Specialty Groups on Princess Cruises - NOT Charters

[voljeep]

but just a specialty cruise group aboard.  Is there any way to search to see if ANY group is gonna be on a cruise you've booked?

 

we've been on a couple ( Princess and RCL ) that we were "surprised" when we boarded .. both turned out OK

 

just wondering ...

 

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Nurses Seminar at Sea "Transforming Healthcare" Earn continuing education credits

[weedpindle]

Not really, and Princess isn't going to tell you...Too many people would not book if they knew, sometimes it is a real pain. There is a website that shows some groups ( I forget the name, but it lists only those groups that submit the info and you need to look up by the group name, so I found it useless and did not bookmark it).

Edited August 31, 2020 by weedpindle

[Essiesmom]

I have been a part of this type of group.  Chances are there will be 30 or less.  The group itself may be larger, but 1/3-1/2 will be non-participant partners.  They won't tie up venues, any meetings will be in unoccupied lounges or conference rooms.  EM

[1025cruise]

All you can do is Google the cruise date and see. 

[franktown]

Almost all the cruises I have been on has had small groups of 100 or less.  The only time we had any issues was a group of about 80 for a wedding.  Outrageous conduct.  All the other groups you hardly new noticeable.

[skynight]

Try these sites

http://themecruisefinder.com/CruiseAds/

https://www.bearcruises.com/about-cbc

[voljeep]

46 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

I have been a part of this type of group.  Chances are there will be 30 or less.  The group itself may be larger, but 1/3-1/2 will be non-participant partners.  They won't tie up venues, any meetings will be in unoccupied lounges or conference rooms.  EM

disagree

 

Chumley's Bear Cruises completely took over the aft pool and outrigger bar on our Halloween cruise - and that was only the 'leftover cruisers" on the second leg of a B2B - not the main first week

 

Legions of the Steelers (Pittsburg) had well over half the ship on a RCCL cruise out of Tampa and took over many venues with group only participants 

 

it happens 

[gkkapp]

Try this site:  http://themecruisefinder.com/CruiseAds/  Not much there now, though.

 

<<<Karen>>>

Edited August 31, 2020 by gkkapp
correction

[john_galt]

Mahjong tournament on Celebrity was a pain. Public rooms were used. It's been many years but I always search the date in an attempt to find these surprises.

mahjonggcruises.com/

[voljeep]

23 minutes ago, skynight said:

Try these sites

http://themecruisefinder.com/CruiseAds/

https://www.bearcruises.com/about-cbc

yes - go to 'Gallery' (pictures) on that site and scroll down to Ruby Princess 2018

 

then keep scrolling down for more on Princess

Edited August 31, 2020 by voljeep

[skynight]

1 hour ago, Essiesmom said:

I have been a part of this type of group.  Chances are there will be 30 or less.  The group itself may be larger, but 1/3-1/2 will be non-participant partners.  They won't tie up venues, any meetings will be in unoccupied lounges or conference rooms.  EM

We have been on a Princess cruise where there was a dance group. Various lounges were reserved for morning afternoon and evening sessions. It wasn't easy to hold normal activities. Even though the group had these lounges reserved at certain times we heard that the group didn't think they had enough reserved time.

A friend of ours that went on mahjong cruises every year for many years told us that the cruise line, not Princess, no longer will allow them to book. Their new ships do not have rooms for mahjong play. 

Edited August 31, 2020 by skynight

[Essiesmom]

47 minutes ago, voljeep said:

disagree

 

Chumley's Bear Cruises completely took over the aft pool and outrigger bar on our Halloween cruise - and that was only the 'leftover cruisers" on the second leg of a B2B - not the main first week

 

Legions of the Steelers (Pittsburg) had well over half the ship on a RCCL cruise out of Tampa and took over many venues with group only participants 

 

it happens 

I was replying specifically to the professional seminar type group you referenced.  EM

[voljeep]

7 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

I was replying specifically to the professional seminar type group you referenced.  EM

gotcha - that was just an example that I had readily available , not that type of specific group , but any group(s)

[Paula_MacFan]

We were on this Regal cruise in January -- not by choice and we weren't aware of the group booking until shortly before the cruise.  

https://www.concertsatsea.com/

Apparently this group does 2 cruises a year and has a LARGE loyal following (see group pictures on the website).  The people were generally nice, but they did take over many venues during the cruise.  Also most of the entertainment that was open to the public was still 'themed' towards the group.  It wasn't a horrible trip, but if I had known in advance we would probably have chosen a different week (we were going for birthday trip but could have shifted schedule accordingly).

