Need advice on group or not to group

[kkimber2]

Just want to ask a question. I am trying to put a cruise together and trying to decide if I want to do a group cruise or just have everyone do individual bookings. In the past when I have done groups we would have a good discount and some good perks but today when I called and priced each one the individual rate is much better minus the perks. The groups were like $130 more per person for 1 and 2 person and $30 more for 3rd there is a cabin credit of $50 -$75 allowed for the cruise, also the free birth is a plus. We have about 15-20 cabins filled. So my question is should I even bother with groups or have everyone call and book individuals and link to our booking? Need some advice.

[xitappers2bx]

Just want to ask a question. I am trying to put a cruise together and trying to decide if I want to do a group cruise or just have everyone do individual bookings. In the past when I have done groups we would have a good discount and some good perks but today when I called and priced each one the individual rate is much better minus the perks. The groups were like $130 more per person for 1 and 2 person and $30 more for 3rd there is a cabin credit of $50 -$75 allowed for the cruise, also the free birth is a plus. We have about 15-20 cabins filled. So my question is should I even bother with groups or have everyone call and book individuals and link to our booking? Need some advice.

 

 

I'm having two streams of thought here...

 

The first one.... did you try and call a travel agent? Sometimes they're able to get better perks which make booking as a group worth it.

 

The second on... if a travel agent can't get you a good deal, might as well let people book themselves; it takes the extra work off of your shoulders as the organizer (or at least, you sound like the organizer, excuse me if I'm wrong!!) and let's people be responsible for their own vacation. It might also take some pressure off of you to have to be the entertainer, organizer, gatherer of people, tour leader, etc (if you're the one organizing it as a group that is).

 

Although... there might be a perk or two... I think on Carnival if you book 8 rooms you get yours for free... so if you have 15-20 cabins filled, that's two free cabins, so in "theory" you could spread that cost savings along to everyone, or keep one "free" cabin for yourself, and then spread the savings from the other free cabin among everyone else.

 

Well, you get three very different streams of thought for the price of two. Hope this was marginally helpful!

[sharecruises]

Get a good travel agent who specializes in groups

 

they should be able to put most promos right into the group - state/senior/military discounts etc

 

depends on the cruise how many points you get for the group - for a free cocktail party or wine or whatever

 

I would never deal with the "groups" department - let the travel agent handle it.....again one who does a lot of groups - shop around

 

with that many cabins you should have two "tour conductors" free fares

if you are doing all the work you should get one of them

you could (as suggested) spread the other one around for perks

 

IMHO the standard party line on here of "my PVP" and/or "just book online" does NOT apply to groups. Many of the people giving you advice have never dealt with leading a group - so they really don't know and they are anti travel agent for some reason - and NO I am not a travel agent

 

I do have experience in leading a group. Also the idea that you will have less responsibility and less "work" if you don't do a true group is once again unfounded - my experience is that you will have just as much work one way or another :) Be prepared yourself and it will be ok, be prepared with an faq of how to do your online fun pass, go over all the details with them

Many people not on CC for instance do NOT realize they can bring on soda or water and a bottle of wine each - let your group know.

 

Lanyards and beads or ? will distinguish them and let them find each other and you. Have your cell phone on - put everyone in group number in your cell phone with a "prefix"...like for Conquest I put in "ConquestMary"...

"ConquestBob" so you can see who is calling/texting etc. Texting works well on the ship

 

If you live near each other (*or some do) precruise get together is great way to give all the info. You can earn your "free" cruise this way - and make it more enjoyable for all. IMHO a good group travel agent is the first step....Enjoy :)

[irishnyc]

Lanyards and beads or ? will distinguish them and let them find each other and you. Have your cell phone on - put everyone in group number in your cell phone with a "prefix"...like for Conquest I put in "ConquestMary"...

"ConquestBob" so you can see who is calling/texting etc. Texting works well on the ship

 

 

While all the rest of your advice is great, advising someone to go ahead and start texting and calling while on board is some of the worst advice I've ever read on here. Texting could end up costing most people a fortune.

[oceanseagle12]

Did you speak with a PVP or someone in the group department?

 

I have a group booked currently, and when I first called, my PVP told me that the individual rates were cheaper. When I told him that it made no sense that a person booking one cabin would get a better rate than someone booking 8, and that made it seem like you were just paying for the group perks, he transferred me to the group department.

 

The group department told me that the PVP should have explained it better, and told me the following:

 

1) When you start a group, they quote you a group rate. This may or may not be the same as other rates (i.e. could be higher or lower) at the time.

