If you find there are large groups on your sailing, Can you cancel?

[manmtnmike]

I know this has been an issue for some and just noted that our roll call has posted that 2 potentially large groups will be on board...

 

Their private functions are private. Not open to the public and reduces the available venues for the average pax.

 

Is there any recourse for those not booked through their TA's and group requirements?

 

Just curious... For us, we probably won't change.

 

Mike

[CHEZMARYLOU]

If you are in the US and it is not past final payment date, yes you can cancel. Other countries have different rules.

[Bo1953]

Yes, you can cancel just as long it is within X's policy. Others have reported that they were not inconvenienced with 'private' groups aboard during their sailing.

 

Yes, the groups may take over a public space (i.e. room or art gallery etc.) for a short period of time, yet I do not think it will impact your sailing to any great degree as it would not be for the entirety of the sailing. Unless, you know in advance, there is a specific day and time you want to use that facility?

 

I believe you will have a great sailing... go, enjoy, not to worry.

 

bon voyage

[lazygal]

I know it is not the cruise lines responsibility to divulge information on groups and you can ask your TA about transferring the cruise. We have been on large ships with large groups and it only bothered us when they took over public areas, which happens when large groups obviously have connections. The pool areas, the "contest" - obviously they are going to vote for each other.

 

We once had a very rude poster keep posting on our roll call that we were all on a gay cruise. I finally let him have it - He was not on our cruise, so why did he care. I love gay cruises - couldn't ask for better party people and they are very inclusive.

 

Now, our worst large group cruise was in the Med. and If I had known I would have cancelled. I was ready to jump ship at the muster drill and swim to shore. Turns out we were 2 of 5 English speaking adults on a Spain spring break cruise for 3000 teenagers with 3 chaperones who kept themselves lubricated in the bar.

We complained endlessly for the crew to have the Captain place a curfew on them, which they refused. We ended up with a security guard posted outside our cabin to prevent the endless banging on our door from punks. Worst cruise ever and we remained in our cabin when not in port. We couldn't use any of the public areas, especially the pool.

[aquanaut1]

We did an Alaska cruise a few years back , and discovered that it was a Shriners convention that week in vancouver and most were joining our cruise , yes they used convention areas and a few bars some nights , but it didn't impact on our enjoyment whatsoever . They were great fun , and we all had a great time

 

 

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[hcat]

If there's time to cancel or switch booking to another date to avoid sailing with a group, you can do so.Chances are there will be groups on whatever sailing you pick.

 

Depends on how large the groups are and their focus. Some are more cliquey than others and take over events. Others just cruise along with everyone else so no feelings of exclusion, or loss of acess to venues. Guess it all depends.

 

On our Silho cruise in 2018, there'a motorcycle group...not that large a group & fun folks so no reason to cancel. In the past we sailed with a large group of dancers that took over all dance venues...fun to watch but not much room for amateurs. Another time a group had elevators automated to certain floors so loss of elev service for the rest of us.. A large corporate group had members who were rowdy, very drunk and broke glass btls in the pool...pool had to be cleaned.....Other groups we have sailed with...hardly knew they were there.

Edited March 20, 2017 by hcat

[cb at sea]

There are "groups" on EVERY sailing...most of the time, you can't tell if someone is part of a group or not. Most of the time, the folks in the group don't even know the others in their own group...so life goes on as usual. Any meetings or activities are in private ares, so it should affect anyone not with said group!

 

If there is a CHARTER, then the entire ship is take over, and unless you are part of the charter, you won't be allowed to book.

[Maligator]

We found ourselves on a sailing with a large contingent from Cruise Cancelers Anonymous and had almost the whole ship to ourselves. It was great.

[shipshape sam]

We have been on a number of cruises where there have been large groups, i.e. 1/3 of the passengers.

 

Never been on a charter, but want to take the Smooth Jazz cruise on Celebrity. It would be great I think to have jazz every where on ship.

 

Anyway, our experience has been very good. We did notice they did take over a number of public spaces each day, but only once was it taken in what I call "prime" time for that venue. For example, groups can have the theatre all day long and not be in a prime time for that venue. They did have the whole bottom MDR area each night, but it did not negatively impact, to my knowledge, anyone from eating in MDR.

 

I would for sure do some checking just to get comfortable with it yourself as that is what is important, not what we think here on CC.

[Bo1953]

We found ourselves on a sailing with a large contingent from Cruise Cancelers Anonymous and had almost the whole ship to ourselves. It was great.

 

LOL, wish we were on that sailing, then again maybe we were and you did not see us!

 

bon voyage

[voyager70]

I know it is not the cruise lines responsibility to divulge information on groups and you can ask your TA about transferring the cruise. We have been on large ships with large groups and it only bothered us when they took over public areas, which happens when large groups obviously have connections. The pool areas, the "contest" - obviously they are going to vote for each other.

