Surprising the Kids with a Carnival Vista 5-Night Sailing with the Family

Want to surprise the family with a cruise on the Carnival Vista or other ship?

Check latest cruise prices & reviews for the Carnival Vista on Expedia!.

Their Carnival Vista Dreams

My oldest said she was, “paralyzed in happiness,” when we surprised the kids that we were going on the Carnival Vista!

They didn’t have a clue. Ever since our first family cruise, the Carnival Breeze in December 2012, we have already sailed 4 times as a family & have truly become cruise junkies. The girls knew all about the arrival of the Vista and were so eager to one day sail her. Little did they know!!

Preparing the Surprise

I was careful when I spoke to their teachers about missing several days. Missed classwork and homework assignments were carefully hiding in my bag. On a beautiful Sunday morning we did our normal routine of church and playing Daisy our dog. Just around lunchtime we packed up the car with the suitcases and began driving. The girls thought we were heading to a press event in Boca Raton and were going to be missing just one day of school. I was giggling on the inside.

As we drove on the Dolphin Expressway heading to the Port of Miami I kept thinking of how and when was I going to share the real plans Daddy and I had in store for them.

Surprising the Kids with a Trip on the Carnival Vista

Watch how I told them that instead of Boca we were going to sail the Carnival Vista and see their reaction.

NOTE: The video was filmed for Facebook Live so it is vertical. Also, the video image is in reverse – I’m NOT the one driving although it looks like I’m sitting on the driver’s side.

Over the next 5 nights, our family enjoyed every minute aboard the Carnival Vista. The ship was full of fun and great food! Full post coming soon!

Surprising kids with a trip is always so much fun! Do you remember when we surprised the kids with a trip to Disney!? Regardless if you surprise the kids or plan the cruise, I wish your family a fabulous Bon Voyage!

Other Cruising Resources for Families

• How to Plan a Family Cruise – Is this your first family cruise? Read through my guide to plan a perfect family cruise vacation.
• Cruise Direct – The place where cruisers go to book their vacation.
• Speciality Dining Review – Learn the details about dining on cruise ships.
• Room Service on a Cruise – Not all cruises lines offer this luxury. Carnival does. See how and why parents need to use this each morning of their family cruise.
• Do This, Not That on the Carnival Vista – We sailed this ship and learned so much. Please read through our advice before you set sail.
• Carnival Vista Dining Options – This ship is full of new and traditional dining options. In this post I explain it all.
• Brewery at Sea – The Carnival Vista has a brewery at sea! We enjoyed a background tour. See the details.
• Guys Pig & Anchor BBQ – On select ships, including the Vista, this latest Guy Fieri dining spot is full of traditional BBQ fare. So goo buy long wait. Get more details.
• Cruising the Carnival Breeze – We’ve sailed this ship twice and see just might be our favorite. Find out why!
• Cruising the Carnival Freedom – This ship is filled with FUN! See how we enjoyed our 8-night sailing.
• Key West Aquarium – Wondering what to do with the kids in Key West. We loved the Key West Aquarium. See why.
• Hasbro the Game Show – We’ve enjoyed this life-sized game on several Carnival ships. You’ve got to see how fun it is!
• Warm Melting Chocolate Cake Recipe by Carnival – If you’ve ever sailed a Carnival ship, you know how deliciousness of their warm melting chocolate cake!

Disclosure: This was a media trip, paid for by Carnival. All experiences and happiness was our own.