Anyone ever pulled off a "SURPRISE" Disney Cruise?

[walczak4]

My DH turns 40 on 03/01/05. I just booked 02/26/05 7 day cruise & am planning on making this a total surprise for him (or at least trying to)! Any pointers from someone who may have done the same for their significant other?

 

[Favorite Auntie]

People have posted about surprises like this in the past...I think one of the best parts of a vacation is planning it and getting all excited. He will miss that if you don't tell him....

 

[my3kids]

I have done the surprise Disney thing, telling a few days before Disney thing, and telling way in advance Disney thing. I have to say the surprise one was the least enjoyable reveal. It just didn't really sink in....everyone was more confused than excited. I thought it was a great idea at the time I decided to do the surprise, but in the end was sorry I had kept it a secret. Telling really far was fine, but the few days before was wonderful. It gave enough time for everyone to tell the friends and get super excited, and was short enough that the trip was imminant.

If you go for the total surprise, make sure you know where his passport or certified birth certificate is. Make sure he takes his photo ID with him also. He'll have to sign some documents at the port if you have not shared the surprise ahead of time....contract, etc.

 

[walczak4]

my3kids...thanks for the tips. I wasn't even thinking about the contracts & things that he would have to sign. Now I'm thinking that I may tell him a week ahead of time or so. That should still come as a BIG 40th b-day surprise to him.

 

[my3kids]

If you want to keep it a secret, you can complete most of the documents ahead of time. He can read and sign there...it isn't that big of a deal. But the identification is...make sure one of you has it!! I think a week ahead would make for a super surprise though, and give him time to clear his desk at work since the office isn't very accessible from the Atlantic. (at least not inexpensively!!) If my husband hadn't gotten his work settled ahead of time, he flat out would not go.

 

[ohiominnie]

We've pulled off both a surprise trip to WDW and, just last week, a surprise cruise on the Wonder. A big difference is that we were surprising kids. And both times the trips came nearly on the heals of previous trips and we didn't want to trump their excitement of the last trip by already planning another. We wanted them to savor the joy of the first trip before getting them all excited about the next one. Make sense?

Now, adults? I would NOT want dh surprising me with a cruise....too many things to do ahead of time (who knows if the clothes he'd pack would even fit me!) The kids and I also have a fairly busy social schedule....we homeschool so we're always making plans to go to museums, symphony concerts, etc etc and it'd be down near impossible for dh to work around all of our fun!

I suspect dh would not want to be surprised either. Ohiomickey, correct me if I'm wrong. A big red flag would come up when he wondered why he had time off of work without having asked for it.

HTH.

 

[walczak4]

Ohiominnie,

Fortunately, my husband & I are both in the same field & I am friends with his supervisor so arranging vacation for him without him knowing about it is not a problem.

I agree that I would not want him surprising me with a trip because God knows what clothes he would pack for me but when we go on a trip, I usually pack his clothes anyways.

 

[tecdavidt]

I think it is a great idea! Last Christmas my husband gave me a surprise cruise. He had me believing we were going on a 5 day Carnival cruise leaving Jan. 10th. When I opened my Christmas present, which I wrapped, I found a 7 day Celebrity cruise not the 5 day Carnival cruise. I opened the gift Christmas morning and we left two days later. I was happy and surprised. This was my second surprise cruise. My first was back in '98 when my husband had no idea what to give me so he decided on a three day cruise with him. No trip insurance, a snow storm in St. Louis so we arrived in Orlando when the Fantasy was leaving port!!! Carnival paid for our food and hotel that night (without insurance) and made arrangements for our flight to Nassau. He only was on the ship two nights on a three night cruise. He was hooked on cruising.

This wonderful husband surprised my twice with a cruise and this was from a man who never wanted to step foot on a ship. You know you husband best, so do what you think he will like. Happy Cruising Kathy

 

[mkandk]

I'm planning a surprise trip for next spring break, but I think I'll break it to them a week or two in advance now, thanks in part to your advice. The anticipation IS a lot of fun, but this far out makes it almost painful (for me, anyway!)

 

[cmmam]

Okay, what about this scenario??

We booked the land/sea cruise. DD knows about the cruise portion but not the land portion of the trip.

We were thinking we would surprise her with the 3 days in the park too.

She is 15 and we are going during spring break.

Do you think this is okay or should we tell her the whole story??

TIA!

 

[BABYJOSIE98]

Walczaku,

I see you booked this surprise cruise for 2005????
I was thinking of looking into a 7 day on the Magic for Jan or Feb of 2005.....Did you get a good rate?

We are on the Wonder again at the end of the month,but I would love to cruise on the MAGIC.....

I think I will check into it while on board this trip. Ya know I was thinking about your surprise and since you booked the 2-26-05 cruise you could give the documents to him as a surprise for Valentines day (2-14-05)...... That gives him a week or so to be ready and is still a surprise...

Good luck whatever you decide....

 

[walczak4]

BabyJosie98,
Thanks for the idea of giving him travel docs for Valentines day. I'll keep that one in mind.

I booked our 02/26/05 t0 03/05/02 Western cruise through Dreams Unlimited. It came to $4,466.08 cat 6 room with trip insurance and transfers but no air. That price is for a family of four with one 6 yr old child and a 2 yr old child.



cmmam,
I love the idea of surprising your 15 yr old DD with the park part of the trip!

Thanks again for the tips everyone! I knew I could count on the DISBOARDS gang!

 

[BABYJOSIE98]

Not too bad....Cat 6 will be really nice....

I am staying in one of the secret porthole rooms at the end of the month....Room 5020 on deck 5.

If we like it I may try and get another one of those deals on the 2005 cruise. My DD is a bit energetic and the thought of a veranda scares me right now.......

So a window would do us just fine... I would love to have a veranda some day.

Thanks.....

 

[walczak4]

our DS will have just turned 2 yrs old when we cruise in 2005 so I splurged on the verandah. Best laid plans, either my DH or I will sit out on the verandah while DS naps and one of us can go off and have fun with 6 yr old DD .