Well, I called Royal Caribbean today...

[EchoSix]

I called their toll-free number and asked for someone regarding Group Reservations.

 

I got a lovely woman (I won't mention her name) and I asked her all about the possibility of passengers who're interested in booking a cruise with Royal Caribbean, but would like to find out the likelihood of their being a MASSIVE group reservation on board, that would possibly take away from the comfort of the other non-group portion of the ship.

 

She asked me... "Were you on The Jewel of the Seas last week?"

 

Can you see where I'm going with this?

 

Now this has nothing to do with any particular group of people, mind you... Just large groups of ANY kind, is the reason I called.

 

She agreed with everything I had to say, in regards to it possibly causing an issue with someone's cruise. She even had an experience with it herself, with a large group of Mormons that she remembered sailing with. They of course did nothing as disruptive as what the guys who were booked through the Pied Piper Cruise did, but they DID clog up a lot of the ship by taking over some of the clubs and such.

 

We joked about the possibilities of different groups of people that would or wouldn't cause problems. Everything from girl scouts to firemen, little people to video gamers, fireworks manufacturers to fishermen, etc. Some groups may be more fun tha others, whereas some people may have a problem with that same fun group, only due to a few bad apples. You never know.

 

She agreed... 100%, that everyone SHOULD be allowed to ask a cruise company if there were ANY large bookings on board ANY specific cruise. She agreed that the cruise company shouldn't be allowed to release the name of that particular group (due to privacy issues), but should be able to let anyone who had a confirmed reservation, to be allowed to ask about the existence of large groups and should only be given a head count of that particular group or groups.

 

The two of us used our own judgment, that a group of 100 or more, would constitute as a large group.

 

And she admits that ANY group of over 800 people, is something that ALL cruise companies, resorts and all forms of leisure entertainment facilities, SHOULD disclose, as a matter of courtesy for their future guests.

 

But... (yes, there's a "but"), It would also work against ANY companies means of conducting business, for them to actively volunteer something like that. I mean... What company would advertise for you to come spend your money on them, only to say, "Hey, listen... There's a really big freakin' group that's gonna' be on that ship, at the same time you're looking to go. Because of events that we've witnessed in the past, we've found that most of the guests who aren't associated with a large group, tend to have a difficult time enjoying themselves. Would you like to book for another day or would you like to take your chances?"

 

That's just not gonna' happen.

 

So... The two of us think, since last week's Jewel cruise is setting a landmark event for Royal Caribbean, as far as their need to rethink the size of groups they allow on the ship... That groups of THAT size, REALLY need to book their own passage, for an ENTIRE ship, all to themselves, on a much smaller cruise ship.

 

Or else they'll be turned away.

Of course this is just the two of us hypothesizing together and certainly nothing of any confirmation that this is something that Royal Caribbean is actively pursuing…

 

She also told me that not only does their computer system NOT give them ability to simply go down a list of all groups, with a head count displayed as you're looking at the list (making someone have to open up each booking individually to see the head count), but it would be against their privacy policies to do so, without a true reason.

 

As of now, our simply asking them to look, isn't reason enough.

 

We even spoke about the irony of it, when you could more than likely Google the group cruise and find out all you want online, yet the actual cruise company's hands are tied. Go figure.

 

So, with full sympathy and understanding... She transferred me to Guest Relations. And the same thing happened...

 

"Were you on the Jewel last week sir?”

 

These poor people in the customer service department are getting PUMMELED with irate passengers. The woman I spoke to in Guest Relations said she's never seen this before… That “it's bad”. They feel useless, because there's nothing THEY can do to help anyone, for the same reasons we've all mentioned in previous threads. It’s not their fault. As of now, they have no means of telling someone as a warning, nor do their policies give them rights to do so.

 

They simply CAN'T tell anyone about ANY details of the passengers of their ships.

 

Yet.

 

The THIRD person I spoke to was in what they call (and I'm sorry if I'm getting this wrong) the Post Guest Services or The Post Guest Relations... Basically the people who hear the complaints of passengers who were just on a cruise.

 

She told me that due to the overwhelming onslaught of complaints they're getting about how SO many people wished they knew about such a large group, this specific event is going to cause them to either rethink how they manage large groups or if they may allow just the head count of the large groups, without naming them, to be announced to passengers with a confirmed reservation. Meaning… As long as you ask them, they just may tell you how many groups (that constitute as “large”) are on the ship.

But that’s not gonna’ happen right now, unfortunately. They just can’t. Yet.

 

At least that's a start. Right? :o

 

They're aware that “something” needs to be done though. And they're CERTAINLY aware that the cruise on last week's Jewel cruise, was a bad event for a LOT of passengers.

 

Which is sad, really. Because of the kind of group that caused it. I know a few gay guys and they just don't act like that. I've seen MANY gay guys who DO act like that, but it's not all of them. Its people like that, who give the other ones a bad name.

 

And that goes for ANY particular kind of person.

