Comparing Carnival, Celebrity, and NCL w/regard to CC Meet-n-Greet's

[scottyo72]

I want to add that NCL sometimes (depending on HD or Captain) bestows VIP status on the organizer, and sometimes gives bridge tours to attendees.

 

I understand they don't do this all the time, but speaking of HAL, on my two out of two cruises with them they had a no-charge open bar, and one of the cruises also had a chocolate fountain with fresh fruit and pound cake.:D

 

Yes, this happened to us on Norwegian Spirit when I set one up: snacks sent to the cabin from both the hotel director and captain, invitations to an open bar cocktail party with the captain and officers, and priority tender tickets.

[teacher_md]

Just wanted to chime in here:

 

NCL and Celebrity really rolled out the red carpet for the Cruise Critic meet and greets. They sent the Hotel Director, chefs, Cruise Director, they give you a small spread with beverages. They have question and answer sessions. You have time to talk to them one on one and ask questions. Then, during the cruise, if you ran into them they would always be friendly. Just seemed like since you were a Cruise Critic person and obviously taking multiple cruises, they gave you a bit of VIP treatment (galley tour, bridge tour). It's great public relations. These were pretty large meet and greets, so maybe that is why they rolled out the red carpet.

 

If you think about it, cruise companies should do this more. We are here talking about their product, sometimes advocating, often criticizing. If I were doing Marketing/PR for a cruiseline I would be all about the outreach to Cruise Critic members. The minute I get off a cruise ship, I'm already planning my next. My business is going somewhere, why not their line?

 

Never did a Carnival meet and greet so I can't comment on them, but Celebrity and NCL treat you really well :)

 

- AJ

[golfadj]

Excellent thread Tom.

 

I would like to add something about the Carnival cocktail parties.

 

At 11.44 for all you can drink of what you want to drink it is an excellent value. Curiously in doing about 4 of these noone from Carnival other than the waiter and bartender has shown up.

 

We did this on the Miracle last year and they combined about 4 groups in a very large lounge and it was a zoo. All other times it was in the piano bar and was an outstanding hour.

 

Would love to hear about experiences on other cruise lines.

[halos]

Excellent thread Tom.

 

I would like to add something about the Carnival cocktail parties.

 

At 11.44 for all you can drink of what you want to drink it is an excellent value. Curiously in doing about 4 of these noone from Carnival other than the waiter and bartender has shown up.

 

We did this on the Miracle last year and they combined about 4 groups in a very large lounge and it was a zoo. All other times it was in the piano bar and was an outstanding hour.

 

Would love to hear about experiences on other cruise lines.

 

Cocktail parties and Meet & Greets are two different things altogether. Officers do not show up at cocktail parties on NCL either.

 

I had a group of 30+ that I organized a cocktail party on CCL (Miracle). It was a friends & family cruise. CCL did an outstanding job with it and we had a blast. I had a two hour party with a DJ. I couldn't have asked for anything better.

IF I would have had to share that space with other groups I would have not been happy.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

...

IF I would have had to share that space with other groups I would have not been happy.

 

Nope! I would have assumed booking such an event for a group would not then have you sharing the space with other groups - unless that is disclosed upfront in some manner... especially since you are paying!

 

Tom

[djwood24]

we have done two cocktail/meet n greet on the Miracle for groups

Collected the money in advance on the roll call

First one was offical CC cruise...CD and Asst was there...trivia contest...two trays of free Champagne for correct answer...slam a glass...lol

Second was on our own and was really great...at Frankensteins...fun had by all and we would do this again.

 

I think it was nice to have CD and Asst at them...added to our experience.

The price is extremely reasonable...I think if more people were active on roll calls doing this it could really take off.

[golfadj]

Nope! I would have assumed booking such an event for a group would not then have you sharing the space with other groups - unless that is disclosed upfront in some manner... especially since you are paying!

 

Tom

 

Not sure if it was disclosed. We got in late on an official CC cruise and CC was giving away the cocktail party for members of the group and told them when the party would be.

 

We sent a check to the group leader to be included.

 

Took awhile but we did get our money's worth but 200 people at the Mad Hatters lounge on Miracle made for one very noisy party.

 

Much preferred when we did it on our own and gave us the piano bar.

[bobmal99]

Hello mommiemudd,

 

I agree with you about NCL. I was on the Dawn 12/12/10.

The Captain and all the department heads showed up,

even Housekeeping & the Cruise Director.

We had about 30 CC members.

 

Most of the crew hung around for about 20-30 minutes..

 

On the Glory 2/6/11, we had another 25-30 CC members

for our M & G.

 

No one from Carnival showed up, which surprised me.

 

Just stating the facts..

 

Going on my first RC Cruise this December..

 

 

 

Our experience with Meet and Greet on NCL was much like yours. On both the Sun and the Spirit. We always had a designated place and the top officers came to the meeting. We were very impressed! For our Alaskan cruise, they also gave us access to the VIP lounge and we were the first to board the ship!

