Cruises are a great way to travel. Your vacation time is precious and choosing how to spend it is more important than ever. Cruise ships offer the latest innovations, Broadway-style entertainment, amazing dining options, and visits to bucket-list-worthy destinations. What if you can combine the perfect vacation while supporting an organization? Most cruise lines offer fundraiser cruises that allow non-profits, churches or ministries, and civic groups to raise money.
Who can host a fundraiser cruise?
Any nonprofit with a 501c3 certification is eligible, including civic groups, Associations, the YMCA, Big Brother/Big Sister, Boy or Girl Scouts, the Chamber of Commerce, Senior Centers, Churches, Ministries, Hospitals, and foundations.
How to start a fundraiser cruise?
The process is quite easy. We will help you choose the ship, sailing date, itinerary, and cabin inventory. We’ll even place the initial deposit and create a free booking website for you. We can also design print media and social marketing images if desired. We handle all of the reservations and booking details for your cruise, leaving you time to focus on marketing! You just promote the cruise to your members, their families and friends, and your community on your special cruise date. As a result of their participation on your designated fundraising cruise, a portion of their cruise fare, plus matching funds from the Cruise Line, will directly benefit your organization!
Royal Caribbean Cruises Fundraiser Program
Non-profit Organizations* can earn up to $200 per stateroom on their Royal Caribbean International® group cruise. *Non-profit organizations must be classified as a 501(c) and organized under the laws of the United States or Canada. For 2 to 5-night Royal Caribbean cruises, you earn between $25 and $50 per stateroom. For 6 to 9-night cruises, you earn $50 to $100 per stateroom and for Royal Caribbean Cruises of 10 nights or longer, you earn between $100 and $200 per stateroom.
In addition to matching funds, you can earn one free stateroom for every 15 staterooms sold. The dollar value of that stateroom will be based on the average value of staterooms sold (excluding miscellaneous charges).
Carnival Cruises Fundraiser Program
As a leader in the cruise industry for over 30 years, Carnival Cruise Lines has also been a major supporter of many non-profit organizations, locally and nationally. They understand the importance and challenges of fundraising. Carnival appreciates that your continued success
depends on the hard work of dedicated people and the generosity of contributors. As a vital extension of their tradition of supporting charities, they have developed a program to enhance your fundraising efforts, which has been highly successful for many charities
nationwide. With this program, you’ll be able to raise much-needed funds and at the same time, give your supporters all the fun of a Carnival cruise vacation.
Carnival’s Matching Fund Plan and how it works
With bookings of 8 staterooms, 16 guests or more, Carnival will match (donate) $5 per guest per day on your group’s fundraising efforts: 3-day cruise, $15 per guest; 4-day cruise, $20 per guest; 7-day cruise, $35 per guest, etc.
Example: The cost of your 7-day cruise is $577 for a Category 4E inside cabin. The charity marks up the cost of the cruise by $65 (this is your participant’s donation). You then promote the cruise to your group at a cost of $642. Carnival will match up to $35 per guest on a 7-day cruise for a combined $100 contribution ($65 from the markup and $35 from Carnival’s match). That’s $100 per guest or $200 per cabin! Sell 20 staterooms, earn $4,000; sell 50 staterooms, earn $10,000.
In addition to matching funds, you can earn one free stateroom for every 15 staterooms sold. The dollar value of that stateroom will be based on the average value of staterooms sold (excluding miscellaneous charges). Using the 7-day example above, we would earn three free staterooms for every 50 booked. The dollar amount of those cabins can be contributed to your organization or free travel for your staff to host the group.
More Fundraiser Cruise
Other popular cruise lines that offer fundraiser programs include Princess Cruises, Holland America Cruises and NCL Cruises.
Featured Fundraiser Cruise
Today we would like to highlight a cruise for a great cause. Located in Houston, Texas, Youth Outdoor Unity is a wonderful program. Youth Outdoor Unity is dedicated to increasing outdoor adventures and improving educational attainment, professional development, and human welfare opportunities for the youth of all creeds and young adults, especially females, through our community programs and experiential ‘STREAAM beyond STEM’ (Science, Technology, Reading and writing, Engineering, Agriculture, Arts, Maritime/Marine) an initiative that incites curiosity, introduces novelty experiences, and exploration of disciplines and career aspirations that are considered uncharacteristic in traditional classroom settings and vulnerable communities.
