How Do I Plan A Family Reunion Cruise

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, along with onboard activities for all ages, it’s easy to decide on a family reunion cruise, but how do you put it altogether?  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?  The details can easily be overlooked or become overwhelming.

We have helped hundreds of families plan their reunion cruises over the years and are happy to share our tips on how to plan a family reunion cruise.

1. Use a travel agent. 
   It can takes 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.
2. 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 up front such as how long of a cruise do you want, which port do 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, any special interests or needs, a travel agent can provide a comparison chart of 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-shirts sizes for you. This takes the burden off of any one person which is helpful, particularly with larger family reunion groups.

3. 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 a as little as $25 to $50 deposit per person, so that everyone has time to save. 

   Group perks can vary from onboard spending money, a group photo, 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 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. 

4. Create a family reunion cruise website. 
   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 group 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 over plan 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.

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