What was the biggest group you ever saw traveling together on a river cruise?

My wife and I booked what will then be our 10th trip on Viking, this time the Romanic Danube on the Viking Egil leaving Nuremberg on July 7, 2018. We invited friends from high school to join us. In 8 weeks we had sold out the entire ship with classes from 1955 to 1979 booked! Needless to say, we were both shocked and pleased by this.

We now have a rapidly growing wait list of 18 more people. As you can see, we are a very close knit alumni group.

I am curious if our group of 163 (we have 35 singles going, some sharing, most not) is the biggest single group who know each other traveling together that you've seen. We have 91 of the 95 cabins booked for our group.

My wife and I once noticed a group of almost 20 people traveling together on our Grand European cruise with us, our first Viking trip, in 2014.

What is the biggest group you've ever seen traveling together on a river cruise?

I think i

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I feel sorry for the people in the 4 cabins not in your group. The most likely will be left out. I have been on cruises that had groups of 15-20 and they ate together, sat together, and always stayed together ignoring everyone else. They also saved seats on in the restaurant and o buses which caused problems.

I feel sorry for the people in the 4 cabins not in your group. The most likely will be left out. I have been on cruises that had groups of 15-20 and they ate together, sat together, and always stayed together ignoring everyone else. They also saved seats on in the restaurant and o buses which caused problems.

Viking offered this group of 4 couples the same cruise leaving on the day before or the day after or on the same day in the opposite direction or a different cruise entirely and offered them a substantial discount to switch. They fully explained the situation to them. But they chose to stay anyway.

I think you probably could have gotten a better deal if you chartered the entire ship

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I think you probably could have gotten a better deal if you chartered the entire ship

 

 

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In 20/20 hindsight perhaps, but my wife and I thought 3 couples max would join us. Maybe 5 or 6 in our wildest imagination.

Instead 66 people booked in the first week after telling people.

It was great that Viking informed the other passengers of the situation.

It was great that Viking informed the other passengers of the situation.

Viking was sure they would want to switch but they didn't

Well I'm guessing your group doesn't all know each other and there is a pretty wide age range and assuming you all are a relatively friendly bunch there's no reason the other 8 should be inconvenienced. Besides, since they are traveling together they will probably be planning to eat together and keep each other company. Sounds like all of you will have an awesome time!!

We did a Christmas Market cruise with Viking with a very large group. We were part of a group of 6 traveling together and didn't mind at all. It was quite a congenial group. We always ate with our group of 6 but chatted often on tours and in the lounge with others from a group of 80+. It wasn't like they were 12 year olds running up and down the halls all night 😀

We traveled on a Christmas market trip with another couple. There was a not so nice group of 40 traveling as a group. They commandeered many group participation events on the boat. They were rude during the evening entertainment . Finally the CD spoke with their leader, didn't do much good. In China about 1/2 the pax came with a group from England. The leader was trying to convince Viking that he should be the Viking rep in the UK. This was only 2 out of our 22 trips. Your group should be just fine. Enjoy. Pat

Just off the Amasonata and there were two groups of travel agents. The larger group was from Midlantic AAA and there were easily 35 of them traveling along with their guests.

Well I'm guessing your group doesn't all know each other and there is a pretty wide age range ... 😀

Actually I know about 80% of the people. The biggest group coming is from my class (1965) and half of those coming are in 1963-67 classes, hence were in school with me.

I am the head of our Alumni Association, and we have a reunion every year for all classes that has more 600 people there, mainly from classes of early 40s to late 70s. So I have met most of the people coming at some time.

I have already started a newsletter just for our cruise group and have built a pictorial website to show everyone what to expect in each city and what life is like cruising and what life is like on board (based on my wife and my trip in 2014):

http://www.rhodesvacations.com/danube

In addition, next year we will host a couple of parties at our home for those still local, which are most. At the party we will give out name tags with pictures from high school. By the time we board most who don't know each other will by then.

It's gonna be a blast.!

Was on a Rhine cruise where 1/2 of the passengers were all in one group. It did have a negative impact on the rest of us. Still enjoyed the cruise, but would prefer to avoid large groups.

Was on a Rhine cruise where 1/2 of the passengers were all in one group. It did have a negative impact on the rest of us. Still enjoyed the cruise, but would prefer to avoid large groups.

Curious. In what way did the group know each other?

Curious. In what way did the group know each other?

They were all members of the same organization.

They were all members of the same organization.

Do you know what type of organization? That's what I was curious about?

Last September, there was a group of 80 people on our Emerald cruise. All arranged through a single couple - but most did not know each other. There were groups of 4/6/8 that did but other than that, many just met for the cruise. Sort of "I am going on this cruise - not sure if you are interested..." type of scenario.

The organizers (apparently) tried to get the Cruise Director to "protect" group space. For example she asked if the group could all be booked on the same buses. The Cruise Director refused - stating that all had "equal" standing, so she would not provide preferential treatment for a group - even if it was large.

DH and I commented that this cruise had more movement at dinner that on most cruises. We tend to find a few people we enjoy, and meet up for dinner. A few times we have traveled with another couple - so often look for a table for 4. But we met, and shared a table with many people on this cruise. And, met up in the lounge after dinner as it was one of the more social cruises we have been on.

On our trip to China with Viking, there was a group from Pied Piper travel. About 25 of the 40 people on our bus were with that group... We had a blast!!

I think it really depends on the group. If you have people who are social - and like to meet others - than having a large group can be fun.

Fran

Since most of us know most of us, it will be like a 8 day floating high school reunion. We also have 102 doing the 3 day Prague preextension which our agent says is about 3 times the normal size.