Large groups onboard

[machotspur]

We're have a booking on Voyager in 2020 for an 18 day Itinerary.

 

Whilst this is a little way off yet we have been carrying out a little bit of advance research this week. I am glad we did !

 

Purely by luck we have identified that there will be a large organised group of at least 70 people on the ship. I suspect there is every chance this could increase.

Reading their website it appears that aspects of the onboard experience is likely to be tailor made for the needs & tastes of the group. e.g. they bring their own DJ onboard to play music to their tastes.

 

Having a large group on a cruise can sometimes be intrusive, but if the onboard product is altered for a group, to the detriment of the independent traveller, then this is surely taking things to another level.

 

Does anyone out there have any views or personal experiences they would like to share ?    

       

[Travelcat2]

I have two experiences - one very recent.  There was a group from the Public Broadcasting network in the U.S. on our cruise that ended last Saturday.  While it was difficult to tell how many were onboard that follow PBS, I would guess that there were about 100.  They did have a few cocktail parties which shut down a lounge in the early evening and one dinner that closed Sette Mari.  Unlike most "groups", there is advance notice of the "Artful Traveler" cruises so it would not be a surprise to those sailing on the ship and the entertainment and lecturers they provided were open to all passengers.  If anything, I look forward to these cruises as the entertainment and enrichment lectures are such a high calibre.

 

We have also been on a cruise where there are up to 125 clients of a travel agent.  This did not create issues at all and it is likely that many other passengers were not aware of the group.

 

I do not think that Regent would change their music or much else unless the entire ship was chartered.  While they want to accommodate groups, they would not want to alienate their customers.  

[1982CruzStart]

On our very first Regent cruise there was a doctors' conference onboard. It in no way negatively affected us.  We had dinner a few times with some of the participants and they were lovely just like most Regent cruisers.   Occasionally some of the public areas were closed for special parties but there are many other places to go so if one lounge was closed we just went to another one. 

 

We have been on non-Regent cruises with large groups and depending on the group the effect was good or bad.  Some were loud partiers that took over so many of the public areas and made the trip less enjoyable. Other groups fit right in and other than the occasional inconvenience with some public areas being closed you barely knew there was a group onboard.  

 

I think it depends on the group but i also think Regent does a good job of making sure everyone is treated equally well. 

[jeb_bud]

On our first(so far) Regent Cruise there was a group on board. I know this because there were signs outside some venues about events for the group. Those events never affected us and other than that I didn’t notice any behavior differences. 

 

There was a blog last year, I think by Mr Rumor, about a back-to-back Alaska Cruise where  there was a charter on one leg that did affect the atmosphere on the ship. 

 

I suppose a lot lot depends on the character of the charter group. 

[ronrick1943]

We've been on a cruise that had a group.  I think it really depends on the group---I agree changing music or having a DJ that works with that group may change how you feel about the open space.  If they are discreet, no badges and not too many areas closed off it shouldn't be a problem.  Remember your paying top dollar to cruise---so you shouldn't be inconvenienced  at all.  I personally think you should be notified by the cruise company.  I really wouldn't worry with only 100, once you get over that about I would worry.

[Portolan]

34 minutes ago, Travelcat2 said:

I have two experiences - one very recent.  There was a group from the Public Broadcasting network in the U.S. on our cruise that ended last Saturday.  While it was difficult to tell how many were onboard that follow PBS, I would guess that there were about 100.  They did have a few cocktail parties which shut down a lounge in the early evening and one dinner that closed Sette Mari.  Unlike most "groups", there is advance notice of the "Artful Traveler" cruises so it would not be a surprise to those sailing on the ship and the entertainment and lecturers they provided were open to all passengers.  If anything, I look forward to these cruises as the entertainment and enrichment lectures are such a high calibre.

 

Just an FYI for anyone who finds themselves, or puts themselves, on an Artful Travelers cruise:

- All of the lectures (and very good ones at that) are open to all.

- If you directly or via your TA ask to register for the Artful Travelers program (at no cost), you'll be included in the more capacity-limited events that TC2 mentions.  So, per se, it isn't a group, but cruisers who opt in.

[Hambagahle]

We have had at least one and perhaps two cruises on Regent with large-ish groups on board.  Incentive travel...  I hate them.  They take over the ship.   some "venues" are closed when they need to use them (instead of "normal" passsengers...as TC says above).   The couple we experienced were loud groups and pushy groups.  That is not, per se, Regent's fault but the Regent management needs to be sensitive to this...

