Has a roll call ever caused you NOT to book?

[BrusselsGirl07]

Just imagine (no imagination on my part) that you are going on a cruise with the only person that matters and you never even heard of a travel board. Sometimes ignorance really is bliss.

 

So true! We chose our first cruise for the itinerary, did no research (I thought all cruises would be the same!), and did not know about CC. We had an amazing time, everything was a wonderful surprise for us and it really was a voyage of discovery. Back to the original question, if the roll call made me uncomfortable for some reason, I would still go on the cruise, just not participate in the roll call activities. On that first cruise, we had no idea about roll calls or the associated gatherings, and we did not miss them at all! Ignorance was bliss!

[labatsman]

We have met some great friends at roll calls and have cruised with them again and will again next year.

 

The only time we have made a change was we saw on a roll call that some of the cast of Jersey shore was on a September cruise next month. we didn't want drama or TV crews on the cruise so we booked a little latter.

[richstowe]

Thanks for all the different viewpoints about roll calls. Two of the cruises we're considering are X, the other two RCI. We, too, enjoy roll calls for info on private tours, ports of call, etc. But I have no intention of reading through hundreds of pages of chatter for 2 years before the cruise just to pick out those pieces that are important to me. And if the degree to which this group has dominated the roll call is the slightest indication of how they'll dominate the cruise, I'll be on another ship. Two years in advance they've already organized a mini-golf tournament and assigned someone to bring a prize for the lowest score on each hole!

Funny. I guess there is nothing that some people can't (excuse the pun) go overboard with.

Now we will have to add another variable in making the choice of which cruise to choose.

From now on we will have to evaluate the roll calls.;)

[cruisemom42]

Just imagine (no imagination on my part) that you are going on a cruise with the only person that matters and you never even heard of a travel board. Sometimes ignorance really is bliss.

 

Since I generally cruise solo, I guess that just confirms my belief that I AM the only person that matters. :D

[kendon]

What may turn someone off, and it did with me, is discovering a theme cruise I was not interested in being on a ship with (500 plus in the group!). I was about to book a Princess cruise this November and checking the roll calls ended that plan in a hurry as I had cruised with this group before and found it unpleasant. I have learned to check the roll calls, prior to booking, for theme cruises, but generally I prefer an active roll call over a quiet one...with a diverse group of people.

[J18ktleo]

Very interesting as info comes to the surface in such different ways!

I have heard that TA's attract a very loyal following and so many people that have sailed before tend to reconnect...which is wonderful.

The entire benefit of these boards is meeting up with others before your cruise AND the info you glean about the trip itself.

Every time we've had a group off the boards it's afforded us the opportunity to expand our experience thru the trip, both before and during, in ways that we would never have experienced without the roll call.

We've also made lasting friends that we've kept thru the years from these boards. That being said, there's been some that we've met on the boards and spent time with on the cruise that we never talk to when returning home...just the name of the game, I guess!:rolleyes:

 

I know that everyone has different qualifications they use when they book a cruise...and what works for me won't work for others. But I have found that if I don't stay up on our boards I don't get notified of posts...so I don't understand the issues of those who insinuate they're FORCED to follow a thread they're not interested in!:eek:

 

The wealth of gain from cc has continued to amaze me...and I'm very thankful of the many ways it has enriched our experiences and also assisted us in so many other ways!

[gimletgal]

What may turn someone off, and it did with me, is discovering a theme cruise I was not interested in being on a ship with (500 plus in the group!). I was about to book a Princess cruise this November and checking the roll calls ended that plan in a hurry as I had cruised with this group before and found it unpleasant. I have learned to check the roll calls, prior to booking, for theme cruises, but generally I prefer an active roll call over a quiet one...with a diverse group of people.

 

I had the opposite experience after booking a last minute cruise on the Millie this past April. As it turned out, it was also a "theme" cruise with a group of around 500. We had a very lackluster Roll Call, and I was somewhat anxious as to how the cruise would turn out. Much to my surprise, it was one of the best cruises I have ever been on! The group involved did not hamper the other passengers in any way. I actually met several of them and enjoyed talking to and spending time with them. I never did meet any of the people from the Roll Call.

 

Roll Calls can be very useful. It's all about attitude and what it is you want to glean from participating. I do find that many, many posters really do not want to participate in planned gatherings or in general discussions, and that is fine. But everyone has that choice. I would never let a Roll Call turn me away from a cruise - ever.

 

The ships are large - you will probably never see or meet any of those people if you really don't want to.

