Input requested from recent CC 5k runners!

[ironz]

Wow-- from the responses, it looks like it differs quite a bit.
We are just off the Wonder-- there were at least 300 runners (cruise staff said one of the largest they've seen-- probably because the proportion of adults on the PC cruise was greater). We met in Azure at 8 a.m. and I think got off the ship before other guests, but it took a while to have that many people get their race bibs. We were on the island on our way over the race start at 8:38 based on a photo I took looking back at the ship. Race started about 9 a.m. (assuming all the times on my phone/Garmin are synced up correctly)

 

[JWG]

I just did this on the fantasy last week. We were let off the ship at 8:30 with everyone else- no special place to meet beforehand. You had to figure out on your own how to get to the starting line. I had asked at guest services and shared the tram info with other runners. There was no formal start time. You just started to run when you got to the starting line.

I would agree it is not organized, but I still enjoyed it. It was nice to see a bit of the island and I enjoyed meeting other runners on the tram over.

We did this on the same cruise. It was interesting. You had to pre-register as you normally do once on the ship and they have a 10 year minimum age requirement. I'm not sure what the registration was for. When we registered we were told there were 3 times for the race (8:45 / 9:00 / 9:15) and to just show up at Pelican Point for whichever time we wanted - no meeting on the ship.

So, we disembarked with the masses at 8:30 when they finally cleared us and immediately headed over to Pelican Point. There they had a table with two people handing out bibs to anyone who walked up and asked - didn't check your stateroom number, didn't confirm you had registered, didn't verify age. My brother-in-law registered himself but not his daughter because she is only 8. She was given a bib and a medal since they weren't checking anything.

We got started a little after 9am by the time we got there, got our bibs, put them on, got a photo, etc. We finished a little before 10:00am and by that time the table was empty and no more bibs were being handed out. You did have to have a bib to get a medal. I almost got two because after finishing we had to go back on the course to find one of my other nephews who we were worried about not finishing. When we got to him and turned around to come back with him, they tried to give me another medal.

This feels like an event they'll have to start charging for if they want to bring some more structure to it. Thin out those who only do it because it's free and you get a medal. Clearly the change in when you get off the ship was meant to curb those who didn't actually run the race after signing up.

 

[CDNDCLaddict]

Interesting differences. Just off the Dream on Monday and did the CC5k. Did it previously (I think on the Fantasy but also could have been Dream) and procedure was exactly as I remember. Met in Evolution at 8 am; off boat just after 8:30 and just before other cruisers (they were already lined up but had to wait until the 5k runners disembarked) then walked to start line en masse. Race started just after 9 I think. I was back on board by 10 (after stopping at gift shop/washroom and for a few pics)

 

[TXAg83]

Wow-- from the responses, it looks like it differs quite a bit.
We are just off the Wonder-- there were at least 300 runners (cruise staff said one of the largest they've seen-- probably because the proportion of adults on the PC cruise was greater). We met in Azure at 8 a.m. and I think got off the ship before other guests, but it took a while to have that many people get their race bibs. We were on the island on our way over the race start at 8:38 based on a photo I took looking back at the ship. Race started about 9 a.m. (assuming all the times on my phone/Garmin are synced up correctly)

What was the schedule ashore time for your cruise? Our Fantasy trip a week from Saturday is 9:30. Were you off the ship significantly earlier than the scheduled ashore time?
Asking because our excursion starts at 9:45. We're all runners, so we should be able to do the race fairly quickly, but we have to be able to start early.

 

[lilmc]

Just off the Dream on Monday and did the CC5k

I think the “medal” is the same as last year, but is the lanyard? Does it have the year on it?

