Anyone ever book a group cruise?

[tony_g51181]

I am considering doing this and I was wondering what the perks would be? I have read you must book atleast 8 cabins to be considered a group but never knew if they was any benefits?

[BenjiRodney]

I have booked as part of a group, we got lower rates, lower deposits, and 75-100 OBC per cabin.

 

 

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[NikkiJ1983]

You are correct on the 8 cabins! We are going with 12 people so didn't qualify for a group discount but we are still all on the same floor and eating dinner together

[Geo.714]

I put together a family and friends cruise. Ended up being 28 people and 10 cabins. I used my PVP to set up the group. As far as that's concerned, very easy to do and Carnival is accommodating.

 

You do get some perks as a group. Obviously, the larger the group, the larger the perks. Time of season is also important. I managed to get one of the bars opened for our groups private cocktail reception / bon voyage party. We were given a 10% discount on drinks but had to pay $150 for the bartender for 2 hrs. It was well worth it. We also were seated together during dinner. Some had early seating, some had late seating, but it was all taken care of when we boarded.

 

Our group also received reduced booking fee ($50 PP rather than $100 PP) and a discount per passenger. When you book 8 cabins, you essentially get one cabin free. I chose to spread that savings over the group so each person could save a little bit. OBC was not offered.

 

Our group sailed the Miracle last October so Carnival was accommodating. Cruises during popular dates (Spring Break, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years) are premium and Carnival doesn't have to do anything to fill the ship, so they don't offer much in the way of perks. If you go "off season", their much more likely to give you the house.

 

I'm taking the family and extended family this year on a Thanksgiving cruise on the Miracle again (10 of us). Other than reduced booking, there weren't many perks to get. I did get a 3 category upgrade through my PVP and she sent me enough clear plastic luggage tags for my group. That was a nice touch.

 

Groups are fun. You feel like you know half the people on the boat when you board and by the time your cruise ends, you feel like you know the other half. The hardest part is getting everyone to get off their keysters and send in their deposit. Be sure to let the group know what the total cost of the cruise is (deposits, port fees, passenger fare, and automatic tips). That way they go in with eyes wide open and no surprises. You'll lose 2 or 3 cabins by the time your cruise date rolls around. Some things come up and some people just flake on you. Regardless of what happens with those passengers, you and the group that finally boards will have a GREAT time. Enjoy.

[tony_g51181]

Awesome thanks for sharing, I had heard you got a cabin free or could simply spread the OBC among those booked so thats a nice touch. I am use to going with loads of ppl and this time it will be for my post wedding getaway/honeymoon which I don't mind everyone going me and my fiance both rather cruise with friends and family than just us two, even on this "special" times.

[Valor2005]

We had a group of 14 in 7 cabins. Not enough to be considered a group, but we did get a surprise visit from the upgrade fairy. We were moved from inside guarantees to 7 oceanview cabins.

[Geo.714]

Awesome thanks for sharing, I had heard you got a cabin free or could simply spread the OBC among those booked so thats a nice touch. I am use to going with loads of ppl and this time it will be for my post wedding getaway/honeymoon which I don't mind everyone going me and my fiance both rather cruise with friends and family than just us two, even on this "special" times.

 

I can tell you that having friends and family on a cruise is fantastic. We like our friends and family and enjoy sharing experiences with them. Besides, years from now, you'll all be telling stories about each other and your cruise.

 

Another thing to consider based on experience. Because I've used my PVP on several occasions, she put our group together and saved a block of rooms. If you're going to head up a group, find out how many want inside cabins, how many want OV or Balcony's, etc. That makes it easier for your PVP to plan your group for you.

 

Also, deposits. To hold cabins (they're not assigned until your guest does their booking), I was going to have to put a deposit down for each cabin. The deposit was $50 PP or $100 per cabin. I negotiated to hold 14 cabins without having to put deposits down for all of them. I did put deposits down for 8 cabins so everyone could get their discounts and I knew that I had reliable people that would need a total of 8 cabins.

 

These are just some of the "fun" things you have to worry about as a group host. Most of all, relax, enjoy, and have a great time.

[jamesr3939]

The "free" cabin is sort of accurate. We got a credit for the lowest category cabin we booked. We decided to divide the credit among everybody so we took OBC. We did not get the OBC until after we sailed just in case somebody canceled as we were right at the exact number needed for the "group."

 

Carnival was a lot easier to deal with on a group than a recent RCCL we did with a group. RCCL had this really convoluted equation to figure out what you got as a group.