On sailing with large group?

[m&pcruizin]

I have just found out that the Oct. sailing I have booked will also have a large group (500 people) sailing on it. What are other people experiences of being on sailings with large groups?

 

Thanks for the info

[Doglady]

Hi, What October sailing are you on, if I may ask?

[RiverRev]

We sailed on the Navigator of the Seas with a small group, but also with a large corporate group. Other than the occassional mention of the group in the Karaoke competition I really didn't know they were there.

 

I think that as long as they don't close or fill a venue (like every night) you won't notice them.

[crazy4bears]

I sailed on the Carnival Valor last Oct with a large group. They were the most rude people I have ever met. They literally took over the ship. If one of their group members were in a buffet line than all the other group members got in line beside them. They would save rows of seats in shows for their group members. I vowed never to sail with a large group again. I beleive this group were from Panama and all wore yellow shirts. They told me they cruise every October to celebrate the independence.

[cb at sea]

I can't imagine there would be any problem at all, except for getting the dinner seating you desire. Other than that, 500 people aren't going to stick together like glue or anything!

[denjos2002]

I've been part of a large group (250) and I sometimes never saw the people in my group except for at dinner. I wouldn't worry about it at all. There's no chance that everyone is going to be interested in doing the same thing and arrive in a large group. People in my group (Stars at Sea) mentioned our group during Quest and Karaoke so other than that I can guarantee no one else on the ship even knew we were there.

[cprofits]

It was quite a surprise and we didn't realize it until we boarded. It was a Grand Old Opry cruise and it really didn't fit into our taste. While the cruise wasn't 'dedicated' to them, having such a large group on board really affected every day life on the ship. I would seriously look into what your large group 'is' and then make my decision about going or changing my date. After that cruise, I always do my best to research and see if there are any large groups on board. The size of the group is important, but more important is what the group is about. There are a lot of threads on cruisecritic detailing how various groups and their behavior in public places negatively affected other passengers. If I were sailing with my children, I'd really look into who this group was affiliated with. If I were alone with my husband, then it wouldn't affect me as much.