?? problems on Freedom 10/31 to 11/7/10??

[MiniMom57]

I heard from a passenger on this cruise that half the ship was taken over by bikers and that it was a horrendous week for them. This huge group used to be called Hogs On the High Seas, but apparently took the "hogs" part out of their name this year. Was this to avoid detection so the rest of the cabins would sell?

 

This person (a co-worker of my husband who has cruised multiple times) has stories of extreme rowdiness, rude behavior, shows ruined by heckling, smoking in the halls, drunk people throwing up and passing out all over the ship, decorations and artwork being ruined.... the list goes on. He said that when the bikers were in their group activities, the atmosphere of the ship was more relaxed and quiet, but as soon as the meetings/activities let out, many of the non-biker passengers quickly retreated to the safety of their cabins!

 

I am shocked that I haven't seen anything about this here on CC! Allowing such behavior to take over a ship full of people ruined the cruise for so many people. If it were MY hard-earned money, I would be up in arms!:mad:

[ckrobyn]

Good Grief!!! I feel bad for those pasengers who had to put up with that.....if it is true :(

 

I hope that they get the ship cleaned up by Sunday when I board! :)

[preb]

That stinks, but it can happen on any cruiseline. We had a similar problem on the Carnival Valor.

[cruiznfevr]

You posted the same thing about Liberty. Which ship was it?

[Sue L]

You posted the same thing about Liberty. Which ship was it?

 

googled it and it was out of Port Canaveral, so Freedom

[knot knormal]

I was on this cruise and I disagree with the OP. We booked last minute and now know the reason why the cruise was priced as it was. The negative for me was the dress code was out the window, but they dressed up for Halloween, a 50'/60's/70's night and a Pirates night. The cruise was entitled "High Seas Rally" and has taken place annually for many years. It is a cruise for charity. They brought 18 dialysis patients, their family and nurses on the cruise at no cost to the patients/caregivers. I do go to bed around 11:30 PM amd "heard" many "bikers" were in the Crypt very late. The most obnoxious behavior, and it was appalling, was by a non-"biker".

[Tyler80]

I heard from a passenger on this cruise that half the ship was taken over by bikers and that it was a horrendous week for them. This huge group used to be called Hogs On the High Seas, but apparently took the "hogs" part out of their name this year. Was this to avoid detection so the rest of the cabins would sell?

 

This person (a co-worker of my husband who has cruised multiple times) has stories of extreme rowdiness, rude behavior, shows ruined by heckling, smoking in the halls, drunk people throwing up and passing out all over the ship, decorations and artwork being ruined.... the list goes on. He said that when the bikers were in their group activities, the atmosphere of the ship was more relaxed and quiet, but as soon as the meetings/activities let out, many of the non-biker passengers quickly retreated to the safety of their cabins!

 

I am shocked that I haven't seen anything about this here on CC! Allowing such behavior to take over a ship full of people ruined the cruise for so many people. If it were MY hard-earned money, I would be up in arms!:mad:

 

Well maybe you didn't see anything about this on CC because what you heard was untrue. Some people will believe anything!

[Jamaicaholic]

I was on this cruise and I disagree with the OP. We booked last minute and now know the reason why the cruise was priced as it was. The negative for me was the dress code was out the window, but they dressed up for Halloween, a 50'/60's/70's night and a Pirates night. The cruise was entitled "High Seas Rally" and has taken place annually for many years. It is a cruise for charity. They brought 18 dialysis patients, their family and nurses on the cruise at no cost to the patients/caregivers. I do go to bed around 11:30 PM amd "heard" many "bikers" were in the Crypt very late. The most obnoxious behavior, and it was appalling, was by a non-"biker".

 

I'm really curious how they brought the dialysis patients. I've worked in dialysis for 18 years and the only cruises I've found for my patients are very cost prohibitive since Medicare won't pay when the ship is in international waters....just wondering if you can share some inside info...I know alot of my patients would love to cruise with their family and nurses! Was this a result of a fundraiser that covered the cost?

