Whether you are turning four or 40 – birthdays are special. And in recent years, birthdays have also meant traveling for our family – in particular, cruises.

Last year, we celebrated Molly’s 4th birthday on a cruise and I turned another year older while sailing on the Carnival Breeze. They were each memorable birthdays that my family will always cherish.

From cakes to special gifts to decorating your stateroom – there’s nothing better than sailing the seas for your special day.

Here’s a look at some of the ways my family and I celebrated —

Pamper Yourself

Do what I did and treat yourself to a little pampering with a relaxing spa treatment. It was so nice to take a break and truly focus on myself during our cruise. Sure, there’s always the adults-only Serenity deck to unwind, but there’s nothing better than a hot stone massage while overlooking the seas. It was the ultimate birthday gift to myself!

If food is more your idea of pampering, make reservations at the ship’s Steakhouse. You can’t go wrong with surf & turf, paired with a big, slice of cheesecake for dessert. It’s an elegant evening and the great way to make wishes for another birthday year.

Feed Me Cake

And speaking of food… For Molly’s birthday, we stopped by the ship’s Cherry on Top candy store and order her a birthday cake to be delivered at dinner the next night in the dining room. While we were there, we let the girls fill up their own candy bags with treats – gummies, chocolates and tons of sugar!

I’ll never forget when our servers surprised Molly at dinner by singing ‘Happy Birthday’ and presenting her with a cake. It was such a fun moment and we loved making friends with our table neighbors when we shared cake with everyone.

Make It A Surprise 

One thing I really wished I had done was purchase a cabin decorations package before our sailing. Depending on the package, your steward will decorate your stateroom with streamers, banners and let everyone know that it is your birthday by decorating the outside of your door.

You can even order chocolate covered strawberries (a big hit with Molly), fruit baskets and for the kiddos – surprise them with a gift bag complete with Dr. Seuss gifts including books, backpacks and even a great beach towel too – all delivered right to your stateroom.

Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast Celebration

And speaking of Dr. Seuss – the Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast with The Cat in the Hat and Friends is a fun way to celebrate a birthday. With French toast covered in cereal, colorful pancakes and meeting the characters from the books, this special breakfast is always a big hit with my girls.

The decor definitely gets you in the ‘party’ mood and with the songs and dancing – it’s the perfect way to celebrate your little one’s big day.

There are so many fun ways to make your birthday unique when sailing with Carnival Cruise Line. Since we’ve celebrated Molly’s and my birthdays on cruises, my husband and Maggie have been asking when we are going to sail for their birthday celebrations. Looks like I better get to planning again soon!