Odyssey Couleur MagazineAmerican families think of many things as Summer approaches: school vacation, backyard barbecues, trips to the Grand Canyon. For African-American families, Summertime is also time for same design t-shirts, multi-generation talent shows, and sepia-toned photographs scanned onto Sunday breakfast programs. That's because, for Black families, Summertime is family reunion time. While we traditionally gather "back home," many families are now choosing cruises as a stress-free way to reunite the clan. Inexpensive, all-inclusive, even exotic, reunion cruises take the hassle out of planning and executing family reunions—and never skimp on fun.
"Imagine Granddad rock climbing, Auntie singing at karaoke, Uncle going water skiing," says Alison Frazier, a Royal Caribbean International specialist for cruise activities. On a Royal Caribbean cruise, she says, there are plenty of things to do "that you haven't done in a long time—or done before—whether that's sushi or dancing with the children at a family disco in the early evening."
In fact, for Barbara "Tinka" Newton, who organized her family's reunion on a four-day cruise to the Bahamas to celebrate her 50th birthday, the only difficulty in the cruise experience was trying to find time to take part in all the activities Royal Caribbean offered. She claims there was something for everyone, from her 97-year old Aunt Sara and octogenarian parents, to the youngest family members, Xavier, 6, and Nia, 3.
Nami Richardson, who also planned the Royal Caribbean four-day Bahamas cruise for her family reunion, agrees. When she first thought about bringing her toddler, Ayoki, on board a huge cruise ship, she admits she "felt a little nervous at first. But I found this to be great since there were activities available for the kids and the pool was kid-friendly."
Both Richardson and Newton insist that all the amenities, including massages and spa pampering, came with little work from them. They visited
Royal Caribbean and called Royal Caribbean's 800 number (800-205-9812, ext. 80805) to ask about the Royal Reunions packages, which includes a welcome letter from the captain to the family, a personalized cake, a daily reunions challenge and a photo package, in addition to other goodies. They didn't have to use their own money to reserve the double occupancy $300 cabins or $500-$800 suites. Relatives made their payments directly to Royal Caribbean, which Richardson says "makes this a less stressful process for the family planner."
Alison Frazier says the sales team works with the family planner to book flights, transfers and the cruise itself. This way, she says, if there are delays because of customs or inclement weather, "Royal Caribbean will take care of you." With a staff at the airport to get you to port, she adds, "we hand-hold you all the way." Once onboard, Alison says, "we've got you covered with all the options you can choose to do." Your Family Group Coordinator works with the rock-climbing team, ship photographer, and others to help organize family activities. This way, Alison insures, everyone in the family enjoys "a reunion and a vacation at the same time."
Eisa Ulen is the author of the novel 'Crystelle Mourning' (Atria).