 

[scuba]

My 13 year old and I just participated in the 5K on 3/10....We met at Evolutions and left the ship at exactly the same time as other passengers. The off ship meeting place was the post office and then we walked towards the starting line, the problem I identified was the masses leaving the ship walking with the runners and as first time CC 5K runners we were uncertain if we were walking to the starting line or following someone to a beach chair. Apparently there is still this misconception that runners get off earlier than the rest of the ship because there were dozens of so folks wearing sandals, beach lounge pants and huge beach hats looking all the part of Elizabeth Taylor carrying oversized beach bags still taking bib numbers and safety pins. We were finished in under 45 minutes and back on the ship it seems by 9:45 and no later than 10 because we had reservations for the princess meet and greet. I will tell you one thing that bothered me a touch, the course has you running around a loop near the observation tower, this loop is ran once going out towards serenity bay and back again a last time towards the finish line and MANY runners chose not to run that loop a second time while collecting their 5K medal? I'm not certain exactly what that accomplished but I thought it to be slightly cheating. I will say that I never felt rushed after the 5K and was able to snorkel and ride the waterslides, shop and eat a relaxing meal and returned back to the ship early not feeling as though I had missed anything.

 

[ntmec]

Just did the CC 5k on Friday, 3/15... Fantasy, Eastern Carib. On the Eastern itinerary, the ashore time for anyone is 9:30. We walked off right at 9:30, took about 10 mins to walk to bike rental place where the race begins. There was a table to get your number/safety pins. Digital display clock began running around 9:45, but there was no official start.
We had registered at guest services on day 1 of our cruise and we were told we could be in the 9:45, 10:00, or 10:15 group. We chose 9:45, but people just began continuously between 9:45 and around 10:20. When we got our numbers, they didn’t even check our names (I don’t think they even had a list of those that were registered. They just had a huge stack of numbers and safety pins. It seemed that preregistration wasn’t necessary. They just handed out a number to anyone that wanted to run.
It also isn’t well marked on the course. My teenaged sons ran it as well and both of them ran too many loops because there were so many people coming and going from the course at different times. They need to have better signage on the course. A fun experience, but it could be done so much better.

 

[ironz]

What was the schedule ashore time for your cruise? Our Fantasy trip a week from Saturday is 9:30. Were you off the ship significantly earlier than the scheduled ashore time?
Asking because our excursion starts at 9:45. We're all runners, so we should be able to do the race fairly quickly, but we have to be able to start early.

Our scheduled ashore time was 8:30 and we were to meet in Azure at 8:00. Like I said, it took a while for everyone to get their bibs in Azure and get out of the ship because there was quite a crowd of us!

 

[LittleMissMagic]

People have more recent experiences, but on the Dream in 2017 we ran the 5K and got off the ship at 8:30 - the same time that they made the announcement for everyone else to disembark.

 

[Dug720]

People have more recent experiences, but on the Dream in 2017 we ran the 5K and got off the ship at 8:30 - the same time that they made the announcement for everyone else to disembark.

The 5K does not get you off the ship early any longer (if it ever truly did).

 

[Kpitts17]

So true. We met in the walt disney theatre which I thought was weird. lots and lots of runners. This was on the Dream in June 2018. Everyone always told us that you're first off the ship when doing the 5k, but we walked off with other people running to make dibs on beach chairs and hammocks. Glad we did it, but I felt so bad for all the cast members having to organize hundreds of people and there were like 4 of them and half didn't preregister.

 

[Shir Kahn]

The 5K does not get you off the ship early any longer (if it ever truly did).

I can absolutely confirm that it did let us off early on our first cruise. People were just getting off the ship as we were walking back after the race!

I've decided that I'm still going to run it, as most people think that we should be able to be finished by about 10. That still leaves plenty of time to eat and have some nice beach time. I want my medal!

 

[Dug720]

I can absolutely confirm that it did let us off early on our first cruise. People were just getting off the ship as we were walking back after the race!

I've decided that I'm still going to run it, as most people think that we should be able to be finished by about 10. That still leaves plenty of time to eat and have some nice beach time. I want my medal!

I have talked with people who work on the ships before and they all to a person confirmed that while SOMEtimes the runners have gotten off first, it was never a guarantee. That is what I meant. I'm sorry I phrased it wrong.

