DEC. 2016 update : HAL groups, charters and dry docks schedule

Any idea how big this group is?

No idea how large of a group (suspect relatively small).Lars is a vocal, conservative, radio commentator in Portland, OR. Don't think the group would "take over" the ship, especially since it's Alaska and there are several port days.

This is the absolute best and most useful thread on this forum. Thank-you for all that you do in creating and update it. It is my first stop whenever I am considering a cruise.

I also want to add my thanks. Very valuable information.

Thanks for doing this ... Seems I'm onboard with the knitting group again in July . Not a bad group to share a ship with and last time one of them gave me a knitted hippo :hearteyes: ....

Thanks for keeping this up..

Roadscholar website lists a number of "cruise adventures" - these are usually smaller groups. You have to hunt around their website listings for each "cruise adventure" to find the "lodging" button where you finally learn which ship they are using.

Veendam: Oct 7-20, 2017 - Montreal to New England to Fort Lauderdale

Any clue what will happen to the Amsterdam after the world cruise next year as she has about a hiatus until her next cruise (28 April until 10 May)? Dry dock, charter, ??

It looks like the Amsterdam goes to Alaska after the world cruise.

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know anything about Bright Horizons Group, they are on the Westerdam partial Med in October. I cannot seem to find too much information. Huge thank you to CJcruzer for keeping this thread going!

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Just found this thread and was not happy to see that the Inspiration Group was booked on my 09/09/17 Eurodam sailing in Alaska. Before I called my TA to see about changing dates, I checked the Inspiration website and it appears that they are no longer listing or sailing the Eurodam on 09/09. There are no Alaska cruises listed after the 08/06/17 sailing. Hope this change remains.

A few more charters I found.

Nieuw Amsterdam - Jan. 27-Feb. 3, 2018, Soul Train Charter

http://soultraincruise.com/

Nieuw Amsterdam - Feb. 17-24, 2018, Gertrude Byrne Charter

https://www.gertrudebyrnepromotions.com/

Oosterdam - Feb. 18-25, 2018, JoCo Cruise

https://jococruise.com/2017/02/joco-cruise-2018-booking-opens-saturday-february-25/#more-18390

Rotterdam - June 9-16, 2018, Olivia Charter

https://www.olivia.com/Travel/Trips_MysticalNorwegianFjordsCruise.aspx

Thanks for this very useful information.

We are booked on the June 10, 2017 Veendam from Boston to Bermuda. Any known "groups" on it?

Thanks for this very useful information.

 

We are booked on the June 10, 2017 Veendam from Boston to Bermuda. Any known "groups" on it?

Short answer: yes, there is one I found. Doesn't look big.

Long, pontifical answer:

Whenever I'm contemplating booking a HAL cruise, I come here to Cruise Critic to read CJcruzer's list of HAL groups/charters/ship dry docks. If I don't see anything pertaining to my particular itinerary, I then do a secondary online search to determine if, and how large, a group might be on my cruise. I did an online search for your cruise, by typing in the ship's name (Veendam), the destination (Bermuda), and the date (June 10, 2017). I came up with a stitching cruise with Susan Greening Davis. It's called a "mermaid cruise", and it's open to people (mermaids?) who are interested in needlework. Here's the link which then continues on to a site with more specifics:

http://www.susangreeningdavis.com/

I don't think you need to worry about large, rumbunctious crowds taking over your ship with this group.:)

What many people may not realize is that virtually every cruise is going to have some kind of group on board. It may be a group of passengers using a particular travel agency, or a family reunion, it might even be a gang of Cruise Critic members on a roll call:D There are a number of organizations, such as "University at Sea", which provide continuing education courses for professionals (the classes take place in the smaller conference rooms). You will probably not even be aware of these types of groups at all. It's the whopping big 700+ passenger groups, what they call an "affinity cruise", who are the problem.

Thanks for the information. Yes, agree it is the groups of 500+ that can ruin it for all the others.

It looks like the Amsterdam goes to Alaska after the world cruise.

hmm - any clue what she is doing between 28 April and her next available booking which is 10 May 2018: Ft Lauderdale to Seattle to start her Alaska season??

hmm - any clue what she is doing between 28 April and her next available booking which is 10 May 2018: Ft Lauderdale to Seattle to start her Alaska season??

12 day window with cruise on either side ending and starting in FLL - my guess is she heads over to Freeport for a drydock visit. That time window and port location seem to fit the current pattern with HAL

Zaandam is in South America. Leaves Mar 3 from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso leg of the South America Odyssey voyage.

Potential Zaandam drydock - gap in schedule from March 2nd to March 14th 2018 in Ft. Lauderdale. Fits in with the 12 day drydock schedules of the other ships in the fleet that have gone to grand Bahamas shipyard recently or in near future.

My post should have read that the gap in her schedule was from APRIL 2nd to APRIL 14th - my apologies for any misinformation and thank you for pointing it out to me! :D

I believe the Volendam will be in dry dock in Singapore from Nov 24 2017 until Dec 5 2017 .

Thank you for keeping up this list:)

12 day window with cruise on either side ending and starting in FLL - my guess is she heads over to Freeport for a drydock visit. That time window and port location seem to fit the current pattern with HAL

The Amsterdam is definitely going into drydock after the World Cruise 2018. I had thought about taking the Amsterdam from Ft Lauderdale to SD, but my TA told me last week that the Amsterdam is going into drydock. So your guess is correct!

Can anyone give me information about a group named NY Times Group which is listed for the May 22nd - June 5th Alaska on the Amsterdam. I just booked it yesterday. Thank you.

Can anyone give me information about a group named NY Times Group which is listed for the May 22nd - June 5th Alaska on the Amsterdam. I just booked it yesterday. Thank you.

I did a Google search for you and it describes it as a small group cruise. Sounds like it shouldn't be an issue.

Here's a link to their page advertising the cruise. HTH

https://www.nytimes.com/times-journeys/travel/cruising-alaskas-beauty-history-and-culture/

Any 2017 update on this list? Appreciate your efforts.

Any 2017 update on this list? Appreciate your efforts.

Sorry I have not been on this thread for a while - life happens.

I will be updating this spring - usually I do not let it run this long, but with sooooo many more themes, groups etc, it has been more time consuming. Also with trip planned it may be a while until I get to it. I will try then to keep it more regularly updated, as I did in the past.

There will be a group of quilters on the Koningsdam 14 day Voyage of the Midnight Sun June 11-25, 2017

https://www.quiltcruises.com/cruises/Norway-2017/

Our June 9, 2018 ROTTERDAM cruise to Norway is now (according to HAL) a full-ship charter.

I assume some kind of offer will be forthcoming.

Is it just my imagination or are there more and more HAL cruises that are being turned into charters? Is this a sign of the times, or just a fad? Are they primarily 7 day cruises or even longer ones?

Under these circumstances, I would start to think twice about even booking another HAL cruise. This would be really disappointing as we are loyal HAL cruisers.