How do you know if you're booked on a theme cruise?

[masdolphin]

In the past I've never noticed any groups on my cruises. Either there weren't any or they were very unobtrusive. I decided to Google our upcoming Carnival Elation cruise out of San Diego and discovered that several web sites are selling it as a Gay & Lesbian Halloween cruise. It just surprised me because I hadn't thought of the possibility of a "themed" or group cruise before. I'm not sure how I feel about it since it's the first time I'm actually cruising with my family & not just my husband.

 

I don't blame my travel agent or anyone else for not telling us about the group cruise - how would she have had that information? I'm wondering if Carnival would let us know how much of the cruise will be part of the group or if that is private info. I guess I am just wondering what to expect & would appreciate any information.

 

Thanks.

Last I knew there werent very many participating in this group, sounds like a very small group less than 100 if that. Even so gays and lesbians are usually well behaved. In my years of going to clubs I have seen many fights at straight bars, in the gay bars its a rarity, quite the oddity in my opinion. Studies say 1 in 10 is gay, so everywhere around you there are gay and lesbians that you dont even know about. I believe you will totally enjoy the cruise and probably wont even notice who is part of the group and who isnt.

[ambergirl134]

:confused: There is a Roller Derby Theme Cruise planned on the Costa Fortuna for Feb 15, 2009. If you think Hogs on the High Seas is roudy, this will be crazy.

[joejo]

On our last cruise on the Miracle Nov 2006 there was a group called "The Bob's" and they were SO much fun! They were a smaller group that was very inclusive in their activities and interacted with everyone on the ship. There was only 150ish of them though.

 

I think it would be kind of fun to be on a cruise with a zany group :D but I can see how some would be worried (and I was worried enough to dig out this thread and google my sailing, lol).:p

[Megnolia]

My last cruise was with a group of nearly 500 Parrottheads, and I absolutely LOVED it! What a fun group who added excitement and energy to every part of the ship. They had some great open concerts that we enjoyed, and did lots of fundraising events on the ship that everyone could watch or participate in. I was just jealous I wasn't able to join their private parties!

[autoxer1970]

On a small boat, there can be what SDYC terms "affinity groups". If you ask, the SDYC office might tell you if there are any present, but they won't tell you the name or what kind of group it is.

 

On our second trip on Sea Dream, we were joined by 35-40 Belgians. I think it was simply a group of affluent friends that knew each other very well. Very nice people to talk to individually, but on a ship that houses just 55 couples, as a group they were a force to be reckoned with. They tended to congregate and overtake whatever areas of the yacht that happened to be popular. The pool was mobbed during the day, the bar at night.

 

They also drank a LOT. I don't know how they did it, but they partied until at least 4am every night, and were having breakfast with the rest of us at 8am. That's stamina.

 

Sharing the yacht with them was occasionally a bother. But I'd say that's the extent of it. I'll never forget the trip, that's for sure. Plus, I have the stories to tell! (none of which I'd post here ;-)

[xon fedaa]

My last cruise was with a group of nearly 500 Parrottheads, and I absolutely LOVED it!

 

Darn my dyslexia! At first when I read your post, I thought it said,

"My cruise was with a group of nearly 500 Potheads . . ." :eek: :D :D

[NanaOfBKM]

That's classic - Potheads not parrotheads. LOL

[Ship Addict]

I've cruised with Parrotheads before too -- that's how I became one!!

[Roboat]

Moved to separate thread

[genoscooby]

Post: Somehow my fiancee stumbled upon information that our honeymoon cruise was going to also be a Hogs on the High Seas cruise ~ over 1600 bikers and biker chicks!

Response: The "bikers and biker chicks" slickproductions is referring to are hard working professionals who have discovered the importance of living life, rather than existing. We are nurses, engineers, teachers, accountants, doctors, mechanics, business owners, airline pilots, firemen, policemen, dental hygienists, pharmacists, executives, veterinarians, dentists, physical therapists, hopefully you're beginning to get a clue. The Harley Owner's Group that I belong to donates an average of $15,000 - $20,000 per year to local charities. Do not confuse those who ride motorcycles with an unlawful biker gang.

Post: Not that I have anything against them, (it's obvious that slickproductions and his fiancée have plenty of stereotypical prejudices) but have you ever tried to go to Sturgis in a suit when they have their rally going on?

Response: What does wearing a suit in Sturgis during a motorcycle rally have to do with a Royal Caribbean cruise? Is slickproductions suggesting the HOHS cruisers, people he's never met, don't know how to behave in "polite society?" Folks who ride are generally resigned to stereotypical prejudice. They are also the first to stop and offer assistance to other travelers. I've never seen fellow riders gawk at those who are dressed differently from them.

Post: Formal nights were changed into leather/chaps/jeans/tee shirts.

