Going on a group cruise vacation? I guess you want to know how to organize a group cruise. Well you’re in luck because this article will provide you with some ideas on how to manage a group cruise by providing you some effective organizational tips. After reading this, you’ll be on your way to cruising smoothly with your family and friends.
First off, a group cruise vacation has two basic kinds:
- Affinity Group – this group has all members that share a special interest. These groups are more elaborate because they include group-specific activities. They’re also more difficult to organize, but you can get help from a good travel agent.
- Special Group – these group simply wants to travel together. An example would be a family reunion cruise. They just want to take the trip to have some fun.
Now let’s take a look at the 5 tips on how to effectively organize a group cruise vacation:
Good Travel Agent
Travel agents are crazy about group bookings. Group bookings are easier for them compared to individual bookings. Sometimes the booker gets a higher commission rate on a group booking than individual ones. This will make the agent more aggressive when competing with others to close the deal. Take your time to pick your travel agent and strike up a good deal as much as you can.
Group Benefits
You can have huge discounts when traveling as a group in a cruise. One of the benefits is having a free cabin. When a group books the required minimum number of cabins, the group gets one bed for free. If you book 2 more cabins you’ll also get one free. Other benefits can include free photographs, dinners in specialty restaurants, cocktail parties, or free use of meeting rooms. There are also benefits for smaller groups. You can have the travel agent make the deals for the group.
Assign Tasks
You might be the leader of your group cruise vacation and the one who can designate the group’s activities. For eg. your group got 40 cabins reserved so far. Your agent can manage all the bookings. If you can email your members, you can ask your agent for a letter to send out to the group that indicates you as the contact person.
Additional Costs
Watch out for additional expenses if you intend to bring any guests with you. Be thorough in managing how many guests you really want to bring along so you can negotiate a good group cruise vacation deal.
Have Fun
At the end of the day, having fun is the main purpose of going on a cruise. Try to make things as simple as possible especially if you have a large group with a common interest. Having your travel agent on board will help if there are any misunderstandings with the cruise lines.
