Poll: Celebrating Occasions on a Cruise

What timeframe do you use when you notify the cruise line that you'll be celebrating a special occasion (birthday, anniversary, etc.) on a cruise?

My late DH and I celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary, 50th birthdays, 30th, 35th and 40th Wedding Anniversaries on HAL ships. We always had our TA (in the years when we had one) mark special occasion on our bookings at the time we booked. If we wanted a cake or celebration, we would make mention after we boarded. :)

We had some fabulous celebrations on HAL ships through the years. We were very appreciative for the efforts to which they went on our behalf.

Even if it is a special occasion to us, we don't want to have anything special done for us by the ship.

Wonder if we are the only ones who feel like this? :confused:

LuLu

I would ask you TA to notify them when you make the book or at least at FP time if you want some sort of recognition

Royal Caribbean asks if anyone is celebrating something on the cruise when making your booking so for them, I say within 1-2 weeks.

One line says they will acknowledge a celebration if it is within a certain time frame of your cruise. I sort of remember it being Princess and if I'm wrong, someone will correct me.;):) Don't know if they hold to the time limit since we were "legal".:D

We actually celebrated our 40th Anniversary 9 months before the actual date. It was the only time all 6 of our group could get off work and cruise (a 30 day cruise to hawaii/tahiti) We told the ship as we did a vow renewal (which was so special) and had a very special dinner at the Pinnacle afterwards.

Now last year for my 60th birthday we didn't say anything even though we were onboard on the day, but we did have dinner at the Pinnicle that evening.

What timeframe do you use when you notify the cruise line that you'll be celebrating a special occasion (birthday, anniversary, etc.) on a cruise?

I no longer celebrate my birthdays. However, I do celebrate anniversaries of those birthdays. Next March I'll be celebrating the 40th anniversary of my 25th birthday. ;)

To me, falsifying the date of your special occasion just to get some special treatment is not very honest. If you want them to help you celebrate your special occasion, then schedule your cruise so you will be on the ship on that special day. Not weeks or months before or after.

I am a firm believer that a person should only celebrate a birthday or anniversary on the exact date when cruising. I hate it when I hear that people will have the ship celebrate their special occasion even though it may have already passed or isn't due until they are off the cruise.

I am a firm believer that a person should only celebrate a birthday or anniversary on the exact date when cruising. I hate it when I hear that people will have the ship celebrate their special occasion even though it may have already passed or isn't due until they are off the cruise.

So, would you consider this wrong? On the exact date of our anniversary, we had an overnight in Rosyth for Edinburgh, Scotland. Since we would be off the ship basically the entire day, we put the next day down as our wedding anniversary. They brought a cake to us at dinner, and sang "Happy Anniversary".

I think people should celebrate whenever they want. I don't know if this would be considered dishonesty. Since we've spent most of our adult life doing volunteering with various organizations, we are rarely free to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries on their actual dates.

I would not try to get a free dinner at the Mandarin if it was not my actual birthday. But I do go there when I can on my actual birthday, because then it is free. To say it was my birthday when it was not, in that situation, would be dishonest.

Last year we went on our first cruise. We told our TA we were so excited to do this as it was a long overdue celebration of our 20th anniversary. We didn't expect anything but we were given a cake. That was nice of them. So we had been married almost 23 1/2 years at that point. We weren't trying to scam anything special out of anyone. We were just excited to finally be going away. :)

Next year we are taking a cruise that will encompass our 25th anniversary and my birthday. Again, we don't expect free stuff.

I don't think people are being dishonest by celebrating a special occasion whenever they can get the time off. Unless of course they cruise 3 times a year and it's their anniversary every single time. ;)

I think people should celebrate whenever they want. I don't know if this would be considered dishonesty. Since we've spent most of our adult life doing volunteering with various organizations, we are rarely free to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries on their actual dates.....I don't think people are being dishonest by celebrating a special occasion whenever they can get the time off. Unless of course they cruise 3 times a year and it's their anniversary every single time. ;)

If it's OK for you to ask for special treatment regardless of when your birthday or anniversary was, it should be OK for everyone as well. What makes your volunteering any more important than any other person's activities?

Let's say that someone's next cruise is in March. Are you suggesting that it would be OK for them to celebrate their anniversary (Nov 12), her birthday (July 24) and his birthday (August 2) on that cruise? If we're going to allow some people to fudge the dates, why shouldn't everyone be able to fudge as much as they have to celebrate their special occasions that won't happen for weeks or months before or after the cruise? Where do you draw the line?

So, would you consider this wrong? On the exact date of our anniversary, we had an overnight in Rosyth for Edinburgh, Scotland. Since we would be off the ship basically the entire day, we put the next day down as our wedding anniversary. They brought a cake to us at dinner, and sang "Happy Anniversary".

For the record, I do find it dishonest to lie about the actual timing of your "special" date to trick the cruise line into giving you special treatment at no cost to you. If you pay for it, fine. But if you aren't, you are deceiving them for personal gain. We're boarding our cruise on Feb 1st, a cruise booked to celebrate my wife's 60th birthday, which happens to be on Feb 5th. We'll be celebrating her actual birth date while overnighting in downtown Bangkok. We will not then ask for another celebration the next night on the ship. We chose to celebrate in Bangkok instead of on the ship. We wouldn't think of faking the date to request another celebration the ship. That just does not seem right to us.

We did celebrate our 25th anniversary on a Panama cruise a few years ago. We celebrated on the actual date - which was the reason for the scheduling of that cruise.