Response: Yes, the HOHS group has arranged with RCCL for casual dress, and the group has it's own separate dining area. The change is applicable just to the HOHS group and doesn’t affect the other passengers. The following has been copied directly from the HOHS website: "The two formal nights for dinner we ask that you wear something leather. (Pants, vest, skirt, etc.) Please be discreet. The rest of the time, we will be wearing jeans and t-shirts, even for dinner. No profanity on T-Shirts, please!" If seeing fellow travelers in jeans and t-shirts is offensive I recommend booking on the QE2 or purchasing your own yacht. I've seen much more offensive clothing on non-HOHS cruises in the form of old lime green prom dresses, spandex gowns packed beyond their load limit, polyester leisure suits, etc.

Post: Many activities and entertainment changed to cater them. If you want to see for yourself what I'm talking about, check out RCCI's Mariner on 11/5/06. Or google the Hogs name up above.

Response: Like any other convention, HOHS has arranged for several group specific activities. Perhaps slickproductions wasn't happy about being ineligible for the HOHS specific contests and roughly $30K in cash giveaways. Fellow cruisers are welcome to join us, with just a few exceptions. This was explained on another bulletin board.

Post: Did the TA tell us about it? Not a word. Did we use her when we cancelled and rebooked? Not on your life. I think your TA should be on top of these things.

Response: Let me guess ... it's always someone else's fault. Prediction: Even if everything is perfect on this individual's Princess cruise he'll still find plenty to complain about. He can keep his $100 Tommy Bahama shirts and we'll keep our $30,000 Harley Davidson motorcycles. Trust me ... the Harley crowd is a much happier group of people.

 

Happy Cruising!

You make some very good arguements however You just gloss over the TA crack Some people don'tcare for bikers whether they are outlaws or yuppies in leather and sorry to say that TA has a responsibility to let customers know what groups are going to be there,so customer can make a decision on going on that cruise or changing plans,I did not read anywhere in post that your group shouldn't go just they would like to know so they could plan accordingly,heres situation you have family withsmall children do you think you would want to know what groups are going to be onboard?Do you want to expose them to adult groups ie nudists,gay,or lesbian and before those groups dump on me think I am not dumping on you I have friends inall three groups and they would not approve of children being exposed either.

[OldBaldGuy]

"booked into a hotel that was hosting a small Weird Al Yankovich convention..."

 

during the rodney king riots in los angeles years ago, a large bunch of leo's got booked into a hotel that was hosting a porn convention. talk about interesting!!!

[DarkJedi]

"booked into a hotel that was hosting a small Weird Al Yankovich convention..."

 

during the rodney king riots in los angeles years ago, a large bunch of leo's got booked into a hotel that was hosting a porn convention. talk about interesting!!!

 

 

A few years ago Necronomicon, a very large Science fiction/horror convention was being held in the same hotel/convention center as a Catholic Bishop's convention. A friend of mine was standing in line with his clergy shirt and collar on, black jeans, upside down cross, thigh high boots, and spiked belt when a member of the other convention got in line behind him to check in. He spent the entire time waiting talking to the actual clergy member about how great his "outfit" looked and trying to find out where he could get some of the items.

[Smokeyham]

Many people have noticed that large groups (no matter their make up) tend to get a slight mob mentality and sort of take things over and think the whole cruise is there for them and the rest of the passengers are in their way. Even in the areas that haven't been closed off just for them. (I experienced this with a large family reunion group on my first cruise).

 

Also people resent paying full price for a cruise and then not having full access to all the facilities and amenities that they would have if the group wasn't on the cruise. (Fortunately this hasn't happened to me).

 

 

I would agree. It's really more that a large group of people tends to be noisier and to have more of an impact on other cruisers than a similiar number of people who are not organized into a big group. You may have experienced this in a restaurant, when a large group takes over, and the noise level rises significantly.

[mariakitty]

We have discovered groups on some of our cruises, but they have all been quite small (less than 100) so no real impact on fellow passengers. I do question why there is so much secrecy on the part of the cruise lines about the groups - obviously the group's "privacy" supersedes our need/want to know. But why the secrecy? Usually their activities are published in the Patter, so that's not secret. They are probably posting their group cruise on a website somewhere, so that's not secret. Yet I am not allowed to make an informed decision as to my booking because groups are a secret!

 

Personally, I don't care if groups are on cruises, in fact I am planning one for 2010. It's for knitters and spinners....shhhhhh! ;) But there are many people who DO care and I feel they are entitled to a certain amount of information. Just my $.02

[DLLem]

Here's one place to look. If you know of any groups that others should be aware of you can add it.

 

http://www.yourgroupsahoy.com

[Smokeyham]

Here's one place to look. If you know of any groups that others should be aware of you can add it.

 

http://www.yourgroupsahoy.com

 

Thanks so much for posting that resource!

 

I wonder if I just call the cruise line if they would give me any information. My suspicion is that they would not, since they don't want to risk having customers decide not to book if there is any large group booked.

[tinamichelle]

Not to be hateful, but there are 1000 or more cabins on some of these ships. They do not discriminate against anyone. Would you want them to? What if they decide it is your "group", "race" or "religion" that is decided against attending?

