FAMILY REUNIONS
"We can help bring you family together"

Family reunions become more and more important the older one gets, and the larger your family grows.  A lot of people have found that a family reunion cruise is the best way to gather the largest part of a family.  You have a choice of a 3, 4, 5, or 7 night cruise.  The all-inclusive, one price aboard the ship, helps to keep planning simple.  For the children, a cruise offer supervised  activities, to give you more time to visit.   On shore, you have lots of different shore excursions that will appeal to all. We at West University Travel have helped organize reunions, both family and church for over 11 years.  If you would like to do a 3 night cruise to the Bahamas, or a 7 night cruise down a river in France, we can make all the arrangements for you.

HOW TO CRUISE OR TOUR FOR FREE

 

West University Travel works with the group departments of all cruise and tour companies. Most cruise lines offer a FREE Tour Conductor (TC) for every 8 cabins booked (tours usually offer a TC for every 20 passengers). This usually does not include taxes, port charges or air. For a couple to go free, 16 cabins must be booked. Groups also cruise at handsomely discounted fares that are not generally available to the public. If more than 24 cabins are booked, you then receive additional credit toward your air, port charges, up grades, or whatever is arranged. Some people use the "TC’s" to go free while others apply it towards a discount on all cabins, or tours. It can also be used for private parties, tee-shirts, caps, or other extras. For people who wish to earn money as a group organizer, contact us for more information.  For the best price and results, you should begin planning your group 9 to 12 months in advance. We can help with brochures, cruise nights, and also develop flyers to give to potential cruisers.

 

WHAT IS A GROUP LEADER?

If you’d like to rally friends and colleagues for a cruise or tour vacation of a lifetime, the benefits will outweigh the effort. You’ll be the contact between your group and West U Travel as well as the key player in planning special on-board events for your group. And when your group enjoys the best cruise or tour of their lives, you’ll also be the hero.

 

AFFINITY GROUPS

Forming an affinity group is as easy as looking in your own backyard. Think of the organizations that you and your family are members of , religious groups, after school affiliations, professional groups, civic councils, leisure clubs. Affinity groups are groups of people that have jobs or hobbies in common. From your neighborhood to your business associates, groups are everywhere.

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CHURCH GROUPS

This is our most popular type of groups. We work with choir groups, Sunday school groups, we even have worked with groups who have arranged a cruise as a "Fund Raiser", and groups who send their pastor or minister for free.

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FAMILY REUNIONS

"We can help bring your family together"

Cruising is a perfect way to reunite a family. With supervised activities for kids up to 17, it gives people a chance to relax and visit, and get to know each other again. The chance of someone calling and saying that they can’t make the reunion are a lot less when it is a cruise.

 

SEMINAR’S

Seminar’s or a "study at sea" can be targeted to a wide range of participants, including professional classes for recertification or continued education, art or photography instruction with practical experience offered while in port, or any subject that you think people would be interested in. "Financial planning" cruises are also very popular. Did you know that there are several cruise ship where you can attend a seminar that is tax deductible?

 

INCENTIVE GROUPS

Our group department also handles large groups called "incentive groups." Some incentive groups are large enough to book a whole ship. These are usually planned 2 to 3 years in advanced, have better rates, and usually plan private parties, activities, and meeting rooms. Smaller groups have just as much fun and can be booked with less extended planning.

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COMPANY CRUISES

More and more companies are taking their employees on cruises. Today’s business climate is more competitive than ever, and your employees have an ever increasing number of choices before them. To insure their continued loyalty as well as increase it, your company has to offer your employees something better than everyone else, something that really sets you apart in their minds. As the incentive for reaching corporate goals, a cruise vacation is the greatest way to show your appreciation to your employees. It’s a reward that truly is equal to the effort, and it’s a smart investment, too. Profits from increased sales will go directly to the bottom line of your company. It has been found that a cruise motivates, and is a way of training, while also bringing families and companies closer together. Many cruise lines offer private meeting facilities, audio/visual equipment, and catered coffee breaks onboard their ships. Think of a cruise as a floating convention center. For conferences from intimate to grand with state of the art facilities and personal service that anticipate every need.

