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How was the "Jam" cruise??


Doug&Patti

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from a quick browse it seems that the promoter of the 'jam cruise' may have screwed that deal up. people were complaining that they didn't get docs and their room assignments were messed up. also the promoter didn't have the gifts that people were expecting and gave them the big F.U. when they complained.

 

although others complained about the food, pizza, etc. one girl wrote that she only ate 4 meals the hwole week due to the food choices being poor.

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from a quick browse it seems that the promoter of the 'jam cruise' may have screwed that deal up. people were complaining that they didn't get docs and their room assignments were messed up. also the promoter didn't have the gifts that people were expecting and gave them the big F.U. when they complained.

 

although others complained about the food, pizza, etc. one girl wrote that she only ate 4 meals the hwole week due to the food choices being poor.

 

Yea, Jam Cruise organizer is getting hammered for some screw ups also, but they are saying it was MSC's fault (so who knows). What is consistent with other MSC cruises is the story of last minute changing room assignments leading to delayed embarkation. I've read about this more than once (even back in Europe).

 

The food sounded BAD. Here's a link. Some of it is kinda funny. I like the girl who offered to bring a travel stove and sell grilled cheese next time (1 for $3.00 or 2 for $5.00). She had a good sense of humor and did compliment MSC on some of their dishes :).

 

Remember, link has profanity language which some may find offensive. Read at own risk.

http://www.jamcruise.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8859

 

Cheryl

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OOKKKAAAYY!! I think we get their point! Don't eat food at 2:30 AM?

 

Only kidding-- I wonder how the real food at dinner was?

 

They sound like a really hyped up happy bunch of partiers.... people I would have liked in my 20's.

 

If the food is really bad, I plan to just stack up food at the ports... maybe hide in my back pack?

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From what I read this was an extremely wild bunch of people.

 

One guy wrote of people using the hot tubs to wash their "stanky-boozed soaked dirty dancing feet". Then someone else complained that the water in the hot tubs was gray and dirty looking and they refused to go in them???!! Gee I wonder why. :rolleyes:

They used sharpies to write on the floors and walls, vomited in public areas, danced on the sofas and chairs in the public areas.

Sounds like a classy bunch of people to me!! :eek:

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I warned everyone that this was a 'skewed' population the first time I linked you to this site last week LOL. :D .

 

I think it would be beneficial to take the reports for what they are and try to concentrate on the objective vs subjective nature of the accounts. Whether you agree with the type of behavior exhibited or not, Chicken jello was served as a course in the main dinning room, people reported getting physically sick from the food, and the only two toppings on the pizza were corn and peas. That's not subjective to 'who' is doing the reporting.

 

 

This is why I'm personally concerned at their accounts of the poor food and service. I am confident that this 'skewed population' would be less likely to complain than the mainstream folks who have booked non-chartered sailings.

 

In other words (and at the risk of stereotyping)...........if the jam cruise people thought it was bad :eek::eek::eek:

 

Cheryl

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I warned everyone that this was a 'skewed' population the first time I linked you to this site last week LOL. :D .

 

I think it would be beneficial to take the reports for what they are and try to concentrate on the objective vs subjective nature of the accounts. Whether you agree with the type of behavior exhibited or not, Chicken jello was served as a course in the main dinning room, people reported getting physically sick from the food, and the only two toppings on the pizza were corn and peas. That's not subjective to 'who' is doing the reporting.

 

 

This is why I'm personally concerned at their accounts of the poor food and service. I am confident that this 'skewed population' would be less likely to complain than the mainstream folks who have booked non-chartered sailings.

 

In other words (and at the risk of stereotyping)...........if the jam cruise people thought it was bad :eek::eek::eek:

 

Cheryl

 

Chicken Jello? I can't imagine! From googling it:

 

chicken jello: what happens when you just throw the chicken in the fridge instead of draining it after cooking.

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Oh heck!

 

I have always tried to keep my responses factual and helpful as far as possible, and have been biting my tongue the last few days as I have no experience of Caribbean sailings. However, the devil must be in me tonight as I really to feel the urge to try and respond a little.:cool:

 

Cheryl, I really do not think you are going to enjoy an MSC Cruise. It is obviously not what you are used to. What are MSC to do? They are marketing themselves as an Italian cruise line, but it seems the concensus is, they are wrong if they are not offering exactly the same product as other cruise lines. Then they will become just the same as the other lines, where is the choice and difference in product then?

