Should Carnival notify you if your ship has been chartered?

[NoDayButToday]

Someone posted a thread last year about this time with similar concerns about the goth cruise. They ended up going on their originally planned cruise and had a great time. This is the thread where they were talking about it.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2092390

[Bradburyesqu]

When I was in high school I got into the local music scene. Mostly Punk bands. Although there is a lot of bleed over between the Punk and Goth scenes.

 

Anyway before I could drive my father would drop me off. He was so nervous by the crowd I was hanging out with that he'd sit in his truck from the whole 3 - 4 hour show in case something happened.

 

One night a kid leaned up against his truck. The guy had mohawk, ammunition belt, ripped jeans, band shirt and leather jacket. The entire look. When he saw that my father was in the truck he came to the window. My father nervously rolled down the window and the kid said with sincerity "Oh, sir, I'm sorry. I didn't realize anyone was in this truck. I didn't scratch, just leaned on it a little bit. I hope that is okay."

 

Shocked my father said "no problem." He drove home that night and never stayed through a entire concert again.

 

My point is they were kids. And they were kids that wanted to be counter culture but still deep down in side wanted to fit in. (don't tell them that.) So they got together and were all different in the same way.

 

While there are bad people in any large group "Goths" aren't inherently bad or evil. They aren't Satan worshipers or vampires. They are people who want to be different and have found a way to be different and fit in. In fact I'd say the worst thing about the culture in my experience is that they can be pretty snobby.

 

And as someone else pointed out they will have outfits that put a suite and tie to shame. I can almost promise you will see at least one person in a tails and top hat at some point on the cruise.

 

As I said before the music thing would concern me. I'm not really a fan of the Goth music genera, particular the bands that mix industrial, but other then that it won't be any different then any other cruise.

 

You can make yourself have a bad time because there are a few extra people on your cruise in black, but you'll be doing it to yourself.

[JinxyB]

I was booked on the Drag Queen cruise on the Glory a few years ago- I ended up canceling before final payment because the group was 1/3 of the ship and I felt it would impact our overall enjoyment of the cruise. I believe I found out about the group by reading these forums. Any large group, be it religious, alternate lifestyle, etc. impacts the entire cruise due to closed venues, taking over the pool deck, etc. I feel the cruise line should notify guests of a certain percentage of people booked in a group if it is 20-25% of the guests.

 

It turns out Carnival offered people booked on that drag cruise full refunds including travel expenses if they didn't want to go. I sailed on NCL Pearl that same week from Miami and encountered some displaced Glory cruisers who had booked the Pearl after canceling their cruise on the Glory.

[beauty1492]

It would be nice if there was a site that easily listed groups but atlast..not the way of the world. there is one site but you have to scroll thu every category to see if you cruise is listed. very time consuming.

 

...We have sailed with a lot of groups-on board- one was a music at sea that did take a lot of the evening programs venues, one that was wiccan that was the total eclipse of the moon and we told that the upper outside decks were closed for there ceremonies??? The teddy bears?? one of the worst a large group of TA that thought they own the ship.

 

We just go with the flow--but before I book I do tried to see if there is a large group. I also make friends on the roll call and insulate ourselves if we need to.

[eileen60]

I wondered that as well. I love watching others have fun and am fairly non judgmental BUT when it infringes on the rights of other PAYING customers it should be posted.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Emilycat]

I googled this cruise and didn't come up with anything about any groups being on it. What do you google exactly?

[Rudyard]

It was also interesting to see on their website that smoking is acceptable on balconies despite the Carnival policy of none.

 

I'm guessing that the person who posted that has sailed Carnival, but not since the change took effect. I doubt they are members of any sites like CC either or they'd have known about it from there. Hopefully they change that and get the word out or there will most likely be complaints flying left and right.

 

People on balconies next to the smokers will complain about the smoking, and the smokers will most likely complain at both the incorrect information and the fact that many might have booked a cheaper cabin had they known.

[lido deck larry]

If Carnival books a large group, should they tell other customers about it before the ship sails?

 

I just found out today that our Sept 27th cruise has a very large contingent of Gothic passengers on board. It seems as though this group does a cruise annually and its members dress in black Gothic attire, and several Goth bands play throughout the cruise. This is beginning to look like this cruise in NOT going to be the quiet, relaxing cruise that I paid good money for. I believe Carnival should have notified all of those that booked this cruise to let us know. If I had known about this group, then I probably would have rescheduled my cruise.

 

What would you do???

Why not go check out some of their concerts and talk to some of the group? You might find it a positive experience that makes your vacation more fun, rather than less relaxing.... you haven't even gotten on the ship yet.

 

Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

Had you not known about this group you would probably never have known they were on board.

 

Unless a chartered group is 1/4th of the passenger list or more you will never notice them unless they all dress alike and eat together and you share their dining room.