To SURPRISE your kids, or not???

[Carlyzmom]

I'm very tempted to keep our cruise a surprise and totally FREAK my kids out! They would LOVE it! But, part of me wants to tell them ahead of time (not this early though) - maybe 2-3 months ahead, so we can plan and be EXCITED about it!

 

Anyone have experience with this? Not sure what to do. My husband doesn't get excited (ahead of time) about vacations, so it would be awesome to share my excitement with someone. But a surprise would be fun too.

 

Anyone want to weigh in?

 

FYI, they will be 8 and 11 at the time of the cruise. TIA :)

[MDavis23]

We are sailing in January on the Magic and have not told our 8 year old. We have been down this path before, and the "when are we leaving" gets old. We plan on telling her just a few weeks out this time, leaving January 14th and will tell her after Christmas. In the past when we have told her a couple months out, we have done a calendar and we have also made a paper chain. The paper chain was very fun to make. We cut the paper into strips and on each strip we wrote something about cruising, "Camp Carnival", "balcony", "Funship Freddie", "blue waters", "Cozumel", "swimming with the dolphins", . . . . It was fun to make, fun to take apart as each day went by, and fun to leave together. This cruise I am thinking of surprising her not only with the cruise but also with a limo from Houston to Galveston. She has always wanted to go in a limo. I have only one quote, and the agency said we would need two limos, one for us (6), and one for the luggage. Not sure I want to put forth that much money. HAVE FUN WHATEVER YOU DECIDE!!!

[Kharalew]

My kids are 11 and 3 (4 next month). We are going on our 1st cruise this month. My vote is for you to surpise them which is exactly what I'm doing. Both my kids have mentioned several times about wanting to go on a cruise. (Thanks to comercials!) We told them that we are going to visit grandparents for vacation this year and that we would get to spend a day or so on the beach. heehee. Our plan is that we are going to go to the port and say something like, "Hey let's get a closer look at this big ship!" Then we are going to video tape their response when we tell them that the cruise is our real vacation!

Personally, I think the surpise factor is something that would be remembered as a special event by your kids forever. They will grow up and say, "Remember that time Mom and Dad surprised us with a cruise!"

Good luck and let us know what you decide to do!!!!

[icanshine]

I myself couldn't do the surprise for my kids. I'd ruin it by being overly excited all the time! :) I tell my kids because I like how sometimes, out of nowhere, they get all excited about going on a cruise. I get that way too, so I know where they get it from. It's fun to talk about the cruise, and see what parts they are excited about. My husband also doesn't get into the cruise talk. He loves them, just doesn't feel the desire to bring it up all the time. I use the kids to feed my excitement and well as me feeding theirs.

 

I think, for me, half the fun is the excitement leading up to the cruise.

[joshchristine100700]

We surprised our three boys when we pulled up at the terminal in Nola for our Christmas cruise, their faces were priceless.

[5waldos]

I agree that too far out is hard on both parents and kids. Surprise might be fun- especially since kids get bored with being excited about something awfully fast. Use us to share your excitement- and plan something amazing for them- IF you can keep it in. And I know what it is like when husband doesn't get excited- he begins to really think about it on the plane ride out- and then wants to play a role in deciding what we are going to do!!! Never gonna happen that way.

[GeorgiaMomof4]

My kids are 11 and 3 (4 next month). We are going on our 1st cruise this month. My vote is for you to surpise them which is exactly what I'm doing. Both my kids have mentioned several times about wanting to go on a cruise. (Thanks to comercials!) We told them that we are going to visit grandparents for vacation this year and that we would get to spend a day or so on the beach. heehee. Our plan is that we are going to go to the port and say something like, "Hey let's get a closer look at this big ship!" Then we are going to video tape their response when we tell them that the cruise is our real vacation!

Personally, I think the surpise factor is something that would be remembered as a special event by your kids forever. They will grow up and say, "Remember that time Mom and Dad surprised us with a cruise!"

Good luck and let us know what you decide to do!!!!

 

 

Oh, please let us know what their reaction was and what they had to say when you come back. Just post here! That is so awesome - kids are so special and it's fun as Moms and Dads to be able to surprise them that way! Good luck and have fun!