 

[kkayluvsdis]

We were on the Dream sailing 3-1 to 3-4. I was one of the first off the ship and was not running the 5k. In fact, the first group of runners was walking behind me. Just looked back at the time stamp from my first photo taken on CC after leaving the ship-8:31AM. There was not a large line up of people waiting to get off at that time. I have never run the 5k and this was the earliest I've ever gotten off the ship at CC so not sure if my experience is typical. I did secure a great spot on the beach, though!

-Kelly

 

[Ralph&Pam]

I have two different recent experiences. Last November on a Western Caribbean on the Fantasy, the 5K participants who registered at Guest Services were told to report to the starting location near the bike rentals, pick up bib there, and start on their own at 8:45, 9:00, or 9:15. I did so, starting about 9 and timing myself on my Garmin, since the clock was already running (displayed about 18 minutes at the time I started). On the recent WBPC on the Wonder, it was a more traditional meet up in Azure starting at 8:00 to pick up a bib, went off the ship as a group starting about 8:30, with the 5K starting about 9. The bib distribution was not well organized, since the cast members managing it had runners who arrived prior to 8 am (as I did) sit down and wait until they were ready to distribute bibs and safety pins, then tried to have these folks line up for bib pick up by seating section. No one was checked off a registration list or anything, so pre-registration was not really needed. In the meantime, as more participants arrived, they joined the line for pick up while early arrivals were still sitting waiting for their seating section to be called. By the time my group was called to get in line, the back of the line extended out to the midship elevator lobby. In any case, everyone eventually got their bibs, and we did leave the ship pretty much on schedule to make the 9 am start. Little information had been provided regarding the actual path of the race course for new participants, but the PC cruise was filled with old hands at this (over half the ship were platinum or gold CC members), so I don’t think it made any difference. I still preferred the more traditional approach of the Wonder to what it appears the Fantasy is now doing.

 

[TXAg83]

Just did the CC 5k on Friday, 3/15... Fantasy, Eastern Carib. On the Eastern itinerary, the ashore time for anyone is 9:30. We walked off right at 9:30, took about 10 mins to walk to bike rental place where the race begins. There was a table to get your number/safety pins. Digital display clock began running around 9:45, but there was no official start.
We had registered at guest services on day 1 of our cruise and we were told we could be in the 9:45, 10:00, or 10:15 group. We chose 9:45, but people just began continuously between 9:45 and around 10:20. When we got our numbers, they didn’t even check our names (I don’t think they even had a list of those that were registered. They just had a huge stack of numbers and safety pins. It seemed that preregistration wasn’t necessary. They just handed out a number to anyone that wanted to run.
It also isn’t well marked on the course. My teenaged sons ran it as well and both of them ran too many loops because there were so many people coming and going from the course at different times. They need to have better signage on the course. A fun experience, but it could be done so much better.

Thanks for the update. Looks like we won't be able to do the run as our excursion starts at 9:45 and our ashore time 9:30 on our Eastern itinerary this weekend .

 

[MrPTato]

My wife did it 2 weeks ago on the Dream. Met in Evolution and then headed off the ship for a walk to the start. Docking was a bit late because of the winds. They walked off in a group and stopped the general group getting off so the runners could leave. Organized start too and clear direction. This was her first one.

 

[weatherboy80]

Will be doing this next week and was wondering if there is ample time to get in any kind of warm-up before the 5K starts. As a long distance guy, I need a good few miles miles to warmup and was hoping there was time to scout out the course beforehand? Thanks

 

[lilmc]

Will be doing this next week and was wondering if there is ample time to get in any kind of warm-up before the 5K starts. As a long distance guy, I need a good few miles miles to warmup and was hoping there was time to scout out the course beforehand? Thanks

Not in my experience (only twice). We barely had time to drop our stuff on the beach and let the kids hit the potty one more time before they started. It’s a casual fun run, though. Maybe your muscles will be warmed up from the hot and humid walk to the start?

 

[BlueRibbon]

You could warm up by running on the deck 4 promenade, but there would be a good 30 minute gap from the time you stop running to the time you get the the start line.

Definitely no chance to scout the course beforehand as they try to get ppl going ASAP.

Have fun!