Just learned my cruise is a Soca cruise

[bosnr]

You need to check out the Prime Roll Call for info. Roll call has plenty of information about Soca. Reply #104 has been in contact the soca organizers.

[Monica887]

Are you still booked on this trip, @OrangeCatRamblers?

 

Hoping for the best for you, and keeping an eye out for updates!

[OrangeCatRamblers]

I am! Ready to sail on Sunday, whatever will be, will be! 

 

Over-preparing with noise cancelling headphones, earplugs, plans to stay in our room with boardgames if it gets too crazy, and a family contract for expectations for our teenager, who may find his options for roaming curtailed/limited.

 

The Fetetopia group is still planning events at the pools. I have asked for clarification and a schedule of their events specifically to see if it clashes with Entourage programming (recently Entourage had the pool to themselves for 1hr) and the organizers have not been forthcoming with any details, unfortunately. 

 

Thank you for thinking of us!

[bortman23]

Give us trip updates in here 🤪

Edited April 12, 2023 by bortman23

[mugtech]

On 2/21/2023 at 11:01 AM, styles27 said:

Now I have to go and google Spanish Fly 🤦🏻‍♀️😬

Song by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass

[ontheweb]

16 hours ago, OrangeCatRamblers said:

I am! Ready to sail on Sunday, whatever will be, will be! 

 

Over-preparing with noise cancelling headphones, earplugs, plans to stay in our room with boardgames if it gets too crazy, and a family contract for expectations for our teenager, who may find his options for roaming curtailed/limited.

 

The Fetetopia group is still planning events at the pools. I have asked for clarification and a schedule of their events specifically to see if it clashes with Entourage programming (recently Entourage had the pool to themselves for 1hr) and the organizers have not been forthcoming with any details, unfortunately. 

 

Thank you for thinking of us!

Yes, please give updates, and hopefully none of the things you dread will happen, happen.

[vacation44]

24 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

Yes, please give updates, and hopefully none of the things you dread will happen, happen.

Ditto......

[RocketMan275]

I deeply regret OP's experience with this cruise.  This experience should be a lesson for anyone who cruises.

 

Personally, anytime I hear of a large, potentially unpleasant charter/group, I immediately cancel and rebook.  I've had to do this on about a fourth of the cruises I've booked.  Fortunately, I've heard about these groups well before final payment.  Discussing this with the cruise lines does not accomplish anything.  They make too much money from charters/groups. They will not share any information with you while hiding behind claims of privacy restrictions.  IMHO, they realize that if they do share this information, it will result in too many cancellations.  Funny thing, once the ship leaves the port, those privacy restrictions disappear and signage appears informing of special activities for the group and restrictions on other passengers.

Edited April 13, 2023 by RocketMan275

[Oceansaway17]

On 3/2/2023 at 12:00 PM, styles27 said:

So the group is planning it without NCL’s knowledge?  Wow
 

Either the group is very bold or NCL is full of bologna. 
 

 

me thinks the second one.

 

I hate bologna.  I do not think any group should take over areas of the ship and be annoying,

 

BTW, I enjoy your comments.  You see like you would  be fun to be around.  

[JGmf]

Wondering what actually happened/is happening on this cruise....very eager to find out.  Nada on the roll call.

 

OP said they'd post after they return (on Sunday).

[Steff79]

is the party then for all? or the pool deck etc. then private for the group only?

[cruiseny4life]

I've been following along, including posts by this thread's OP. All seems pretty darn quiet onboard. Lots of duck posts and photos from their arrival in Bermuda. It appears there was a "squad" of kids looking for ducks as a group. 

 

I'll be interested in what OP has to say, but after talking about how "wild" she expects the cruise to be and that they came up with a teen contract, it's been silence. The National Museum of Bermuda has some really great included WiFi, so hopefully she/someone will come let us know how they're doing in Bermuda.

 

For what it's worth, I bet everyone is having a really great time with minimal issues that were discussed in these pages. 

[BirdTravels]

32 minutes ago, Steff79 said:

is the party then for all? or the pool deck etc. then private for the group only?

Normally a private party for those who paid for it. Like when Gronk does a partial charger party cruise on NCL

Edited April 19, 2023 by BirdTravels

[cruiseny4life]

35 minutes ago, Steff79 said:

is the party then for all? or the pool deck etc. then private for the group only?

