Group on Cruise? - Here's how to find out!

Per the HAL President's Office - call HAL's Group Administration Department at 1-888-425-9477 "...who will be more than happy to provide this information."

Thank you for this information.

We would hold our comment until somebody actually gets real information from this office.

Hank

Per the HAL President's Office - call HAL's Group Administration Department at 1-888-425-9477 "...who will be more than happy to provide this information."

they can fax me the list, and it will make my research easier!

:D:D:D

Carol

Might be interesting if someone gave them a call about a cruise you know a group is on...and see what they say.

They did make it clear the their list of groups is fluid, some get added on and some cancel, so they said it's best to re-check before final payment so you can make an informed decision.

I question whether any HAL dept will share group info (size, exclusive venue use, group demographic/interest) ... because it is not in HAL's intere$t to do so. They know all too well that given ng out way too much info about groups may lead to others csncelling.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I577 using Forums mobile app

I question whether any HAL dept will share group info (size, exclusive venue use, group demographic/interest) ... because it is not in HAL's intere$t to do so. They know all too well that given ng out way too much info about groups may lead to others csncelling.

 

Well, my letter from the HAL President's Office said they would. I haven't called them yet since I haven't figured out my next HAL cruise will be.

Please let us know how your call is handled. It would be nice if HAL were to be forthcoming with group info ... but I don't think it will happen particularly if there are a lot of calls and/or many cancels from non-group people.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I577 using Forums mobile app

Thanks for the information.

I'd be interested in seeing the responses when HAL is questioned.

they can fax me the list, and it will make my research easier!

 

:D:D:D

 

Carol

CJcruzer has a pretty complete list of charters and or groups on board Hal ships. She puts the thread up for it every couple of weeks, you can always check there when booking your next cruise, I know I do.

Not sure I understand the logic of basing your cruise on what group is onboard...lets say you discover there is a group book that you have pre determined you will seek an alternative cruise....what happens if after you made the change that group cancels...or, you made the change to another ship and discover (after you board)that there is a group onboard your new cruise that presents the same criteria that made you switch in the first place

For a week, a cruise ship is a small community where cruisers for a motley number of reasons, share a journey and in that spirit try to get along....today's cruise ships offer enough options that it should not have an adverse impact on your vacation experience...it all comes down to one's attitude...cruiselines have well trained staffs to work with a group coordinators to ensure a balance for all guests onboard...

I can understand if 1 group represents 50% or more of the guests sailing, which would impact MDR ,Main Showroom and other facilities, which would require adjustments for everyone, but most cruisers with positive vacation attitudes will adjust...however spring break, summer when families travel with kids, there could be 10 small groups which could have as much impact as 1 large group

Plan your cruise vacation, not based on who else will be onboard, but for the reasons why you wanted to cruise in the 1st place....the reason why private music charters are so wildly popular, is that cruisers will pay a premium to cruise with like minded folks which makes for a much difference experience because it meets both criteria. high end ($$$$$) luxury cruises which by design are on much smaller (250-750 guests) vessels meet both criteria also

Sometimes when reading these boards, I wonder if some posters understand that when you elect to cruise on the mass popular cruiselines you share

Not sure I understand the logic of basing your cruise on what group is onboard..

 

I can understand if 1 group represents 50% or more of the guests sailing, which would impact MDR ,Main Showroom and other facilities, which would require adjustments for everyone, but most cruisers with positive vacation attitudes will adjust...

 

Sometimes when reading these boards, I wonder if some posters understand that when you elect to cruise on the mass popular cruiselines you share

Maybe you missed the discussion on group bookings before, but most people don't care what group is on board. They care how big it is and how it impacts their cruise. 10 small groups can be unremarkable and not be noticed, but one large group 10 times the size can gobble up private spaces with hosted events.

Common complaints are:

• A large group booking out a dining time completely or almost completely
  
• Public Venues closed like the aft pool on the first sea day, Pinnacle Grill for a day or show room and Crow's nest for a few hours.
  
• Difficulty mingling
  

Would I adjust? Certainly. Would I be happy if I could avoid a large group by changing my booking? Absolutely.

I don't mind sharing, I do mind having trouble using public spaces. Many cruisers feel the same and try to avoid large groups.

Understand your point....but also understand that cruiselines aggressively court large groups so it is rare that you find a cruise that does not have a large (250+) group onboard and will impact to some extend onboard facilities....one of the key roles is the coordination between the group leader, the onboard CD staff and the corporate group desk to provide alternative activities on full days at sea and evenings for cruisers who are not a part of the group

Really large groups that make up more then 20% of the onboard guests on a small to midsize vessel will have a greater impact then say on the Oasis of the Seas

My experience when I have been part of a large private Jazz group on a regular sailing is what really upsets cruisers (who were not part of our group) is that they wanted to be a partake in our activities but did not want to pay the surcharge....some CD's do an excellent pro active communication effort at the beginning of the cruise so everyone (especially 1st time cruisers) understood who,what,when,where and why certain areas of the ship would be reserved for private functions and what the alternatives were, so non group guests could adjust...the more the creative alternatives, coupled with pro active communication, the better the cruise for all

A member of a group has the option to do both group/non group functions which is balanced out by paying the surcharge for that priviledge...