[-Lew-]

26 minutes ago, Paula_MacFan said:

https://www.concertsatsea.com

 

Your link reveals the following for anyone who might be interested:

 

Concerts At Sea Rock & Roll Cruise / January 15 - 22, 2022 / Western Caribbean on the Sky Princess

[Babr]

I remember being on a Holland America cruise with some sort of religious group. I never did know exactly what it was. They often had public rooms reserved for sessions of some sort, and I’d sometimes see them around the ship carrying what appeared to be religious texts. I never really noticed them except on sea days when many people wanted to go to the theater to see a movie in the afternoon. Members of the group would send a friend who brought an armload of books (from those sessions, no doubt) and used them to reserve as many seats as possible in her preferred row. Then she would sit in her seat reading her Bible. 

 

I was struck by the irony. Apparently, she wasn’t.

[Potstech]

Was on a cruise recently with a Polka group.  They practically took over most of the venues.  And it was way more than 100.

[Mike45LC]

The Bears really take over a cruise ship.  All the hot tubs, the steam rooms, the pool areas.  I would try to avoid their cruises.  In my experience, the Bears are aggressive in public displays that I prefer to avoid (from any orientation).  

 

As to a small group of nurses or realtors or other professionals putting on some lectures and seminars to make a cruise into a tax-deductible event, well, I haven't been bothered by the limited number of private events -- mostly in classroom-type spaces, the Wedding Chapel and such.  I guess I am lucky that I haven't seen these take over popular public spaces when the rest of us need those spaces for trivia and such!  And I am really lucky to have missed the polka cruises!!

 

 

[GUT2407]

The worst groups I have sailed with were hens and buck groups.

[weedpindle]

We were on a cruise last year on the Regal, but  900 or so 50's/60's music lovers group took over the Vista lounge every night, Theater most afternoons & they had smaller venues booked for a period of time then would not leave so other activities (think trivia) could take place. It was a mess. Passenger services/CD would not say anything to them about running overtime. ED was generous with obc (complain) but it was not a happy cruise.If I knew about it it would  be easy to not go on that leg, but no way to tell.

[JimmyVWine]

As noted, an internet search for your specific cruise date and specific ship is 100% going to reveal if there is a large group that will be on board.  Whether it is "The International Association of Quilters" to "50's Sock Hoppers" to "Renaissance Fair Frolickers" to "Swinging Couples", there is sure to be a website with information and booking specifics that will tell you if your cruise is on the docket.  (Though to be fair, the "Swinging Couples" take over the entire cruise and you couldn't accidentally end up on their cruise.)  If there is no website or on-line information, then the group is going to be so small as to be irrelevant.  Maybe they would take over Skywalkers or some other similar venue in the afternoons, but not in any way that would impact you.

 

Bummed that I missed out on that Steelers Cruise.  Would have loved it.  My Broncos loving wife, not so much.

Edited September 1, 2020 by JimmyVWine

[Paula_MacFan]

55 minutes ago, weedpindle said:

We were on a cruise last year on the Regal, but  900 or so 50's/60's music lovers group took over the Vista lounge every night, Theater most afternoons & they had smaller venues booked for a period of time then would not leave so other activities (think trivia) could take place. It was a mess. Passenger services/CD would not say anything to them about running overtime. ED was generous with obc (complain) but it was not a happy cruise.If I knew about it it would  be easy to not go on that leg, but no way to tell.

I bet that is the same group that I posted about above on our January Regal cruise (they do more than one cruise a year I found out later).  We didn't see any shows in the Vista Lounge all week as they had private concerts there every night.  They had the Club 6 reserved every night too, and generally took over most of the venues all week.  Even the buffet area was hard to get in to sometimes when they were gathered in large groups.  

Edited September 1, 2020 by Paula_MacFan

[Tucker in Texas]

9 hours ago, john_galt said:

Mahjong tournament on Celebrity was a pain. Public rooms were used. It's been many years but I always search the date in an attempt to find these surprises.

mahjonggcruises.com/

We ran into them on Celebrity back in 1999..  They usually go the first couple of weeks in December on Celebrity..  We even put out mah jong  alerts if we know of anybody going around that time.  Besides taking over the lounges,  some pushed, shoved, butted in line but the real corker was they would send someone up to the theater before the shows and reserve numerous seats.

 

 

[brisalta]

One cruise I was on had a group of quilters.  They had their electric showing machines with them and would setup in one of the MDRs between meal times but would break down their set up in time for the waiters to get ready for meals.

 

Another voyage there was a ball room dancing group and they used the wheel house bar if I remember correctly. They also would perform some demonstration dances in the Piazza.

 

Both of these events occurred on the Grand Princess.

[GUT2407]

I’ve been on cruises as parts of a group and as a passenger that had other groups, most didn’t effect my cruise at all, even when a theatre etc was set aside for the group there was still plenty of other places for other guests.