While each cruise line has unique group policies and procedures, here is some general information. We’ll provide detailed information regarding specific cruise lines as we help find the cruise line which best fits your group’s needs.

RESERVE GROUP SPACE EARLY!

The earlier you reserve your group space, the better pricing you’ll receive.  This is our number one suggestion.  In the past we’ve seen pricing more than triple closer to sailing. Most itineraries are released a year to year-and-a-half out, so we suggest planning that far out, if possible, to get the absolute best pricing.  We can help track deployment schedules if your preferred future itinerary has not been released yet.

Group space is also limited for each sailing, so the longer you wait, the less likely group space will be available to reserve.  This is particularly true on new ships that are in high demand. 

Connecting / Adjoining Rooms

Connecting rooms in particular tend to be limited and sell out relatively quickly, so we recommend booking those as early as possible.  We can also review which ships and room categories offer the most connecting options.  Let us know if this is of particular importance to you.  

Group Costs

You will reserve a number of staterooms within specific categories for group rates. Most cruise lines require a minimum of 8 rooms (16 guests) in order to take out group space and receive group amenities. You will usually have 30 – 60 days to book those rooms with names & full deposits before a nominal group deposit is required for every unsold room you wish to hold in your allocation.  This deposit is typically $50 per unsold room being held, and is refundable.

By default you’re not assigned specific rooms, just a set number of rooms within a particular category. If you’d like to reserve a specific set of rooms, you’d need to fully deposit them, otherwise you’ll select from any available room within the group category when guests book and fully deposit. Some cruise lines may allow you to hold specific rooms for a set number of days without a full deposit.

If you wish to host a large group, or even charter an entire ship, there are specific policies and agreements under those circumstances.

Deposits

There are two types of deposits with groups – group level deposits, which hold group space available, and reservation level deposits, which are paid by guests at the time of booking.  The group level deposits are refundable either when the room is sold, or when group space is recalled.

Recall

Most cruise lines will reserve the option to recall unsold group space if there is no obvious sales activity.  Recall dates are usually provided by the cruise line.

Amenities

One of the advantages of booking groups is the group amenity packages.  Most lines issue what are called Group Amenity Points (GAP).  The quantity issued is frequently based on how early the group space is taken out, how long the cruise is, among other factors.  Sometimes this is a set quantity, and sometimes it’s more of a variable. GAP points can be used for a variety of amenities, including

• Cocktail Parties
• Onboard Credit
• Wine
• Chocolates
• Nonprofit Donations
• Etc.

Limitations

There are generally a handful of room categories available for groups, which will limit the options available to some degree.  You can always “pull” other room categories into your group, however those are generally booked at prevailing rates.  They are still eligible for specific group amenities, however some may not transfer over, such as refundable deposits.

More and more cruise lines are limiting group rooms to only two guests, so any 3+ guest rooms would need to be booked at prevailing rates and pulled into the group to pick up amenities. There are still a limited number of lines which offer group rates on 3+ guests, so we can help find the best line if you have lots of 3+ guest rooms.  With the 2 guest limit, we can still frequently find two 2 guest rooms that are adjoining or connecting to help offset that limitation for 4 guests.  

Suites

 Suites are almost never able to be selected as group space.  They will usually need to be booked at prevailing rates, and may have different deposit policies than other room types.  Daily gratuities tend to be higher for suites as well.  

“Obligatory” Charges

There are two basic costs which are obligatory on cruises – the cruise fare, and daily gratuities.  The daily gratuity charges generally are not included in advertised pricing, so it’s something to be aware of.

Optional Charges

Cruise lines will make it as easy as possible to spend copious amounts of money onboard, including (this is not an exhaustive list)

• Beverages / Beverage Packages
  • A limited number of beverage options are included at no cost – generally tap water, juices, coffee, tea.  The two large paid options are soda and alcohol, which will require a beverage package or to be purchased ala carte.  
• Specialty Dining / Dining Packages
  • We personally find the included dining options sufficient, however there will be a selection of specialty restaurants onboard which are an up-charge.  They can be purchased ala carte (cover charge or per item charge), or with a dining package which might include discounts.
• Shore Excursions
  • Shore excursions are a popular item.  They can be purchased through the cruise line, or third party, including Cruise Planners preferred vendor, Shore Excursions Group, Viator, or other vendors.  We recommend guests be cautious of purchasing excursions on the pier, as they have no liability for not getting you back to the ship prior to sailing.
• Wi-Fi
  • Most ships have limited onboard wi-fi available at no charge to access their app, however internet access will be at additional charge.
• Spa
  • A common splurge while on vacation, spa services are a key part of the cruise experience.
• Retail
  • From convenience items to luxury items, most ships have a variety of retails shops onboard
• Onboard Activities
  • Some cruise lines charge extra for many of their onboard activities, such as go-karts, laser tag, skydiving, observation pod.  We can help review what activities are / are not included with the cruise fare.
• Travel Insurance
  • With the unpredictability of travel these days, along with two immunocompromised kids, we’re big fans of travel insurance.  We will always quote travel insurance with our reservations.  
• Gambling
  • Most ships have casinos onboard, along with other games such as BINGO.

Price Tracking

Regardless if booked under group rates or prevailing rates, we proactively monitor for possible cost savings all the way up until final payment date.  If permissible by the cruise line, we will request a price match. So you book at a “not to exceed” price, with the potential for additional savings all the way up until final payment. We have been able to save clients upwards of 30% in the past (Pre-pandemic for full disclosure.  Post-pandemic we’ve generally seen prices steadily increase closer to sailing due to record high demand)