Gift exchange ideas needed.

[sassy~one]

Hello, IF you were in a Carnival gift bag exchange, what would you enjoy getting? Limit 10.00

Thanks

[edspec]

A $10 Carnival gift card.

[angelsfort]

We did a gift exchange on our last cruise...  some of the items we received were: (we had 14 cabins participating and most chose to gift to all cabins)

 

small hand sanitizer bottles

little glass bottles with beach sand and sea shells inside

framed image of the ship we were on (was a holographic frame with ship name cut in cardstock around it)

duck keychains

rubber ducks

plastic cups with lids/straws and our names in vinyl on them

chapsticks (many... in multiple flavors from different cabins)

fridge magnets from the city/town the gift giver was from

drink coozies

glow sticks (bracelets, necklaces, etc)

sunglasses (in carnival colors)

USB charging port shaped like a chili pepper

night lights

mini-towel animals (made from baby washcloths)

letter initial resin keychains (the first initial of each cabin participant)

small sketch book with colored pencils

bottle of cajun seasoning from one of our New Orleans participants (YES!)

Carnival pen / pencil set

ginger tea bags

very strong hook magnets (in carnival colors) for the cabin walls/doors

candy

spiral notebook with pencil

yellow highlighter

 

I'm pretty sure that I'm forgetting some stuff (and if I think of it, I'll come back in and add more to the list!)

[Grannygirl21]

I've gotten several nice items:

lanyards

liquid IV drink packets 

make up remover packets

wash cloths for removing makeup

Tylenol

room spray for bathroom

plastic straws

baby plastic ducks

fold up nylon tote bags

candy

beads

lip balm

shot glass

hook magnet for wall

I even got an airplane size bottle of rum one time.🤣

 

They are so much fun.  I sign up to participate each time I cruise.

 

[RD64]

I am Confused….Why do you feel the need to buy gifts for a gift exchange for strangers you have never met before? Then for those people that take this exchange to be the be all and end all of their cruise -when they receive a “gift” from said strangers that does not meet their expectations - how do you deal with the hurt feelings?
 

Lip balm? Tylenol? Shot glass that will n3ver make its way back home? Candy that I may - or may not like? Thanks - but I am good.

Edited July 25, 2023 by RD64
Additional

[LasVegasSolo]

RD64 very easy don’t participate which would include not reading about the people that do find enjoyment participating easy really.

 

I am looking forward to participating with my September cruise so thanks for the ideas.

Edited July 25, 2023 by LasVegasSolo
Added info

[momof3cruisers]

I’ve also done several. I make waterproof stickers, so for on exchange that was on @ cruise over Mardi Gras, I made Let the Good Times Roll waterproof stickers for water bottles or mugs along with silicone straws and airline bottles of rum. Which I didn’t even THINK of being contraband and just had in a ziploc bag in my suitcase. Realized it when someone in the group asked how we got them on. Dumb luck, pure and simple. (Limit was $5.)

 

Halloween cruises we have gotten some fun decor, a cute welcome mat—just thin but Halloween themed. We gave a bottle opener that was a skeleton.

 

Candy and salty snacksa “survival kit” with Tylenol, advil, liquid IV, lozenges etc.  Poo Pouri, towel clips, etc.  Some are junk, honestly, but whatever. It’s fun to deliver them and fun to see what arrives. I particularly like doing this on holiday cruises because it seems like more people decorate their doors and while delivering the bags, you get to see lots of fun ideas.

[angelsfort]

12 hours ago, RD64 said:

I am Confused….Why do you feel the need to buy gifts for a gift exchange for strangers you have never met before? Then for those people that take this exchange to be the be all and end all of their cruise -when they receive a “gift” from said strangers that does not meet their expectations - how do you deal with the hurt feelings?
 

Lip balm? Tylenol? Shot glass that will n3ver make its way back home? Candy that I may - or may not like? Thanks - but I am good.

 

and I'm confused about why you feel the need to comment on a thread that is obviously not for you.  If you're not interested in participating in a gift exchange then don't participate.  Pure and simple.

