How to know if a group will be on your sailing

[susiesan]

Is there any way to find out if an alumni or business or special interest group will be on a specific O sailing? Depending on the nature of the group I may want to change to another date. I'm booked on Riviera Oct. 25, 2017 Barcelona to Venice. I have not been on an O cruise for a number of years and want this cruise to be as perfect as I know it can be.

[Cruseforme]

You can try Google. Otherwise, no way to tell IMHO. There may be interest groups on board, and you may never know it. We had a 100 person Jazz enthusiast group on board Riviera last year, and the only way we knew, is that they closed off the lounge for 2 hours during one sea day (in the afternoon), while they had jazz musicians playing and had a cocktail party.

[arima22]

For alumni groups for a cruise- just do an internet search including the cruise line, ship, dates and that should bring up the data on what schools have been included by the alumni tour agent.

We just came off this year's cruise of the same itinerary, the first week there was only a small China based tour. The second week from Rome to Venice was completely different- about 20 college alumni groups with special gatherings and shore excursions. Plus about 200 people on a China based tour, again with their own shore excursions. Terrace restaurant was able to handle the all-once-group rush from the Chinese, the Grand Dining Room was always wide open no matter how many people in your group. The night of the Captain's cocktail party both groups must have been in the Horizons lounge, the Martinis Bar, Grand Bar, etc. were wide open and great service.

So....really not a problem on this cruise that affected our activities.

[Mura]

Susie, I can understand your apprehension ... but in our so-far 14 cruises on O, we've never encountered a large group. Maybe we were lucky?

 

Or maybe there aren't that many?

 

I agree it can be the luck of the draw!

 

If you are using a TA, you might be able to get an answer from him or her.

 

Good luck!

 

Mura

[easyboy]

One time.. there was a Kiwanis group occassion in a particular sailing. There was a call here on CC for others to join. So maybe you can also keep tab on here.

 

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[maggie.1008]

On our Nov. 2nd cruise we had a large number of China Based tour group.

[ORV]

There was a large GoNext contingent on our Sydney to Auckland cruise earlier this year. Didn't really bother me, probably would bother those that don't like door decorations, as there were a lot of different college colors and logos on the doors.

[marilynfaye]

One of our early O cruises was around the U.K. By chance we had lunch with a professor from Baylor University who was escorting a group of alumni. He invited us to attend his lecture that afternoon. We were in the North Sea and he was lecturing on the Spanish Armada. One of our best days at sea.

[susiesan]

On our Nov. 2nd cruise we had a large number of China Based tour group.

 

How was their behavior? I have run across large tour groups of Chinese before throughout the world but never on a cruise. How did they deal with the no smoking on the ship in almost any areas? Did they respect the rules? How large was the number of the group?

Edited November 20, 2016 by susiesan

[bitob]

How was their behavior? I have run across large tour groups of Chinese before throughout the world but never on a cruise. How did they deal with the no smoking on the ship in almost any areas? Did they respect the rules? How large was the number of the group?

 

 

You continue to cast aspersions on and stereotype Chinese passengers. They have already removed your earlier offensive post. You have not learned

 

 

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[susiesan]

You continue to cast aspersions on and stereotype Chinese passengers. They have already removed your earlier offensive post. You have not learned

 

 

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If you have ever been to China or encountered large groups of Chinese tourists you would know that smoking everywhere even when against rules is a well known issue with them. It is not a stereotype, it is reality. Their government conducts classes for them in how to be a good polite tourist when traveling outside China.

[bitob]

I guess all Chinese tourists fit into one bucket where you are concerned. Offensive

 

 

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[PoppyandNana]

If you have ever been to China or encountered large groups of Chinese tourists you would know that smoking everywhere even when against rules is a well known issue with them. It is not a stereotype, it is reality. Their government conducts classes for them in how to be a good polite tourist when traveling outside China.

 

On a recent cruise we were on an excursion with a large group of Chinese. Everyone had large selfie sticks which were waved about without any regard for the other people. They all commandeered the railing sides taking pictures of each other. All this while speaking (screaming) at the top of their lungs.

 

Onboard the ship there were always groups from 3 to 6 trying to get on elevators. It was absolutely critical that EVERYONE got on THAT elevator. They never said anything to anyone else in the elevator like excuse me, just yelled to each other.

 

A man told me once that the Chinese government published a 65 page tourist guide for Chinese abroad. Apparently one of the more memorable no no's was no foot prints on public toilets.

[Dwtlion]

Been on board both the R and O ships with affinity groups. The smaller R ships present many more challenges due to their size. Cocktail hour was a disaster as all seats taken by the group; much the same for Horizons. In contrast the more spacious larger ships provide space for all- you just need to be a little creative to find your "safe zone".

[Mura]

I have traveled with Susiesan and know that she is not a bigot or intolerant person. She's experienced problems with some Chinese tourist groups, as has been addressed in some recent newspaper articles I have seen.

 

It's not that ALL Chinese tourists behave this way, but some do. So I can understand her wariness.

 

When we were on the old Bergen Line in 1975 (Bergen to North Cape and back) and Italian group came on board for three days who behaved in many of the same ways that Susie complained about. They would barge into line, knock people over, just be rude in general. I prevented their "leader" from cutting in front of someone else when we were going to lunch and she was enraged at me.

 

We were all glad when they left the boat. (Not a ship, a boat!) This is not to say all Italian tourists behave that way, but this group did.

 

Perhaps this post will also be deleted ...

 

Mura

[Paulchili]

A man told me once that the Chinese government published a 65 page tourist guide for Chinese abroad. Apparently one of the more memorable no no's was no foot prints on public toilets.

 

It seems that he was correct.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2441454/China-issues-civilised-travel-guidebook-tourists-heading-abroad.html

 

I am glad I was not on that beach when the picture in that article was taken :D

Edited November 21, 2016 by Paulchili

[susiesan]

It seems that he was correct.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2441454/China-issues-civilised-travel-guidebook-tourists-heading-abroad.html

 

I am glad I was not on that beach when the picture in that article was taken :D

 

Intersting to note that the cruise lines placing ships in China year round have made many changes to the ships and itineraries to cater to the Chinese tourist and their much different travel style:

 

http://www.barrons.com/articles/china-is-a-fertile-market-for-cruise-ship-companies-1463194670

 

More shops and casinos, less spas and bars. These ships are a total different cruise environment and experience which would not appeal to me.