Large Charter caused dining problems

[CorgiNole]

I would guess that the groups pay a higher price than the going rate.

 

I am considering a knitting cruise on another line. The same stateroom is about $700 less than the knitting group rate - I can account for about $400 of that difference in the cost of classes and supplies that would be provided - but there is still a definite price difference. Not having sailed with one of these groups in the past, I don't know what their special events are that are mentioned in the ad.

[luvn2cruzzz]

We were booked on the NA in the fall and found out on the Roll Call that a conservative political group was on the cruise and would be discussing what else? politics. After more than a year of contentious political campaigns and the election well over, that is the last thing we want to hear discussed regardless of who wins the election. So we cancelled. The following two cruises also had similar groups so we ended up changing ships which was too bad as the NA is our favorite. So far no group (that we know of) on the booked ship. Will keep our fingers crossed!

[mancunian]

What I cannot get my head round is why they would even want to charter part of a ship that had so many bars and other passengers who would drink. You would think they would only go on ships they had full control over.

[Karen13]

Thanks everyone, for all your support and positive comments. It helps to know we are not alone or being unreasonable in being unhappy at this situation.

I have now emailed the president of HAL. I will post his response on this board. I have suggested he access it.

Edited July 7, 2016 by Karen13

[Karen13]

What I cannot get my head round is why they would even want to charter part of a ship that had so many bars and other passengers who would drink. You would think they would only go on ships they had full control over.

 

Because they were hypocrites. They would sit next to people in the lido or the show lounges who were drinking, with their glasses of water, but not in the MDR where they insisted on inconveniencing the other passengers, and HAL allowed them to do so.

Edited July 7, 2016 by Karen13

[Sir PMP]

Because they were hypocrites. They would sit next to people in the lido or the show lounges who were drinking, with their glasses of water, but not in the MDR where they insisted on inconveniencing the other passengers, and HAL allowed them to do so.

 

Bottom Line is that Seattle should have informed the group of 900 what the rules are on the ship, that we have an ocean Bar, Crows nest, piano Bar for the pax to enjoy, since they didn't, the captain should have done the same right from the get go or disembarked them in Ketchikan, because you payed to enjoy a cruise...

[Willem Ruys]

Because it is always fun to provoke intolerant bigots.

 

DON

 

 

Knowing in advance of a big group of churchgoers who would be in the ZUIDERDAM for a week while we were onboard for several back to backs before leaving home I thought I'd piss off the pious by wearing any of several Soviet era pins a Hammer and Sickle pin - one in Gold, another a red star with hammer and sickle, a portrait of V I Lenin...etc...I could care less if they didn't like me but I thought it a riot that upon embark the church group leaders called room service and ordered a couple of bottles of adult beverages - yet would not be seen in public with a cocktail...phony, pious hypocrites as so many of them are

[shipgeeks]

I wonder if these groups pay a premium to offset the loss of revenue?

 

 

Yes! We saw an ad for a "specialty" cruise which had to be booked through a particular agency. High prices. We looked it up on our TA's website, and we could do the same cruise, same cabins, but without access to the lectures, for about 1/3 the price.

[joepeka]

.... come again??

 

Sail7seas has been having keyboard/hand issues and her posts are sometimes a little bit difficult to read but her message is usually pretty clear. :)

[RDC1]

What good could come from provoking them?

 

Maybe it would prevent them from doing a future charter. I don't drink, but maybe I would start if I found myself on a cruise like this.

[RocketMan275]

Maybe it would prevent them from doing a future charter. I don't drink, but maybe I would start if I found myself on a cruise like this.

 

I doubt that it would "prevent them from doing a future charter". More likely, they would use their marketing clout derived from bringing hundreds of passengers on multiple occasions on board to negotiate further restrictions on liquor sales. Many of those who participate in charters like this one would return to prohibition if they could. They would censor the comedy shows and ensure the stage productions were "properly" clothed if they could.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Bottom Line is that Seattle should have informed the group of 900 what the rules are on the ship, that we have an ocean Bar, Crows nest, piano Bar for the pax to enjoy, since they didn't, the captain should have done the same right from the get go or disembarked them in Ketchikan, because you payed to enjoy a cruise...

 

Sounds to me like they informed HAL what they expected the rules to be. And HAL went along with it, which is unacceptable.

 

Karen, I'm looking forward to reading HAL's response to your letter.

[Boytjie]

I really wish we could agree to refer to "charters" to as full ship charters and "groups" to groups on regular cruises. I realize it is a lost cause but those two are very different things.

