Large groups taking over cruise - opinion please :)

[bahamascruiser0721]

I was on Freedom with bikers 3 years ago , and I was amazed . First of all they had their bikes with them and every stop came off ship with them , I would hurry to see them leave and come back , it was beautiful . On the ship while they are different from me they were polite , nice and a lot of fun , a bit more noisey then I am , didn't dress like me , but if you believe that people are just people different but the same , you get to meet real nice folks .

 

Wow! Glad you have a positive experience. I didnt hear good things about biker groups. I dont have issues with any specialty group in particular, just more so scared of the mass crowding of certain places.

[bahamascruiser0721]

I've been checking out the Joco Crazy Cruise 3 website, mostly because I would love to join one of their outings someday but I came up with some additional information that might make the OP feel better.

 

Most of their events will be in the conference centre and they will have a 24/7 gaming room down there so a chuck of the participants will be sleeping by day and gaming by night and you'll never see them.

 

Their shows will be in the Acadia Theatre and will be scheduled around the ships regular shows. RCCL may decide to move some shows normally scheduled in this venue to other locations, but in general they should be mostly off your radar. Attendance at the ships regular shows should be reduced by a substantial amount as well. Not that they wouldn't enjoy them but they've paid an extra fee above the cost of the cruise in order to see the performers specific to this group so that is likely their first priority.

 

You may see some oddly costumed people wandering the decks but they are mostly harmless. Oh and if they discover Quest - that would be worth video.

 

That does make me feel better! Thanks for the research. We are hoping that some places will be less crowded since they are attending their own shows, and hoping that we will meet some nice people. I just keep hearing horror stories of other groups and then I get worried that we should have rescheduled when we had the chance. But we're gonna have a great time either way. I keep thinking - well, we went on the Oasis last year... and we had no crowding issues whatsoever. Just because a group is on the ship doesnt mean that there are more people that usual on the ship - just might be crowded in some places.

[bahamascruiser0721]

We were on a cruise with Louis Black and fans and you could not even tell that there was a group onboard. We never did see him. He did several shows for the group.

 

Awesome! Glad to hear good experiences with large groups.

[terias]

Personally, I would watch a marathon of "Big Bang Theory" before heading to the ship and just have fun with them!

 

Be careful with this one, or you'll be yelling "WHEEEEEAAATOOOONNNNNNN!!!" every time you a) get crowded out of where you want to go, or b) see Wil Wheaton. :D

[Cinnleigh]

There will be one evening where we will all be wearing formal wear, fezes, and mustaches.

 

All I can think of when I see this is "Fezes are cool" which I'm sure is not what this relates to. I'll have to look up your reference.

 

Despite being nervous about the large group, hubby and I are still jealous. We're both fairly decent Wil Wheaton fans and when we saw his name, there may or may not have been some drooling, rewatching of TNG and The Guild. :D

[Sarasa]

It's is kind of related to "Fezes are cool"... evidently a few people, including Wil Wheaton, wore a fez to the "Paul F. Tompkins Memorial Moustache Formal" during JCCC1 so the second annual PFTMMF included the Fez Extravaganza. :)

[SapphireMind]

All I can think of when I see this is "Fezes are cool" which I'm sure is not what this relates to. I'll have to look up your reference.

 

Despite being nervous about the large group, hubby and I are still jealous. We're both fairly decent Wil Wheaton fans and when we saw his name, there may or may not have been some drooling, rewatching of TNG and The Guild. :D

 

The 11th Doctor proclaimed that Fezzes were cool :)

Edited January 18, 2013 by SapphireMind
typo

[waitn2cruz]

Well, it should make for some very good people watching.

[coffeebean]

This group sells a separate entertainment pass for $385 in addition to the cruise fare. They are all on main seating so that it will make it easier for their shows. They also picked Freedom because they needed larger venues so everyone in their group can see the shows.

 

Looks like they might be a little more intrusive than the plumbers.;):)

What am I missing here? How do you know which group it is?

[reallyitsmema]

What am I missing here? How do you know which group it is?

Very simple. At the time this thread was started, the OP had a total of 4 posts. I looked at his posts and he mentioned the group and the sailing. Googled the group, found their website and read the information.

[SapphireMind]

What am I missing here? How do you know which group it is?

 

Plus some of us are here :D

[Sarasa]

BTW, for more "historical background" check out Wil's January 12, 2011 blog post.

