Gathering To Cruise News & Ideas

Group Vacations at Sea

2011-01-27T10:12:00.000-05:00

As a travel agent who specializes in cruising groups, I follow the news and trends in this niche closely. The idea of cruising with family, friends or club or business associates has been growing a lot over the past few years. One reason is the affordability and value of a cruise. There is a cruise for every budget and within that cruise a wide variety of accommodations to fit everyone’s individual lifestyle.

The past two years have seen the introduction of incredibly innovative new ships with literally something for everyone from huge waterslides and water parks for the younger set (or the young at heart) to sophisticated wine bars and jazz clubs for the adults. From affordable basic cabin accommodations to two storey suites and private villas that have their own elevators and come with a baby grand piano and butler, you can find your perfect place onboard.

Although these new ships were introduced during some of the toughest economic times America has seen in many years, they are still sailing with a full compliment of guests, people value their vacation time and being able to spend that time with valued friends and family makes it all the better.

The key to getting the very best rates for your groups, especially on the newest and best ships, is to really plan far in advance, 10 – 14 months. This also gives those on a restricted budget the opportunity to use a payment or savings plan.

A family reunion, special birthday or anniversary, or as a fund raiser for your club, a cruise is more and more becoming the best choice.

Freedom of the Seas, something for everyone

2011-01-18T10:52:00.001-05:00

A recent cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas really reminded me of the family or multi-generational aspects of a cruise vacation. Up until the arrival of the Oasis and Allure of the Seas, the Freedom was the largest cruise ship on the seas and was built and designed for family vacations. But this is not to say that young couples or retirees will not find the ship inviting and entertaining.

This ship has consistently been rated the best ship and crew by her passengers. From the moment you come aboard you notice the crew, always there but never ‘in your face.’ This extremely courteous and friendly crew will address you by name if you have introduced yourself to them, for the duration of your time together. The food and service in the Dinning Room were as great as you would expect but what was a little surprising was that the food and service in the buffet on the Lido Deck was just as good with the crew anxious to bring you coffee or juice or whatever you desired. And although the ship was sailing with a full complement of passengers, we rarely had trouble finding seating in the buffet area for breakfast or lunch.

Up on the Sports and Lido Decks you will find the usual pools and hot tubs but these have been cleverly grouped so no matter what sort of experience you are looking for you can find it. There is a very nice Solarium with an adults only pool and oversized whirlpools, two more pools for adults and families plus a water park with plenty to keep the younger set occupied. Then add the innovative Flow Rider where you can actually go surfing, the basketball court, miniature golf course, boxing ring and rock climbing wall and you will be hard pressed to decide what to do next! My husband and I (both over sixty) both tried the Flow Rider, on a Boogie Board, and were successful on the first try. What a kick! Never got around to climbing the Rock Wall or entering the Dodge Ball Tournament but others onboard kept those venues pretty busy.

If you are looking for something a bit more sedate, how about the Wine Tasting in the Wine Bar? This is not the usual where they have four to six wines they have decided to let you try. The Vintages Wine Bar had a wine tasting each afternoon. The staff there was exceptional even for this ship. They took the time to ask you about your wine experiences, what you like or dislike, then they bring out four offerings geared specifically for you. I like reds while my husband prefers the milder/sweeter whites. So we each had totally different options. One evening they had a Port tasting that was just to die for since it was complemented with wonderful chocolates!

The cabin choices on this ship are practically infinite, everything from an Inside cabin for two to a Family sized stateroom for up to 6. Our cabin had a window that overlooked the enclosed Royal Promenade which allowed us to watch the Parade without leaving our cabin and no hunting for a good view. We prefer Exterior Balcony cabins but wanted to experience overlooking the Promenade. If you book an interior cabin overlooking the Promenade remember to put on some clothing prior to opening the drapes or you might surprise someone across the way. All the cabins have plenty of storage and a shower large enough to bend over in without doing yourself mischief!

The Whirlpools in the Solarium were hot and had a wonderful view of the ocean. The Spa menu is extensive and the Hot Stone Massage was excellent. The gym equipment appeared to be excellent and functional although I didn’t try any of it (you could actually get boxing lessons or sparing matches in a real, full sized ring with a man or a woman instructor). Exercise is too much like work to be engaging in it while on vacation so we just watched a bit. So if you are looking for relaxation and rejuvenation the opportunities abound, however for those looking to squeeze in every bit of excitement and new experience this ship still comes through.

The cruise director, Graham Seymour, was very funny and entertaining. He even had his own adult stand-up comedy show late one night. The other entertainment included an illusionist that really did make you shake your head in wonder plus a marvelous retrospective show about Ricky Nelson done by his twin sons. The production shows and ice skating shows were top notch as well.

This was one of the best cruises I have been on in a long time. This ship is very comfortable, easy to find your way around on with a marvelous crew and a Captain that evidently runs a tight ship. I know you will enjoy your cruise on the Freedom of the Seas as much as we did.

