Family reunions can be a pain in the butt. Who's going to host them? Who's going to make all the arrangements? Who's going to make all that potato salad? Getting out of those duties is one big plus of having your reunion on a cruise ship. One family member will be designated as the Cruise Planner. This person will be the one to talk to the Travel Agent and gather up the information on what is available. You have one family meeting to decide on which cruise lines, which ship and the date for the family reunion. After you reach your decision everything else is done by the Travel Agent and the Cruise Lines. Of course, you will still have to pack. Cruising proffers something for everyone in the family - from supervised children's activities to exquisite dining. The grandparents can enjoy afternoon tea while the kids play games in the arcade and the parents watch a movie or pamper themselves in the Spa, while teens lounge by the pool. Yet the family also can spend plenty of time reconnecting while they're all together on a leisurely seven-day or longer cruise.
Whether it's a small family of 10 or a large group of 100, a cruise ship may be the best place for a reunion. Family reunion members seek accommodations they can use as a base for dining, sightseeing, and socializing together. They want good children's programs, entertainment, and activities. But they also want to make sure everyone in the group has personal time to pursue their own interests. Most cruise lines will help plan family reunion cruises including special events, sightseeing arrangements and dining reservations. Following is a sampling of options.
Of course almost all of the cruise ships will make special arrangements for large groups. You need to have your travel agent contact the cruise lines and explain what you want to do. Cruise lines will bend over backwards to please you and your group. They love booking large groups and selling lots of cabins. A cruise tip on this subject is to start planning this reunion early so that you can block out the cabins that you want for this cruise vacation. For example, if you are traveling with your kids you may want to book an Ocean View cabin for yourselves and then book the inside cabin across the hall for the kids. The further out you book this the more options you will have. Make sure that you choose the right place to do your reunion.






