What is a Group Cruise?
By Alara Shannon, Marketing | September 01, 2013 ( Comments)
Similar to major airline carriers and hotels, most cruise lines offer a Group Travel Program for their guests. The more the merrier!
A cruise vacation is perfect for large groups; the full range of accommodations, dining and entertainment are seemingly endless. Meetings, conferences, executive retreats, teambuilding and other special events are easily accommodated onboard with a variety of available conference spaces and meeting venues.
A total of 16 passengers in 8 cabins is required in order to qualify a large party as a ‘group’.
This is the general rule of thumb, however, there are rare exceptions so please confirm your desired ship and sailing date with your travel agent.
When to Consider Taking a Group Cruise:
- Family Reunions
- Graduation Celebrations
- Birthday Milestones
- Weddings
- Anniversaries
- Holidays
- Business and Incentives
- Clubs and Associations
- Church Groups
- Simply Getting Together with Friends
What is the Benefit of Cruising with a Group?
Aside from the main advantage of traveling with friends, family or co-workers, booking a group cruise entitles you to certain perks and benefits. These will vary by cruise line, group size and itinerary.
- Discounts: a group cruise is often priced lower than regular rates.
- Amenities: group amenities are a major incentive; cruise lines will offer extras like onboard credit, bottles of wine, fruit plates and snacks, soda packages, cocktail parties, complimentary specialty dining and more.
- Every 16th passenger cruises for free: cruise lines will generally provide a cruise-only tour conductor credit (complimentary single berth, not cabin) for each 16 full fare passengers traveling together. The value of this berth is returned to the group leader after the group has sailed (in order to account for last minute cancellations). The amount of this tour conductor refund is based on the average cost of all staterooms booked for the group.
Group Cruises are Easily Customizable. Most special events and group activities can be arranged in advance. Set up private shore excursions, dinners, games, scavenger hunts – or even your destination wedding. Meeting rooms are generally free of charge. Enjoy private cocktail parties, coffee breaks and wine tastings. Additional costs may be involved, and will vary by cruise line.
Selecting the right Group Specialist or Group Travel Advisor is key. At iCruise.com, our Group Specialists provide reliability and convenience.
We are there from beginning to end, working with you – the chosen Group Leader (yes, very superhero-like).
We are able to suggest the appropriate cruise line and itinerary for your needs. We are able to select a variety of stateroom types ranging from interior to suites, and make sure they are as close together (or far apart) as possible.
Plus, we all know one of the more heated debates that occur within a large party is caused by food. Where should we eat? When should we eat? Can we all sit together? What? Who? Where? When? How? Why?
We are able to lower blood pressure by minimizing stress levels (ipso facto: we’re good for your health!) as all dining options are reviewed, discussed and confirmed so there are no issues or surprises on board. You can eat together, separately or in a specialty restaurant – the choice is yours as a group, or by executive order of the Group Leader/Superhero.
But, do remember with great power comes great responsibility. So, we have a created a complete set of empowerment tools to ensure your group payments and group departure flow smoothly. Our goal was to create a group program that didn’t overwhelm the group leader with any accounting or administration processes.
- A web page personalized exclusively to your group
- Customized flyers
- Email templates
- Online payment processing for all group members
- Automated trip insurance processing
- Online shore excursion information
If you have any questions on Group Cruises or would like to receive a Group Cruise Quote, please give us a call 800-i-CRUISE or email us here!
“A journey is best measured in friends, not miles.” – Tim Cahill
