Holding the Ultimate Retirement Party: A Chartered Cruise

Retirement is something that comes around once in a lifetime and you should definitely enjoy it. The best way to say adios to your career is to put on the celebration of a lifetime and what better way to do this than hold your retirement party on a chartered cruise?

Chartered cruises are usually far more affordable than most people think and they provide the ability to enjoy amazing scenery and luxury settings while celebrating. It's a good idea to check with various chartered cruise companies in your area to find the best one, with a price you can afford and a boat of the appropriate size for your guests.

Bring on the Food

The retirement dinner is a definite must-have. Some cruises include a meal, but for true luxury, you'll want to bring your own chef or caterer aboard and hand-pick the menu. Seafood is always a good option for a chartered cruise and is appropriately elegant for your retirement send off.

Find chefs by looking at the different caterers available in your area. Most of them will be more than willing to cook aboard, they will just need time to load their ingredients and equipment on the boat before your guests arrive. Make sure you schedule everything so that the catering crew and anyone else, including servers, can board early enough that they won't be loading stuff on the boat as your guests are arriving.

You will want to make sure that there is adequate space for dining on your chartered cruise. Depending on the cruise ship, there could be anything from a cozy dining room to a proper banquet hall. Choose the chartered cruise option that fits the number of people you will be inviting. There's no point in trying to cram 100 guests onto a cruise meant for 50. Most cruise lines will also limit the number of guests according to the size of the vessel.

Decoration of the Chartered Cruise

What would a retirement party be without a few decorations? There's no need to be cheesy, with paper signs and such. You can request silver and gold streamers, decorated tables, etc. to suit the theme and still be elegant. It's often nice to include a little favor for each guest at their place on the table.
Find out ahead of time if decorating is included and if you will need to bring your own table linens etc. Most cruise lines will have their own table settings, but if you aren't happy with them, you should be able to rent something more appropriate, or speak to the caterer about the possibility of having the tables done to your specifications.

Choosing the Chartered Cruise

Not all cruises are the same. There are a variety of sizes available, from intimate dinners for a dozen all the way up to ships that can accommodate hundreds of guests. It's completely up to you as to how many people you want.

Some cruise lines require that you use their particular caterer. While this is often fine, it could mean extra cost to you, so make sure you double check prices and find out if there is an option to bring in your own caterer and serving staff, which could save you money in the long run.

A retirement dinner aboard a chartered cruise is the perfect way to say goodbye to a lifetime of loyal work. It can be a lot of fun to kick off your retirement with a party on a boat and is a good sign of the fun times yet to come.