Tips for Cruising with Friends

[packedandready]

We have a 5 minute rule. If we have plans to meet up at a certain place and time we only wait 5 minutes. If someone in the group isn’t there in time, the other couple/s can continue on. That keeps everyone from standing around wondering if they’ve changed their minds. 

[Mary229]

8 hours ago, packedandready said:

We have a 5 minute rule. If we have plans to meet up at a certain place and time we only wait 5 minutes. If someone in the group isn’t there in time, the other couple/s can continue on. That keeps everyone from standing around wondering if they’ve changed their minds. 

That is like our whining rule.  You get one day to whine, once you open your mouth with a complaint it is your day, use it wisely because you don't get another one. 

[sparks1093]

On 7/27/2021 at 11:34 PM, packedandready said:

We have a 5 minute rule. If we have plans to meet up at a certain place and time we only wait 5 minutes. If someone in the group isn’t there in time, the other couple/s can continue on. That keeps everyone from standing around wondering if they’ve changed their minds. 

That is an excellent point, especially if you are meeting up in port to head back to the ship. You need to be clear on what time you will be meeting, where you will meeting and how long you will be waiting before heading back. You don't want to be stuck waiting for everyone else when they've already headed back to the ship.

[lenquixote66]

On 7/27/2021 at 11:08 AM, NBliving said:

I searched for this and didn't see any posts that really answered my question, so I hope some fellow CC members can give suggestions.  My DH and I have always cruised by ourselves.  We enjoy meeting new people and doing our own thing.  We invited two couples who are dear friends to cruise with us next year on the Celebrity Equinox.  We have all booked Aqua class rooms - which takes care of dining whew!  But do any of you have any tips for traveling with other couples - fun things to book, ways to ensure some alone time as well as group time?  

 

TIA

We almost always cruise with friends We have been on 7 cruises with one couple who are very good friends.However,the only time we normally see them on the ship is for dinner.We prefer to do our own thing during the day.

In 2010 we met a couple on the cruise ,became friends with them and went on 2 cruises with them.Every cruise since then we have met at least one couple who we became friends with and cruised with them again.

[ldubs]

On 7/27/2021 at 8:23 AM, gotta cruise again said:

I’ve cruise with friends (anywhere from 6 to 43 of us!!) several times. The main 2 “rules” we had were to be together at sail away and to dine together in the evening. Beyond that, no one was obligated to be with the rest of the group. But we all did try to keep the others informed of our plans and would often split apart for various activities that were of interest to some but not others.

 

Sometimes we took excursions together and sometimes not. There were occasions when some decided to dine in a specialty restaurant without the rest of the group but it was always encouraged to inform the group of this so the rest weren’t waiting for the AWOL. Having dinner together was a great way to catch up on the day’s activities when we weren’t together or relive the events of the day when we did things as a group.

 

(NBliving: I live about an hour north of you…depending on the Austin traffic!!)

 

Same.  We do a  lot of group family & friends cruises.  The approach is very similar.  People's preferences are talked about before hand.  Usually the majority of the group elects to stick together on excursions.  Same for some of the shows/entertainment.  But it is all optional and no one is pressured to do anything they don't want.   And, as someone on another post says, we constantly bump into each other throughout the day.     

[lenquixote66]

52 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

Same.  We do a  lot of group family & friends cruises.  The approach is very similar.  People's preferences are talked about before hand.  Usually the majority of the group elects to stick together on excursions.  Same for some of the shows/entertainment.  But it is all optional and no one is pressured to do anything they don't want.   And, as someone on another post says, we constantly bump into each other throughout the day.     

We never bump into our friends on the ship,we do on occasion see them in port.

[Joebucks]

Our last cruise with friends was a blast. No crazy planning. No spreadsheets. We keep two simple rules:

 

- No one should feel forced to do anything they don't want to. There is no harm in splitting off and doing your own thing.

 

- If there is an important event, try to stick to a hard time. When waiting on large groups, there is often someone going to hold you back a half hour here, a half hour there. Don't waste too much time waiting on others.

[ldubs]

11 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

We never bump into our friends on the ship,we do on occasion see them in port.

 

Well, sometimes there are a lot of us.  And, where you see one there are probably more.  haha.  

[Mary229]

I wanted to clarify a bit about the spreadsheets.  We have sailed with up to 45 extended family members with people coming from all over the country.  The spreadsheets are for signing up for private shore excursions, signing up for the private dining table and other events.  It also helps pre and post cruise transfers, hotels and travel so you can cost-share with those on your schedule.   I remember one trip where we drove and everyone else flew, they carried my luggage and I had an entire car of wine.  

[sparks1093]

1 hour ago, Mary229 said:

 I had an entire car of wine.  

I'm not sure that I would have made it to the port. 😉

[zekekelso]

Oh sheesh, another tipping thread. It’s not enough we have to tip the staff. Not enough we have to give extra tips to bartenders. Now people wants tips for friends cruising with us?? I gotta draw the line at tipping friends. 

[lenquixote66]

11 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

Well, sometimes there are a lot of us.  And, where you see one there are probably more.  haha.  

Not necessarily .I have been on several group cruises and would never see the members of the group either.