 

The link you gave seems to show it was the organizers of the Jam cruise that 'screwed up'. Maybe MSC did play a part in this, but it certainly isn't clear exactly what part they did play. As for cleanliness, MSC have a very high reputation in this. There has never been an outbreak of Norovirus on any of their ships. Yes, I know about the Sinfonia, but the reprt as to what happened isn't out yet so I will reserve judgement on that until the facts are clear. If it is the case, it will be a first. I believe the part of the world it is in is questionable. All ships seem to suffer from an outbreak of illness to one degree or another when in Egypt and the ship's take extra precautions here to stop any outbreaks spreading further. (It is the passengers who eat/drink questionable foods when ashore who are affected.)

 

The food! Well. I don't like all the food on the ship either, but I do like most of it. There really is no food like you are used to though is there? You know if I buy something as simple as cornflakes from somewhere other than my local supermarket, they taste different and I don't like them. My children were used to the local supermarkets cheapest brand of value baked beans but when they visited my parents they were treated to the very best. Yuck said my children..those beans were horrible. :D

 

Living in the South East of England and only a 35 minute train ride from mainland Europe, I am fortunate to have visited on many occassions over the years. France in particular rather than Italy. Day to day French food? The cuisine capital of the world. I must admit I'm not overly keen. Snails, frogs legs, lamb stew which consists almost entirely of knuckles...not for me.

 

Europeans don't 'do' Bacon. It's not a food they eat separately. You cannot buy the bacon we have here in Europe..(we take our own. :)) The supermarkets and butchers just do not have the same cuts. Europeans don't usually have 'hot' breakfasts, so the bacon, sausages, eggs etc are their attempt to please all. I'll agree they do not taste the same. Sausages are different in every country you come across. They do not have omelette stations as a filled omlette would be a lunch or supper dish, and even then made to order rather than be presented with a choice of fillings.

 

I strongly suspect the chicken jello you are referring to is chicken in aspic, a savoury dish, perhaps akin to pate. Try it on toast. ;) The steaks will be thinner than you are used to. As I said, we do not have the same cuts, (I only wish we did) but meat is at a premium in Europe.

 

I too wish they would extend the buffet hours, mainly in the afternoon. Arriving back from port & no food available isn't the best scenario. However, their product, rightly or wrongly, is emphasis on family dining rather than 24 hour eat what you want when you want. Awareness of this is a help.

 

I've mentionned this before too, but service here is different. It is considered rude & pushy for a wine steward etc to be asking you what you want as soon as you sit down...you may not want anything, apart from to sit & relax. They will be waiting in the background for a signal, a glance, a nod, slight raising of the hand etc. I've always found them very prompt.

 

I too have one or two smaller 'issues' with MSC but on the whole I find them extremely good value for money. Certainly the differences I would find on other lines are not worth double, or in many cases even more, the prices charged on MSC.

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Thank you very much for the explanations. It really is helpful in understanding the differences between the American habits and preferences and those of the Europeans. This will help me be more open minded when I am on the Orchestra in a few weeks. It's good to know that some of the situations that we might consider "issues" have a reason behind them, and are not just simply a lack of care.

 

I'm going on MSC with an open mind and plan to do my very best to have a fun cruise. I know that not everything will be perfect (haven't found a cruiseline yet that was), so I hope that I will make the most out of the good things, and take the less than good with a grain of salt. That's my intent anyway.

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Sparky: Thank you for the explanation. You are absolutely correct. I don't think I would like MSC as much as I have enjoyed other lines. Negating the things which are highly subjective (service levels and food quality), objective things like a comprehensive room service menu, casual dinner dining options, food available when I return from a tour, organized embarkation, safe debarkation, etc... all play a role in how much I enjoy a cruise. I like quick embarkation and I really really like the convienence of being able to grab lunch when I return from a tour! These things have value to me.

 

LIke you, I am also looking for the best value for my dollar and am willing to forego some of the convienences I have come to appreciate by mainstream lines in exchange for obtaining the absolute best value for my travel dollar.

 

You said it much better than I could......... you choose MSC, accepting it's issues, because the "the differences I would find on other lines are not worth double, or in many cases even more, the prices charged on MSC"

 

Today I found several other lines with pricing directly in line with what MSC is charging. Celebrity, Princess, and NCL all have cruises departing on the same weekend as my travel for between $50.00 and $70.00 pp. more. RCL is still much more expensive (double). There were a few Carnival sailings that were actually CHEAPER (but I'm not interested in sailing with carnival). Needless to say, for the price difference of $10.00 per day, I will be sailing with Celebrity or Princess.

