UK Blog Post: Ever joined a Cruise Critic roll call?

[LauraS]

In just over a month, I’ll be joining Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas for a week’s cruise out of Dubai. So I’ve just posted a message on the Cruise Critic ‘roll call’ for my cruise, which hopefully means I’ll be able to hook up with fellow Cruise Critic members both before we leave and [...]

 

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[jocap]

We joined the Roll Call for a winter trip on NCL Jade, and met with 132 people in a main dining room....all North Americans, except for 4 Brits. Interesting! Became friendly with 4 groups, and the other 2 Brits.

On Ventura this summer, there were about 34 of us, who first met in a bar on a sea day....still in contact with 4 of those.

Jo.

[Will&Hel]

We joined a CC Roll call in 2009 in Carnival Freedom. We were the only 4 Brits. Joined in with excursions and also Cocktail Party. Still in touch with 6 of them now and meeting up with some in Ft Lauderdale next year.

 

On a roll call for Carnival Dream next year and we just got our one hour open bar confirmed with Carnival. Expect to be in the minority again

[lynnquenby]

we always join our roll call....... they're a great way of meeting fellow passengers and hooking up for private excursions etc.

[Britboys]

We joined a roll call for Celebrity Summit through the Panama Canal in 2005. It was great. We were the only 2 Brits, which was fine and we had a great time socialising with all the others. We joined a shore excursion arranged by 1 member and got lots of great advice about our pre-cruise stay in Fort Lauderdale. It was joining this that prompted our forum name as there was no UK Cruise Critic at that time.

[J.E.C]

I have joined a few - NCL are general really good and have met up with some great folk and been part of private tours - still in touch with some folk that we did a private tour of St Petersburg with, and the tour we did was far more comprehensive that we could have purchased off NCL so a real winner.

 

Have also been on a Princess role call that was so inactive it was untrue.... although we did met up with a lovely american couple and joined up with then a couple of times during the cruise.

 

Its a great way to meet folk before you cruise and these sites are great for finding out information. Dont know if it is just the old British reserve that puts people off. Very few people on our roll call for September - but early days yet.

[fabnfortysomething]

I discovered cruise critic 3 months before our first cruise to the Med leaving from Southampton.There were a lot of British on board but we were in the minority in the roll call-lots of Brits just have never heard of cruise critic!

 

By joining the roll call we hooked up with 2 other couples to arrange private excursions-we got on so well we are meeting up with one of the couples from Fort Lauderdale when we do a Caribbean cruise next year.

 

As a result of this positive experience I initiated the roll call for our next cruise to the Baltics and organised private excursions in Berlin and St Petersburg-again a great way to meet new friends.

 

Next cruise is to the Caribbean in April and yup you guessed it I started off the roll call again[perhaps it's because I organise our next holiday so far in advance! LOL]

 

Lyn

[EJNutz]

I would recommend joining the roll calls. As already suggested it's a great way to meet fellow passengers. However the highlight is the months in advance chatting with people who have the same interest in you and gaining tips about cruising and the places that you are visiting.

[drewlin]

I agree with what has been said. We always join the roll calls since discovering them and, as said before, we're usually the only Brits. We have met some great people and have made long term friends with an American couple who we have met up with a couple of times. Planning to show them around Scotland later this year and going to thanksgiving at theirs in November. It's a great way to meet and share with fellow cruisers.

[Bestbubba]

We always joke "How do you know there are a lot of Brits on your cruise? The roll call is dead as a door-nail";) We have been members of Cruise Critic since 2002 and really enjoy participating in our roll calls. As others have said, what a great opportunity to meet new friends. It is such a fun way to pass the time till your cruise without boring all your workmates and family! We find we are always in the minority but made to feel most welcome by our American cousins:)

 

Sue

[EJNutz]

We always joke "How do you know there are a lot of Brits on your cruise? The roll call is dead as a door-nail";) We have been members of Cruise Critic since 2002 and really enjoy participating in our roll calls. As others have said' date=' what a great opportunity to meet new friends. It is such a fun way to pass the time till your cruise without boring all your workmates and family! We find we are always in the minority but made to feel most welcome by our American cousins:)

 

Sue [/size']

 

You are so right

[mypleasure]

The first roll call I joined was sparsley attended, not a lot going on before or after the cruise let alone during it. Second time around I organized a meet and greet. The roll call members were great other than 2 women who had not participated in the roll call turning up and berating me for not having organized tours at the ports for them to join. I had tried but had no response from the others on the roll call so too bad so sad.