Edited January 18, 2013 by Sarasa
Removed URL due to CC policy re type pad links

[bahamascruiser0721]

I'm one of those people going to be on the ship for JoCo. :)

 

I haven't gone on the previous years, this is based on my experiences with similar events on land.

 

You will see people who are weird looking to you. Silly costumes/hats/songs may break out spontaneously. There will probably be a lot of pale people. Possibly knitting.

 

RCI is unlikely to alter their official compass stuff, except to possibly move where things are held if there is an official event that needs a particular space and there is a conflict.

 

At things like the pool games, you might find people who are even more enthusiastic about it than your average cruiser - chalk it up to the fact they are with a large group and so there's comfort there.

 

There will likely be many spontaneous and not so spontaneous "non official" things happening, but my guess would be that even if they plan to take over a corner, if there are "snorks" (a loving term for the people who are not there for JoCo, think like muggle for harry potter) people will try to move/be polite.

 

The people who like Jonathan Coulton usually like witty, humor-based music, that could affect the karaoke nights in what you hear (though not what is offered)

 

It will be a different cruise experience I would guess than if there wasn't a big group, but that's not always a bad thing. :)

 

Edited to add: one of the formal nights, the JoCo cruisers will be wearing fezzes and fake mustaches. It's an internet thing, just roll with it. If you want, someone will probably have a mustache for you to borrow :)

 

Thanks for the reply! I was hoping someone from the JoCo group might respond. I actually think its a really great thing to get everyone together - I actually told my sister in law about this because I'm pretty sure shes going to want to join next year with her husband. I guess as long as we're lounging around the pool deck and no one really interrupts the relaxing time there, I dont really think a large group will bother me at all.

[Cinnleigh]

The 11th Doctor proclaimed that Fezzes were cool :)

 

Oh yes, I know. All eleven of them along with a Tardis USB port, and a stress-relieving Adi the Adipose grace my desk at work. ;D

Edited January 18, 2013 by Cinnleigh

[bahamascruiser0721]

Most of are really pretty nice. If there is a group that is "taking over" an area you were really hoping to use then, it could be worth it to ask one of us if we wouldn't mind taking another spot. Now, for pools/spas that won't work; because there's just only so many of those and people who are in the pool usually want to be in a pool. But for things like knitters or ukelele players or barbershop quartets, we're just looking for space, the particular of the space isn't as important. :)

 

Thanks for the reply! It makes me feel better when people from the JoCo group chime in. I guess I'm just worried more that when I'm out trying to relax, there will be a lot of noise or a huge crowd around - which wont be too relaxing. Granted, the pool decks are usually crowded but on RCCL it is manageable since they have a lot of room per person (unlike other lines). I was also worried that certain places like certain bars might be crowded with unofficial events so that others could not get in, which I have heard about happening in the past.

[bahamascruiser0721]

Hi all! I'm going to be a participant in this particular group (we call ourselves Sea Monkeys), and I thought I'd reach out to some of the concerns in this thread. For those who aren't familiar with Jonathan Coulton and company, I find the best way to describe us is as "internet enthusiasts". We don't have an exact number of participants, and we probably won't until we're on board, but we were 500some last year and will certainly be more this year. A lot of us fit the modern nerd/geek/etc scene as you might expect, and while it's hard to speak for hundreds of people, I can assure you that at least an extreme majority of us are incredibly friendly. If you'd like to know more about us, please feel free to ask! We're not a tshirt group, so you can identify us by our lanyards and badges.

 

While we are very aware that we are not the only ones on board and do not want to be in anyone's way, we do have a number of events specifically for our group. We will have the main theater for a few hours every night, as most of our entertainment list consists of stage performers (mostly musicians). The conference rooms will also be exclusively ours for the purposes of our game room (in which you will see a very impressive collection of board and table top games), and I believe we will also have some events at The Crypt throughout the week. There will be one evening where we will all be wearing formal wear, fezes, and mustaches. From my personal experience, attendance at our events is loosely enforced. It is only strictly enforced for open bar events, which there were 2 of last year, one on the first night and one on the last. Just keep in mind that if you do sneak in to any of our shows, they do tend to fall severely outside of what I would call "family friendly humor", so it's probably not best for children or the generally faint of heart. We're still friendly people though! Promise!