I believe I said that telling someone it's a special occasion in order to get free stuff was being dishonest.

We got a free cake. We never asked for it. We told our TA that we were excited to finally be celebrating our 20th anniversary 3 years late. If people want to do nice things for us "just because" then we say thank you.

No, volunteering doesn't make us more special. I could have just said "we rarely get to spend our special days on the actual days" and left it at that. In order for it to be a complete story, I merely mentioned why we are rarely able to.

But to my point, which is the opposite of yours, no, I don't think that if your anniversary falls a day, week or month before or after your cruise, that you are lying, sneaking or tricking anyone. If that's the purpose of your cruise then that's the purpose of your cruise.

But then I prefer to think the best of people and not that they are lying, sneaking or tricking anyone to get free stuff. Especially a $5 cake.

I am a firm believer that a person should only celebrate a birthday or anniversary on the exact date when cruising. I hate it when I hear that people will have the ship celebrate their special occasion even though it may have already passed or isn't due until they are off the cruise.

I agree for the most part. I make a few exceptions such as cited above that it was a late sailaway from a port and most were off the ship. I don't really think celebrating a birthday or anniversary with cake and hoopla two weeks earlier or later is 'cool'. :D

If the special occasion occurs during your cruise, than I think it's fine. Even if you don't celebrate it on the exact date, as the two posters who were on an overnight visit ashore on that day. But, to ask for some kind of celebratory cake, song, etc. for an occasion that doesn't occur while on the cruise, that is asking for too much. If you decide to take a cruise to celebrate your anniversary six months later, that was your choice. But to then ask for some kind of treat from the cruise line for an event that doesn't happen during the cruise, but instead weeks or months later OFF the ship, seems a bit much. You no doubt have already celebrated on the exact date. Now you expect another celebration while on the cruise?

If the special occasion occurs during your cruise, than I think it's fine. Even if you don't celebrate it on the exact date, as the two posters who were on an overnight visit ashore on that day.

 

<snip>

I think that is a great rule of thumb. Well put.

LOVE your avatar..... :)

To me, falsifying the date of your special occasion just to get some special treatment is not very honest. If you want them to help you celebrate your special occasion, then schedule your cruise so you will be on the ship on that special day. Not weeks or months before or after.

Yikes. Who said anything about wanting special treatment? In many cases, couples choose to cruise to celebrate a marital anniversary; it's the point of booking the cruise. We're celebrating our 42nd in January on a cruise departing Miami on the 27th, even though the exact date falls on 17 January. I could care less if the Regent cruise line takes note; WE surely will and that is sufficient unto the day.

Apparently there is no topic CC'ers cannot turn into a lecture. :rolleyes:

The OP said nothing about wanting recognition on a day that was not their actual special event.

Apparently there is no topic CC'ers cannot turn into a lecture. :rolleyes:

 

The OP said nothing about wanting recognition on a day that was not their actual special event.

Hah!

Yikes. Who said anything about wanting special treatment? In many cases, couples choose to cruise to celebrate a marital anniversary; it's the point of booking the cruise. We're celebrating our 42nd in January on a cruise departing Miami on the 27th, even though the exact date falls on 17 January. I could care less if the Regent cruise line takes note; WE surely will and that is sufficient unto the day.

If someone notify's the cruise line of a special event, as some people on this thread do, isn't that asking for something special to be done? The OP indicated this in the very first post!: "What timeframe do you use when you notify the cruise line that you'll be celebrating a special occasion (birthday, anniversary, etc.) on a cruise?"

:confused:

Apparently there is no topic CC'ers cannot turn into a lecture. :rolleyes:

 

The OP said nothing about wanting recognition on a day that was not their actual special event.

The OP didn't. But others did. The discussion is about what other people do, not what the op does. Re-read post #6.

I call your :rolleyes: and raise you two :rolleyes::rolleyes:. As OctoberKat so eloquetly wrote: "Hah!" :D

If someone notify's the cruise line of a special event, as some people on this thread do, isn't that asking for something special to be done? The OP indicated this in the very first post! "What timeframe do you use when you notify the cruise line that you'll be celebrating a special occasion (birthday, anniversary, etc.) on a cruise?"

 

:confused:

I am confused as well. Both my travel agent and the cruise line asked if we are celebrating a special occasion. Should I then lie and say no?

Amused at the turns this discussion is taking. It's not serious, people.

OP here. Our rule of thumb has been if the cruise falls within a week of a birthday or anniversary we will let them know. For instance, today is my birthday, but I won't be celebrating it still on December 27 when we start a cruise on a Princess ship. That's too late for me. But I can understand someone who has had a milestone anniversary or birthday could wish to still be celebrating--or to celebrate it a few weeks early.

On Princess, the celebration consists of a sign and balloons on your cabin door and a small cake with a candle delivered by singing waiters in the dining room.

We celebrated our first anniversary in August on the Caribbean Princess. We opted to do the Ultimate Balcony Dinner on our actual anniversary. We told our waiters and tablemates the night before that we would not be there. Our waiters brought us cakes the next night without our asking them to.

On Princess, the celebration consists of a sign and balloons on your cabin door and a small cake with a candle delivered by singing waiters in the dining room.

Yikes! Sounds more like torture than a celebration! A bunch of waiters from different nationalities trying to sing "happy birthday" in a variety of out of tune accents! :D

I'll pass on that! ;)

Yikes! Sounds more like torture than a celebration! A bunch of waiters from different nationalities trying to sing "happy birthday" in a variety of out of tune accents! :D

 

I'll pass on that! ;)

Seriously.