2) You then get a group number which you give to others to call in to book within 14 days.

3) When people call in during that time, they can book under the group rate, or the current individual rates, including early saver.

4) Even if they book the individual rate, they still count toward the group numbers for perks, and will still get any perks the group qualifies for.

 

They explained that they give you a group price because the other prices could fluctuate during that time, whereas the group rate is locked in for the two weeks.

 

 

So the good news is... you don't have to choose! You can get the group benefits and the lower rates.

[oceanseagle12]

Just to clarify- I do not disagree with the advice to check with a TA that books groups. There certainly can be additional benefits in doing so, as some will offer OBC, etc. I just wanted it to be clear that, although some at Carnival do not understand, or perhaps pretend not to understand- setting up a group and getting the group amenities, does not require members of the group to book under the group rate.

[PDXJAS]

I did a "group" cruise about 7 years ago. I found a decent rate and told everyone where and when. Ended up with a group of 35. Everyone booked on there own. I was told by RC that I just needed the booking numbers to link everyone. I got them Called RC and was told since I had booked through Travelocity I needed to call them. Called Travelocity and gave all the numbers was told no problem all of us would be together at dinner. Boy did I get hell when we got on and found out not only did we have different times, but different dining rooms as well. RC did try and get us together, but.... SO if you do book independent make sure everyone uses the same booking agent. Not a TA~ But play one on Tv;)

[tgunn1978]

I'm having two streams of thought here...

 

The first one.... did you try and call a travel agent? Sometimes they're able to get better perks which make booking as a group worth it.

 

The second on... if a travel agent can't get you a good deal, might as well let people book themselves; it takes the extra work off of your shoulders as the organizer (or at least, you sound like the organizer, excuse me if I'm wrong!!) and let's people be responsible for their own vacation. It might also take some pressure off of you to have to be the entertainer, organizer, gatherer of people, tour leader, etc (if you're the one organizing it as a group that is).

 

Although... there might be a perk or two... I think on Carnival if you book 8 rooms you get yours for free... so if you have 15-20 cabins filled, that's two free cabins, so in "theory" you could spread that cost savings along to everyone, or keep one "free" cabin for yourself, and then spread the savings from the other free cabin among everyone else.

 

Well, you get three very different streams of thought for the price of two. Hope this was marginally helpful!

 

You do not get one free cabin for every 8. You get a free berth, as in person.

I am a travel agent with 27 years experience selling cruises. I have a question? Is your group flexible on dates, ship, etc? Because Amenity Points are what you get as a perk for booking as a group. Amenity points can be exchanged for things like on board credits, wine, etc. Not every sailing has the same amount of amenity points. Some have more. Some have less, and some have none. If you are flexible you can have your TA or Carnival groups dept scan the cruise dates, and they will tell you how many Amenity points you can get for each sailing. Groups can get complicated. Especially for the person assigned as the coordinator of it all. But if the number of amenity points is good enough, it can be well worth it to book as a group. I wish you luck!:)

[Ms. Fun Bunch]

For the last 11 yrs. I have used. TA to book my group cruises and I loved it!!!! This year my TA retired so I booked my group via Carnival I will never do that again!!!! What I most liked about using a TA is each person in my group only needed a deposit of $50.00 per person with Carnival each person had to have the full $300.00 deposit!!!! I am now in the process of searching for a great TA for next year's cruise.

[sharecruises]

While all the rest of your advice is great, advising someone to go ahead and start texting and calling while on board is some of the worst advice I've ever read on here. Texting could end up costing most people a fortune.

 

Sorry I only meant when you first get on board - you are in the US and it is regular rate or me doesn't cost anything, I have a one cost, unlimited plan :)

 

Of course once you are at sea - phones off but that first day to find people it works well :)

 

I am excited though that MSC has a free app - free access to facebook and twitter - and now they added free texting on board so that will be super for a group :)

IMHO most of the cruiselines will have this feature in the next few years and we will be able to text on board - great to find family/friends/group

[sharecruises]

Oceanseagle -

while that works well in theory as I stated a good group agent can get all discounts "into" the group - and make sure they are in the group for points/perks/ and the tour conduction credit

