"Surprise! You're going on a Disney Cruise!!"

[auntyaba]

I had it all worked out in my mind for Christmas I would surprise with a spring break cruise. I have looked high and low, searched online to try to find a christmas ornament to hang on the tree of a cruise ship. Apparently that's the one thing disney has not done yet. So off to plan B have been purchasing cruise themed merchandise, keychain, pins, etc. and plan to have one box of cruise materials wrapped and under the tree. She knows we are going to DW but has no idea its a land and sea cruise. Difficult to make these plans when working around a school and work schedule when the days off have to be requested so at least there will be a little bit of surprise.

 

[Cindi0511]

I'd LOVE to get an ornament, too. I'd get one for each family going in our group and send it to them as a way to enflame the excitement even more.

 

[mmouse37]

I had it all worked out in my mind for Christmas I would surprise with a spring break cruise. I have looked high and low, searched online to try to find a christmas ornament to hang on the tree of a cruise ship. Apparently that's the one thing disney has not done yet. So off to plan B have been purchasing cruise themed merchandise, keychain, pins, etc. and plan to have one box of cruise materials wrapped and under the tree. She knows we are going to DW but has no idea its a land and sea cruise. Difficult to make these plans when working around a school and work schedule when the days off have to be requested so at least there will be a little bit of surprise.


DCL absolutely makes several cruise ornaments...including one that looks like the ships (see pic below). They sell them on both ships. Your best bet is to ask someone going soon to pick one up for you or check out e-bay. We have at least a dozen from our various DCL cruises.

A simple google search turned up these sites....they are not DCL ornaments ships but can be personalized.

http://www.calliopedesigns.com/cruise-ship-personalized-claydough-ornament-1894.html

http://mileskimball.resultspage.com/search?p=Q&w=cruise ship ornament

http://www.cafepress.com/ultrageek.93116233

Here is my favorite DCL ornament.....



And a close up....

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DCL also sells round disc type ornaments. I think this year when I take out my Christmas stuff I will gather all my DCL ones and take a pic and post it so folks can see what they have had over the years...I just picked up a new one last month on board.

This pic below is from 2002 but if you look at what is hanging off each photo album you can see two types of ornaments the use to sell. They were sold individually, I just put them together in the pic.

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[mmouse37]

bumping for the OP

 

[Cindi0511]

MMouse37, you have one that is EXACTLY what I am looking for. I love the circle one on the white book!

 

[2gr8brits]

I can hardly wait to tell the kids about our Feb. 09 cruise! DH and I are busy collecting "cruise items": sunscreen, swin suit, underwater cameras, trading pins, etc, for "the box" under the Christmas tree that reveals the big gift. I have also made a short PhotoStory video with pictures from our last DC. The last slide has this poem:
Your Passports are here
Your bags will be packed
Join Mom and Dad as we go back
to a place in the sun, where you're sure to have fun!

We'll join Mickey and Friends,
you'll be the first mate
February 8 will be the date!

I also have an embroidered pillow case to take and have signed by the characters, I made a cruise countdown calendar, door magnets, fish extender, Tie dyed Mickey T shirts and custom embroidered pirate Mickey shirts. Christmas really needs to get here quick or I will have too many ideas!

PS I LOVE the videos you all have posted - they are quite touching - I hope to get the same reaction!

 

[Suz D]

Just had to chime in with our surprise from 2 years ago and 2 months ago as well.

We rebooked onboard our first cruise in December 2005 for Spring Break 2007 & didn't tell our DD. I kept telling her that she wasn't getting many gifts for Christmas because she was getting one really big present. I went to a consignment shop and bought some really cute tropical clothes WAY cheap. Then I wrapped them all in one big box. We told her when she started to open it that it was her big present. Imagine her surprise when it was filled with clothes (For summer no less). Then I asked her to check out an ornament box that was on the tree. Inside was a little card that said on the front "Why are your parents giving you all of these summer clothes for Christmas?". Inside said "Pack them in your suitcase because we are all going on a 7 day Disney Cruise over spring break." She was beside herself and I totally could not believe that I kept the secret for a whole year!

We are going again this December on the 3 night with some friends. We had rebooked onboard in 2007 for the Thanksgiving 2008 cruise leaving a week from tomorrow. My mother was diagnosed with cancer in June and was not doing well at all so in July I cancelled the TG cruise. My mom passed away in August. We've had such a hard year, we moved to another state, I had a small stroke, we were finally able to adopt our precious little girl who we had been fostering for 18 months and thought we might not be awarded adoption rights, and then we lost my mom. We told our daughter that with everything that had happened for the year we just couldn't swing a cruise this year but we'd go to WDW for a few days with our friends.