The cruiseline mantra is with alittle TLC, this year's large group on a regular sailing, is next years private full charter

Understand your point....but also understand that cruiselines aggressively court large groups so it is rare that you find a cruise that does not have a large (250+) group onboard and will impact to some extend onboard facilities....

I have no idea how rare it is to have a large group onboard. The last cruise I took certainly didn't have one. The ship wasn't even 2/3s full.

Really large groups that make up more then 20% of the onboard guests on a small to midsize vessel will have a greater impact then say on the Oasis of the Seas

But most people do choose to sail on smaller or mid size vessels exactly because they don't like crowds or large groups. So having part of the public space removed means busier and more crowded spaces.

My experience when I have been part of a large private Jazz group on a regular sailing is what really upsets cruisers (who were not part of our group) is that they wanted to be a partake in our activities but did not want to pay the surcharge...

That's not the impression I got reading the complaints from people on this forum about large groups. Although I did read about people accidentally finding themselves in group activities, which I think is a communications issue.

A member of a group has the option to do both group/non group functions which is balanced out by paying the surcharge for that priviledge...

 

The cruiseline mantra is with alittle TLC, this year's large group on a regular sailing, is next years private full charter

I think it's fine that groups exists and that they pay for what extra's they want. I would totally understand pax who are part of a group being miffed if people who didn't pay stayed for the activities, that's not fair.

However, they have a choice and regular pax so far haven't. A group might be on my cruise or not and I just have to accept it. So just because a cruise line wants to court large groups and give some TLC doesn't mean I have to like it or that I have to want to be around large groups. So I applaud the possibility in giving me more choices to be informed.

The first cruise we were on had a large group of St. Louis Cardinals baseball fans. I am in no way a fan of this team, and was not in the least bit interested in any of their activities.

I did, however, expect that I would be able to access and enjoy the aft pool on the Westerdam on the first sea day. I did expect that the activities that took place in the Queen's Lounge on previous and subsequent cruises would be available, but, sadly, that venue was in use by the group the entire cruise for their exclusive use. I expected that the Dress Code in the MDR on "Formal Night" would at the very least include slacks and trousers and maybe a shirt with a collar, as opposed to 2/3 of the MRD occupied by people in jeans or short and baseball jerseys and ball caps.

I can't imagine too many people not part of the group wanted to scam their way into "exclusive activities." We just wanted access to the entire ship that we all paid to sail on, not just whatever areas the huge group didn't want to use at the time.

If I had know ahead of time, I would have picked a different sailing. I know the cruise lines cater to groups, but if venues the average passenger would assume is there for their use is to be taken out as an option, the cruise line should post that on the itinerary. Maybe the large groups would not be so lucrative if people could avoid them and the business model would change.

I can't imagine too many people not part of the group wanted to scam their way into "exclusive activities." We just wanted access to the entire ship that we all paid to sail on, not just whatever areas the huge group didn't want to use at the time.

 

If I had know ahead of time, I would have picked a different sailing. I know the cruise lines cater to groups, but if venues the average passenger would assume is there for their use is to be taken out as an option, the cruise line should post that on the itinerary. Maybe the large groups would not be so lucrative if people could avoid them and the business model would change.

My friend had cruised with me before on HAL. She talked her DH, brother and SIL into this HAL cruise, raving about the Crow's Nest. My friend has cruised with me since on HAL, but her DH, brother, and SIL won't return.

I actually never have been on a cruise with a large group; I assume it's because the cruises I take are 10 days or longer or on the EE. I was unfortunately enough to book what HAL was selling as a 14 days cruise on the NA; in reality it was two 7 day cruises back to back. Thanks to this board I discovered that a large religious musical group would also be on board the ship for 1/2 of the 14 day cruise.

This group anticipates 650 passengers. As a musical group they will have events in the evenings and on sea days. So what venues I might normally have access to (Showroom, aft pool, Crow's Nest) will now be closed to me? Who knows.

Recently we were on a cruise where a small group (250) was on too. It was a jazz group, and truthfully I thought nothing of it as we had run into a another jazz group many years ago and it was fine. Well this time this group took over the Crow's Nest every evening on a 12 day cruise and then excluded any other passenger from being in the Crow's Nest. My DH and I happen to love the Crow's Nest and it really took away from our cruising experience not to be able to use it. Trust me we complained to Holland America big time and so did many other passengers.

This experience has made me gun shy of groups and trust me, I thoroughly research our cruises now.