Setting up a Group Cruise

[aimmike&meg]

Anyone done this before through RCCL? Is it worth it or should everyone just book seperately? Is there a rate drop for more cabins booked or what? I will call and ask but I thought all of you might be able to give me some advice on this beforehand :)

 

We are looking at around 10 cabins or so for ourselves, family and friends and with us being C&A members and finally Platinum :D Yeah (I know no big deal for some of you but we are excited!) anyway we will have two others traveling that are gold C&A members but everyone else is either a 1st time cruiser or 1st time RCCL cruiser! So they are wanting me to try to pull it all together, which I don't mind I have been the travel manager for my daughter's soccer team for 4 years now and sometimes it is a pain but for the most part I do enjoy it. Planning rooms, travel accomodations, team dinners, and activities etc is really fun for me.

 

Is it worth it? Anyone with suggestions or ideas, and NO we DO NOT and WILL NOT use a travel agent, nothing against anyone out there that is, but I like to have complete control over my reservation and not have to have a middle man to mess with. We book directly with RCCL and have since day one and it works best for us.

 

So anyone with any ideas or suggestions, pros or cons I want to know...

 

Thanks a bunch!

[piercetc4]

you can call rci and they will help with the group res.- ask if there are gap points for your cruise so you can get a group amenity if they have any for the sailing you pick-

[mrsbos]

If you book over 8 cabins (double occupancy) RCCL should give you one free. I have done this in the past but through a travel agent. We took the amount and split it amongst all cabins so we all benefited.

 

Question for you.........Do you get the same prices booking directly through RCCL as you do a travel agent? Whenever I check on RCCL's web site it always seems much higher.

 

:) Sharon

[aimmike&meg]

Thanks for the info I will check into that!

[aimmike&meg]

Everytime we book thru RCCL directly it is cheaper because one of my friends is a travel agent and she always checks first and I always find it cheaper on Royal's site plus I like to have control over my reservation if I need to change something etc...

 

Thanks for the info on the free cabin that would be great to just split the difference between all of us!

 

I am going to call Royal and get some more info for sure just wanted to see what if anything anyone might know in advance!

 

Thanks a bunch!

[realent]

If you book over 8 cabins (double occupancy) RCCL should give you one free. I have done this in the past but through a travel agent. We took the amount and split it amongst all cabins so we all benefited.

 

Question for you.........Do you get the same prices booking directly through RCCL as you do a travel agent? Whenever I check on RCCL's web site it always seems much higher.

 

:) Sharon

 

When you book 8 cabins, ONE PERSON sails free, sans non-commisionable cruise fare, port charges and tax. That still needs to be paid. If you are all in different categories you get one cruise fare on the cabins you booked the most of. You should also get GAP points which give you goodies. Like, champagne, fruit basket, stuff like that. Ask how many gap points and if they will give you a choice. I am not sure if you can get GAP points without a travel agent though.

 

The RCI website shows prices that include everything but the tax so it depends on if your TA is doing the same. Compare apples to apples.

 

Good luck!

[aimmike&meg]

Thanks for the additional input! :D

 

I knew that the Gap points are probably TA only as I have a friend who is a TA and many years ago my Grandparents owned a Travel Agency and I figured booking directly wouldn't qualify me for that, but the free cabin info is helpful.

 

Thanks again!

[shancan911]

Good info, Realent!! On top of your one cruise fare, as a group res, it makes it easier for your dining arrangements to be together as well. Go for 16 cabins and get 2 fares!!! You can do it.:)

[OHCruisinDad]

Call RCL and ask for group sales and reservations. As stated before, you normally need 8 cabins for group rates including 1 free person (base fare only). Sometimes the group minimum is lower based on time of year, itinerary, etc. Group sales can also advise you as to other discounts, GAP points for free on board amenities, fares for seniors or 3/4 pax, etc. They can also tell you what other discounts can be used for group bookings such as RCL Visa credits, Shareholder credit (for on-board credit), C&A coupons, etc.

 

Good luck planning and coordinating all those cruisers! :D

[MercedMike]

There are some very good perks for a group. In some instances you can get them for as few as 5 cabins, but the most common is one free berth for 8 cabins booked. You can also get things like free tote bags, wine, group pictures, or on board credit. It is a pretty good deal

 

BUT ...

 

It is a WHOLE bunch of work. Because all 16 of those people are going to be calling YOU asking all sorts of questions! And you are going to have people who think they might go, who decide they can't go, who want to go after the final payment date, who decide to bring their kids ... it is a zoo!

 

My DW (the MCC) and I have done it a couple of times. She handles the TA details and I handle most of the hand holding. Basically we have concluded that most of the time it is too much work for the perks you get!

 

I would never suggest you try it without a very good local Travel Agent in your corner to help with the million and one details.

 

Have FUN!

[realent]

You are welcome for any info I offered....Last Murder Mystery Cruise we had a group of over 40 onboard and with GAP points we scored 2 wonderful, soft RC robes per cabin! They are awesome and remind me of sailing everytime I exit the shower....way better than cheap champagne...You never know until you ask!

[Geema]

The GAP points don't always apply to each sailing Our Thanksgiving cruise didn't qualify :(.

[burban64]

Are gap points always passed onto the customer or does the travel agent have the option of keeping them herself. Do gap points equal a bigger commission for her if she doesn't use them?

Thanks

[Clarkk W Griswald]

Make sure all in your group have or are applying for passports ASAP.

[andyjo0930]

Not all cruises have GAP points, but the TA decides when and what to use them for. If she/he chooses not to use the GAP points for free ementities, their comission is higher. My sister is a TA and we book a group cruise every year (leaving in just over a month), and last year she used all the GAP points she had coming, and we received slippers, towels, $35.00 in casino credit and dinner at Portafino's. The TA gets something like 10 GAP points and the slippers are like 2 points, and the towels are 2 points and so forth, and whatever is chosen, everybody in the group gets the same thing.

[burban64]

My travel agent usually gives us $50.00 onboard credit per cabin.

 

I just sailed on the freedom in Feb. and because the travel agent designated me the tour conductor- she deducted the free fare from my final payment and then I had to pass on my savings to the rest of the group. What happened was the week before it sailed the price dropped and I missed out on the price reduction of my fare. Everyone else in the group made out significantly better than me.

 

2 years ago I sailed on the Mariner and RCCL divided the savings and gave us all onboard credit. I liked it better this way.

 

Do you have a choice anymore of how the 1 free is handled?

Thanks

[Happy ks]

I've not arranged a group like this, where all reservations were together, but I have done the ground work for a group to decide on which cruise to take. Once we agreed on the cruise, I just turned the info over to the people interested and let them book on their own.

 

There would be absolutely no way on earth that I would want to be the leader of such a group. I think you'll find out why as you move through the process, more headaches and frustration than you can imagine. You also may be surprised at the ones who will let you down with not meeting deadlines for payment, not getting their documents in time, etc...

 

We're going to be booking as part of a group on an upcoming cruise and I'm more than happy to allow a travel agent to do the work for us. I don't know what your reason is for being so turned off to travel agents, but perhaps you should reconsider and interview a couple. Travel agents are like everyone else in the world, there are ones who do a good job and ones that don't.

[Happy ks]

BTW, when I wrote documents, I meant passports, not cruise docs :)