I need help planning a cruise for a party of 12 people!!

[bulldog42]

I am on the Wonder next year with my husband and 2 kids, my parents and my sisters family of 6. We are hoping to be able to sit together for dinner. Is it possible to ask for a table for 12? Have any of you cruised with a large group? This will be our 4th cruise but I am stressing a bit about planning with such a large group. If you have any tips or tricks to help make this experience a good memory and not a stressful one, I would love to hear them!!

 

[MouseMomx2]

I am on the Wonder next year with my husband and 2 kids, my parents and my sisters family of 6. We are hoping to be able to sit together for dinner. Is it possible to ask for a table for 12? Have any of you cruised with a large group? This will be our 4th cruise but I am stressing a bit about planning with such a large group. If you have any tips or tricks to help make this experience a good memory and not a stressful one, I would love to hear them!!

Yes, you will all be able to sit together. We have sailed with up to 14 at one table. Once you make your cruise reservations you can link them all together. This will let DCL know that you are traveling together and want to eat together.

As for tips...don't force complete togetherness. Let everyone do what they want to during the day and come together for excursions and at dinner. We've always found that this allows everyone to have the vacation they want and still have family time. I think you'll find that there is a fair amount of togetherness during your days as well.

 

[bulldog42]

Honestly, as excited as I am to be cruising with my family, I am hoping to only see them at dinner! We all have very different interests and our kids are all different ages so I hope we will be able to steal time away from the group to do whatever we each want.

 

[Gilland18]

All of our cruises have been with extended family. We link for dining and have had 13 at one table. When we were a group of 18, they split us between 3 tables with the same serving team. Actually liked that better. Just be sure to move around and sit with different people each night. In our case, the only expectation was to dine together each evening. Each family unit decided on and booked their own activities.

 

[ColoradoDisneyFreaks]

If you link your reservations, like everyone else has said, they'll seat you together.

For the rest, I would let everyone know that they can plan their own excursions and activities. Then, you can let them know what you've planned for your family, if you're so inclined, so if they want to book as well they can, but I wouldn't take on the responsibility of booking for them, that's just asking for a whole lot of coordination work!

You can always talk about the next day's activities at dinner each night, determine if you're going to hook up for an event, or a meal, etc., I just wouldn't plan them ahead of time.

 

[Four Swampers]

If you link your reservations, like everyone else has said, they'll seat you together.

For the rest, I would let everyone know that they can plan their own excursions and activities. Then, you can let them know what you've planned for your family, if you're so inclined, so if they want to book as well they can, but I wouldn't take on the responsibility of booking for them, that's just asking for a whole lot of coordination work!

You can always talk about the next day's activities at dinner each night, determine if you're going to hook up for an event, or a meal, etc., I just wouldn't plan them ahead of time.

Completely agree! We are planning a spring break cruise, and I laid out the ground rules in my invitation. I think number 7 is the most important.

Greetings! A few of us have decided on a senior spring break trip for next year. We want to invite you (and others) to join us, even if you don't have a senior. Details below, but first, the ground rules:

1. The list of invitees is neither complete, fixed, nor accurate. I refuse to accept any guilt, shame, nor evil eye for having left someone off the list. This is the freakin' planning stages. So if you aren't on this list, get on the list. Maybe I goofed, maybe I had the wrong email; doesn't matter. By the way, someone forward this to the Rollers, because I don't have their email. To be clear, I have friends I like better than any of you, and I did not put them on the list because I happen to know they are deathly afraid of cruising. So if you aren't on the list, it is because I care about you so much.

2. Feel free to invite others. Got a friend in Dubuque? Invite them to join us!

3. If you know you don't want to go, let me know so that I can remove you from the list, so you don't get spammed.

4. My email address book is a mess. Let me know specifically and clearly which email to use for you, and I shall.

5. In general, let's try not to spam people by replying to all. Feel free to reply to all whenever you think it is appropriate.

6. Don't reply to all five times today as a joke about rule 5. Already figured that one out, so it isn't funny now. Sorry.

7. I am not signing you up for anything. Not the cruise, not the excursions, nothing. If you want to go on the trip, if you want to swim in caves in Cozumel, if you want to meet your friend at the pool, do it. I will gladly offer advice, join you, might ask you to join us, but don't think I am putting in your name and have stuff taken care of: I don't.

 

[bulldog42]

Thank you so much for the advice! I definetely will not be booking anything for anyone. I think we will certainly have to have a discussion about expectations.

 

[Justacruiser]

I try to set our expectations and the rules early.

Must get to dinner on-time
Must get to the theater 30 minutes early to get seats (do not save seats)
Do NOT have to do everything together, but you are responsible for the optional plans you make
If traveling together to and from port, rotate who is choosing meals and stick with their choice, choose order before you depart (by age or alphabetical order)