Organizing a family cruise.....

[SnowBird Cruzer]

....Doesn't require you to have a hole in your head but it helps.

 

And here is a link to a "Pearls Before Swine" comic that hits way to close to home! Enjoy!!!

 

http://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine#.UuWZKrTnaM8

[ldubs]

....Doesn't require you to have a hole in your head but it helps.

 

And here is a link to a "Pearls Before Swine" comic that hits way to close to home! Enjoy!!!

 

http://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine#.UuWZKrTnaM8

 

No way, no how would I volunteer (or allow myself to be volunteered) as the family cruise organizer. I'm happy to let someone else do this. I will happily go and enjoy the cruise and never complain about any of the plans. Our next family group cruise (four families) looks like it will be happening in October. It will be a cruise coupled with a road trip (I'm one of the assigned drivers). Should be good.

[donaldsc]

....Doesn't require you to have a hole in your head but it helps.

 

And here is a link to a "Pearls Before Swine" comic that hits way to close to home! Enjoy!!!

 

http://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine#.UuWZKrTnaM8

 

I have done family cruises but I have certain rules which work well -

 

1) I pick the ship. If you do not like the ship I picked, pick your own ship.

2) Everyone books independently. When everyone is booked, we link our reservations.

3) We do things together during the day IF WE WANT TO. If we do not want to, we DON'T.

2a) If I book an independent tour which I often do, group members have a deadline to sign on. If they don't sign on by the deadline - tough on them.

4) We eat together in the evening IF WE WANT TO. If we want to eat away from the group, we eat away from the group.

5) We go to the show at night IF WE WANT TO. If we don't want to go to the show, we do not go to the show.

6) Most important - if someone suggests getting matching shirts, we either kick him out of the family or shoot him.

 

Works for us. Too much togetherness is stifling.

 

DON

[sparky-elpaso]

So true. :D

 

Just an FYI for anyone looking now (Monday) - you have to change the date (located at the top of the cartoon) to January 26th.

[SnowBird Cruzer]

is the one who has been organizing a family cruise.

 

I started it off last summer. If you are curious, here is the link to the chat thread for that. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1873528

 

Since then we dropped the Celebrity options and added an NCL Dawn cruise out of New Orleans to Mexico (2 stops), Belize and Honduras.

 

Actually, I've asked everyone remotely interested to vote on which cruise they want. I know some commentators have suggested that I just pick but we get along pretty well. I don't think it will be a problem. I'm hoping to get votes back by Valentines and then book by 03/15/14 which would be a year in advance.

 

Several years ago I had read a story on a multi-family cruise and even then they suggested you only try to get everyone together for dinner. And of course, people can do their own shore excursions.

 

I hadn't thought of what to do about independent excursions, so thanks for the idea Donaldsc. (Of myself and my 12 brothers and sisters, only 1 of them has cruised like DW and I have. He told me that he never does independent excursions. I'm probably 50-50, or 60-40 for ship sponsored).

[marco]

Actually....it's pretty easy. I've been doing it for over 30 yrs. I choose a cruise, contact my T/A, ask her to talk to the group booking dept, let everyone know. They book the cabin category they want, they book their own air/accommodations if applicable. I choose when we want to dine, if folks want to dine differently, let the T/A know. We're sailing next week on the 25th anniversary of the "Friends and Family Annual Winter Caribbean Cruise". We've sailed on different lines over the years, but this one will be on the line we all met on. The ship, unfortunately, is LONG gone! There will be 40 of us! 10 of us met (and dined together) 25 yrs ago on a cruise. We REALLY all hit it off! Over the years, we've traveled together, visited back and forth, shared happy (and some sad) times. We asked any and everyone who joined us over the past 25 yrs at one time or another to join us this year.

[Sherlock43031]

remember..

 

No Good Deed Ever Goes Unpunished

[SnowBird Cruzer]

So true. :D

 

Just an FYI for anyone looking now (Monday) - you have to change the date (located at the top of the cartoon) to January 26th.

 

I appreciate the FYI

[UPGrandma]

Actually....it's pretty easy. I've been doing it for over 30 yrs. I choose a cruise, contact my T/A, ask her to talk to the group booking dept, let everyone know. They book the cabin category they want, they book their own air/accommodations if applicable. I choose when we want to dine, if folks want to dine differently, let the T/A know. We're sailing next week on the 25th anniversary of the "Friends and Family Annual Winter Caribbean Cruise". We've sailed on different lines over the years, but this one will be on the line we all met on. The ship, unfortunately, is LONG gone! There will be 40 of us! 10 of us met (and dined together) 25 yrs ago on a cruise. We REALLY all hit it off! Over the years, we've traveled together, visited back and forth, shared happy (and some sad) times. We asked any and everyone who joined us over the past 25 yrs at one time or another to join us this year.

 

What fun time you must have had. Bet you have some laughs looking over photos from those cruises.

[SnowBird Cruzer]

....the first reservations are being made.

Looks like 8 of us so far, with another 8-12 still thinking.

 

Should be a good time!

[MrsPete]

I have done family cruises but I have certain rules which work well -

 

1) I pick the ship. If you do not like the ship I picked, pick your own ship.

2) Everyone books independently. When everyone is booked, we link our reservations.

3) We do things together during the day IF WE WANT TO. If we do not want to, we DON'T.

2a) If I book an independent tour which I often do, group members have a deadline to sign on. If they don't sign on by the deadline - tough on them.

4) We eat together in the evening IF WE WANT TO. If we want to eat away from the group, we eat away from the group.

5) We go to the show at night IF WE WANT TO. If we don't want to go to the show, we do not go to the show.

6) Most important - if someone suggests getting matching shirts, we either kick him out of the family or shoot him.

 

Works for us. Too much togetherness is stifling.

 

DON

i agree with this! But I'd plan two activities for everyone during the week -- something like a beach day would fit all ages and budgets. And one dinner for everyone together. A couple everyone events, then the rest of the time it's do your own thing.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I have done family cruises but I have certain rules which work well -

 

1) I pick the ship. If you do not like the ship I picked, pick your own ship.

2) Everyone books independently. When everyone is booked, we link our reservations.

3) We do things together during the day IF WE WANT TO. If we do not want to, we DON'T.

2a) If I book an independent tour which I often do, group members have a deadline to sign on. If they don't sign on by the deadline - tough on them.

4) We eat together in the evening IF WE WANT TO. If we want to eat away from the group, we eat away from the group.

5) We go to the show at night IF WE WANT TO. If we don't want to go to the show, we do not go to the show.

6) Most important - if someone suggests getting matching shirts, we either kick him out of the family or shoot him.

 

Works for us. Too much togetherness is stifling.

 

DON

 

We've avoided even going on a cruise with friends. It's just hubby, the girl (now a teen), and me. But I think if we ever went with a group, the above rules would have to apply.

[SadieN]

I have done family cruises but I have certain rules which work well -

 

1) I pick the ship. If you do not like the ship I picked, pick your own ship.

2) Everyone books independently. When everyone is booked, we link our reservations.

3) We do things together during the day IF WE WANT TO. If we do not want to, we DON'T.

2a) If I book an independent tour which I often do, group members have a deadline to sign on. If they don't sign on by the deadline - tough on them.

4) We eat together in the evening IF WE WANT TO. If we want to eat away from the group, we eat away from the group.

5) We go to the show at night IF WE WANT TO. If we don't want to go to the show, we do not go to the show.

6) Most important - if someone suggests getting matching shirts, we either kick him out of the family or shoot him.

 

Works for us. Too much togetherness is stifling.

 

DON

 

We don't 'Herd Cats" either.