Christmas gift (how to reveal to kids)

Wondering if anyone had any great ideas for revealing to the kids that we are going to go on a cruise this summer as a Christmas present. We took our first cruise in November as a couple and are now wanting to take this kids on one for summer vacation and was going to make it a Christmas gift. Was thinking a scavenger hunt with several clues, but just seeing if anyone out there has any unique ideas?

How old are your children? Will this be a Caribbean cruise? If so, get each of them a "Pirates of the Caribbean" coloring book or sticker book and attach a card or note that says "Although we won't see any pirates, we are going on a Caribbean cruise on _________ (fill in the date)." Or, put together a package with flip-flops, sunglasses, maybe a bottle of sun block, with a note saying "Put these aside for our family cruise on _______." If the kids need new suitcases or carry-ons, get each of them one (gift wrapped if possible) with a card saying "For our family cruise on ______". If none of these ideas work for you, maybe they'll give you some ideas of your own. ;)

How old are the kids? Do the kids understand what a cruise is about? If they don't, you may want to show them videos or cruise related movies before you surprise them (once again, don't know what your kids ages are, but my kids love the Alvin and the Chipmunks' Chipwrecked movie, which features the Carnival Dream).

I know that your cruise is still months away, but another thing we did for our last cruise was that we started (about a month prior) a "countdown calendar" which we taped to the front door of the house. The kids decorated the calendar with vacation related images and stickers. They were beyond excited when they reached the zero day mark. Hmmmm, wonder where they get that from....:o

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We are wrapping up new swimsuits and have ordered t shirts for them to open for our cruise in February

Kids range in age.....3 to 14. All great ideas so far.

Wondering if anyone had any great ideas for revealing to the kids that we are going to go on a cruise this summer as a Christmas present. We took our first cruise in November as a couple and are now wanting to take this kids on one for summer vacation and was going to make it a Christmas gift. Was thinking a scavenger hunt with several clues, but just seeing if anyone out there has any unique ideas?

When I was a child, my parents decided to give my brothers and I a cruise as a Christmas Gift. I am 30 now, but we still always talk about it!

They put a box together for each of us (Xerox paper box to be exact). In the box they wrapped gifts - travel games, beach towels, snorkeling gear, travel accessories, etc. The fun part was for no apparent reason, we were only allowed to open one gift every 15 minutes (this was more mean then fun!:rolleyes:) Finally, there was a envelope in the box that we were not allowed to open until last. So by the end of the what felt like 3 hours, we were wondering where we were going with all of these travel things we opened. By this point, the excitement was to the extreme! Finally, when we got to open the envelope, my parents took the picture of the ship and itinerary and dates and blew it up to 11x17 and laminated it to serve as placemats so we could look at it every night at dinner with full anticipation and excitement to go on our cruise! :D It's amazing how much getting a cruise for Christmas stuck. I'm sure no matter how you decide to do it, they will love it!

We will be surprising our 10 & 7 year old with a cruise on Christmas morning. It has been so tough for me to keep this secret as I am so excited for our first family cruise. We have bought the kids new bathing suits, flip flops, summer clothes we live up north with lots of snow so they will think we are crazy. Those will be the gifts they open first. I have also bought both kids journals with their initials and will print out our flight itinerary and cruise itinerary to put into the journals, as well as some printable pages I found online for them to write in daily while cruising - this they will open last. There will be one bigger box that I purchased a blow up cruise ship and will buy a couple balloons to go into the box with that saying We are going on a Cruise February 2015 :D

I can't wait to see their faces. My parents leave tomorrow for their cruise so we have been showing them pictures and they are like we want to go. Let us know how the surprise goes!!

We're surprising our boys Christmas morning as well…but we have to leave Christmas day for ours. I'm filling each of their stockings with travel items - games, snacks, etc…and the bottom will have their Carnival lanyards with a couple of fake sign & sail cards with the ship information. I figured this way they can just bring their stockings with them when we leave later in the day.

I also asked the travel agent to send a carnival catalog - which came today! So, they'll be able to flip through and see where we are going on our drive.

While your children like to cruise and it would be a nice gift for them, they are still going to be expecting some regular Christmas gifts from Santa on Christmas morning. ;)

LuLu

This wouldn't work for the 3 year old but would for the older ones. You could always buy them Carnival Gift Cards online from Carnival direct. They come in as low as $25 denominations. For $1.99 extra, you can get a tin to put them in. I ordered one this morning and they shipped it already. You have to order the card before you can order a tin though and you can't order more tins than cards.

Wondering if anyone had any great ideas for revealing to the kids that we are going to go on a cruise this summer as a Christmas present. We took our first cruise in November as a couple and are now wanting to take this kids on one for summer vacation and was going to make it a Christmas gift. Was thinking a scavenger hunt with several clues, but just seeing if anyone out there has any unique ideas?