Consider a family group cruise not to the Caribbean

2010-10-02T15:05:00.000-04:00

One of the joys of travel is to experience something different from life as we live it. Connecting to and learning about a new culture, way of life, environment, cuisine, etc. can bring a new perspective to your own life. But often we forget about connecting to and learning about our own culture and history, what went before that made us who we are as a nation and culture.

I was put in mind of this on a recent cruise to Canada and New England. I was astonished to realize just how much of my public school American history I had forgotten but also how much came back to me! As I was experiencing a day long tour of Boston, I kept thinking how wonderful it would be to share this experience with an entire multi-generational family group. And with that sharing rediscovering our American roots.

Imagine the lively conversations after a day of visiting churches built in the 1700’s (just what does religious freedom mean?), the site of the Original Tea Party (what was that really about?), and the site of the “Shot Heard Round the World” (how loud would that have to be?). Here is a great opportunity to rekindle the awe and pride you have in the founding fathers of the US, learn how much the women of the era contributed (often from not that far behind the scenes), plus experience a lot of history up close and live, not just pictures. It really is different when you can lay your hands on it, smell it, and hear it. Plus with this much learning opportunity, the school aged participants can still be learning all in the guise of vacation fun.

So when planning your next vacation, you might want to consider something close to home but still with a lot of opportunity for learning and reconnecting.

Where do I start? I want to plan a group cruise.

2010-06-13T22:47:00.000-04:00

How do you become a group leader so you can earn those T/Cs? Just like anything in life, nothing comes for free so be prepared to put a bit of thought and many phone calls into action to pull your group together.

• Start by deciding what is really important to you in a cruise (or what your lead guest would like if you are organizing a group around a specific event, say someone’s birthday or anniversary). Do you expect a number of younger participants (children under the age of 18) or mostly adults? Is there a specific destination or region you want to visit (Bahamas, Alaska, Mediterranean, Bermuda)?

• How long do you want to be gone? Do you look forward to an entire week with your long lost college friends or does seven days with Uncle Marcus make you consider jumping ship? If you have a lot of first time cruisers in the target group you will want to scale it down to a shorter outing.

• When can you be gone? Does it have to be when the kids are out of school (either on holiday or summer vacation)? Ask your target group when the kids are out of school or when their job will let them off. Or when is that important birthday or anniversary?

• Probably the toughest question is price. You need a price range of what your target group is expecting or comfortable paying. If the answer is “the cheapest,” you are going to disappoint a lot of people because the cheapest is rarely when or where you want to go. If you’ve cruised in recent years you may have a good idea of average costs but if it has been a while or never, ask a professional for some guidelines. Keep in mind that what you paid last year for a 3 night cruise to the Bahamas in September is not proportional to a 5 night cruise to Grand Turk in July next year. Cruise fares vary dramatically by the time of year sailing and the itinerary. Don’t forget to factor in the cost of getting everyone to the embarkation port (flight costs vary greatly as well).

Once you have these points decided or narrowed to a range of options, call your travel professional to see what is available that fits with your group’s dreams and needs. Planning a group cruise requires some planning and lots of communication. You’ve got to be looking to the future (now is the time to plan your group cruise for the Summer or holidays of 2011). The earlier you begin the better chance you will have of finding the perfect cruise for your group at the very best rates.

Want to Cruise For Free?

2010-06-07T22:35:00.000-04:00

Well you can, sort of. You’ve seen the advertising from the cruise lines or travel agencies that tell you: Cruise For Free! They are talking about the earned Tour Conductor Credit (often just called the T/C). But they don’t really mean entirely for free because the T/C is just the base cruise fare and does not include port charges or taxes (just as it was said so long ago, taxes are unavoidable).

Most cruise lines offer the T/C to encourage group travel. Usually it is one T/C earned for each 8 cabins that sail (at least two passengers per cabin) on the same ship and sail date under a group contract. The T/C is actually a refund not a discount so all passengers must pay the full going fare for the cruise then, based on the number of cabins and passengers that actually sail, the cruise line will refund the T/C amount a few weeks after the sailing is complete.

Usually the T/C is based on the cabin category rate most sold in the group. But today Carnival Cruise Lines announced a change in their Group Policy that will base the T/C on the average of all the base cruise rates booked into the group. This little change can add up quickly. Before the announced change, if you sailed 10 cabins (4 balcony cabins with a base rate of $720pp and 6 inside cabins with a base rate of $460pp) you would receive one T/C of $460. Carnival’s new policy will refund a T/C with a value of $564 (8 X $720 plus 12 X $460 = $11,280 divided by 20 = $564).

It would not be surprising to see the other major cruise lines following suit. It is certainly something to consider when thinking about your next group cruise, especially if you are considering a group cruise as a fund raiser. But keep in mind that it is still not Free Cruising. The port charges and taxes are not insignificant amounts.