 

A cruise is what you make it, and I've never had a bad one yet! :D

[Lois R]

Since I generally cruise solo, I guess that just confirms my belief that I AM the only person that matters. :D

 

I will have to remember that one too:D:):D;)

[lovey1103]

I have learned so much from the roll calls and enjoy meeting CC members during the cruise. What gets my goat on the roll calls is when a few people continuously hijak the roll call for their own personal inside discussions and jokes that can go on for pages. Mostly I just scroll through. But seriously, some peeps just want to see themselves in print with nonsense quips.

[phoenix_dream]

I have learned so much from the roll calls and enjoy meeting CC members during the cruise. What gets my goat on the roll calls is when a few people continuously hijak the roll call for their own personal inside discussions and jokes that can go on for pages. Mostly I just scroll through. But seriously, some peeps just want to see themselves in print with nonsense quips.

I agree. I have started signing up for roll calls on my last few cruises and have enjoyed doing so, and meeting up with several of my fellow travelers. I have found the same issue you speak of, however. A cruise or two ago there were a handful of people who had cruised before and there were alot of short, inside comments back and forth between them. It made it pretty difficult to do 'standard roll call stuff' like talking about excursions, ideas, etc.. You had to wade through pages and pages and pages of info to get to a point. I ultimately met those folks and they were very nice people, but I don't like when roll calls are turned into personal chat rooms for a few. But one always has the option of tuning out I guess.

[socreader]

DH & I are at the very early planning stages for an 18-nt. transpacific cruise in spring 2014, and we're considering several options with slightly different ports. I'm always curious why passengers choose a particular ship/itinerary, so I checked the roll call boards for our top 2 favorites.

 

Frankly I was surprised that both already have active roll calls...one that has been going for over a year and with 1000+ posts. The vast majority of posts are made by about 50 people who have obviously traveled together several times in the past. They have a website (with several tabs), a facebook page, and have already organized two exclusive CC parties on-board and several private excursions. I thought that was a bit much, but what really turned me off was when they requested a bio for each participant (they supplied the questions), a photo and a "special" screen name to be used only for this roll call. Their target is to get at least 500 people to attend the CC party! They also plan to "take over" at least one bar every evening.

 

Well, that narrowed down our options and we immediately crossed that cruise off our list. Has this ever happened to you?

 

 

We do participate in Roll Calls for our cruises. Usually they are helpful and supportive. Our Roll Call for our Celebrity TP on Oct 4, 2013 from Honolulu to Sydney is already organizing private tours and everyone is great. i think the group is welcoming and warm to new posters. The decision to give info is yours. You do not have to give anything beyond your screen name if you choose.

 

Come join us :)

[ken85121]

DH & I are at the very early planning stages for an 18-nt. transpacific cruise in spring 2014, and we're considering several options with slightly different ports. I'm always curious why passengers choose a particular ship/itinerary, so I checked the roll call boards for our top 2 favorites.

 

Frankly I was surprised that both already have active roll calls...one that has been going for over a year and with 1000+ posts. The vast majority of posts are made by about 50 people who have obviously traveled together several times in the past. They have a website (with several tabs), a facebook page, and have already organized two exclusive CC parties on-board and several private excursions. I thought that was a bit much, but what really turned me off was when they requested a bio for each participant (they supplied the questions), a photo and a "special" screen name to be used only for this roll call. Their target is to get at least 500 people to attend the CC party! They also plan to "take over" at least one bar every evening.

 

Well, that narrowed down our options and we immediately crossed that cruise off our list. Has this ever happened to you?

 

It is interesting you posted this. I was part of a roll call for a cruise in the past and was very excited when it started. However, shortly after, it became clear that it was a board for only a limited group people. There was literally a tone of "you don't fit in here so why are you here?" I'm super social but felt very much left out of the conversation. I have very thick skin so this was not an issue about me being too sensitive. We loved, loved, loved the cruise but had such a bad taste in our mouths from the roll call that by the time the cruise came, we never went to the event once we were on the ship. We had a fantastic time and met some great people anyway. :)

[wwcruisers]

It is interesting you posted this. I was part of a roll call for a cruise in the past and was very excited when it started. However, shortly after, it became clear that it was a board for only a limited group people. There was literally a tone of "you don't fit in here so why are you here?" I'm super social but felt very much left out of the conversation. I have very thick skin so this was not an issue about me being too sensitive. We loved, loved, loved the cruise but had such a bad taste in our mouths from the roll call that by the time the cruise came, we never went to the event once we were on the ship. We had a fantastic time and met some great people anyway. :)

 

Yow! :eek: Guess we've been lucky to have never encountered that on a roll-call thread. Closest we came was on a RC 6-niter, during spring break. There was no Meet-n-Mingle (short cruise), so a few of us roll-callers tried organizing an 'unofficial sail-away party'. It was quickly taken over by a group of parents who only wanted to use it as a place to dump their bored teenagers! :rolleyes: DH and I abandoned the roll-call, moved on, and had a fantastic cruise! :cool:

[kath00]

We are on a Carnival roll call right now that is making me uncomfortable. Clearly a lot of these folks know each other and have even met up outside of the cruise and in between cruises at restaurants, etc. They often cruise together. While they seem nice, there are a LOT of inside jokes and irrelevant chitchat.

