Upon the Waters

Cruise meetings unite and inspire a group in spectacular surroundings.

By Leslie Gilbert Elman

It’s sunrise on the Pacific Ocean, somewhere between Cabo San Lucas and Huatulco, Mexico. The salty breeze ruffles your hair. You sip your first taste of morning coffee, gaze out at the endless expanse of calm, shimmering water and feel a soothing sense of peace wash over you. Later in the day there will be worship services, study groups and maybe even a concert or a comedy show — chances to meet new people and experience new things — but for now it’s just you and nature in perfect harmony.

If you’ve never taken a cruise before, it might be hard to imagine that you could enjoy such perfect moments of privacy and serenity aboard a ship with passengers numbering in the thousands, but that’s just one of the delightful secrets of cruising. “Maybe 80 percent of the people in our groups are first-time cruisers,” says Charlie Spencer, director of cruise and conference services for Fresno, California-based Inspiration Cruises & Tours. “Once they’ve traveled this way, they don’t see why they’d do it any other way.”

Cruise lines have served the group travel market for a long, long time, but it’s only recently that they have begun to recognize the tremendous promise and opportunity in the faith-based travel market. And it’s about time. As Kevin J. Wright, president of the World Religious Travel Association, wrote in CLIA Today, the official publication of the Cruise Lines International Association, “More than 300 million travelers embark on faith-based trips and cruises around the world each year. That is not a niche, but rather an industry.”

All of which is to say that faith-based groups are gaining clout among cruise lines. Crystal Cruises recently announced a new roster of Jewish heritage shore excursions that include some fascinating spots in unexpected destinations such as the Irish Jewish Museum in Dublin on its British Isles cruises, the Great Synagogue and Jewish Museum in Stockholm on its Northern Europe itineraries and a wealth of Jewish Diaspora sites in Montevideo, Uruguay, on its South American cruises. Other Jewish heritage destinations include Odessa, Ukraine; St. Petersburg, Russia; Rome; Berlin; and, of course, Jerusalem.

Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Lines and Holland America Line are among the major lines that regularly receive requests for full-ship charters by Christian groups, both for theme cruises — such as Christian singles events or family music events — and for large-scale association and ministry meetings and events. “We’ve seen a definite increase in this business,” says Joan Levicoff-Sanchez, vice president of large group sales and operations at Carnival. “In fact, we’ve been told by our travel partners that consumers say their annual cruise is something they just won’t give up, even considering the economic downturn.”

Cruise tour operators and travel agents are courting the faith-based market as well. More and more of them now feature sections on their Web sites dedicated to religious travel. CruiseCompete.com, for example, will connect you with an agent who specializes in religious travel, such as Carol Howell of Living Waters Travel Service in Dearborn, Mich. Among the more popular cruises Howell has booked for groups and individuals are Christian “Family & Friends” music cruises to the Caribbean and “Steps of Paul” cruises that depart from Athens, Greece, and visit several significant biblical sites — one highlight being Ephesus in present-day Turkey.

It’s understood that faith-based groups have particular needs that might be different from, say, university or association groups, and those needs are being met. Yet at the same time, these service providers know that faith-based travelers always want fun built into the itinerary, whether that means beachcombing in the Caribbean or shopping for local crafts in Mexico.

“We try to give the best of both worlds,” says Spencer. “We want to make sure the cruise element is present so we try not to interfere with shore excursions or onboard activities.”

Inspiration Cruises & Tours has been organizing cruise meetings for ministries and faith-based groups since 1981, and its business is thriving. Its recent and upcoming trips include a Caribbean cruise aboard Holland America Line’s ms Eurodam with Dr. David Jeremiah of San Diego-based Turning Point Ministries, an Alaska cruise aboard Holland America’s ms Zuiderdam with Pastor Jack Hayford of Van Nuys, California-based Jack Hayford Ministries, and the Mark Schultz “Come Alive” Alaska Family Cruise featuring pastor Mark DeVries from the First Presbyterian Church in Nashville. Such events attract faithful from all over the world to create a ship full of like-minded people of all ages who come to worship, learn, socialize and see the sights on land and at sea.

Large ministries such as these often charter an entire ship. (For example, Holland America’s ms Statendam holds about 1,250 passengers; ms Eurodam holds more than 2,100.) In these cases, if the group requests it, the ship’s casino can be closed and its bar and lounge menus might feature only non-alcoholic selections. Yet even if your group isn’t big enough to take over the entire ship, you’re likely to find that the casino and standard nightlife activities aren’t too distracting — there’s so much more going on.

TIP: Groups typically receive free berths and other perks with a minimum number of bookings. On Carnival, groups receive one free berth for every 15 berths sold; on Princess Cruises group rates start with groups of 10.

Life On Board

For ministry groups, a typical morning could include a devotional service or activity; in the afternoons there might be short teachings; evenings feature the main presentation by the ministry head followed by entertainment that often features Christian music headliners. “Faith-based groups typically bring their own entertainment on board, with concerts and specialized programs scheduled throughout the cruise,” says Carnival’s Levicoff-Sanchez. Representatives from the cruise line’s group sales departments work closely with meeting planners or tour organizers to customize programs for faith-based groups; meeting space is almost always available for study groups and prayer services.

Particularly on cruises to the Holy Land and ancient world sites, daily teachings focus on texts that relate directly to the sites group members will visit at their next port of call. So, for example, prior to visiting Ephesus a group might go through Acts.

