Continuing Education group

[igraf]

To what extent will this group impact the cruise?

 

https://www.continuingeducation.net/coursedescription.php?topic=Critical_Care_Pulmonary_Medicine_Mexican_Riviera_November_2019

 

Specifically, will they have exclusive dining times like the gospel group?

 

igraf

 

[CruiserBruce]

I doubt it. Last time we were on with a similar group, it was so small you barely noticed there was even a group on board. Occasional people sighted with convention name tags was the only thing we noticed.

[sevenseasnomad]

If they do, you won't be able to book early/late fixed dining.  Has your TA or HAL informed you that you're waitlisted for one of these reservations?  

 

Several CC posters have indicated that their cruises were negatively impacted by such groups, such as taking over a public space or delaying their dinner plans.  Others have posted that they never knew the group was aboard.  It's almost impossible to say what effect a group may have. 

 

The Christian group on our upcoming New Year's cruise has already affected us because we've purchased Club Orange to keep our preferred dining time as well as to have a quiet, less crowded experience.  We're going into the cruise anticipating that this group may take over some venues.  We'll roll with it as best we can but will not allow their activities to defeat our enthusiasm.  It helps that we have one of the largest balconies on the ship, so if things get impossible, there's always a space to which we can retreat.  We are approaching the cruise with a positive mindset, which I believe will help. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 hour ago, CruiserBruce said:

I doubt it. Last time we were on with a similar group, it was so small you barely noticed there was even a group on board. Occasional people sighted with convention name tags was the only thing we noticed.

 

That's been my experience when continuing education groups were on board. Road scholar and continuing ed groups tend to be small. The ones that take over are the huge "inspiration" groups.

 

[Gigi1977]

Glad to hear this.  In December we are onboard one week with a continuing education group and then one week with a group called The Nation.   We are not waitlisted for our preferred late dining on either weeks. 

[kazu]

28 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

That's been my experience when continuing education groups were on board. Road scholar and continuing ed groups tend to be small. The ones that take over are the huge "inspiration" groups.

 

 

Agree - these are smaller groups - medical - due to the education, the capacity is limited.  I don’t see them interfering with anything.

[sail7seas]

6 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

That's been my experience when continuing education groups were on board. Road scholar and continuing ed groups tend to be small. The ones that take over are the huge "inspiration" groups.

 

Medical continuing ed  groups on  HAL ships are usually very small and hardly impact anyone not  part of the   group,  It is possible for you to not know they are   there.

 

 

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

9 minutes ago, sail7seas said:

 

Medical continuing ed  groups on  HAL ships are usually very small and hardly impact anyone not  part of the   group,  It is possible for you to not know they are   there.

 

 

That's true. I didn't know there was a medical group on my cruise until I met a few of them on a snorkel boat.

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

Many years ago we were on a ship with a continuing education group.  There about 15 in the group.  They didn't impact anything or anyone on the ship.

[S1drfl]

DH is a retired emergency room doctor.  Have attended many continuing education conferences over the years.  The one on a cruise had about 20 attendees, not all of whom had spouses in attendance.  Meetings took place in a small conference room and dining with the others in the group was optional.  FWIW, our experience is that hotel sited conferences in Hawaii were much more popular, attracting many more attendees accompanied by entire families.  Hope the OP's experience is consistent with this.

[sail7seas]

15 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

That's true. I didn't know there was a medical group on my cruise until I met a few of them on a snorkel boat.

 

   🙂 Yah, thats about right....  studying hard on that snorkel boat, were they? 🤣

 

 

 

  Good 'write off and way to collect their required annual 'continuing ed  hours'.   

 

Good luck to 'em,  we all need  a  break now and then.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 hour ago, sail7seas said:

   🙂 Yah, thats about right....  studying hard on that snorkel boat, were they? 🤣

 

 

 

 

 

 

LOL! At least, if we'd had a medical emergency help would have been nearby. 

[REOVA]

Probably no better group to have on hand if medical needs assistance. 😉 There are much larger groups (TA's) that have private events and meetings and you would never know if you were not part of the group. Its still the same number of cabins/passengers. If it was on a Pinnacle Class ship, I'd be more concerned as the larger dining room seems to be more challenging for the crew (and noisier). You could find out your first night at dinner how it goes and change to anytime dining if they are also late diners and you see a problem. 

[ShipWalker]

I've been told there will be a large group on my next HAL cruise from something called cruisecritic. (I don't think it's a continuing education class.)

 

How should I handle these people if I perchance should run across one of them?

Edited August 30, 2022 by ShipWalker

[TiogaCruiser]

Very carefully, I hear they can be a tough bunch!

[VMax1700]

8 hours ago, ShipWalker said:

I've been told there will be a large group on my next HAL cruise from something called cruisecritic. (I don't think it's a continuing education class.)

 

How should I handle these people if I perchance should run across one of them?

We just got a group of regular fare paying cruisers removed from the Explorations Central on Rotterdam so that we, CCer's could have a bit of a chin wag and free coffee.  The regulars were not very happy to be told that a private party had the space reserved, but eventually they realised just who they were dealing with and moved on.  They did threaten to escalate the matter further up the management chain, but we had that possibility covered 😉