My mom planned a family reunion cruise for her 7 children and all the grandchildren. She announced it to the adults with this:
Ahoy, Mateys,
This is yer Captain Grammy speakin. Pack your rags, amass yer offspring, and get yer carcasses to the pier no later than 10 a.m. sharp on (INSERT DATE). Iff'n yer late, yell be a walkin the plank, fer sure. Our family reunion voyage will span a weeks time and three islands. Ye'll have much pillaging to do in order to manage all the loot well be a gatherin and the good times well be a havin.
Here be the docket all 35 of us wafarin scoundrels will be a followin. Iffn ye have any questions, send them via sea by corked bottle to Lake Erie.
Saturday Port Canaveral 4:00 p.m.
Sunday At Sea
Monday At Sea
Tuesday St. Maarten 8:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday St. Thomas/St. John 8:00 a.m. 4:30 p.m.
Thursday At Sea
Friday Castaway Cay 9:30 a.m. 5:00 p.m.
Saturday Port Canaveral 7:35 a.m.
Be ye mindful, rogues, that the ship waits for no one, so be there on time or be keelhauled. Ye can check out our seaworthy raft (?!?!?) at
www.disneycruise.disney.go.com where yell see the grub yell have to choke down, the deplorable conditions yell have to sleep in, and the islands well be a plunderin.
More information will be coming as our Captain deems necessary. Yer on a need-to-know-basis, and rit now, thats all ya need to know.
Argh!
Captain Granny Goldheart
Then, most of the parents kept it secret until she could be in on the telling of it to the kids. She was driving 12 hours to see one of my brothers, and so she'd call the kids every couple of hours and give them a hint. They'd think about that for a while until her next call in which she'd give them another hint. I don't think they guessed what it was, but they were excited beyond words.