If you’re excited about the idea and would like to find out more, we’d love to hear from you! We can supply all the promotional materials and advice you’ll need to 

CRUISE OR TOUR FOR FREE!!

Contact a West U Travel Group Expert

Copyright ©1999 WESTUTRAVEL.COM. All rights reserved.   This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form.


Potential group leads

accountants * anniversary cruise * agricultural associations

airports (private plan owners) * archeology societies * associations (millions of them)

bank groups * bar associations * bingo groups * beauty shops * beauty pagents

bookstores * bowling leagues * bridge clubs * camera stores and clubs * car dealers

chamber of commerce * charities * choir groups * churches * city magazines

clubs * colleges * community centers * condominium associations * corporate employee

benefit programs * cosmetic stores and companies * country clubs

country western cruises * credit unions * cruise with the stars promotions

dance studios * discount shoppers cruise * doctors, dentist, etc. * entertainers

ethnic groups * events-ballet, symphony * family reunions * fan cruises * farmers

fashion shows * floating art gallery * florists-floral arrangers classes, clubs, and groups

football group cruise * fund raisers * garden clubs * golf clubs * gourmet clubs

health clubs * health spas * hospitals * insurance companies * kitchen shops

lecturers * limo services * loan * luggage shops * medical groups * military (retired)

museums * newspaper promotions * newspaper columnists * teachers

tennis clubs * travel editors * Philharmonic group * photography group

politicians * radio * religious groups * restaurants * retired people

retired teacher groups * retreats * sail safe * self improvement groups * Shriners

snorkling/scuba group * society pages * sports groups * university alumni associations

square dancers (country western) * weddings at sea * weathermen (TV)

weight control clinics * widows and widower clubs * wine tasting group * yacht clubs

Contact a West U Travel Group Expert

Copyright ©1999 WESTUTRAVEL.COM. All rights reserved.   This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form.


How to Organize a Group Successfully

1- Start early. Successful groups are booked at least a year in advance. This gives you plenty of time to fill all of your space and your group members can plan next year’s vacation around the trip. Most trips planned for "this year" fail because it is too late for your group members to plan their vacations and they don’t have enough time to save up the payment.

2- Be a leader. The most successful groups are organized by one or two decisive persons. If you set up a committee of the entire group to decide on the date, destination and ship most likely no one will be happy and the strong headed person who caused you to change dates and pay more money will probably not go in the end.

3- Oversell the group space. Group pricing requires a minimum number of cabins or persons. Try to sell about 20% more than this minimum to compensate for last minute cancellations at final payment time. If you don’t do this, either the price goes up for everyone because you no longer are eligible for group pricing, or if you are expecting to go free as a tour conductor, you will end up having to pay your own way.

4- Double the deposit requirement. Most groups have minimal deposit requirement such as $25 per person. Collect at least $50 per person deposit. This way you have to get a commitment from only ½ of the group to get started. Do the same thing with the remaining payments and you will have up to about 3 months before travel date to finalize your group.

5- Market - Market - Market your Group. You must be proactive and market your group to be successful. Put up posters at work, at church, your kids school and your spouse’s work. Call all of your friends, relatives, neighbors and fellow workers. Set up a "Cruise Night" to collect the initial deposit. Do the same just before the second deposit, for distribution of the travel documents and for exchange of photos after the trip. Invite your guests to "bring a friend who hasn’t signed up yet".

6- The easiest group to sell is the repeat group. As you get close to the travel date of your first trip, start planning your next trip. When you distribute the documents for the first trip, introduce your group to two or three options for the following year. Solicit their feedback, make your final decision and encourage your group members to sign up for the next trip ‘while on the first trip’. I guarantee you that they will be in the mood when they are having fun together. Plan a party after the first trip to exchange photos and make this the "Cruise Night" to sign up for your next trip. You have a captive audience.

 

Contact a West U Travel Group Expert

Copyright ©1999 WESTUTRAVEL.COM. All rights reserved.   This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form.