[maryann2]

Thanks for doing this Tom. It has a lot of helpful information. After reading the threads on NCL they really do read these forums.

 

So do the beards at Carnival according to the blog yesterday.

 

What's said on these boards means quite a lot to them, however, they treat all passengers as if they are important. Their accessibility is proof of that. The hotel director is running around the ship all week talking to people getting feedback and if he or she hears anything that isn't positive, they immediately take care of it.

 

At the M&G on Celebrity they also told us that they read these forums. They always have the hotel director, cruise director and many other staff present. The fact that it can be set up on Cruise Critic and we receive invitations in the cabin with the time and place does make a difference.

 

RCCL & Celebrity: automatic registration on CC, specific lounge & time. As long as everyone checks the roll call and the registration site for the time & place positing, things have really worked out well. Last really large M&M was on the Jewel repositioning cruise with more than 200 people. Since we had many days at sea, attendance was great including the CD and other staff members. Canape's, cookies, snacks, iced tea and bar service was available. I really commend RCI & Celebrity for keeping its loyal passengers happy.

 

Carnival: I've organized and attended Meet & Mingles but never had any help from CCL other than giving a Time & Place.

Thanks for starting this thread.

 

The only CD I have seen at these events on Carnival was Todd. He did it several times. Kudos to Todd.

 

We have arranged a 1/1/2 hr cocktail party/ M&G on embarkation day on the Magic in October. Has to be that day as people need to collect money from each other for the tours they have organised. The first sea day is many days into the cruise. Would not expect any Carnival personnel to be present as it is such a busy day for them.

[UpstateCruizer]

Not sure if it was disclosed. We got in late on an official CC cruise and CC was giving away the cocktail party for members of the group and told them when the party would be.

 

We sent a check to the group leader to be included.

 

Took awhile but we did get our money's worth but 200 people at the Mad Hatters lounge on Miracle made for one very noisy party.

 

Much preferred when we did it on our own and gave us the piano bar.

 

Anytime the cocktail party is chosen as one of the group perks it's scheduled by Carnival and often combined with other groups who have chosen the same perk. These are usually referred to as "shared cocktail parties". When a roll call pays for a private cocktail party it's always private and scheduled in one of the smaller venues. I've been to both and prefer the private parties as well.

 

I'm blown away by what other cruiselines do for CC members! Pretty impressive and certainly lends itself towards a feel good experience~!

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

...

 

I'm blown away by what other cruiselines do for CC members! Pretty impressive and certainly lends itself towards a feel good experience~!

 

Well, I'll have to agree with Sarge - it's obvious that Carnival targets the newer cruiser... after all, there's a new one born every minute! It's obvious that the other lines place more value (thus "invests" more) in those it feels are going to return and also spread the good word!

 

 

Tom

[Brighton Line]

My NCL M&G the entire senior staff was present. Same as in the OP experience with the addition when asked if there was any more questions some asked for a gallery tour.

The Hotel Director turned to the Executive Chef and they exchanged dump looks. The HD then said they would look into it and said if they could do it, it would be during the bridge tour that they had already invited us to.

So at the end of the bridge tour, low and behold the Executive Chief shows up on the bridge and said if anyone was interested in a galley tour to meet within the next 5 minutes in the bridge observation room (NCL Jewel).

BTW, the shades are drawn when there are bridge tour going on in the bridge observation room.

They Exec. Chef led us down the hallway to the aft crew elevators and took us on a tour of the Galley, Prep Rooms (Fish/Meat etc), Bakery and even into the fridges and freezers. All the time keeping up with questions and giving great information on ordering, service, even dish washing. Very extensive, informative and we had a great time. Over 3 hours.

I don't think this happens for every M&G I was glad I experienced it. Much more extensive then what you get for $95 behind the fun tour. On on that I didn't even meet the Captain or the Chief Engineer as they were in meetings with Carnival "Beards".

[Sargent_Schultz]

I don't believe you will be getting any Behind the Scenes tours for free from RCCL who has copied Carnival's program and charges $150 vs $95 or less depending on ship on Carnival.

[halos]

The only CD I have seen at these events on Carnival was Todd. He did it several times. Kudos to Todd.

 

.

 

My absolute favorite CCL CD :) had the pleasure of two cruises with him.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

I don't believe you will be getting any Behind the Scenes tours for free from RCCL who has copied Carnival's program and charges $150 vs $95 or less depending on ship on Carnival.

 

I hope they at least FEED you along with that... or perhaps drown your sorrows! ;)

 

Tom

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

My absolute favorite CCL CD :) had the pleasure of two cruises with him.

 

Todd always seemed to be out and about - very approachable.

 

Anyone here recall Mark Hawkins? A super nice fellow! Brett Alans was another, people either liked him - or were turned off by him. I found him very helpful and informative. I think he also has a pet bird, as I recall, which was part of his magic act.

 

Aside from those fellows, and John, none of them have really stood out to me.

