Discover Cruise Vacations

Group Cruise Advantages

The leader can sail for free if the group is large enough
The group can usually choose from an list of extra amenities for the group
It's a great vacation where everything is taken care of for you
The freedom to choose the cabin class (inside, outside, balcony) you can afford.
Indulging in hassle-free family meals (minus the dishwashing duty that comes with a house rental), avoiding waits for the big table at a restaurant, and eliminating those squabbles over the check.
Participating in group activities (or going off by yourself).
Enjoying the camaraderie and sense of security of traveling with loved ones.
Taking advantage of childrens' programs (many ships have them), which enable adults to have a worry-free evening together.

What are "points"?

Cruise lines assign a certain number of "points" to each sailing where group space is available. These points will be used to "buy" value-added amenities for your group. The number of points and what they will buy varies from cruise line to cruise line but here are some examples from some cruise lines that do a great job with groups

Royal Caribbean applies points by letting you choose the amenity according to the terms offered by referring the the ship and sail date you wish to book.

Champagne (one bottle per stateroom) - 1 point
Fruit Basket- 1 point
Cocktail Party- Drinks only- 2 points
Cocktail Party- with Food- 3 points
Wine and Cheese tray- 4 points
$50 onboard credit per stateroom- 4 points

Carnival is more tetailed in that points vary according to the length of the cruise. For example, A bottle of Champagne and Chocolates "costs" 3 points on a 3-day cruise but just 1 point on a 7 day cruise. Here are some other examples of how you can spend Carnival's "Fun Points" on a 4 day cruise

Coffee/Danish Breakfast meeting- 1 point
$50 in casino chips- 3 points
$50 onboard credit- 3 points
Carnival Robes- 5 points
Sparkling Cider and Chocolates- 2 points
Carnival Sports Bag- 2 points

Princess is a bit more complicated in that they group amenities into several "types" from which you can choose and has some great offerings. Your travel agent should be able to walk you through the differences in each line's point system and determine which one offers the best value (most free stuff) for your group.

Cocktail party- 2 points when a minimum of 32 passengers sail
$50 discount per cabin- 4 points on a 6-8 day cruise
$50 shipboard credit0 8 points on a 6-8 day cruise
Bottle of wine per stateroom- 2 points
Assorted canapes per stateroom- 1 point
Candid photo voucher- 1 point

A you can see from just these three cruise lines, what you can buy with your points varies quite a bit. Your travel agent can tell you what you need to know.

Normally, points don't have to be "spent" right up front. One way to manage points is to take time to think about it, maybe see what the group wants. Another way is for the group leader to make the decision and let your travel agent put together a package of information for prospective group members.

Prospective Member Package

The Prospective Member Package is something that is done mostly by the travel agent for the group leader. Basically, it's information that a potential member might need to decide if your group cruise is right for them. It might contain:

A video or DVD about the ship or cruise line
A brochure about your particular ship or itinerary
A fact sheet with information about prices, cabins avaiable, group leaders contact information, payment schedule and links to helpful websites

The Prospective Member Package is something that group leaders can give potential members individually or distribute at what is called a "Cruise Night" where the travel agent if possible and group leaders get together with potential members to get them to commit to going and drum up excitement for what will surely be a fabulous vacation. This is also good information to give to potential members that might not really be part of your organization.

Unrelated Group Members

Are just that; members who are part of the "group" but not so much or not really at all, for any social aspect. They're there for the value that a group cruise offers. I often see that in neighborhood and church groups. One person tells another who tells another, then someone hangs up a flyer at work and those people tell other people. I've had groups start with as little as 5 cabins that they thought would go and end up with over 100 cabins, just by spreading the news via word of mouth. For example, you may have 6 or 8 friends or family members who want to go on a cruise. Most cruise lines require a minimum of 8 cabins, you've got about half that, what do do?

Let Your Travel Agent Help

Your travel agent can be a big help in this area by promoting your group's unsold space on their website, to existing customers through email or regular mail or just by having a sign in the window of their business offering a great deal.

It is customary for group leaders to collect information from members and be the "voice" of the group, working closely with the travel agent. It should also be understood that your travel agent is available to group members for information about your group not covered in the Prospective Member Package such as important information for handicapped guests, guests with children or just general information about cruising in general.