Welp, it was earmarked as a private party....but based on reports from the ship it would appear so many people whined, while not understanding how parties at sea work, that the pool deck party was canceled. I'm sure there are still plenty of drunk, non-Soca-related drunks wandering around the pool deck doing and saying stupid things. 

[JGmf]

43 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

Welp, it was earmarked as a private party....but based on reports from the ship it would appear so many people whined, while not understanding how parties at sea work, that the pool deck party was canceled. I'm sure there are still plenty of drunk, non-Soca-related drunks wandering around the pool deck doing and saying stupid things. 

 

@cruiseny4life - assuming you are learning from the bookFace site? (I'm not on it, hence information blackout for me).

 

Also: totally agree with your perspective on what likely did happen versus worst fears. Egad!

 

 

 

[cruiseny4life]

2 minutes ago, JGmf said:

 

@cruiseny4life - assuming you are learning from the bookFace site? (I'm not on it, hence information blackout for me).

 

Also: totally agree with your perspective on what likely did happen versus worst fears. Egad!

 

 

 

I agree with all statements you have made in your post. 🙂 

[Homosassa]

Just read the live thread on another site specific to this cruise.

 

Everyone posting appears to be having a great time with no issues.

 

Much ado about nothing pre cruise. 

[laudergayle]

I am happy to hear that all seems quiet on the Soca cruise.  I have to admit I was one of those posters that suggested the OP switch to the Pearl (however that was before she shared that they had theater tickets pre-cruise).  As for myself snd DH, we would have been fine with the free entertainment.  But as a parent traveling with a preteen, I would feel differently.  Happy for all those onboard…and glad to hear the crowd isn’t rowdy.  We sail in 10 days (yay) and happy the Prima will be in ship-shape.

[HBCcruiser]

49 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

I am happy to hear that all seems quiet on the Soca cruise.  I have to admit I was one of those posters that suggested the OP switch to the Pearl (however that was before she shared that they had theater tickets pre-cruise).  As for myself snd DH, we would have been fine with the free entertainment.  But as a parent traveling with a preteen, I would feel differently.  Happy for all those onboard…and glad to hear the crowd isn’t rowdy.  We sail in 10 days (yay) and happy the Prima will be in ship-shape.

I hope to meet you onboard!

 

[laudergayle]

56 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

I hope to meet you onboard!

 

Yay fellow cruiser.  See you at the Meet and Greet.  Can’t wait!

[InfrequentPNWCruiser]

Other than a few people in fetetopia t-shirts, and some music last night coming from Snorkel Park last night, it would be really hard to pick anything out as noticeable. There was  more people here wearing group tees of different ilks then that group on embarkation. No issues or concerns here.

[biggadon]

SHOCKING....YOU MEAN NO ONE HAS ANYTHING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE EVIL SOCA CRUISE.😁 I am glad that the cruisers are having a great time despite the early scares, I await the OP Review.

[Liz.m.m]

We wouldn't have noticed anything different if we didn't know what was going on. Only complaint our family had was that the music at Snorkel Park was so loud for the concerts that we heard it in the room on the side of the ship facing the venue. Noise machine drowned out most of the noise!

[OrangeCatRamblers]

I'm happy to report back that we had a wonderful time and everyone coexisted peacefully. 

 

For those of you that "knew" it wouldn't be a big deal, pat yourselves on the back, you somehow saw through a very slick pr campaign promoting bamboo and twerking in a way that I couldn't see through!

 

Perhaps you also reached out to the organizers attempting to clarify salient issues (primarily: will the promoted pool party events be taking place, and will other outdoor parties be taking place at times when teens are traversing the ship doing their own activities) and you received information from them that I did not. Well, we all tried to get information from all possible channels, I just wasn't as successful in "knowing" that what was promoted as an on-ship musical festival wasn't going to be a big deal. 

 

I'd like to live & learn, so please feel free to dm me at any time telling me how I was unable to get the info that you had. Sharing information makes everyone prepare for a better time! 

 

The Prima is amazing! Best ship we've been on after gem getaway breakaway. 

[IsanTom]

On 2/20/2023 at 7:50 PM, SeekingKillerWhales! said:

No feedback, just sympathies. That sounds like a lot of noise and drinking crowds. Hope the size of the ship lets you avoid most of it. 

I agree! It's no vacation during Spring Breaks. Too many children (Ages 2-21) running around and no chance of a relaxing cruise!