When winter is cold and gray, a lot of people book a cruise. It’s a quick way to change the scenery and, depending on the destination, soak up some sunshine.
Beyond those leisure trips, cruise ships can also serve as floating meeting and event venues. Cruise lines show increasing interest in the meetings market, as they design new ships with dedicated meeting spaces, employ staff to help plan onboard meetings and events, and offer buyouts of entire ships for large conventions. If you’re considering getting on board with this trend, here are some upsides to meeting on cruise ships.
Ships shaping up
More ships are being built with dedicated meeting spaces. Royal Caribbean’s Ocean Class series, for example, has onboard conference centers for up to 400. Even on ships without dedicated meeting venues, public spaces are easily converted. Sizeable theaters that are used for music and other entertainment and are outfitted with professional-grade lighting, audiovisual and sound, work well for business presentations or keynote speakers. Celebrity Cruises offers appealing possibilities for events, like its Sky Observation Lounge, where 300 people can toast the sun as it melts into the sea, and a Rooftop Terrace, outfitted with a sound system, living room-style seating and a movie screen. And, as new ships come online, planners will have even more options. New vessels this year include the Viking Libra, a 998-passenger ship that is powered by hydrogen so there are no emissions, and Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas, a monster of a ship with 28 dining options and the largest water park at sea.
Setting sail for simplicity
Meetings have so many moving parts, and cruise ships seem to eliminate a good many of them. If you’ve ever taken a cruise, you understand that the basics — food, lodging, onboard entertainment and amenities — are covered, and add-ons are few, with beverage packages, onshore excursions and amenities like spa services being the most common. For meeting groups, the deal is much the same but even better because needs like meeting spaces, high-speed connections, coffee breaks and audiovisual equipment are all included in the base fee (although there can be small setup fees). Everything a meeting needs is handled on board, and business centers are often placed near meeting rooms. And there’s so much built-in entertainment that planners don’t have to map out every minute. But, if they do want to add on some events, there are lots of options, from yoga sessions to start the day and buyouts of onboard restaurants to a night of karaoke and dancing.
All hands on deck
Major cruise lines have event planning staff in place who work with clients on all the details, from guest cabins to meeting spaces, special events, trade shows and extras like onshore excursions. Several third-party planners also specialize in cruise-based meetings or events. OceanEvent works with ships of all sizes, from yachts to full-size cruise ships, matching its suppliers with the needs of the meetings and conventions that its clients are holding at sea. Landry & Kling works on organizing group tours and incentive trips using a worldwide database of possible vessels and partnerships with cruise lines. Its project managers handle a lot, including making recommendations to clients, working on program details with cruise lines and handling contract negotiations.
Elevated and economical
Extras like gallons of coffee for breaks and microphones and podiums for speakers can bump up costs at traditional conference hotels and convention centers. Cruise ships typically don’t charge meeting clients for meeting space or audiovisual equipment like projectors, sound systems and lighting. And because the interior design of ships tends to be pretty decked out, there’s no need to spend money on decor. Other upsides? Most ships offer free high-speed internet (in some cases, there may be extra charges), and the staff-to-passenger ratio is high, one of the pluses that leisure travelers never fail to notice on a cruise. Landry & Kling estimates a conference can save as much as 30% when it is held aboard a ship. There’s also evidence that meetings at sea have appeal. For example, when Expedia Cruises met on the Carnival Celebration in 2025, it was the company’s largest annual meeting ever, with 650 people aboard the seven-night cruise meeting.
Aye, captain!
These days, you don’t have to be a pirate to commandeer a ship. Cruise lines are more than willing to work with a group to book an entire vessel. Some conventions might be large enough to take over a 3,000-passenger ship; others, like executive boards or top sales incentive groups, will be a better fit for a yacht. There’s a lot to be said for these kinds of takeovers: every inch of the ship is yours to use as you wish; the ship’s route, itinerary and shore excursions can be customized; all digital messaging on board is dedicated to the group; everything from napkins to menus can be branded; team-building events like pickleball, rock climbing, scavenger hunts and laser tag can take place simultaneously; and networking is easy and natural because everyone on board is part of the same flock. With so much entertainment for all ages, a buyout can also be a winner for conferences or meetings that include family members.