[Markanddonna]

Know your friends' weaknesses. Our friends really wanted to do a 19 night cruise but had NEVER cruised. I explained how we roll (pretty independent.) The husband was great and had a wonderful time, but his wife has mental health issues and stayed in the cabin most/much of the time. I've known her for 30 years, so it was not a surprise. We expected very little of them as we are "self sustaining" sorts.

 

Edited July 30, 2021 by Markanddonna

[Lois R]

12 hours ago, Mary229 said:

I wanted to clarify a bit about the spreadsheets.  We have sailed with up to 45 extended family members with people coming from all over the country.  The spreadsheets are for signing up for private shore excursions, signing up for the private dining table and other events.  It also helps pre and post cruise transfers, hotels and travel so you can cost-share with those on your schedule.   I remember one trip where we drove and everyone else flew, they carried my luggage and I had an entire car of wine.  

WOW....you have a big family!  I might be in the minority but I don't even know 45 people well enough to cruise together and as for 45 in the family? Even when everyone was still around we didn't have 45😲

[Mary229]

38 minutes ago, Lois R said:

WOW....you have a big family!  I might be in the minority but I don't even know 45 people well enough to cruise together and as for 45 in the family? Even when everyone was still around we didn't have 45😲

Yeah we do!  We also do family cruises, adults only and those are less than 20. Lots of kids, grand kids, close cousins and maiden great aunts. 

[ldubs]

18 hours ago, Lois R said:

WOW....you have a big family!  I might be in the minority but I don't even know 45 people well enough to cruise together and as for 45 in the family? Even when everyone was still around we didn't have 45😲

 

17 hours ago, Mary229 said:

Yeah we do!  We also do family cruises, adults only and those are less than 20. Lots of kids, grand kids, close cousins and maiden great aunts. 

 

That is a big family group for sure and good for you!   We are blessed with a large close-knit family mostly living in the bay area.    But our largest family group cruises are maybe 25 or so.  And that usually includes several friends that are considered "family".   

[ldubs]

On 7/30/2021 at 8:33 AM, zekekelso said:

Oh sheesh, another tipping thread. It’s not enough we have to tip the staff. Not enough we have to give extra tips to bartenders. Now people wants tips for friends cruising with us?? I gotta draw the line at tipping friends. 

 

😄😄😄

  

[Lois R]

That is surely what makes us all different🙂.......I have 2 sisters (and their hubbies). We all don't even live in the same countries.  Although in my heart I feel close to them and we all do keep in touch but as for those family numbers? Not even close to 25. 

[lenquixote66]

18 hours ago, Lois R said:

WOW....you have a big family!  I might be in the minority but I don't even know 45 people well enough to cruise together and as for 45 in the family? Even when everyone was still around we didn't have 45😲

We have friends who live in a 55 and older development in NJ.They were doing a cruise and residents were allowed to invite one couple to join them.Our friends were the only people who did so and my wife and I were on a cruise with 200 people that we did not know.We had to drive to NJ to get on a bus going to the cruise port.Our friends were on a different bus and people on the bus we were on thought we did not belong there and told us that.It was not a fun time.

[Lois R]

5 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

We have friends who live in a 55 and older development in NJ.They were doing a cruise and residents were allowed to invite one couple to join them.Our friends were the only people who did so and my wife and I were on a cruise with 200 people that we did not know.We had to drive to NJ to get on a bus going to the cruise port.Our friends were on a different bus and people on the bus we were on thought we did not belong there and told us that.It was not a fun time.

Hi Lenny, OMG.......that sounds TERRIBLE👎....actually it sounds MEAN!! So sorry this happened to you.☹️

[lenquixote66]

1 hour ago, Lois R said:

Hi Lenny, OMG.......that sounds TERRIBLE👎....actually it sounds MEAN!! So sorry this happened to you.☹️

That was the last time we went with them and their neighbors.

[clo]

6 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

my wife and I were on a cruise with 200 people that we did not know.

We've done cruises and escorted land tours and only once did we know just one person on all the trips. I don't think I understand the problem.

 

For the OP, we cruised with a much older, life long friend of my husband's. She was annoying frequently even not when traveling 🙂 So we "decided" that we wouldn't have breakfast together. That didn't seem too awful. But found out later that she told people that we abandoned her frequently. May she rest in peace 🙂

[57redbird]

Not on a cruise but a 2 week vacation on Maui -- traveled with other family members -- they had never been so they were joined at the hip with us....one of the worst vacations we've had & they even had their own rental car.  Never again, thank you.

[lenquixote66]

50 minutes ago, clo said:

We've done cruises and escorted land tours and only once did we know just one person on all the trips. I don't think I understand the problem.

 

For the OP, we cruised with a much older, life long friend of my husband's. She was annoying frequently even not when traveling 🙂 So we "decided" that we wouldn't have breakfast together. That didn't seem too awful. But found out later that she told people that we abandoned her frequently. May she rest in peace 🙂

Nice to see you posting again .

[Joy R]

My friends suggested that I go on the same cruise as them.  It’s the first cruise I’ve taken since being on my own, and I really appreciate their idea, but although we’ve agreed that we’ll have dinner together I’m very aware that I don’t want to intrude on them as a couple all the time.  In the past I’ve always cruised as a couple, and this will be difficult, especially on port days.  I don’t want to do ships excursions, as they are always very expensive and too regimented,  but going off the ship on one’s own……

Any tips for someone in my situation?