Groups on board?

[GeorgesGal]

How dos on find out if there are large groups on board or partial charters?  We have a very quite roll call for a September sailing - only 13 members, so wondering ..... .

[elaineb]

14 minutes ago, GeorgesGal said:

How dos on find out if there are large groups on board or partial charters?  We have a very quite roll call for a September sailing - only 13 members, so wondering ..... .

Do some Googling - your ship and the sail date and see what comes up.

[dkjretired]

52 minutes ago, GeorgesGal said:

How dos on find out if there are large groups on board or partial charters?  We have a very quite roll call for a September sailing - only 13 members, so wondering ..... .

 

No certain and absolutely accurate way, as someone stated try googling and below is a link to a website that has some info.

 

https://www.cruisetimetables.com/full-cruise-ship-charters.html

Edited April 1, 2019 by dkjretired

[RickT]

Depending on the group that may not help.  Just off the 03/16/19 sailing on the Infinity.  There was a company that had 590 employees sailing.  Since it was a private company googling our cruise did not show that.

 

[dkjretired]

56 minutes ago, RickT said:

Depending on the group that may not help.  Just off the 03/16/19 sailing on the Infinity.  There was a company that had 590 employees sailing.  Since it was a private company googling our cruise did not show that.

 

 

Like I said it can give "some info", if you read the web site it is for full ship charters. 

[villauk]

As Don stated above, you won’t really know for sure until you are onboard.

[keesar]

Nearly all cruises have groups on board.  The groups vary in size.  However if you do a search for the date and your ship, you may get some clues.  We altered our cruise as we had sailed with one large group who took over the common areas.  We vowed it would not happen to us again with this group.

[cruisestitch]

There could be family groups, nonUS groups, corporate groups, alumni associations, all kinds of groups which are “members only” and won’t be in any search engine.

[GeorgesGal]

Thanks, all for your responses.  I've googled, checked out the website recommended (yesterday, before posting here), binged, phoned ~X~, etc.  Nothing.

 

And I presume that any 'large' group would have their own website set up for chatting with participants, thus wouldn't be posting here on CC.

 

Oh, well, it was worth a try to throw out the question.

 

Again, thanks for your input!

 

Donna

[Orator]

I believe that all cruise lines ought to be required to inform passengers when a group has booked 5% of the ship (the number is may be higher or lower) and that those booked be given an option of staying on the cruise or cancellation without penalty. I have unexpectedly been on some of these cruises. This should be part of the Passenger Bill of Rights. 

[GeorgesGal]

14 minutes ago, Orator said:

I believe that all cruise lines ought to be required to inform passengers when a group has booked 5% of the ship (the number is may be higher or lower) and that those booked be given an option of staying on the cruise or cancellation without penalty. I have unexpectedly been on some of these cruises. This should be part of the Passenger Bill of Rights. 

 

Great idea!  I second the motion!!!

[Mr&MrsBee]

Great idea.  We cancelled a cruise when we found out a large group had prearranged the excursions and cancelled our choices.   LLP is more concerned with the LBGT groups.  Looks like no more Celebrity for us after 10 years.

[SeaHunt]

Have you checked this site? Sometimes groups will show up there even if you can't find them by googling, etc.  - just put your ship name in where it says "Search anywhere in the ads" and see what comes up  

 

http://themecruisefinder.com/CruiseAds/search/create_form/

Edited April 2, 2019 by SeaHunt
link

[dkjretired]

4 hours ago, GeorgesGal said:

Thanks, all for your responses.  I've googled, checked out the website recommended (yesterday, before posting here), binged, phoned ~X~, etc.  Nothing.

 

And I presume that any 'large' group would have their own website set up for chatting with participants, thus wouldn't be posting here on CC.

 

Oh, well, it was worth a try to throw out the question.

 

Again, thanks for your input!

