Vista Meet & Greet Locations

For those who've sailed on Vista or who're booked and have a Meet & Greet planned, I'm looking for a little advice. We're sailing on the NYC to MIA repo cruise this November and have a very active group, including +200 people signed up for our Meet & Greet that we're planning. I've planned a few in the past but never for this size of group, and of course never for Vista.

Our question is: what venues have people been using for their Meet and Greets on Vista?! And how many attendees did you have?

If anyone has other helpful Vista-specific tips for Meet and Greets, we're all ears...or I suppose online that would be eyes! :)

Thanks in advance!

Anyone? Bueller? Lol!

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Our group met at Red Frog Pub on embarkation day but was only about 30ish people. I think with that many people I'd try the interior and exterior of ocean plaza.

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I am not certain, but I believe Carnival will assign your Meet and Greet location, based on the number of registered attendees, and venues available....

at least that is how it's done on other cruise lines I've sailed on....

I am not certain, but I believe Carnival will assign your Meet and Greet location, based on the number of registered attendees, and venues available....

at least that is how it's done on other cruise lines I've sailed on....

Hey Bob! Yeah, that's what we're expecting but we kind of wanted to get an idea ahead of time to help with the planning. We're planning to contact them directly (as I've done in the past) since we're expecting such a large group. Some people aren't members of CC, so we want to make sure we're accounting for them too.

First time planning a Meet & Greet since they've started planning them thru CC, so we'll see how things have changed!

We just got off the Vista and have over 100 people signed up for the Meet and Greet and absolutely nothing was done. I don't know if someone on Cruise Critic or Carnival dropped the ball but no mention at all.

It sounds like you have a good idea to contact them correctly. I would not count on getting an "official" one set up.

We just got off the Vista and have over 100 people signed up for the Meet and Greet and absolutely nothing was done. I don't know if someone on Cruise Critic or Carnival dropped the ball but no mention at all.

It sounds like you have a good idea to contact them correctly. I would not count on getting an "official" one set up.

Hmmm....that doesn't sound very good...

Was your 'Meet and Greet' organized the old way, that is...by participants on your CC Roll Call, or was it the 'new way'...registering on the special site for that purpose, for Carnival to organize?

I don't know, but perhaps that could have made a difference, resulting in a mis-communication, or something...

If not, I would follow up with Carnival, and try to find out what happened.

In either case, I would like to know if you find out any more...

It was organized through CC the new way. Some people talked to Carnival and they were told CC sent them no information. I have not seen ant response from CC.

Hopefully it's just because it's new.

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Very good to know! With such a large group signed up, we're looking to be proactive and hoping they'll be accommodating, as they have in the past. Appreciate all the insights!

Very good to know! With such a large group signed up, we're looking to be proactive and hoping they'll be accommodating, as they have in the past. Appreciate all the insights!

If I were you, I would contact the group/event coordinator at Carnival. There are coordinators assigned for each ship. Once you contact them, they will coordinate with the ship for room size and date and time availability.

You will have to tell them the # in your group.

They will then be able to give you the room and date and time before your cruise so that you can inform everyone on your roll call.

Once on the ship, the event coordinator will most likely contact you to confirm.

When we had ours on the Freedom last year, the coordinator was very helpful and visible on the ship to assist with table setup, microphone etc.

If I were you, I would contact the group/event coordinator at Carnival. There are coordinators assigned for each ship. Once you contact them, they will coordinate with the ship for room size and date and time availability.

 

You will have to tell them the # in your group.

 

They will then be able to give you the room and date and time before your cruise so that you can inform everyone on your roll call.

 

Once on the ship, the event coordinator will most likely contact you to confirm.

 

When we had ours on the Freedom last year, the coordinator was very helpful and visible on the ship to assist with table setup, microphone etc.

That is the way it has always been done in the past...but I thought that with the new system, the cruise line was taking over the organizing of at least the 'Meet and Mingle', the way they have been doing it for some time at RCI and 'X'....

Whatever, the above is good advice...

That is the way it has always been done in the past...but I thought that with the new system, the cruise line was taking over the organizing of at least the 'Meet and Mingle', the way they have been doing it for some time at RCI and 'X'....

 

Whatever, the above is good advice...

Here is what our experience was on the Vista Inaugural. No one was in charge. CC asked Carnival to provide a room. They did and then posted it in the Funtimes. No pre warning of when or where. It was in the Havana Bar at 4:30pm It was very late into our 13 day cruise, maybe day 10 or so?

Drinks like water, lemonade and coffee were provided with cookies.

No one walked around to introduce each other. The Entertainment Director came. I asked him who was hosting. He said he had a contact name but did not know who she was. We sat and talked to a couple we knew and then a couple from Australia came over to ask who was running the M&M and laughingly said they came for the prizes.

After a while everyone just started to leave without it ever being a M&M.

As far as the Entertainment Director was concerned, CC was in charge? I personally am not clear on how these official CC M&M are suppose to be.

That's why when Canadian J said his group wanted to be proactive and have the info ahead of time, I made the suggestion that he/they make their own arrangements and not wait until they were on the ship.

If I were you, I would contact the group/event coordinator at Carnival. There are coordinators assigned for each ship. Once you contact them, they will coordinate with the ship for room size and date and time availability.

 

This is what I've done in the past and it's worked out very well, just as you've described. This is exactly what we're planning to do for our Vista sailing :cool: we're definitely on the same page! Hoping that by being a little proactive with our research will help us to secure a good venue.

Hi Mary!

Thanks for chiming in :). We are determined to make our M&G memorable and fun! Please say hello to Serge for me :). Hope to sail with both of you again soon. Still time for you to join us in the Repo (nudge, nudge!).

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Hi Mary!

 

Thanks for chiming in :). We are determined to make our M&G memorable and fun! Please say hello to Serge for me :). Hope to sail with both of you again soon. Still time for you to join us in the Repo (nudge, nudge!).

 

 

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Hi Sharon,

We might surprise you and come on this cruise. Just need to work a few things out. We did the Inaugural and are going on the TA so might come home and turn around to do the repo too.

Hope to see you again too!

Hi Sharon,

 

 

 

We might surprise you and come on this cruise. Just need to work a few things out. We did the Inaugural and are going on the TA so might come home and turn around to do the repo too.

 

 

 

Hope to see you again too!

That would be awesome! Our group is very organized, and I guarantee a good time :). Have a look at our group website - link is in my signature :)

Fingers crossed!

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That would be awesome! Our group is very organized, and I guarantee a good time :). Have a look at our group website - link is in my signature :)

 

Fingers crossed!

 

 

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I took a look at your group website....very impressive! :cool:

I am on the cruise just ahead of yours (5 Nov), and we are just getting started in comparison.....:o

I took a look at your group website....very impressive! :cool:

 

I am on the cruise just ahead of yours (5 Nov), and we are just getting started in comparison.....:o

Thanks! With a roll call of over 650 people, both here and "there" we wanted a common place to hold all the info for both - so nobody would miss out :)

The group has been very gung ho since the start, so it was very easy to get the ball rolling.

Almost double-digits until the Nov 5th cruise! Please keep her in good shape for us :)

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Thanks! With a roll call of over 650 people, both here and "there" we wanted a common place to hold all the info for both - so nobody would miss out :)

 

The group has been very gung ho since the start, so it was very easy to get the ball rolling.

 

Almost double-digits until the Nov 5th cruise! Please keep her in good shape for us :)

 

 

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Sure thing....

650? Yikes! :eek:

If all attend the M&G, that will have to be a huuuuge (sorry, Donald:rolleyes:) venue!:D

Ours is 'only' at 161, currently, and I thought that was large.....:)

If all attend the M&G, that will have to be a huuuuge (sorry, Donald:rolleyes:) venue!:D

We have one goal: "Make Meet & Greets Great Again" :D

We have one goal: "Make Meet & Greets Great Again" :D

Haha! Love it!

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Sure thing....

 

 

 

650? Yikes! :eek:

 

If all attend the M&G, that will have to be a huuuuge (sorry, Donald:rolleyes:) venue!:D

 

 

 

Ours is 'only' at 161, currently, and I thought that was large.....:)

We have about 250 signed up for the formal M&G - so we definitely need a large enough venue. We need room for our shenanigans :).

Either way, we're going to have a fantastic cruise!

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On the inaugural, there were a couple M&Gs. The official one between CC and Carnival as mentioned previously was suddenly announced in the Fun Times and was poorly attended. The CC Roll Call M&G was highly attended and was held in the Red Frog Pub on the 1st Sea Day. That was very successful and we made some great friends there. I believe the "shall not be named" site also held a separate M&G although I cannot speak to that as I did not attend that one.

On the inaugural, there were a couple M&Gs. The official one between CC and Carnival as mentioned previously was suddenly announced in the Fun Times and was poorly attended. The CC Roll Call M&G was highly attended and was held in the Red Frog Pub on the 1st Sea Day. That was very successful and we made some great friends there. I believe the "shall not be named" site also held a separate M&G although I cannot speak to that as I did not attend that one.

Very good to know! How was the Red Frog Pub for a venue? About how many attended that? Certainly sounds like fun :)

Very good to know! How was the Red Frog Pub for a venue? About how many attended that? Certainly sounds like fun :)

The Red Frog Pub worked really well. There is a section of the pub that is kitty corner to the bar that is an open area like a dance floor with a small stage. That was where we were. We had a table set up with name tags and everyone that was leading a group tour had special plastic name tags with our CC name preprinted on it so everyone could immediately see who the tour leaders were and we were able to collect the funds from those on our tours as well as to finalize any meeting areas, etc. It was hard to say how many actually attended as some would leave after meeting with their respective leaders and others came later. I would say at any given moment (at least while I was there) there were probably about 60 people present and it never felt crowded.