Birthday on Board ... ideas?

[stephuney]

We are cruising with a big group (about 30 people) in June on the Triumph out of Galveston ... and we just realized that we will be celebrating my little sister's birthday while on board. We want to figure out a BIG way to throw her a party on board and are throwing around lots of ideas ... but I wanted to get some ideas from you all ... and to see if there things you know that Carnival will not let us do?

[crewsnews]

Depends how old she is, but Carnival can do a private party for one or two hours for you for a very reasonable price. I think for one hour with the oopen bar it's like $12.00 per person and they will provide light snacks, a waiter, a bartender, and a full open bar. There is a 20 person minimum. If I knew 20 people on a cruise I would be all over it. I'm not sure what the 2 hour rate it, but I heard it was like 16 or 18 per person. I'm sure someone will post the exact numbers if you ask.

 

You can also order cakes from BV.

[stephuney]

Depends how old she is, but Carnival can do a private party for one or two hours for you for a very reasonable price. I think for one hour with the oopen bar it's like $12.00 per person and they will provide light snacks, a waiter, a bartender, and a full open bar. There is a 20 person minimum. If I knew 20 people on a cruise I would be all over it. I'm not sure what the 2 hour rate it, but I heard it was like 16 or 18 per person. I'm sure someone will post the exact numbers if you ask.

 

You can also order cakes from BV.

 

Who/what is BV? I have seen where I can order the cake on carnival.com

 

Thanks for the open bar party idea ... I didnt know they could do it ... she will be 33. Half of our 30 people are kids, so I am not sure I have 20 adults, but I will have to count it all out and see.

 

I want to post her picture and birthday signs on her cabin door so people passing could see ... but I would like to post signs in other places around the ship too, but I have a feeling that might not be allowed. I kinda wanted to really just put it out there ... and then maybe plan for a party in one of the dance/bars or on the lido deck, and just invite everyone, LOL, but just not sure ...

[serene56]

you can decorate her door but not other areas of the ship. even with the private one hour party you will not be able to decorate. you can not just take over a lounge for a private part and invite everone. order a cake to be delivered with fanfare at dinner

[crewsnews]

BV is the Bon Voyage department. They have a link on the Carnival website that takes you to the "store". You can order the cake there, or call the phone number and make the cocktail party arrangements and see if the cake can be sent there. For the party, I think they have a lower rate for non-drinkers/kids, but you have to make sure one of your "non-drinkers" doesn't sneak a drink or the bartender will bill you for it. I'll look up the numberrs and post them if I can find them, but its all at Carnival.com

[Smiling Cruiser]

For my sister's fiftieth we made goodie bags with stuff from Oriental Trading. We also bought fancy birthday hats, plates napkins and cups. The day of her birthday we made her late for the dining room so that everyone was seated and the table decorated. She received the official birthday crown as her party hat. With several generations of travelers everyone can enjoy dinner together (or you could even have this at breakfast) and the thirty-anything generation (yes, I'm jealous) could enjoy a late evening celebration. Whatever you do, wish her a Happy Birthday from the Cruise Critic addicts

[crewsnews]

Here's the thread link discussing the cocktail party on CC: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1518729&highlight=cocktail+party if you go to post #16 on this thread, they have linked a pdf with the full party menu and all options.

 

Apparently you should email carnival that you want to plan an event at this email adress: groupeventplanning@carnival.com or you can call the 1800-carnival and do it directly.

 

They will call you back in a few days and discuss what they can do for you.

 

Looks like the fees are: $17.00 for two hours or $9.95 for one hour. There, as always, is a 15% tip added to the total.

[stephuney]

For my sister's fiftieth we made goodie bags with stuff from Oriental Trading. We also bought fancy birthday hats, plates napkins and cups. The day of her birthday we made her late for the dining room so that everyone was seated and the table decorated. She received the official birthday crown as her party hat. With several generations of travelers everyone can enjoy dinner together (or you could even have this at breakfast) and the thirty-anything generation (yes, I'm jealous) could enjoy a late evening celebration. Whatever you do, wish her a Happy Birthday from the Cruise Critic addicts

 

 

Great ideas ... thanks!