 

I'm probably a very good example of what a lot of people would call a geek. :D It's something I do well. My kids like it because I'm silly... It makes me a good Dad and with the right sense of humor, I also give a few of my friends plenty of fuel for me to get picked on. :D

 

But then there are also the MAJOR geeks of the world, that give the more subtle geeks like me, a bad name.

 

You get the picture.

 

Don't you? :p

Anyway… I tried getting some info about what happened on the Jewel (not that it was my reason for calling) and she DID confirm that there were many families that left the ship on the second day of the cruise and that more followed the next day as well. She did confirm that there were complaints, of all kinds, that were coming in from both passengers AND crew members, specifically about that same large group of over 800 people.

So that’s that.

But all in all… Each department I spoke to, said the complaints from the Jewel are NOTHING compared to the complaints they’re constantly getting about the fuel surcharge.

I bet they’re pounding Rolaids and Tums like mad, over there.

[FitzLA]

What group was on last week? I don't remember hearing about this.

[Sue L]

What group was on last week? I don't remember hearing about this.

 

 

A pied piper group.

[JC in CA]

Echo-

RCI must say something about groups to TA's. The reason I say this is because we are booked on Serenade of the Seas for 6/14/08- when we made our reservations a couple of months ago- we could not get the main seating for dinner. The travel agent inquired and was told that there is a large group booked who took up most of the main seating time. Our TA was able to get our group of 11 on the wait list and we just recently found out that we did get the main seating.

 

I have googled our cruise date and found nothing on the group that is sailing with us. Did find out that the week before us there is a singles group booked! Two in our party are disappointed that we aren't going the week before!

-JC in CA

[PhoenixCruiser]

Honestly I don't think any of the cruise lines will change their policies regarding announcing groups booked. They would lose $$$$. This is not new, we had issues with a large group in 1997 on the Grandeur.

 

###

[Scorpiorose]

Ok, I get the legality of a situation like this and privacy issues, but really, some common sense must take place!!! When I took my 17 year old daughter to celebrate her 18th birthday in LAS VEGAS, yes I know it's VEGAS, but we went for the hotels, food, shopping,and shows, which is a huge part of vegas, not just gaming,.......any way.....we were booked into a hotel that was hosting a "porn" convention! HEEELLLLOOOOO....I would have like to know that! The sights and sounds were not to be believed! I am 100% sure that some of the most overdressed, overtly sexy and forward women were men in drag....anyway....I didn't really want to educate my daughter quite in this way and we had a good time but really....ppl....really!

[EchoSix]

RCI must say something about groups to TA's.

 

Actually... Funny you mention that.

 

 

Last Friday I got an email from our travel agent (and then a letter in postal mail today), informing me that I owe $60 for the new fuel surcharge, for the cruise we booked.

 

I called my travel agent earlier today, AFTER I spoke to the three representatives at Royal Caribbean, because I needed to straighten out the mix up. We paid in full, WAY BEFORE the notice even came out about the fuel surcharge. Royal Caribbean is having EVERYONE get a letter and then trusts the travel agencies to clean up the mess after the fact.

 

That's what my travel agent said. SO that's all I can go by.

 

She'll clear up the extra charge, because I in fact DID pay the full balance off, before the deadline.

 

Anyway... I told her that I called Royal Caribbean and why. I told her the outcome and she said she would have no way of knowing. She said a few people have asked her this before, only because they had experienced large groups before and wanted to avoid them, but she had no way of finding out herself.

 

She said she HAS called Royal Caribbean about it before, but they can't tell the travel agents either.

 

Again... This is only the info I was told today. I have no other knowledge and would rather just trust everything I was being told. I'm enough of a conspiracy theorist as it is, so I don't want to start formulating why there would be such a deception. :D

 

Maybe your travel agent knows of a few websites that actually list all the large groups on cruises, after they do the homework?

 

I can't answer that.

 

But can you tell us who she is? :p

[kathyemma]

Ok, I get the legality of a situation like this and privacy issues, but really, some common sense must take place!!! When I took my 17 year old daughter to celebrate her 18th birthday in LAS VEGAS, yes I know it's VEGAS, but we went for the hotels, food, shopping,and shows, which is a huge part of vegas, not just gaming,.......any way.....we were booked into a hotel that was hosting a "porn" convention! HEEELLLLOOOOO....I would have like to know that! The sights and sounds were not to be believed! I am 100% sure that some of the most overdressed, overtly sexy and forward women were men in drag....anyway....I didn't really want to educate my daughter quite in this way and we had a good time but really....ppl....really!

 

my best friends mom and all her old lady friends went that weekend!! My friend and I almost DIED when we heard - we thought for sure they would spend the entire weekend red faced - but they had a BLAST!!!!!!!

 

Kathy

[Jimmers]

Great job EchoSix. I applaud your efforts and perserverance in keeping this discussion on the table despite all the "interruptions" and those who tried to drown out or distort the points you were raising.

 

You're right, it is just a start. But it's something. You didn't stick your head in the sand and try to pretend nothing happened.