[LambKnuckles]

On our FIRST cruise, I bought the cruise 7 months before I told them! We cruised the beginning of Feburary and I told my 16 y/o at Christmas.

 

I had her unwrap box inside box inside box, with clues in each... "I really hope you'll sea how much fun it will be..." "Three peas in pod can be FUN!" "You'll be elated when you find out!!" (We were on the Elation..."

 

Anyway... She loved it!!! She loved the surprise and Camp Carnival and subsequent cruises... I surprised her with a B2B for her 21st birthday!!! I broke down and told her on her 20th birthday... and she loved a year of planning and talking to friends about it...

 

So I'd say either way it works!!! As a surprise or let them help you plan...

[QTPieRye]

We surprised our 3 teenagers 18, 16 &14 this past Christmas.... It was very difficult keeping it a secret from them for 8 months. The only thing that made it bearable was that the kids knew that DH and I were going.... i nearly slipped up a few times, but the look on their faces when they saw the luggage tags on the Christmas tree was worth all of the hassle :)

[Kharalew]

Oh, please let us know what their reaction was and what they had to say when you come back. Just post here! That is so awesome - kids are so special and it's fun as Moms and Dads to be able to surprise them that way! Good luck and have fun!

 

Don't worry, I will post as soon as we get back!

[Name Of The Game]

Anticipation is half the fun - tell them!

[SteelerCruiser]

I think they will have fun planning with you......but also it would be fun to say hey we are going on vacation and then pull up to the port to embark on your cruise vacation......either way Hav Fun and Enjoy!!!

[oklahoma cruiser]

I myself couldn't do the surprise for my kids. I'd ruin it by being overly excited all the time! :) I tell my kids because I like how sometimes, out of nowhere, they get all excited about going on a cruise. I get that way too, so I know where they get it from. It's fun to talk about the cruise, and see what parts they are excited about. My husband also doesn't get into the cruise talk. He loves them, just doesn't feel the desire to bring it up all the time. I use the kids to feed my excitement and well as me feeding theirs.

 

I think, for me, half the fun is the excitement leading up to the cruise.

 

Same here at our house. The kids will look over the Carnival book over breakfast, but when dad comes in after work, they tone down the cruise talk.

[Disneycruisers]

We've done Christmas day surprises, and 'new puppies' surprises, but have never done a vacation surprise for our (now 16 year-old) DD. I love surprises myself, but had never thought of surprising her when it came to vacations. Looking back, it probably would have been a lot of fun to see the look on her face (when we went to Disney-world) but a lot of the fun for us was the anticipation and planning.

 

We probably should have surprised her with our first Disneyworld trip, and I can't believe we didn't even think about it (she was 3 1/2 years old.)

[jaixrx]

We surprised the kids last year with our Dream cruise. They were 8 and 9. They thought they were just dropping us off and grandma and grandpop were taking them to their house for the week. Once at the terminal we told them they were coming with us as well as the grandparents. They were ecstatic...still remember their faces.

 

 

This year they they knew they were going on the Freedom and had fun planning with us. As soon as we got home they've been hounding us about which ship we will go on next year....we've created 2 little cruise addicts!

[sylvis]

We surprised our two kids with a 4 night cruise on the Paradise when they were 10 and 8. They thought we were going to stay at a hotel while my husband was at a conference. We did not tell them until we were pulling into the parking structure videotaping the whole time. Luckily for me this was a pack and go special so I only had to keep the surprise for a month!

[cruising with the family]

We have kept it a secret for a while and cruise in 26 days. However, I don't know how much longer we can continue. I don't know how I"m going to keep the packing from the kids. Or loading up the minivan with all the suitcases (there are 5 of us) and their grandmother and her suitcase (she makes #6). Not to mention, they are going to be missing a week of school to cruise, and I was going to get their school work from their teachers before hand.

 

One of our friends who knows that we are cruising slipped and asked us about it today in front of the kids!!!! My DH did some quick thinking, but my middle one is getting suspicious!

