Any advice for cruising with a large group?

[Awwsnuffie]

Cruising on the NCL Breakaway in December with a large group: 10 adults; 5 children (age 6-10); and 1 tweenager (age 12?). I am used to cruising with just my fiancee. Does anyone have any good advice to make this an unforgettable cruise? Things to avoid? Have you made any mistakes that I can learn from? Thanks!

[Kamloops50]

Cruising on the NCL Breakaway in December with a large group: 10 adults; 5 children (age 6-10); and 1 tweenager (age 12?). I am used to cruising with just my fiancee. Does anyone have any good advice to make this an unforgettable cruise? Things to avoid? Have you made any mistakes that I can learn from? Thanks!

 

The best thing is that everyone do there own thing during the day . Then get together for supper and share their daily adventures.

[donaldsc]

Cruising on the NCL Breakaway in December with a large group: 10 adults; 5 children (age 6-10); and 1 tweenager (age 12?). I am used to cruising with just my fiancee. Does anyone have any good advice to make this an unforgettable cruise? Things to avoid? Have you made any mistakes that I can learn from? Thanks!

 

Avoid doing anything w the group except for dinner and even do some alone time for dinner. I would find being stuck together with a large group totally suffocating.

 

DON

[Keith1010]

I would be sure to post on the NCL Cruise Line Board where you can get a lot of feedback from those who sail NCL regularly.

 

Keith

[paul929207]

Do not overplan. Everyone should be able to do what they want, not have to do what someone else wants.

[cb at sea]

I have to agree......trying to get the entire group doing the same thing at the same time will be like herding cats....and folks will get aggravated, frustrated and testy!

 

Just plan on meeting for dinner...and let everyone do their own thing. Everyone should also do their own booking, so when someone is unhappy with something (and they will be...trust me on that!), they have only themselves to blame.

 

Groups can be fun, if they are not organized, but you can never make every single person want to do what everyone else wants to do....don't even try!

 

I know that I hate waiting for slowpokes...it drives me crazy. Conversely, slower folks hate being "hurried"...it stresses them out. So, don't do it! Let everyone go their own way. You'll find that smaller groups will meet up and form at different times during the day....it will work better that way.

[Athankfulheart]

The best thing is that everyone do there own thing during the day . Then get together for supper and share their daily adventures.

 

^This :)

[trish1c]

If there is something that you must do as a group, book it together in advance so everyone knows what & where.

As others have said, letting everybody do their own thing but communicating what that is & then getting together for dinner is going to be the least stressful. We didn't always do dinner with the group but we always did before dinner cocktails; the bar was selected in advance.

[April-in-NC]

I would create a Facebook group (or other virtual group) that everyone can access. Then everyone can share information without anyone having to be in charge.

 

My recommendations:

1) Each family unit should be in charge of their own reservations for the cruise, airfare and excursions. I don't normally recommend a travel agent, but if you do not have experienced travelers I would suggest a TA for at least part of the group.

 

2) Share information about what everyone is doing off shore or pre-cruise but do not force everyone to do the same thing. If family units want to join in they can, if they don't no big deal.

 

3) I would plan to have dinner together and possibly a group picture on one or two nights. Otherwise don't plan group events. Everyone will have their own priorities.

[johneeo]

Establish beachheads where you can meet.

 

For example, at the pool bar, on the hour (if you wish to find others) 1:00 / 2:00 / 3:00 etc just walk by and see if any others are there.

 

After dinner, maybe the same thing on the promenade.

 

And, if you want to avoid them, do not go to those places.

[Awwsnuffie]

These are all great ideas! Keep em coming! Anyone have any horror stories?

[klfrodo]

Horror Stories

Love the "let everyone do their own booking" idea. Guaranteed there is someone in your group who could have found a better deal or done a better job.

 

site see as a group, go on your own,,,, doesn't matter. Do whatever YOU want. Had a friend who had to stop and shop at every flippin store on the street. Drove me up a wall. Almost missed the ship. Remember that friend who could have gotten a better deal or done a better job??? well, that same person could have found a better/cheaper excursion.

 

The key to everyone sitting at that same table for dinner is to (magic word here) "LINK" your booking numbers for assigned dining. Any Time Dining might work, but wait times may or may not be long.

[klfrodo]

Fun things

 

Schedule a time for a group picture on formal night. Excuse me,, Elegant Night.

 

If your cabin is big enought, host a get together. Used to be formalities shoppe, now I think it's Cherry on Top,,, but you can order hors d'orves (sp?) to be delivered to your cabin. (fruit and veggie trays,, cheese and crackers,,,etc wine champagne, etc.)

[Hannah0707]

When it comes to excursions, plan some with everyone and some not with everyone. Trust me when I say that you will not want to spend every day with your family. Do things like the beach with everyone. Go on tours or more adult oriented things with just you and your fiancee or a small group of people. When you do things separately you can talk about it with everyone at dinner and it makes for great conversation if not everyone does the same thing during the day. Also go to a specialty with just your fiancee or just the adults. Most of the specialty restaurants are not for young children. This way you can have an adults night.

 

Hope this helps!! Let me know how your cruise goes, I'd love to hear about it!!