 

On Oceania, on our last cruise, there were TWO alumni groups on board and they are the worst.  I truly hope that our next Regent cruise on the Splendour in mid March next year will not have any of these sorts of groups...  just nice, "ordinary" people from CC!!

[tripperva]

Beware incentive groups.

[RachelG]

The only obnoxious incentive group I have encountered on Regent was when Regent had the Paul Gauguin.  Very loud, drinking from early in the morning till late at night including on the tenders.  Had matching shirts they wore everywhere.

 

 I have encountered a few groups on Regent, but the only reason I would have to know that they were even onboard was when a venue was closed for a special event.  Really wasn't disturbed by it.

[Pies4u]

We were on Voyager in April 2018 together with a group of 170 Nissan employees from Mexico on some sort of group incentive.  Occasionally, they were a real nuisance, dominating the pool area and, most evenings, convening in large groups in the bar areas. There were several complaints that others couldn't hear the entertainment due to the constant loud chattering & anti-social raucous laughter etc.

 

I commented on he issue of allowing such large groups on board but heard nothing back from Regent. I guess they value the groups bookings - but it is a real problem if you encounter it. Hope our Explorer & Mariner trips in April & Nivember respectively are free from such corporate/group nonsense.

[ronrick1943]

Once on SeaDreams they charter the ship and sold 75% to this group.  They called and asked if I wanted to be moved, they had a cruise 2 days later to the same ports.  If I accepted they offered to pay for any non-refundable payments I made (both air & hotel), and a 50% refund---yes I accepted.  Now it is a smaller ship, but!

[Travelcat2]

Just now, ronrick1943 said:

Once on SeaDreams they charter the ship and sold 75% to this group.  They called and asked if I wanted to be moved, they had a cruise 2 days later to the same ports.  If I accepted they offered to pay for any non-refundable payments I made (both air & hotel), and a 50% refund---yes I accepted.  Now it is a smaller ship, but!

 

I admire what SeaDream did - good for them!

[DavidTheWonderer]

70 people out of 700 is a perturbation unlikely to have much impact.  Of course, that depends somewhat on who those folks are.  I wouldn't worry.

That said, I once did a cruise on the my favorite ship, the Paul Gauguin, where they had booked half the ship for high performers from the Cheesecake Factory.  Alpha males and trophy wives basically took the ship over. If it had been my first ever cruise, it would have been my last.  It was ghastly.

[Travelcat2]

Agree that incentive groups are the absolute worst.  I would not want to cruise with them on any cruise line.

[IndiTravler]

I’ve been on a cruise with a bunch of doctors doing continuing education at Sea.   They took over the the theater for large parts of sea days for their classes.   Since nothing is ever going on during in the theater during the day there was no impact.  

 

Now the brige players...  They’re an intense bunch and can get downright possessive of the game rooms.  😃

Edited March 16, 2019 by IndiTravler

[travelwell]

We went on a non-Regent, lux cruise 6 years ago that had a large alumni group of around  around 380 passengers of the1000 passengers. Absolutely impacted the cruise. They took the  show room on sea days and the conference rooms. Our lecturers were only fair and held in the one of the small lounges. We felt the cruise line picked lesser speakers for our cruise. We had long lines at restaurants at lunch and table searches if the group got out at one time. The main forward lounge was booked late afternoon/ early evening the last night. To make matters worse it was a college with strong political leanings and politics was their main conversation all over the ship. There were other reasons we would not repeat this cruise line for us but this  definitely impacted our decision not to go on that cruise line again.

[ronrick1943]

4 hours ago, IndiTravler said:

I’ve been on a cruise with a bunch of doctors doing continuing education at Sea.   They took over the the theater for large parts of sea days for their classes.   Since nothing is ever going on during in the theater during the day there was no impact.  

 

Now the brige players...  They’re an intense bunch and can get downright possessive of the game rooms.  😃

 

Brige players don't take possessive, they own the room.  Don't dare look in, and never go in the room.  And after lunch beside to stand aside--because they need to get back and play.😂

[Hambagahle]

2 hours ago, ronrick1943 said:

 

Brige players don't take possessive, they own the room.  Don't dare look in, and never go in the room.  And after lunch beside to stand aside--because they need to get back and play.😂

And if the Bridge players at our Golf Club are anything to go by - if you so much as whisper anywhere near them you get VERY dirty looks!!

