Interested in going on a European river cruise, but not sure you can afford it? Consider the possibility of creating a group and going as a group leader. Many river cruise lines offer tour conductor or group leader benefits, usually amounting to the equivalent of a free cruise fare for one person. By taking on the task of getting a group together, you are rewarded with free cruise fare for yourself.
River cruises are enjoyable for groups, because it makes it easy for a group of people to travel together without necessarily having to spend every minute of every day together. On a recent group I led on Avalon Waterways our group split up for day excursions, but we made a point to meet for dinner most nights to discuss our day's adventures and catch up.
Who Does This Strategy Work Best For?
Forming a group can be a challenge. If you have a group of family and friends who already travel together, it is a lot easier. This is also a great strategy for club presidents, wine shop owners, bloggers, and other individuals with a following who share common interests. The most successful group leaders already have a pre-existing network of friends or associates who like to spend time together.
How Big of a Group Do You Need to Get a Free Cruise?
This varies by cruise line. You will want to check the group policies of each before you commit. Your travel agent can help you with this. Here is a brief summary of each major river cruise line and their group policy:
Avalon Waterways: A 50% discount cruise fair with 7 paid passengers and 1 free cruise fare for 16 paid passengers.
AMA Waterways: 1 free cruise fare for every 9 paid passengers.
Viking River Cruises: 1 free cruise fare for every 9 paid passengers.
Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection: 1 free cruise fare for every 9 paid passengers.
What Do You Have to Do As Group Leader?
As the group leader, it will be your job to work with your travel agent to plan the trip, invite the group, communicate pricing, keep up with booking and deposit deadlines, and help group members with travel details and questions. Your travel agent can take care of a lot of this, you just need to provide leadership and follow up with your group members.
How Far In Advance Do You Need to Book?
You should start planning about a year in advance. River cruises sell out fast, particularly those taking place during the summer high season in Europe. By planning ahead you will have the best selection of staterooms and you may be able to take advantage of early booking discounts. Planning ahead also gives your group members plenty of time to save up for the cruise and budget for it.
Do I Need a Travel Agent?
Not necessarily, but it will help. Putting a group together is a lot of work, and your agent will help you take a lot of the pressure off. Your travel agent may be also be able to get you special perks and take care of research and planning. Plus, they've done groups like yours before and know how to make sure everything goes smoothly.
Additional Group River Cruise Planning Tips:
-
Book early. Start planning a year in advance for the best selection. These trips do sell out, and you need to have deposits in early to guarantee space.
-
Communicate via email or a Facebook group to make planning the trip fun and easy for your group.
-
Keep up with important deadlines for deposits and final payments.
-
Plan on arriving in the embarkation port a day early. This way, if your flight is delayed, you won't have to worry about missing your cruise.
-
Consider travel insurance to cover the costs of unforeseen cancellations. Since these cruises have to be booked so far in advance, insurance is highly recommended in case things happen that prevent you from going on the trip.
