Charters and Groups

[HeatherInFlorida]

I agree with Peaches. Trubey, perhaps if the list were kept to groups of over a certain number, it might be more important to everyone. It's not the small groups of 25, 30, 50 or even 100 that affect our cruises. We had a group of 75 on a recent cruise and if they hadn't told us they were a "group", we never would have known.

 

It is the large numbers that take up anywhere from 25% or more of the ship and have a number of group activities that take over lounges and block out large portions of the dining room.

I would agree if we were to list every single group travelling over the next 2 years, the list will be endless. How would you feel about adding only larger groups to this list?

[trubey]

I never really thought about size, because I was trying to avoid any type of value judgments in this at all. Each person can make this own decision.

 

This is just a list of groups that we know of—and their size, if we know.

 

And when I'm in the mood, I'll google for more and then make a new list.

 

susan.

[jhannah]

Do you require hotels and resorts to inform you of their group and convention business before you book a room at their hotel or do you accuse them as well for 'playing stupid' with you?

There is a lot of difference here. Hotels have meeting/convention areas set aside for such business meetings, workshops, and luncheons/dinners. When I'm at a hotel (not for a meeting) I don't even go into this area. I'm not hanging around inside the hotel day and night trying to work my activities around a large group.

[Oceanwench]

Quote from Uncialman: .....why hasn't anyone listed the Cruise Critic groups in this thread? Why are they not considered a horrific threat to the enjoyment of your cruise experience? It seems instead that we are only listing groups that are based upon religious convictions, sexual preference, political affiliation and music preference.

 

Very clever to pull the 'discrimination' rabbit out of your hat, but it is a matter of the size and amount of activities of the group, and you know that.

 

CC cruises on HAL will involve a small # of people, certainly on the very low side of the 50-100 estimate, and probably not even that. CCers have no subject of interest or study that brings them to activities on the ship other than meeting at the beginning of the cruise (possibly even on an aft balcony) and seeing each other on occasion.

 

This is a far cry from hundreds of people together for daily meetings and lectures, reserving public rooms such as the Vista Lounge, Queens Lounge and most of the smaller rooms, special events taking over the Lido or aft pools areas, reserving the Pinnacle for private use, and even one or two seatings in the dining room being taken for the group, not to even mention the lounges at night.

 

And who makes up the CC groups??? A bunch of people who met online and share a common interst in cruising!!!

They are no different from all the other non-affiliated cruisers aboard the ship, other than they organized through the Internet.

As Peaches said, they are not reserving public rooms, lounges, pools, etc. to hold daily meetings on non-cruise-related topics.

They are simply there for the cruise itself!

[ekerr19]

ekerr19:

 

 

Lastly, rather than insulting HAL for their group business, have you considered what HAL's current economic status would be without these groups (especially since every other cruiseline in the world is vying for their business?)? Do you require hotels and resorts to inform you of their group and convention business before you book a room at their hotel or do you accuse them as well for 'playing stupid' with you?

 

I don't have a problem with what HAL chooses to do to generate revenue - but I do have a problem when they hold back this group cruise booking information. I was booked on the 8/21/05 Amsterdam cruise and I will tell you that I would be highly upset if I was still going and found that this large group was also onboard. My TA always checks with HAL because she knows our preference NOT to be on a group cruise. She was told, "No groups" and we booked it. If it hadn't been for this post, I would have neve known.

 

A resort and hotel is highly different from a cruise ship - at least for us.

[ekerr19]

There is a lot of difference here. Hotels have meeting/convention areas set aside for such business meetings, workshops, and luncheons/dinners. When I'm at a hotel (not for a meeting) I don't even go into this area. I'm not hanging around inside the hotel day and night trying to work my activities around a large group.

 

I agree Jim! There is a big difference.

[Mary Ellen]

Thanks for all the work. I do think group size shouldn't be an issue in putting together the list, we can decide for ourselves - usually. I knew there was a group of 'spinners' on our Alaskan cruise this year. Not too worried, how big could the group be? They were from the Vancouver, BC area, and a pretty specialized interest. At check-in, we discovered they all had their own spinning wheels - and a good chunk of the Crow's Nest was walled off for a group. If it was the same group, I don't know - but it made the Crow's Nest (normally busy on Alaskan cruises) pretty crowded.