 

I held conferences at sea for almost 10 yrs. Our group booked sometimes 100+ cabins and the cruise line was glad to see us. We paid our fees and in case you are unaware usually group fees are HIGHER than regular fees, as you are in a "group rate". Not cheaper as you would expect. So, of course a group will be treated as any other guest.

 

Conferences at sea have become more and more popular as the cruise lines have invested millions into some of their conference facilities (check out the Navigator of the Seas for ex next time you are on it, those are state of the art facilities).

 

Do your research before hand as many CC's here have suggested. Be tolerant of whomever is on board, Christians, Witches, Trekkies, or Quilters. They paid to be there too, and guess what, it isn't a private ship.

 

As far as being harassed by anyone selling anything, you have several options. One is to say "no thank you". The same as you do when you are in a port shopping, or at the pool and being asked 10 times per hour if you want the drink of the day special. Two, go to the Pursers desk and complain. As one of my group broke our hard and fast rule of "no solicitation" to the public on the ship quickly discovered, the offending head of the tour group will be pulled into the Capt's office and dealt with.

 

Good luck to you in seeking what you are looking for.

 

TM

[NYCRUISR]

This maybe a dumb question, but how do you know if you're booked on a theme cruise? Since most themes don't take up the entire ship, you could be on a cruise with 500 Trekkies or scrapbookers.

 

500 Trekkies....that would be fabulous..........:D

 

Live long ans prosper!

[KCCruisin']

Has anyone tried typing there ship and sail date into Shore Trips? https://secure.shoretrips.com/common/groups2.asp?grpsrch=GRPNAM

[cruisingfiend]

We cruised last November with the Rock guitarist Gary Hoey on the Carnival Legend... we had a blast... and didn't hear complaints from others not in the group. There were private events, and the ship staff puts a sign outside the door that it is a private event... a couple of times people that weren't in our group were asked to leave... but, for these theme cruises we pay more money to be a part of stuff.

 

We are booked on the same groups cruise this November 8, 2009.

 

There are alot of theme cruises out there...

 

Dave

[sail2thebay]

I know for a fact that the cruise I am going on, will not be a theme cruise necessarily, yet they will have a murder mystery happening at the same time that won't interfere with the rest of the cruise at all. It is designed that way. You do have to book through a seperate company, and they assure you that the murder mystery won't get in the way of other activities, etc. You can also get a very good discount for booking early.

[AmJohn]

We have considered ballroom dance cruises, but our first cruise from which we just returned was not billed as a theme cruise, but it was spring break for Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. We sailed out of Galveston, TX on Royal Caribbean. Guess what the unofficial "theme" was? Of course, the week before was Texas spring break, so you know what the "theme" was.

We actually really enjoyed the 2nd week of spring break crowd- we had a wide range of ages and families of all sizes, an 80 member high-school show choir that performed during dinner the first evening, and just the right number of college students to make the QUEST game show a blast, without having them take over the ship. Plus, Karaoke (normally a form of torture for me) was great with so much vocal talent on board.

The cruise director staff was not much older than college students, and the captain was only 39, so the energy level was great. We were told by a "mature" couple who had been on 30 cruises before that this was the best cruise direction staff they had ever seen. I think they took the energy all the younger people gave them and gave it back amplified. They certainly energized us.

We were glad for the adults only pool and spa though, as the main pool on sea days was overwhelmed with kids.

We will definitely pay attention to spring break dates if we sail out of Galveston again- not go on Texas spring break, but on the next week when the surrounding states have their break.

PS We are 40 and 49, and this was our 20th anniversary cruise. We had so much fun we are still exhausted a week later.

[Adri204]

My first two cruises are themed cruises actually. Im going on a Mystery cruise on October 31st on the Mariner of the seas that leaves out of LA and It says that we wont be interfering with other passangers but doing our own thing.

 

Then on November 7th im taking a singles cruise on one of the "fun ships". I think both will be fun and although both have the exact same itenary in the Mexican rivera im excited.

 

Its two completly differnt expierences and im really excited. I dont think either group will take over the whole ship or anything.

 

I love talking to people and will talk to others and am outgoing. I picked the two themed cruises partly because they sounded interesting and also im a solo cruiser so this is a great way to talk to others who are participating in a fun activity.

 

Adri :)

[SANDYJABS]

You can check here:

 

http://themecruisefinder.com/index.html

[hobbyhrs97]

I am proud to say that I cruise I have booked on for Jan 15,2011 is veteran's. I did not know this when I booked, but I am def looking forward to this cruise! I think sharing a cruise with men and women that risked their lives for all , will be my honor!

 

I may even get to say thank you in person!:D.

 

Your cruise will be what you make of it group cruise or not! You booked the cruise as a vacation , then go, have fun, enjoy yourself, relax ,unwind and forget your stress of work and home! Get over the fact there may be groups on the same cruise as you!!!!!:eek:

 

Do you cancel your 6 o'clock dinner reseveration because a group of people are booked there as well(staff party etc.). They deserve the right to get together and chat , drink and eat just as much as you do!

 

Rant done!!!:rolleyes: