celebrating birthday not on birthday

[anricat]

We cruise June 16-23 and my DD's birthday is July 4. DD really really wanted a cruise over her birthday, but this itinerary just worked better for us. Have you ever celebrated a birthday on an evening of your cruise when it isn't actually the person's birthday? Is that appropriate? We're a couple weeks short - just not sure if that's pushing it a bit.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

People do it all the time. You can't always be on the cruise or a park on your actual birthday. We are celebrating our DD's 18th birthday on our cruise, even though her birthday is 3 weeks after our cruise.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We cruise June 16-23 and my DD's birthday is July 4. DD really really wanted a cruise over her birthday, but this itinerary just worked better for us. Have you ever celebrated a birthday on an evening of your cruise when it isn't actually the person's birthday? Is that appropriate? We're a couple weeks short - just not sure if that's pushing it a bit.

Yes, it's done by many. Be sure to have the fact that you're celebrating a birthday noted on your reservation. Your servers will ask you at the beginning of the cruise what night you want the celebration to be on.

 

[DebHorner04]

Yes, it is done. We are celebrating DH birthday 1 month late, DD birthday one month early, and our anniversary 3 weeks late. With school and work schedules, this was just the best time for us. The celebrations are noted on our reservation. Be sure to stop by Guest Services for a celebration button! Have a great cruise!

 

[pfp258]

Maybe I am strange, but we always celebrate birthdays on the actual birthday. Why “pretend”it’s your birthday if is not? My birthday is in early July and we are taking a cruise July 28, will I be celebrating my birthday? No. My nephew will be turning six 12 days after our cruise and we won’t be celebrating his birthday either.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Maybe I am strange, but we always celebrate birthdays on the actual birthday. Why “pretend”it’s your birthday if is not? My birthday is in early July and we are taking a cruise July 28, will I be celebrating my birthday? No. My nephew will be turning six 12 days after our cruise and we won’t be celebrating his birthday either.

It's not always possible for people to travel on the actual day of the event. Many people "give" cruises for birthday, anniversary, graduation presents. And those "presents" typically are booked for a later (or even earlier) time than the actual event.

For me, yes, unless it's actually my birthday while on the cruise, I won't be celebrating it. But I understand why someone else might.

 

[anricat]

Maybe I am strange, but we always celebrate birthdays on the actual birthday. Why “pretend”it’s your birthday if is not? My birthday is in early July and we are taking a cruise July 28, will I be celebrating my birthday? No. My nephew will be turning six 12 days after our cruise and we won’t be celebrating his birthday either.

It's pretty tough having a birthday on a holiday. My DD's birthday is on the 4th of July and not only is there a whole other host of celebrations going on that day, very often friends or family are out of town for the holiday so it's hard for people she wants to celebrate with to always be there. Also, she really wants to be on a cruise or has also asked to be at WDW on her birthday. Not only are July 4 cruises more expensive, but I don't think I would set foot in WDW on July 4. *shudder* So for all these reasons, we often celebrate DD's birthday on another day. I'm sure a lot of other folks with holiday birthdays can relate.

 

[bumbershoot]

Maybe I am strange, but we always celebrate birthdays on the actual birthday. Why “pretend”it’s your birthday if is not? My birthday is in early July and we are taking a cruise July 28, will I be celebrating my birthday? No. My nephew will be turning six 12 days after our cruise and we won’t be celebrating his birthday either.

Celebrating a birthday on a different day isn’t pretending it’s on a different day. It’s simply when you’re celebrating it.

It's pretty tough having a birthday on a holiday.

Yeppers. My son’s is over Memorial Day weekend most years. Most people around here go camping and it’s non-negotiable. At least on July 4th you can have a party and people might be around.

Mine’s on the true Columbus/Indigenous Peoples’ Day date, and that’s hard enough for those years when it falls on the Monday.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Celebrating a birthday on a different day isn’t pretending it’s on a different day. It’s simply when you’re celebrating it.

Yep, much like having your second grader's birthday party on Saturday, when her birthday was really last Wednesday.

 

[daisyx3]

We celebrated my son's graduation on our March cruise in 2016; he graduated in May.
On the other hand, my bday is the last day of our 3 night cruise in July. The girl who took my information said "oh, an actual birthday" LOL.

