Nieuw Amsterdam Group Booking - HUGE - Eliminates fixed dining and cuts open seating

[styles27]

Not at all. Some folks we cruised with recently were told the same thing... because late seating was already full when they booked their trip. I'm glad because that got them stuck with us in early seating, but they were still blocked from what they originally wanted, a seating after 6pm.

 

That's happened to us more than a few times but we were able to dine at open seating...the MDR wasn't closed off completely to us as it was in this case.

[bUU]

So that means that the value of the guaranteed high load level from a group booking may be even higher than modestly higher fares they could get from non group bookings, and potentially higher on-board expenditures if there was a difference between the two groups.

 

Given how valuable this makes group bookings sound, it is good we have Cruise Critic to share info about such cruises so we can avoid them if we wish.

[OlsSalt]

HAL made the choice...I don't know why they made it but they did. Ultimately some passengers were going to be negatively affected.

 

Maybe the correct thing to do is to not guarantee that groups that large will be able to dine together exclusively, unless they charter the ship...especially if it means closing off the MDR to everyone else.

 

From what I understand this group doesn't want to dine with other passengers who may be drinking alcohol, which is why they closed the dining room to others.

 

So HAL accommodated their request to dine alone.

 

What I'd like to know is what happened at lunch when they were eating with other people on the Lido, or sitting by the pool with others who were drinking alcohol?

 

If it were that much of an issue wouldn't those instances have been a problem too?

 

That's a general question not singling you out. :)

 

But ...but ....but we also got the anecdotal report the mini-bar crew on that cruise were run ragged, refilling the little booze bottles inside the cabins. ........... Maybe it was the regular passengers who got shut out of their expected dining format, drinking away their sorrows. I dunno. But it was a funny report.

[bUU]

That's happened to us more than a few times but we were able to dine at open seating...the MDR wasn't closed off completely to us as it was in this case.

There was no anytime dining on the cruise I was talking about.

[OlsSalt]

So that means that the value of the guaranteed high load level from a group booking may be even higher than modestly higher fares they could get from non group bookings, and potentially higher on-board expenditures if there was a difference between the two groups.

 

Given how valuable this makes group bookings sound, is good we have Cruise Critic to share info about such cruises so we can avoid them if we wish.

 

Credit where credit is due, we have a few specific individuals who labor selflessly to offer this now increasingly critical information .....on CC.

 

Which is fine for those who read up and understand what to look for on this topic. But that is small comfort for those passengers who do not get forewarned. And mid-cruise get an abrupt and material surprise, with no notice.

 

I have never bothered to find out if any of my cruises would have been impacted by an exceptionally large group the way this NA cruise was impacted. I got a very important lesson from this thread - to be forewarned is to be forearmed and not book that particular cruise. Also knowing no informal listing on CC will ever know about all of the possible large group bookings.

 

This is a very uncomfortable reality check to learn about HAL corporate decision making: getting thrown under the bus in favor of large group bookings.

[bUU]

Credit where credit is due, we have a few specific individuals who labor selflessly to offer this now increasingly critical information .....on CC.

One of many advantages members here enjoy, several of which I'm sure some non-CC members would consider unfair advantages we enjoy.

 

 

 

This is a very uncomfortable reality check to learn about HAL corporate decision making: getting thrown under the bus in favor of large group bookings.

I don't see how this can be a surprise given that we've heard of several occasions when cruise lines have CANCELLED cruises that people were already booked on in favor of taking a charter.

[OlsSalt]

One of many advantages members here enjoy, several of which I'm sure some non-CC members would consider unfair advantages we enjoy.

 

 

 

I don't see how this can be a surprise given that we've heard of several occasions when cruise lines have CANCELLED cruises that people were already booked on in favor of taking a charter.

 

The N-A experience was a surprise. And a failure of reasonable notice. And a very unhappy recognition of failed priorities, after the fact.

[bUU]

And a failure of reasonable notice.

 

Clearly not.

[styles27]

But ...but ....but we also got the anecdotal report the mini-bar crew on that cruise were run ragged, refilling the little booze bottles inside the cabins. ........... Maybe it was the regular passengers who got shut out of their expected dining format, drinking away their sorrows. I dunno. But it was a funny report.

