I'VE traveled around the world solo - and also taken trips with more than 50 family members.
One recent trip was a family cruise vacation - the first for many of my relatives - with 24 people ranging in age from two to 60-something.
4
4
Cruise vacations are an ideal vacation because they offer a great variety of activities to keep guests of all ages entertained, so it worked out well for this group.
But as we sailed from New Jersey up to Canada, I took stock of what worked best when traveling with that many people - and for larger parties sailing together.
One of my biggest takeaways was that regardless of whether you're traveling with one person or 24, it's important to remember that you don't have to do everything together.
It's okay to split off into smaller groups and enjoy different events around the ship - or even to find some solo reading time at the ship's cafe.
READ MORE ON EX-CRUISE WORKER
Here, I've rounded up my top three tips for ensuring an enjoyable vacation for everyone you're traveling with, from the tall to the small.
FIND ACTIVITIES FOR ALL TO ENJOY
Most cruises offer a daily guide listing all of the activities offered around the ship.
These can range from interactive game shows to rock climbing to bowling to drink tastings.
On this trip, my family and I found several events that appealed to the entire group.
Most read in Travel
TV show trivia was a big hit, along with dancing to live music.
After dinner, we all made our way to the karaoke lounge and took turns belting our favorite tunes out.
One day, we also all went up to one of the top decks to play mini-golf - which was a big hit with both the little kids and the adults.
There are also usually plenty of cafes and snack bar-type shops to visit during the day for sweet treats like milkshakes or cookies - and who doesn't love a sugar-filled mid-day pick-me-up?
EAT ONE MEAL EACH DAY TOGETHER AS A GROUP
For my family, we found that dinner was the easiest to organize.
Some cruise lines offer travelers the option to have dinner whenever they please during designated hours.
Dinner in the main dining room is usually offered between 5pm and 9pm or 10pm.
But other cruise lines, like the one we sailed on, had designated seatings at 5.30pm and 8pm.
We opted for the earlier dining time to appease the youngest members of our group.
It worked out well for us, as the kids were tired by the end of dinner and then slept in their strollers (staying with us, of course) as the rest of us frolicked about the ship.
Typically, you can link your individual cruise reservations with the cruise line to ensure that you're all seated at tables near each other for dinner.
We had three tables of eight in the same section of the main dining room to which we were assigned.
It worked out so that we could swap seats to change it up if we desired.
But overall, it was nice to enjoy dinner together every night, even if we weren't all at the same table.
FIND COMMON SPACES TO GATHER
Finding spaces on the ship to gather and enjoy each other's company was a big part of our vacation.
There were several lounges that were always open, even if there weren't planned activities, that had enough space for us to comfortably gather.
We'd bring drinks and snacks and enjoy being together.
Some of our best vacation memories occurred in these moments when we were chatting and laughing together in the trivia lounge.
Another family-friendly space we found was in the atrium, or the center of the ship.
There were a few sections with chairs and couches, which worked well for us as we had a giant stroller and needed plenty of space to sprawl out.
Here, there was almost always live music, which we all enjoyed.
But it was especially great for the youngest members of our family who wiggled and giggled to whatever tunes the band played.
Read More on The US Sun
If you're planning a cruise vacation, here are five packing mistakes to avoid.
You might also enjoy these three tips for making the most of a rainy day at sea.
4
4