 

Tom

[rsail203]

My last 2 cruises in February were on Celebrity's Century and Equinox. On both cruises a bridge tour was available for free just by going to guest services on the first day and making a request and signing up for it. On John Heald's blog, he stated that for security reasons Carnival could only give a behind the scenes tour (including the bridge) for a small group that pays for it.

Rich

[halos]

My last 2 cruises in February were on Celebrity's Century and Equinox. On both cruises a bridge tour was available for free just by going to guest services on the first day and making a request and signing up for it. On John Heald's blog, he stated that for security reasons Carnival could only give a behind the scenes tour (including the bridge) for a small group that pays for it.

Rich

 

It doesn't bother me that CCL wants to charge for this...Like I always say, they are so cheap (fare costs) that they have to make money somehow... :)

BUT

claiming 'security reasons' is just not believable.

Is there less a chance of something happening (security-wise) if people pay to take this tour??? :rolleyes:

[Sargent_Schultz]

Royal Caribbean's All Access Tour

http://www.cruisemates.com/articles/news/#story4

 

I believe they are also adding a Chef's Table for $95

[DGP1111]

I attended that same Cruise Critic greeting as Tom & Cheryl, and I imagine that they both grew tired of me saying, "Oh, wow, I'm totally blown away by this greeting for us!" during the event.

I truly was that amazed.

 

 

Beyond that entry sign was a group of officers/staff who continued (starting at embarkation) to make me feel more welcome and appreciated than I'd been on many many many previous sailings on multiple lines.

Similar to first-time passengers on DCL who are surprisingly welcomed with their family name announced through the atrium audio system as they step onboard.

.

 

They had refreshments set up (no photos of that, darn!) and several officers were mingling. Present was the Hotel Director, F&B Manager, Cruise Director, Chef, Captain, etc...

 

Hoped to help you out on that one, Tom, but the one shot I attempted of the table up close didn't come out worth crop. This one show a bit of the table (that had hot/cold beverages and assorted finger foods) behind some of the staff that was present . . .

 

 

 

I'd like to add, constructively, of course

My experience on all my NCL cruises (meet & greets) was the same. It may seem trivial...but all those nice, little touches do add up.

 

. . . .

Little things mean a lot.

 

Ain't dat the truth! ;)

 

 

My last 2 cruises in February were on Celebrity's Century and Equinox. On both cruises a bridge tour was available for free just by going to guest services on the first day and making a request and signing up for it. On John Heald's blog, he stated that for security reasons Carnival could only give a behind the scenes tour (including the bridge) for a small group that pays for it.

 

Rich: what's pretty cool on Norwegian EPIC is that if you want to go take a look-see at the operations of the bridge, you just head up to that deck and do it. No invitation needed.

With the exception of when arriving/leaving a port, there is a nice size observation room with a big window to watch the ship's officers in action. You're on the opposite side of the glass, so no security issues.

 

 

[halos]

 

Ain't dat the truth! ;)

 

 

 

I only speak the truth :D

 

Hey. I see you have not one but two Sun cruises booked??? If you love it, buy a future cruise reward thingie and book that ship again for 2/6/2013 :D

[golfadj]

Anytime the cocktail party is chosen as one of the group perks it's scheduled by Carnival and often combined with other groups who have chosen the same perk. These are usually referred to as "shared cocktail parties". When a roll call pays for a private cocktail party it's always private and scheduled in one of the smaller venues. I've been to both and prefer the private parties as well.

 

I'm blown away by what other cruiselines do for CC members! Pretty impressive and certainly lends itself towards a feel good experience~!

 

Thanks for the info Betty. Platinum does keep me coming back but this thread has given me new reasons to expand my horizons for other cruise lines

[halos]

Thanks for the info Betty. Platinum does keep me coming back but this thread has given me new reasons to expand my horizons for other cruise lines

Variety keeps is all fresh....you try different lines and do CCL in between.

You'd be amazed at what's out there. Every line has something special. The bottom line is you're on a cruise ship....which is pretty awesome :)

[UpstateCruizer]

Thanks for the info Betty. Platinum does keep me coming back but this thread has given me new reasons to expand my horizons for other cruise lines

 

You are welcome :) This thread is like a teaser for what is being offered out there but so far I've been really pleased with my vacation experiences with Carnival so a change is highly unlikely at this point. I look at it this way ....I go to buy a new car and I see one I really like that's within my budget and fits my needs....but there's another sitting in the showroom that offers extras the one I'm looking at doesn't have. It's nice to get excited and the pull towards more is there but in the end all things considered I'd buy the one that fits my needs and budget best :) We will be platinum on our next cruise which is a nice draw. I'd like to see those perks compared between the cruise lines........ Tom do you have any experience with other cruise lines and their perks for various levels?

[Jumbiecruiser]

I don't believe you will be getting any Behind the Scenes tours for free from RCCL who has copied Carnival's program and charges $150 vs $95 or less depending on ship on Carnival.

 

If you are a Diamond Plus on Royal Caribbean, you get the behind the scenes tour for no charge. Does Carnival do this for the Platinum?