 

 

LOL I got a good chuckle from that as well!

[Lizzie68]

So that means that the value of the guaranteed high load level from a group booking may be even higher than modestly higher fares they could get from non group bookings, and potentially higher on-board expenditures if there was a difference between the two groups.

 

Given how valuable this makes group bookings sound, it is good we have Cruise Critic to share info about such cruises so we can avoid them if we wish.

 

I believe it has been said that possibly 2% of cruisers know about Cruise Critic. I know for sure most that we have cruised with in the past have never heard of it. Personally, I had done quite a few cruises before I found out about CC, and it's not exactly the be all and end all of information on cruising - some information and lots and lots of opinions and some people who just like to power-post.;)

[RocketMan275]

Last year we were on a B2B and had this same group (900 psgrs) for the first week. Surprisingly, our dinner service wasn't affected, so maybe they were having early dinner, we didn't really know. All that week the bars were easy to access, happy hour was virtually empty, and the casinos were not very busy. We did learn from a few of the bar servers that this group who apparently shunned alcohol, had the staff servicing the mini-bars in the cabins almost run off their feet. Apparently some were doing 2 runs a day to make sure they were all kept full. Interesting what goes on behind closed doors . . . .

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :):)

 

How do you keep a Baptist from drinking your beer on a fishing trip?

 

Invite two Baptists.

[RocketMan275]

I don't see how this can be a surprise given that we've heard of several occasions when cruise lines have CANCELLED cruises that people were already booked on in favor of taking a charter.

 

Happened to me on HAL. My first HAL cruise was booked on Eurodam. The group/charter thread later listed it as a charter. A little research found that there was a jazz group was booking that cruise as a 100% charter. I rebooked on Princess. A month later the jazz group was still advertising the charter and HAL was still selling cabins on the same cruise. Turns out there is such a thing as a "contingency" charter where the "group" has the option of chartering the ship if and only if they sell enough cabins. If they don't, then they cancel and HAL sails as normal. Meanwhile HAL, since it is a "contingency" continues to sell cruises in case the charter falls through.

 

BTW, complaints that HAL should limit the rights of groups on board to take over venues are spot on. However, if those groups are large enough they can have sufficient influence to write their contract where they can take over any venue they want.

[styles27]

I believe it has been said that possibly 2% of cruisers know about Cruise Critic. I know for sure most that we have cruised with in the past have never heard of it. Personally, I had done quite a few cruises before I found out about CC, and it's not exactly the be all and end all of information on cruising - some information and lots and lots of opinions and some people who just like to power-post.;)

 

(y)

 

Same here...didn't find cruise critic until 2009 but had been cruising since the early 90's.

 

I've found some useful info here and I do enjoy the roll calls and connecting with folks on board that I've met on the roll calls here.

 

Whenever there's this many people on a board I learn to take the power posts with a grain of salt...every site has them. ;p

[st1100y2k]

Our GasMonkey cruise is still a charter cruise...but they released 700 unsold cabins to Interline agents to sell in early February.

 

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[iancal]

I would never describe this as an 'unfortunate incident'

 

It was deliberate. Why make excuses or paint a different picture? HAL made a trade-off. The group won. Non group customers lost.

[OlsSalt]

Our GasMonkey cruise is still a charter cruise...but they released 700 unsold cabins to Interline agents to sell in early February.

 

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Interesting. Is this what drives those websites promising "last minute unsold cruise ship bargains"?

 

I wonder if they notice their customers they will be sailing with a very large affinity group that may disrupt their normal advertised expectations ...... like "anytime dining".

[bUU]

Why make excuses or paint a different picture?

Why ascribe nefarious intent when none was evident?

[djhsolara]

While any kind of disappointment is unfortunate, I don't see this being any different than any other annoying fellow customers. Disney doesn't inform me when there are 5000 quinceneritas visiting the theme park the same day as I. Marriott doesn't inform me when the floor below mine is filled with high school cheerleaders.

