What’s more fun than a group of good friends sharing an adventure together. Friends’ cruise can be a lot of fun, but you need to prepare to avoid common mistakes and have a good time. In today’s article I will share my experiences of cruising with a group of friends, and tell you what to do, not to do, and how to get the most out of your time on a cruise.
Don’t make strict schedule
If you’re the one organizing the trip, its natural to want to make sure that everyone sees and partakes in best activities on the ship. However, everyone is different and comfortable with different pace of activities. Some of your friends might get tired quickly, while others will want to keep going late into the evening. So its best to have general idea of what facilities and activities the ship has to offer, and take it from there. This way, its more adventurous and spontaneous. It also takes less effort on your part.
Together time
When cruising together, its important to spend time and make memories together, but also not restrict people and give them freedom to do what they want. My personal favorite principle is to make an agreement that we will have breakfast and dinner as a group, and then have rest of the day free to do what we want. That doesn’t always mean that we will spend rest of the day separately. Often times we stick together and partake in activities cruise ship has to offer. Few people might go off on their own business, and that’s perfectly understandable. Or they might go in groups of twos or three people. Not everyone can agree on the best course of action. Plus having this guideline means that everyone is together in the dinner time, and that’s enough to make memories that include everyone.
Prepare
Flexibility is good, but it doesn’t mean to leave everything to chance. At least few members of the group should be aware of accomodations and facilities available on the ship, and choose accordingly. Then they can share their knowledge while on board and help everyone get introduced to their ship. Its also a good idea to have custom t-shirts for group of friends on a cruise. It can be a fun conversation starter while you’re on the cruise, and serve as memorabilia after the trip is over.
Take excursions
Many cruise ships make stops at various ports around the world. Our cruise stopped for a day on Greek Islands. It was some of the most beautiful islands you’ll ever find anywhere. Cruises can pack a lot of fun, but getting off the boat can be a great adventure as well. Be sure that at least one of you has an eSIM or roaming data, so you can stay connected. Also, if you do venture off, everyone should bring a passport.