Fox News star's cruise plans sunk

[csg99]

I just found that HAL's website is working again for this cruise and they're showing almost all categories of cabins available. They must have released the cabins that were blocked for the O'Reilly group.

[Oceanwench]

And a large group booking a cruise and including a controversial person of celebrity status is yet another after that ;) !

 

I echo some of the comments made earlier - I would certainly rather not be on a cruise with a large group of any sort (unless of course I was part of it).

 

IMHO the best situation for groups like this is if they simply charter the entire ship - then they will be able to do whatever they want without interfering with regular passengers.

 

I know a couple who were once unknowingly booked on a cruise with a large group - and worse, this was a group who refused to have anything to do with outsiders! There was one other couple on the cruise who did not belong to this group - but they didn't speak English. So you had one huge group who would not associate with outsiders, and two couples who couldn't socialize very much with each other since they didn't speak each other's languages. Needless to say it was not a pleasant situation!

 

I agree with the idea of having groups charter the entire ship!

Some groups are small enough that there is no impact on the other pax, but others have been large enough that they did take over areas such as one of the pools. The also can informally take over an area -- say the piano bar -- when a large number of members are present.

 

The 5/14 Zuiderdam roll call members googled our cruise to find out if groups were planning to sail with us, which is how we found out about a spiritual film festival with about 300 members coming along. By googling the 11/13 Westerdam, one can find info on the O'Reilly cruise.

 

You are right about the controversial aspect of a celebrity ... just adds fuel to the fire!

Remind me not to sign up for the Paris Hilton cruise! :eek:

[RevNeal]

Oceanwench,

 

That brochure you quoted from is the same one that I find on the Travel Agency website. Thus far it is the ONLY non-politically-motived (i.e., hit-piece) information I've found about the cruise ANYWHERE on the internet. I don't doubt that this cruise was attempted ... I just doubt that they promoted it very well.

 

It frustrates me that the cruise was nearly monopolized by a group. 800 people would have been a HUGE percentage of the ship, and it would have ruined the week in terms of the ability of non-group members to use the various rooms of the ship (for this sized group would have been reserving rooms right and left for functions, leaving very little left for the rest of us).

 

At any rate ... thankfully, this bullet has been dodged. I really do wish that HAL would publish their group bookings. For one thing, I might like to join one some day. For another, I usually would like to avoid such bookings if they are very large. Oh, I've been on ships with groups numbering in the dozens and even low hundreds. A group of two hundred people wasn't too bad on the Oosterdam, though they tended to monopolize some of the lounges on a regular basis ... there wasn't enough of them to "take over the ship." A group of 800 people, however, would have been a nightmare; especially so given the controversial nature of their group-attraction. I go on cruises to get away from politics and religious controversy (even when I'm serving as chaplain, for the most part hot theological topics are not addressed).

[RevNeal]

By googling the 11/13 Westerdam, one can find info on the O'Reilly cruise.

 

What keywords did you use?

 

I entered "Westerdam 11/13/05" on Google and got 3 pages of references ... none of which contained up-front references to the O'Reilly cruise.

 

By entering "November 13, 2005" "Group" "Westerdam" I did find a listing for an "Innovated Gay Travel" Group that will on that sailing. But that group is only about 30-50 guests ... no big deal.

 

Thus far, the only way I've found info on the O'Reilly Group through Google has been to type in "O'Reilly Cruise" That's hardly helpful.

[blackbird71]

What keywords did you use?

.

 

As computer geek Blackbird71 would say Google is your Friend

 

use:

 

Thomas More Law Center cruise

 

:D:D

[blackbird71]

Oceanwench,

 

I go on cruises to get away from politics and religious controversy (even when I'm serving as chaplain, for the most part hot theological topics are not addressed).

 

Right I even take of my blue "Liberal" wrist band for cruises...:p:p

 

But as a Florida guy, the worst "group" I have read about in the papers is the "trailer park set"..... I also have read that some menus have been changed when they had a very large group of them on a ship but that could be just BS.

[RevNeal]

Thomas More Law Center cruise

 

The problem with entering this is that one would have to know about there being a Thomas Moore Law Center Cruise in order to search for it. If just looking with Google for a group cruise on the Westerdam one wouldn't find much by any of the general keywords that one might think to use for a cruise on the Westerdam and for a certain date.

[Oceanwench]

A friend told me she heard about the cruise, so I googled and found it ... one site led to another. Naturally some bloggers ran with the story!

This was in the NY Daily News:

 

Slack sales sink

good ship O'Reilly

 

BY JONATHAN LEMIRE

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

 

 

Fair and balanced doesn't float.

 

A cruise featuring Fox News star Bill O'Reilly that had been shilled on the conservative pundit's popular cable show has been cancelled due to a lack of interest.

 

The week-long Caribbean cruise, themed "The Battle for American Values," hoped to have 800 passengers on board, but it fell "well short" of its goal, according to The Thomas More Law Center, which was to get a share of the revenue.

 

"Mr. O'Reilly, who has been a friend of our organization for a long time, wanted to go to bat for us, and a cruise sounded like a good idea at the time," said Dan Costanzo, director of public relations for the conservative think tank.

 

"Unfortunately, it didn't work out the way we hoped," he said.

 

Passage on the November cruise cost between $1,099 and $1,629 before taxes - which would have scored two private appearances by the star of "The O'Reilly Factor," as well as a lecture from former U.S. Sen. Jeremiah Denton (R-Ala.) and a symposium on "How to Combat the ACLU."

 

"These types of cruises featuring politicians or about a political issue - either conservative or liberal - are usually quite popular," said Brian Major of Cruise Lines International Association, an industry group.

 

"So this is really surprising that this one didn't sell enough to happen," Major said.

 

The Thomas More Center asked the organizing travel agency, Corporate Travel Services, for an extension to book more guests, but it still wasn't able to sell enough tickets to make the voyage feasible, Costanzo said.

 

A spokeswoman for Corporate Travel Service confirmed the cruise was sparsely booked, but would not provide details.

 

O'Reilly declined comment through a Fox News official, but one of his liberal foes took a more sarcastic approach.

 

"I'm very, very disappointed," said liberal political comedian Al Franken. "My wife and I had made it our vacation, and we really had been looking forward to the cruise and hearing Bill O'Reilly talk about the American values all while sailing

 

OOPS --> I cut off the end of that quote! :o

[uncialman]

Regardless of Mr. O'Reilly's views, he has a huge base and this particular cruise *should have* been quite a success if the proper marketing had been done (Same goes for Chris Matthews, James Carvill, Sean Hannity or whomever). James Dobson can fill 600 cabins without a problem and many evangelical groups do the same. As revneal stated, there is a problem when the cruise is rather obscure and the base has not been motivated. Speaking of which, I will have a group with over 300 cabins (600 pax +) on the Oosterdam this January. :o)

[HeatherInFlorida]

You're absolutely right, uncialman. Had this cruise been properly marketed it would have attracted high numbers. As you say, any popular TV commentator would have an equally large following.

 

Since I am a political commentary junkie, I watch all these shows including Bill O'Reilly's. At no time did I hear this cruise advertised or mentioned even in passing.

 

Uncialman, should we be asking what sort of group you will have on the Oosterdam in January and when;) ? There may be some who have posted here who won't be happy with a 600 passenger group:D

[trubey]

I just started a new thread listing about a dozen cruises with "special interest" groups. Please feel free to add any when/if you find them. It just might make or break a vacation for someone else. s.

[csg99]

I just started a new thread listing about a dozen cruises with "special interest" groups. Please feel free to add any when/if you find them. It just might make or break a vacation for someone else. s.

 

Thanks, Trubey--if HAL won't tell us, it will help to find out somewhere else!

[Dog Mommie]

I was told 2 "groups" will be cruising with my dh and I on 9/24/05 Maasdam. Wouldn't tell me who or exactly how many...just that they had requested ALL THE DINING ROOM SEATS for 6:45 and 8:00....so we are waitlisted for ANY seat available. Yep, HAL will NOT guarantee we will be seated in the dining room.:mad:

[blackbird71]

I was told 2 "groups" will be cruising with my dh and I on 9/24/05 Maasdam. Wouldn't tell me who or exactly how many...just that they had requested ALL THE DINING ROOM SEATS for 6:45 and 8:00....so we are waitlisted for ANY seat available. Yep, HAL will NOT guarantee we will be seated in the dining room.:mad:

 

You may be in luck I hear the leader of this group is on your cruise :D

 

 

Just joking..... :p:p

[Oceanwench]

I would think the marketing of the 11/13 cruise was not Bill O'Reilly's responsibility -- he was just a featured speaker.

