How We Work Together

Group travel in Europe that combines a cruise with extra days on land is genuinely complex to plan well. We've built our practice around doing exactly that, typically for groups of 6 to 14 travelers, whether that's multiple generations of one family, or multiple-family friend groups, or some combination of both.

This page explains how we approach the planning process and what we've found to help things go smoothly.

Who We Work With

Our clients are groups who want more than just a cruise or a packaged tour, but don't want to coordinate everything themselves. A typical trip pairs a 7- to 11-day cruise with a week or two on land. The land portion might be before or after the cruise, in the same city as the port, or somewhere else entirely. We design all land extensions with the same level of care.

Multi-generational and multi-family groups with varying travel experience are our norm, not our exception. We're used to planning trips that need to work for a range of ages, interests, and comfort levels.

What We Need From You

The planning process only works if we understand your group well: who's traveling, how everyone is connected, what matters most, what the budget is, and what's been tried before (and what didn't work). The more candid you are early on, the better the outcome.

We use sample itineraries as conversation starters, not blueprints. Every trip we plan is built specifically for the group in front of us.

Lead Time

Group travel at this scale requires more runway than most people anticipate. The best cabin categories, group amenities, and pricing tiers go early. Private accommodations on land that can comfortably house a group of this size also need to be secured well in advance.

Twelve to eighteen months out is ideal. We can work with less, but we'll always be upfront about what's realistically available given the timeline.

Decisions and Revisions

Getting a group aligned takes time, and we plan for that. We'll lay out options clearly and flag anything time-sensitive, but we don't pressure decisions. In return, we ask for the same.

Revisions before booking are part of the process, and there's no charge for them. Once we've started confirming arrangements such as cabins, accommodations, guides, and transfers, changes become more complicated. Group bookings in particular involve supplier deadlines, held inventory, and coordination across multiple vendors. Because of this, changes requested post-booking will be billed at $100 per hour. We will always discuss what a change entails before proceeding. Please note that this does not apply to any changes made before booking.

When Things Don't Go as Planned

We hold ourselves to a high standard, but we are not infallible. Travel has many moving parts, and when something doesn't go as planned, we address it directly and do what's needed to make it right.

Communication

Our office hours are Monday through Thursday, 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm Eastern Time, and we strive to reply within one to two business days. We're happy to schedule calls when that's more efficient than email.

We work exclusively with vetted, trusted vendors who share our standards. You'll travel with their contact information in hand, and they're as committed to your experience as we are.

Getting Started

If this sounds like the right fit, we'd love to hear more about your group’s travel plans.