 

If you have any particular questions, I can do my best to answer them. Again, I'm just a participant and not anyone of any authority, but I'm sure there are some questions I can answer for you :)

 

Looking forward to meeting you all in February!

 

 

Awesome! Again, so glad people from the JoCo group are replying to this thread. Many people have said that large groups affect the rest of the sailing, such as unofficially taking over bars and telling others they are not welcome, creating havoc around people trying to relax, being extremely noisy in hallways, and just generally creating lines and waits for other people. I guess I am just looking for reassurance that this wont happen...

[cmsjab]

That actually makes me feel better, since that group was just about the size of the group on our sailing. What ship were you on?

 

This was a Freedom sailing about 4 1/2 years ago. We are sailing Freedom again in March and laughed with our TA when we booked. It is just two of us this time so if there is an issue, we can adjust accordingly.

[thalandor46]

Awesome! Again, so glad people from the JoCo group are replying to this thread. Many people have said that large groups affect the rest of the sailing, such as unofficially taking over bars and telling others they are not welcome, creating havoc around people trying to relax, being extremely noisy in hallways, and just generally creating lines and waits for other people. I guess I am just looking for reassurance that this wont happen...

I wish I could say without any doubt that none of those things would happen, but it's unfortunately difficult to guarantee. I biasedly suspect that we would rank above average on the positive side of such things, but like all people, we're not perfect. There will probably be lines and crowds within half an hour of our events, particularly for the main theater. I think because we have the conference rooms as our designated hang out area, there won't be a whole lot of general crowding elsewhere. There was a lovely evening last year where we flash mobbed an on board musician at one of the bars because he had taken a liking to our group and we wanted to give him a proper audience. But we're not the type of people who would exclude outsiders from our unofficial events.

 

It is worth noting that we will most definitely have unofficial events. Just today, we decided to put together a science fair (with subsequent pizza/cupcake party) after learning that a Sea Monkey's 9 year old would be missing out on their school's science fair (with subsequent pizza/cupcake party) by attending the cruise. We will probably require space for such an event, but I'm certain we will try to be as out of the way as possible, and we will do our best to accommodate any on the spot participants, Sea Monkeys or otherwise. It's a bit trickier when it comes to official events that we paid extra for, but it unfortunately would be unrealistic for no line to be drawn at all. We'll certainly try to be as welcoming and accommodating as we can, and the more we hear from you, the better we can accomplish that.

 

Like I said, I unfortunately can't guarantee that we'll be perfect, but I hope these examples can help set some expectations :)

[SapphireMind]

Definitely and a lot of the non-official stuff (the fan organized stuff) I can't imagine most being exclusionary.

 

I plan to teach a little irish dance while I'm there. It will not be a requirement to be a Sea Monkey to dance with us. I have a feeling that a lot of events will end up like that. I personally see it as beneficial all the way around - more people to meet and have fun with, makes people who aren't with us not feel excluded and then maybe next year they'll want to be a part of the full experience. :)

[Familygoboston]

Family Go Boston, we were on that same cruise too! What was amazing, the last night Gino Vanelli gave a concert open to the public-- for free, as I recall. The group had been selling very expensive tickets, but I guess they weren't selling well.

 

So Hubby and I went to the concert. I was amazed at all of his hits. There were songs I didn't even know were his! He had an excellent backup band. His voice is still very good. In short, we really enjoyed that concert. It was an extra treat on the cruise we never expected.

 

Thank you for reminding me of this happy event.

 

I know it's OT, but that was a fun cruise. We didn't stay long, but the man is really a musician, which is why I think he has a strong following all these years later. It was a freebie, but the last if many private ones the folks in group had paid for all week.

I have to say, I've been seeing your signature around CC, and I love how you co- opted Psy's Gangham style ;) or maybe just maybe, he is doing it Gangway style...since you were first:p

Hope to meet you on board again one day!

[W2Me]

HI all, Joco3 Cruise attendee here as well.

 

I've been on other cruises, non-group oriented, and yes, even large family groups traveling together can be a pain. The in jokes, the laughing, the dancing. It's sometimes clear they are having a different kind of fun than me and I am usually a mix of annoyed and jealous.

 

The concerts are in the late afternoon, before dinner, so you might want to plan accordingly. thats 800 people who are not in line for the climbing wall or flow rider. Geeks on this trip tend to be adults who dont mind looking silly or immature in public, which is offensive to some people. I cant help you with that.