[trubey]

08/14/05 Amsterdam Card Players

10/22/05 Zaandam Card Players

05/14/06 Rotterdam Card Players

07/29/06 Oosterdam Card Players

12/02/06 Oosterdam Card Players

 

[ekerr19]

08/14/05 Amsterdam Card Players

10/22/05 Zaandam Card Players

05/14/06 Rotterdam Card Players

07/29/06 Oosterdam Card Players

12/02/06 Oosterdam Card Players

 

 

Do you know what type of card players???

[elmorejj]

Just started reading this thread and appreciate the work that trubey has done on it. Maybe Michael should stick to the intent of the OP and maybe there would be less contention on the boards.............jean :cool:

[trubey]

It's Poker. Just do a search for "Card Player Cruise" susan.

[uncialman]

Just started reading this thread and appreciate the work that trubey has done on it. Maybe Michael should stick to the intent of the OP and maybe there would be less contention on the boards.............jean :cool:

 

Thanks for the kind words elmorejj : there is constant contention on the boards over almost every issue that exists (And others find no problem in departing from the topic when I am the OP). I wrote a post in the thread, and then I was beaten up for not categorically listing all of my sailings. So sorry...

 

Cruise Critic *parties* etc. can close down bars, meeting rooms etc. on any trip or ship as they have done so in the past. Card Groups (especially Bridge groups) can take up all the meeting space at one time for almost the entire length of a cruise. Insurance salesmen, family reunions (many, many of these that aren't getting listed), fan clubs, and scrapbook collectors all have major groups that cruise constantly.

 

In regards to how hotels and cruise ships differ - they really don't to a large extent (hence, the "Hotel Manager"). Spaces such as the Vista Lounge are used during dead periods (such as first dining or at early hours of the morning) and are cleared out quickly for the next ship event.

 

Again, if you want to take HAL to task on this, you might want to be prepared to be consistent and take every other cruiseline to the woodshed as well.

[SLove]

I'm sorry but I have to agree with unicalman on this one.

 

The cruiselines have to make money and fill staterooms and groups are courted by everyone. I don't know why you would make a differentiation between a person in a group or a person who is not in a group as they are all just people. And Holland America should be able to do as much business as they want with whomever they want to. If you don't like it, go to another cruiseline and you'll find even bigger groups.

[HeatherInFlorida]

I don't believe the issue was whether HAL should book groups on cruises. I believe the thread was here for the purpose of posting any group cruises we may come across as we wander the web.

 

Also, HAL was taken to task a bit for not letting us know when a large group was booked on a particular cruise so we as guests could make the choice as to whether we want to travel with a large group.

 

But no one had a problem with HAL booking groups and no one is trying to take any business away from HAL. So I think Trubey's hope for what this thread could be for us got lost somewhere along the way.

[SLove]

I don't believe the issue was whether HAL should book groups on cruises. I believe the thread was here for the purpose of posting any group cruises we may come across as we wander the web.

 

Also, HAL was taken to task a bit for not letting us know when a large group was booked on a particular cruise so we as guests could make the choice as to whether we want to travel with a large group.

 

But no one had a problem with HAL booking groups and no one is trying to take any business away from HAL. So I think Trubey's hope for what this thread could be for us got lost somewhere along the way.

 

No one had a problem with HAL booking groups? wow I think you should go back and read the thread over again. I think the truism is that as it has been said, almost every 7 day cruise has a large group booked. You won't have any 7 day cruises left to cruise on.

[Odd Ball]

I started to make a list of group cruises that I found on the web and it's just too long to print, so will give you the URL. It may be deleted, but so be it.

 

http://www.inspirationcruises.com/Flash/flash.html

 

I remember this group being mentioned on this board last year, so I put it in my Favourites, to check each time we made a booking to make sure we did not book a cruise when these various groups would be on board. Small groups are fine, but large groups that tend to take over all the public rooms, is not to our liking so we avoid them.

 

I just checked this out. There are a lot of them. :eek: Trubey if you are making a list you should take a look at it.

