I would like to buy my parents a cruise....

[pricewc]

I would like to buy my parents a cruise but I'm not sure how to do it. I spoke to my carnival agent and he told me I would need to book it like I would book my own. Well the problem with that is I don't know when they could take the trip so I was hoping carnival had some sort of gift card or something. Has anyone given a cruise as a gift before? I need some suggestions, thanks.

[kwbound]

I was Chairman of my son's senior class Project Prom committee, and the grand prize that we gave away was a certificate from Carnival for a cruise. One of the moms on the committee was a travel agent and she got it for us. If I'm remembering correctly, we got the certificate for so much money...it was enough for 4 people in a cabin, in off season, but they could use it any time they wanted and just pay the difference. There was an expiration date also, but it seems like they had over a year to use it.

 

My advice is to call a TA that specializes in cruises and see what they can do...or keep calling Carnival back until you find someone who can help you.

 

BTW - That's a very nice gift!

[LisaT12]

We gave my parents a cruise for their 40th Anniversay. Yes, we had to pick a date (but they are retired and we knew what their time frame was like). It was an awesome gift (their first cruise) and I am so glad we did it.

 

Giving a gift certificate for the cruise would work great - especially if you do not know their schedule.

 

As corny as it sounds, we got a little plastic boat (the kind children use in the bathtub) and we made up a certificate (explaining the cruise) and rolled it like a scroll and attached it to the little plastic boat. Then we wrapped the boat in a small box, and then wrapped it again in a bigger box etc....until it was wrapped in 5 or 6 boxes. Then we gave it to them at their anniversay dinner.

 

Good luck with your planning.:D

[morganboys]

you can buy fun ship dollars / gift certificate direct from carnival. Then when they book they just apply it to their cruise. They come in $25, $50, $100, $250, & $500.

[Kurbanfan]

Yep we purchase a cruise for our adult kids every Christmas......but I book it and we all cruise together.......

[Wants2cruise]

I gave my mother a Hawaiian cruise a few years back. I made a homemade card on the computer with pictures from the travel brochures. She loves puzzles so I made the first part into a puzzle to find out where she was going. It was a huge hit.

 

Have fun setting this up. It was almost as much fun planning it and watching her figure out her prize as was the cruise.

[floodcasso2]

I'm getting ready to sail on a cruise that my fiancee and I purchased for my parents for their 30th anniversary. Basically what we did, is we picked the day WAY in advance, booked it, and gave it to them for Christmas. That was there was no excuse for not being able to get off of work. We gave them 5 months to get that all taken care of :)

 

Worked out perfectly well for us :) So I'm not sure if Carnival is able to give gift certificates, though I'm sure they are.

[DanJ]

Nothing says you have to have it all booked for them before they know about it. Like one of the posters above, you could make up your own certificate, and work with them to find the cruise they want to take. I know I couldn't just pick out a cruise for my parents to go on.

 

We wanted to send my wife's parents on a cruise, as a thank you for them looking after our kids instead of us having to put them in daycare full time. They wouldn't hear about it, saying they loved having the kids, and we don't need to spend the money, blah blah. We ended up talking them into joining us on our cruise this summer as our guests, but it was pretty difficult getting them to agree that we would pay.

[KroozLov'r]

We would like to do the same thing for my folks. However, we're not sure that they would want to cruise. We figure about a year before the cruise would take place we'd let them know what we would like to do. Then, revisit the issue in six months to gauge their interest. If its a GO, six months will be plenty for us to get everything in order.

[KULPN]

You can buy Carnival Gift Certificates but be sure to read the fine print. We got $1000 in Carnival Gift certificates but they wouldn't let us use it towards the down payment. So that meant we had to put down $500 and spend the other $1000 on the cruise payment. Maybe they've changed. This was in 2008.

[mjhbrown]

I think everyone that can, should buy their parents a cruise. My DH and I took my parents on a CCL cruise about 12 yrs ago. My Dad was just starting to not be able to walk around so well and my Darling husband wheeled my Dad all over Cozumel and Key West and everywhere. We just lost my Dad in September and I wish I had taken them cruising 100 times rather than 1. <sniff sniff> Enjoy!

[BlueJacketsFan1]

I sent my mother and sister on a cruise just a few years ago, on the Inspiration for a five day cruise. I booked it with plenty of notice for them to get everything together and be ready for the cruise. I had booked it in January of 2005, they were told in May. That's both their birthdays, and they sailed January of 2006. It was some of the best money I have ever spent. My mom had the time of her life. My only wish is that I could have done something like it when my father was still around. Good Luck with your planning.

[DaDivaMom]

We did this for my in-laws for Christmas. We went ahead and booked the entire thing and paid for it. Since my in-laws are quite young (early 60s) they are still working. I called their boss and said look we are giving them this cruise as a gift and they will need the time off. He gave them the time off paid and they didn't have to use vacation days!