[Heartfruit]

A couple of years ago my family joined the extended family on a cruise. Under the idea that too many cooks spoil the broth, we left the planning entirely up to others. I mean we didn't even know which ports of call we were suppose to go to (which did have the benefit of not leaving us disappointed when one was changed).

 

I completely agree that each family should likely do their own booking, unless they are not paying for it. In our case the cruise was paid for out of an inheritance.

 

It might be nice to gather up some ideas for people as what might be available in each port. Especially if they are super busy people or haven't cruised before and might not know what to look for.

 

Another option might be to compare notes of plans for the evening or next day each night at dinner. If everyone is going to the same show, it would be nice to meet up and sit together.

[Awwsnuffie]

It might be nice to gather up some ideas for people as what might be available in each port. Especially if they are super busy people or haven't cruised before and might not know what to look for.

 

 

As it turns out, my fiancee and I are the only ones (2 out of 16 ppl) who have cruised before. So I was planning on putting together a small email or packet of information about cruising. Sort of a "Cruising 101" type of thing. I am loving all of the advice that people have. Especially the "do your own thing during the day and share a meal at night" advice. I think that will prove to be wise.

[RunnerGirl26.2]

When you know cabin numbers, make up a document with names and cabin numbers. That way you can leave phone messages or notes. You could choose one cabin to be the "communication center" and put a magnetic dry erase board on the door. I made up a "group itinerary" chart for our family trip with excursions each couple had booked or what they planned to do each port day.

 

Never cruised with my DD's but I would want a key card to their cabin (if the kids in your group are not sharing cabin with parents). We did this with elderly mom, all of us had a key to her cabin.

 

If doing traditional dining, be sure reservations are linked if you want to be seated together. I would also want two or three tables for the group and rotate each dinner.

[SadieN]

The best thing is that everyone do there own thing during the day . Then get together for supper and share their daily adventures.

 

We have been sailing with the same group for 6 years now. And we only meet for dinner. During the day we might meet up in passing, rarely planned.

 

Make sure your bookings are linked for dining. Your travel agent can do this or you can call the cruiseline yourself (Only if you do not have a TA).

You will need everyone's booking number.

[Gunner22aa]

First don't all try to do the same thing together every day like tours and such. Your group is far too diverse for everyone to want or enjoy the same activities all the time. Meals might be an exception if you are all on the same "hungry" schedule.

 

Secondly if you need to stay in touch with each other during the day while onboard don't use handheld FRS/GMRS radios. They don't work well on the ship due to the nature of ship construction... solid steel and a lot of your fellow passangers will find them and you annoying. You can leave phone messages in any stateroom from almost anywhere on the ship or use the old fashioned way, pen and post it note

 

Lastly please don't send the earlybird of your group out to reserve 15 pool side seats at 5am knowing they might never all be used or not until much later in the day.

 

Have a good trip!

[sjcruiser]

I was in a similar position as yours during my cruise last summer. Everyone wanted to do their own thing onboard, but we meet up for dinner every night which worked out great. When it came to the ports and excursions, they wanted to stay together as a group, but everyone couldn't agree on the logistics or what to do. We did do several tours together, and then everyone split up to do what they wanted. I find you have to have the most patience with first time cruisers, who want to hang along, but want to do everything. I think before we boarded we sent out information for websites, excursions/tours, shopping, etc. which helped. ALso for the new cruisers we explained that you can't do everything in port in one cruise or during the time the ship is in port.

[scapel]

Cruising on the NCL Breakaway in December with a large group: 10 adults; 5 children (age 6-10); and 1 tweenager (age 12?). I am used to cruising with just my fiancee. Does anyone have any good advice to make this an unforgettable cruise? Things to avoid? Have you made any mistakes that I can learn from? Thanks!

 

Well, I was on a cruise with family total of 14 once and then total of 11 once on another cruise.

14 not an even number so table size in MDR turned into I think 10 and 4 and then if someone did not want to show up we would move 4 to the table of 10 or eat 8 and 4.

For the 11 we did 8 and 4 I think and put kids at small table next to us.

Just work out those logistics and you will probably have to go to the head Maitre’d on board even if you think you have it fixed ahead of time. As soon as you board sneak into the dining room and check your table assignments.

 

The excursions I booked when we had 14 since I was paying and I like to book private tours. Everyone was happy.

 

On the trip with 11, I had booked several and when it came time for the last one, two people got sick, and the kids said: “Papa Joe please don’t make us go” so I just went by myself on Tobago.

The kids had enough touring and they really like the pool and ship board activities better than touring and listening to a guide.

 

With the group of 11, I paid for all but 3—Distant family.

Nice to stay in the same hotel property pre-cruise.

Kamloops50 is correct: Best, is for everyone to do their own thing and meet at dinner to relate different experiences. BTW Kamloops is a beautiful city on the way from Calgary to Vancouver.

 

If some in the group are going to book specialty dining or eat at the captains table or just don’t feel like coming to dinner, try to have your MDR table configuration so two people are not eating alone.

Be sure everyone has a list of all the others cabin numbers.. Phone messages on the answering machines work well for communication.