Cruises are an amazing option for a family reunion. Depending on the cruise ship selected, families with young children can have ready access to children’s programs. There are supervised activities for all kids from toddlers through teens. Although specific offerings will vary by ship, activities often include rock climbing walls, zip lines, escape rooms, water slides, cooking presentations & more. With all meals and entertainment included and onboard activities for all ages, it’s easy to decide on a family reunion cruise.
There are also added perks, and you can even earn FREE travel, but how do you put it all together? Who will make the decisions? Who will reach out to the family? Even once you have decided on the cruise, do you want dinners or special activities together? Who will reach out when payments are due to the cruise line? The details can easily be overlooked or become overwhelming. Best Cruise Line for Families
We have helped hundreds of families plan their reunion cruises over the years and are happy to share our tips.
How To Plan A Family Reunion Cruise
- Use a travel agent.
It can take hours to research ships, dates, prices, onboard activities, and more. Using a travel agent does not cost you any money, so why not use their expertise and let them guide you, based on your wants and needs, which cruise ships would be the best option for you and your family. Keep in mind another advantage of cruising is that you can offer different types of cabins that will fit different budgets. A travel agent will also handle the details including…- Securing discounted group rates
- Arrange a payment plan
- Secure family dinners together
- Handle any special arrangements you may need (such as a cake or cocktail party)
- Secure a conference room or private venue for your group to meet if needed
- Arrange private shore excursions
- Monitor pricing to make sure you are getting the best deal even after you are booked
- Choose one or two people that will be the point of contact for the group.
If the group is large enough, then consider a planning committee. Important decisions need to be made upfront, such as how long of a cruise you want, which port you want to leave from & what the target budget is for the majority of the group. We suggest narrowing it down to one or two dates that would work for the majority of the group. Consider a Facebook poll or if everyone is not part of Facebook, an email to everyone.
Once they have a few details, such as how many children are in the group and any special interests or needs, a travel agent can provide a comparison chart of the itinerary, ships, and prices so that it’s easy for everyone to review and will save you hours of research. Best Cruise Lines for Family Reunions is a great place to browse the benefits of family reunion cruises.
The good news is, once you have chosen your family reunion cruise, if you work with an experienced group department, they can be the point of contact, taking all the calls with travelers’ questions, accepting payments, and sending reminders on your behalf. They can even assist with meeting rooms, dinner reservations, and getting t-shirt sizes for you. This takes the burden off of any one person, which is helpful, particularly with larger family reunion groups. - Plan in advance.
The earlier you start planning the cruise, the better the group rates and amenities will be. You can normally book a cruise 18 to 24 months in advance. Don’t worry about cruise prices going down. It would be unusual for rates to drop because as the ship’s sell out, prices increase, however, we offer a free cruise price tracker that will monitor the sailing for any changes, so we can always ensure you are getting the best value. Also, you can offer an affordable payment plan, with as little as $50 to $75 deposit per person, so that everyone has time to save.
Group perks can vary from onboard spending money, a group photo, a complimentary drink package, and more. As a general rule, you also get a free berth for every 8 double-occupancy cabins booked. If you are celebrating a special occasion, you can also set up special things such as a vow renewal, specialty dinner, custom birthday cake, scavenger hunt, a karaoke session, or a private cocktail party with a DJ. Some of these things are at an additional cost, so you will want to know ahead of time so that cost can be divided among the entire group. - Create a family reunion cruise website.
As part of our free travel planning services we will create a website for your group to be able to promote and share with other family members. At the very least, set up an event page on Facebook, but to make things even easier, have a custom website where each family member can book and manage their own reservations. We include a free custom website for all of our groups with online booking capabilities. As the cruise approaches, create a schedule of events to share with everyone in the group.
Finally, while it’s tempting to do so, don’t overplan a family reunion cruise. Sit back and relax. There is so much to see and do on a cruise, that everyone will have a great time. The key is that you are bringing your family together to create lasting memories.
Ready to start planning? Just call us at 866-475-7023 or fill out the group booking form and we will send over a free quote.