 

I agree, MSC is something to consider when the other lines are pricing double. And while MSC may have had great pricing compared to other lines a month ago, the mainstream lines have drastically reduced prices (at least on my sailing date), making the decision to abandon the MSC Orchestra a no-brainer for me personally.

 

For those of you still on the fense, I encourage you to look at current pricing for your departure dates.The mainstream lines are offering MASSIVE discounts for the remainder of this season. You might be surprised how little price difference actually exists (unless you're taking advantage of the kids sail free option, and then I have no clue).

 

For those of you sailing with MSC because it offers the product you truly desire, regardless of price..... I wish you fabulous vacations.

 

Bottom line, for me personally, I can’t possibly justify paying slightly less for a product that, according to the vast majority of reports, appears greatly inferior. Again, this is just my personal opinion and what course of action I've chosen to take.

I pass no judgment on those of you sticking with MSC. Everyone looks for something different in a vacation and rarely are two situations identical. Ultimately, I consider myself blessed to be in the situation to be able to make the choice of which cruise to take this year. Many are far less fortunate.

Peace, love, and happy travels to all,

Cheryl :)

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I would say that the blame rests with the charter company and not MSC. From a very reliable source, I heard that they were a rowdy bunch, it smelled like the 60's in several places (I'll leave you all to figure that one out), and the ship was chartered, not a booking through MSC. In other words, if there were document issues, that would have been the fault of the charter company. Then there were the 9 people who decided that they wanted to hide instead of get off on Friday morning. The ship had to be searched from stem to stern to find them and get them off. Since the Friday cruise was not a cruise but rather a night in port for TA's, media and VIP's, a few decided to try and stay another night.

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I would say that the blame rests with the charter company and not MSC. From a very reliable source, I heard that they were a rowdy bunch, it smelled like the 60's in several places (I'll leave you all to figure that one out), and the ship was chartered, not a booking through MSC. In other words, if there were document issues, that would have been the fault of the charter company. Then there were the 9 people who decided that they wanted to hide instead of get off on Friday morning. The ship had to be searched from stem to stern to find them and get them off. Since the Friday cruise was not a cruise but rather a night in port for TA's, media and VIP's, a few decided to try and stay another night.

 

Didn't MSC still have to do the processing at embarktation? We were with a chartered group once and we still had to process like everyone else.

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Oh heck!

 

I have always tried to keep my responses factual and helpful as far as possible, and have been biting my tongue the last few days as I have no experience of Caribbean sailings. However, the devil must be in me tonight as I really to feel the urge to try and respond a little.:cool:

 

Cheryl, I really do not think you are going to enjoy an MSC Cruise. It is obviously not what you are used to. What are MSC to do? They are marketing themselves as an Italian cruise line, but it seems the concensus is, they are wrong if they are not offering exactly the same product as other cruise lines. Then they will become just the same as the other lines, where is the choice and difference in product then?

 

The link you gave seems to show it was the organizers of the Jam cruise that 'screwed up'. Maybe MSC did play a part in this, but it certainly isn't clear exactly what part they did play. As for cleanliness, MSC have a very high reputation in this. There has never been an outbreak of Norovirus on any of their ships. Yes, I know about the Sinfonia, but the reprt as to what happened isn't out yet so I will reserve judgement on that until the facts are clear. If it is the case, it will be a first. I believe the part of the world it is in is questionable. All ships seem to suffer from an outbreak of illness to one degree or another when in Egypt and the ship's take extra precautions here to stop any outbreaks spreading further. (It is the passengers who eat/drink questionable foods when ashore who are affected.)

 

The food! Well. I don't like all the food on the ship either, but I do like most of it. There really is no food like you are used to though is there? You know if I buy something as simple as cornflakes from somewhere other than my local supermarket, they taste different and I don't like them. My children were used to the local supermarkets cheapest brand of value baked beans but when they visited my parents they were treated to the very best. Yuck said my children..those beans were horrible. :D

 

Living in the South East of England and only a 35 minute train ride from mainland Europe, I am fortunate to have visited on many occassions over the years. France in particular rather than Italy. Day to day French food? The cuisine capital of the world. I must admit I'm not overly keen. Snails, frogs legs, lamb stew which consists almost entirely of knuckles...not for me.

