Weddings and business conventions, are not the only kind of group cruises. Most ship lines will have a consultant that can help tailor a cruise to the needs and preferences of virtually any kind of group from a service club, to nature enthusiasts, to volunteer bureaus.

It can be wonderful to get away for even a three-day weekend group cruise where you relax and enjoy the company of the people with whom you share common interests. One of the wonderful aspects, is that it's also an opportunity to bring along your families and have them meet each other as well.

Group cruises also offer price breaks from individual bookings. So when you know that several people within a club or organization are planning cruise vacations, it can really make sense to get together, and book the trip as one group, for the savings.

While your cruise consultant will arrange to have entertainment and even dining room seating for the entire group, it in no way ties people to a rigid schedule of activities, or tours at the ports of call. Everyone is free to enjoy being together, or take side trips to find adventure on their own, and then come back to the ship and share it with everyone else.

There are group cruises to suit every taste and interest, from nature tours of botanical gardens in the Caribbean, to food and wine cruises along the California coast. Your group is only limited by having to choose just one.