Tips to make a group cruise fun!!!

[kenandlaura06]

We have organized a cruise for friends and family and there will be 9 of us total, 4 of whom have never cruised before. We want to make the cruise and anticipation of the cruise fun for them....any tips???

 

Ideas we have:

1) a pre-cruise party

2) giving them on-board credit certificates for Xmas presents

 

Any other ideas?????

[cruzndiz]

Way to go for taking charge --- someone always needs to be the "instigator" or nothing would ever get done!! LOL :eek:

 

In my circle of friends and family, that "instigator" would be me and I've been organizing group trips for between 20 and 40 of us bowling friends for the past 10 years. This year, I selected a cruise since I love it and the group has never done it. Here's a tip I have that works on land & on sea: keep the group's excitement level high by sending out weekly emails discussing different things about the upcoming cruise. If our trip is planned is more than 6 months in advance, I start the first 4 months with monthly newsletters....but then the last 8 weeks I do weekly (or more often if needed) emails. Break them down into sections --- 1 email should be dedicated for each port's possible shore excursions, 1 about "don't forget to pack XXXX", you can capture other pppl's recent reviews and forward them along, etc.

 

I have found over the years that people start to look forward to getting them (the emails) especially if I make them light reading and entertaining.

 

Have a great time!

[kenandlaura06]

Thanks, that is a great tip!!!

[NancyC]

Party favors or Christmas gifts could be baskets with some of the suggestions on things to take on a cruise: highlighter, clothes pins, electrical tape, shoe holder, etc. and then have them guess how each item will be used.

 

You might also prepare calendars with port names and arrival and departure times filled in. Also include any excursions or activities you all plan on doing together. These taped on a door in the cabin will keep everyone on the same page.

 

We enjoy taking decorations for everyone's cabin door. These secretly taped up the day or evening of arrival are quite a surprise as well as a reminder of who is in which cabin.

 

Have a great time.

[AZPam]

The emails prior to the cruise are some of the best ways I have found to keep the group excited. A previous poster already gave some great ideas for that. I've also always included web sites for excursions the group might want to consider. You might also want to link the group with the roll call for your cruise and join the meet and greet if one is planned.

 

We like to play jokes with others in our groups, so you might want to think of a few things for during the cruise too. One that for any newbies that is always fun is to bring along a blow up doll. We've gotten them a Spencer's Novelty Stores (at most malls) and that way they are offensive, just fun. We bring "Dolly Delicious" along and have the cabin steward place them in the cabin for us. She will usually make her rounds among the group for a few days and then join us for dinner one night. It's pure silly fun, but sure entertaining!

[Sami1220]

On our group cruise, we have a gag gift day...everyone in our group who wants to participate gets a gag gift and wraps it up and then we pick numbers and open up the gifts. Spencers is really great for this one too!

 

One year a fried of ours got a breast-in-plant....it was this plant with a boob in the middle....he brought it to the dining room to be a centerpiece!

 

People around us have always said what a good idea this is and we always have a lot of fun seeing what will be opened next!

[michmike]

we always take along flying screaming monkeys. Great fun and an excellent icebreaker. You can typically find them on e-bay (search for toy flying monkeys) for about $5. Plus we (us and another couple) always bring our rubber chickens. We buy outfits for them at build-a-bear. We haul them around the ship in a small nylon travel bag along with the monkeys.

 

What better way to start a conversation than to have someone ask you about the chicken. My response is typically "Didn't you get the info in your pre-cruise documents? They're offering $100 shipboard credit at lunch tomorrow for the best dressed chicken."

 

You could even offer a prize for the best dressed chicken, best beach outfit etc. within your group. My buddy's chicken's name is Sal Monella.

 

Then we go to a local novelty shop and get some groucho glasses and pirate eye patches just to have handy for fun. Our favorite cruise pic out of 8 trips is that of a group of 20 of us on the staircase in the dining room, in our formal nite finery, wearing groucho glasses.

 

We also took a bunch of burger king crowns on one trip and stashed them in the monkey / chicken bag and awarded one to anyone we met along the way who was a particular good sport when confronted with our lunacy.

 

Go, enjoy, and remember the Jimmy Buffett mantra "Growing older, but not UP!!" If you leave folks shaking their heads in bewilderment as you wander off, you'll know you're doing something right. *L*

[Bookish Angel]

Some people like a lot of organized activity but too much of it can be overwhelming. A balance of group events combined with free time lets everyone enjoy the cruise without it feeling like boot camp.

[Fergus]

I second Bookish Angel's comments......make sure no one feels pressured to do EVERYTHING with the group - that can be stressful for some. Maybe designate meeting places at various times and just mention that it's in case somebody wants to have some down time or do a different activity.

[pmfan]

How about making matching t-shirts? Or putting together a scavenger hunt of objects on the ship?

[RIRedhead64]

I love the scavenger hunt idea....I'm taking my 3 DDs, ages 15, 17 and 24 plus the oldest's best friend, also 24 on the Imagination on 6/26/08 to celebrate graduation for the 17 y/o and the 24 y/o....any suggestions on making it extra special for them? The 2 youngest have cruised before but the 2 oldest girls have not....I'm really trying to make it extra special for all of them...ANY ideas will help! Thanks!!

Laurie:D