 

I created a vacation folder. We put in all the cruise info, the tickets, the luggage tags, info on the ports, an underwater disposible camera and a few other small items. We also prepaid their gratuities, had drink coupons delivered to their room, a photo coupon and bottle of bubbly. I even stated in mice print that their vacation time was preapproved.

 

It was a huge hit. Their surprise that all they had to do was pack and go was hillarious. I did have all their personal information so I did all the leg work.

 

Let me know if you need any help!

[Sirwinston]

I tried to take my parents on a cruise in 2007. My mom just was not ready. It was a Jan Mex Rivera. I think my mom was really afraid she might get motion sickness in Janurary. BTW almost everyone on my mom's side of the family, except my Uncle has this odd fear of travel.

 

I think I want to try again for Carnival Splendor or Ealtion to Cabo.

 

 

Tom in Long Beach

[pe4all]

We gave my parents a cruise for their 50th wedding anniversary. Took them out to dinner, and gave them a "hold the date" postcard. Dad was retired, but I made arrangements with mom's work (went behind her back - as a daughter I am allowed to do that - LOL!) to get her that week off. I am so glad we did, as dad's health failed soon after, we lost him within that year. It was money well spent, imho. Have been trying to get mom to cruise with us, but she refuses. Maybe a surprise for her birthday...:rolleyes: Call Carnival, see what they can arrange with an open-ended gift certificate. They must have requests like this all the time. (I made the booking for my parents - needed names, addresses, birthdates - all stuff I easily had)

[Chan_T]

DH and I took our parents on their first cruise in December 2007. They were a little hesitant at first...thinking they would get tired of the ship, get sick, etc. We couldn't get them to agree to go for 7 nights...finally got them to agree to a 6 night (so we could go on a newer ship - we ended up on the Liberty). Well, needless to say, they LOVED it. We went on another cruise together this past December for 7 nights (Splendor). There was no discussion...they all wanted the 7 nights. I'm behind in planning this year's cruise. We initially were considering a shorter cruise this year to encourage other family members to join us...but they have not yet committed, so we are back to considering 7 night cruises.

 

Anyway, sorry for the rant...this is just a topic that is near and dear to my heart. :) Good luck in the plans!

[cruzzza]

It is entirely possible to give them a cruise where THEY choose the dates, ship and everything else. I had a cruise given to me like this. It was given in the form of a travel agency gift certificate. I could use it on any travel that agency offered, not just cruises. Of course, I took a cruise :p and even got a small refund because I didn't use the whole certificate.

[JessicaRN]

We bought Justin's parents a cruise for Christmas/30th anniversary present. We picked a cruise that looked good and booked 2 cabins (1 for us, 1 for them). Was easy.

 

Gave it to them on Christmas. 5 months to get off from work is more than enough time. ;)

[Cruiser@Heart]

I did a "secret" cruise booking for my sister and mother as a Christmas present. Had to make arrangements with my sister's employer to let her off for the week. My mother was retired, so not quite as many other "hoops" to jump through there.

 

I did it through my TA (who had become a really good friend over the years). She helped me design a "cruise" gift certificate. Then, I did "Christmas in July", where I came home for the weekend to visit, and after they went to bed, set up a little Christmas tree, wrapped the certificate in a box...yada, yada, yada. When they got up the next morning, it was like Santa had come. Wanted them to have a few months to look forward to the cruise and to prepare. Also to know that we WEREN'T going to be home for Christmas that year.

 

It was a great trip. One I will always cherish. You see, the day after we returned home from the cruise, my sister--at the age of 36--died of a massive heart attack while getting ready for work, with no warning symptoms or signs. Two months later to the day my sister passed away, my mother passed away.

 

When I think of that cruise, it is by far the most special one of all because of the time I had to spend with my sister and mother. We hadn't traveled together for several years. Neither had cruised before and fell absolutely in love with it. In fact, we had planned our next one while driving home from that cruise.

 

I think it is great you want to send your parents on a cruise.

[megr1125]

i treated my mom to our 1st 3 cruises....one i made as an easter basket...i got blue and pink grass, had custom made chocolate shells and palm trees made (we have a hand made candy place nearby!), bought a chocolate sailboat (couldnt find a cruise ship 2 days before easter) and, while at dinner when i was at work, melted white chocolate and painted the name of the ship on it....and put all that stuff, plus 2 new books and the docs in the basket...and set it on the table after she went to sleep....

 

so in the morning, we found that the bunny left us a cruise to bermuda!

 

i only wish my dad were still around to cruise with us...THAT part really sucks.

[Earthworm Jim]

The time has come for you to learn the truth Pricewc. I have to reveal that "Luke, I am your father".