[Hamitchell]

We're going on Legend 1/8/12 and giving it to our 2 and 4 year old for Christmas. I bought things for stops in each port on ebay to wrap and have them open one by one.

 

We're also doing a few days in Disney World just prior to it, so I got a WDW snow globe on ebay to have them unwrap and see what they say. Also bought some Carnival cruise stuff--puzzle and die cast stuff--to play with for Christmas.

 

It's hard to keep the secret, but it will be worth seeing their faces on the big day.

[starshine74]

I don't know how people keep it a secret from the kids I just can't! I am excitied myself about the cruise and I must share and it's only my 13 year old son to share with. I did suprise him with a special bon Voyage shirt on our last cruise in the room so that was fun and we also always do a count down calander that he helps make and he keeps track of every night. I guess to each his own but I for one can't keep it to myself. Have fun either way.

[T. Advisor King]

I think if your kids know what a cruise is and you know they would enjoy the surprise, then it would be totally worth it. If they don't have a great sense of what it is, then it might be a bit of a let-down. I would wonder about whether the 4 year-old would appreciate it, but it would have to be both or neither. If your kids were older, I would consider whether the "surprise" would be a negative in that they wouldn't be able to prepare their own lives for being away from home for a while (missing events, assignments, friends, etc). That's less of an issue if it is a shorter cruise without a lot of "there and back" travel.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I don't know how people keep it a secret from the kids I just can't! I am excitied myself about the cruise and I must share and it's only my 13 year old son to share with. .... I guess to each his own but I for one can't keep it to myself. Have fun either way.

 

I think it is just a matter of maturity. If you know that the surprise itself is also a gift, then you just maintain your focus and provide that gift. Otherwise, it's just sort of selfish to ruin the surprise.

 

I took my wife to Vegas one year for her birthday. It took me 6 months to book and plan and required dozens of arrangements for out kids, their sports and activitie, school, etc. When the day came, I got home from work early and told her she had two hours to pack before we had to leave for the airport.

[evilelf]

We surprised our 2 girls (ages 9 and 10) with their first cruise in 2009, on the Carnival Elation out of San Diego. They were expecting to spend the weekend in San Diego. We drove down from L.A., and parked in a lot about a mile from the ship which has a free shuttle (and it's less than 1/2 the price of parking AT the pier). When the "hotel" shuttle driver got close to the pier, he pretended the shuttle was breaking down, pressing on and off the gas pedal to make it jerk, and told us he was going to have to pull off the road and call for another shuttle van. He pulled onto the pier entrance (where shuttle vans are supposed to drop off cruise passengers, unloaded our luggage, told us the other van would be there shortly, and drove off. Our girls asked how long until we get to the hotel, we pointed to the ship, and told them that was our hotel! You should have seen their faces. So yes, a surprise is a great way to go!

[Carlyzmom]

We have kept it a secret for a while and cruise in 26 days. However, I don't know how much longer we can continue. I don't know how I"m going to keep the packing from the kids. Or loading up the minivan with all the suitcases (there are 5 of us) and their grandmother and her suitcase (she makes #6). Not to mention, they are going to be missing a week of school to cruise, and I was going to get their school work from their teachers before hand.

 

One of our friends who knows that we are cruising slipped and asked us about it today in front of the kids!!!! My DH did some quick thinking, but my middle one is getting suspicious!

 

See, that's what I'm afraid of too. My son only has one teacher but daughter will be in middle school. I'm afraid a teacher will slip and tell her.

 

Plus, the whole packing thing! So hard!!

[Carlyzmom]

Thanks everyone for the awesome feedback!! Maybe I can do a combo of both. I do like the surprising them at Christmas idea! That way, they will only have a few months - instead of a year - and they can be excited and plan with me!!

 

Glad to know I'm not the ONLY one with a non-excited husband. Seems like the norm here. He is a BLAST on vacation, but could care less to talk about it before hand. I'll blab on about it for an ENTIRE year!! LOL Glad I have CC to come to! :)

[Cruising_K]

Anticipation is half the fun - tell them!

 

I agree completely. They are old enough to share in the planning and excitement. Tell them.