Advice for traveling with a group

[hawaiideb]

I need practical advice for traveling on a scenic heavy cruise (Sun Northbound- Vancouver to Whittier) with 16 friends and family. While I have planned 1 specific event (whale watch) and in other 2 ports individuals planned their own excursions, I need advice on dining and other issues we may encounter as a group of 16. Thanks!

 

Debbie

[DevCruise]

The best advice I can offer is to not plan anything "as a group". Instead, figure out what your family wants to do and then you can tell the group "here's what we'll be doing if anybody wants to join us".

[johnql]

The best advice I can offer is to not plan anything "as a group". Instead, figure out what your family wants to do and then you can tell the group "here's what we'll be doing if anybody wants to join us".

Totally agree. It's virtually impossible to reach a consensus with a group of 16 on what to do in each port. With a group of any significant size, someone needs to take charge, make decisions based on what most of the group might want while perhaps soliciting the input from anyone who might be very upset lest the leader comes across as being dictatorial.

[garycarla]

Last two answers were spot on.

 

Do not try to plan for the group and set yourself up for failure.

 

With a dozen dinner options, you can get yourself in a real mess.

[Sika Dellick]

Vacation = not having to do anything planned. Go with the flow... :)

[WyomingCruiser]

I have cruised with a group of 8. Our rule? Everybody does what they want! Usually that means we split into different groups for excursions...We are also flexible for dinner; sometimes we will eat as a group, but will also break into smaller groups.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[sdmike]

We just did a 16 person group to Alaska. We planned a couple things for more than one family or sub-group (7 of us rented a van in Juneau and drove out to the glacier), but for the most part it's just as people described.. do NOT try to over plan. Also, you are not responsible for their activities or their enjoyment.

 

We found that smaller groups would go do things together. We were all roomed near each other, so often around 5:30 we'd tap on doors and ask if anyone was going to dinner. We often had 8-10 that ate together, but it varied. Sometimes small groups would go to different shows or events together. It all worked out very well

 

Oh, if you want to eat together, eat early and pick the larger restaurant

Edited March 21, 2014 by sdmike

[flarad]

Do not worry if not everyone comes to something you planned. Offer things as options, so those that want to get together can, but recognize there may be the one one two who never show.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[timhoke]

Having done many large group cruises, you never get everyone to agree on any one thing. The best you can do is try to possibly get everyone to agree on 1 or 2 nights to dinner as a group. That is one advantage with assigned dining time, we would all get together at dinner( sitting with different people each night) to talk about what we had done & seen that day. Just relax, enjoy & remember the ship already has a cruise director, so you don't need do the job.

[DawnofAquarius]

I sailed a few years ago with a family group of 18, and we agreed beforehand that trying to plan in advance what all of us would do each day would guarantee that none of us would be speaking to each other by sail date. Instead, we set up one night that we would definitely gather together for dinner to celebrate our parents' anniversary, and let the rest fall into place as it happened.

 

We did end up all having dinner together in the MDR a few nights, but this was more by chance than planning on anyone's part. Once we realized we were all planning on dinner at the same time and place, one person ran down to the MDR to talk to the host and explain. Each time, we were able to get two tables next to each other (one for the kids, one for the adults) and then go our own ways after dinner.

 

Since we were scattered all over the ship in various cabins (from an inside to suites), my sister and I put together goodie bags for each family that included post-it notes and pens (for leaving notes on cabin doors saying where someone was heading) and a list of each family's cabin numbers. This really helped us "plan" each day on the run.