The latest a cruise has been cancelled and made a charter (Noordam May 9th 2009)?

[European_CruiseGirl]

Hi everyone!

I'm a bit worried about my upcoming Noordam cruise (May 9th 2009, Roman Empires, 10 days). I found our yesterday that a group called "women's health" will be onboard. Now, I don't mind the group although I do hope that it is not a large one. I suspect that a group of doctors (with spouses) are not going to change the overall experience so much. We are ok for anytime or fixed dining and do not mind if the Crows Nest is periodically reserved for a private function etc. I'm also figuring out that as the group will have lectures on sea days from 9-12 and 1-4 again it means a lot of free space in the Lido and pools during those times (if the group is a larger one). :rolleyes:

However what I am worried about is that if the group is a very large one HAL will decide to make the whole cruise a charter. And as the cruise departs from Rome (and not from FLL for example) it would be very difficult to find a replacement cruise for those exact days (we do not yet have fixed flights but as the prices are now really low we would like to purchase the tickets before Christmas holidays).

I sent HAL an email about the group's size but they wouldn't give me any info. Ok so time to get my TA involved. She spoke to a couple of people from the group department but didn't get anything out of them either. They basically said that "as of right now the ship is not chartered". My TA really tried her best (I'm sure of that) but couldn't get a definite answer about the group's size. However she figured out that as final payment is in a couple of months they would know already if the cruise will be chartered so no worries. But...I don't know... What is the latest that you have heard that a cruise has been cancelled and made a charter? Is there some "cruise critic" knowledge about this cruise as I have checked the roll calls and there isn't one for this cruise. So is everyone avoiding this cruise for a reason? HAL's web site shows all cabin categories open as well as all dining options...

What's your opinion? Should I be worried or not? As a side note we are booked in a SA category (our first suite experience) and although we are not so worried about the group in itself of course we do also wonder if our suite experience will be somehow affected (no Pinnacle breakfast available for example etc).

I know that there is the thread "how to find out if there is a group booked on your cruise" but I felt that my question did not fit that thread.

Thanks for your kind help. :)

[richwmn]

Realistically, HAL does not make a cruise a charter -- the organizers do. If they come up with the dollars in advance it is a charter.

The various groups on the list which represent doctors/dentists/lawyers etc are continuing education classes and as such represent very small numbers, most likely less than 100. If not for the list, I doubt that you would know that they were on board. They will use mostly the small lecture rooms and be out of the way to other passengers.

Hope this helps

Rich

[kryos]

I have googled "Women's Health Cruise" and the only thing I am coming up with is a continuing education course for health care professionals taking place on the Statendam, and an Olivia cruise to benefit breast cancer research. Neither of those cruises would appear to be yours since they are Caribbean itineraries.

Olivia is an organization that runs cruises for gay women and they generally charter the ships. A continuing education cruise for professionals generally wouldn't draw that large of a group.

You may want to do some more extended research than I did, but I have a feeling a "Women's Health" cruise wouldn't draw nearly enough passengers for the ship to be chartered. In fact, I doubt it would even be an awfully large group onboard ...

Blue skies ...

--rita

[European_CruiseGirl]

Hi, here's a link to the site where I found the group (of course it was Rich's very helpful list that made me find this in the first place): http://www.medicruises.com/cgi/details.pl?program_number=621

Although I have to say that I do feel already a bit better after reading the answers I already got. Thank you. :) But if you would like to check this site out and give me your opinions....that would be great!

Hmm...for some reason that link doesn't work... I'll try to post one that will.

[European_CruiseGirl]

Hi, here's a link to the site where I found the group (of course it was Rich's very helpful list that made me find this in the first place): http://www.medicruises.com/cgi/details.pl?program_number=621

Although I have to say that I do feel already a bit better after reading the answers I already got. Thank you. :) But if you would like to check this site out and give me your opinions....that would be great!

