I don't think I could ever go on a CC group cruise - Could You??

[serene56]

s. But when I started checking them out the prices didn't seem that good to me and I was sorely disappointed. Is it just me, or do the prices not seem that good to you guys?:?

 

 

Im with you- as a group leader for the Liberty that cruise is only discounted 50 bucks per person. and we get no cabin credit. But on a lot of them the discount price is maybe 50 bucks but there are a lot of amenities...cabin credit or a bottle of wine.

I was hoping the big draw was the cruise critic magnet and lanyard was thee attraction.

[serene56]

Tequilla: I find the majority of people very helpful and friendly. Please dont jusge teh majority by a few chosen fee. THere is an ignore button that can help you get through the postings.

[Elizanessie]

I am currently booked on a CC Group Cruise and I booked with the group so that I could actually get a chance to meet some of the CC folks I had been chatting with for two years and who had been very helpful and supportive to me through tough times....I want to be able to thank them face to face:D

We have had our problems within the group...but we have got over that....one cant really expect to get on with everyone..but as long as people can be civil and polite then that is fine by me.

Not all Group Cruises are the same.

Our group has approx 105 in it...we only actually have about half that amount on our group board list, of who is sailing.Not everyone wants to particpate on the boards and I respect their privacy.

About 40 of us ...have made all our own plans ....most of us actually have made plans to share our experiences together...as in Port Excursions,pre-cruise parties,bringing gifts etc,sharing transport to and from ship.

As our group doesnt have any GL lead activities we have gone ahead...with GL's permission, to arrange our own things..like a Slot Pull,a Poker Crawl,Tours in ports,having photos taken together...and various other things.

As to the group price...we were lucky enough to have our group booked before RCCI changed the rules on discounts for groups.I believe that is why you wont now see much difference in prices.We dont get any onboard credit....we get a CC magnet and CC lanyard..that is it.

We were very fortunate though to have someone who was meant to be sailing with us...who did a fantastic job in arranging a Group rate for a pre cruise hotel....and we were all very sad when she had to cancel her cruise...and we miss her a great deal.

So if you are around Orlando/PC between 9th-16th October.(we even have plans for meeting up in Orlando before our precruise hotel)..!!!!!.....and see lots of smiling people with beads,boas,and Reali-Tini tshirts...that will be some of our fun loving happy happy group...and please say hello:D

Some of us are even thinking of cruising together again after this one:D ...and we havent even met yet:D

So we CC group cruisers cant be all bad eh;)

Liz

[TBR]

I have a couple of friends who are former cc posters, who decided to sail on a cc group with a few of the cc hosts and former hosts.What a mistake,it was nothing more then a drunk fest. They said most, not all of the group were drunk from the night before at the hotel and the entire cruise. Is that what a cruise is for? A non stop party,like being 18 and being away from home for the first time.These people were of middle (adult) age acting like a bunch of college kids. The prices of these cc groups are no better then groups set up elsewhere and I can pick the amenities I choose,earn the TC's for my group and don't need to attend a drunk fest.Are all the cc groups a drunk fest,probably not,but some I have heard or read postings from cc group attendees seem to be. Yes you can book into a cc group and be a loner,but then why not do a group on your own with friends,family,coworkers,or other group you choose to associate with. I have been sailing on cruises since the 80's and cruising today is nothing like it was 25 yrs ago. I don't have anything against drinking,I do have a few myself from time to time,but to go on a vacation just to get plastered is beyond my wildest fantasy.

 

Then there are the resident so called experts on the cc groups,yes the ones who have sailed a few times on one cruise line and are now experts about every cruise line sailing. The ones who have no life outside of cc, they do the cc groups so they have a social circle to travel with.