 

We once had a very rude poster keep posting on our roll call that we were all on a gay cruise. I finally let him have it - He was not on our cruise, so why did he care. I love gay cruises - couldn't ask for better party people and they are very inclusive.

 

Now, our worst large group cruise was in the Med. and If I had known I would have cancelled. I was ready to jump ship at the muster drill and swim to shore. Turns out we were 2 of 5 English speaking adults on a Spain spring break cruise for 3000 teenagers with 3 chaperones who kept themselves lubricated in the bar.

We complained endlessly for the crew to have the Captain place a curfew on them, which they refused. We ended up with a security guard posted outside our cabin to prevent the endless banging on our door from punks. Worst cruise ever and we remained in our cabin when not in port. We couldn't use any of the public areas, especially the pool.

 

Now THAT sounds like a cruise from hell! I would have been livid.

[keithm]

I know it is not the cruise lines responsibility to divulge information on groups and you can ask your TA about transferring the cruise. We have been on large ships with large groups and it only bothered us when they took over public areas, which happens when large groups obviously have connections. The pool areas, the "contest" - obviously they are going to vote for each other.

 

We once had a very rude poster keep posting on our roll call that we were all on a gay cruise. I finally let him have it - He was not on our cruise, so why did he care. I love gay cruises - couldn't ask for better party people and they are very inclusive.

 

Now, our worst large group cruise was in the Med. and If I had known I would have cancelled. I was ready to jump ship at the muster drill and swim to shore. Turns out we were 2 of 5 English speaking adults on a Spain spring break cruise for 3000 teenagers with 3 chaperones who kept themselves lubricated in the bar.

We complained endlessly for the crew to have the Captain place a curfew on them, which they refused. We ended up with a security guard posted outside our cabin to prevent the endless banging on our door from punks. Worst cruise ever and we remained in our cabin when not in port. We couldn't use any of the public areas, especially the pool.

They had a large gay group on the Silhouette recently. A number of posters complained about them. Pretty obvious they were a bunch of bigots. I'm gay & did comment to the poster(who's also gay)that some of his friends, it seems really got out of hand with their behavior. I told him if I had been on that cruise I would have told the offenders to "tone" it down. We don't need bad press. They do have a website that you can check that will list what groups are on a particular cruise. It was on the blog that the poster started. Unfortunately, it got pulled by the "mods" as comments really started getting nasty. Should be pretty easy to find on Google. Someone reading this will probably know.

[LucasLounger1]

My first ever cruise was Dancin' on the Water, and I was part of the 180 person line dancing crowd (don't laugh).

 

While we did get some access to rooms for dancing sessions (usually off peak times, like the night club at 2pm on a Caribbean Sea day), I think overall the group didn't impinge on others'enjoyment. For example, line dancers don't generally drink much alcohol.

 

I do recall another cruise with a well lubricated group. In that case the only time it was a problem was when they arrived drunk at the Quest. But overall not a huge deal.

[ECCruise]

I would find out as much as I could about the size/composition of the group(s). Celebrity will tell you nothing, you will need to do your research on your own.

 

Having sailed on a voyage that did have a large group and which totally changed the complexion of the cruise, it is really annoying for those who have zero experience of this to be counseling, "ah, don't worry about it." Not helpful information. There are "groups" with no impact and there are "groups" with enormous impact.

[shipshape sam]

LOL, wish we were on that sailing, then again maybe we were and you did not see us!

 

bon voyage

 

Maybe you canceled?! :D

[shipshape sam]

I would find out as much as I could about the size/composition of the group(s). Celebrity will tell you nothing, you will need to do your research on your own.

 

Having sailed on a voyage that did have a large group and which totally changed the complexion of the cruise, it is really annoying for those who have zero experience of this to be counseling, "ah, don't worry about it." Not helpful information. There are "groups" with no impact and there are "groups" with enormous impact.

 

That is for sure!

[keithm]

My first ever cruise was Dancin' on the Water, and I was part of the 180 person line dancing crowd (don't laugh).

 

While we did get some access to rooms for dancing sessions (usually off peak times, like the night club at 2pm on a Caribbean Sea day), I think overall the group didn't impinge on others'enjoyment. For example, line dancers don't generally drink much alcohol.

 

I do recall another cruise with a well lubricated group. In that case the only time it was a problem was when they arrived drunk at the Quest. But overall not a huge deal.

We had a large ballroom dance group on the Queen Mary some years back. Yes, they created crowds at times, but the dancing was outstanding. They also danced with a lot of the single ladies(giving the dance hosts a rest break)Just found the item the OP is looking for:( themecruisefinder.com) This will tell you what group is booked on a cruise you might want to go on. Now if they book fairly close to the sail date, you could be out of luck. Other than that for USA pax, if you've NOT made final payment YOU can get your refund. For our friends from the "Empire"(Come now! I shouldn't have to say who it is, they KNOW who they are!)You guys unfortunately can get screwed out of your deposit. I hope this helps a bit.