Hmm...for some reason that link doesn't work... I'll try to post one that will.


Well it's medicruises.com --> physicians

[richwmn]

Well it's medicruises.com --> physicians
I went back and checked the actual page for that group. It is a CME (continuing medical education) group. As I said in my first response, this group should not be more than about 100. Most likely they will take their cme classes on sea days, in rooms that are otherwise unused (there are several for this purpose). They will most likely all have the same dinner seating, and be seated together.

You should not have any problem with this group. It would really surprise me if you did.

Rich

[European_CruiseGirl]

Hi Rich, thank you very much for your help. :)

[RuthC]

Ships are usually chartered several months in advance of the cruise in order for the chartering company to sell the cabins. Your cruise is coming up in May, so there really isn't enough time left for that.
Charters are much more likely on a 7-day cruise than on a longer one. Yours is a longer one.
Charters typically sail to areas closer to the US mainland. You are sailing in Europe.

All these factors, combined with the other posts, adds up to
there is no need to worry. :)

[hammybee]

Realistically, HAL does not make a cruise a charter -- the organizers do. If they come up with the dollars in advance it is a charter.

The various groups on the list which represent doctors/dentists/lawyers etc are continuing education classes and as such represent very small numbers, most likely less than 100. If not for the list, I doubt that you would know that they were on board. They will use mostly the small lecture rooms and be out of the way to other passengers.

Hope this helpsRich

There are groups on every cruise ship, every cruise line, every sailing.
This is an organizer of continuing education cruises. Rich is right. It's unlikely the number will exceed 100 and that's probably a stretch.

tp://www.1800sailyes.com/default.asp?sid=15235&pid=20848 (http://www.1800sailyes.com/default.asp?sid=15235&pid=20848)

http://medicruises.com/cgi/uaslinks.pl?all

There is nothing to be concerned about.

[CruisinManiac]

Last June, we took the Noordam cruise from Rome. I knew ahead of time that a group of Urologist/Sexologist were going to be on our cruise. Like you, I also had concerns. However, once the cruise began, I forgot all about the group. I did see them setting up a display one day (across from the library) and they had a few lectures in the same room. There were maybe 50 members of this group and they did not disrupt the cruise at all.

BTW - I was just looking at this same date, as I cannot wait to go back to the Mediterranean. :) I planned to bring up the subject to my DH tonight. The title of the thread scared me. I thought you were telling us that the May 9th cruise HAD BEEN chartered. What type of good flight pricing have you found?

[kalliekae]

You are going to love this cruise! We did it last May and had a fabulous time. We were in SA7071 and I have pics if you are intersted. E-mail me privately and I will send you a link. Go and enjoy....I bet you never even notice that group.
kalliekae@aol.com

[European_CruiseGirl]

Hi all, thank you soooo much for your answers. I'm so exited about this cruise that I seem to overreact to everything. :o

BTW - I was just looking at this same date, as I cannot wait to go back to the Mediterranean. :) I planned to bring up the subject to my DH tonight. The title of the thread scared me. I thought you were telling us that the May 9th cruise HAD BEEN chartered. What type of good flight pricing have you found?

CruisinManiac - we are flying to Rome from Northern Europe so the flight prices are (I suppose) very different than from the US. Currently I'm looking at a price of €315 pp. That's about $400. Our flight time is only 3 hours 20 mins which is ideal as we are travelling with a small child (10,5 months in May).

[CruisinManiac]

Duh - I didn't even notice your sign-in name. :D I'll have to check on flights from the U.S. Thank you!

[floridafolks]

oh my--We are booked on the may 9th noordam too. When I read this title of your thread my heart dropped to my toes. I was afraid it was cancelled and they could turn it into a charter.. Have you any further info? Why not join our May 9th roll call so we can all keep up to date. I was wondering why our roll call was so small- I guess the medical people already know what they are doing. Just go to HA Noordam roll calls and look for May 9th. and drop us all a line.