 

 

This is no comparison. To do your comparison, you would have to say there was a group at Disney and because of them, Space Mountain, the monorail and Main Street USA were all closed. These are things you expect to be open at Disney but they were closed because of the group.

 

 

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[bUU]

This is no comparison.

We'll have to agree to disagree.

[Liz54]

That's happened to us more than a few times but we were able to dine at open seating...the MDR wasn't closed off completely to us as it was in this case.

 

For clarity.

 

On the cruise the Main Dining Room was open seating 5.15 to 6 PM.

 

On the Previous week, the Usual: Open 5.15-9.00

Early Fixed Seating 5.30

Late Fixed Seating 8 PM

 

At Lunch the group were in the lido. All at once.

 

We did not use the mini bar because we were drinking in bars trying to cheer up the waiters who rely on commissions and tips. One said his pay would be down 60%! We took one for the team and ordered more drinks on hearing this!

 

Members of the group cruise at the 8 PM sitting complained they did not want to eat so late!

 

Members of the group paid more but said it was because they paid the fare for people and musicians who provided programming for them.

[nanlaur]

From what I understand this group doesn't want to dine with other passengers who may be drinking alcohol, which is why they closed the dining room to others.

 

So HAL accommodated their request to dine alone.

 

What I'd like to know is what happened at lunch when they were eating with other people on the Lido, or sitting by the pool with others who were drinking alcohol?

 

If it were that much of an issue wouldn't those instances have been a problem too?

There is no reason to assume that these people were unwilling to share a dining venue with passengers who were drinking alcohol. It was a very large, diverse group and that is an unfounded generalization. There was a broad spectrum of people in the group, from individuals who did not choose to drink to those for whom moderate drinking is not a problem. I did not observe anyone having difficulty with my mom and me drinking wine with our dinner.

 

I think the dining room problem stemmed from the size of the group and their scheduled entertainment early in the evening. The only way they could have participated in the concerts and eat at the main dining room was to monopolize both venues. There would be no other way to accommodate them. And that is the problem that affected the rest of us...having to make due with the leftover capacity of the ship.

[iancal]

So, in a manner of speaking, you ordered and paid for an entre but were served leftovers instead.

 

I guess some people would be OK with that or would excuse it. We would not.

Edited March 12, 2017 by iancal

[styles27]

For clarity.

 

On the cruise the Main Dining Room was open seating 5.15 to 6 PM.

 

On the Previous week, the Usual: Open 5.15-9.00

Early Fixed Seating 5.30

Late Fixed Seating 8 PM

 

At Lunch the group were in the lido. All at once.

 

We did not use the mini bar because we were drinking in bars trying to cheer up the waiters who rely on commissions and tips. One said his pay would be down 60%! We took one for the team and ordered more drinks on hearing this!

 

Members of the group cruise at the 8 PM sitting complained they did not want to eat so late!

 

Members of the group paid more but said it was because they paid the fare for people and musicians who provided programming for them.

 

Right....I understand you had to eat before 6.

 

I was responding to another member who was comparing your situation to some passengers on one of their cruises that signed up for late seating but were pushed to early seating when they boarded.

I didn't feel that was a fair comparison to your situation.

[styles27]

There is no reason to assume that these people were unwilling to share a dining venue with passengers who were drinking alcohol. It was a very large, diverse group and that is an unfounded generalization. There was a broad spectrum of people in the group, from individuals who did not choose to drink to those for whom moderate drinking is not a problem. I did not observe anyone having difficulty with my mom and me drinking wine with our dinner.

 

I think the dining room problem stemmed from the size of the group and their scheduled entertainment early in the evening. The only way they could have participated in the concerts and eat at the main dining room was to monopolize both venues. There would be no other way to accommodate them. And that is the problem that affected the rest of us...having to make due with the leftover capacity of the ship.

 

I would never assume that...this information was on the first page of this thread.

[jhsocal]

Liz54, interesting comment about the cost of cruise for the group. Really surprised at the demand for these Inspirations group cruises. The open seating time limit also occurred on at least one cruise last summer. The group numbered about 900 on that cruise.