Question re onboard "seminars"

[cbd317]

Having never cruised before I have a question regarding the onboard "seminars" I read about in the dailies on another thread.

 

I noticed a Gemstone Seminar and a Wrinkle-something-or-other seminar as example. Are these just avenues for the cruiseline to "sell" you items? or are they something different? If they are for selling, are the deals worthwhile?

 

I keep "timeshare sales" as what they may be like, but I could be completely wrong. Has anyone been to one of these that can give me an idea of what they are?

[che5904]

Depending on the seminar. They don't equal those wonderful time share gimmicks.

 

I went to a very good one on digital photography 3 years ago and there was nothing they were trying to sell. My DH went one on our last cruise (not sure whether it was a Gemstone one or shopping one) and yes it was a gimmick to get you to go to certain stores in port. But no one tried to sell him things there, or try to sign him up for anything or any hard sales. From what he described it would sound more like something you would watch on the shopping network.

 

Now the drink seminars on the other hand. IMO are a lot of fun and a fairly good price. They don't try to sell you anything, unless maybe the one that is held in the duty free (we missed that one).

[camz]

We have been to the Gem seminar and found it very interesting and informative. They even had a drawing for a free piece of jewelry. It was this seminar that I found out about and fell in love with tanzanite. They do have items you can purchase, however, they don't pressure you to buy. We found the art seminars to be the same and equally interesting. They also gave out a free small copy of a print that you could frame. However, on our last two cruises they did not have art seminars, they had art auctions.

[FuninWB]

We caught the end of a beauty seminar last fall on the Dawn. There was a strong pitch for services in the salon and spa, very pricey. The presenter was going table to table, trying to sign people up. We were merely sitting in the area having coffee, and she came to us also. I wouldn't say it was high pressure, but it was definitely a promotion.

[che5904]

We caught the end of a beauty seminar last fall on the Dawn. There was a strong pitch for services in the salon and spa, very pricey. The presenter was going table to table, trying to sign people up. We were merely sitting in the area having coffee, and she came to us also. I wouldn't say it was high pressure, but it was definitely a promotion.

 

I can believe that. I found that with the Spa tour the first day of our cruise. All through the tour was pretty intensive sales pitches (which is the reason we never signed up for anything in the Spa, even if before we went we were considering it) We had 2 guys that were standing at the end of the tour (they may have been fitness trainers I'm not sure). Truthfully I'm not even sure what they were trying to sell. They started out when we went in, very friendly, joking etc. Until we said we were not interested and then they actually got quite rude.

 

But everything else we have attended as stated above have been quite low key even if they did have things to sell.

[cbd317]

Thank you everyone for the answers. I have a much clearer picture now.