Tips for Groups

Make sure you get everything in writing. Email is a great way to communicate with your travel agent. Sending an email back and forth on a topic gives both parties a record of what was said and what was decided. Never be in the situation where you say something like "Remember when I called you about...." It's not really fair or wise to expect that.
Set your schedule a few days ahead of what your travel agent tells you. If a deposit is due on a given day, mark a few days ahead of then as YOUR due date to allow for any problems
Pay with your debit or credit card. While agencies and cruise lines can take checks, they don't offer the recordkeeping and security your credit or debit card does. Perhaps more importantly, if you should cancel, any refund you may have coming can be quickly credited back to your card.
Allow a payment plan for members. Cruise lines vary on this but if your cruise is 4, 6 or 8 months or more in the future, present a payment plan where members can pay 4, 6 or 8 payments (or more) if they would like to, or design a payment plan of their own. This often makes paying easier and keeps group members onboard better than one large payment on the day of final payment. It is more work for your travel agent this way but if they're really "there for you" as they all say, this should be welcomed.
As the group member, you'll need to gather certain information about your group members. Your travel agent have or be able to design a form for you to use that allows you to capture all this information and keep it in one safe place.
Regarding credit card payments: It's a good idea to exercise caution in taking numbers. A common practice is to email all but the last four digits and expiration date of the card in one email and the rest in another. If you visit your travel agent in person, hand them your card rather that speaking the number aloud in a crowded office where it could be overheard.
Plan events onboard customized for your group. There are a number of bars on these ships and a popular group activity is a "pub crawl" going from one to the next. Another is to use your group's size to afford greater value on shore excursions. Your group may be large enough to take a whole bus or van rather than a cab, saving on transportation costs and providing a fun event for everyone to enjoy then talk about for years after you get back home
Forget trying to do a group with most online booking agencies. There is just TOO much to be gained by working closely with a travel agent, YOUR travel agent.

How about Weddings?

Weddings are a special event to be sure. Make them even more special and have more control over the cost by doing a wedding at sea. All the cruise lines have personal wedding planners that can help with all the details. Your travel agent will handle the cruise end of it and you'll be free to enjoy the moment.

Company Meetings and Incentives?

Carnival is really big in this area. Here's what they have to say about it

"A Carnival cruise is like giving your group two vacations in one: the first-class treatment and facilities of a resort, combined with the excitement of travel to exotic destinations. From cocktail parties to award ceremonies, a cruise is a great way to bring colleagues closer together, while everyone still has time to themselves. What's more, we've been in the business of planning incentive cruises longer than any other cruise line. So relax. You're in the hands of experts here. "

Famly Reunions!

I just did this last year and it was a breeze. The cruise line took care of everything right down to the vintage of wine we wanted for dinner. They can do it all for you or you can be highly involved; it's your choice. In our case, it was a time together that we may never have the chance to experience again. My mother, 87, has always loved to cruise. Who knows how many more chances she'll get? Gathering the whole family up from all over the country was easy since we did it as a cruise vacation.

Planning Your Cruise

Find a travel agent who specializes in groups, has experience doing them and likes doing them. Specifically ask "Do you like doing group cruises?" If they don't you don't want them.
That travel agent should be able to "profile" what you're looking for in a group and find one or two choices that would accomplish your goals.
Find out what kinds of amenities the cruise line will offer your group. These could include things like upgraded accommodations, a complimentary bottle of wine or champagne, special stateroom gifts, on-board credits, a complimentary cocktail party, a fruit basket or a free shore excursion. These are "bought" for your group using "points" assigned to your sailing.
Compare the individual pricing to the group pricing from the cruise line. The price may be about the same but the extra amenities offered your group would make it a great value. "Value" is the key too. Price is important but only as important as the value it represents.
Research "air deviations," which will give you and your group your preferred airline, flight times and gateway city, rather than having to rely on the cruise line's selections.
If it's a large group your travel agent may be able to provide an agent to accompany you on your sailing.

Just like selecting a Travel Agent for your individual bookings, selecting one for your group should take some thought and investigation.

Start by compaing prices online yourself. You won't get group pricing or information on points but you can get a "feel" for how much cabins are going for at the time of year, maybe even on the cruise line, that you are going to book
Take that information and shop it out to several agents. Critical to remember: Price is not the whole game in groups. You need someone who is experienced in groups and who you feel good about working with. That's important because you'll be spending a lot of time with that agent.
Pick an agent that you think will "go the extra mile" to make your group a success and good value too. If they're too busy to talk to you for very long when you're asking about prices, itineraries or other information, imagine how much less time they have once they "close the sale".
As dreamy and wonderful as cruising is, it's a business and you'll be agreeing to rules set forth by the cruise line that is hosting your group. Be sure you feel confident that your travel agent knows they're talking about AND is willing to give you the name and number of other group leaders they've worked with for references.
Ask some straight-forward questions: What if the price goes down on our group's sailing; does the price go down for our group? Tell me what you know about this ship and it's itinerary? What will you do and what will I do?

Group Cruise Questions and Answers
(SEND IN YOURS TODAY)

Question:

If there is an upgrade; does everybody in our grouyp get an upgrade? Does everybody with the same type cabin get the same upgrade? Is it possible for someone with an inside cabin get upgraded to an outside?

Answer:

If there is an upgrade the whole group will no doubt get it but that does not mean that one will and one won't. They look at a number of factors in determining who gets an upgrade. The only one that is different for the individual cabins in your group is when they were added and THAT is a big factor. It is very possible that one cabin might get upgraded that booked when we first started while one of the ones that waited around to get thier deposit paid might not. It's the cruise line's way of rewarding those who book far in advance.

Their whole life is all about filling up the ships and anything that makes that happen is a good thing to them...which they reward. That's why groups get these perks like the onboard credit, champagne or cookies; groups fill the ships faster. They can't afford to let the ships sail with ANY empty cabins.

It is entirely possible for an inside cabin to get upgraded to an oceanview cabin. In fact, that is the number 2 most common upgrade. The most common upgrade is for an upgrade within your cabin category, like from a 4a to a 4c or something like that.

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