[stephuney]

Here's the thread link discussing the cocktail party on CC: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1518729&highlight=cocktail+party if you go to post #16 on this thread, they have linked a pdf with the full party menu and all options.

 

Apparently you should email carnival that you want to plan an event at this email adress: groupeventplanning@carnival.com or you can call the 1800-carnival and do it directly.

 

They will call you back in a few days and discuss what they can do for you.

 

Looks like the fees are: $17.00 for two hours or $9.95 for one hour. There, as always, is a 15% tip added to the total.

 

AWESOME ... thanks for the info

[Lady_Jag]

Make sure you leave a note for the CD at the Guest Services desk the day prior to your sister's big day letting him or her know your sister's cabin # and that she's celebrating a birthday. He or she might give her a call live on the morning show that airs all over the ship. Or you can just call into the morning show the day of and have the CD wish her a happy birthday on the air.

 

You can't decorate the public areas of the ship, but you can station other family members at various areas and send her on a sort of ship-wide scavenger hunt or "amazing race." Each family member could have a little birthday treat for her as well as a cryptic clue as to where to find her next gift/well-wisher.

 

Another option would be to get everyone together in a lounge or other comfortable area for your own trivia game, where all the questions are about your sister.

 

Have a great time and a wonderful celebration!

[stephuney]

Make sure you leave a note for the CD at the Guest Services desk the day prior to your sister's big day letting him or her know your sister's cabin # and that she's celebrating a birthday. He or she might give her a call live on the morning show that airs all over the ship. Or you can just call into the morning show the day of and have the CD wish her a happy birthday on the air.

 

You can't decorate the public areas of the ship, but you can station other family members at various areas and send her on a sort of ship-wide scavenger hunt or "amazing race." Each family member could have a little birthday treat for her as well as a cryptic clue as to where to find her next gift/well-wisher.

 

Another option would be to get everyone together in a lounge or other comfortable area for your own trivia game, where all the questions are about your sister.

 

Have a great time and a wonderful celebration!

 

Great ideas ... thanks!

[choclitsnda]

I always go to the FORMALITIES shop the 1st day on the ship to order cake(s) & gifts to be delivered to the dinner table (Usually on that person's birthday or on the 1st formal night while everyone is dressed up.)...That way it can be PERSONALIZED with the birthday person's name on it or whatever you want on it.

 

The waiters will also come over to the table to sing Happy Birthday.

 

If you order it from the Bon Voyage (BV) dept online or phone...They will only put Happy Birthday on the cake. (No Personalizing)

[Teamv]

Re: ordering a cake onboard:

 

The cakes are very, very good and really pretty, too. One thing I learned on the ship, that I hadn't realized before, is that you have to order the day before to have a cake delivered to the dining room, so keep that in mind.

 

Also, the first 2 people I talked to when ordering the cake onboard told me that they could not deliver a cake to someone doing any time dining. I knew that they could, so just kept asking them to ask someone else until we found a staff member who knew.

 

Have fun!

[Love PalmTrees]

Our DIL took our extended family to celebrate their belated 50th anniversary back in 2004. I had brought with lots of various decorations for inside their cabin. Streamers, balloons, computer printed signs, easy removable double stick tape, regular tape, 50th anniv centerpieces you pick up from a party store. I made the excuse that my kids were hogging the bathroom and could I use their bathroom just as they were leaving for Captain's Party back when they had a true party. (Unfortunately, I never made it to party.) Then I began decorating. Streamers. Balloons. Signs everywhere: in bathroom, on windows behind drawn curtains, inside closet doors, etc. And so on. Also put sign with balloons, streamers on outside of door. So the next day they were still finding the signs. It was so much fun and the decorations took up very little luggage space. It was an absolute blast and my in-laws were so surprised!

[Andoria]

Great ideas. My mother will turn 70 on the last night of the cruise. I'm limited to what I *can do because she doesn't like a lot of attention drawn to her.

 

I think she would handle a cake at dinner but I'm thinking that's about it.

[stephuney]

love all these ideas ... keep em coming!