[curly4dana]

you know what??? there are an awful lot of bitter folks on this thread....wow! yes, i've heard about a drunk fest and if i'm not mistaken, that particular group is banned from the cc boards. they've gone to another board and, as has been posted here, it's a nasty ramble of sick jokes and nasty comments.

the cc boards are simply a place to enjoy the sharing of our cruise experiences...our shore tours, our beach choices, what we pack...etc. it is not a place for people who don't have a life! what an awful thing to say.... TBR if you have such a life, why are you here??? lol you and i have met on the princess group board. in fact, weren't you booked with that group??? that was a group that split because the original leader had a few problems behaving herself like an adult. her 1/2 of the group is now on that other board. she was also the leader for the drunkfest you spoke about...

 

i, for one, have my own social circle, but meeting new people from all over the world is part of the reason i travel at all...cruising or otherwise. i'm not antisocial, so i have no problem meeting and greeting new folks.

 

if some of you don't like what you read on these boards, why do you stay? i just don't get it...sorry...it makes no sense to me.

 

whether you book a group cruise, or chat with a bunch of people on here and then meet them onboard your ship, you still have a group of people to be social with if you choose to... people to say hello to onboard, maybe do stuff with onboard...why is everyone under the impression that you are bound hand and foot to these people??? don't you know how to say "no thanks?"

i would hate to have chatted with y'all on the boards and then meet you in person, only to have you rebuff me because you think i have no life outside of the cc boards. maybe you should make it clear when you post that you're not interested in meeting on the ship once the cruise begins. that'll save everyone the time and energy of thinking you might actually want to be their friend....whew! what a sour attitude...

[serene56]

.Are all the cc groups a drunk fest,probably not,but some I have heard or read postings from cc group attendees seem to be.

 

You are basing your opinion on hearsay. The Miracle cruise I went on in February was a group cruise and I did not encounter what you describe. sure people drink-- and I am sure some over do it. We dont drink so we were not part of that party. Like I said-- we booked with the group to get the price and did things on our own.

 

My next group is February- the majorty of the group do not drink. and the ones that do are social drinkers.

 

The ones who have no life outside of cc, they do the cc groups so they have a social circle to travel with.

 

yep-- this is me= althought I do have my own social circle but cruise critic is a huge hobby with me. BUt I have not sailed with the same people twice so that cant be my social circle.

[TBR]

you and i have met on the princess group board. in fact, weren't you booked with that group??? that was a group that split because the original leader had a few problems behaving herself like an adult. her 1/2 of the group is now on that other board. she was also the leader for the drunkfest you spoke about...

 

.

No I was never booked with a cc group,so I don't know you.

[TBR]

You are basing your opinion on hearsay. The Miracle cruise I went on in February was a group cruise and I did not encounter what you describe.

 

So you sailed one cc group cruise and now you know everything about them. Maybe you should have read the posts from returning cc group cruisers and viewed some of the pics,insteading of posting all your wealth of knowledge, you should have done more reading.

[michmike]

*laffin* seems lately that no matter what the topic is on the boards we can find some who enjoy controversy more than a discussion of the topic...

 

Haven't done a formal group cruise. We DID meet up with 16 other ccers from a roll call posting on our trip last nov on Volendam. They were a fun loving group and most of us met every afternoon at the dolphin bar for happy hour. Not required.. and as others have posted, you can do as much or as little with a group as you choose. We are still in contact with some of those folks via e-mail and would certainly cruise again with them if the opportunity presented.

 

As for being intimidated, I doubt most of these folks would be as abrasive in person as they can be sometimes on the boards. There's a certain anonymity here that they wouldn't have aboard ship. and if push comes to shove.. if properly provoked by someone who is rude or condescending, I can teach the class on being a horse's behind.. *L*

 

You want a negative experience aboard ship, consider HAL's policy of not revealing when they have a large group aboard. 2 cruises ago, there was a group of dixieland jazz players and fans that comprised 75% of the passengers. The rest of us couldn't get away from them or the music. Only plus was that they weren't rappers or evangelicals.. *S*

[Nliedel]

So you sailed one cc group cruise and now you know everything about them. Maybe you should have read the posts from returning cc group cruisers and viewed some of the pics,insteading of posting all your wealth of knowledge, you should have done more reading.

