CruiseHabit Bill Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 If there was a CruiseHabit group cruise, ya know, hypothetically, what would you want out of it? What cruise line/ship? What part of the world? What activities/events onboard? What would separate it from other cruises? Just curious - I welcome any open feedback. Quote Disney nut, cruise fiend, tech geek, condescending elitist. I talk ship at CruiseHabit.com Frequent 'No One Else Was Available' guest on RoyalCaribbeanblog.com/podcast Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyC Posted March 11, 2020 Share Posted March 11, 2020 Hmmmm...definitely not on Royal. Matt's got a good lock on group cruises there, and I'd love the opportunity to try a new cruise line with a bunch of friends. But I'd totally be open to Celebrity, even though we've sailed on her. No Carnival. Last time we sailed NCL it was still called Norwegian Cruise Lines, before they switched to freestyle cruising. Probably Caribbean, as Florida ports are probably the easiest for most to get to. Maybe one of the medium size ships, that allow lots of different group activities. What would separate it from other cruises? Other group cruises or just other cruises in general? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrp4352 Posted March 11, 2020 Share Posted March 11, 2020 KathyC is right - a medium (or even large) ship would be good because of the activities. Although I'd love to see a less common destination, maybe New England or Mexican Riviera. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiseHabit Bill Posted March 11, 2020 Author Share Posted March 11, 2020 17 hours ago, KathyC said: Hmmmm...definitely not on Royal. Matt's got a good lock on group cruises there... ... What would separate it from other cruises? Other group cruises or just other cruises in general? It almost certainly wouldn't be on Royal. As you said, Matt does a fine job of that already, and he's sullied my reputation among the bartenders anyway ? For your second question - both. What would you want to be different that would make a CruiseHabit group cruise more appealing than booking the same cruise if it wasn't a group? Friends there - sure, we agree. Anything else? Quote Disney nut, cruise fiend, tech geek, condescending elitist. I talk ship at CruiseHabit.com Frequent 'No One Else Was Available' guest on RoyalCaribbeanblog.com/podcast Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokey0202 Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 hmmm hypothetically means something brewing to do a group cruise. no way on Carnival that is for sure. maybe go outside of the box and choose a MSC cruise as group cruise. its a cruise line many of us havent sailed but wanted so what a better way with friends to all take the plunge.................. group cruises are great ways to meet people but events create a different type of vibe too. the ship has its own vibe but a group cruise carries its own tune. everyone can pick and choose what they want to do among events offered. sure Billy can be creative and think of some unique different activities that are not boring besides the same things offered on other group cruises. only time will tell. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyC Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 On 3/11/2020 at 2:07 PM, CruiseHabit Bill said: It almost certainly wouldn't be on Royal. As you said, Matt does a fine job of that already, and he's sullied my reputation among the bartenders anyway ? For your second question - both. What would you want to be different that would make a CruiseHabit group cruise more appealing than booking the same cruise if it wasn't a group? Friends there - sure, we agree. Anything else? I think for me, just trying a new cruise line with friends makes it appealing. It's like the first time you visit a faraway place, it's better to go with someone who's been there, to show you where to go - or not to go. Since we've been pretty much Royal only for so long, I don't even know what other lines have to offer, or what they do different. Summit was such fun experience, to learn the Celebrity way - but it would have been more fun with friends. We found plenty of people to hang out with, but it's not the same as having a group to be with all the time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 I have to speak selfishly on this one -- Would love a group cruise that leaves out of NJ or NYC. I'm not really able to cruise from anywhere else for the time being, just because flights to FL are so darn expensive that they can easily equal the cruise fare and I'd rather have that money for a better cruise. And of course, that also means more limited choice of lines and itineraries. Between those two ports, I think we've got Royal, NCL, Celebrity, maybe HAL and I know MSC does one or two sailings a year for fall foliage. One thought I had that would distinguish a Billy Group's (gruff!) Cruise could be a deliberate focus on smaller ships and more "boutique" itineraries that go to less-frequented ports. Prime example would be the Empress open-jaw sailing from NJ to Montreal or back (and yes, that's Royal but we all know that's a ship Matt's never gonna book a GC on). I'm thinking here Billy of your lifelong experience with cruising and experience with all the various levels of service over the years, on board and maybe on excursions. Maybe the way you distinguish from Matt or other GC organizers is by finding ways to "bring back" some of the (more desirable) classic cruising elements that seem to have gone out of favor; ideally without the expense of booking a super-luxury line! ? Not really sure how something like that would be done, or if it's even feasible on today's cruise lines. But you asked, so I'm answering. ? 2 Quote - Joe - Upcoming cruises: 14-night Western Med and Adriatic Medley - Regal Princess - July 16, 2022 (tentative) Completed cruises: Bermuda - Anthem of the Seas - October 19, 2019 Bermuda - Anthem of the Seas - October 13, 2018 Eastern Caribbean - Freedom of the Seas - March 31, 2018 Canceled / Covid-19 impacted Greenland & Iceland Transatlantic - Celebrity Summit - August 2, 2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi Jason Posted March 16, 2020 Share Posted March 16, 2020 I'd be most interested in a Celebrity cruise. They tend to offer a little more variety of ports and length of cruises than the big 3 lines. I would be open to trying a new line as well. I don't have anything on the books yet for 2021 just saying. 1 Quote Jason Peterson Cruising since 2002 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnbob7 Posted March 16, 2020 Share Posted March 16, 2020 Line? For me, I’m going to be selfish and suggest Celebrity. Selfish because I have been primarily Royal but am planning to check out X anyways. And a big part of me selecting X is the coverage by Bill and Cruise Habit. Where? I vote Caribbean. Done it enough that I know how to enjoy but feel free to spend more time with the group activities. Activities? Maybe group takeovers of ship specific venues, like the Lawn Club or Sunset Bar. Opportunities to mingle and meet and talk ship. That’s what Cruise Habiteers do, right? How different? I think skip some of the more traditional group activities like pub/cabin crawl, maybe arrange a session with performers or other staff/crew. Just my random thoughts as I flatten the curve. BobJ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi Jason Posted March 25, 2020 Share Posted March 25, 2020 There are some amazing itineraries on Celebrity Edge for late 2021 or early 2022. I was eyeing the February 25 2022 date. It’s a 10 night Southern Caribbean that goes out of Fort Lauderdale on a Friday and returns on a Monday. The ports are St Maarten, St Lucia, Barbados, St Kitts, and Antigua. That would be three new ports for me and I’d be very willing to return to the others. It’s an amazing ship and itinerary. Quote Jason Peterson Cruising since 2002 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.