Fun ways to tell your kids?

We've booked for our very first cruise, and I'm starting to think of fun ways to tell the kids that we're going (they've wanted to go on a cruise for years but we couldn't afford to until now). They're 8 and 10.

Has anyone got a fun story about how they 'announced' the cruise to their kids as a surprise?

We cruise a couple of times a year but never during Christmas/New Years. This past Christmas we decided to cruise. We did not tell our daughter anything. We just surprised her. She found out when we got to the port. It's very difficult to pull off, if you decide to go a similar route. HAVE FUN!!

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We're taking our kids next year and haven't told them yet either. I'm gonna do scavenger hunt for them also I've seen where ppl have gotten puzzles made special order online and when the kids put it together it announced the cruise. My kids will be 4 & 10 cruise time. Let me know if you hear of anything else.

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We are doing Alaska next August with a 12, 9, 7 and 6 YO. We told them at Christmas with a story and a huge amount of stuffed animals. Black bears, polar bears, brown bears, a car train, helicopter, boat, plane etc. The kids thought it was awesome. I opened up suitcases and there they were. We got most of them at yard sales.

They had the best time. We bought wayyyyy tooo many stuffed toys but I'm thinking we will take them all on board and leave behind the ones we don't want with the kid area on the ship.

You could tell them that you are just visiting the ship and are going on board to have a look round. Then when it sets sail act surprised.

Regards John

We made our first cruise a surprise for our kids. We told them we were going to a late movie and drove to the airport. I thought they would be on to us but the kids (ages 10,8 and 4) didn't notice a thing. Grandma was in another car behind us with all the luggage. We actually sat in front of the drop off area for a few minutes before someone looked up from their electronic devices and asked what we were doing there. We told them we were going on a cruise! They didn't believe us. "We don't have any bags" etc. Once they figured it out they were beyond excited. However, packing for 5 for a cruise without being detected is exhausting and nearly impossible. This year we gave it as a Christmas gift. Wrapped with snorkels, sunscreen, etc.

My husband and I sailed alone in 2015 for our first cruise. We met a couple and stayed in contact with them and have become really good friends. We visited them while vacationing in Tennessee and our kids, ages 12, 10 and 3 met them.Our friends (from previous cruise) are also cruising with us again on this cruise coming up on the 27th.

The kids still don't know about the cruise. The plan is to tell them we are spending a couple days in New Orleans to visit with our friends who are coming down to visit (they are originally from down here). That way, the kids won't question packing our suitcase because they think we are spending a couple nights in a hotel in New Orleans while they are on Mardi Gras vacation from school. Can't wait to see if we can actually pull this off and see their face when they see the ship and realize where we are going. I've tried to surprise them with our last Disney vacation but was so excited that I ended up telling them way in advance. This is the closest I've come to not spilling the beans.....13 days and counting.

We Cruise Out In May... I'm Waiting Until I Get To Port To Tell My Kids, I Will Be Recording The Whole Thing Lol...This Will Be Their First Time Doing A Cruise, I've Been On Several.

We gave the kids snorkels, rolling duffels and luggage tags for Christmas. My oldest asked "Are we going on a trip or something.?" Lol. I played dumb. Then After they opened all their gifts, I handed them one last package which had the cruise catalog/book inside with specific pages marked. At first they didn't catch on but finally realized why they were getting those snorkels! They were super excited [emoji4]

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There were some great ideas on here!! Lucky kids!!:D

We did the whole scavenger hunt thing for our very first cruise- had them running all over the house finding clues. Final clue was new suitcases with new bathing suits and beach towels.

For our upcoming cruise to Alaska, I really wanted to surprise them- but unfortunately as they get older, coordinating sports schedules with vacation schedules becomes more difficult... plus I was just too stinking excited to keep the secret for very long! ;p

There were some great ideas on here!! Lucky kids!!:D

 

We did the whole scavenger hunt thing for our very first cruise- had them running all over the house finding clues. Final clue was new suitcases with new bathing suits and beach towels.

 

For our upcoming cruise to Alaska, I really wanted to surprise them- but unfortunately as they get older, coordinating sports schedules with vacation schedules becomes more difficult... plus I was just too stinking excited to keep the secret for very long! ;p

Umm, I don't want to be rude Diana, but that kid in the middle is really ugggggllly! Hope he gets his look from his father :rolleyes:

Umm, I don't want to be rude Diana, but that kid in the middle is really ugggggllly! Hope he gets his look from his father :rolleyes:

I would love to have him as my kid- I bet he would be a better listener than my human ones LOL!!! :')

I would love to have him as my kid- I bet he would be a better listener than my human ones LOL!!! :')

LOL... True, so very true.

Since we got amazon firestick we get you tube on our tv.so we started showing videos of 2 ships we were thinking about with similar itineraries.

Our 7 year old grandaughter got interested,especially,with the kids acitivities and the shopping and the balcony views.so she starts going "I wanna go on them".we said "which one?" she told us.so now she thinks it was her idea to go .although,we did let her choose the ship.we live in new jersey and the choices were carnival pride from baltimore and ncl breakaway from ny.she chose the breakaway.both leaving same day