<p>missypie, I would never take this on for a big group from my own family because we’d be just as likely to wind up on Dr. Phil as on a cruise, but my inlaws are so darn polite that I just don’t even worry about it. </p>
<p>I’ll ask for some input before we finalize the plans but I cannot imagine any of them complaining to me, or if they did it would never reach me or my H. Budget is not flexible but everything else is. </p>
<p>I know I’m really lucky and I do appreicate it. I’m already practicing holding my tongue for traveling with my S and his family someday!</p>
<p>We have done family reunion cruises twice: both time to Alaska (family is in Seattle, where they start)
It’s a wonderful way to do a group vacation. You can meet up and split up several times each day. We were on a huge Norwegian ship and yet ran into family at the breakfast buffet nearly every morning and at the pool-side coctail hour nearly every evening.<br>
I also did a Royal Caribbean cruise but will never do it again since the environmental impact was so negative (we had a snorkel class that never even mentioned that standing on coral kills them. So, most people did exactly that on the “private island” where the snorkeling went on, since standing up is an easy way to clear your mask. Two men actually stood on the coral in their fins and had a business conversaion. Same island had a dock facility that was clearly blasted from the original reef (since it involved squared off straight lines…) No mention of how sunscreen could hurt reef life. I’m guessing the whole island reef will be dead in 15 years…</p>
<p>I second or thirs the advice about reading on cruisecritic.com. I think we should make a policy to only visit websites known as CC, as the cruiscritic folks call themselve too!</p>
<p>By the way, since you are booking a group you may be able to get them to throw in some extras, like one free cabin, or upgrades, onboard ship credits. Try to buy from a travel agent that does a lot of business with the cruise company to get better perks.</p>
<p>I have been on 6, all very enjoyable. I second the praise for cruisecritic.com–and check its tips for first tiemrs; RCL; Celebrity; and Norwegian–but note the 3 lines have major differences in formality of dress (Celebrity highest) and flexibility of dining (Norwegian highest). Depending on where most of you live, and what you like to do, good options include NY-Bermuda; Alaska; and the Carribean (which can be reached from as close as Puerto Rico or as far as NYC).</p>
<p>Although we aren’t cruisers nor do we frequent all inclusive resorts, I have thought that both would be ideal for a group trip, exactly for the reasons folks have expressed…people can do their own things, then get together for meals.</p>
<p>You probably remember the storms in early January in the Gulf of Mexico a couple of years ago. The cruise lines cancelled all ports of call and passengers were kept on ship the entire time. I knew two families on cruises that week. The first was a family of four in a small cabin. They got very sick of each other and had a terrible time. But the second was a large family group - they played cards, visited, etc. and had just as good of a time as if they had gone on the excursions to Cozymel, etc. I’m sure it can be fun.</p>
<p>We have done cruises in the past, and the first one we did, we upgraded to the highest level interior (more expensive than a lower window level). That was our biggest mistake ever. You think you will never be in the room except to sleep and change. This is true, but when you can’t tell it is day light outside you tend to sleep longer, even with a wake up call it is hard to start moving without natural light. </p>
<p>Whatever cruise line you choose make sure you take a cabin with a room and not close to the elevator. It is not the noise of the elevator, but the amount of people passing your room yakking. </p>
<p>Also remember, the big cost of any cruise will be the incidentals…mainly the tours when docked, the other is how ships now charge to eat in certain restaurants.</p>
<p>I would suggest a shorter cruise, maybe starting out of NO and tack a day or two on there in the front and back. It allows you to enjoy the city and start off more relaxed than worrying about if your plane will get there on time. It will also allow you to have some private time with your DS before and after, for 1 last family vacation before he starts his college life.</p>
<p>It looks like the cruise may not work this time around. However, I’ve gone from having no interest in them to pushing hard for going on one for the family vacation 2011. Of course, I’ll make my decision only after careful reading of my new CC addiction!</p>
<p>I’ve become convinced that moving a big group around is just insane. We’ve just never adapted from having no grandchildren in our group to the grandkids outnumbering us. So, it has inspired me to drop the idea of a trip from place to place and instead we’re going to rent a house on the water with a city less than an hour away. That way we just have to drive to the rental house after the graduation, there is plenty to do (swim, kayak, etc.) and anyone who wants to take a daytrip to do anything from an amusement park to a cultural event can easily do it. </p>
<p>I feel so much happier about this vacation! Best of all, when I shared the idea with S, he absolutely loved it and the family feedback I’ve gotten has been very positive (of course, it would be no matter what they thought but I’m going to pretend that they really do think it’s a great idea!) </p>
<p>Thank you all again. There is just no where else I could put up a question like this and get answers that are so helpful for our family.</p>