Book five cabins for people traveling together and you’ll earn $500 toward your cruise. If your party books 10 cabins, you'll earn $1000 toward your cruise. For every five cabins, you earn another $500!

GATHERINGS

Gatherings are when someone is traveling with family or friends that are using at least five cabins. Gatherings members don’t usually think of themselves as a “group” because of their smaller numbers and may even feel that there’s a hassle in organizing a traditional group.

Our 5 for $500 promotion is perfect for Gatherings because it offers a tangible form of appreciation to someone for organizing their family or friends.

GROUPS

Groups usually have the intention of being a “group.” Traditionally a group can be as small as eight cabins or as large as an 1800 cabin full ship charter, but the average falls between 12-50 cabins.

Our 5 for $500 promotion is also perfect for Groups. There’s no limit on the multiples of “5 cabins” you can sell. If your group uses 20 cabins, you earn $2000 toward your cruise.

Over 500 sailings in 2010 — 2011 qualify for the 5 for $500 promotion!

Here are 12 samples of our 5 for $500 sailings currently available:

* This date requires Promenade and higher categories.

At last... a simple and terrific way to thank Gathering Organizers and Group Leaders. This promotion is for you!

FAQs

What other ships and sailings are available?

There are currently (eff. 8/5/09) over 500 sailings in 2010 - 2011 on which we can offer this terrific option. This list reduces every week as ships fill cabins. If you are not interested in one of the sample sailings mentioned above, simply let our agent know your preference for your time period and itinerary and our agent will be happy to check to see if we have a 5 for $500 sailing to fit your needs.

Is there a limit on the number of credits I can earn?

No, you are free to build up your gathering or group as large as you wish, subject to the availability of the ship. You will receive $500 for every five cabins utilized.

Who receives the credit?

Either a designated Gatherings Organizer or Group Leader will receive the 5 for $500 credit(s).

Are there limitations on the cabins categories?

On occasion we will have a sailing such as the "Shop & Celebrate" sample above that has a minimum category requirement. Doing this enables us to have more available dates though you will not see this requirement on many of our sailings.

How do I receive my 5 for $500 credits?

Your credits will be applied at the time of final payment for your group and will be based on the number of cabins being utilized at that time. Please note that if you have a cancellation prior to sailing that reduces the number of credits you qualify for, you will need to immediately make a payment to make up for the shortage on your cabin account. However, if a ship has available cabins, you may continue to add people to your party until 72 hours prior to your cruise. Should you acquire another $500 credit, we will give it to you in the form of a refund approximately 4-6 weeks after your cruise.

I prefer to use the 5 for $500 credit for our entire group. Can we split the credit?

We can only apply the credit toward the Gatherings Organizer or Group Leader. However, you can feel free to split the savings among your party on your own.

I love the idea, but I'm wondering if it could be used for a fundraiser instead of us taking advantage of the credit. Is that possible?

We are happy to instead send the credits in the form of a check to a 501(c) nonprofit organization approximately 4-6 weeks after your cruise. Additionally, we understand that sometimes communities are supporting a family or person who has had an extreme problem. If you can provide a newspaper clipping which states a bank or institution collecting for them, we can send fundraising benefits to them as well. Please note that we can offer the fundraising option for Gathering Organizers and Group Leaders who reside within the U.S. By the way, we also offer fundraising cruise group options.

All of the samples appear to be Royal Caribbean International ships. Do you have this promotion with any other cruise lines?

We eventually expect to have additional cruise lines added with at least one more line coming "on board" this fall. But at the time being, 5 for $500 is only available for Royal Caribbean.

I’ve been a group leader in the past and earned a free cruise berth for each eight cabins our group used. Can I earn a free cruise berth in addition to the 5 for $500 promotion?

The two cannot be combined. Group Leaders may choose between earning the free cruise berth or the 5 for $500. For the free cruise berth, the program is "one free cruise for every eight cabins sold, based on the category most utilized by the group and excludes taxes, port-related fees and gratuities which are still the responsibility of the group leader." Depending upon the size of your party, the category of cabins most used by your group and the cost of the cabins, one program may benefit you more than another. However, the 5 for $500 will most often be your better financial option on applicable sailings. Also, the 5 for $500 lets you know where you stand financially on the cost of your cabin with less variation than the traditional method.
You will need to choose between the two at the time your cruise is set up. Our agent working with you will be happy to discuss the options so you can make the best choice for you.