleep that night.

 

The best part was that it was the Mariner from Port Canaveral. The look on their faces as that HUGE ship came into view was just priceless. It was sitting beside a Disney ship and made it look like a toy in comparison. They'll be going on their 3rd cruise in a few weeks. It's their sister's second cruise. We can't wait!

 

I think it would be fun to wrap his cruise docs as an "out of school" gift. He'll have all summer to plan his adventures and really get into it. ;)

[jhdoublin]

What a coincidence...we too are sailing on 8/15 on a "surprise" cruise with the kids. But--we're on the Carnival Freedom.

 

So, here's what we're planning on doing. The cruise is the VERY-LAST week of our summer break, so we are going to make a big deal about telling them that we are going to spend that last week at the beach. And they will say, "Awwwww....Mom! No!"

 

Some of you may think they are being silly and spoiled, but we live in Florida, so we go to the beach a lot. They will absolutely not want to go that last week of summer because they will want to soak up as much time with playing with friends as possible.

 

We will pile in the car with suitcases and drive to Ft. Lauderdale the night before, and announce, "Here we are!" Then, the next morning we will announce that we are going to drive even further down Florida to another hotel. Again, they will say., "Awwww...Mom!"

 

But instead, we will pull up to the port.

 

HeHeHeeeeeeeee!

 

Can't wait to trick them!

 

CeleBrat

 

 

This is kinda what I was thinking too. I remember our first cruise my daughter was about 7 and the look on her face when we walked up next to the port was priceless- of course she knew but it was pretty neat.

 

You could maybe tell him you are going to the beach for the week- and then stay the night in the hotel - you will want to anyway-unless you live close. Then the next day act like you are changing hotels or something (because you have to pack your suitcase up again)-and go to the area where he can see the ship and say surprise!!!!!!

Something along that line anyway.

 

I am sure you guys will have a blast- just spending time together will be great for both of you.

 

Good luck!

[libertylover]

So, here's my update on how I decided to "tell" my son about the cruise: :p

 

I made up a rhyme:

Roses are red

The ocean is blue

Can you guess

What we're going to do

 

Then in powerpoint I made 5 slides and put one part of the rhyme on each slide. Along with the line of the rhyme I put picture(s). The first one I put a bunch of roses. The second one a picture of the ocean. The third one I put about 15 pictures of stuff he'd like on the ship. The forth one I put a picture of a lifeboat. And on the last one is a photo of the ship and all the information about what we're doing. I cut them into puzzle pieces. I gave him the first one and he started to groan ... he hates puzzles, always has, but that's part of my fun. I told him that once he put it together then the next day he'd get the next puzzle. It seriously took him almost a week to want to do the first one but now that he's on puzzle #4 it's going much quickly. He HAS actually guessed correctly by the time he finished the puzzle with all of the activities onboard-- that it's a crusie -- but I'm playing innocent.

 

So anyway, by the end of the weekend he should have all the details and I will have had my fun. :D

[Ula]

Shoot, I was thinking you should do a riddle a day to prolong the anticipation. People here are pretty smart you could start with riddles about the ports. At 13 your son might enjoy trying to figure this out. Save the easy one for last.

[rolloman]

I would tell him you were taking him to Disney World. Then go straight to the port via cab. You can tell him you have to fly into Miami because it was a cheaper flight.... Whatever you decide I am sure it will be fun. Just a word of caution, in case you do not know ,since he is only 13 I believe you will have to have a signed notarized document from his dad allowing permission for him to sail.

[Warm Breezes]

Pack a carry on for him (Duffle or Back Pack)with stuff he could use on the cruise:

 

Underwater camera

Disposable camera

Book Carribean Ports

Flip Flops

Swimsuit

Water Bottle

Binoculars

Suntan Lotion

Puzzle Book

MP3 Player

Lanyard

Arcade $$

Hat

Gum

ETC....

[kath11071]

Your situation sounds a lot like mine. Last January, I planned a surprise birthday vacation to Punta Cana for my then 11-year-son. Prior to leaving, I took any opportunity when he was out of the house to pack and even got my ex in on the surprise since I had him sign a "just-in-case" notarized letter saying I was allowed to take him out of the country. I found a brochure of the resort, printed out a colored copy, and wrote on the back page, "So get yourself dressed, because we've got a plane to catch!" On the morning of the trip, I woke him up early (knowing how pleasant he is in the mornings), and presented him with the brochure in an envelope. As he groggily paged through it, it didn't register to him until he read the last page, and said, "You mean, NOW!?!?" Needless to say, it was the best morning we've spent together in YEARS!

We're going on our first cruise (the two of us) in 16 days. I figure I'm going to enjoy every minute he is still willing to spend with me until it's no longer "cool." Have a great time!!

[endymion6942]

My son (13) and I are going on the RCCL Liberty cruise on Aug 15.

 

His father and I (we're divorced now) went on a cruise when he was 5 and we promised to take him the next time we went. Needless to say, we never went on another one. :p

 

So, anyway, this will be our first vacation ever with just him and I. I'd like to surprise him in some kind of special/unique/fun way. He knows something is up because I've mentioned a week we'll be gone in August and we got his passport.

 

Any ideas? :D

 

Been there-Done that.

DON"T TELL HIM!

 

Pack some clothes and the meds he might need. Tell him to bring his gameboy or whatever and just go.

 

When you arrive at the ship, he will do into shock. Don't worry if you forgot to pack something, you can always get a few things while your on your trip.

 

I did this to my wife and kids a few years ago. I refused to tell them where we were going. IT WAS GREAT!

[rolloman]

Been there-Done that.

DON"T TELL HIM!

 

I did this to my wife and kids a few years ago. I refused to tell them where we were going. IT WAS GREAT!

 

You must have a very understanding wife. No way I get away with that.