Large Group cruises

[clojacks]

We are currently booked on a cruise that includes Israel next year that is being marketed by a group called Pied Piper. The make up of the group doesn't bother me at all, but not knowing potentially how large the group might be does. I don't want to feel like I have been restricted IN ANY WAY from enjoying all aspects of the ship when I traditionally would be. At the price this cruise is being sold at, I think that is reasonable. Does anyone know historically how large the group can be on these group marketed cruises? This is NOT a Charter (which we were bumped off of to end up on this cruise). Is there any way to find out how many rooms this group is holding?

[donaldsc]

We are currently booked on a cruise that includes Israel next year that is being marketed by a group called Pied Piper. The make up of the group doesn't bother me at all, but not knowing potentially how large the group might be does. I don't want to feel like I have been restricted IN ANY WAY from enjoying all aspects of the ship when I traditionally would be. At the price this cruise is being sold at, I think that is reasonable. Does anyone know historically how large the group can be on these group marketed cruises? This is NOT a Charter (which we were bumped off of to end up on this cruise). Is there any way to find out how many rooms this group is holding?

 

Here we go again.

 

DON

[DYKWIA]

If it's not a charter its possible Pied Piper are in effect acting a s a specialist Travel Agent heavilly marketing the cruise to their target audience. If that's the case there could be any number

[EatonDoolittle]

We are currently booked on a cruise that includes Israel next year that is being marketed by a group called Pied Piper. The make up of the group doesn't bother me at all, but not knowing potentially how large the group might be does. I don't want to feel like I have been restricted IN ANY WAY from enjoying all aspects of the ship when I traditionally would be. At the price this cruise is being sold at, I think that is reasonable. Does anyone know historically how large the group can be on these group marketed cruises? This is NOT a Charter (which we were bumped off of to end up on this cruise). Is there any way to find out how many rooms this group is holding?

 

I was on the Constellation last fall with (not as a part of) that group. I assume you have researched the demographic. This was 10 days in the Caribbean.

 

Check your roll call, that is how I found out about it, members of the group posted. It was approximately half the ship - 900 or 1000 ppl.

 

The group reserved the entire second seating in MDR - I was Select Seating, so I did not care. They took over the Martini Bar each evening, I was at Elite happy hour, so again, I did not care. They took over pool deck and hot tubs, I don't use those areas, again, did not affect me. They closed the pool deck one evening for a private costume party of some sort.

 

That said, there were many, many unhappy cruisers on the trip who felt very put out. I met many (not on Cruise Critic Roll calls, obviously) who tried complaining to GS, we should have been told, etc, but of course, nothing was or can be done. Business is business.

 

As I recall, you can contact that travel agent and ask how many rooms they have booked. They have a web site.

[clojacks]

Here we go again.

 

DON

 

Thanks for the feedback Don. Adds real value to my serious question.

[Pavovsky]

So you go with them and you get a better deal than with celebrity....

[cb at sea]

I can't see where this group would affect you in any way, regarding public spaces on the ship...most of the folks will NOT know each other, and I doubt they will be having "group" activities....

All cruises have "groups" aboard...we've sailed with many larger groups..and aside from a possible convention space once in a while, we missed out on nothing!

[clojacks]

So you go with them and you get a better deal than with celebrity....

 

Out of curiosity, i checked their pricing and it is identical to what I booked at with my TA and I highly doubt that the perks are even close to what I am getting.

[MarkusToe]

I've bin on this conny cruise last fall - my learning:

go to Pied Piper homepage - look for there ad's, if they ad the cruise I'm interested in - I do not book it....end of discussion... not for free and not for $ to go...

[wrk2cruise]

We have been on 2 Cruises where this group has been onboard. Both were the week after Thanksgiving. They have groups on Celebrity multiple times a year but the week after Thanksgiving is their largest group according to their web page.

 

We found the group to not "take over" any venue other than the few where they had a private party. These were generally on the pool deck in the evening.

 

They did have all their dinner assignments at second seating however the dining room was not exclusively reserved for them. We were able to dine second seating as well.

 

As a group they did seem to like to drink and the bars were very busy. We found them to be very inclusive and on the first cruise on the Reflection we met 4 or 5 guys my wife and I hung around with for the whole cruise. They were a lot of fun and we had a blast. On the second half of our B2B we noticed the difference when we went back to the regular Celebrity demographic.

[CruisingChick]

We have been on 2 Cruises where this group has been onboard. Both were the week after Thanksgiving.

 

We were also on 2 cruises where Piped Piper had cruisers onboard. Our Berrmuda cruise this year and last year - the Memorial Day week. I went to check their websiite they are listed again next year for the same one. I would have not even known there was a group on board if I hadn't read it here on Cruise Critic.

 

I guess the size of the group varies greatly.

[keesar]

We were on a cruise where there were approximately 700. We had no problems with anyone from that group. The group was friendly and appeared to be having a great time. I would cruise again if that group was onboard.

 

On that cruise, my issue was a woman who pushed her dog around in a stroller and walked up to the buffet with the dog. Got a plate for the pup and fed the dog in the buffet.