 

well ouch! They posted their thoughts based on their experience. Just accept it for what it is, their personal experience on their cruise.

[serene56]

So you sailed one cc group cruise and now you know everything about them. Maybe you should have read the posts from returning cc group cruisers and viewed some of the pics,insteading of posting all your wealth of knowledge, you should have done more reading.

 

I didnt say I booked with one group- I did book with the group you mentioned. and have more in the works- But I book base on the price not to sail with a group. I can honestly say I dont book because of photos or what people say. I would not have done a lot in life based on that.

Almost every one of my cruises was a grop.

 

I also didnt say that I know a lot about group cruises...I go with the flow. and why read what did happen when I can post what can happen. Each cruise is a different experience. EVERY cruise you can have 2 people that will experince that same cruise so different. Life IS in the eye of the beholder.

[Nliedel]

 

About 40 of us ...have made all our own plans ....

 

 

 

 

 

Liz the only problem with this, and I am being honest here, is that Gene and I would love to be included in some of the activities with all of you and it feels like, from here, that it is hard to ask to be let in because we do not want to intrude but we want to be part of the group because we are taking a group cruise. We are really so excited to meet all of you and have fun with you. I am not sure what to do about this because I do not want to push in where I am not wanted but I want to be inlcuded. I bet there are some others out there who feel the same way. I came into the cruise late so I don't know the politics, and I honestly don't need to know the stuff. I just want to have a fun cruise!

[kristikae]

you know what??? there are an awful lot of bitter folks on this thread....wow! yes, i've heard about a drunk fest and if i'm not mistaken, that particular group is banned from the cc boards. they've gone to another board and, as has been posted here, it's a nasty ramble of sick jokes and nasty comments.

...

 

Actually, none of us have been banned. We chose to move on but are still members here. Most just choose not to post here. As for our board, to each his own. I don't find any of the humor on our board nasty or sick and no different than what is available here on CC if you look hard enough.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Wow! There really are some angry people out there. I guess I usually just ignore most of these threads once they get out of hand. It's really too bad that a few people will make nasty generalizations about a whole group of people based on a few very outspoken minority. That is why the OP has probably been scared away from group cruises & puts all of us into the same category. :(

 

That said, I just want to add my voice & let you know a little about me. Please do not assume just because I enjoy these boards & am looking forward to a group cruise that I do not have a life and that I am a drunken brawler! :eek: First of all, I work full time, help out my husband with his business on occasion, am active in my church & family. I have friends here in town. We love to shop, "do lunch", etc. DH & I love to travel to different parts of our beautiful state on my weekends off. My usual time to be on these boards is the evening (today is the exception) & would rather be chatting with new friends from diverse backgrounds & localities than sitting in front of a mindless tv & vegetating. Tonight I go to Bible Study so I will not be on. My kids are grown & I now I have more time than in the past.

 

As far as drinking goes, my DH does not drink at all & I may have a glass of wine at dinner at Christmas & Thanksgiving. I was wild and crazy on our last cruise & had a Bahama Mama midweek. On this next cruise I plan on having a Bahama Mama and a Mango Tango that I have heard so much about! :D Will there be others in our group who will drink too much? Probably, but if things get out of hand I will quietly excuse myself. However, I've been chatting with this group for almost a year now & I don't think that will be the case. We are having a Poker Run where cocktails will be served & we even plan to participate. We are hosting the last cabin where rum cake & coffe will be served. Wild enough for you?

 

So please don't make generalizations based on a few bad eggs. That is how new people get turned off to these boards. And if you like these boards enough to post we can't be all that bad now, can we?

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I would like to make a quick addition to my last post - probably my most important point of all! After reading some of the legitimate concerns of some previous posters (not the sarcastic & mean remarks made by some) I have come to the conclusion that if you have any concerns at all about taking a group cruise then you should study the threads for that cruise very carefully before you commit. Different groups will most certainly have different tones. While everyone in our group has been very supportive & friendly I am sure that is not the case each time.

