Large Charter caused dining problems

[Boytjie]

Because if 100 people in the "group" show up at one time in the MDR or some other public area, it can have a negative affect on all.

 

Curious as to how 100 people in a group showing up at once would be different from 100 random people showing up at one time.

 

Perhaps HAL would reserve a section of the MDR for them but the rest would still be available for everyone else.

 

I do understand the issue with very large groups like the case the OP stated.

[geoherb]

Curious as to how 100 people in a group showing up at once would be different from 100 random people showing up at one time.

The odds are that 100 random people will not show up at one time. A group might organize a time to meet.

[HarpHarp]

This explains the review I saw on Shipmate for this cruise, complaining about the skimpy costumes in the shows & all the drinking on board. I thought I was reading a review for Carnival:D

[mef_57]

Maybe this is why I cannot book late seating on our Dec 4 Caribbean cruise as it has a party booked from "The Weekly Standard group" - who are all on late seating. Contacting HAL to try and re arrange our cruise.

Wales4ever - I am also on this cruise and having a political group onboard was causing some concern. I tried getting details from the group organizer and was told due to privacy, they couldn't tell me anything. I voiced my concerns with my TA, she contacted HAL and got some info from them. It would look to be under 200 people (so less than 10%) of the ship and they won't be using any public spaces - just meeting rooms.

Not sure of that helps or not. I am still undecided about the cruise, but my dates are limited.

[mef_57]

another place to look for group cruises is:

http://themecruisefinder.com/index.html

hopefully posting this is allowable on the forum, as it isn't 3rd party sales.

It is a little cumbersome, however, as you have to go through each 'theme' to see what is sailing your cruise.

[Boytjie]

The odds are that 100 random people will not show up at one time. A group might organize a time to meet.

 

I have arrived at the dining room with likely 100 people already there and it wasn't an issue; they seated everyone in without too long a wait. Our charters are all open seating and dining patterns are unpredictable so there may be a sudden rush, for example from the show lounge to dining room.

[joepeka]

another place to look for group cruises is:

http://themecruisefinder.com/index.html

hopefully posting this is allowable on the forum, as it isn't 3rd party sales.

It is a little cumbersome, however, as you have to go through each 'theme' to see what is sailing your cruise.

 

I use that site also and to make it a little less cumbersome, I do an "advanced search" and on the next page keep the "all categories" option and then put in the name of the ship in the search field. It does limit the search results (and your time required) quite a bit. :)

Edited July 6, 2016 by joepeka

[ger_77]

Well, on the bright side, a cocktail server should be pretty easy to find.

 

We were on the Eurodam at the end of January when there was a Christian music enthusiasts and performers group of 900. They took over the show lounge every morning (no problem for us), and had some private shows during the daytime. It was very easy to find a cocktail server, and Happy Hours were lightly attended. A number of servers did comment though, that the mini-bar sales were through the roof. :rolleyes:

 

The only way we knew about the group in advance was from reading the CC boards - when I asked our PC about the group's presence, he didn't know anything about it and had to check on it. He came back and confirmed everything I'd told him. He did say if the group negatively impacted our cruise, to please be sure to let him and head office know as well.

 

I would be really annoyed to find a small minded group like that onboard with us, especially to the point of having a barrier put up in the dining room so they wouldn't have to watch us having wine with dinner? Wow, that's pretty un-Christian like, isn't it?

 

Smooth Sailing ! :) :) :)

[Boytjie]

The odds are that 100 random people will not show up at one time. A group might organize a time to meet.

 

We have a hard time getting 6 people to show up for dinner at the same time! :D

[lcand1923]

My brick and mortar TA sometimes forms small groups for cruises. The group is usually about 20 people. The TA will usually comp us a dinner in a Specialty restaurant as a group. We have gotten negative comments from other diners on more than one cruise because we were seated together. So, any size group can be a problem to some.

 

One of these TA groups was on a SA/Antarctic cruise several years ago. As we were flying to Chile, we discovered that HAL had booked a VERY large group (about 500 or so) on the same cruise. This group took over the MDR for early seating and would frequently take over a portion of the Lido. They had their own lecturers, religious services, entertainment and shore excursions. They also tended to take over the Lower Promenade Deck for a walking group each day. Once you learned their schedule, you could avoid them. Our small group kept asking ourselves where they disappeared to since we had gotten to know so many of them on the long flight to SA. The major problem that this group caused was when THEIR shore excursions left the same time as other shore excursions.

 

I am including these comments primarily to illustrate that not all groups are problems.

 

I do think HAL Corporate should communicate to groups that a certain level of respect for EVERYONE should be shown at all times.

[wales4ever]

Wales4ever - I am also on this cruise and having a political group onboard was causing some concern. I tried getting details from the group organizer and was told due to privacy, they couldn't tell me anything. I voiced my concerns with my TA, she contacted HAL and got some info from them. It would look to be under 200 people (so less than 10%) of the ship and they won't be using any public spaces - just meeting rooms.