 

Europeans don't 'do' Bacon. It's not a food they eat separately. You cannot buy the bacon we have here in Europe..(we take our own. :)) The supermarkets and butchers just do not have the same cuts. Europeans don't usually have 'hot' breakfasts, so the bacon, sausages, eggs etc are their attempt to please all. I'll agree they do not taste the same. Sausages are different in every country you come across. They do not have omelette stations as a filled omlette would be a lunch or supper dish, and even then made to order rather than be presented with a choice of fillings.

 

I strongly suspect the chicken jello you are referring to is chicken in aspic, a savoury dish, perhaps akin to pate. Try it on toast. ;) The steaks will be thinner than you are used to. As I said, we do not have the same cuts, (I only wish we did) but meat is at a premium in Europe.

 

I too wish they would extend the buffet hours, mainly in the afternoon. Arriving back from port & no food available isn't the best scenario. However, their product, rightly or wrongly, is emphasis on family dining rather than 24 hour eat what you want when you want. Awareness of this is a help.

 

I've mentionned this before too, but service here is different. It is considered rude & pushy for a wine steward etc to be asking you what you want as soon as you sit down...you may not want anything, apart from to sit & relax. They will be waiting in the background for a signal, a glance, a nod, slight raising of the hand etc. I've always found them very prompt.

 

I too have one or two smaller 'issues' with MSC but on the whole I find them extremely good value for money. Certainly the differences I would find on other lines are not worth double, or in many cases even more, the prices charged on MSC.

 

 

Sparky - I find your comments around the food puzzling. MSC is now sailing out of Ft Lauderdale and I'm quite certain isn't getting it's cuts of beef and bacon from Europe. I'd like to think that most of us understand that there are, in fact, differences between cultures as it relates to food and service, but that the issues passengers experienced were not cultural ones.

 

Peas and corn on pizza is not cultural, it's just bad cuisine IMHO! Chicken jello, or as you say, chicken with aspic is not something that most americans eat. Poor service is poor service and while I don't want anyone to hover, I do want to be served when I enter an establishment. That includes being greeted, seated and asked what I would like to eat or drink. If you're smart and want to be successful, then you know your crowd and you try and do what you can to please them so that they return. To me, that's a basic business principal and one that you think MSC would be smart enough to follow. It's just logical.

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Sparky - I find your comments around the food puzzling. MSC is now sailing out of Ft Lauderdale and I'm quite certain isn't getting it's cuts of beef and bacon from Europe. I'd like to think that most of us understand that there are, in fact, differences between cultures as it relates to food and service, but that the issues passengers experienced were not cultural ones.

 

Peas and corn on pizza is not cultural, it's just bad cuisine IMHO! Chicken jello, or as you say, chicken with aspic is not something that most americans eat. Poor service is poor service and while I don't want anyone to hover, I do want to be served when I enter an establishment. That includes being greeted, seated and asked what I would like to eat or drink. If you're smart and want to be successful, then you know your crowd and you try and do what you can to please them so that they return. To me, that's a basic business principal and one that you think MSC would be smart enough to follow. It's just logical.

 

Ah babygirl, you are so right..just put it down to old age & stupidity & that I should stick to biting my tongue when it comes down to Caribbean sailings. Of course the food will be loaded at Fort Lauderdale. I think what I was trying to get across was that different Nationalities will treat the same food differently. I can't speak about the steaks you will receive, but I do know that contintental Europeans do not really know how to cook bacon..perhaps whatever cut they are given. Each country treats it's food differently. I'm sure the French are horrified that they will serve their beef with a lovingly prepared sauce and we will just cover it with gravy & serve it up with fried batter!! ;)

 

I have never had..neither would I wish to have peas on pizza..but corn is quite common..with tuna...with ham and with chicken..well it is here anyway. :)

 

Also, of course if you take a seat in the dining room for example, you will be greeted, seated etc. I was really referring to the lounges and pool areas. You would be surprized at how many people on tables surrounding us in the lounges spent the evening without a drink. [Edited to say by choice of course. :)]

 

Although MSC is in the Caribbean & wanting to attract US passengers, they still have quite a high percentage of Europeans sailing and I believe are trying to please all.

 

I think I was just trying to point out some of the differences and to indicate they are not as uncaring as it might appear at first glance. I too hope they learn a little from their US customer base, it would certainly benefit we Brits who 'whine about the lack of iced water' etc. ;)

 

 

Cheryl..as for embarkation...I have sailed MSC twice..in Europe admittedly, but on both occassions, embarkation was in minutes, about 10 on the first occassion and about 2 on the second. :D

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  • 1 month later...

Hi there ....