[kjkrmk]

The OP has bad info about this cruise. We were on that voyage as a party of 12 family members. We met many of the HSR members and found them to be great. The HSR parties and events were closed to other passengers not part of the HSR group. There was a lady said to have gotten loud and cause a fuss in the promenade and rumor has it that she and her party, not half the group, were put off the ship at one of the stops. The plus side about the HSR being on the ship and having so many group events for it's members is that other things like the flow rider, Quest, ice shows, etc. were not over crowded and really easy to enjoy. In fact, my son was able to use the flow rider on 3 mornings alone for 1.5hrs and with 3 or 4 others in the other mornings.

[MiniMom57]

It was Freedom (my first post had the incorrect title and you can't edit a title)

 

I don't consider my information "bad" information -- it was from a reliable source who was on the ship, so I just passed along one person's observations.

 

I'm glad the cruise wasn't a bust for all the non-rally people

[B&D]

we were on this cruise. We must have missed all this so called rowdy behavior. The bikers on this cruise raised over $ 150,000 for dialysis. I find that amazing. The hearts on these people is the reason we go. Dean and Debbie who run this rally are amazing and if our group was disruptive they would put a halt on this right away. We heard that a group of non rally passengers had done some damage in the promenade.

We went to the disco everynite and there were hardly any bikers there. I really think this poster is mistaken.

 

God bless you Dean and Debbie. You guys are amazing!!

[doodlefan]

I was on this sailing. Yes they were a large group of 1700 people. My DH rides as well but we didn't know about this when we booked. RCCL did not notify us until we were IN our cabins by a letter sitting on the bed. I DID find out on my own a month before we cruised, but went anyway.

 

There were 3 dress up nights for them as mentioned which was pretty neat to see, most were not "bikers" in the way you think of gangs or anything. Most were just middle aged couples that ride motorcycles recreationally, but there were a few "rough characters".

 

It was definitely more crowded when they were having their photos done on their costume nights but less crowded when they had an event. We took a bus back to the airport with this gang and there was much talk of the funds raised and the joy from the dialysis patients that were able to cruise. One patient has been on dialysis 3X a week for 5 -6 hours for 33 years and has NEVER been able to travel, apparently it was amazing for her. So it's for a good cause and honestly it didn't cause too much disturbance, but I do think in the future they should book a smaller ship, like charter the whole thing so that they don't inconvenience the other passengers.

 

There were some rowdy nights though. There were people from Iceland and Germany on this sailing as part of the bikers. One night in the Schooners bar while listening to Kory (amazingly awesome funny Canadian paino entertainer BTW) one drunk biker chick on leather night, dropped her leather halter top, my 21 year old son was amused but myself and my DH were not.:cool:

 

It did make for packed bars all over on nights they didn't have scheduled activities. Also in the ports, like Margaritaville in Jamaica, there was NO way you could even get it, it was FULL for the High Seas Rally people and from standing on the street we could see people going down the water slide from the roof, men and women and the women were topless and it looked VERY rowdy.

 

Overall it did not ruin anything for us but I'm sure the entire feel of the ship was different. I've never seen so much skin, tattoo's and Harley merchandise in all my life. RCCL for sure made a killing on booze that week.:eek:

 

In the end I will check when and where they are sailing, and any other large groups too for that matter and avoid them. It just changes an otherwise relaxing trip into a more rowdy situation. This RCCL cruise was BY FAR more partying and rowdy then any other cruise including Carnival that I have been on.

 

My beef is that when we booked, they should have told us, I was flexible and would have just booked the same itinerary 2 weeks later. On the plus side, the prices really dropped closer to sailing and we moved from inside to oceanview rooms (2) AND got $1136.00 OBC. :eek: So it was worth it.

[Tyler80]

I'm really curious how they brought the dialysis patients. I've worked in dialysis for 18 years and the only cruises I've found for my patients are very cost prohibitive since Medicare won't pay when the ship is in international waters....just wondering if you can share some inside info...I know alot of my patients would love to cruise with their family and nurses! Was this a result of a fundraiser that covered the cost?

