Many people find it hard to get their family together to celebrate a special birthday or an anniversary together. This is why the number of people booking a cruise or holiday a few years ahead of the special date is on the rise. If you would like to spend a few days with your relatives and friends who live far away, instead of making them visit you, you could arrange a reunion family holiday that will satisfy everyone’s needs. This type of event, however, takes a lot of planning. To make your job easier, we have created a list of tips below.
Allow Loads of Time for Planning
When you are trying to arrange a holiday for dozens of people living in different parts of the country, or even in different countries, you must allow loads of time to contact each person and get them to give you a definite answer. You must take into consideration that everyone will need to book a holiday, and they must arrange their travel to the starting point of the journey, or the place they will join the party. You must make sure that you give your friends and family members a few months for planning and arranging the trip.
Get People to Save Up for the Event
You must communicate with all family members about the projected cost of the holiday, so they can budget for it. You have to consider the financial situation of all people you invite. If everyone has savings in the bank, you can book Bolsover Cruise Club Luxury Cruises, but if most people are on a tight budget, you might want to look into booking a villa somewhere in Europe and taking turns cooking each night.
Agree On a Date Range
To start with, you have to know which months are suitable for everyone, so you can start looking for offers. One of your guests might need to attend an important conference abroad for months, so they will not be able to do certain dates. Others will have school commitments, or need to arrange childcare. Consider everyone’s personal circumstances when picking your dates, and then start looking for suitable locations and accommodation.
Pick Your Location Carefully
You need to choose the location according to the needs of the family members attending. If you are trying to book a summer family vacation, you will need to check how far the beach is and what amenities are available. For winter holidays, you might consider a city break or a destination with sunshine all-year-round, such as Cyprus or Tenerife. If you have more than a dozen people attending the family reunion, instead of booking a hotel, you might decide to rent a large villa.
Create a Budget
To make sure that you get a good deal, and your guests don’t have to pay thousands of pounds to travel with you, it is important to limit your budget. Calculate the cost of travel, insurance, accommodation, transport, food, and activities, and give everyone a rough figure, so they can make an informed decision. This way you can tailor the trip to the needs of the party, instead of making them pay more than they can afford.
Shop Around
To get the best deal on the destination and dates your family members have agreed on, you need to use price comparison sites and holiday booking websites. It is important to check what is included in each package, and get different prices on plane tickets if people start off at various airports.
Employ a Travel Agent
If you don’t have time to arrange every detail, or you don’t trust yourself, you can get in touch with a travel agent who will make sure that everything goes smoothly. Generally, booking the same trip through a travel agent doesn’t cost you more than arranging your holiday on your own, but you will get the personal touch and professional approach.
Make the Holiday Memorable
You need to arrange some special activities and a family dinner or day out to make all family members remember the celebrations. You might want to book a yacht for the day, or visit a Michelin Star restaurant to celebrate a special family anniversary or event. If it is somebody’s special birthday, talk to an event management team to create surprises throughout the trip, so you can show them you care. Visit places where your ancestors used to live, or historical sites that have a meaning for your family.
Agree on Activities
It is important to check the preferences of each person included in the family holiday, to tailor the activities you arrange. Some people might have a fear of heights, so climbing a mountain might not be their thing. Others might not like crowded places, so you might want to arrange visits to local attractions in quieter time. Ask everyone to vote on the proposed program, and take into consideration each person’s view before you decide.
Include All Generations
While you might celebrate a Diamond Anniversary or a 50th birthday, you can expect children turning up, and you must keep them busy. Arrange activities that are suitable for them, or children’s clubs at the hotel you stay at, so you can enjoy every moment spent with your family members. If you rent a large villa, you and other members of the group can take turns looking after the kids, and arranging games for them to play. Create programs that bring people together, such as completing a giant jigsaw or trying to break out of an escape room.
Take Care of Photography and Video Production
Once you have your holiday planned, and you know who is able to attend, you must take care of the details. If there is an amateur or professional photographer in the family, you can put them in charge of taking pictures and videos during the holiday. However, if nobody is brave enough to volunteer, you might need to employ a professional who will commemorate the most important events of your trip. Make sure that you create and order copies of DVD-s with the best moments of your holiday to send out to people after you parted.
Be Flexible
No matter how well you plan your family reunion holiday, you should expect last minute cancellations and emergencies, due to an illness or accident. Make sure that you can make amendments to your plan and don’t get charged high fees for cancellation. Signing up for a flexible deal is better than paying thousands of pounds for people letting you down.
Consider Dietary Needs and Mobility Issues
Paying attention to details is important when trying to bring people together on a family trip. You might not have seen your great-uncle for a decade, and don’t know how long they can walk. You might not be aware of the gluten intolerance of a family member, or the fact that your cousin has turned vegan a few years ago.
Follow Up
Agreeing on a holiday is not enough for people to remember the date. Send regular updates and reminders for family members so they can make necessary arrangements. This will reduce the risk of individuals cancelling last minute.
Arranging a special family getaway to celebrate a birthday or anniversary is a challenging task. You shouldn’t embark on the journey alone. Ask for help from other family members, and allocate tasks, so you can take care of the project management, without having to deal with every small detail. Stay open, be flexible, and communicate effectively to make the most out of the family reunion.
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