Down time on days at sea can also include any of the ship’s regularly scheduled activities. “We offer more than 50 scheduled shipboard activities,” says Rob Coleman, director, incentive and charter sales, for Holland America Line, “everything from dancing and yoga to art auctions and cooking lessons.”

Holland America is in the process of upgrading five of its ships as part of its “Signature of Excellence” program. Enhancements include new furnishings in staterooms and the addition of new staterooms with verandahs, new décor for lounges and public areas, and a new casual Italian restaurant.

If your group includes families with young children and teens, there are several cruise lines that cater to those active passengers. One of the most appealing deals is MSC Cruises, which offers a “Kids Sail Free” program.

Among the myriad amenities on Royal Caribbean’s sparkling new, 5,400-passenger Oasis of the Seas are a boardwalk; a full-size working carousel; a park with real grass and trees; and the AquaTheater, a venue for synchronized swimming, high diving and acrobatics performances.

The Carnival Dream, which went into service in September 2009, is another family-friendly mega-ship. It has a 3,646-passenger capacity and features a 23,750-sq.-ft. spa, cantilevered whirlpools suspended over the ship’s side, and the Carnival WaterWorks aqua park that includes an enormous water slide.

Coming late in 2010, the Disney Dream is a purpose-built family ship for 4,000 passengers with amenities such as playrooms for kids, the AquaDuck “water coaster” — a four-deck-tall roller coaster/water slide combo — and animated “virtual portholes” in its interior staterooms.

TIP: Ask about perks for your group, such as onboard credits that can be used toward upgraded amenities such as spa treatments or for purchases in the ship’s retail stores.

Going Ashore

Just as time aboard the ship is usually split equally between religious and secular activities, time ashore will probably include a bit of both as well. Groups certainly benefit from visiting sites of religious significance — and in the Holy Land or Rome, for example, they will be the focus of many shore excursions. Yet activities such as snorkeling in Costa Rica’s Corcovado National Park (one of the activities on Freedom Christian Cruises’ Costa Rica Windstar charters) or sea kayaking in the Gulf of Mexico, help create bonds of friendship within the group. “The building of fellowship and kinship will be almost as important as what they’re seeing,” Howell says.

Begin by looking at your ship’s standard menu of shore excursions and build from there. Virtually anything is possible; cruise lines and tour operators work hard to tailor excursions for groups, and they welcome the chance to brainstorm with planners to create special on-shore experiences. For a group of 50 Catholic travelers visiting the Holy Land, Holland America arranged a private motor coach tour, with lunch included, to visit Catholic sites in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. The cruise line also set up a special on-shore itinerary for a choir group that had been invited to sing at several churches in New England and Canada; a bit of sightseeing was built into the group’s transportation to and from their choir events.

Even if your cruise offers excursions to religious sites, you might want to customize arrangements for your group’s tours. A typical shore excursion provides an overview appropriate for a secular audience, but faith-based groups would probably appreciate more in-depth explorations of such sites and possibly the opportunity for worship if time permits.

TIP: Plan ahead — most cruise lines request large group bookings and charters be arranged at least one year in advance.

From Here to There

Where should you depart from? Your cruise departure options might be broader than you expect. There are more than 30 cruise departure ports in the United States — CLIA estimates that more than half of the U.S. population lives within driving distance of a cruise port. Major U.S. cruise ports include: Fort Lauderdale and Miami, Fla.; Mobile, Ala.; New Orleans; Galveston, Texas; New York City/Bayonne, N.J.; Los Angeles; San Diego and Seattle. In 2009, Baltimore was the up-and-comer, with more than 125,000 passengers embarking thanks to new itineraries from Celebrity Cruises and Carnival; in 2010 Baltimore will see 92 ships, including year-round service on Royal Caribbean. Charleston, S.C., is another fast-growing cruise port; Celebrity already has ships departing from Charleston and Carnival Fantasy will depart from Charleston starting in May.

TIP: Whatever port of departure you choose, strongly encourage group members to overnight in the departure city the night before embarkation — you must make sure that everyone is on board in time for the ship to set sail; late arrivals will miss out on everything.

Where should you sail to? Truly, the possibilities extend to the ends of the earth. Hurtigruten, for example, will take your group on a 10-day Antarctic Discovery cruise or a six-day Polar Encounter cruise to the Svalbard archipelago north of the Arctic Circle. Cruises to the Caribbean, Mexico or Hawaii offer everyone a chance to relax and reconnect with each other. Holy Land cruises are the trip of a lifetime for members of many faiths. “Imagine going home and doing the teachings and being able to say ‘I was in the Garden of Gethsemane,’” Spencer points out.

Cruises to Alaska are another popular option. “The scenery there is 24-7,” Spencer adds. “You know something powerful created that and you’re in awe.”

A growing trend in faith-based cruises is mission-focused trips that might include visits to schools, orphanages, convalescent homes and the like where your group can perform services and deliver the Word. “If you have been working on big meetings at hotels and conference centers, any cruise ship can provide what you want and more,” says Howell of Living Waters Travel Service, who has booked groups on mission-based “cruises with a cause” to the Bahamas, Mexico and Costa Rica.

The fact is, any destination will open a group’s eyes to a corner of the world they have not seen before, while providing a chance to truly separate themselves from daily life and to focus on their faith. As Spencer explains, “A cruise creates an environment where you’ve exhaled and can allow the Holy Spirit to work within you.”

Photos courtesy Holland America Line