Group cruise activities besides the wedding?

[Carlitarenee]

I think we are going to end up trying to do some excursion with our guests, as well. We want people to feel free to do whatever they want and to be honest, I am simply overwhelmed with the thought of planning another group event at this point! I hoping to get a big group of us to go dancing throughout the cruise and have already requested a few people in our group sing karoke (they have good voices anyways)

 

My in-laws did plan a welcome dinner for us the night before the cruise leaves since 45 of our 50 guests will already be in Ft. Lauderdale.

 

I did print "Thank you" postcards and will slide those under everyone's cabin door the final night, but we will also send formal thank you notes after we get home.

 

I had wanted to do a cocktail party, but now that the wedding is closer I just want to see everyone!!

[Prettyhazardous]

O yea I forgot ab karaoke my mom and my aunts (they call themselves the Carter girls) are gonna perform every nite for karaoke. They are even doing costumes. They are hell bent on embarrassing my fi and I. LOL it'll be soo much fun!!!

[Carlitarenee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prettyhazardous O yea I forgot ab karaoke my mom and my aunts (they call themselves the Carter girls) are gonna perform every nite for karaoke. They are even doing costumes. They are hell bent on embarrassing my fi and I. LOL it'll be soo much fun!!!

HAHA... that sounds awesome. I know one of our favorite cruise memories was when our friend got up to sing karaoke with a broken mic. I hope you get some pics with the costumes

[dai69]

Since we have two sea days before disembarking, I am thinking it would be a great idea to have a group activity on the first of those two sea days. Something for us, and also for the teens that will be with us. I'm looking forward to planning it when I decide what it will be!

[goodtoglow]

We have prebooked the Oasis Cabana in Half Moon Cay for our friends, and we plan on doing some theme nights as well, but I don't think we will have any other group things booked. We are going to tell everyone what we plan on doing and if they want to do it as well they can. I'm hoping to have the 1.5hr cocktail reception (going to try to pay more to extend it) on either the first day or the last day as either a welcome or a goodbye celebration. Great idea on having a goodbye breakfast on the last full day, I think I will definitely be looking into that!

[sherribritt]

Since the wedding coordinator strongly suggests everyone arrive the night before the cruise, we are thinking of throwing a Bon Voyage party at a restaurant near our hotel for everyone since there won't be a Rehearsal Party. We are also planning to host a cocktail party (open bar) on the last day at sea to thank our guests for sharing our special day/week. We are going to brink the ipod and dock so that we can play our own music. I read somewhere that they can secure a projector for you, too, if you want to show a slide show with your photos. I may do that since it probably won't take much time to throw a slide show together using a digital camera. I am going to try to snap photos of everybody during the first few days to include in the show. Another idea is to actually burn CDs for everybody once I get home of the slide show and mail them along with the thank you cards. We could also use the slide show at our At Home Reception (AHR). Okay, I think I am talking myself into the slide show idea....Just hope I don't waste too much time in my cabin putting it together!!

[dai69]

We are going to invite everyone to one of the speciality restaurants on us, as a 'thank you' for cruising with us.The

cheapest is $10 per person on our ship which is Tex-Mex and we love that cuisine so it works for us. Our sailing

guest list is small at a total of 9 including us.

[Dream43011]

i love everyone's ideas!  we're planning a pre-cruise/wedding party (since everyone needs to fly into the port the day before).  we think it'll be great to get everyone together for dinner & drinks the night before the wedding!

 

i'm sure most of those cruising with us with get together on their own in the evenings each night (more of the non-formal group functions). 

 

i'm going to let everyone know which excursions we have booked (in case anyone wants to join us)...but i'd rather not have people feel as though they have to (if there's something else they'd rather do).

 

how much is scheduling an "open bar" party for non-sailing guests on carnival?  does anyone know?

[jlkone]

 

I am doing a welcome reception the first night. It is going to just be an hour open bar right before our dinning time. We will introduce everyone and go through the details of the wedding and week. . We are having our wedding reception (the two hour deluxe) this will be in port at St Thomas and then are adding on another hour with a band to cont. the party in the room next door (this had to be done through the event department.) For the wedding party and our immediate family we are doing a "rehearsal dinner" at the specialty restaurant the 2nd night of the cruise.

 

We are debating on having a group volley ball tournament at Half Moon Cay. We can reserve the court and an event staff for $50 for an hour; I am just not sure if my guest will want to do it?  We are also debating on a mini golf tournament (need to talk to carnival to see if we can pre reserve it) and/or a scavenger hunt (carnival had sent me one they have.) I would love to do something the last day and have a slide show with pictures of the week. But I don’t want to plan something if no one will come or if people would rather do their own thing and enjoy their vacation.. I don’t want to over load people with our activities but I want them to know we appreciate that they came and make it special for our group.

[dai69]

 

 

Originally Posted by jlkone 

 

 

I am doing a welcome reception the first night. It is going to just be an hour open bar right before our dinning time. We will introduce everyone and go through the details of the wedding and week. . We are having our wedding reception (the two hour deluxe) this will be in port at St Thomas and then are adding on another hour with a band to cont. the party in the room next door (this had to be done through the event department.) For the wedding party and our immediate family we are doing a "rehearsal dinner" at the specialty restaurant the 2nd night of the cruise.

 

We are debating on having a group volley ball tournament at Half Moon Cay. We can reserve the court and an event staff for $50 for an hour; I am just not sure if my guest will want to do it?  We are also debating on a mini golf tournament (need to talk to carnival to see if we can pre reserve it) and/or a scavenger hunt (carnival had sent me one they have.) I would love to do something the last day and have a slide show with pictures of the week. But I don’t want to plan something if no one will come or if people would rather do their own thing and enjoy their vacation.. I don’t want to over load people with our activities but I want them to know we appreciate that they came and make it special for our group.

 

I do understand you on this. It's like you want your guest to know you have prepared for them to have fun, after all they are spending hundreds of dollars to cruise with you. However, at the same time you don't want to give them activities overload and take over their vacation completely. What ever activities we settle on we are going to make it clear that it is 'optional'. The only thing mandatory would be to join us for the thank you dinner we will be providing in one of the speciality restaurants.