 

[Geomom]

Our Feb. and April school vacations are within a week of each of our kids birthdays--so if we go to WDW in Feb. or April that child gets a birthday button and wears it all week. Sometimes they are actually there ON their birthdays, but not always. DH and I have done the same for our anniversary if we go to WDW Columbus Day weekend--as our anniversary is early October. With kids school schedules, it's extremely difficult to vacation right on an event and WDW is great with letting you celebrate whatever you want, whenever you want.

 

[arlopop]

On our first cruise our youngest turned 3 two days before boarding, our middle turned 5 the day after we boarded, and our oldest turned 7 two weeks after disembarking. We had planned to celebrate our middle child’s birthday aboard but felt bad that the other two would miss out on something at least a little special.
We mentioned it to our concierge host and they had a small cake for each one of the kids on different days during the week in our cabin.
I am sure they would have no problem accommodating you.

 

[jdb in AZ]

When we were at DLR I asked guest services for a b-day button and mentioned it was the day before my b-day and asked if that was o.k. The cast member handed me a b-day button and said, "Merry un-birthday to you."

There are so many b-day celebrations (and anniversaries, etc.) throughout the dining rooms every night of the cruise, I really don't think that many people are celebrating "on the day of."

 

[Dug720]

Celebrating a birthday on a different day isn’t pretending it’s on a different day. It’s simply when you’re celebrating it.

Yep, much like having your second grader's birthday party on Saturday, when her birthday was really last Wednesday.

Summer birthday girl here - July 20. No holidays, but smack in the midst of summer vacation when I was growing up. Friends weren't always around for a party - but I'd have it anyway for those who were.

BUT... My first elementary school I attended, the principal also had a summer birthday and remembered watching his classmates celebrate at school and he never got to, so he had a "policy" that any child with a summer birthday was allowed to select another day to celebrate an "unbirthday" at school. I usually picked my "half-birthday" for my celebration day.

 

[bumbershoot]

I was always jealous of the summer birthdays! Seemed to be a terrific time to have a party. But maybe that’s because we never vacationed so I was always available for a party.

 

[AngelicaS]

Yes it’s ok we are celebrating DD birthday 2 weeks after her birthday and also my birthday which is our last day on ship.

 

[bbel]

From my experience, the majority of people who celebrate their birthday on a cruise, aren't actually having a birthday. They'll wear the pin, have a cake and have a good day.

I've met many people who are actually have a birthday (a little cake appears next to their name on their actual birthday on the computer system) and don't want it acknowledged and reject the offer of a pin, so if in doubt, just borrow one of their birthdays haha!

 

[Dug720]

I should add, my family's first DCL cruise was part of a family trip to celebrate my parents' 45th anniversary. My sister and I have the same birthday (the aforementioned July 20 - no we're not twins, though people who don't know us think we look enough alike that we confuse them...good times when I'm cruising on a ship either that she doesn't work on but knows people on OR the ship she does work on but she's on her vacation. HAHA!). Our trip fell in between the two dates, and we celebrated all of them. In Palo it was all on that one night. In the MDR, we did the anniversary one night and the birthdays the other. It was fun.

My July 2019 cruise, I WILL actually be there on my birthday - it is Castaway Day #2!!

 

[pfp258]

Our Feb. and April school vacations are within a week of each of our kids birthdays--so if we go to WDW in Feb. or April that child gets a birthday button and wears it all week. Sometimes they are actually there ON their birthdays, but not always. DH and I have done the same for our anniversary if we go to WDW Columbus Day weekend--as our anniversary is early October. With kids school schedules, it's extremely difficult to vacation right on an event and WDW is great with letting you celebrate whatever you want, whenever you want.

Of course I can celebrate my birthday/anniversary when ever I want. Would I ask for and wear a birthday button on a trip in October when my birthday is in July? Would I let a cruise line know I’m celebrating a birthday/anniversary on my cruise in July when my birthday was weeks earlier or my anniversary is in March? How about a button or a cake that says-it’s around the time of my birthday/anniversary?

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Summer birthday girl here - July 20. No holidays, but smack in the midst of summer vacation when I was growing up. Friends weren't always around for a party - but I'd have it anyway for those who were.

BUT... My first elementary school I attended, the principal also had a summer birthday and remembered watching his classmates celebrate at school and he never got to, so he had a "policy" that any child with a summer birthday was allowed to select another day to celebrate an "unbirthday" at school. I usually picked my "half-birthday" for my celebration day.

Kids at my son’s school have lunch with the principal for their birthday. But everyone during the month celebrates the same day, so rarely on the exact day. The summer months are celebrated along with another month, for example March and June might all be together. Everyone gets to celebrate