Thread: Family Reunion Cruise advice

I seem to remember reading a good suggestion about booking a cruise with a big group (family members, high school reunion, etc.). Decide beforehand that there won't be a requirement that you all will have every meal together and go on every excursion together. Instead plan for a few meals together (specialty restaurant for the adults maybe) and try to arrange with the cruiseline to have a room set aside for an afternoon party (could be a corner of a lounge that's "reserved" if you can't get a whole room).

That way if travelling together gets on your nerves, you'll won't be stuck for the whole time.

From the original post. it sounds like the OP has been vacationing with their family every summer (at a beach house). I don't see why changing the venue of the vacation should change the dynamics. If anything, a cruise would make it better, since no one is responsible for cooking, cleaning, watching children (that's what the kids clubs are for), etc.

I honestly think cruising would be easier than the house. We never expect anyone to participate in anything they don't want to. We're all pretty flexible and invariably somebody gets angry with someone else, but it's usually forgotten in about 15 minutes. We're all very excited about this idea -- the last time we were on a ship together, was when we were children (about 40 years ago!!). Anyway, I think we are headed in the right direction as we have decided on length and basic destination and of course it will have to be in the summer, so time is pretty well set. Now, do we ail with my brother's RCL or with Carnival who we cruised with two weeks ago. I am completely willing to go with RCL as I've heard nothing but good things about them. Thanks for "listening!"

Originally Posted by kdbcruzer

I honestly think cruising would be easier than the house. We never expect anyone to participate in anything they don't want to. We're all pretty flexible and invariably somebody gets angry with someone else, but it's usually forgotten in about 15 minutes. We're all very excited about this idea -- the last time we were on a ship together, was when we were children (about 40 years ago!!). Anyway, I think we are headed in the right direction as we have decided on length and basic destination and of course it will have to be in the summer, so time is pretty well set. Now, do we ail with my brother's RCL or with Carnival who we cruised with two weeks ago. I am completely willing to go with RCL as I've heard nothing but good things about them. Thanks for "listening!"

IMHO (and there are those that will disagree with me), Carnival and RCCL are more alike than not. On RCCL you will get the ice skating rink (if you sail on the Explorer) and rock climbing wall, which Carnival does not have. However, there is a price to pay for those extras. Also, the Explorer is significantly larger than the Pride or Miracle (both Spirit Class ships).

Otherwise, in regards to cabin size, food, service and entertainment, I think they are very similar.

Good luck on your adventure and let us know what you decide to go for.

Beverly is absolutely right - you'll get all kinds of answers to that question. I am a RCCL person. I tried Carnival once and hated it so I thought I'd give them another try 2 months ago. The only good thing I can say is that their Main Dining Room food was good. Other than that I have nothing good to say about the trip. I haven't had a bad RCCL trip yet. You are going out of the North East so I'm guessing you are on the Enchantment, Grandeur or Explorer since I missed the part about what time of year it was so I don't know what is in Baltimore at that time. But what I can tell you is pick your travel agent and let them block out group space to give you the best bang for your buck.

Thanks everyone for all the great advice. I think we probably will go RCCL -- it seems to have the better destinations (I believe that's what I saw). For me, it wouldn't matter. We just got back from our cruise on July 31st and I want to cruise again SO bad. I just loved it! And now I can't get it out of my mind! I'm definitely hooked. Thanks again for helping me out!

Originally Posted by cruzinlass

IMHO (and there are those that will disagree with me), Carnival and RCCL are more alike than not. On RCCL you will get the ice skating rink (if you sail on the Explorer) and rock climbing wall, which Carnival does not have. However, there is a price to pay for those extras. Also, the Explorer is significantly larger than the Pride or Miracle (both Spirit Class ships).

Otherwise, in regards to cabin size, food, service and entertainment, I think they are very similar.

Good luck on your adventure and let us know what you decide to go for.

Got to agree with you, Bev.

We've organized many many family reunions and although they are all different, they are also very similar. Several have done the house rental thing at the beach, an all-inclusive resort, Disney World, etc. But inevitably, they all agree doing a cruise is the best way to do a family reunion.

Each of the cruise lines have something different to offer; different types of ships, amenities, itineraries, and pricing.

I'm working with a family that has traveled with us several times and it's funny how they all started with inside cabins, then went to oceanview, and now they are all booking balcony cabins. And they use to do Carnival, then they did Royal Caribbean, then tried Holland, and are now doing a 10-night cruise on Oceania in Europe.

While they have enjoyed every cruise, each year they spend more money to get better accommodations and a better experience. It's been interesting to watch their growth in requirements over the years.

Bottom line, do not do this on your own; you'll lose money and it'll take alot of your time and trouble. Get a reputable agent who specializes in cruises and groups, and then work with your agent to get as much information as you can and make a decision based on your requirements and not necessarily the recommendations of others. We're all different in what we like and what we dislike, so while one person may hate Carnival, another will love them. The trick is to find the best cruise for you. You'll also want to look at the various group amenities available to you to insure you're getting the best bang for your buck.

We've done three family reunions on cruises and can't imagine doing them any other way. We've always had a wonderful time and we all love the fact we don't have to worry about where to eat, who's going to drive, when do we go, etc, etc, etc. Makes life so much easier!

Pete