In the time that I have been cruising, I have seen somewhat of a swing in the way people are booking their vacations. Yes, people still travel as a single family unit most of the time, but I have seen a considerable increase in those traveling as a part of a larger group. This could be a group of friends just selecting the same date, a family reunion or an organized group of family or friends with special events onboard.
The nice part about cruising as a group is that you can get together as a group or a partial group as often as you want or not at all! There are things to do for all ages and levels of activity.
We have personally cruised with a group of more than 350 members and as small as four. It’s nice to have friends and family along to share in the fun, but better than going to a single destination (like sharing a house or cabin on a lake or in the woods). When you are sharing a home, or even staying at a hotel, many times you will all gather for every meal and activities can be more limited. You don’t have as much of an opportunity to “have your own space”.
When considering a group cruise, you should always take a look at the ages of those coming along to make sure that everyone will be happy with the ship and itinerary chosen. You should also consider all booking together to see if there are perks you might receive from either the cruise line or a travel agent (or both!). Working with a travel agent can make the process much easier by coordinating the needs and special requests of each person traveling, rather than burdening one person with all of that. Don’t forget to ask your travel agent to help you with your pre and post cruise plans as well. If you are coming in a day early or spending time after the cruise, they may be able to get you a group rate at an area hotel as well. Group pricing may not be available in some cases, but having one person to make all the arrangements takes the pressure and stress off of your group.
Handling groups is one of our specialties. It’s great for our guests regardless of whether or not one person is handling all the details. I have had groups where one person made all of the arrangements and the payments. Using a travel agent allowed this person to just gather the necessary information, but not have to do all the work involved in setting up the rooms and getting everyone set to go. I’ve also worked with groups where one person set up the group, but the individual rooms handled their own information and payments. They were each able to contact me and talk about their individual needs and requests without having to bother the person who organized the group.
Plan your group cruise today and receive a bonus from Travel On A Dream! For group cruises booked between January 4, 2012 and January 20, 2012 for travel between April 1, 2012 and December 31, 2013, group leaders will receive double our onboard credit offer for their stateroom on the same sailing. Please see our onboard credit amounts for details. This can be combined with offers from the cruise lines as well.
Cruise date must happen between April 1, 2012 and December 31, 2013. Changes to dates outside of this range will not receive the bonus offer. The group must be set up no later than January 20, 2012. At the time of sailing, there must be at least five cabins in the group booked through Travel On A Dream. Referral credits can not be combined with the bonus offer. This offer does not apply to existing groups promoted through Travel On A Dream such as the ToaD sailings. Please contact us for more details at info@travelonadream.com or email your agent directly.