[Odd Ball]

For anyone who is interested the 6/30 Westerdam sailing has two groups on board. A Star Trek Group "CruiseTrek" and Geek Cruises. I have cruised many times with the Cruise Trek Group. I believe that there is some type of link with the two groups because we were offered the ability to attend some of their conferences, therefore I believe they were also offered the ability to attend some Cruise Trek events. This would be a different group than Sea Trek which someone referred to earlier.

 

Linda

 

What a combination, Geeks and Klingons.:rolleyes:

 

lindacat, Seriously, it does sound like fun. :)

[bookworm0911]

I've been following all this a little and just checked out that site posted above.

 

I always think 'Caribbean' when I'm thinking of groups and was very surprised with the Canada New England Maasdam group cruises. Live and learn I guess.

[kryos]

I just checked this out. There are a lot of them. :eek: Trubey if you are making a list you should take a look at it.

Esme ... you're gonna get a your wrist slapped for that one. :)

 

I got whacked for putting that same URL up on the theme cruises board. :)

 

Apparently, they are basically a travel agency. :(

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

I've been following all this a little and just checked out that site posted above.

 

I always think 'Caribbean' when I'm thinking of groups and was very surprised with the Canada New England Maasdam group cruises. Live and learn I guess.

I don't think destination matters at all. It's length of the cruise that plays a big role. Usually the seven-dayers are the ones preferred by groups ... I guess because they are easier to sell. Some people may have a hard time getting away for a ten-day or longer cruise, but just about everyone can manage a week off from work.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Esme]

Esme ... you're gonna get a your wrist slapped for that one. :)

 

I got whacked for putting that same URL up on the theme cruises board. :)

 

Apparently, they are basically a travel agency. :(

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

Rita - it's not gone yet, and a lot of people have seen it. If you notice in my original post, I said it may not be allowed and if it was removed, so be it. :) On this board, you never know what they are going to delete and what they are going to leave in. You take your chances and hope for the best. :D

[SantaAna,CA]

Excuse me if this is on here (I didn't see every single post) but Biola College is doing seminars at sea on the MS Amsterdam to Alaska sailing from Seattle 8/7/05. I don't know how large a group it is, only that I'm part of it *smile*. Biola is a Christian college in southern California.

 

Jane :)

[bookworm0911]

I don't think destination matters at all. It's length of the cruise that plays a big role. Usually the seven-dayers are the ones preferred by groups ... I guess because they are easier to sell. Some people may have a hard time getting away for a ten-day or longer cruise, but just about everyone can manage a week off from work.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

Of course the 7 day cruises would be more popular for groups, probably 1000 to 1. What I meant was that if you were thinking of groups choosing a destination for a cruise, sun and tropical islands come to mind first and then Alaska would be an attraction nowadays, both of which are mainly 7 day cruises. I just was surprised to see these types of group cruises in Canada and NEngland, though I myself love that area. I bet most of the CC cruisers who have booked these Canada/NEngland cruises were not thinking what large groups might be on the Maasdam when they booked

[ekerr19]

Spaces such as the Vista Lounge are used during dead periods (such as first dining or at early hours of the morning) and are cleared out quickly for the next ship event.

 

Again, if you want to take HAL to task on this, you might want to be prepared to be consistent and take every other cruiseline to the woodshed as well.

 

Uncialman - I give you credit for at least coming back and addressing some of these issues - however, I (and many others I know) prefer 2nd seating for dinner, so how does "first dining" constitute "dead space?" in lounges,etc.???

 

Since I am NOT an early riser, I personally don't care about "early morning space", but I do know folks who are still up at 5:00am, even on a cruise. :)

 

Also, as I only cruise HAL, I'm not sure I really care what other lines do and don't do... just my thoughts

[ekerr19]

It appears that Inspiration Cruises has at least 6 upcoming cruises on HAL - all on Vista class ships, only one more reason to avoid the big V's - in my opinion!

 

Oops, my bad - I only looked at Caribbean - you should check out their upcoming Alaska voyages!! :eek: Another reason to avoid Alaska in the summertime!!! Even a few on S-class ships..

 

I hope S7S misses the upcoming group on the Maasdam, it departs 6/25 - no wonder we couldn't book a Canada/NE cruise before or after the 34-day Maasdam voyage!!