Birthdays on the Magic?

[100AcreWood]

Hi,
We booked a 7 night cruise in September. Our daughter turns 4 on the cruise. She is very excited. Our TA put a note that she turns 4.

How does Disney celebrate birthdays on a cruise? I'm not sure if I'm suppose to order a cake or if they take care of everything.

This is our first Disney cruise and I'm not sure what to expect. I'm used to making dining reservations and extensive itineraries. I feel like a fish out of water .

 

[SailorMinnie]

Usually once we have it arranged with our TA the birthday is a done deal. Your waitstaff, Head server and a few extras usually bring over a cake and sing and make a big fuss. If you want a special type of cake or a specific night that is not the birthday night, let your head server know and he'll take care of it.

 

[100AcreWood]

She'll love a big fuss! Does Goofy send an autographed picture to our room or anything like that? I've heard of that at the Disney hotels.

 

[Disney Planner Mama]

DD8 celebrated her birthday on board. We had mentioned to Gede our server about the birthday and he knew all about it. He even asked DH if he wanted to celebrate his as well (his is at the end of February, we declined). After dinner on her birthday they brought over a small cake (more than enough for the six of us at the table) with a white chocolate decoration with the ship on it, and everyone sang Happy Birthday to her, and they gave her a birthday button/pin. We had also arranged for the tea roses to be delivered to our stateroom for her, and the day before Loell (from the Phillipines) our wonderful, wonderful stateroom host had double checked with us to see when we wanted them delivered. The staff in the kids club realized it was her birthday when we checked her in and made a big fuss, putting about five birthday stickers on her and giving her a birthday hat, they also sent a magical memories certificate to her. While we were shopping on St. Thomas we were in one of the jewelry stores and the lady behind the counter found out it was her birthday and asked her what her favorite color was. She said blue, and the lady gave her a loose oval cut blue topaz! And no, we didn't buy anything at the store! And it wasn't even a disney store! (we think some of the magic leaked out from the ship onto Havensight Mall). Then after dinner we were in Shutters and the staff there saw the birthday pin and asked her who her favorite princess was. She answered "Mulan", and one of the staff members snuck out from behind the counter while she was talking to another, rushed over to the princess photos, got one of Mulan, signed it to her (having overheard her name) and they presented it to her, with both Mulan's "signature" and an inscription in the picture holder saying "happy birthday from the staff at Shutters.

This was a birthday she will remember for a long long time. Your DD4 will love it.

 

[The TRUE Princess :)]

What about adult birthdays??? LOL! I'll be turning 30 on our cruise next year and would love to celebrate my birthday (since this IS my bday trip!).

Krys

 

[linnied]

My dd will be celebrating her 15th the day we return. I would like to celebrate it the last night of the cruise as the entire family, grandparents, aunt uncle and cousins will all be with us. I have not yet told the TA. Should I when we make final payment? Should I handle it with guest services and or waiter staff as well?

 

[videogal1]

What about adult birthdays??? LOL! I'll be turning 30 on our cruise next year and would love to celebrate my birthday (since this IS my bday trip!).

Krys

They even cooked up a birthday cake surprise for Cash! If they can pamper a Service Dog, you shouldn't worry a bit that they'll forget your birthday!

 

[Peggy Jean]

We've had 2 birthday experiences. The last one was my son's 17th, he didn't want anything special. When we booked the cruise through DCL they asked if any special occasions were occurring while onboard and we told them of his birthday and at dinner that night they brought a nicely decorated cake that was more than enough for us. They even packaged the rest that he was able to take back to the room with plates, napkins and forks and knives.

My other experience was REALLY DCL service We were on a 7 night Christmas cruise and i was in the shop on the ship looking for some surprise gifts to take home for my family. When I went to pay I told the CM that I was buying these items as gifts for my family since we all had birthdays shortly after Christmas and that I wanted something little for each of them for their birthdays from the ship.

Well after that we conversed just a little and that was it. Later that evening in our stateroom was a personalized certificate for each of us wishing us a Happy Birthday and the dates of the cruise. And there was a Happy Birthday button for each of us. Now that's customer service The CM took it upon herself to remember our conversation, remember our stateroom number and have that something a little extra. Loved it!

 

[Mickee]

Picture of DD with Birthday Cake & pin

Also DD serenaded by our waitstaff!

