Family reunion cruises

Most of the people have a week or two to relax before they have to get back to the grind. Their goal is to make the most of their time at a price that will not break their budget and in a way that will give their family enough memories to last until well after their vacation ends. Luckily, reunion cruise vacations are available at all different prices, in all different places, and with facilities and services designed to satisfy all kinds of families. Those qualities alone do not set cruise ships apart from land-based resort vacations, of course.

FAMILY REUNION CRUISES:

Some families cruise together without any small kids at all. In fact, cruise ships are a popular place for large-scale reunions of adult siblings, smaller-scale vacations in honor of a college graduation or celebrations marking a grandparents wedding anniversary. You can even hold your wedding aboard some cruise ships if you want to add a new member to your family in the middle of your get-together vacation.

If the majority, or even all, of the people who plan to cruise with you are adults and grown ups, you might consider choosing a cruise line that does not cater so much to children. Obviously, the more activities and facilities that are aboard, the more kids and younger families a cruise ship is going to attract, and if you are part of a mature family, you might want to share your experience with a more mature crowd.

You might even consider booking your trip aboard a higher end cruise line that does not encourage children to come aboard. Silver sea and Sea bourn are two examples, both are excellent lines, and they focus on luxury instead of lollipops, Swan Hellenic also tends to appeal to a more mature crowd, as does Cunard. Of course, you are also likely to pay higher rates aboard these more exclusive ships, but this option is available if you think you might prefer it.

TRAVEL TIP:

Here is a tip before traveling you can book small public rooms aboard most ships for family reunion fun. Consider setting up a relatives only card tournament, or a Trivial Pursuit round robin, or even a test-your knowledge contest about the ports of call on your ships itinerary.

If you like the idea of fewer kids aboard but are not opposed to their presence and want to try to stay more in the mainstream in terms of pricing consider one of the cruise lines that offer childrens programming but balance it a bit more with adult interests.

BUDGET-CONSCIOUS REUNION CRUISES:

There are two schools of thought about how to get the most budget-conscious cruise fares. One is that you should comb last-minute website deals. The other is that you should book as much as a year in advance to take advantage of the cruise companies early-bird discounts.

A good rule to remember is that if you do not care what kind of cabin you get on which itinerary, you may save a few extra dollars by waiting for a last-minute deal. But if your goal is to be aboard a specific boat in a particular level of cabin on the itinerary of your choice, you are much more likely to get the best deal with the companies early-booking programs.

In general, if you want to try out cruising without busting your budget, you should look for short, two-to four-day itineraries in non-exotic ports of call. Simply choosing a three-day cruise, say, round-trip to New York that is all scenic cruising with no ports of calls will save you at least several hundred dollars because you will have no extra fees for excursions. If you can find a ship leaving from a city near your home some place like Fort Lauderdale, Florida, or San Francisco, California, you also will be able to put your limited budget to more use aboard your ship, as you will have no airfare expenses.

CRUISING SEASONS:

Whether you are going to cruise the entire world or just a little part of it during a weeklong vacation, the weather will play a key role in your reunion happiness. It can also make a difference in how much your trip costs.

In general, the best time to visit the Caribbean is the winter, starting in December. The temperatures in that part of the world are lovely during the fall, as well, but that is also hurricane season, and you could lose your entire vacation to rain if you happen to catch the wrong week. The high season in the Mediterranean is the summer time, from late May until early September, though it sometimes gets a bit chilly there is September. Alaska is also a summertime destination, for obvious reasons, and the South Pacific and Australia are good wintertime options, since their seasons are the reverse of whatever is happening in North America.