 

It's in the best interest of those on both sides of this issue that something like this doesn't occur again. Whether that means separate charters of large groups, advance notification to passengers, or simply controlling the behavior of those individuals causing the problems onboard, something needs to be done.

 

Jimmers:)

[hcat]

Not sure why this is a privacy issue

They should have a link to Groups on Board where you can put in your cruise date & see who is booked for your cruise--then you can decide..Whether it's Paula Dean fans , teachers of the US, coin collectors guild, Bikers of the South , some large company or a Continuing ed group...or whatever... that can be posted--it's not anyone's name just the name of a group...

Any groups over 100 should be listed....

[FLASHINGLIGHTS83]

A pied piper group.

 

not to be ignorant, or stupid for that matter....what is or who are a pied piper group??

 

greg

[Sue L]

not to be ignorant, or stupid for that matter....what is or who are a pied piper group??

 

greg

 

http://home.att.net/~gaygroupcruises/

[skyking]

Hmmmm....Princess sent us a fax week about a large group on a sailing that I had customers on. Advising me to let them know about the group, or rebook with no penalty...Thought it was a nice gesture.

[EchoSix]

Hmmmm....Princess sent us a fax week about a large group on a sailing that I had customers on. Advising me to let them know about the group, or rebook with no penalty...Thought it was a nice gesture.

 

 

No way!?! :eek:

 

 

Wow.

 

 

I'd like to find out why nobody else will do that.

[PhoenixCruiser]

Hmmmm....Princess sent us a fax week about a large group on a sailing that I had customers on. Advising me to let them know about the group, or rebook with no penalty...Thought it was a nice gesture.

 

Very nice indeed!

 

###

[Sue L]

Very nice indeed!

 

###

 

 

I guess I must be really cynical. My first thought on that is that Princess needed more cabins for the group (higher booking price) so they want the non-group people to cancel without having to compensate them for anything.

[FLASHINGLIGHTS83]

i see now....when i worked at universal we had the gay week. hundreds of hundreds of complaints. i fully understand now....

 

greg

[PhoenixCruiser]

I guess I must be really cynical. My first thought on that is that Princess needed more cabins for the group (higher booking price) so they want the non-group people to cancel without having to compensate them for anything.

 

Sue, you might be correct :eek:

 

###

[skyking]

I guess I must be really cynical. My first thought on that is that Princess needed more cabins for the group (higher booking price) so they want the non-group people to cancel without having to compensate them for anything.

 

Actually it was a visually impaire group with over 100 seeing eye dogs onboard.

[Sue L]

Actually it was a visually impaire group with over 100 seeing eye dogs onboard.

 

 

They were still probably paying a premium price. We had the "Senior Deaf Association of America" Group on board our Brilliance Panama Canal and I was talking to some of the group on one of our tours and they paid for several special events, 4 or 5 translators and other special programs and she told me how much they were paying and while not quite double it was pretty close.

[Jimmers]

Honestly I don't think any of the cruise lines will change their policies regarding announcing groups booked. They would lose $$$$. This is not new, we had issues with a large group in 1997 on the Grandeur.

 

###

 

Yes and in 95 there was a famous incident on one of the Carnival Ships I believe, that involved a large group of NYPD officers who created a huge turmoil onboard. Some were put off the ship. It created a big scandal for the NYPD and resulted in a departmental investigation of the officers involved.

 

I tend to agree with you that notifying passengers of particular groups will be a formidable if not impossible task for the cruiselines. They may have better luck limiting the size of the groups.

 

I think any large group should have a responsible "go to" person that the ship's personnel can go to when there are problems with members of the group.

 

There could also be a clearly defined code of conduct that is enforced.

 

And lastly groups such as this could be made to post a bond against which the ship could attach for damages whether it be for property damage to the ship, injuries to passengers or reimbursement for cruise fares for passengers whose cruises were ruined by the behavior of members of the group.

 

I'm sure that the suits at RCI will be busy trying to come up with a solution. These sorts of incidents are definitely not good for business.

 

Jimmers:)

[deepnite10]

having inform d passenger s that a large group was book d

..i would think that they would offer some sort of discount s

to fill the ship..

 

naturally if there were a group of 100 or more stripper s onboard

i would nt have any complaint s :o

[kidless]

You know my father always told me "Squeaky wheels get greased" and I always believed he was right. So perhaps calls to the cruise lines on issues like large groups and surcharges may be heard and maybe one day will make a change :D

 

good job Echo

[LAKaye]

http://home.att.net/~gaygroupcruises/

 

Ahah!

 

So next November 29, 2008, the Serenade of the Seas will have this same group on board.

 

You know how we have a Current Captains thread and somewhere a Current Concierge thread, well......

 

Maybe we should put together a Known Group Thread?

 

Leslie

[JJSMaine]

These large groups book far in advance.

 

Cruise lines should pick cruise slots for large group sailings. Let the groups sail with each other, and fill the ship by selling remaining cabins with a mandatory disclaimer that there are large groups aboard that may dominate resources.

 

I would assume that large groups do not make up a significant percentage of revenue, yet they seem to have a significant negative impact on the non-group cruisers.