 

3 time Jam Cruiser here .... And I just thought I would toss in my 2 cents ....

 

Yes, we are a rowdy bunch. We live hard. We party hard. We go on Jam Cruise for the music and the friendship. Where else can you find yourself laying in a hot tub with one of the Neville Brothers, 2 co-eds from the University of Miami, all the while being brought frosty cocktails with little umbrellas?

 

We have not yet been told what caused the little screw up with departure. Yes, a great number of people had problems getting on the boat. But the important thing is everyone DID make it on the boat. And that is all that matters.

 

As for the food? Well .... We go on Jam Cruise for the music and to see our friends. Is the food a running joke on Jam Cruise?

 

Hell YES!

 

The infamous Hot Dog Pizza. Playing Sausage Jenga at 3am. Eating bowls of semi-flaccid bacon. Lobster Night with lobsters the size of crayfish.

 

And, yes ... This year ..... Chicken Jell-O

 

Even scarier than you can imagine.

 

p.s.

It smelled ALOT like the 60's.

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From what I read this was an extremely wild bunch of people.

 

One guy wrote of people using the hot tubs to wash their "stanky-boozed soaked dirty dancing feet". Then someone else complained that the water in the hot tubs was gray and dirty looking and they refused to go in them???!! Gee I wonder why. :rolleyes:

They used sharpies to write on the floors and walls, vomited in public areas, danced on the sofas and chairs in the public areas.

Sounds like a classy bunch of people to me!! :eek:

 

What's Up Cruise Critic Message Board!! popping in to say hi and hopefully clean a few misconceptions up :)

 

For the record.. no one wrote on the floors or walls with sharpies!!! It was a misunderstanding by the girl who wrote that.. we decorated with easy peel no-stick stickers for Hollywood Night (as in the Hollywood Walk of Fame) and the real marble looked so close people thought is was real flooring... it was just decoration! Here is what we used and you can buy these at any Party Store.. We wrote the names of the performing artists and created a Jam Cruise Walk of Fame by the elevator doors..it was 100% safe and we even cleaned them up before we left the ship.

 

70_5443.jpg

 

No one vomits in public places..we are having a good time.. but also remember we pay like 3 or 4 times what typical cruisers pay to be on the ship..so this is not a group of riff-raf.. heck I don't even really know what a regular MSC Orchestra cruise would cost.. so here are the prices for our cruise..some people work lower paying jobs and SAVE ALL YEAR to get on this cruise..some have high end careers & make more than others..we are a family and we do not disrespect others or our vacation that means so much to us!!

prices.jpg

 

 

People do not dance on sofas and chairs..we dance on the dance floor..they cover one of the pools and create a lighted dance floor and we also used the theater and the Savannah bar as other venues.

 

If you are going to read our forum..take it with a grain of salt..we are a family there and we all know each other (face to face even!) so we can tell when our friends are exaggerating..even if strangers can't but if you stick around..you will learn!

 

If you have any questions..we would be happy to answer.. many many many of us lurk on this forum..but since we have our own..we mostly don't post..but I know a few of my Jam Cruise friends that do chat here about the normal cruises they go on.

 

Smiles!

Az

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From what I read this was an extremely wild bunch of people.

 

One guy wrote of people using the hot tubs to wash their "stanky-boozed soaked dirty dancing feet". Then someone else complained that the water in the hot tubs was gray and dirty looking and they refused to go in them???!! Gee I wonder why. :rolleyes:

They used sharpies to write on the floors and walls, vomited in public areas, danced on the sofas and chairs in the public areas.

Sounds like a classy bunch of people to me!! :eek:

 

458475923_TKAoN-M.jpg

 

I'm sorry but I am not seeing any "stanky-boozed soaked dirty dancing feet" (and just where do you suppose they keep the dirt on a cruise ship?)

 

as a 5 time "repeat offender" I have to take exception with every one of those characterizations. I neither saw nor heard of any of those things. The jamcruise forum is an open forum and there are people who don't even go on jamcruise that write things like that so please take comments like those with a grain of salt. These things just did not happen on jamcruise and I have never seen anything close to this on any jamcruise.

 

Our community is composed of music lovers who have become friends and we stay in touch with each other throughout the year. I know that at every show I go to in any city in the country I will find other jamcruisers in the crowd (because those are the kind of people that go to shows!) and will be welcome. We are a family

 

and yes, we are a very classy bunch of people!!