 

[Stepht5]

DD8 celebrated her birthday on board. We had mentioned to Gede our server about the birthday and he knew all about it. He even asked DH if he wanted to celebrate his as well (his is at the end of February, we declined). After dinner on her birthday they brought over a small cake (more than enough for the six of us at the table) with a white chocolate decoration with the ship on it, and everyone sang Happy Birthday to her, and they gave her a birthday button/pin. We had also arranged for the tea roses to be delivered to our stateroom for her, and the day before Loell (from the Phillipines) our wonderful, wonderful stateroom host had double checked with us to see when we wanted them delivered. The staff in the kids club realized it was her birthday when we checked her in and made a big fuss, putting about five birthday stickers on her and giving her a birthday hat, they also sent a magical memories certificate to her. While we were shopping on St. Thomas we were in one of the jewelry stores and the lady behind the counter found out it was her birthday and asked her what her favorite color was. She said blue, and the lady gave her a loose oval cut blue topaz! And no, we didn't buy anything at the store! And it wasn't even a disney store! (we think some of the magic leaked out from the ship onto Havensight Mall). Then after dinner we were in Shutters and the staff there saw the birthday pin and asked her who her favorite princess was. She answered "Mulan", and one of the staff members snuck out from behind the counter while she was talking to another, rushed over to the princess photos, got one of Mulan, signed it to her (having overheard her name) and they presented it to her, with both Mulan's "signature" and an inscription in the picture holder saying "happy birthday from the staff at Shutters.

This was a birthday she will remember for a long long time. Your DD4 will love it.

All of that is wonderful! BUT, it is not *standard*. Just so others won't be disappointed. Our youngest son celebrated his 8th b-day this past Saturday (on Castaway Cay) and our servers did have a cake for him on that evening but, we are the ones that told them it was his b-day cruise. Our TA had the birthday celebration decorations and cake in our suite when we arrived. The kids club gave him a button Saturday afternoon (after he mentioned it was his b-day) they did have certificate & gift (star shaped sun glasses )for him that evening. If we hadn't mentioned that it was his birthday, while we were on the cruise, none of these things would have happened -- and there was a note on our reservatiosn.
Concierge had a card w/ a picture & autographs set up on his bed that evening with a couple of gifts..

 

[georgeat]

DW and I will be returning fro a cruise 2 days before our 47th anniversary. Wonder what they will do for that?

 

[Queen2]

birthday celebration decorations, they just have Congrat. I just called for my cruise. I now have to think about what I'm going to do. Take my own & worry about the hassle or use Congrats . To me it was well worth the 30.00

 

[Stepht5]

birthday celebration decorations, they just have Congrat. I just called for my cruise. I now have to think about what I'm going to do. Take my own & worry about the hassle or use Congrats . To me it was well worth the 30.00

How weird... We had them in our suite just this past weekend....

 

[Stepht5]

DW and I will be returning fro a cruise 2 days before our 47th anniversary. Wonder what they will do for that?

If you let your servers know they will sing Happy Anniversary to you with a small cake. That is all they usually do....
I would hate for anyone to go in expecting anything out of the ordinary to happen. You will just be disappointed.

 

[100AcreWood]

All of that is wonderful! BUT, it is not *standard*. Just so others won't be disappointed. Our youngest son celebrated his 8th b-day this past Saturday (on Castaway Cay) and our servers did have a cake for him on that evening but, we are the ones that told them it was his b-day cruise. Our TA had the birthday celebration decorations and cake in our suite when we arrived. The kids club gave him a button Saturday afternoon (after he mentioned it was his b-day) they did have certificate & gift (star shaped sun glasses )for him that evening. If we hadn't mentioned that it was his birthday, while we were on the cruise, none of these things would have happened -- and there was a note on our reservatiosn.
Concierge had a card w/ a picture & autographs set up on his bed that evening with a couple of gifts..

Who did you tell? We have the birthday noted on our reservation but I want to make sure they make some deal of it since she's 4 and birthdays are huge. Ideally I would love her to have an autograph picture in our room. She loves the Goof-man!

Thanks!

 

[Skuba2]

My dd will be celebrating her 15th the day we return. I would like to celebrate it the last night of the cruise as the entire family, grandparents, aunt uncle and cousins will all be with us. I have not yet told the TA. Should I when we make final payment? Should I handle it with guest services and or waiter staff as well?

I don't know if you've cruised before, but I found the last night to be very odd. Everything seems to just shut down on you as they start cleaning the ship for the next cruise. Pools are closed, parts of the decks are closed off. Sort of anti-climatic. Everyone is busy packing. Just something to think about when planning the big night.

DG

 

[NYGiantsRule!]

We had the same problem and scheduled it for the night before the last night. Our server was great. She had DS stand on his chair while we sang Happy Birthday and then she took a little of the frosting off the cake and put it on his nose. He enjoyed it very much.

 

[aiken4mickey]

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f394/aiken4mickey/CopyofWonderfulCruise068.jpg

These are cakes from our Wonder cruises. I had fun doing alot of extras for my dd 10th birthday......I made special invitations for our friends that were with us...inviting them to her birthday dinner......I had special gifts for them at the table....CD's of cruise music......The pirate day of our cruise...we had treasure hunt..I had gone to alot of trouble making up maps..clever clues....and the end result was the girls found the treasure chest filled with loot. I approached the cruise as her birthday party....and went alittle "overboard" on the extras...but is was so worth it........