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7 Days to the Bahamas from Cape Liberty, NJ
March 8-15, 2020
What is a Talk To Me Cruise?
A Talk To Me Cruise is an idea rather than a business. The idea is that cruise ships provide very convenient cost-effective ways for friends, clubs, organizations companies or even groups of strangers to get together and share interests or get things done.
If you want to organize a cruise on your own we can tell you a bit about how to do it, and if you want to invite people outside of your group to join you then we can list your Talk To Me Cruise here.
What are the advantages of creating an official group rather than just booking cabins with friends?
Cruise ships accommodate groups by providing meeting rooms for exclusive use and opening up bars and lounges for your events during times they are otherwise unused. They also may offer special incentives such as discounts or free amenities, typically for groups that book 8 or more cabins.
Here are some ideas for Talk To Me Cruises just to get your creative juices going. If you have other ideas use the contact form to tell us what they are.
Work from Sea Instead of From Home: If your employer allows you to work from home why not combine your vacation and your work. If you pay for your own cruise but work during your days at sea you might get all the benefits of a vacation while being paid to take it.
Class at Sea: The cruise company provides classroom space and some group members teach classes to others. Alternatively, rather than pay an expert to do an in-house workshop you might find it is cheaper to offer them a cruise in lieu of a fee.
Co-working at Sea: Just like co-working on land, cruisers bring projects. They work individually and in groups and might make final presentations of their work to all attendees.
Inclusive Off-Site: A company holds a group off-sites where employees get to bring family and friends learn what the firm does.
Book Club Cruise: Cruisers who wish to discuss a favorite book bring extra copies and present the book and have a discussion about it. This is particularly exciting when an author joins you.
Give an Artist a Break: Most cruise companies give a free cabin for every seven booked in a group. The group offers that free cabin to an artist, either as an act of kindness or in exchange for a lesson or two.
There are a number of things to consider when running groups like ours. Here are just a few:
Ice Breaker Activities
It is a good idea to plan an activity for the first night that helps people get to know each other. One of our favorites is a “book swap” wherein each member of your group is invited to bring three favorite books that they have read. Hold a party the first evening where the goal is to swap your books with other cruisers. This guarantees that your group has its own private library and that every book has been read by someone who you can talk to if you read the book as well.
Don’t over-schedule your group but you might want to designate a time and place each day where you can all congregate. This can be accomplished by having dinners or breakfasts together.
Moderating Interactions
Participants might not want to be forced into interactions. You can design buttons that people wear when they are up for a conversation, to help someone with a project or share an activity.
Wear this button when you are up for an extended conversation. When a fellow group member is not wearing this conversation then you want to be polite but don’t assume that you can bend their ear.
Wear this button when you are looking for someone to do something with. You might still suggest an activity but don’t be offended if they already have plans or would rather just relax.
Wear this button when you are happy to help someone with a project. If someone is not wearing the button then don’t be offended if they are busy with something else or are just interested in time to themselves.
While at sea on the way to Bermuda professional game designer, Jai Ji, taught classes on game design using the textbook The Art of Game Design by Jesse Schell. Participants were tasked with designing games while in port in Hamilton, Bermuda.
Talk To Me Cruise 