 

Will you be upset from time to time that people are singing in the elevators? Depends on how you feel about elevator singing. At some point or another you will be annoyed by fellow cruisers, us or other people. Deep breaths and hang in there.

 

One of the reasons I decided to try RCI cruises OUTSIDE of the entertainment I will see is that I read on cruise critic that FOS and the other RCI ships are less like traditional cruise ships and more like theme hotels in Vegas. I got the impression that the person who said that didnt care for the change, from mature retired cruisers to younger families and more energetic adults without children.

I like that idea, myself because while I am a 51 year old woman, I want to play and carry on energetically and without children. I will be laughing loudly, more than likely.

[toxicfairy]

We cruised once when there was a quite large group on board. It did become a P.I.T.A.( pain in the @ss) at times . They took over certain areas for their meetings and certain venues were closed to the general public at times so that they could have their own things going on. So we would show up in an area and it would be gated off with a sign that read "blah blah group only " they were EVERY where and it was a group of about 500. It was some bussiness that gave cruises as bonuses so to speak (they had to go to workshops and seminars during the day for a few hours). I would personally avoid it in the future if I could. we did meet a nice couple and hung out with them on sea days but the over all expierience was not great . Just didn't like having things closed since we paid for the cruise too. JMHO :)

[SomeWoman]

I am another person who is a part of the JoCo group on this cruise. I was on last year's JoCo cruise and found that almost everybody in the group is nice, polite, and pleasant. Because of the large amount of time that we have booked at concerts, I think you'll find that evenings in particular, we will not remotely be in your way. On the contrary, that's 1/4 of the ship that isn't vying for any other public space. During the day we're just like any other cruisers who would like to grab a bite at the buffet or a lounge chair by the pool. I don't think any non-JoCo cruisers will find that we impact their vacation much, except for the enhanced people watching.

 

The people in this group are very approachable and open-minded, so feel free to talk to us, ask us questions, or let us know if we're bothering you!

[bahamascruiser0721]

I wish I could say without any doubt that none of those things would happen, but it's unfortunately difficult to guarantee. I biasedly suspect that we would rank above average on the positive side of such things, but like all people, we're not perfect. There will probably be lines and crowds within half an hour of our events, particularly for the main theater. I think because we have the conference rooms as our designated hang out area, there won't be a whole lot of general crowding elsewhere. There was a lovely evening last year where we flash mobbed an on board musician at one of the bars because he had taken a liking to our group and we wanted to give him a proper audience. But we're not the type of people who would exclude outsiders from our unofficial events.

 

It is worth noting that we will most definitely have unofficial events. Just today, we decided to put together a science fair (with subsequent pizza/cupcake party) after learning that a Sea Monkey's 9 year old would be missing out on their school's science fair (with subsequent pizza/cupcake party) by attending the cruise. We will probably require space for such an event, but I'm certain we will try to be as out of the way as possible, and we will do our best to accommodate any on the spot participants, Sea Monkeys or otherwise. It's a bit trickier when it comes to official events that we paid extra for, but it unfortunately would be unrealistic for no line to be drawn at all. We'll certainly try to be as welcoming and accommodating as we can, and the more we hear from you, the better we can accomplish that.

 

Like I said, I unfortunately can't guarantee that we'll be perfect, but I hope these examples can help set some expectations :)

 

Thank you again fro the reply! I think my husband and I are quite calmed down about our worries because so many people have responded. I've heard of signs being everywhere, basically telling people parts of ships were completely off limits, or places unofficially taken over and people being rude to outsiders during unofficial events. I completely understand some areas like the main theater or conference room being used - and honestly I dont think we'll ever be near those places anyway, with our without a big group on board. From the responses of the seamonkeys, the JoCo group seems extremely nice and I look forward to meeting some of you! Thank you for easing our fears!

[bahamascruiser0721]

Definitely and a lot of the non-official stuff (the fan organized stuff) I can't imagine most being exclusionary.

 

I plan to teach a little irish dance while I'm there. It will not be a requirement to be a Sea Monkey to dance with us. I have a feeling that a lot of events will end up like that. I personally see it as beneficial all the way around - more people to meet and have fun with, makes people who aren't with us not feel excluded and then maybe next year they'll want to be a part of the full experience. :)

 

Sounds like you guys know how to have fun - and so glad that the JoCo group does not have the mentality that they are the only ones on the ship. I am looking forward to meeting some of you - ya'll sound great!