 

I attribute the positive attitude and continual upbeat tone of our group to our great leader, Dana. She always directs the chat in a positive direction, makes sure ALL newcomers are heartily welcomed & makes sure that everyone who wants to be is included in every aspect of our group. She does this online, with private e-mails & even personal phone calls when necessay. No one is pressured to participate, but everyone feels welcome to join, at least I have. She keeps us all informed if anyone in our group has an emergency & needs our support. Right now she has been desperatly trying to find out if one of our members who is located near Mobile is OK after the storm by phone & e-mail.

 

So if you have a group leader like Dana, you can't go wrong! :D

[Elizanessie]

Nliedel(Nancy)

 

I did do a reply earlier but it went off to cyberspace when site went down.

I apologise first to OP this reply is a wee bit off topic but...I hope you dont mind me replying.

I was quite sad to read your post earlier,there is no reason why you cannot join in with the plans some of the group have been making together...we post on the Tini board and roll call what we are planning...we dont make a secret out of what we are going to do together..and our plans are open to all.

As you know..I have booked two buses for anyone on our sailing to join us on Godfrey Tour..this is open to Tinis,Mosaics,and what we lovingly refer to the "ungroup"...details can be found on Tini forum and roll call.

Cheryl is organising Poker Crawl...again open to everyone.

The Tini tourney(slot pull) is only for Tinis as the Addicts have their own one.

The Horse Racing...our GL hasnt said yet if she wants this for group or as a "friends" activity.

The plans for precruise at group hotel...I invited Tinis to join us on the Friday...and Donna did the same for the Saturday.I am sure your boys would love the Space Centre..so why not post on the Tini forum and say if you would like to come along with us...we would be delighted to have you with us.

I have put my "all" into this cruise and group...heck I aint even the GL ..just someone who enjoys meeting people and having good old fashioned laughter with them...and the joy of sharing new experiences..ports etc.

So please Nancy ...get them beads and boas and join in.:D

Liz

[curly4dana]

ok...enough! this has totally gotten out of hand imho...first off, i did not slam a certain group. i mentioned what i'd been told by people that were on the ship with this certain group. i research comments before i post them.

i also would like to say that this thread has gotten vary nasty. as has been said before, no 2 people are going to have the same feelings about a cruise. everything IS in the eye of the beholder.

if y'all don't want to take a group cruise...DON'T! if you do...then lease feel free to join in. don't join in and feel ashamed that you don't have a life and need to acquire one through group cruising. that is ridiculous! if you want to share the experiences of past cruisers or learn new things together, then a group might just be the right place for you.

if you know everything there is about cruising, and don't need even a morsel of info...then i applaud you! what a wealth of knowledge you are! bravo!

the fact is, every ship is different, every sailing is different. every experience is different.

don't slam people because they've made a choice to be in a group. we don't slam single cruisers now do we??

people book their cruises for reasons of their own. what gives anyone the right to take those reasons away from them, or totally discount their feelings?

yeesh! looks like dr. phil would have a series of shows on this thread!

 

so...take a chill pill...lose the soapboxes and just enjoy your cruises! (however you decide to book it!)

 

btw...thank you ginny sooooo much for sayng such nice things about me! i do try to make our group fun and easy for anyone to join. what would be the point of a group cruise if everyone didn't feel included??? i think the key word here is G-R-O-U-P!!!!!!

 

with that said...have a nice day!

[lhall85917]

I can't even find it in here again, but one point worth restating is to check out the forum for a particular group cruise if you are interested in joining. If it seems to be full of discussions of drinking and partying and that isn't your thing, then either don't join - or join because the prices are good, and stick to your own! You don't have to post to the boards, participate in any group activities or anything else to be part of a CC group. All that you are doing is booking through that particular TA to receive the group price or benefits.

