What We Learned About Being a Better Partner to You

Event Planning StrategyBehind the BrandCruise Event PlanningMeeting Planner ResourcesCorporate Retreats & Events

Feb 19

Two cruise event planners in a collaborative conversation — Untethered Voyages reflects on how to be a better partner to clients planning events at sea.

We want to let you in on something — a shift in how we work with our clients that we think will make us better partners to you.

It starts with a question we've been sitting with:

When we present you with our three cruise recommendations... do you know that's just the beginning of the conversation?

Because here's what we realized recently: we weren't sure you did. And that's on us.

Here's How Our Process Works

When you come to us, we go deep. We want to understand your group, your goals, your timeline, your budget, and your vision for what you want people to feel when they step off that ship. Then we take all of that and match it against our knowledge of the cruise lines, the ships, and what's actually sailing when you need it to sail.

We come back to you with three recommendations - ships and itineraries we genuinely believe could be the backdrop for something transformative for your group.

What we didn't make clear enough? Those three options are a starting point, not a verdict.

If you want to go deeper on how our full planning process works from discovery call to departure day, we walk through it step by step in Cruise Event Planning 101: What Every First-Timer Should Know.

What We've Learned

Sometimes, in our effort to protect you from options we think aren't the right fit — a ship that's outdated, an itinerary that doesn't quite line up, a cruise line that doesn't match your group's vibe — we may have unintentionally closed a door you wanted to walk through.

Maybe you've had an incredible experience on a cruise line we didn't include. Maybe your CEO has a soft spot for a particular brand. Maybe something caught your eye that you wanted to explore.

Our job isn't to hand you a final answer. Our job is to be the expert in the room who helps you think it all through — together.

This connects to something we've written about before: the best events don't come from a planner handing you a solution. They come from genuine collaboration. If you haven't read it yet, Why the Best Corporate Retreats Start With a Question: Who Do You Want to Become Together? is worth a few minutes of your time.

Going Forward, Here's What We Want You to Know

When you get our recommendations, please treat them as an opening conversation. Tell us what resonates. Tell us what doesn't. Tell us if there's a cruise line that's been on your radar, or one your leadership team has already fallen in love with — even years ago.

We will always give you our honest assessment, including when we have concerns about a particular ship or sailing. But we want to give you that information and then explore it with you, not make the call for you.

Because the best cruise for your event isn't necessarily the one we'd pick in isolation. It's the one that fits your people, your culture, and — yes — sometimes your CEO's decade-old memory of a sunset from a ship they'll never forget.

And if you're trying to avoid the common traps that derail event planning before it even gets started, our post on The Five Biggest Mistakes New Retreat Planners Make on Cruise Events is a great companion read to this one.

A small corporate group collaborating on a cruise ship — representing the kind of partnership Untethered Voyages offers for All Hands, team retreats, and business events at sea.

What This Means for Your Planning

If you're in the early stages of planning a corporate event, All Hands, or leadership retreat at sea — we want you to come to us with everything. Your must-haves, your nice-to-haves, and yes, your "I know this is probably a long shot but..." ideas.

None of it is too much. All of it helps us help you better.

Not sure where to start on the logistics side? Is Your 2026-2027 Event on Track? The Planning Milestones You Can't Miss gives you a solid timeline framework to work from — and a clear sense of when to bring us in.

A Note on Why We're Sharing This

We're not sharing this because something went catastrophically wrong. We're sharing it because we're committed to being the kind of partners who keep getting better — and that means being honest about the moments that teach us something.

The event planning world is full of vendors who project confidence and certainty at every turn. We'd rather be the team that says: here's what we know, here's what we're still learning, and here's how we're going to show up better for you because of it.

That's the kind of partnership we want to build — one where you never have to wonder if there's a better option out there that we didn't tell you about.

A cruise ship sailing at golden hour — representing the transformative group events and corporate retreats at sea that Untethered Voyages specializes in planning.

Ready to Plan Your Event at Sea?

If you've been thinking about an All Hands, leadership retreat, or team event at sea — even if you're still in the early "is this even possible?" stage — we'd love to have that conversation. No pressure, no verdict. Just a genuine exploration of what's possible for your group.

Start with a free discovery call. We promise to bring our honest assessment, our full expertise, and a whole lot of questions — because the best plan always starts with listening.