 

~~~~~~~~

Seems others with "experience" are backing me up - groups can be truly complicated and a good travel agent makes it so much easier, one that has lots of experience in groups

 

There are many things that can and will happen - cabin changes, someone drops out, etc. Travel agent handles so many things.

[seashinesunshine]

Just want to ask a question. I am trying to put a cruise together and trying to decide if I want to do a group cruise or just have everyone do individual bookings. In the past when I have done groups we would have a good discount and some good perks but today when I called and priced each one the individual rate is much better minus the perks. The groups were like $130 more per person for 1 and 2 person and $30 more for 3rd there is a cabin credit of $50 -$75 allowed for the cruise, also the free birth is a plus. We have about 15-20 cabins filled. So my question is should I even bother with groups or have everyone call and book individuals and link to our booking? Need some advice.

 

One bit of advice, we had our last group all individual and turns out that even though we linked our reservations, they did not put us all together for supper. We were split up all over the ship in different dining rooms. I don't know how that happened because we were all linked. Anyway, as soon as you board, check your dining assignment to make sure you are together. We went right away to the dining room and got ours all fixed so we were together. But that can be hard to do with a big group. Go right away. Unless of course you are doing Anytime. Oh and somehow, we forgot to take a group photo! :eek: Luckily we had taken couples photos all in the same area, so we made a collage.

[oceanseagle12]

Oceanseagle -

while that works well in theory as I stated a good group agent can get all discounts "into" the group - and make sure they are in the group for points/perks/ and the tour conduction credit

 

I believe that is what I said.

[Genesis803]

There is no reason to book them individually. You can get any rate available through a group. With Carnival's newly revised group program, the group rate is always the lowest rate unless you have added lots of amenity points. Booking as a group will allow you to get amenity points you can use for onboard credit, parties, etc. You'll also get one free berth for every 8 rooms. You'll also have a reduced deposit.

 

With that being said, find a good travel agent to handle all of the details for you. When you call Carnival, you get a different answer from each person you speak to. I always set up a website for my groups so they can get prices, info, and book online. I also create a Facebook group so members can connect with me and each other to ask questions, plan activities, etc. I create a "Bon Voyage" book for each guest full of tips and information to make the cruise as fun as possible. YOU should not be responsible for any more than spreading the word to your friends/family to get them to book. The TA should handle everything else. These are some things you should look for in a travel agent to handle your group.

[j&ccruisers]

This is good info as we are trying to get a group cruise together. My PVP told me one thing and my son's PVP told him something different. The TA sounds like a great idea! Thanks.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[oceanseagle12]

There is no reason to book them individually. You can get any rate available through a group. With Carnival's newly revised group program, the group rate is always the lowest rate unless you have added lots of amenity points. Booking as a group will allow you to get amenity points you can use for onboard credit, parties, etc. You'll also get one free berth for every 8 rooms. You'll also have a reduced deposit.

 

With that being said, find a good travel agent to handle all of the details for you. When you call Carnival, you get a different answer from each person you speak to. I always set up a website for my groups so they can get prices, info, and book online. I also create a Facebook group so members can connect with me and each other to ask questions, plan activities, etc. I create a "Bon Voyage" book for each guest full of tips and information to make the cruise as fun as possible. YOU should not be responsible for any more than spreading the word to your friends/family to get them to book. The TA should handle everything else. These are some things you should look for in a travel agent to handle your group.

 

Interesting... Just to emphasize your second point in red, both the PVP I spoke with, and the group department told me that the group rate was more than the early saver rate at that time. The PVP was under the impression that you had to book under the group rate in order to get amenities. Although the groups department corrected that, they still quoted me a group rate that was higher than the early saver rate.

 

Perhaps the early saver rate is an exception- meaning that it may actually be cheaper than the group rate?

[Genesis803]

If by chance the Early Saver, or any other rate, is higher than the group rate, you can book that into the group and still get the amenities. Prior to October, you could not get amenities with Early Saver. Carnival revamped their group program and it is much better than before. I book several groups per year, almost always on Carnival, and I do it all the time! They have a good group program.

[Mysticks1]

If you don't have a travel agent in your area that specializes in cruises then research the internet for one your embarkation port. In a city that has a port there are usually travel agencies that specialize in cruises. They have group cruises on most sailings and if your group ends up short they can sometimes add you into an existing group.

Edited February 9, 2014 by Mysticks1

[Pine Bluff]