 

On jamcruise we place recycling containers around the ship and we volunteer to man the stations to promote recycling of glass and plastic products as well as working with the staff to separate recyclables in the ship's trash room. A video of the green team efforts on jamcruise 6 is here

. Please watch this and see how your cruise experience compares.

 

This year our community donated around 12 laptop computers, school supplies and clothing to schools in Belize and Costa Maya. The computers were reformatted, loaded with new windows OS and equipped with wireless card by our community. Local wireless internet providers agreed to donate the internet access to the schools through the efforts of several jamcruisers.

http://www.jamcruise.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8605

 

Finally, we are able to announce that based on the success of last year, we are once again working with charities in both Belize and Costa Maya to provide much needed assistance to children in both ports.

 

This represents a unique opportunity for Jam Cruise passengers to demonstrate the spirit and generosity of our community by helping others far less fortunate than ourselves who continue to struggle to meet basic needs.

 

Belize and Costa Maya are places of abundant natural beauty as well as persistent poverty for many of its residents. The Jam Cruise 7 passenger donation drive is centered around our desire to connect with the local people in the communities we visit, to gain a deeper understanding of their way of life, and to do something positive for them.

 

The local schools struggle to provide basic supplies for the children to receive an education. Many families struggle to provide even clothes for their children so they can attend school. Electricity, hot water, and hot meals are sporadic for many. Teachers and parents dream to be able to provide a basic music program for the children, but they can’t afford the instruments. Computers and the internet are a luxury afforded by very few. Please see below for information about our beneficiaries in Belize and Costa Maya.

 

The Green Team invites all JC7 passengers to consider the needs of our beneficiaries in Belize and Costa Maya, and to donate something from the following wish list. Deposit your donations in Greening Headquarters on Deck 6 during Days 1 & 2, and receive a raffle ticket for a special edition Greening Jam Cruise poster (artist proof) signed by Michael Everett and 85 Jam Cruise 6 artists!

 

Combined Wish Lists (931 children ages 4 to 18 years)

Children's clothing of all sizes -

shoes and sneakers for boys and girls

underwear for boys and girls

white socks for boys and girls

twin size sheets and pillow cases

tooth brushes

sports balls including soccer balls

back packs

notebooks - composition style

pens & pencils

geometry sets

puzzles

world maps

biodiversity and cultural diversity posters

play dough

construction paper

colored pencils

crayons

Scientific calculators

Spanish-English dictionaries

Congas

Various African Instruments: shakers, shekere, kora, krin (log drum), etc.

Basic musical instruments – recorders, cymbals, hand drums, shakers, castanets, etc. – 2 cases

 

 

and this http://www.jamcruise.com/jc7/greening.php

Greening Jam Cruise Program Components

Recycling

Waste Reduction

Sustainable Product Sourcing

Carbon Offsetting

Environmental Education

Passenger Participation

Greening Auction

Collaborative Relationships

Leaving a Positive Legacy

 

so Ms Chesneygirl - is that classy enough? :)

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Hey, 5 time cruiser here. Just to keep it on the real...

 

People did puke in public places, as in the pool deck. I had a girl puke right next to me and then her friends led her away. She never did put that beer down, so I guess she was ok:)

 

The food sucks and thats all on MSC. They were not trying to be different from other cruise lines, they just suck at food all around. The first night in the dinning room all of my food sucked. Then I hit the Chinese place one night and was blown away. It cost you extra to eat there, but is worth every bite.

 

The first year I went on Jam Cruise is was on Carnival. What can you say about Carnival? It's like the walmart of cruises. Old boat, not very clean or up to date, whatever. The food was great. I didn't have anything bad to eat that year. Just sayin'

 

Also, as much as you read about this was bad and that was bad, in the end it's all good. Most of the people that posted that stuff are prebooked for next years cruise. 500+ cabins prebooked already and we don't know when, what boat, or what bands. That is the kind of faith we put in Could 9 (the promoters who charter the boat).

 

We are in it for the music 100% and just wish the cruise line would improve some thing for us. We blow away every bar record they have ever had and ever will have.

 

Please take some time to check out our picture threads and see how many people have smiles on their faces so big it looks like they just won the lottery.

 

Bob

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I warned everyone that this was a 'skewed' population the first time I linked you to this site last week LOL. .

 

 

In other words (and at the risk of stereotyping)...........if the jam cruise people thought it was bad :eek::eek::eek:

 

Cheryl

 

Oh God, oh God, one of those "skewed" savages is out on the loose on this board, whatever shall we do??? Run for the hills everybody!! One them "jamcruisers" has done found our safe haven... quick, read the Patriot Act to 'em... that'll scare 'em away!!

