Senior Travel Clubs and Cruises
How clubs run cruises their members come back for.
Quote a Cruise for Our GroupSenior travel clubs and cruises have gone together for decades. A club gives members a reason to travel, someone they trust to organize it and friends to share it with; a cruise gives the club a trip that suits nearly every member. Whether your club is a long-established travel society, a church or civic group, an alumni association or a circle of friends who formalized their trips, the same principles apply.
Running Cruises Through a Senior Travel Club
Pick a rhythm
Many clubs run one signature cruise a year and one shorter trip, so members can plan and save.
Vary the destinations
Alternate a familiar Caribbean or Bahamas sailing with a bucket-list trip such as Alaska, Canada and New England, or a European voyage.
Mix the ages
Members in their sixties and their eighties travel together happily if the itinerary offers both active and relaxed choices each day.
Keep the club feel
A welcome reception, reserved tables at dinner and a farewell gathering turn a cruise into a club trip.
Hosted or Self-Run?
Some clubs prefer a professional host who travels with the group and handles problems on board; others want their own volunteer leader with an advisor on call. Both work. Our sister site Cruise With a Host explains how hosted group cruises work. Many clubs also build trips around a shared pastime — bridge, mah-jongg, dancing or photography; Tournaments at Sea covers game and tournament cruises.
Whichever you choose, keep the booking and payments between each member and the agency, not the club treasury. It protects the club, simplifies refunds and keeps everyone’s booking in their own name.
Growing the Club Through Cruises
- Invite members to bring a friend; group cruises are a popular way to introduce new members.
- Share photos and stories at the next meeting to build interest in the following trip.
- Offer a shorter “taster” sailing for members who have never cruised.
- Ask our advisors to present upcoming options at a club meeting.
A good club cruise often inspires a member to wonder what it would be like to plan trips professionally; Be a Travel Agent explains how people start selling travel. For the network’s other travel guides, visit Best of the USA.
Keeping Members Informed
Good communication keeps a club trip happy. Send a simple timetable months ahead, a reminder at final payment, and a packing and documents note a month before sailing. A short printed sheet with the ship’s name, cabin numbers, the leader’s phone number and meeting points is more useful on board than any app for many members.
Travel Club Questions
Do travel clubs get special cruise rates?
A club booking enough cabins can usually be placed at group terms, which may include amenities or credits. Whether a public sale beats the group terms depends on the sailing; our advisors compare both.
Can members who are not in the club join?
That is up to the club. Many welcome friends and spouses, which helps reach group size.
Plan Your Travel Club’s Next Cruise
Tell us about your club and the kind of trip members enjoy. Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise will suggest sailings and send free group quotes.
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