No access to areas occupied by large groups

[ghstudio]

The only thing I've read here where a group caused a problem that though actually was a real problem was when a large group took over early dining...and those not in the group who had booked early dining were assigned to late dining when they arrived on the ship.....told that your dining choice when you book is a request, not a firm commitment.

 

I don't recall the ship or the cruise...but it was celebrity in the past two years.

[wallie5446]

Now let me temper things a bit.

 

I get it that there are times that there will be a large booking where hundreds know each other, and this will be cause for discomfort for others. I am not flaming them in any way for their feelings. We I guess have just been luckie over the years not to experience this, YET!:D

 

To be pro active is one thing, but to 'test the issue' and feel it would be

"humerous" is my issue.

[dkjretired]

Now let me temper things a bit.

 

I get it that there are times that there will be a large booking where hundreds know each other, and this will be cause for discomfort for others. I am not flaming them in any way for their feelings. We I guess have just been luckie over the years not to experience this, YET!:D

 

To be pro active is one thing, but to 'test the issue' and feel it would be

"humerous" is my issue.

 

I find that funny also, I think the person who tries to test the issue may find himself being shown a special room on the cruise ship in the brig.

[dkjretired]

The only thing I've read here where a group caused a problem that though actually was a real problem was when a large group took over early dining...and those not in the group who had booked early dining were assigned to late dining when they arrived on the ship.....told that your dining choice when you book is a request, not a firm commitment.

 

I don't recall the ship or the cruise...but it was celebrity in the past two years.

 

I can tell you about two cruises that caused a problem, the infamous doll cruise where people had a hard time finding seats in various venues because they were occupied by dolls and the mothers thought it was "cute."

 

 

The other example was on this board I believe in the last couple of weeks. A cruise of fundamental Christians took up about half the cruise and because of their beliefs tried to close all the bars and the Casino. Apparently Celebrity set them straight.

[vacation luvver]

The Celebrity Today each day lists the times each venue is open to the public. Days when groups may take over the space, you will see the times adjusted accordingly in the daily guide.

That is SO not true. I have been a member of a group totaling approx. 300 people three times on Celebrity, once on the Silhouette and twice on the Summit. Our group met for an hour and a half three times during each cruise while we were at sea in either the Sky Observation Lounge or the Revelations Lounge, and there was absolutely no mention of this in the Celebrity Today.

 

In addition, there was a private sail-away party on each cruise in those lounges. Nothing was mentioned about them in Celebrity Today. In fact, the bar employees allowed people not in the group to enter the bar and order drinks 20 minutes before our party was supposed to start. Then those people were kicked out. They shouldn't have been allowed in in the first place, if they were going to wind up being kicked out. But they had no way of knowing this, because our private party was not mentioned in the Celebrity Today, and the bar employees allowed them to come in, knowing that they would get kicked out shortly.

 

On the Summit, I received an invitation to the cocktail party for returning cruisers and saw that it was supposed to be at the same time and in the same lounge as our private get-together. I showed our group's itinerary and the Celebrity Today to someone at Guest Relations and tried to explain the conflict, but no matter what I said, the Guest Relations guy just didn't understand that there was a problem. I happened to run into the organizer of our group and told him about the conflict. He said that he knew about it and was working with TPTB of the Summit. The time of the Summit cocktail party was eventually changed.

 

So I wouldn't count on a ship's newsletter informing you when a bar or lounge is closed to passengers who aren't members of a group. I will say, though, that our group would never have dreamed of taking over the pool or the theater, just a lounge or bar when there were other bars open at the time. And everyone made their own dining arrangements, whether early sitting, late sitting, Celebrity Select, or surcharge restaurants.

[cle-guy]

That is SO not true. I have been a member of a group totaling approx. 300 people three times on Celebrity, once on the Silhouette and twice on the Summit. Our group met for an hour and a half three times during each cruise while we were at sea in either the Sky Observation Lounge or the Revelations Lounge, and there was absolutely no mention of this in the Celebrity Today.

 

I would agree with you, and this can vary ship to ship and cruise director to cruise director. A lot of it depends on how well the Group leaders works with the CD and Celebrity Group Liaison on board to arrange venue space.

 

As your group arrived to its own printed itinerary, it's entirely possible that the group leader did not confirm the arrangements in advance, or did not confirm the locations and times to be included in the Celebrity Today, and clearly did not proof read the Celebrity Today each day prior to its being printed in a daily meeting with the Celebrity Group liaison. Note that Celebrity today did not announce any of the special event times in it on our cruise, but rather just showed the open hours for the public use of the spaces, thereby allowing the closed times to be used by our group.

 

On our cruise, our group worked well in advance of the cruise, and ensure the times of venues occupied, such as the Solarium pool, were noted appropriately in the Celebrity today. Our group leader met daily around noon with the CD and Groups folks to coordinate such issues for the following day. Activities are never "set in stone" other than a day or so in advance, to allow them to juggle based on passenger participation, desires and other factors that may arise, such as rough seas requiring a formal night to move to keep with the aerial acts at the theatre.

[rvmike]

Was on a Carnival once and 10 guys spent the afternoon in one hot tube with buckets of beer. Never saw them leave. EWWWWWWW

[Sloop-JohnB]

Was on a Carnival once and 10 guys spent the afternoon in one hot tube with buckets of beer. Never saw them leave. EWWWWWWW

 

Huh ?

 

How does ths relate to the topic of this thread ?

 

Cheers!

[dkjretired]

Huh ?

 

How does ths relate to the topic of this thread ?

 

Cheers!

 

It doesn't but I laughed because I read it sitting in a hot tub in Florida, I Was alone.

[WisRiver]

On the Holland America CC forum, some one takes the time every month to update a list of groups and charters for HAL ships.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2133851

 

On some HAL ships there are groups of various sizes almost every cruise. Is there a similar list for Celebrity Cruises?