 

Some of you people are ridiculous with your maniacal, childish labels you place on individuals. You know who goes on Jam Cruise? -- your parents, your wife, your children, your friends and your co-workers. We are you, and you are us. We aren't living in uninformed times these days. Maybe some of you should put down your latte and turn up your stereo. Maybe you should stop checking your portfolio for a second to smell the cleanlines of the winter breeze blowing through the air. Or maybe, just maybe, you could step down of your golden high horse long enough to dance. What a novel idea ay?

 

But Lord Jesus what have I said?! I'm sorry for the blasphemous nature of my words. God forbid anyone in this day and age have fun!!! ":eek::eek::eek:" (quoting the emoticons of ChesneyGirl)

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PS. I've cruised on each cruise ship in the RCL Voyager class; I've cruised on both the Freedom of the Seas and the Liberty of the Seas. I've cruised on Celebrity Cruise lines and Princess Cruise Lines. I've also attended two Jam Cruise vacations, and of all of the cruises that I have personally sailed (greater than 10), MSC is by far and away the absolute WORST when it comes to food service. It is terrible, almost to the point of uneatable. Take my advice with a grain of salt though, because as you all know, we "jamcruisers" live in a cave and are sustained only by drops of dew and psychedelic manna. :insert a million eye rolling smileys:

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PS. I've cruised on each cruise ship in the RCL Voyager class; I've cruised on both the Freedom of the Seas and the Liberty of the Seas. I've cruised on Celebrity Cruise lines and Princess Cruise Lines. I've also attended two Jam Cruise vacations, and of all of the cruises that I have personally sailed (greater than 10), MSC is by far and away the absolute WORST when it comes to food service. It is terrible, almost to the point of uneatable. Take my advice with a grain of salt though, because as you all know, we "jamcruisers" live in a cave and are sustained only by drops of dew and psychedelic manna. :insert a million eye rolling smileys:

 

Whoa.......... why the anger? Being labeled a 'skewed' population is a compliment in my world! I'm a skewed population because of my gender and career and I love it :). I'd think that the Jam cruisers would totally get the reference, but since you're obviously offended let me explain.

The term 'skewed' population is often used for statistical purposes. Example, if you surveyed only Democrats on the new stimulus program, you would be surveying a 'skewed' population and the survey results would very well yield a low reliability when generalized to a larger population.

The jam cruise folks chartered an entire cruise ship, paid huge money to do so, and have made this an annual event that keeps growing in numbers. If that's not a 'skewed' population of cruisers, I don't know what is! The superbowl cruisers don't even 'skew' as much because they don't have the entire ship chartered and aren't as large of a population in terms of numbers.

In fact, this is what I had to say about your 'skewed' population way back on January 5th while you were sailing and cruise critic was trying to ‘figure’ out who the charter group was and whether or not you were going to be the typical complainers (as had been labeled of the 2 day and 17 day cruise which preceded you.)………

The folks that attend the Jam Cruises are a skewed population. SOmething tells me they are having a fantastic time.

And then when asked to define a ‘skewed’ population, this was my response:

Jam cruises are all about the music. Food, service, etc... all take second seat. Think woodstock, but much more laid back . I"d personally love to be on one, but they never sail when I have time off.

Cheryl

Now, mind you, I had the initial venue wrong……. My stupid friend who was on Jam Cruise 2 said that BS&T were playing (my bad)….. but I’m not sure I have missed the concept of Jam cruise. Jam cruise is all about the music, friendship, and fun. Food and service comes lower in the priorities. If I’m wrong, please advice.

Because the music is more important, When Jam Cruisers openly complained about the food it was a huge red flag for me. In fact, the food photos posted on the jam cruise site (salad served with cold French fries and a cold onion ring.. uggh…….. and how about them baloney sandwiches?...... Pea Pizza? pictures don’t lie L)…. Anyway, not food that looked even remotely appealing to me. So, I was VERY alarmed at Jam Cruise description of the food. Not because the group doesn’t have taste buds, but because given your venue, negativity and complaining appears rare.

Your group is not alone in taking the ‘blame’ for bad food and service. When the superbowl cruisers came off and complained about the food many jumped to blame them (the group) and said that the negativity begot negativity. That the food can’t be that bad, and that the superbowl cruisers just kept breeding negativity and liked to complain. Same with the concert at sea group. That’s how some folks who have booked MSC deal with negative reports, they blame the ‘group’.