 

Donna

 

Also check your roll call

[keesar]

7 hours ago, Mr&MrsBee said:

Great idea.  We cancelled a cruise when we found out a large group had prearranged the excursions and cancelled our choices.   LLP is more concerned with the LBGT groups.  Looks like no more Celebrity for us after 10 years.

 

On our Alaska cruise, a group had their own Celebrity excursions in each port  and  all the Specialty Restaurants were entirely closed for them on one evening.  We did not do our homework.  

[hun]

7 hours ago, SeaHunt said:

Have you checked this site? Sometimes groups will show up there even if you can't find them by googling, etc.  - just put your ship name in where it says "Search anywhere in the ads" and see what comes up  

 

http://themecruisefinder.com/CruiseAds/search/create_form/

Thanks for posting, this was an interesting site!  👍🏼  I saw there’s an organized big group on the sailing before ours (that we had actually almost booked) on our ship.  

[phoenix_dream]

10 hours ago, Orator said:

I believe that all cruise lines ought to be required to inform passengers when a group has booked 5% of the ship (the number is may be higher or lower) and that those booked be given an option of staying on the cruise or cancellation without penalty. I have unexpectedly been on some of these cruises. This should be part of the Passenger Bill of Rights. 

I agree 100%.  A recent cruise of ours had a large corporate group.  Some nights they completely booked up the specialty restaurants.  When they had an 'unofficial' gathering in a bar no one else could find a seat.  Entire venues were booked up for them for hours at a time.  Very frustrating.

[Cruiser_1977]

On 4/2/2019 at 12:54 PM, Mr&MrsBee said:

Great idea.  We cancelled a cruise when we found out a large group had prearranged the excursions and cancelled our choices.   LLP is more concerned with the LBGT groups.  Looks like no more Celebrity for us after 10 years.

Pardon my ignorance, what is LLP? 

 

Also @keesar thanks I didn't know this was an option (the reserving of an entire restaurant). Follow up, was it booked the entire evening? 

 

I have been on sailings with large groups and have never experienced any negative effects on my experience. I supposed I should consider myself fortunate.

Edited April 3, 2019 by JennyB1977

[Orator]

5 minutes ago, JennyB1977 said:

Pardon my ignorance, what is LLP?

The CEO of Celebrity, Lisa Lutoff Perlo.

[Cruiser_1977]

On 4/2/2019 at 12:54 PM, Mr&MrsBee said:

Great idea.  We cancelled a cruise when we found out a large group had prearranged the excursions and cancelled our choices.   LLP is more concerned with the LBGT groups.  Looks like no more Celebrity for us after 10 years.

I am booked on Celebrity in January 2021 and have never sailed with them before. Are you saying for example: you booked XYZ excursion. You get a call after booking that group A has requested all of the spots on XYZ excursion and thus you were displaced from your reservation? If so, did the (assuming cruise line) offer an alternative XYZ excursion? 

[keesar]

7 hours ago, JennyB1977 said:

Pardon my ignorance, what is LLP? 

 

Also @keesar thanks I didn't know this was an option (the reserving of an entire restaurant). Follow up, was it booked the entire evening? 

 

I have been on sailings with large groups and have never experienced any negative effects on my experience. I supposed I should consider myself fortunate.

 

This group booked the entire evening of every Specialty Restaurant.  "PRIVATE EVENT".    Then there were excursions closed to cruisers not in the group.  

[DebInAntigua]

On 4/1/2019 at 2:18 PM, dkjretired said:

 

No certain and absolutely accurate way, as someone stated try googling and below is a link to a website that has some info.

 

https://www.cruisetimetables.com/full-cruise-ship-charters.html

Thanks for sharing that. I would prefer to avoid sailing with large groups too. Power in numbers and all that. It's unfortunate but natural that the cruise line will cater to them with prime seating, restaurant reservations, shore excursions, etc. when they are representing such a large % of the ship. Being on the outside of the group can feel very second-rate, and who wants that on their cruise?