Notification FRom HAL re: dining on Westerdam 2/20

[alibabacruisers]

I hope you both have the best cruise! Enjoy!:)

[sail7seas]

Hope you have a great cruise, Earl.

We'll look forward to hearing about it. :)

 

Fair Winds and a Following Sea......

 

[cruisinjudy]

We were on a Royal Caribbean ship one tim with a large Christian group. We wanted early seating as we were traveling with a group that had children. We were forced to have late seating which did not correspond with the children's program. No accommodations were made for our group of children. This was years ago when there weren't even options for any other eating places except sandwiches in the lido at lunch. We were not happy about it but we managed to have a good time anyway and sometimes the kids just ordered a sandwich in the room so they could go to the kids program.

[frankathy]

Earl enjoy your cruise. We are all looking forward to hearing from you. We leave for the Westerdam in two weeks.

[sail7seas]

We were on a Royal Caribbean ship one tim with a large Christian group. We wanted early seating as we were traveling with a group that had children. We were forced to have late seating which did not correspond with the children's program. No accommodations were made for our group of children. This was years ago when there weren't even options for any other eating places except sandwiches in the lido at lunch. We were not happy about it but we managed to have a good time anyway and sometimes the kids just ordered a sandwich in the room so they could go to the kids program.

 

This is an example of what makes these groups sting the most.

The cruise line made no provision for the children in your group and when any guest feels pushed aside and insignificant, especially when it includes children, there have to be hard feelings. When you all paid for your cabins, you expected use of the full ship. I am sure the children were told the fun things they would be doing in their program and the nice family meals you all would enjoy together.

 

For the cruise line to be blind to the disappointment and denial of service/amenities of the ship is simply not acceptable. It creates a lot of hard feelings they should be mindful of.

 

How would they feel if it was their cruise? Their family? Their carefully saved vacation time and funds?

 

[cruisinjudy]

This is an example of what makes these groups sting the most.

The cruise line made no provision for the children in your group and when any guest feels pushed aside and insignificant, especially when it includes children, there have to be hard feelings. When you all paid for your cabins, you expected use of the full ship. I am sure the children were told the fun things they would be doing in their program and the nice family meals you all would enjoy together.

 

For the cruise line to be blind to the disappointment and denial of service/amenities of the ship is simply not acceptable. It creates a lot of hard feelings they should be mindful of.

 

How would they feel if it was their cruise? Their family? Their carefully saved vacation time and funds?

 

Exactly! So well put! We were new to cruising at that point. I think it was our third.

[lvz2cruz]

I am so sorry this is happening to those cruising tomorrow and next week. I think HAL should either notify before final payment or make all dining open to everyone and severely limit closing other venues.

I think it is very hard to charter a ship for these groups so to cruise their only option is to take over a good part of the ship.

We have looked into some of these cruises and I don't think those booking have any idea the problems they cause other passengers. They get a schedule of be here at this time and do not realize they have taken over the dining room. If I was there, I would not want to eat that late.

Probably HAL assigns them the theater for an early concert and then late dinner and reverse for the regular passengers. That is the only way everyone can eat and go to a show.

I have looked at some of these type cruises and they cost about twice what I pay for a regular cruise. I think HAL or whoever marks up quite a bit because casino and bar sales are down. I'm sure the organizer has a markup built in too. In booking them HAL has a sure sale on many cabins they do not have to reduce pricing on to fill later.

Sandi Patty was a very successful singer about 20 years ago. I am surprised 900 people booked a cruise for her.

The Gaithers have always had a big following.

The Mercy Me tour on Konigsdam will have a younger demographic. They are a popular contemporary Christian group that has been around 10+ years winning many awards and still very popular. I don't know how many would book a weeklong cruise with them though.

I often get emails for Christian music cruises and HAL is the most common line now. There is one full charter on MSC next January. It has so many groups performing there will be more than one concert a day.

I hope you all next week have a great cruise and everything works out. Sorry you have this stress right now.

[Avery's Gram]

I think on the cruise we took (Eurodam, Jan 24 out of FL). The inspirations group was sold out....limited by how many seats are available in the Main Show Room. We were not part of the group, but sat with some of them for breakfast one morning, and that is what we were told. One couple told us they signed up a year in advance, to make sure they were included as they sell out regularly. The conversation ended when another of their group stopped at the table to tell them some of their performers were rehearsing in the Explorers Lounge and they all left the table, scurrying off to get another dose of inspirations!

Unfortunately, that left two of us alone at a table for 8, feeling a bit awkward as all our main dishes were delivered to our almost empty table!

Barbara M. In NH

[BeagleOne]

Many have reported that different cruise lines have said they cannot release information on groups due to privacy concerns. While the group can certainly release any information they wish, the cruise lines says they cannot. As I said, this could easily be circumvented if the cruise lines insisted upon a privacy for all groups on board allowing the cruise line to release the information. It simply isn't in the cruise lines interest to release that information so privacy is a good excuse.