My intention was never to blame Jam Cruise (or the Superbowl cruisers, or the Concert at Sea cruisers)…… In fact, I’ve tried to represent just the opposite. I believe we should value all opinions, good and bad. If you read my postings, I’m confident you will see this theme repeated. That’s why I’m shocked that you are offended by the ‘skewed’ population comment. Face it dude, you’re skewed J.

PS. I've cruised on each cruise ship in the RCL Voyager class; I've cruised on both the Freedom of the Seas and the Liberty of the Seas. I've cruised on Celebrity Cruise lines and Princess Cruise Lines. I've also attended two Jam Cruise vacations, and of all of the cruises that I have personally sailed (greater than 10), MSC is by far and away the absolute WORST when it comes to food service. It is terrible, almost to the point of uneatable. Take my advice with a grain of salt though, because as you all know, we "jamcruisers" live in a cave and are sustained only by drops of dew and psychedelic manna. :insert a million eye rolling smileys:

Thank you for sharing your opinion on the food and service on the MSC site. I have canceled my MSC cruise based largely on the opinions of Jam Cruisers, Superbowl cruisers, Concerts at Sea, etc…. While all of these groups may very well be ‘skewed’ populations, they each came back with a similar message regarding food and service. Too much of a coincidence for me to ignore!!

For the rest of the jam cruisers who have posted in this thread, know that there are many of us on Cruise Critic who value (and welcome) your opinion. The ‘general’ population can certainly learn a few lessons from your group (especially your volunteer efforts towards going green)!

Anyway, hope this helps to clarify my position.

Peace and happy travels,

Cheryl :)

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Cheryl - thanks for your input, I didn't read your previous posts as a put down of the community but rather a recognition that the jamcruise crowd is not comprised of the traditional cruising population. And I would agree 100% with that and that we are a "skewed" population (in both a statistical sense and a cultural sense :D).

 

Chicken jello was served as a course in the main dinning room, ...,the only two toppings on the pizza were corn and peas.

I missed out on the "chicken jello" as I didn't eat in the dining room that evening but I did get the lettuce salad with french fries and onion ring the first night. And those weer not the only toppings offered - there were lots of traditional toppings as well as some pretty off-beat combinations

 

here we find french fries and onion rings on a salad

n903175225_5534834_6519.jpg

 

how about peas and carrots pizza ...........

0fc517cb.jpg

 

a photo of the infamous chicken jello

HPIM4606.jpg

 

but note that I had several very good to great meals on the cruise and never felt hungry with the MSC food (I just do wish it was better).

 

But also realize that the food is about the only thing we have to complain about and so it seems that everyone is complaining about the food.

 

I am confident that this 'skewed population' would be less likely to complain than the mainstream folks who have booked non-chartered sailings.

 

Jam cruises are all about the music. Food, service, etc... all take second seat.

and you could not be more accurate in this impression. The management staff, security staff and even the chaplain commented on how few problems arise on jamcruise and just how happy everyone is. Jamcruise is like a family gathering for probably 1/2 to 2/3 of the crowd.

 

 

Please continue to check out our community as you will not find a friendlier more accepting group of people (but we sometimes do get a little defensive when faced with unfair or distorted perception - sorry about that but it is our human nature) and thank you for all the kind words.

 

We would love to see the types of programs we have put together for jamcruise be extended throughout the cruise industry - particularly the greening/recycling programs and the "Leaving a Legacy" excursions programs.

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just a quick update here from the JamCruise recycling coordinator about the volumes that result from our cruise

 

Too bad not all cruises have aggressive recycling programs

 

John from the Green Team here. It's good to hear that people are open to can beer. It would really help our efforts to eliminate glass and use both PLA cups for the kegs and aluminum cans at the bars. I'm also a big fan of BIG beers, like the IPA and Stouts, but more and more are becoming available in a can, so we will do our best to get them on JC8.

 

And to answer the previous question - What is the volume of waste per passenger? The answer is staggering. On JC6 with 1,750 passengers, we collected 32,000 pounds of glass and 15,000 pounds of plastic and aluminum. icon_eek.gif That's almost 24 tons of recycled material total, so that turns out to be almost 27 pounds of recycled material per passenger. On JC7, we had 2,750 passengers and the waste per passenger came down a little due to more kegs on the pool deck with our Brews at Seas program.

 

About 5 pounds per person per day, which is more than double that we normally expect at a land-based music festival where ONLY kegs are used. Thanks for your help in improving our Greening efforts every year.

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