 

Ever heard of Dialysis at Sea? www.dialysisatsea.com

[amybear912]

This cruise happens every year... Same time... And no the cruiseline isn't going to tell you when groups are booked... It pays to be a member of CC...

 

For future reference... If you google the ship and date you will usually come up with group cruises that are planned... I do it for every cruise I book...

[Ander026]

I was also on the cruise with my Dad. It is amazing how much charity they raised that week. Here is a few of my observations from the week as I went to Bull @ Bear pub, went to most of the shows and the pool area as well.

 

1. I did not see alot of roudiness this week. Not like the OP said.

2. The High seas did the Belly flop contest and renamed it the Belly Smack contest. That was fun to watch and the MC was great.

3. The popular bars in port were very crowded and I did not go to them

4. The shows were very wide open. I could get to a show as it started and found great seats. (cant do that on the Monarch)

5. I really enjoyed the week and would not mind sailing again with the High Seas Rally (I am not a biker at all)

[Jerseyboy1]

In the end I will check when and where they are sailing, and any other large groups too for that matter and avoid them. It just changes an otherwise relaxing trip into a more rowdy situation. This RCCL cruise was BY FAR more partying and rowdy then any other cruise including Carnival that I have been on.

 

My beef is that when we booked, they should have told us, I was flexible and would have just booked the same itinerary 2 weeks later.

 

Interesting comment regarding Carnival....I think some people on this board can't be happy with that comparison. :eek:

 

As far as the fundraiser cruise is concerned, I applaud them for what they are doing and at the same time wonder how a little old lady with a walker will accept this group.

 

According to their website, they are cruising HAL to Alaska next year. Seems like a strange choice to me.

 

Also as far as letting passengers know what groups are booked on their cruises, why not provide a listing or link on each ship's page? What's wrong with a little transparency here? Let the customer make the choice, don't force them into a situation they can't control.

 

Funny, cruiselines are quick to put banner ads all over their websites when it suits them, but they can't put a logo up from a group that's cruising a particular ship?:confused:

 

just wonderin'....

[clott]

I have cruised with this group before and lived it. What they do for dialysis patients is amazing.

We never heard or saw anything bad and the bikers were amazing to be around. My husband and I both commented that we were up later than than they were.

To the OP. I think what you fail to realize is most of these people are drs lawyers dentist and buisness owners. They spend a lot of money on these cruises raising money for this charity and making sure that others less fortunate can have a vacation that they normally would never get to do. It's amazing to me that you can judge someone because they ride a bike but there are people on every cruise that cause problems and get kicked off but I guess that's ok with you.

I for one truly appreciate everything they do and if everyone else would be half as generous as this group charities wouldn't be begging for money all the time.

And by the way all the waiters and ship personnel love this week when they come on because things are more relaxed and they get tipped very well

a

[doodlefan]

Interesting comment regarding Carnival....I think some people on this board can't be happy with that comparison. :eek:

 

As far as the fundraiser cruise is concerned, I applaud them for what they are doing and at the same time wonder how a little old lady with a walker will accept this group.

 

According to their website, they are cruising HAL to Alaska next year. Seems like a strange choice to me.

 

Also as far as letting passengers know what groups are booked on their cruises, why not provide a listing or link on each ship's page? What's wrong with a little transparency here? Let the customer make the choice, don't force them into a situation they can't control.

 

Funny, cruiselines are quick to put banner ads all over their websites when it suits them, but they can't put a logo up from a group that's cruising a particular ship?:confused:

 

just wonderin'....

 

I know what you mean about my comparison to Carnival. I have finally sailed a large RCCL ship and plan to do a comparison post. I have sailed the Carnival Freedom, Splendor and will sail the Magic, all newer larger Carnival ships, I've always wanted to do a comparison between the two lines, but had only sailed Majesty of the Seas and Vision of the Seas in Europe, until last week on the Freedom of the Seas.