 

The cruise lines are abusing the notion of privacy when they make claims like this. It is NOT a violation of anyone's privacy for the cruise line to say that a group of X size will be onboard. No one is forcing them to release the name of the group.

 

I'd be one of those passengers making a big stink if a group tried to bar me from a place like the Crow's Nest or one of the pools.

[sail7seas]

Good luck with a 'big stink'.

Captain has the power to put ashore anyone who causes a ruckus.

 

[OceanTraveller4ever]

We were on a cruise with a large religious group once. The Vista lounge was used everyday by them.

We did get our 8pm fixed table, but the group next to us did ask to swap our table with some of their friends seated farther.

 

We politely declined their request. A rare occurrence I am sure :)

 

Enjoy your cruise, and good luck!

[Valley Girl of VA]

I have cruised with a Road Scholar group and never knew they were even on board. Noticed them when they were getting off the ship at one of the ports and someone held a sign indicating that they were Road Scholars. You will have no problem whatsoever if a group is on your cruise.

[John Reid]

I have cruised with a Road Scholar group and never knew they were even on board. Noticed them when they were getting off the ship at one of the ports and someone held a sign indicating that they were Road Scholars. You will have no problem whatsoever if a group is on your cruise.

 

I am not sure of how an experience with ONE group can be extended to apply to all groups.

[CherryG]

P

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[sail7seas]

I am not sure of how an experience with ONE group can be extended to apply to all groups.

 

Of course, what is pertinent is how big was the group? What percentage of the total guests were in the group?

 

If the group is 50-100, you likely wouldn't notice.

 

[BeagleOne]

Good luck with a 'big stink'.

Captain has the power to put ashore anyone who causes a ruckus.

 

 

Apparently you have a different definition than I do. When I (or any of us) am on a cruise, I have paid good money to have access to public areas of the ship, and it is inappropriate for the cruise line to allow access to those areas for some passengers and not others.

Edited February 21, 2016 by BeagleOne

[peaches from georgia]

Apparently you have a different definition than I do. When I (or any of us) am on a cruise, I have paid good money to have access to public areas of the ship, and it is inappropriate for the cruise line to allow access to those areas for some passengers and not others.

Of course. But few regular pax will say a word unfortunately. The Crows Nest for ah hour or 2 is one thing. The entire pool area on a sea day is another situation is quite another. It's outrageous.

[sail7seas]

Apparently you have a different definition than I do. When I (or any of us) am on a cruise, I have paid good money to have access to public areas of the ship, and it is inappropriate for the cruise line to allow access to those areas for some passengers and not others.

 

Earlier in this thread, I related about our experience when we were denied use of Crows Nest just about every night of a ten day cruise. We were made to leave aft pool on a beautiful Caribbean day at sea.

 

I have been there, done that and got the t-shirt. ;)

I really do 'get it'. We did not like being pushed aside in that way.

 

(Post #18 in this thread.)

 

Edited February 21, 2016 by sail7seas

[Valley Girl of VA]

I am not sure of how an experience with ONE group can be extended to apply to all groups.

 

Perhaps it is also a combination of me investigating those trips and finding that it doesn't includes a hundred people of more - generally they are small groups.

[lahlah57]

Everyone has "as you wish dining"---but not on this cruise. The way I read the letter, and the subsequent discussion, there is no main fixed seating, and no open seating in the dining room after 6:30.

Outrageous.

 

Ruth....you don't think a group will be on our cruise on the Koningsdam in October.....oh the very thought:confused:

[RuthC]

Ruth....you don't think a group will be on our cruise on the Koningsdam in October.....oh the very thought:confused:

Considering the itinerary, and the length of the cruise, I highly doubt there will be any affiliated groups. There may be some technical groups put together by travel agents, but that is not at all the same. Usually the people in those groups don't even know each other.

[lahlah57]

Whew..dodged that bullet! And I would imagine that a cruise that has you flying out to Rome and the 2 weeks would probably not appeal to large groups. I think they prefer a week or less out of US ports because of expense.Caribbean cruises appeal or possibly mexican Riviera

because of the value.

[RuthC]

It appears that a European cruise is less likely to have a large group, or be chartered, than a North American cruise. It is even less likely that a trans-Atlantic cruise would have a group/be chartered than a European cruise.

Add that the cruise is longer than 7-10 days, and the odds truly are with us that there's nothing to worry about on that score, lahlah57.

Edited February 21, 2016 by RuthC

[lahlah57]

.....and that would be a WIN:D

[sail7seas]

Perhaps it is also a combination of me investigating those trips and finding that it doesn't includes a hundred people of more - generally they are small groups.

 

There is no problem with a group of 50. Sometimes there can be a 'family reunion' of 50 and if they weren't all wearing the same t-shirt :D :D, none of us would likely know.

 

The inconveniences discussed here clearly are about hundreds of people in the group.