We had two birthdays celebrated on the ship – Matthew’s 15th birthday and Ryan’s 14th birthday. For Matthew, we were in Shanghai, China. For Ryan, we were in Banjul, The Gambia. I already did posts for those locations but didn’t really do much about the boys’ birthdays or what we did to celebrate those (other than being in those locations). So this post is about their birthday celebrations.
Matthew turned 15 on April 2nd in Shanghai. He was treated to a special peanut-free cake made for him and delivered to our table in the Terrace Café (the buffet on the ship), where the staff and guests sang Happy Birthday to him. Ludmila, the General Manager, led the way for all of this, and some of Matthew’s favorite crew were in attendance. It was a lively affair.
In addition, Esmerelda, their room steward, decorated the room with balloons.
Ryan turned 14 on June 16th in The Gambia. He was treated to a special cake delivered to our table in Toscana (the Italian specialty restaurant), where crew and guests sang Happy Birthday to him. He blew out the candle and we were treated to vanilla ice cream alongside the cake.
In addition, Sunil, our room steward, decorated the room with balloons and even made sure that Ryan’s stuffed animals were in attendance for the celebration on his bed.
We hadn’t realized this when it was Matthew’s birthday, but they also announce birthdays on the TV so other guests can know and send well wishes, which they did.
Both boys reported having great birthdays, in large part because of the efforts that Oceania crew took to make their days special. We are very appreciative of all the attention that is paid to us on regular days, but especially on the kids’ birthdays. Everybody should get a chance to celebrate a birthday on board a cruise!