Sure!  We can help coordinate all aspects of hosting an event onboard.  Such options will require more planning, and when we meet with you we will make sure the timing of your cruise allows for the additional planning required. Some of these events also have additional costs, which we can arrange with you ahead of time.  Some costs can be built into the cruise fare, however this needs to be coordinated before marketing the cruise.

Most cruise lines have meeting rooms available onboard and available at no cost on a first-come-first-served basis, however they will usually charge for A/V and technology services as well as food / beverage service.

Other venues like clubs and restaurants may be available for reservations and may involve fees.

Generally, the base cruise fare includes a cabin, a selection of complimentary restaurants and non-alcoholic and non-soda beverages (self-serve water dispensers, juices, milk, tea, etc.). Additionally, a selection of onboard activities will be included.  In addition to these included items, prepare for the following fees:

• Gratuities. Suggested gratuities can either be pre-paid or are automatically added to a guest’s onboard account.  The gratuities are shared among dining services staff, stateroom attendants and other housekeeping services personnel. Guests can modify gratuities by visiting Guest Services while onboard.
• Beverages: soda, alcohol, bottled water. All paid beverages are available a la carte, or guests can select from multiple alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage packages.
• Onboard gambling. Most cruise ships have an onboard casino and Bingo games, which are available when at sea.
• Onboard shopping. Most cruise ships have a selection of tax and duty free shopping while at sea.
• Specialty Dining. Most cruise ships have one or more specialty dining options.   A selection of complimentary restaurants are always available, so specialty dining is purely optional.
• Photos. Cruise lines are renowned for taking pictures throughout the cruise. Packages and a la carte pricing is available.
• Shore excursions. We can help book shore excursions, including group excursions.  Be aware that tours purchased from third parties at the docks will not guarantee a timely return to the ship, nor will the ship wait for a guest unless they are on an approved excursion.
• Transfers to/from hotels, airports, etc. We can generally help coordinate transfers.
• Arcade. Ships may have an arcade, which is available at additional cost.
• Onboard activities.  While most activities are included at no cost, some cruise lines are starting to charge for onboard activities. Costs depend on the line and activity. We can clarify these costs before selecting an itinerary.
• Pre/Post cruise activities. We can generally assist with things like pre/post cruise hotels, sightseeing, etc.
• Travel Insurance. We highly recommend travel insurance, particularly when traveling with medically sensitive passengers. Per California state law, we will offer insurance options at time of booking.

This is not an exhaustive list and does not include all possible additional expenses. 

Different cruise lines have different programs. Most lines provide a set donation amount per stateroom booked with the group.  We will confirm the details prior to creating your group.

Cruise lines cut a check to us for the donation after the sailing has occurred, and in turn we’ll forward those funds immediately upon receipt.

We are open to working with most 501(c)(3) organizations. We want to work with organizations that use a majority of their funds directly for their cause. We reserve the right to include or exclude any organization.

No problem! Generally only 8 double occupancy staterooms are required to be considered a group.  

We are in the unique position of owning a Cruise Planners full-service travel agency.  As such, we are the exclusive travel agent for for all groups.

We have a very tight relationship with our cruise line representatives and view ourselves as client advocates.  We work for you to find the best value for your group.

We also offer a unique advantage over booking directly in that we monitor pricing for each reservation all the way up to final payment and request a price match should the price drop.  

The cruise lines generally require a group deposit of $50 per stateroom reserved at group rates, with a minimum of 8 rooms reserved to be classified as a group.  This is a refundable deposit.  If you wanted more than 8 staterooms locked with group rates, you can apply additional deposits.

We do not charge any upfront fees of any kind.  If you’d like to take advantage of our Adventure Specialists for hosted events, there is a daily rate, plus applicable expenses.  We try to keep our costs to a minimum, however we do ask for Adventure Specialist expenses dedicated to your group to be covered. 

With the amount of time required to plan and effectively market a fundraising event, we’d like to have the ball rolling at least 12-18 months in advance.  This provides the time required to plan, obtain lower group rates, market, and fill your group. This is the standard time frame most guests use when planning a trip this size.  

While each cruise line includes slightly different amenities, here are some general guidelines of what comes with the base cruise fare.

• Stateroom. The four most common stateroom categories are: inside, ocean view, balcony and suite.  Some cruise lines are also introducing studios for single travelers.  Staterooms have capacities of 1 to 6+ passengers depending on cruise line and category.
• Basic drinks, excluding alcohol and sodas.  This will include tea, juices, water, milk, etc.  Some cruise lines are beginning to include beverage packages at no additional charge, all lines offer some beverage package that can be purchased before or during the cruise. 
• Food.  You will have access to a main dining room plus a buffet at the very minimum.  Most ships have additional complimentary options.  All ships have specialty restaurants onboard which are priced per meal or ala carte and are purely optional.
• Kids club.  Most cruise lines have a complimentary kids club onboard. The quality of the club depends on the line. Hours may vary and some clubs close down periodically. If your group is going to have a lot of families, we can discuss making sure your chosen itinerary is appropriate. 
• Onboard activities, such as shows, water slides/parks, thrill rides  are generally included, however some cruise lines have started charging for certain activities. We can review these items prior to selecting your particular cruise line and ship.

As parents of special needs kids, we take special care to work closely with cruise line staff both onshore and onboard to communicate, coordinate and ensure that our special needs guests are taken care of.  Most cruise lines are well versed in things like special dietary needs, and some lines provide staff special training and certification programs.

As part of our meeting, we will discuss special needs and how they can be accommodated onboard. 

Absolutely!  We’d love to create recurring events.  We generally suggest changing the itinerary periodically to keep things fresh.  You may also want to consider having the following year’s event scheduled prior to the current year’s event, so you can announce and start taking reservations for the next year.

If you volunteer for a non-profit organization that you think would benefit from a cruise event, submit their information here and we’ll reach out.  There’s no obligation.

We can help design and provide a selection of graphics optimized for popular social media platforms, a custom 8.5×11 flyer and web banners.  We will request copies of your logo in order to properly brand materials.

Additionally, we will promote events on our social media platforms and multiple websites that we manage. 

For larger/escorted events, we may register a personalized domain and create a dedicated website for enhanced promotion. 

We as Cruise Planners travel advisors never retain any guest payments.  All payments are submitted directly to and processed by the travel vendor directly.

This provides an extra layer of protection against fly-by-night travel advisors who collect funds, deposit them in bank accounts and never pay the vendor.

If we collect any funds associated with Adventure Specialists, those would be billed by our parent company, Clearly Enterprises, LLC.

We love hearing feedback and questions.  Please submit those here.