[MarkusToe]

a few moments from Conny last fall

 

lots of drunk in the early morning - pool bar opened at 8 AM

Martini bar totally occupied - no chance to get somethin there

Pool deck blocked by private party in the evening - we where removed from deck by the waiters

vomiting into MDR because of drunk guests - more than once

pole dance of overweight guests in front of other guests

smoking all arround the ship

yelling arround whole day

 

all in all nothing what I want to have again...

 

thank's to the treat starter - checked there page - found the Reflection cruise I'm booked on - was not there at my time of booking....

now I've to change....

Edited July 25, 2016 by MarkusToe

[Flamencacha]

a few moments from Conny last fall

 

lots of drunk in the early morning - pool bar opened at 8 AM

Martini bar totally occupied - no chance to get somethin there

Pool deck blocked by private party in the evening - we where removed from deck by the waiters

vomiting into MDR because of drunk guests - more than once

pole dance of overweight guests in front of other guests

smoking all arround the ship

yelling arround whole day

 

all in all nothing what I want to have again...

 

thank's to the treat starter - checked there page - found the Reflection cruise I'm booked on - was not there at my time of booking....

now I've to change....

 

 

 

Wasn't aware of these issues. How ever the Martini bar is always a very popular place.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[kevinyork]

Pied Piper guests were on our Iceland and Norway cruise last year. Around 30-40 people. The only time we saw an area closed off was Cellar Masters one evening but that was all and given that venue is dead then it made no difference. They were great fun, always polite, happy, friendly and chatty.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[RealNorwegianCruiser]

pole dance of overweight guests in front of other guests

....

 

Would it be better with a pole dance of skinny guests in front of other guests?

[blueboro]

On our February 2015 Equinox cruise there was a group of Pied Pipers. I agree that they took over the martini bar each evening and much of the disco. They also on occasion had a public space (like the Sky Observation Lounge) booked. But did not notice any disruption to the dining room.

[wwcruisers]

a few moments from Conny last fall

 

lots of drunk in the early morning - pool bar opened at 8 AM

Martini bar totally occupied - no chance to get somethin there

Pool deck blocked by private party in the evening - we where removed from deck by the waiters

vomiting into MDR because of drunk guests - more than once

pole dance of overweight guests in front of other guests

smoking all arround the ship

yelling arround whole day

 

 

Is this a Pied Piper cruise, that you are referring to? I was on the same Pied Piper Summit cruise as CruisingChick, and I totally agree with her assessment: if someone had not told me about Pied Piper, I would not have even known that they were onboard. And yes, the Martini Bar was crowded, but it was great company -- when you could get a seat, there. The only thing I noticed around the ship was that there were many nice looking, very well-dressed, gentlemen. Although I do try to avoid booking ships with large groups (of any sort), I wouldn't hesitate to book a cruise that had Pied Piper guests on it. :cool:

[MarkusToe]

I'll assume - thats not linked to this special type of people (may be some), but finally if you have a group of 700 -1000 guest, they do have a group mode independent what group it is.

You would have the same behavier, if there would be p.e. a soccer or bowling club excursion.

[Gracie115]

Pied Piper sponsored a group on the Reflection TA this past spring....if someone had not made me aware of that I never would have known there was any kind of "group" on that sailing...... it was a wonderful cruise....

[clojacks]

When I posted my original post, I asked 2 questions that I thought were pertinent. 1 was to ask if anyone knew how large these groups are, because that is the critical factor, NOT WHO they are. 2 was is there a way to find out how many rooms they are holding. If this was a couple of hundred people group, I don't see any problem or impact. 500, 700, 1000 I think we state to see an impact on non-group cruisers experience.

[CruisingChick]

When I posted my original post, I asked 2 questions that I thought were pertinent. 1 was to ask if anyone knew how large these groups are, because that is the critical factor, NOT WHO they are. 2 was is there a way to find out how many rooms they are holding. If this was a couple of hundred people group, I don't see any problem or impact. 500, 700, 1000 I think we state to see an impact on non-group cruisers experience.

 

Size of group varies greatly. Anywhere from 50 - 1,000. I am not sure there is a way you can find out how many are in the group on any particular sailing unless you contact Piped Piper directly and ask them.

[MarkusToe]

X will not tell you nor your TA if there is any large group booked on the ship.

there excuse: forbitten by law they said :(

 

Thats a thing i do not believe, US guys you may comment on thst, please

[DYKWIA]

Will it be US law or Maltese Law / EU Law?

 

Sounds like a Data Protection matter. If people chose to publicise the fact they or their group is on a ship that's up to them but that might be a call that Celebrity cannot make.

Edited July 26, 2016 by DYKWIA

[dkjretired]

It all depends on the groups and hard to tell on here. We've had people on this thread say the Pied Piper cruises were out of control and others say didn't know they were on board. Someone mentioned about Roll Calls, remember sometimes these groups have their own roll calls not associated with cruise critic.

 

I have sort of sworn off anything with a large group many years ago. We had about 400 Brazilian Debutante's on a cruise with us, all around 15 or 16 years old. They were nasty, rude and just plain obnoxious and it wasn't just a couple. They were going to Disney after our cruise, felt sorry for anyone in Disney that week.

 

Then of course we have had mentioned the infamous American Girl Cruise. Also, there was a cruise a few months ago of a very religious group who got on board and demanded the cruise line close all bars and the casino for the duration of the cruise. This went over like a lead balloon.

 

Point is, you have to be very careful and don't expect any help from the cruise line.