2017 Dinner Seating

stevendj

The one thing I'm most bummed about with the move to a full-ship cruise is the divided dinner seating. I really enjoy having dinner with a different group of friends each night, and I know, inevitably, whichever seating I choose, there will be some people I'd like to have dinner with who will have picked the other seating.

Is there any interest in trying to coordinate a particular dinner seating for returning Sea Monkeys, or subgroups thereof? I'd hate to pick a seating at random, only to find out all the cool people made the other choice. Given how many people on the cruise are cool, that means I'd be alone in the dining room with about eight other people. Not fun.

(For all I know, this is already happening on Facebook, where things happen outwith the range of my perception.)

Oboewan

FWIW, Molly and I are contemplating early show late dinner

paulandstorm

FYI, one option we're considering is a "trading floor" where people can trade wristbands (or whatever badge/talisman we end up using to indicate which group you're in) to be able to switch to the opposite dinner/show seating for a day or some days.

It's just an idea, but we're looking it as an option for people who want to "mix it up" a bit, or for people who decide they'd like to swap permanently.

P.

stevendj

That would be very welcome.

Saint Toad

Yeah, I think a trading floor would be a great option to have.

paulandstorm

In the rough draft I have in my mind of such a thing, there'd be a daily area and time that people could gather for trades, and we'd offer some sort of cards or something people could use to track whom they've switched with, for what date(s), and cabin numbers/contact info to trade back (for non-permanent trades), and/or a place for the tradees to sign. Functioning as sort of mini-contracts, or at least evidence in case there's any questions/issues.

But Management wouldn't want to be involved in or responsible for the transactions; it would be strictly at one's own risk, and it'd be on the participants to track each other down for returns. (Hence the contact info.)

Let me know if this still seems a reasonable idea, and we'll continue to brainstorm.

P.

villicious

When I read "wristband to indicate their group" on the "What's New for 2017" page, I thought "I bet people are going to work out a way to trade wristbands if they are interested in seeing some performers more than once and others zero times."

chetman

P & S, are you familiar with the Cayamo cruise? It's an americana-roots music cruise that's super well regarded, and they take a whole boat (I think). They're also so successful that I think trying to go is like trying to buy season tickets to the Green Bay Packers -- someone almost has to die first, because (like JCCC) prior year cruisers get right of first refusal, etc.

ANYWAY, because of the acts involved (below) & limited seating, there's a Process for getting tickets to this or that show, plus an on-board system for ticket trading and whatnot. They're about to sail (1/31-2/7), so my guess is that the organizers are busy, but after both cruises are over I'll bet those organizers would be happy to share how they handle these things. 

http://www.cayamo.com

Acts this year: John Prine, John Hiatt, Steve Earle, Jason Isbell, the (Sara & Sean) Watkins Family Hours, etc.

melagee

is there a record anywhere of what the proposed dinner times are?

autojim

Per Bob, Master of All Helpers, we don't have to choose dinner seating at time of booking (assuming, of course, that we're booking now or before the 2016 cruise).

rhaje

And my source is Drew, from his comment on this Facebook post in the JoCo Cruise 2017 group (have to be a member to see it, I think):

https://www.facebook.com/groups/JoCoCruise2017/permalink/1029447597144491/

(Edit: And [P]'s confirmation later in the same comments.)