Groups Aboard Star Legend

There have been a number of posts expressing concern about groups travelling together on cruises. I received the Smithsonian Journeys brochure yesterday. Two of the journeys they're promoting are the Star Legend June 28th and July 5th sailings. They indicated that they reserved space for up to 40 guests.

There have been a number of posts expressing concern about groups travelling together on cruises. I received the Smithsonian Journeys brochure yesterday. Two of the journeys they're promoting are the Star Legend June 28th and July 5th sailings. They indicated that they reserved space for up to 40 guests.

Interesting. There is a gap from June 26 to July 12 in the Star Legend's schedule on Windstar's site. Those tours fit in the gap.

If they only have 40 spots, I wonder who has the rest of the ship.

Also, that leaves 2 days unaccounted for when the last Windstar cruise ends June 26 to the Smithsonian cruise starts June 28.

Last year on the star Legend, Spanish Serenade had 2 bus loads of Tauck tours, 80 guests plus group leaders. They did their own private tours, had an evening cocktail hour, and mixed with non group guests at meals and in the lounges. The group had a lot of very old people. at meals, they liked to eat at large tables and were loud. The breakfast or lunch in the veranda was crowded. eat earlier or later than the group was best. Also, since Tauck did their own excursions, Windstar excursions were small. That was very good. I had a good time. I had a better time the following week when there were no groups on the ship.

Last year on the star Legend, Spanish Serenade had 2 bus loads of Tauck tours, 80 guests plus group leaders. They did their own private tours, had an evening cocktail hour, and mixed with non group guests at meals and in the lounges. The group had a lot of very old people. at meals, they liked to eat at large tables and were loud. The breakfast or lunch in the veranda was crowded. eat earlier or later than the group was best. Also, since Tauck did their own excursions, Windstar excursions were small. That was very good. I had a good time. I had a better time the following week when there were no groups on the ship.

None of that applies in this case as there is no Windstar cruise on those dates. The cruises are 7 days & a different itinerary than Windstar's sailings.

The odd thing is that the catalog says 40 places are available - who is taking the rest of the space? Or is the catalog wrong?

I notice that there is also a Smithsonian listing for Panama and Costa Rica Star Breeze Feb 9 in a gap in the Windstar schedule. It says 80 places are available.

BTW, we were on the same sailing with the Tauck group as RedTravel. Perhaps we ate at different times as I didn't notice noisy groups at dinner nor crowding at breakfast & lunch.

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Last year on the star Legend, Spanish Serenade had 2 bus loads of Tauck tours, 80 guests plus group leaders. They did their own private tours, had an evening cocktail hour, and mixed with non group guests at meals and in the lounges. The group had a lot of very old people. at meals, they liked to eat at large tables and were loud. The breakfast or lunch in the veranda was crowded. eat earlier or later than the group was best. Also, since Tauck did their own excursions, Windstar excursions were small. That was very good. I had a good time. I had a better time the following week when there were no groups on the ship.

I feel your pain at having to share the ship with very old people.

You might as well be on Holland America!

By the way what age do you count as being "very old"

I feel your pain at having to share the ship with very old people.

 

You might as well be on Holland America!

 

By the way what age do you count as being "very old"

The non-Tauck cruisers on the sailing weren't teenagers either - perhaps because it was a May cruise, it tended anyway to an older demographic than in the summer. Most of the people we met were around the same stage of life as us, late career to early retirement - say 50s through early 70s.

I didn't notice the Tauck cruisers much as they had their own activities, but I'm assuming that they were older than that on average.

The demographics of the Smithsonian cruises may not have much to do with those of a Tauck group doing mainly bus excursions. Smithsonian rates activity level for the trip as Moderate/Active and say "Appropriate for: Travelers who are physically fit, lead active lives, are comfortable participating in long days of activities, and expect some physical exertion."

We were on a cruise with Tauck Istanbul to Athens Windstar, Lovely, sophiscated, educated, quiet, friendly, curious, unassuming. Age like WS was all over the map. Because it is a tour one can not assume everyone is the same. People are people on a tour or not.

It could be that the entire ship has been sold out to one or several charter groups. Chartering on a small ship would be ideal for an affinity group. Was anyone asked to move to a different sailing? or are you just wondering where the ship is during that time period?

I wish we had known beforehand that the Star Legend had booked nearly half the ship to a group of Parrot Heads last March out of San Juan. It totally changed the atmosphere on the ship and in not a positive manner. There is, apparently, no way to know this when you book.

It could be that the entire ship has been sold out to one or several charter groups. Chartering on a small ship would be ideal for an affinity group. Was anyone asked to move to a different sailing? or are you just wondering where the ship is during that time period?

I'm pretty sure this was scheduled from the beginning, not inserted displacing anyone. The Star Legend Alaska cruises being sold by Windstar are 11-day Vancouver round trip, 12-day North bound and 14-day South bound The gap in the schedule for the charter is 16 days with both ends being Vancouver so to fit neatly into the schedule it had to be from the beginning.

I'm just curious.

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I have been booked on a cruise that was then chartered, and had to change. Ended up not finding anything that would work.

Was booked on another that had a very large group, over half the passengers, and they often took over the lounge and pool area and were pretty loud.

On a smaller ship, large groups can really affect your enjoyment of the cruise.

I think Windstar should let you know about large groups on board.

I would really like to avoid Parrotheads, for example.

BTW, we were on the same sailing with the Tauck group as RedTravel. Perhaps we ate at different times as I didn't notice noisy groups at dinner nor crowding at breakfast & lunch.

 

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We were also on that cruise with Tauck. I did notice some of what RedTravel mentioned but we adjusted our eating times to avoid it. Fewer people on the excursions was a positive with one exception; we had booked an excursion to ride horses in the mountains and they were unable to get enough people signed up. I would probably prefer not to have these large groups onboard but it wouldn't prevent me from booking the cruise.

I have been booked on a cruise that was then chartered, and had to change. Ended up not finding anything that would work.

Was booked on another that had a very large group, over half the passengers, and they often took over the lounge and pool area and were pretty loud.

On a smaller ship, large groups can really affect your enjoyment of the cruise.

I think Windstar should let you know about large groups on board.

I would really like to avoid Parrotheads, for example.

Parrotheads?????

What about Bears?

My dream group to be on a cruise with is Drag Queens.

Unfortunately my significant other isn't so keen about this, she is afraid she won't be as well made up as they are, nor as well dressed.