Planning a group getaway, whether friends & family, a club or fraternal organization, or work colleagues, is a daunting task. While group travel is a fun & fabulous experience, the planning and organization can quickly become overwhelming.
Fortunately, there are travel professionals who specialize in planning group events, and working with experienced Group Travel Specialists can make all the difference if you are tasked with arranging any group travel experience.
Why Engage with Group Travel Specialists?
The logistics of group travel planning can quickly become overwhelming. Negotiating rates and amenities, keeping track of guest data, remitting payments and tracking deadlines – these administrative tasks can take over hours of precious time. Experienced Group Travel Specialists can take on most all of the work, making the process seamless and stress free. These industry specialists can also arrange for any shipboard space requirements, group dining or onboard parties.
Group travel specialists also offer the advantage of strong relationships in the cruise industry. These contacts are invaluable when a group requires special services or amenities during their event. The value of time & stress savings are impossible to quantify, and group organizers reap peace of mind with expert organizers at the helm.
Creating Your Personalized Travel Itinerary
Experienced Group Travel Specialists are experts at creating a personalized travel itinerary for your group. Your itinerary may include any combination of pre-cruise accommodations with special meet & greet reception, special group rates and amenities not otherwise available, onboard meetings and parties, group dining, team building exercises and private excursions. If you are organizing an event for hobbyists, you may enjoy excursions designed specifically for those preferences. Group travel specialists are highly skilled at designing one-of-a-kind experiences for their group leaders.
Consider, if you are planning an event for active adventurers, your event may include excursions like zip-lining, snorkeling, and cave tubing. A wellness retreat might include special spa treatments, a beachfront massage, and shoreside dining at a local restaurant featuring spa-type cuisine. Group travel specialists are experts at creating a unique, completely personalized travel itinerary for your group cruise event.
Your Next Group Cruise Event – Stress Free
Faced with dozens of vacation cruise lines – hundreds of ships – and an all but endless array of potential itineraries, the average group leader can quickly become overwhelmed by the volume of decisions. Partnering with an experienced Group Travel Specialist will simplify the process significantly.
An experienced group travel expert with begin by gathering information on your group’s demographics. Are your guests young adventurers looking for a fun, fabulous … and affordable! … group getaway? Perhaps you are planning multi-generational family group that requires child-friendly programming as well as entertainment that will keep grandparents engaged as well. Group Cruise events come with all possible requirements, and your group travel expert is an expert at sorting through the best ships and itineraries for each group’s needs.
Whatever your group’s requirements, there are vacation cruise lines that are perfectly positioned to meet your needs. Small ship or mega-ship … fun ship or luxury ship … whatever the experience your group demands, your group travel expert will match you with a vessel and itinerary to provide the ultimate experience geared to your requirements.
The Basic Elements of the Best Group Travel Planning:
Some of the elements where Group Travel Specialists can guide and advise for your Group travel planning needs – your group travel specialists will do all of this and more:
- Negotiations: Settling group rates, space, and group amenities;
- Budget: Ensuring that event costs are realistic for group budget requirements;
- Logistics: Managing transportation, pre-cruise accommodations & events, transfers, insurance, deposits and payment deadlines;
- Entertainment & Activities: Arranging engaging activities in alignment with group interests and needs;
- Group Communication: Keeping group members informed of requirements, deadlines and any changes prior to sailing.
- Timeline management: Managing deadlines in alignment with group contract requirements
Selecting the Perfect Group Travel Specialists.
Not all travel advisors or agencies are qualified to arrange group travel events. To ensure you are working with an experienced group specialist, you might ask:
- Can they provide examples of group travel events they’ve coordinated over the past two years?
- Have they worked with a variety of vacation cruise lines or do they focus primarily on one provider?
- Can they provide you with a customized group package tailored to your group’s specific requirements?
- What are their policies with regard to last-minute changes or cancellations?
- What types of special amenities and group rates are they able to offer?
Conclusion –
When planning any type of group travel event, whether by land or by sea, it is best to partner with an experienced group travel specialist. You will not only save time and endless stress, but will also benefit greatly from their advice and assistance. Dancing Moon Travel agent certifications include Master Cruise Counselor, Certified Group Travel Specialist, and Luxury Travel Expert as well as certifications through numerous individual cruise lines.
Our professional consultants have significant experience in group travel events. Reach out to us at 404.735.5774 or email ph@dancingmoontravel.com. We would love to explore the potential and requirements for your next group travel event.