In September we went back to our old town for a visit and had lunch with our friends. The kids are super into pin trading so we gave them each a pin to start their trading collection for this trip. It was a Disney Cruise Line pin. They didn't get it at first and then I said, "What kind of pin is it?" My daughter said, "A Disney Cruise Line pin. Are we going on a cruise? Are we going on a cruise? I can't believe it!" and then she burst into tears. It was really fun.

I plan on re-booking onboard for January 2010 and surprising her again at Christmas 2009. She's a great girl who has adjusted really well to going from an only child for 11 years to being a big sister to a high energy little girl with some special traits that were sometimes a challenge. It's nice to be able to give our family a gift that she loves and that we can share with her.

Thanks OP for starting this thread. I'm up way too late and crying way too much about all of the videos, but what a fun way to spend my evening!

 

[itutorfortravel]

My mom is trying to have one last family reunion where she thinks everyone can be there before the grandkids start with summer jobs and college and so forth. Here is the invite she sent out via e-mail today:

Ahoy, Mateys,

This is yer Captain Grammy Goldheart speakin’. Pack your rags, amass yer offspring, and get yer carcasses to the Port Canaveral pier no later than 10 a.m. sharp on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010. If yer late, ye’ll be a walkin’ the plank, fer sure. Our Family Reunion voyage will span a week’s time and three islands. You have much pillaging to do in order to manage all the loot we’ll be a gatherin’ and the good times we’ll be a havin’.

Here be the docket all 35 of us wayfarin’ scoundrels will be a followin’. Iff’n ye have any questions, send them via sea by corked bottle to Lake Erie.

Saturday
Port Canaveral - 4:00PM
Sunday
At Sea
Monday
At Sea
Tuesday
St. Maarten - 8:00 a.m. - 7:00PM
Wednesday
St. Thomas/St. John 8:00AM - 4:30PM
Thursday
At Sea
Friday
Castaway Cay 9:30AM - 5:00PM
Saturday
Port Canaveral 7:35AM

Be mindful, me 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 ye’ll see the grub ye’ll have to choke down, the deplorable conditions ye’ll have to sleep in, and the islands we’ll be a’ plunderin’.

More information will be coming as our Captain deems necessary. Yer on a need-to-know-basis, and rit’ now, that’s all ya need to know.

Argh!

Captain Granny Goldheart

I am sitting here both laughing and crying over this one! Your mom is very creative and what a fun, fun letter. This would get me so excited for the trip!

 

[Cindi0511]

Just had to chime in with our surprise from 2 years ago and 2 months ago as well.

. My mom passed away in August. We've had such a hard year, we moved to another state, I had a small stroke, we were finally able to adopt our precious little girl who we had been fostering for 18 months and thought we might not be awarded adoption rights, and then we lost my mom. We told our daughter that with everything that had happened for the year we just couldn't swing a cruise this year but we'd go to WDW for a few days with our friends.

In September we went back to our old town for a visit and had lunch with our friends. The kids are super into pin trading so we gave them each a pin to start their trading collection for this trip. It was a Disney Cruise Line pin. They didn't get it at first and then I said, "What kind of pin is it?" My daughter said, "A Disney Cruise Line pin. Are we going on a cruise? Are we going on a cruise? I can't believe it!" and then she burst into tears. It was really fun.

I plan on re-booking onboard for January 2010 and surprising her again at Christmas 2009. She's a great girl who has adjusted really well to going from an only child for 11 years to being a big sister to a high energy little girl with some special traits that were sometimes a challenge. It's nice to be able to give our family a gift that she loves and that we can share with her.

Sending BIG hugs and lots of pixie dust your way. You go, girl!

 

[Buckeye Gal]

Oh myl! We've had some awesome stories in the past couple of weeks!!

Suz D, I hope you have a very happy 2009!!
Cindi0511, Captain Granny Goldheart sounds like a hoot!

I hope if some of you ware planning on unveiling your surprise over Christmas that you'll be up to including pictures or video! It's just priceless to see that smile on their face!

Again, thanks for sharing your excitement with us!!!

 

[nikilee]

I wish i had surprised my 4 kids!!!

I AM SURPRISEING THEM WITH STATEROOM GIFTS, but it would have been brilliant to surprise them with the cruise! I am the one who cant keep a secret and keeps reminding everyone how long it is untill we go!

maybe they should be surpriseing me? im definately more excited than them.

 

[Cindi0511]

Oh myl! We've had some awesome stories in the past couple of weeks!!

Suz D, I hope you have a very happy 2009!!
Cindi0511, Captain Granny Goldheart sounds like a hoot!

I hope if some of you ware planning on unveiling your surprise over Christmas that you'll be up to including pictures or video! It's just priceless to see that smile on their face!

Again, thanks for sharing your excitement with us!!!

My mamma is wonderful! She's very much into her entire family, although we're to the point that this will probably be the last big get together outside of someone's passing. But she's just planning away!