Planning a family reunion cruise can seem like a daunting task. But The Cruise Shop will help you put together a great family reunion cruise.

Here's some quick tips to consider:

Cruise in Summer or over the Christmas Holidays. If you plan your cruise over summer or Christmas school breaks, that will be easier for those with school-aged children. A bonus of a Christmas or holiday cruise is that you can spend the holidays with several family members in one spot, and minus the unpleasant daytrips or long drives.

Look for Shorter Cruises. Consider cruises in the three to six day range. Some people cruising may have less flexibility with their vacation time and work schedules, and some people may have never cruised before.

Pick a Popular Destination. It is better when planning a family reunion cruise that you look for destinations that will please the most people. You might even narrow it down to three or four choices, and send out an email polling family members and go with the most votes.

Keep Everyone Informed. Send out occasional bulletins, or send family members emails with links to cruise line pages, excursion choices, destination visitors guides, stopover destinations and more, so everyone can plan "independent time" on the family reunion cruise.

Work With a Family Reunion Cruise Specialist. They are your best resource when it comes to planning a detailed trip such as this.  With so many people involved, so many choices and arrangements to make, you want to be sure everything goes as planned.  The only surprises you want are good ones, right?

Don't Overplan. Just plan the basics, like which cruise line, maybe nightly reservations at restaurants, specific shore excursions. Have an itinerary that allows for time to gather together and time for independent play or relaxation. Then family members can decide for themselves, what to do and what to attend.

Click here to see our list of our top ten reasons to choose to have a family reunion aboard a cruise ship.

Family reunions on cruise ships has become such a popular choice in recent years that cruise lines have worked hard to position themselves as the choice for multi-generational family groups.

Due to the wide ranges in ages they have added a greater variety of activities, services and amenities available both onboard and ashore. Adults can find a balance between spending time with their kids onboard or ashore, and make their own private time to enjoy fine dining, the spa or private time together.

Kids fare especially well on cruises with onboard children’s programming, dedicated play space with colorful and fun toys and games, video arcades and evening parties.

Even moody teens are not forgotten with their own teen-only hangouts - some ships even have teen-only discos and coffee bars - icebreaker socials and adventurous shore excursions.

It is in the area of shore excursions where multigenerational family groups are especially catered to, with activities that range from high-intensity water sports and hiking/biking programs to shopping and sight-seeing. Grandparents who may not wish to go ashore at all can stay on board and play bridge, enjoy high tea, pamper themselves with spa treatments and just enjoy the relative calm of the ship while most of its passengers are ashore.

What many people don’t realize is that cruise lines are ready and eager to supply a host of special services to family reunion groups, including planning assistance and customized parties onboard.

There's a cruise ship out there that's perfect for any type of family reunion, and our Family Reunion Cruise Specialists are experts and they are ready to help you plan your next friends and family reunion cruise.

Click here to see:  What You Can Expect From Us and see: Why Choose The Cruise Shop? 

Email us or call one of our offices most convenient to you, to get started today!

Naperville, IL: 800-344-4388
Westmont, IL:  800-622-6456
Katy, TX:  800-459-3996