Surprise Christmas Cruise, how to tell my teens?

[DevilDogsWifey215]

We are booked on the Celebration leaving December 19. My kids are 13 and 15 and have NO IDEA! Wether they really believe or just like the fun of it still, we still do the Elf on a Shelf and I've never told my kids Santa or the Easter Bunny isn't real (tooth fairy just faded out b/c they stopped loosing teeth). 

 

What kind of ideas do you have to drop hints about the cruise? Can be with or without the elf. We will be leaving for Miami on the 18th. I'd love to tell them maybe by the 17th so they can spend that day packing their own crap LOL. 

I want it to be really special and very fun and I think I'm just too excited to think of anything particularly great. 

[Essiesmom]

Have you/they cruised before?  Careful packing depends on that.  There is a thread further down about a surprise cruise, though I haven’t read it, so I don’t know if it a cruise as Christmas gift to be taken later or over Christmas.  But if they are girls, I would think it might be politic to give them a few days to plan.  And to not plan any affairs with their friends over the holidays.  EM

[mjkacmom]

22 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

Have you/they cruised before?  Careful packing depends on that.  There is a thread further down about a surprise cruise, though I haven’t read it, so I don’t know if it a cruise as Christmas gift to be taken later or over Christmas.  But if they are girls, I would think it might be politic to give them a few days to plan.  And to not plan any affairs with their friends over the holidays.  EM

This was my first thought. We surprised the kids once with a trip to WDW and a cruise when my oldest was 11 1/2, she was a little freaked out at first (and apparently she grew out of her summer clothes by November which I didn’t count on, oops). She was 14 on our next cruise and asked to stay home with a friend because of FOMO, and worrying about not having friends for a week (went to the teen club the first night and loved that cruise and was excited for future ones). My 3 daughters are so booked up at Christmas with secret Santa’s, cookie exchanges, shopping, sleepovers that they would need plenty of notice not to freak out.

[ckruetze]

A little late but I won't try to hide it. Get straight to the point. Tell them as soon as possible.

Something like that:

"Kids, we have wonderful news, you will be spending the holiday season without your friends and possibly without your favorite TV shows. Oh and your mobile phones / tablets won't work either."

If they still talk to you after that you can go into more details about the ship, the destinations, the cabin etc.

Edited December 12, 2022 by ckruetze

[danielscott]

On 11/15/2022 at 9:51 PM, DevilDogsWifey215 said:

We are booked on the Celebration leaving December 19. My kids are 13 and 15 and have NO IDEA! Wether they really believe or just like the fun of it still, we still do the Elf on a Shelf and I've never told my kids Santa or the Easter Bunny isn't real (tooth fairy just faded out b/c they stopped loosing teeth). 

 

What kind of ideas do you have to drop hints about the cruise? Can be with or without the elf. We will be leaving for Miami on the 18th. I'd love to tell them maybe by the 17th so they can spend that day packing their own crap LOL. 

I want it to be really special and very fun and I think I'm just too excited to think of anything particularly great. 

If the children were not told that Santa does not exist, it could be said that you all are going to visit him 😃