Edited March 20, 2017 by keithm
Addtions

[phoenix_dream]

I would find out as much as I could about the size/composition of the group(s). Celebrity will tell you nothing, you will need to do your research on your own.

 

Having sailed on a voyage that did have a large group and which totally changed the complexion of the cruise, it is really annoying for those who have zero experience of this to be counseling, "ah, don't worry about it." Not helpful information. There are "groups" with no impact and there are "groups" with enormous impact.

Agreed, it definitely varies a lot depending on the group. Our 'group' experience was on a 5 night cruise on Connie which we inadvertently booked on spring break. The ship was full (and I mean full!!) of college students and it was a debacle. I felt like I was cruising on the Animal House ship. The only other kind of 'group' we've encountered that impacted our cruise was the week after Thanksgiving on the Summit. They must have had special pricing for Puerto Rico citizens because the ship was extra crowded and full of large, not-very-quiet families. Rest assured, I have NO issue with the Puerto Rican people per se, but these large families often took over large areas of the ship and monopolized them to the point where others could not reasonably use them. We had done that same cruise at that same time several other dates, but for some reason that particular cruise was different and not that enjoyable because of it. I'm sure the same could happen with groups of people from any area or nationality or other common interest. So it does matter what kind of groups are onboard and how large they are.

[cruisnuts]

We were on Millennium once with Paula Deen and about 1000 fans., which we were not aware of. We were held up about 2 hours from boarding so Paula and her family could board first. There were multiple "private events" during the cruise that closed down large public areas. One evening the closed down the entire pool deck for a party. There were multiple times we would try to go somewhere on the ship and were redirected due to private events for her group. If we had known of this group we would have certainly chosen a different cruise. We made the best of the cruise and we certainly did have a good time, but running into these obstacles all week was annoying and made us feel like we didn't belong.

 

 

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[tobyt]

We were on an NCL cruise which was almost half booked with folks who sold "direct sell" products the kind that they make additional revenue to recruit....we were approached at every venue and event asked why we did not want to be financially free of the burden of working and if we sold these products to our family and friends they would be happy and thrilled and we could start our own team helping them as well...it was annoying...did it ruin the cruise no but we quickly opted to cut them off when they started the pitch and really enjoyed our own company, they did take over venues but there was enough other things to do that we managed...I would not want to repeat that but sailed with another group of auto suppliers a couple of years later on Princess...not a peep after first day it was just a reward and there were no meetings or requirements for them once onboard...would cruise again with that group in a heartbeat. I think it is all about what the group has planned and how much they limit my vacation!

[conquesodor]

I agree that cruising with groups is usually not a big deal. I've never had an issue myself, but the story about finding yourself sharing the ship with 3,000 teenagers or 1,000+ direct sales marketing types would really "harsh my mellow." :eek:

 

In the case of the teenagers - shouldn't this have been a charter?

 

I found the website that was mentioned earlier, but it seems more difficult (overall) than it should be for us to make an informed decision about booking a cruise that could feature a very large group. :confused:

[Yvonne]

I can only think of one cruise that had a large group, a group of swingers. They had events in one of the bars in the evenings so the general public couldn't go into that bar, but other than that, and the fact that they wore colored arm bands, we didn't know they were even on the ship.

 

I wouldn't want to be on a ship with a large group where many venues were closed much of the time to the general cruiser.

[ORV]

We were on an NCL cruise which was almost half booked with folks who sold "direct sell" products the kind that they make additional revenue to recruit....we were approached at every venue and event asked why we did not want to be financially free of the burden of working and if we sold these products to our family and friends they would be happy and thrilled and we could start our own team helping them as well...it was annoying...did it ruin the cruise no but we quickly opted to cut them off when they started the pitch and really enjoyed our own company, they did take over venues but there was enough other things to do that we managed...I would not want to repeat that but sailed with another group of auto suppliers a couple of years later on Princess...not a peep after first day it was just a reward and there were no meetings or requirements for them once onboard...would cruise again with that group in a heartbeat. I think it is all about what the group has planned and how much they limit my vacation!

 

Ugh, right up there with people that want to discuss politics or religion at dinner.

[CruisingTheWaves]

we were on a cruise with a large group last November, a Canadian travel agency. we unfortunately had to sit right by them and every night in the main dining room they had a different "theme" - it was quite annoying having them constantly up around around our table laughing at each other and taking pictures of one another because their rainbow wigs were just so hilarious. I get they were just having fun, but it was unfortunate it had to be at our expense as it was very distracting each night.

[Jane2357]

We've sailed with that motorcycle group before on Eclipse. They were absolutely some of the nicest people you'd want to meet and their bikes were beautiful. You wouldn't know they were in the group unless they told you or you watched them get the bikes off the ship at each port.

We loved watching from our balcony as they's unload and ride off. No impact on the ship life what ever.