 

I am going to compile my thoughts, opinions and comparisons and make a post about them on both the RCCL and Carnival boards. I'll give you a little hint though, there are not enough differences to make it a deal breaker but given price and ports I'll be sailing Carnival most of the time.:eek:

[jerin]

Haven't sailed with this particular group, but my experience with sailing with a big group (1/3-1/2 the passengers) is a lot like others have described -- sometimes inconvenient, other times pretty nice.

 

As to the Carnival comment, I've found that Carnival cruises vary in the 'party' category, too. We sailed alongside a Carnival ship a couple of years ago in Canada (we were on Grandeur), and it was nothing like the 3 day Ensenada cruise we'd taken on Carnival before.

[catlady27]

The OP has bad info about this cruise. We were on that voyage as a party of 12 family members. We met many of the HSR members and found them to be great. The HSR parties and events were closed to other passengers not part of the HSR group. There was a lady said to have gotten loud and cause a fuss in the promenade and rumor has it that she and her party, not half the group, were put off the ship at one of the stops. The plus side about the HSR being on the ship and having so many group events for it's members is that other things like the flow rider, Quest, ice shows, etc. were not over crowded and really easy to enjoy. In fact, my son was able to use the flow rider on 3 mornings alone for 1.5hrs and with 3 or 4 others in the other mornings.

 

Just out of morbid curiosity, I want to know what that woman and her party did to get booted off the ship :eek:

[jenrie]

 

According to their website, they are cruising HAL to Alaska next year. Seems like a strange choice to me.

 

....

They are also booked on the Freedom of the Seas again 30th Oct 2011 sailing, we are booked on that cruise and thought about cancelling but decided keep the booking. We have heard good reports and bad reports so at least we will be prepared.

[MiniMom57]

"To the OP. I think what you fail to realize is most of these people are drs lawyers dentist and buisness owners. They spend a lot of money on these cruises raising money for this charity and making sure that others less fortunate can have a vacation that they normally would never get to do. It's amazing to me that you can judge someone because they ride a bike but there are people on every cruise that cause problems and get kicked off but I guess that's ok with you."

 

My, my, my.....you sure insinuated a LOT from my post! LOL I never mentioned anything about their charitable work, or about people getting kicked off ships for causing problems. I don't care if they ride motorcycles, or walk on their hands....no one should cause trouble and ruin other people's vacations!

 

I've apparently ruffled a few feathers, and for that I apologize! BUT, in defense of our friends who were unhappy with their cruise -- large groups can be intimidating whether they wear leathers or tutus. Their opinion matters to them, and they cannot be discredited for having an opinion....whether you agree with it or not!

[grand isle joe]

did the O.P. ever consider how the cruise was ruined for the "bikers" by all those "square" fuddy-duddy cruisers who would not take part in the celebrations?:confused:

[Merion_Mom]

It was Freedom (my first post had the incorrect title and you can't edit a title)

 

I don't consider my information "bad" information -- it was from a reliable source who was on the ship, so I just passed along one person's observations.

 

I'm glad the cruise wasn't a bust for all the non-rally people

 

There is a reason that hearsay evidence is not admissible in court. :rolleyes:

[retiredonthesea]

Just a little info--this same good hearted bunch of bikers will again be doing another cruise--not just Oct. 30th, 2011, but Oct. 28th,2012 on FOS. We already have over 1000 bk'd and hope to have 2000 by sail date. This will be the 10th year(2012) that this cruise has helped many a dialysis patients take a trip of a life time without costing them a dime all because of us "bikers" who want to help someone else in need!!

 

SOOO--if you DON'T:( want to have a good time, meet really cool people, want to dress in formal wear, wear shorts and T-shirts most of the time, party at Magaritaville, Carlos'nCharlies, Hard Rock Cafe or Senor Frogs, given a chance to win a brand new bike, trike, or a cabin for the next yr. and many other FUN things like Halloween Costume night, 50's,60's 70's night, pirate bingo night leather dinner night, ect. ect. than DO NOT BOOK THIS CRUISE!!:eek: