NCL Meet & Greet host

I organized the Meet & Greet on the Dawn recently. I'm also not very comfortable with speaking in front of a group, but did personally greet people as they arrived. It was nice that NCL had several of the ship's staff there, including the Hotel Manager, Concierge, and Cruise Director. I did receive VIP status, which I found out about when we boarded the ship in New Orleans. I certainly didn't expect it, but it was a nice perk to have the Concierge at our disposal, especially since we were not in a suite. We received daily "treats" to our cabin and the option of dining in LaCucina daily for breakfast and lunch, if we wished, as well as being offered priority tendering and disembarkation.

I got a tray of canapes, some fruit and chocolate covered strawberries from the hotel director, and another tray of chocolate covered strawberries from the assistant hotel director. I believe several others who simply attended the M&G got at least one tray.

I've organized two. The first one, no perks (didn't know they were an option, so I didn't miss them). Oh, I just realized that was on my one Royal Caribbean cruise [never mind].

The second one (the one on NCL): I couldn't understand why we kept getting canapes or strawberries each evening, and why I got a letter from the Concierge inviting us to have breakfast and lunch in Cagney's. Then it dawned on me why. This was on a 14-day on the Star in 2014 and we were in an inside, and we really enjoyed the perks.

The perks were great, but I'm still organizing the M&G on the Jade in September without thinking I'll get any (although my husband is hoping we do). And besides, we only have about a dozen people signed up for this one compared to about 120 or so for the 2014 trip. I'll be really embarrassed if only five of the twelve show up!

--Michael

I hosted two on the Sun. I stepped up the first time because nobody else wanted to. I am a "planner type" and thought it was fun. I brought gifts for each person and I had several door prizes which I brought. They each had a different cruise theme. I was already in a suite and never gave it a thought. If anybody had wanted to do it they never said a thing.

On my next cruise I held back to give someione else a chance but I was drafted again. I brought gifts but did not do the raffle. Did not have space.

Then last year on the Jewel the roll call was already established when we booked and I was delighted to learn that the hosting duties were all set. I was delighted. I thought it would be fun to attend as a guest and not as an organizer. It was great. They did NCL trivia for prizes and I won a deck of cards.

What's funny is that I am currently booked on the Jade which was a re-do after the redeployment moving out of Houston... But now the word is that my current cruise will also be cancelled due to Sixthman charters. Waiting for the official word. I am sure I will end up somewhere. If a host or help is needec I am happy to volunteer. Just as happy as an attendee. As long as there's a M&G all is good.

Morning,

 

Just curious about the "host" (fellow cruiser who coordinates it) of a Meet & Greet. I have attended several in the past and each of the hosts really bust their tails gathering names and communicating with NCL and Roll Calls, etc.

 

Sometimes the host has to bust their tail to ensure they meet NCL's minimum "guarantee" of attendees to have a recognized meet and greet.

No minimum number, no recognized meet and greet, no chance of VIP benefits.

Sometimes the host has to bust their tail to ensure they meet NCL's minimum "guarantee" of attendees to have a recognized meet and greet.

 

No minimum number, no recognized meet and greet, no chance of VIP benefits.

I don't think NCL has any minimum number of attendees. Personally, if I am the organizer and less than 20 sign up, I would cancel since we would probably only get 10 in attendance.

Thank you all for hosting! The M&Gs are the best. We booked a Haven cabin because of a CC cabin crawl. We later brought my parents on another NCL cruise and they were blown away with the M&G with ship's officers. My Dad thought it was really special to personally meet the officers. Again, many thanks!

You will make a great host...official, or not ;-)

Look forward to your live reporting!

Interesting. I offered to organize it for our November sailing, and over the past few weeks another roll call member has made some quirky comments about my effort.

 

TheDougOut was serving as the "unofficial" organizer of the M&G and slot pull.

 

Was? Unofficial? Too funny. :)

 

The sailing is six months out, and we barely have a dozen participants. I find it unnecessary to update the roll call with every change, because it becomes nothing more than a thread of roll call updates. Let it be a fun conversation about the upcoming trip! Everything else falls into place.

 

Edit: I should add, I offered to organize it for selfish reasons. I'm considering doing a live-review of our cruise on the Dawn, and thought organizing the M&G and slot pull had the potential to provide some interesting content to report on. Plus, we're people-people. When Sue and I organized the slot pull on the Summit a few years back, we ended up making week-long friends with many in the group, including the casino manager.

I hosted two on the Sun. I stepped up the first time because nobody else wanted to. I am a "planner type" and thought it was fun. I brought gifts for each person and I had several door prizes which I brought. They each had a different cruise theme. I was already in a suite and never gave it a thought. If anybody had wanted to do it they never said a thing.

I have hosted several M&Gs and enjoyed doing them all. I, too, bring gifts for everyone. During the last few weeks before the cruise, I ask everyone to confirm their desire to attend the M&G party. That has helped to ensure about a 95% or better attendance rate. The last 2 cruises, I have co-hosted with several other great organizers. I don't think any of us received anything from NCL personally, but we had a great turn-out of officers and met some wonderful new people. Currently, I am trying to think of new themes for future cruises. I volunteer for the fun and for the chance to meet some wonderful new cruise mates.:D

I am the group leader for the May 21st sailing on the Escape, so I guess I'll find out what, if anything is included... I am not really expecting anything, I'm happy just to be on board...

Our fearless leader! I hope they crown you and rollout the red carpet. :D:p

I've hosted two M&Gs. The first was on the Getaway and aside from a couple of plates of chocolate covered strawberries and canapes, there wasn't anything special. I did get an invite to the Ice Bar from the beverage manager but since I had an issue he was trying to help with I couldn't say whether it was that or being the coordinator.

On the Jewel I did get the VIP status that you sometimes hear about and it was a really nice touch especially with having my mom along.

I'll probably be the coordinator for another M&G sometime since I enjoy scheduling these things but I would not do it expecting to have any kind of status form NCL since it really is a crap shoot.

So what is the vip status?

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My hubby has hosted several M&Gs on other lines and we received nothing, and did not expect anything. I did not know NCL does something, that is very cool!

We are on the escape this coming fall, and my hubby volunteered to do the cabin crawl. Someone else volunteered to do a slot pull and the M&G. My Hubby does not want to do that this time, just the cabin crawl.

We are in a suite for the first time, and scored the one and only haven spa deluxe suite! This is super exciting for us, and I stare at pictures of it quite often. LOL!

I hope we get a lot of folks for the M&G and cabin crawl...I like the community aspect of cruise critic, and meet other crazy cruisers like us.

I am looking foward to the cabin crawl. I participated in my first on the Anthem.(the cruise to nowhere that went south, not north...)

Some people love to organize get-togethers, parties etc, and that is my hubby. He sees it as a fun challenge. He does it for the fun, not VIP status.

It is interesting to hear about the differing experiences. I have attended 6 NCL Meet and Greets and organized an additional 3. On 2 where I was the organizer, I did get a VIP letter the night after embarkation. The third, I didn't receive anything other than a call from the group coordinator on embarkation changing the venue. Only 1 of the cruises had competition for the organizer role. Most are looking for someone to volunteer. This particular one had a couple who were dominant and did not want help from another who offered to co-host the Meet & Greet. Turns out the first couple cancelled their cruise and the other gal took over and did an fantastic job.

I have not received nor provided gifts at any of these events and NCL did not offer any t-shirts or the like. The last one on the Sun, they did provide name tags. For all the others, the organizer brought name tags and markers. Only one I attended had formal speeches by the organizers and I have to admit it was kind of uncomfortable, but I still appreciate all the time they put into it. At the rest of the M & G's, socializing started on its own as soon as the officers left.

There were two European cruises where the primary interest of attendees was to find private excursions to join. At one, people had signed up for excursions on the roll call, but had not made arrangements with the organizers to meet so we spent most of the meet and greet time after the officers left connecting them with each other. It was a waste of time for the rest of us. All I have been to, names were collected on a list kept by the ship's group services coordinator, but on only two (both the Star) was a bridge tour or officers dinner in the MDR offered to those who signed in.

Since we are Platinum, the main perk if we are not in a suite is breakfast in the suite venue. It is really nice particularly on the ships with no O'Sheehan's or a small buffet. The afternoon snacks are fine, but it is not like when you are in a suite and can request what you like.

As others have said, it really is about meeting others on the cruise and not about the perks which may or may not be offered. It can be stressful hoping that those who sign up will attend. I would guess it is about 60% - 75% that show up. Having the card with the officers numbers has been very helpful on a couple of cruises - definitely worth going to the M & G to get the card. I for one am glad NCL "hosts" the CC Meet & Greets.

Adding a note. I prepared name tags pre-cruise with pic of ship, CC Screen name and actual name. Time saver for sure.

We did cabin crawls on Sun which I arranged for another day than the M&G. Ended it in my aft PH suite with huge balcony. Arranged for butler to set up snacks. I had a bar setup and my mini blender so I was bartender.

Great memories.

Adding a note. I prepared name tags pre-cruise with pic of ship, CC Screen name and actual name. Time saver for sure.

 

We did cabin crawls on Sun which I arranged for another day than the M&G. Ended it in my aft PH suite with huge balcony. Arranged for butler to set up snacks. I had a bar setup and my mini blender so I was bartender.

 

Great memories.

Let us know when and where your next cruise is scheduled. I'm sure we'd all sign up for the cabin crawl. :D