How to decide?

[kamgen]

As most of you probably read already, I won a 7night cruise. We are so excited, but are having a hard time making a decision.
You see the cruise is for 4 and we do not have any kids (yet! ).
So, how do we decide who to invite??
I mean, how do you pick family or friends without looking like you are playing favorites or upsetting anyone.

This is touchy for us.

Any ideas?????

Thanks!

Kamy

 

[prymsu]

pick me! That should solve your problem! That way, you won't be playing favorites! HA!HA!HA! If only we could all be so lucky.

 

[we3luvdisney]

Sure, take my wife and I.

 

[Michelle]

If there is no obvious choice (a couple of best friends or very close family members) why not just draw the names out of a hat? At least that way everyone will have the same chance.

Of course you could always go ALONE and solve the problem totally. There is no law that says you have to pack your stateroom with four people, and a nice romantic cruise for TWO may be your best bet.

Enjoy!

 

[DisneyJumper]

I had the same problem on choosing who to bring. My wife and I decided that we were going to take along her mother or my mother with us to watch after our 14month old child. We thought about this long and hard. We finally decided that since my wifes dad had dad a few years ago and her mom had to work each day and come home to an empty house each night that we would take her. I figured my mom wouldn't get to upset. BOY WAS I WRONG! My mother is still upset with us both but we still plan to have a good time and not loose any sleep over it. We have also decided to take a 7 day cruise on Dinsey Magic next year and were going to take my mother and father with us. Remind you that we will be paying for this. I think she will get over missing the 4 day cruise real quick like when we tell her. Rember this in your decison, you can't please everyone, someone is going to get upset, and it's your vacation you choose who you want to spend it with!

 

[kamgen]

I appreciate everyone's advice. It has crossed our minds to just go alone, but I feel so lucky and want to share it with people. Especially those we KNOW cannot afford it themselves.

Keep the advice coming!

Thanks again!
Kamy

 

[Fawn]

Personally, I think the romantic cruise idea is lovely! You didn't say what level cabin they are giving you...a 9 or 10 would be tight with two friends!

If you really want to share, have a drawing with all the couples you are considering...that would be lovely and you could make a little cocktail party out of it!

However, if all else fails, I volunteer my children. My youngest two are still sorta cute, well-behaved for the most part, and disappear into the kids club for days on end!

 

[Mjasp]

Kamy...I have to agree with Michelle. Go alone. Do you really want to share a stateroom with other people. Think about waking up with other people in your room. Or showereing and getting dressed in a steamy room because you can't crack open the door. Or using the bathroom after someone else just used it.

Go alone, enjoy your cruise because the next cruise you win, or go on you may have your own children to take.

 

[cumickey]

I would choose a couple or two singles who had had the toughest time physically, mentally or financially!. That way if anyone complained you can say well they needed this trip to have something to look forward to and cheer them up!.

If you still have trouble then we will go with you lol!

BTW congrats on winning!, you must be on quite a buzz!!!

 

[iloverags2]

Keep in mind the rooms for four are set-up with a bed for two of you, then a single sofa and pull down bunk for the other two. If you invite another couple, they may not like the sleeping arrangement they are given! Having said that, the idea of just the two of you for an entire week may sound like a lot less of a headache. If you choose to take someone, make sure it is someone you can spend time with in close quarters for a week (although you may not spend much time in the room anyways). There is no easy way on who to decide if you choose to invite anyone. Someone is going to feel left out. Choose who you want...you don't owe anyone an explanation! And most importantly...have fun!

 

[wovenwonder]

I would either go alone or take two children -- the rooms for 4 just are not set up very conveniently for two couples. Feel free to look at some pics of our category #10 -- secret porthole stateroom on my website. The sofa folds down -- and the 4th person would be sleeping on a bunk over the sofa. Dave has pics of this upper bunk on his website at www.dcltribute.com

Many people would rather be going alone --- BUT, I personally LOVE the company of children and would welcome the chance to be able to take my niece and nephew on a DCL cruise! There are soooo many activities for the kids during the day to allow ample adult time. It is so much fun seeing the cruise thru the eyes of a child!

One more thing to consider --- would be the fact that if you would happen to decide to go as a twosome only -- possibly the radio station would offer a stateroom credit to offset the difference that it would cost for 4 people -- or even an upgrade!

 

[kamgen]

I agree about the children. That is what we are leaning towards.
Still, we have a list of 10 or so we could take! We took three to WDW with us last year and LOVED it. SO, we know it would be fun.
UGH!

How do you decide that??

Thanks again everyone!

Kamy

 

[AnnaB]

I have to agree with the other posts. Make sure who-ever you choose you can live with in close living quaters. There is nothing worse than going on a trip with poeple who do not roll with the punches and complain about every little detail.

If you do decide to go with 2 others...I love the idea of having a party announcing your "prize" and then putting the names in a hat. By doing it this way, everyone will see that you were playing fair and square and the lucky couple won.

Good Luck...sometimes these type of decisions look to be the easiest and turn out to be the hardest.

 

[disney6]

I personally think the kids idea is a good one. Are any of the kids you have in mind (of course the 3 that went to WDW would not be considered?) close to a graduation or other special event in their lives? I wouldn't bring anyone under 3 or not potty trained (that goes without saying right?).
My sister keeps telling me we should bring one of her daughters with us to babysit and we've had to politely say no while still taking a friend of my sons. Can be touchy! I feel for you.
Good luck in your decision and have a great time!!!!!

 

[wovenwonder]

How old are these 10 children that you have to choose between? Could you have some sort of a contest where they have to do some good deeds or volunteer time to earn their way to the cruise? They would earn their name in a hat for every good deed or volunteer time that they do - Then draw a name from the hat. Those that have done the most acts of kindness would have the better chance of getting picked.

This WOULD be a very hard decision to make!

 

[kamgen]

Jody,
we have thought of how to make it a "game". Might make it seem more fair.
I guess we have a lot of thinking to do.

I appreciate everyone's advice. It helps a lot!!!

Kamy

 

[Michelle]

Oh, great ideas here!

Since you're leaning towards taking kids, I go back to the drawing idea, especially if you have kids of different ages and abilities vying for the right to go. It would be very difficult to come up with a fair "game" in which they would all have equal chances. I also personally would only include kids that are at least age 7 or so, younger kids may miss their parents too much on a cruise, and then you're stuck.

Just some more food for thought!

 

[Samsma]

Maybe pick two children who get along well, or don't see too much of each other. I wouldn't tortune anyone else with the company of my two children together, who fight like cats and dogs

 

[kamgen]

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate the ideas.

Kamy

 

[albiats]

Great ideas, and great idea to share!

I'd just like to add a couple of observations, from one who has done similar things, but on land -

It might be Ok to just take one child and not have to be two.

It's a long way from home and it would be very difficult (and expensive) for a child to talk to their Mom or Dad if they became 'homesick'. Also impossible to send them home if they were to become unhappy on Monday or Tuesday, for instance.

All you need to do is find the one or two that are deserving, mature, and well behaved and would be able to spend at least a week away from their parents and family. (I know I'm over simplifying here.)

We once took a friend of our DD to WDW and to Florida during their early teen years, when we lived in Ohio. It turned very akward when she became unhappy (and unruly) after the first day in the MK. She talked to her Mom on the phone from the hotel for about an hour (expensive then too) and calmed down and finished the trip Ok. But it sure looked like she was going home by herself by air for awhile.

Hope your decision works well for you.