 

the gift exchange is not a "be all end all" type of event... its simply a fun addition. Not all gifts are going to be good and not all of them will be bad but you go into it already knowing that and you set your expectations accordingly.   Even for the gifts that I wasn't super excited about, it was still fun to come back to the cabin to find a gift waiting. 

 

Not everyone has the same kind of budget...  we set our gift exchange with a minimum $ but no max $, so everyone could get whatever they wanted.  Some obviously went above and beyond with their gifts and others went to the dollar store and filled their cart with things that "fit the bill" - and again, you sign up for the exchange KNOWING that there will likely be both types of people in your group.

 

And as Momof3cruisers stated, it's also fun to walk around the different decks and see the door decorations and creative ideas other folks have come up with.

[angelsfort]

I thought of a few other items that we received in our gift exchange

 

card games (UNO / Skip-Bo)

 

travel sized games - we got a little yahtzee game (tiny dice & tiny score cards)

and a little game called "toss up" (another dice game) in a little plastic container.  

I can see how you can get real creative with the travel sized games if you're okay with spending a little more on your gifts for the exchange.

 

I really enjoyed getting these little games in our bag and I've already started collecting them (buying a few at a time...  so that by the time we go on our next cruise, I'll have plenty and won't have a big expense all at one time)

[Happy0810]

I've participated in two gift exchanges.  We received a lot of what has already been mentioned so I'll let you know what we gave. 

 

On the first one, we gifted tropical themed Christmas ornaments (fall cruise/would work for Christmas in July too).  The other one we gifted local jam made with fruit that our home state is known for (spring cruise).

[JeffTonu]

Hey everyone! So excited to chime in on the gift exchange ideas!

[Pyxie]

I've participated a few times. A couple of times we did Goo Goo Clusters candy (we're from Nashville where they are from), though, this one could be iffy due to allergies as they contain nuts.

 

We also once did custom tea-lights with the ship name and date with battery operated candles. These were from Oriental Trading and I really did it because I had a good coupon. Otherwise they probably would have been a little over budget.

[angelsfort]

31 minutes ago, Pyxie said:

I've participated a few times. A couple of times we did Goo Goo Clusters candy (we're from Nashville where they are from), though, this one could be iffy due to allergies as they contain nuts.

 

We also once did custom tea-lights with the ship name and date with battery operated candles. These were from Oriental Trading and I really did it because I had a good coupon. Otherwise they probably would have been a little over budget.

 

I love the idea of giving something that represents your home town/ home state!  I would also add a card of some kind that explains the significance of it as well, so that the recipient knows exactly why it was gifted. 

[momsdumplin]

On 7/24/2023 at 8:28 PM, RD64 said:

I am Confused….Why do you feel the need to buy gifts for a gift exchange for strangers you have never met before? Then for those people that take this exchange to be the be all and end all of their cruise -when they receive a “gift” from said strangers that does not meet their expectations - how do you deal with the hurt feelings?
 

Lip balm? Tylenol? Shot glass that will n3ver make its way back home? Candy that I may - or may not like? Thanks - but I am good.

Wow.. You're really fun to be around, huh? 

[mz-s]

beach hat

[Derbie]

Purchase candy or something that is specific to the area you live in. We like taking a Jack Daniels small cake when we exchange. 

[JeffTonu]

On 4/17/2024 at 2:40 PM, JeffTonu said:

Hey everyone! So excited to chime in on the gift exchange ideas!

 

I think a photo blanket would be an amazing gift—imagine wrapping up in memories from the cruise with your favorite pics! It's a keepsake and cozy at the same time, perfect for those colder nights on deck or reminiscing at home. What about a travel-themed board game or a custom journal for all the cruise moments? Both can keep the fun alive long after we disembark. Curious what everyone else is thinking about for the exchange—there’s a treasure trove of possibilities! Let’s make it unforgettable!

[Umwakichwa]

I’ve cruised a lot but never done this. I’m aware of “fish hangers” on Disney cruises but how does one organize/become involved in one of these on carnival? Thanks in advance for any experiences you can share!