On another note, it is such a shame that people that are trying to be helpful to others asking questions are perceived as know-it-alls. The vast majority of posters on these boards are just sharing their experience in relation to a particular question. Of course there are, and always will be, those few that look down on others for whatever reason. It is usually obvious who they are and their comments can be taken with a grain of salt.

I am so disappointed to see threads that become ugly and nasty over such trivial items. This should be a forum for sharing and discussion of our cruise experiences.

[MrPete]

As I would not expect any of these posters to show up with their keyboards on a ship, I would expect to find exactly what I have seen on all my other cruises:

 

:) A bunch of people on vacation intent on having a good time.:)

 

I would do a CC cruise if the time/price/port/line/ship were right.

 

I've yet to try.

[Katie333]

My husband and I selfishly enjoy our time alone together on a cruise. We're not ones to join in on the games/parties or participate in group events.

 

However, if I could benefit from special deals/bonuses and knowledge from others pre-cruise, then I see no reason not to take a CC group cruise.

 

Part of the fun of any trip is the anticipation - this is a lot of the reason why we are all here. I'd happily take the CC group cruise benefits and run! :)

[Snowball]

From reading the posts here, it appears as though there is a big misconception regarding what it means to book with a group. If you book with any of the cruise critic groups, you are not obligated to interact with the group at all. You don't have to post on the threads, e-mail the group leader, participate in any of the onboard meetings, etc. There are lots of people that book with a group solely to take advantage of the lower pricing and amenities that the group is getting (and all three of my groups have been lucky enough to get very competitive pricing).

 

As a group leader, I would love it if everyone in the group decided to participate in the group threads, group excursions, and onboard meet & greets, etc., because I enjoy sharing the pre-cruise planning and excitement with others that are sailing with me. But if we have group members that book solely for price and keep to themselves then that's ok too. The group member's level of participation is completely up to them - including that of the group leader. If members of my group want to plan extra activities amongst themselves, that's fine too. My family only gets to cruise once a year, so I try to balance my family time with my group time and find a happy medium. But if some of the group make friends with others and want to spend most of their cruise time together, then that's great.

 

And I don't think that wanting to make friends with your fellow cruisers means that you have no life - it just means that you are a social person and like having others to share your excitement with. Can you ever really have too many friends? What difference does it make how you met that friend - whether it be in person or online?

 

After reading some of the legitimate concerns of some previous posters (not the sarcastic & mean remarks made by some) I have come to the conclusion that if you have any concerns at all about taking a group cruise then you should study the threads for that cruise very carefully before you commit. Different groups will most certainly have different tones.

Very well said, and I couldn't agree more. I have seen a few the groups on the boards that I would not want to sail with based on the tone or content of postings from some of their group members. But please realize that tone of each and every group is different, depending on the group leader and the group members involved. Some people are looking for a party cruise, others want a family oriented cruise, and others are looking for something for couples. The good thing is there are plenty of groups out there, and hopefully everyone can find what they are looking for - or if not, then don't book with a group and plan your own cruise. There is no perfect answer that will work for everyone - you just have to figure out what will work for you and what you are comfortable with and go from there.

 

Happy cruising everyone!!!

[cruisinqt]

The OP and many others have expressed reservations about group cruising. I wouldn't call all of this bickering a way of encouraging future would-be group cruisers. If you want us to think about giving a group cruise a try, try to get along a little better. :cool:

[GSDsky]

Anyone one wanna go on a group cruise... LMAO

 

Life is far too short, enjoy it while you are here and it's a bloody holiday.

[Chucksta63]

So with all this said, anyone want to go to the Caribbean this Spring??:D Most of my group is newbies too!! Maybe I can rename my group?? LOL

Thank You to all for the input:)

Now lets go cruise!!!!!!!:D

[familycruzer]

I would go in a heart beat if someone offered one over the summer when the kids were out of school and was not adults only.