 

Third time was lucky. Great bunch online before, had a great meet and greet and did private tours in St Petersburg with them.

 

Currently participating in a roll call for summer 2011. Very quiet at the moment.

[World Traveller 2008]

I agree with everything that's been said. It must be the great "British reserve" that puts people off. I do all the organising (DH turns up when told!!! His choice, I might add!), and discovered the roll call before our cruise to the Caribbean a year ago. The people we met were really friendly but the most advantage of joining a roll call is beforehand when it's great to chat with others and to join in on private excursions. Americans seem to do many more cruises than us Brits (probably because they get some good deals!) so have lots more advice to impart. Brilliant! I've already joined our roll call for our Med cruise in May - still waiting for some Brits to join but there are 2 from Oz! :cool:

[piscean]

I always join the roll calls and on several Azamara cruises I have discussed excursions and ports with fellow travellers. Azamara always host a cocktail party where CC members can meet and 'see' their fellow passengers. Great fun.

I have also joined Regent Roll Call but they are not quite so active as Azamara and as for Noble Caledonian (Johann Strauss) and their River Cruise Budapest to Amsterdam in September I am still waiting for another passenger to join the roll call. Anyone with me???????????

So join your Roll Calls and have fun:)

Carol

[Albert Ross]

I always join the roll call and find it to be very helpful. However most Brits have never heard of CC.

There is a UK travel agent who has set up a rival site which is pretty identical to this, in look and feel, even down to their roll call section (even though their roll calls are not linked to the cruise sponsored parties). I have often wondered if it is worth someone going onto that site and inviting everyone over to the 'proper' roll call:rolleyes:

[DEEDIA]

We joined the roll call on our last cruise it was fantastic, Also did you know if you have enough people enrol for the Meet & Mingles RCI will host it, think its 25.

We did the Slot Pull, Cabin Crawl and Gift Exchange. Not sure if you would agree but I find if there are Amercians on board they are the heart of the party.

If we had not joined on our Baltics Cruise we would not have met such wonderful people.

[jocap]

I always join the roll call and find it to be very helpful. However most Brits have never heard of CC.

There is a UK travel agent who has set up a rival site which is pretty identical to this, in look and feel, even down to their roll call section (even though their roll calls are not linked to the cruise sponsored parties). I have often wondered if it is worth someone going onto that site and inviting everyone over to the 'proper' roll call:rolleyes:

The two groups joined up for a cruise on Ventura last June, as quite a few of us are on both forums.

Jo.

[Goldryder]

In 2005 I was on the NCL Crown Xmas/New Year roll call and met up with a couple from Florida. We stayed in touch for a couple years or so but then we lost contact when they moved home and they stopped coming onto CC aswell.

 

My big cruise aboard Costa Allegra last year was active on the roll call, met up with 2 couples & a family on board...all from Australia. Have kept in touch with one couple, they are friends of the other couple so in some ways the 5 of us have stayed in touch. The family hasn't been on CC since, so unsure where they are or what they are up to.

 

Generally the Costa roll calls are quiet....the main ones to get involved are the Australians, New Zealanders & Brits...those from the US tend to limit themselves to the ships that go over there in the winter, which has been Atlantica this year.

 

There aren't too many Europeans on CC.

 

I find, from talking to people on the ships, that regardless of the cruise line, many feel intimidated by the roll calls...and I don't mean that in a nasty way...they see an established roll call and they don't like to intrude on it or if they do they feel silly when asking questions or whatever. Irrational, yes, but understandable especially if you are not au fait with the workings of a board such as this.

[Host Sharon]

The best one I joined was one of the last QE2 voyages. We had a great Cabin Calvacade as well, from my inside broomcupboard of a cabin right up to the Queen Mary Suite. The pre-voyage chat is such fun as is trying to put the names to the faces when you get on board.