 

I have mainly been on (full) charters and it has none of the issues described here.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[RocketMan275]

Sounds to me like they informed HAL what they expected the rules to be. And HAL went along with it, which is unacceptable.

 

Karen, I'm looking forward to reading HAL's response to your letter.

 

Sounds like they applied the "Golden Rule", ie, He Who Has the Gold, Rules.

[RDC1]

Sounds like they applied the "Golden Rule", ie, He Who Has the Gold, Rules.

 

Most of the cruise lines have large groups of one kind or another. In most cases they get special treatment compared to the individual cruisers on the same cruise. It may be different things like blocks of private time in one venue or another. Large blocks of the dining room reserved.

 

It is a fact of cruising and usually you hope to avoid them. When you do get on a cruise with them, not much you can do except to ignore it and continue to enjoy your cruise.

[TiogaCruiser]

Was there a specific reason that the large group all ate together? Was there a program or speaker in the MDR?

 

On a previous thread, several weeks ago, someone mentioned they were booked for a cruise and couldn't get late dining, because the large group had a meeting or concert scheduled during early dining. So apparently they were using the showroom early, so it would be available for regular shows later.

Edited July 8, 2016 by TiogaCruiser

[Tampa Girl]

When I first read the OP's post I was thinking to myself... this would not happen with a bunch of Episcopalians on board! :D

 

But then there may have been complaints of overcrowded bars. ;)

 

You got that right!

[Tampa Girl]

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. :)

 

That is a great suggestion - thanks so much.

[Tampa Girl]

What good could come from provoking them?

 

Self-satisfaction?

[Tampa Girl]

Has anyone heard of large groups being on the 15+ day TA cruises? We will be on the Oosterdam in November, and I don't see any charters or groups. It seems that that the large groups are usually on the 7-day and a few on the 10 - 12 day cruises.

[sail7seas]

I, agree, Peter. A group either charters the whole ship or they havc a very klarge group aboard a regular ssailing where a great percentagve of vuests are not part of the groupp. I dson't know of any 'partial chareter, It is either a c harter orit is n ot.

 

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[sail7seas]

I really wish we could agree to refer to "charters" to as full ship charters and "groups" to groups on regular cruises. I realize it is a lost cause but those two are very different things.

 

I have mainly been on (full) charters and it has none of the issues described here.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Sail7seas has been having keyboard/hand issues and her posts are sometimes a little bit difficult to read but her message is usually pretty clear. :)

Thank you for explaining , the other night a notso kind CC'er atually wrote may be Iwas hammered. Such athing to write Another ssugggested maybe I was on a new medication forf my injured hand. AWFUL,. Those people don't knnow me or anything about me. Whowould say such things? I imagine they think ttheyareso clever whtited.I have4 eifferent opinion about that. Anyone who is annoyedwwith my gibberish typing while my hand is healing. can put me on ignore and not ahve to see my posts.

Edited July 8, 2016 by sail7seas

[pris993]

The cruise lines insist that privacy rules do not allow them to disclose groups.

 

I question this, we were on Princess, in advance of the cruise we received notification from Princess, that there would be a group of folks on with seeing eye dogs, which I appreciated knowing. Did not make any difference to us, but would image if someone had allergies to dogs they might like to know. Princess handled it very well.

 

I do believe cruise lines could advise of large groups and potential impacts on services without violating privacy.

[sail7seas]

It isn't bec ause of privacy issues cruise lines mostly do not advise in adcance about large group b ookings. LIKE MOST things cruise, it is about $$. Many of us would rfuse to b ook if we knew avout the goup. Doesn't even much mqater whqt th3ee ggge4oup iw just that they mmight take over qou3e,, q orfu dininner weqtetc.

Edited July 8, 2016 by sail7seas

[RocketMan275]

I question this, we were on Princess, in advance of the cruise we received notification from Princess, that there would be a group of folks on with seeing eye dogs, which I appreciated knowing. Did not make any difference to us, but would image if someone had allergies to dogs they might like to know. Princess handled it very well.

 

I do believe cruise lines could advise of large groups and potential impacts on services without violating privacy.

 

I'm thinking the seeing eye dogs were a special case.

 

The cruise lines know that disclosing which cruises have large groups would adversely affect revenue. I agree that privacy is a smoke screen, a convenient excuse. Most of these large groups have an internet presence where they advertise the cruise so that would seem to me to have waived any rights to privacy.