Gifts for group cruise

[jsjjkelly]

Hi All!

 

So we're planning a family cruise, and based on initial response could be quite big.  We were tossing around the idea of gift bags - I do them for when we have a smaller family cruise - like 5 rooms or so - and we put them in a big beach bag.   If we have a lot of rooms, that's a lot of bags!  In the smaller bags we put cruise essentials and goodies - Tylenol packets, gum, dramamine, door decorations, candy (the movie theatre boxes from the Dollar Tree), when we cruise at St Patricks Day we had St Pattys Day decorations, etc.    I saw we can get personalized lanyards for less than $30 for 100.  

 

Can we give them to Carnival in advance and let them deliver?  I wasn't really wanting to put them in a suitcase and wait until it's delivered to be able to give them out to everybody.  And yet I don't want to schlep a big bag through the boarding process either.  

 

Has anyone done something similar?  Any pointers?  Any cheap ideas to add? If initial interest sticks, we could be having 20-30 rooms in the group!  

 

Thanks in advance!

 

[1GaPeach]

Not sure they will deliver for you. 

will you see them before you get to the ship? So you could distribute early.

 

if not I would make it small easy to pack items:

landyards

silicon straws 

depending on how much you usually spend, buy everyone an ornament or small souvenir from a port. Or a round of drinks.

 

[jsjjkelly]

Silicone straw is a great idea!  Thanks for the idea!

 

[1GaPeach]

Lip balm spf or tinted. (Small and relatively cheap) I love berts bees tinted lip balm. Small enough to put in my landyard card holder and keeps my lips from getting burned even though it’s not spf. 
 

 

 

[paul929207]

1. Do  you live close enough to meet up before the cruise and distribute the bags there.  In the days when cruise lines produced the boarding passes and luggage tags, our TA would have a cocktail party to distribute everything. 

[spookwife]

do not expect or assume they will deliver to the cabins for you. they have way too  much going on on turnaround day to  be able to  take on yet one more task

 

 the best way to do it is to have a big meet up at the hotel the night before and distribute them at that point.   and I'd do one per cabin, not one per occupant.   easier to distribute  and fewer to schlep around.   and you can then customize them a little more after the basics.   

[jsjjkelly]

Thanks all!  No we won't be able to get together in advance as we're coming from all different time zones!  Looks like we might be cruising out of Charleston, and we live in California!  Family driving in from OH,PA & NY.   But I'm definitely thinking per cabin now instead of per person!  Looks like I need to pack them in a bag that can be folded up into our existing luggage.  

 

[crystalspin]

Magnets and/or sticky notes to leave notes for each other on cabin doors. 

 

There are two thematic sticky pads here (Ocean and Spindrift):

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Sticky-Notes-Stickers-Pads-Wishes-Stickers-Pad-Notes-Office-School-Stationer/163820842532

 

And maybe a blue pen? Someone will say there's ALWAYS a pen in the room, but without ship's stationery, I bet sometimes no pen either. These are small things that carrying 15 of is possible! 

 

I organized a 5-room family cruise and printed out the plans of public decks bc the ones the ship gives out (if they give them out) are tiny. I don't know how much they were used...

Edited January 13, 2020 by crystalspin

[notentirelynormal]

 

Coffee mugs with everyone's name on it.  I also did a cabin directory so everyone knew what cabin everyone was in plus the phone number.  For example, to call someone in cabin 456 on Caribe deck might be deck 8 so 8456.  I did it for everyone in the cabin not just one person so that the kids could look up kids etc.  One had a glitz once when the ship moved my brother as they were boarding.  The people in the original cabin must have hated us.  Or, we did sun visors with our group name on it. 

[simplelife]

Be aware of the fact that those flying in will have to take the items home in their luggage, so stick with items that are small and easy to pack, or that will be "used up" on the cruise.

[RocketMan275]

On 1/11/2020 at 6:41 PM, jsjjkelly said:

Can we give them to Carnival in advance and let them deliver?  I wasn't really wanting to put them in a suitcase and wait until it's delivered to be able to give them out to everybody.  And yet I don't want to schlep a big bag through the boarding process either.  

Simple solution:

These folks will take your bag or bags at your home airport and deliver them to your stateroom.  Nominal cost.

 

https://www.maketraveleasier.com/holland

[cruiserking]

The cruise line will not distribute your gifts, they want you to buy the embark gifts they feature on their website. Best thing is to buy a selection of items that come in handy, as others have suggested like lip balm, sun tan lotion, water proof phone case, luggage tags, tote bag. 

 

A group t-shirt is a nice idea too. You can order them at any of the big t-shirt websites online. 

 

Jonathan

[marco]

We did something like this a couple of years ago for our "Friends and Family" cruise.  There were 24 of us.  Keychain mini flash lights, which came in particularly handy for those who booked inside cabins.  A box of 24 took up very little space in luggage.

[jsjjkelly]

Thanks for these suggestions!  Looks like I have a lot of looking around to do!

[Elaine5715]

On 1/17/2020 at 8:35 AM, RocketMan275 said:

Simple solution:

These folks will take your bag or bags at your home airport and deliver them to your stateroom.  Nominal cost.

 

https://www.maketraveleasier.com/holland

That is for Holland not Carnival

[RocketMan275]

1 hour ago, Elaine5715 said:

That is for Holland not Carnival

I believe it works for more than Holland.  Call them.