Just want to ask a question. I am trying to put a cruise together and trying to decide if I want to do a group cruise or just have everyone do individual bookings. In the past when I have done groups we would have a good discount and some good perks but today when I called and priced each one the individual rate is much better minus the perks. The groups were like $130 more per person for 1 and 2 person and $30 more for 3rd there is a cabin credit of $50 -$75 allowed for the cruise, also the free birth is a plus. We have about 15-20 cabins filled. So my question is should I even bother with groups or have everyone call and book individuals and link to our booking? Need some advice.

 

The group perks, especailly for the leaders seems to have dried up.

 

That's why this page is no longer overrun with OFFICIAL GROUP CRUISE threads.

[sharecruises]

I believe that is what I said.

 

you advocated letting other cruisers choose what rate to book...through carnival groups directly

when you do that, they can mess up...the group dept can mess up as some are more knowledgeable than others

you yourself said someone did not give the correct info....a good travel agent can help your group find the best fare for them, and also give them vital info on early saver etc

 

For instance - my TA and I have found early saver only works for a small percentage of my groups - it does not work well for anyone with any "unstable/variable" circumstances.....be it job, health, family or even relationships :)

 

One problem with a group is that if some get a better deal than others - which more likely to happen if they are left to their own devices - the others will know about it and then you (right or wrong) get to "hear" it

 

The other thing is that often groups have some total newbies or people who have not cruised in years - a good travel agent can also be a big help there

Edited February 9, 2014 by sharecruises

[sharecruises]

Interesting... Just to emphasize your second point in red, both the PVP I spoke with, and the group department told me that the group rate was more than the early saver rate at that time. The PVP was under the impression that you had to book under the group rate in order to get amenities. Although the groups department corrected that, they still quoted me a group rate that was higher than the early saver rate.

 

Perhaps the early saver rate is an exception- meaning that it may actually be cheaper than the group rate?

 

Early saver can be rolled into the group BUT someone hopefully will tell those who choose it what the "rules" are regarding cancel, and no name changes etc. I have found groups to be more apt to want to change their mind, booking, etc. So that is another way a travel agent can be of help - let them explain it haha

[sharecruises]

The group perks, especailly for the leaders seems to have dried up.

 

That's why this page is no longer overrun with OFFICIAL GROUP CRUISE threads.

 

>??? I don't know but Carnival has not changed the "tour conductor" perk....different sailings have different amenity points (used towards group cocktail party, bottles of wine etc)

 

one thing is Carnival has gotten more strict about the 60 day cut off...you have to book 8 cabins in 60 days or you can lose your group rate/points/

 

so that might affect them

 

Early saver can be a huge pain for groups - I know someone who had people book on his "number" through Carnival and some got the early saver without understanding it and a lot of hard feelings. I know another guy who ran a group and said never again - LOL> It can be more work than you think

 

Oh - one big change - if you want to "buy" a cocktail party the price has about doubled - no more $11 or $12 all you can drink for an hour. That is one snag. The "all you can drink" cheers program is yet another snag....some in the group may decide to buy that and then they no longer want the perks of cocktail party, 2 bottle of wine with dinner

 

Once again - let the travel agent handle the hard stuff, that frees you up to handle the fun stuff. <grin>

 

If you can swing it a good precruise party can get the group happy and you can go over details with them

[oceanseagle12]

you advocated letting other cruisers choose what rate to book...through carnival groups directly

when you do that, they can mess up...the group dept can mess up as some are more knowledgeable than others

you yourself said someone did not give the correct info....a good travel agent can help your group find the best fare for them, and also give them vital info on early saver etc

 

 

I didn't advocate using the groups department over a TA. I first asked if the OP spoke with a PVP or the group department. Then I gave a factual account of my experience in talking to first the PVP, then the group department, and in the very next post, I added....

 

Just to clarify- I do not disagree with the advice to check with a TA that books groups. There certainly can be additional benefits in doing so, as some will offer OBC, etc. I just wanted it to be clear that, although some at Carnival do not understand, or perhaps pretend not to understand- setting up a group and getting the group amenities, does not require members of the group to book under the group rate.

 

:rolleyes:

[xitappers2bx]

Interesting... Just to emphasize your second point in red, both the PVP I spoke with, and the group department told me that the group rate was more than the early saver rate at that time. The PVP was under the impression that you had to book under the group rate in order to get amenities. Although the groups department corrected that, they still quoted me a group rate that was higher than the early saver rate.

 

Perhaps the early saver rate is an exception- meaning that it may actually be cheaper than the group rate?

 

 

The one time I almost led a group I had the same problem with the PVPs, besides the fact every single one told me something different, the prices were higher... and when I tried to get to the bottom of why they'd be higher, when in theory they should have been lower I gave up after too many different reasons and justifications and went back to my TA.

 

a good TA is an invaluable resource, once you find one, you never give them up. I will probably mourn when my TA finally retires

[kkimber2]

Thank you for all your advice. I have booked with a Ta and got a great deal better than the groups dept at Carnival was giving me. He has gone over and beyond in handling my group!