It would more likely be the organization hosting the cruise -- the Thomas More Law Center -- and/or the travel organization putting the whole thing together.

 

I did read that O'Reilly mentioned the cruise on one of his shows, and the NY Daily News article refers to that. I don't watch him, so I wouldn't know.

 

As far as the lack of turnout, it could be marketing, could be the prices, could be the time of year. The ship returns to port the weekend before Thanksgiving, usually an expensive time to fly.

 

In our very polarized political world, people [not here -- on blogs, etc.] were just jump on the story because it involves a controversial celebrity.

I am sure the same thing would have happened if Al Franken was scheduled to speak on an ACLU cruise, and it was canceled.

 

As OP, I have to say the whole point of the thread was --> just my amazement at discovering that the cruise I was going on was supposed to have had a large group on a "Battle for American Values" -themed cruise!

:)

[HeatherInFlorida]

Actually I like the title "Battle for American Values". We could all learn something from that no matter what our political views.

 

Despite what the Daily News reported, the cruise was not mentioned on the show. Doesn't matter. Whatever the reason, it's cancelled and you will not need to contend with such a large group which was your main concern. I wouldn't have wanted to either and I think it's very unfair that HAL does not inform its other passengers when such a large part of the ship is being chartered out.

 

It's one thing when there's a group of 30 or 40 people, even up to 100. But a group of 800 is almost half the ship and I think everyone deserves to know about it.

[blackbird71]

I would think the marketing of the 11/13 cruise was not Bill O'Reilly's responsibility -- he was just a featured speaker.

It would more likely be the organization hosting the cruise -- the Thomas More Law Center -- and/or the travel organization putting the whole thing together.

 

I did read that O'Reilly mentioned the cruise on one of his shows, and the NY Daily News article refers to that. I don't watch him, so I wouldn't know.

 

 

Right the problem with groups like this is the marketing. If out of each pax ticket price, you set aside $100 for marketing, that only add up to $80,000.

 

So the marketing of the cruise would have to be done mainly by emails, and snail mail...

 

Lot of groups are put together and marketed by ppl with a common interest and thru a monthly magazine. So it sounds to me like Thomas More Law Center and not the speaker did not have a big enough base to get the 800 paxs.

[kryos]

I think it's very unfair that HAL does not inform its other passengers when such a large part of the ship is being chartered out.

 

It's one thing when there's a group of 30 or 40 people, even up to 100. But a group of 800 is almost half the ship and I think everyone deserves to know about it.

 

I can't help but wonder just how many of these group cruises wind up either being cancelled due to lack of bookings, or end up being much smaller than the promoters originally planned. I would imagine this O'Reilly cancellation must really have HAL in a tither if they allowed the promoter to block so many cabins for it. That could leave the cruise line with a lot of empty cabins at sailing if the group charter doesn't work out?

 

I know I once signed up for a writer's conference at sea with a local publisher here in the Philly area. Come a couple of months before the cruise, I received a notice that the cruise was cancelled due to "lack of interest," and that I could choose to retain my booking (at a reduced rate) and just do the cruise on my own as a regular passenger, or could receive a full refund of my deposit.

 

I am sure there are a lot of groups that meet this fate. While I am sure our little local conference didn't have a lot of rooms blocked, I wonder how the cruise line handles such a major "cancellation" as this O'Reilly thing must have been?

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Oceanwench]

Actually I like the title "Battle for American Values". We could all learn something from that no matter what our political views.

 

Despite what the Daily News reported, the cruise was not mentioned on the show. Doesn't matter. Whatever the reason, it's cancelled and you will not need to contend with such a large group which was your main concern. I wouldn't have wanted to either and I think it's very unfair that HAL does not inform its other passengers when such a large part of the ship is being chartered out.

 

It's one thing when there's a group of 30 or 40 people, even up to 100. But a group of 800 is almost half the ship and I think everyone deserves to know about it.

 

 

Heather, apparently the New York Daily News was correct in its reporting.

Bill O'Reilly mentioned the cruise on his April 20 show. Here is part of the transcript as provided by Fox News:

 

The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day

 

Time now for "Most Ridiculous Item of the Day"...

 

Because we do the "Radio Factor" at noon and the TV "Factor" at night, I don't have time to do many personal appearances anymore. --I can't even do book signings.

 

But the Thomas More Law Center, --the anti-ACLU-- has asked me to do a couple of lectures next November on a ship sailing the Caribbean. Now, I'm thinking about it if the interest is there. So if you are interested in checking the possibility out, please go to billoreilly.com for information.