When we took our 12 and 14 year olds on their first (spring break) cruise as their Christmas gift, we wrapped a new pair of white shorts around the cruise itinerary for each of them. Boy, were they surprised!! Also, since it was still three months away, we told them we would double whatever money they saved from working/doing chores during that time for their spending money. Hope that helps

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Have done "clues" each wrapped in a in a big box & they have to figure it out. (maybe sunscreen, photos of places, trinkets that represent things, etc.) Dollar store is good for this.

I have also done a puzzle where each child has a couple pieces & when they put it together it reveals words or a photo.

If they have e-mail......................

e-mail them an un-narrated story in a sequence of pictures & photos. For instance, a photo of your home, a suitcase, a taxi, the airport, a plane taking off, a (Caribbean?) bus or taxi, the ship, a cabin, ship at sea, another port, the pool, another port, the kids club, another port ..... // ...... aircraft landing, your home again, their beds (with them fast-asleep?). And mebbe a calendar marked with the dates.

It worked on my girlfriend :)

JB :)

If they have e-mail......................

e-mail them an un-narrated story in a sequence of pictures & photos. For instance, a photo of your home, a suitcase, a taxi, the airport, a plane taking off, a (Caribbean?) bus or taxi, the ship, a cabin, ship at sea, another port, the pool, another port, the kids club, another port ..... // ...... aircraft landing, your home again, their beds (with them fast-asleep?). And mebbe a calendar marked with the dates.

 

It worked on my girlfriend :)

 

JB :)

This idea might work for the 14 year old, but not for the three year old, who probably doesn't even have an email account.

Kids range in age.....3 to 14. All great ideas so far.

This idea might work for the 14 year old, but not for the three year old, who probably doesn't even have an email account.

Dammit. Had been hoping my 3-year old niece might be able to show me how to download photos. ;)

Looks like you're gonna have to use colouring books for the little 'un, KSUSHAQ

JB :)

When the kid were young we surprised them by not telling them about the trip at all. We just packed their suitcases the day before and hid them in the minivan (along with my DW's). The next morning she told the kids to hop in the van as she was going to drive me to the airport because I had a 'business trip'. They didn't realize anything was up until I started getting all the suitcases out of the van after we had parked at the airport.

Of course this strategy cost us a few regular Santa gifts to put under the tree, but it did save a few months of the kids bouncing off the walls anticipating the trip.;)

We were like you, took our first cruise then bought one for our kids. We took a big box and put a letter in it with a clue and directions to find another box. Then in that one was another letter with another clue and directions to one more small box with a picture of a palm tree and directions to one last letter hidden in the tree. The letter then revealed all the info of the cruise. Ship, Port, Date, Time.

They were going crazy until they got the letter and then could not believe it. They were so excited. My wife and I had a ball watching them..

GOOD LUCK !

A couple years back my brother and SIL surprised their kids (9 and 14) on Christmas morning. They had made a dvd (from their camera and burned it on computer) like a movie, with fake palm trees and ocean, sand the whole nine yards. They put it in a box with both of their names on it, then instructed the kids to open the "family" present and put it in the dvd player and watch.

After a short story they revealed the surprise with a big fake cruise ship going across the screen with the date of the cruise...they were filming the kids as they watched, the expressions on their faces were priceless...they still watch it every once in a while and laugh at their expressions...:D

KSUSHAQ ~ enjoy the "reveal" and all the fun planning ahead!

We surprised our kids with a spring cruise for Christmas a few years ago. They each got a gift bag with individually wrapped & numbered gifts that they had to open simultaneously in numerical order. Started small with shower gel & shaving cream. Lip balm, suntan lotion, aloe, then they had cruise ship ornaments & printed copies of the ships deck plans. It was so much fun watching them open each gift.

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We surprised our kids with a spring cruise for Christmas a few years ago. They each got a gift bag with individually wrapped & numbered gifts that they had to open simultaneously in numerical order. Started small with shower gel & shaving cream. Lip balm' date=' suntan lotion, aloe, then they had cruise ship ornaments & printed copies of the ships deck plans. It was so much fun watching them open each gift.

 

 

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If they're old enough to shave, do you still refer to them as "kids"? I like the idea of the gift bags.

While your children like to cruise and it would be a nice gift for them, they are still going to be expecting some regular Christmas gifts from Santa on Christmas morning. ;)

LuLu

lol, yes, your poor neglected kids only get a cruise for Christmas.

I imagine there isn't a lot for the 3-year-old as far as surprise, but I'm sure you'll come up with something great for the older ones!

What a Christmas to remember this will be. :)

We wrapped snorkel gear along with a certificate for 1 free cruise. The Grand kids loved it.

Such great ideas!! We are doing this next Christmas for our boys as their big gift and I'm already looking for a great way to "wrap" it! LOL

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One of our friends gave her extended family cruise tickets tucked in a guide book for the area they were going. That was one gift no one returned! Maybe an item from that locale?

Repeater

author of Tips From The Cruise Addict’s Wife And More Cruise Tips From The Cruise Addict’s Wife