[IndiTravler]

7 hours ago, Hambagahle said:

And if the Bridge players at our Golf Club are anything to go by - if you so much as whisper anywhere near them you get VERY dirty looks!!

 

Yep -- that's our experience -- we couldn't play a game of spades in the corner on one trip.   We had to leave.   

[ronrick1943]

On are last cruise they had a bridge players group, they never came out of that room except to eat it seems during the day and early evening---I don't understand why go on a cruise if 75% of your time is player cards.

[beaujolais]

 

I have sailed with Regent many times and had tried to persuade a colleague of mine to try a cruise with Regent with his wife for a long time , neither have sailed on a cruise before

In early March they were holidaying in Florida from the UK and decided, under pressure from me, to try a 7 day cruise on the Voyager as just a sample cruise to see if they enjoyed the experience of a few days on a 6 star cruise ship

Their cruise was a disaster.

There were 2 company groups on board, one of 200 and the other of 300.

Drinking all day around the pool with lots of noise, a large number of people at the pool bar all day, the hot tubs with a large amount of people drinking, again drinking all day, in fact very boisterous behaviour around the pool deck all the time. Very noisy in all restaurants at all times

They complained on board and were told to write to the UK office

They have done this and are still awaiting a reply

This was very embarrassing for me as I had really pushed the concept of Regent All Inclusive Cruising to them and now feel embarrassed

Surely Regent should have forewarned them

 

Edited March 16, 2019 by beaujolais

[rcandkc]

I also think when a ship is being taken over (500 out of 780 qualifies), other passengers should be given a chance to move their cruise.  I would have been very upset. 

February 2018 we went to the Ritz in Cancun staying on Club floor.  We had done this in the past and had a very nice time.  Well, we arrive and the Club floor is not available and they had tried to make another floor provide the services. Hmmm...odd.  Ends up the very large hotel had been taken over by one company as an incentive trip with very young partying employees as an all inclusive drinking trip.  The whole property except for about 50 people were this group.  We will never go back to this property again.  They should have informed us before we arrived. 

[RachelG]

On 3/15/2019 at 5:15 PM, DavidTheWonderer said:

70 people out of 700 is a perturbation unlikely to have much impact.  Of course, that depends somewhat on who those folks are.  I wouldn't worry.

That said, I once did a cruise on the my favorite ship, the Paul Gauguin, where they had booked half the ship for high performers from the Cheesecake Factory.  Alpha males and trophy wives basically took the ship over. If it had been my first ever cruise, it would have been my last.  It was ghastly.

We must have been on the same cruise!

[SWFLAOK]

On 3/15/2019 at 6:02 PM, Travelcat2 said:

 

I admire what SeaDream did - good for them!

We were on Sea Dream in the same situation, and weren't told about it. The cruise was only half full, and there were more crew than passengers on board. The only problem we had with the cruise was that the large group had arranged their own excursions, and there weren't  enough other cruisers to prevent the cancellation of all of the onboard excursion offerings. The large group were all part of an trip arranged by a local PBS in the area where we live, and they had arranged their own birdwatching excursions on board. The participants were all really nice people and we still enjoyed our cruise,  but if we had been told ahead of time, we would have arranged our own excursions earlier rather than later on the cruise.

[SWFLAOK]

I would love nothing better than to get rid of all business incentive passengers on cruises that include people who are paying their own way. In fact, I would love to see business expenses like luxury cruises to be eliminated as IRS business expense write offs so we don't have to "share" our vacations with people who are not on vacation.

We have only experienced this at hotels so far, and the worst was the IC Moorea. I think the people who participated actually had to pay for much of their trip. They were staying in the small 2 story motel rooms in the parking lot. They had to spend most of each day listening to uplifting talks on how they could increase their sales and make more money. The show runners were in the largest overwater bungalows, staying with their families, including children. They were across from us and quite noisy at night. They interfered with our stay everyday, and when they tried to bring us into their incentive party in the main restaurant one night by asking us if we would like to join them so we could make more money, we blew our tops. We were reseated further away from them, but could still hear their rah-rah crap. The IC Moorea is owned by the same company as the Paul Gauguin. If the Cheesecake Factory takes over the PG on our September cruise, I will not be happy at all.