 

If those lectures happen on the ship, there is one rule, however. No throwing me overboard. That would be ridiculous.

 

I am taking a risk here if I get on a ship!

[mechcc]

Darn! Had I known about it, I just might of signed up for the chance to throw the self-rightous snob overboard.

[blackbird71]

Found this on the canned cruise

 

The Thomas More Law Center presents a Caribbean Adventure Cruise

with Bill O'Reilly and other notable guests onboard the new Holland American cruise ship "Westerdam".

 

From $1099.00 per person

Special offer: Exclusive V.I.P. cocktail reception with Bill O'Reilly limited to 100 Passengers. Additional $250 per person. Proceeds to benefit the Thomas More Law Center. Contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

The Thomas More Law Center Presents

THE BATTLE FOR AMERICAN VALUES

A Caribbean Cruise featuring special guest

BILL O'REILLY, h

ost of Fox News'

The O'Reilly Factor,

aboard Holland America's newest vessel, the Westerdam.

November 13-20, 2005

Sail with Bill O'Reilly and enjoy:

 

• Two private appearances by Bill O'Reilly, followed by a question and answer session.

  
  

• Sessions with Admiral Jeremiah Denton, former Vietnam POW, U.S. Senator and American hero.

  
  

• Symposium by the Thomas More Law Center on how to combat the ACLU.

  
  

*************************************

 

From the looks of the information, this cruise was offered at a reasonable price. The HAL cruises that I am looking at are not in the Caribbean so I do not know what is rock bottom rates for the Caribbean.

 

Maybe the failure of this group was they were too cheap and did not have an AD budget to promote the cruise....

 

 

 

[SANDPEBBLES]

Last February, my husband and I were trapped on the Norwegian Spirit with between 600 and 800 University of Florida drunken spring breakers.

 

The American values treasured by these young people included: screaming profanities around children, seniors, and anyone else within earshot; bullying the well-behaved students; getting so drunk at Grand Cayman, they had to be carried onto the tenders in extremely rough seas; physically pushing people at the buffets; abandoning beer bottles in the pool, hot tubs, hallways; destroying beautiful art pieces; engaging in fights; "treating" the rest of us to lewd sexual antics; making obscene phone calls; disturbing passengers' sleep by partying at all hours. . . You get the idea. The captain had to put some of them off the ship at Roatan.

 

As an alumni of U of F, I was utterly disgusted by what I witnessed and no longer make contributions to the school. (The Student Activities Program arranged the cruise with NCL.)

 

NCL made no effort to inform us that we would be sharing the Spirit with the spring breakers. Why should they? The college students can't be victims of discrimination. This is America! No one should judge them. Their American parents raised them, and their American values were clearly on display. The rest of us passengers and the exhausted crew just needed to toss our sense of decorum aside and "understand" their brand of fun and frolic.

 

As a result of the experience, I am very nervous when it comes to group bookings. We have a Holland America cruise coming up in October and hope there are no surprises.

 

I'm totally against not being informed about large cruise groups! When I spend money for a vacation, I have a right to know about every aspect of the package.

 

That being said, I am a "Factor" fan. I watch often but did not know about the cruise. It does not surprise me that Bill mentioned it briefly during one segment of the show and left it for the viewers to decide.

 

Spirited debate is an American value that I personally treasure. So, I'll take this opportunity to stand up for the "No Spin Zone" and its host.

 

Would I cruise with Bill O'Reilley? Don't need to - He's in my livingroom almost every night, debating others with different points of view. Don't like his style? Thank God for a free country and multiple cable channels and a remote! (Will the ACLU come after me for thanking God? These days - who knows?!)

[peaches from georgia]

 

Spirited debate is an American value that I personally treasure. So, I'll take this opportunity to stand up for the "No Spin Zone" and its host.

 

Would I cruise with Bill O'Reilley? Don't need to - He's in my livingroom almost every night, debating others with different points of view. Don't like his style? Thank God for a free country and multiple cable channels and a remote! (Will the ACLU come after me for thanking God? These days - who knows?!)

 

Is this about cruising? Is this thread now to be opened up to opposing political opinion?

[Host Walt]

Folks, the subject is about a large group booking and the problems that can result. Please avoid digressing into other matters.

 

This thread is closed. I asked yesterday that you all stay with the topic, large groups on cruises. My request was ignored.