[rvmike]

It was about a group taking over.

[Sloop-JohnB]

It doesn't but I laughed because I read it sitting in a hot tub in Florida, I Was alone.

 

Hi DKJRETIRED,

 

Lol, thanks for my daily chuckle.

 

Hope you enjoy your vacation.

 

Wish I was in Florida NOW... It is well below Freezing here and they have issued a Snowstorm Warning (6 to 10 inches :eek: )

 

Not ready for that

 

Not ready for our cruise either tho

 

From a mental POV I am very ready ... But from a logistics POV still have a zillion things to do :(

 

Cheers!

[BayAreaBC]

I've been on several cruises where virtually the entire ship was taken over by people over 40 years old!

 

I'm also over 40 but who wants to see people like that!

 

I couldn't even use the pool or spa without getting queasy.

Edited December 10, 2014 by BayAreaBC

[Gracie115]

The other example was on this board I believe in the last couple of weeks. A cruise of fundamental Christians took up about half the cruise and because of their beliefs tried to close all the bars and the Casino. Apparently Celebrity set them straight.

 

I hadn't heard about this group.......would have been interesting watching how they tried to close the bars down......:D:eek:

[dkjretired]

I hadn't heard about this group.......would have been interesting watching how they tried to close the bars down......:D:eek:

 

I agree, the posts that I saw didn't give any details, would have loved to have been on that cruise.

[cruisemuse27]

well I had a chuckle over my own post...."humerous" spelled wrong....lol....but on the other hand it is the bone that ends at your funny bone...so not that far off...

its too bad, no one saw the humour in crashing some event...way too eager to be confrontational...and here someone will say , well being a crasher is the outmost in confrontation....yeah ok...ok....

 

in all my cruising only one time a group ruined a cruise to such an extent that we and others got full refunds...yes full refunds...

 

it was on the good old century....

 

Celebrity promo allowed children to sail free....we had a huge group embark from mexico city....

 

its not that there were that many children but the type....they chiselled mosaics out of walls, scratched initials on mirrors, stole bottles from bars that could be easily reached, ran up and down halls all night knocking on doors, spat down at those dining on the lower level of the dining room, climbed onto the stage during performances, that cruise changed the rules that children had to sit several rows behind stage....

 

way too many things to mention here, many complained ....and were compensated...it was a nightmare...total chaos...yes there is humour here too....if you could get past not sleeping at night, having to discipline children who would pretend they spoke no english....and making your way around the number of prams standing in all entry ways....

 

as a result of that cruise, many rules came to be, by the pool etc...

 

of course this is an extreme example....but it certainly changed how I feel about ANY children/tots/babies being on board...but that is a whole other topic....

 

the damage cost celebrity ...

[wallie5446]

It has been rummered that one of the reasons the Zumba was moved inside and away from the pool, were the complaints from some that the largeness of some in the class was causing discomfort to others, and disrupting their sea day at the pool.;)

[marbear5]

well I had a chuckle over my own post...."humerous" spelled wrong....lol....but on the other hand it is the bone that ends at your funny bone...so not that far off...

its too bad, no one saw the humour in crashing some event...way too eager to be confrontational...and here someone will say , well being a crasher is the outmost in confrontation....yeah ok...ok....

 

in all my cruising only one time a group ruined a cruise to such an extent that we and others got full refunds...yes full refunds...

 

it was on the good old century....

 

Celebrity promo allowed children to sail free....we had a huge group embark from mexico city....

 

its not that there were that many children but the type....they chiselled mosaics out of walls, scratched initials on mirrors, stole bottles from bars that could be easily reached, ran up and down halls all night knocking on doors, spat down at those dining on the lower level of the dining room, climbed onto the stage during performances, that cruise changed the rules that children had to sit several rows behind stage....

 

way too many things to mention here, many complained ....and were compensated...it was a nightmare...total chaos...yes there is humour here too....if you could get past not sleeping at night, having to discipline children who would pretend they spoke no english....and making your way around the number of prams standing in all entry ways....

 

as a result of that cruise, many rules came to be, by the pool etc...

 

of course this is an extreme example....but it certainly changed how I feel about ANY children/tots/babies being on board...but that is a whole other topic....

 

the damage cost celebrity ...

 

I was on that cruise. I never witnessed anything like it. A large group of rude people. I was waiting patiently in line, with my young daughter, to get cookies and the person in front of us let twenty of her friends get in the line-pushing in.

Celebrity was having a difficult time controlling the situation.They did the best they could.

 

Marilyn

[cruisemuse27]

yes the staff did their best...they really were at a loss for what to do, it is not their fault that head office makes stupid decisions....there was NO profit for Celeb on that cruise, damage, refunds, and the number that took advantage of a low cost cruise....whoever made the decision should have been axed....

 

and anyone else who makes stupid decisions like that, that impact the whole ship when a large group takes over.....

 

we had a honeymoon couple at our table....it was their first cruise, what an introduction to cruising...

[NLH Arizona]

The other example was on this board I believe in the last couple of weeks. A cruise of fundamental Christians took up about half the cruise and because of their beliefs tried to close all the bars and the Casino. Apparently Celebrity set them straight.

Having a large group onboard closing down a few venues from time to time is one thing, but for a group to think they can change the way the ships runs or close certain venues because of their beliefs is another. Everyone should live by something I live by and that is don't push your agenda/beliefs on me and I won't push mine on you.

[dkjretired]

Having a large group onboard closing down a few venues from time to time is one thing, but for a group to think they can change the way the ships runs or close certain venues because of their beliefs is another. Everyone should live by something I live by and that is don't push your agenda/beliefs on me and I won't push mine on you.

 

Completely agree...