When NOT to Charter

There are many advantages to chartering a “ship of your own”, highlighted in several documents included in this folder. But what about any potential drawbacks? You might be better off booking an allotment of rooms on a regularly scheduled sailing if:

1. The sponsoring entity is not in a position to sign an irrevocable letter of credit guaranteeing full payment to the cruise line;
2. There’s too much uncertainty as to how many people will qualify to participate in the cruise program (You don’t want to pay for rooms that you don’t need, but you don’t want to have more guests than rooms);
3. Ships that are suitable in size for you to charter are not suitable in other ways (i.e., largest function room doesn’t accommodate your group, destination choice isn’t appropriate for your needs, quality or price not suitable);
4. Lead time is very short (If the cruise lines have already published their itineraries, cost may be prohibitive to “buy off” passengers who are already booked and move them to another ship).

Best Alternatives:
If you want exclusivity for your large group but have determined that a full-ship charter is not your best option, a “half-ship” charter might be ideal. On most ships, buying out half the vessel guarantees exclusivity for late seating in the dining room and show lounge, and affords more opportunities for customization.

Please use Seasite’s Specialty Search by Ship Feature to identify the ships that have the right number of desired accommodations and appropriate meeting space for your group. You can then narrow your search by checking the dining venues and group dining policies for each qualified ship.