Not sure of that helps or not. I am still undecided about the cruise, but my dates are limited.

 

I searched for this group and emailed them earlier today. I have just received a reply from them: "Typically there are between 200 - 300 participants." So a fair amount of them. Their site also says that they will ALL be on late dining.

[donaldsc]

I am on the K'dam Feb '17 and although there are no "groups" listed for that cruise, just curious.....what is considered a large group?

 

Because if 100 people in the "group" show up at one time in the MDR or some other public area, it can have a negative affect on all.

 

dave

 

A group of 100 people is only 13 tables. If the dining room can't handle 13 tables arriving at the same time, they have real problems.

 

DON

[mef_57]

I searched for this group and emailed them earlier today. I have just received a reply from them: "Typically there are between 200 - 300 participants." So a fair amount of them. Their site also says that they will ALL be on late dining.

They answered you? Great....but the numbers increase...bummer. I do early and anytime dining, so that part doesn't bother me; but....

Thanks for providing the update.

[SilvertoGold]

We were on a Caribbean cruise a couple years ago. There was a large group from Newsmax (a tea party organization) Ralph Reed and Dick Morris were always with the group. We just decided to have fun with it. As every member must have gotten Sarah Palin's latest book, we pulled Hillary's book Hard Choices from the library and carried that around with us. You should have seen the looks we got when we wore our Hillary t-shirts from 2008. Just had fun with it. No problems.

 

LOVE it!!!

I'm Canadian, eh, so my opinion doesn't count in this respect, but what a hoot!!!!

[markpark]

These charters are more expensive than buying directly through the cruise line. I am not sure if more goes to HAL or if it is to pay the additional entertainers brought on board. I have looked at these charters multiple times but never been able to cruise with them. I hope the OP's experience was isolated and not typical.

[Aquahound]

These charters are more expensive than buying directly through the cruise line. I am not sure if more goes to HAL or if it is to pay the additional entertainers brought on board. I have looked at these charters multiple times but never been able to cruise with them. I hope the OP's experience was isolated and not typical.

 

Partial Charters are the worst because it creates such a separation on the ship and so much closed off to the other half.

[3rdGenCunarder]

We were on a Caribbean cruise a couple years ago. There was a large group from Newsmax (a tea party organization) Ralph Reed and Dick Morris were always with the group. We just decided to have fun with it. As every member must have gotten Sarah Palin's latest book, we pulled Hillary's book Hard Choices from the library and carried that around with us. You should have seen the looks we got when we wore our Hillary t-shirts from 2008. Just had fun with it. No problems.

 

Brilliant move! My first thought after reading the first post was that I would walk around with a cocktail or glass of wine in my hand all the time, just to rattle their narrow little cages.

 

I realize that HAL just sells the rooms and does not check out what the groups are like. But when a group starts asking for a wall to be built between themselves and the other passengers who might be enjoying a glass of wine or a drink with their dinner, HAL needs to say NO.

 

OP, please do write to HAL about this. They need to be reminded that the rest of the passengers paid for the cruise, too, and should not be treated as second-class passengers on a ship that's supposed to have only one class.

[mightycruisequeen]

Any large group on a cruise can make for a frustrating experience for the rest of the passengers. The larger the group, the more marginalized the rest of the pax will feel. I for one really appreciate the thread about groups & charters, and now book accordingly.

That said, I think that some of the anti-christian & anti-conservative comments were a bit over the top. (just my opinion, no need to flame me.)

[sail7seas]

Maybe this is why I cannot book late seating on our Dec 4 Caribbean cruise as it has a party booked from "The Weekly Standard group" - who are all on late seating. Contacting HAL to try and re arrange our cruise.

 

We once sailed with the Weeekly Standard group and it waas vERy small group. As far asI COULD TELL, THEY WERE nO BOTHER TO anyone What I found interesting is thEy mostly were on NAVIGATION dECKIN NEPTUNE sUITES,i think it was on MaasDAM.

Edited July 7, 2016 by sail7seas

[Cruising-along]

... My first thought after reading the first post was that I would walk around with a cocktail or glass of wine in my hand all the time, just to rattle their narrow little cages...

 

That was my first thought too. And if I did get a dirty look I would raise my glass and say "CHEERS" :D

[sail7seas]

What good could come from provoking them?

[taxmantoo]

What good could come from provoking them?

 

Totally agree. We would choose to totally ignore them. Our dissatisfaction and complaints would be addressed to the cruise line who are responsible for creating this mess and then expose their on-board crew to deal with unhappy passengers.

[donaldsc]

What good could come from provoking them?

 

Because it is always fun to provoke intolerant bigots.

 

DON

[RiotAct]

I'M sorry to read how negative ely gthisgrOU IMPACCTEDpactedcso many not a part of the group. HAL and other cruise lines do not tellguests

 

.... come again??

[JudithLynne]

Because it is always fun to provoke intolerant bigots.

 

DON

 

I'm with DON!