 

I have to say it's the first roll call where I feel bummed and while I keep reminding myself that I don't "hang out" with my roll call buddies all the time on cruise ships, it's making me anticipate the cruise that much less because we really have not had a good experience pre-cruise.

 

I am surprised at myself at how much it has influenced me. While we are not going to cancel the cruise, obviously, it takes away from the joy (for me anyway -- DH and kids could care less).

 

One thing I keep telling myself is that once we are on the ship, we will be meeting and chatting with lots and lots of people so we really should not worry about the roll call group at all. But while we are in the planning stages, these roll calls (and the atmosphere) plays a big part in the anticipation...

 

So I have to agree with you. It's a bit of a let down.

 

Katherine

[bbappel]

I've been reading this thread with interest, since I participated in a Private Roll Call (Equinox) because we were traveling alone. It was nice to have a built-in group that we could see and say hello to as we wandered the ship and the ports. We found that so much fun, that I organized one for our Silhouette cruise in May and am currently putting the same together for our Equinox Caribbean cruise.

 

I'm trying to be very sensitive to the issues addressed here. I don't want anyone feeling excluded - because trust me - I don't exclude anyone. In my youth, my mom taught me a Markham poem: "He drew a circle that shut me out, Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout, But love and I had the wit to win, We drew a circle that took him in." And this has been one of the key motifs in my life.

 

It is hard to break into an already-established group, and people on the roll call have a responsibility to encourage others. That doesn't always happen because we are all human with all the baggage that entails.

 

So I hope those of you who have felt excluded will give roll calls a chance.

 

That said, I admit that one roll call made me feel uncomfortable because it seemed to be all about "I'm elite and am staying in a luxury suite"

 

When I do the private roll call, I don't list that status though we do list cabin numbers. So far no one has complained.

[julia]

We are on a Carnival roll call right now that is making me uncomfortable. Clearly a lot of these folks know each other and have even met up outside of the cruise and in between cruises at restaurants, etc. They often cruise together. While they seem nice, there are a LOT of inside jokes and irrelevant chitchat.

 

I have to say it's the first roll call where I feel bummed and while I keep reminding myself that I don't "hang out" with my roll call buddies all the time on cruise ships, it's making me anticipate the cruise that much less because we really have not had a good experience pre-cruise.

 

I am surprised at myself at how much it has influenced me. While we are not going to cancel the cruise, obviously, it takes away from the joy (for me anyway -- DH and kids could care less).

 

One thing I keep telling myself is that once we are on the ship, we will be meeting and chatting with lots and lots of people so we really should not worry about the roll call group at all. But while we are in the planning stages, these roll calls (and the atmosphere) plays a big part in the anticipation...

 

So I have to agree with you. It's a bit of a let down.

 

Katherine

 

 

Katherine:

 

In looking at your signature for your upcoming cruise, I was fairly certain that I knew the group from the roll call that you are part of. Yes, they have sailed together over Thanksgiving for several years, and they are a fun (and chatty) bunch. We sailed with them a few years ago, had a GREAT time, and I've remained friends with a few ever since. I hope you have a fun cruise....

[wwcruisers]

I've been reading this thread with interest, since I participated in a Private Roll Call (Equinox) because we were traveling alone. It was nice to have a built-in group that we could see and say hello to as we wandered the ship and the ports. We found that so much fun, that I organized one for our Silhouette cruise in May and am currently putting the same together for our Equinox Caribbean cruise.

 

I'm trying to be very sensitive to the issues addressed here. I don't want anyone feeling excluded - because trust me - I don't exclude anyone. In my youth, my mom taught me a Markham poem: "He drew a circle that shut me out, Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout, But love and I had the wit to win, We drew a circle that took him in." And this has been one of the key motifs in my life.

 

It is hard to break into an already-established group, and people on the roll call have a responsibility to encourage others. That doesn't always happen because we are all human with all the baggage that entails.

 

So I hope those of you who have felt excluded will give roll calls a chance.

 

That said, I admit that one roll call made me feel uncomfortable because it seemed to be all about "I'm elite and am staying in a luxury suite"

 

When I do the private roll call, I don't list that status though we do list cabin numbers. So far no one has complained.

 

What a lovely sentiment! I hope that I have the pleasure of sharing a roll-call with you, some day! :)

Although I try very hard not to flaunt anything, I do post my cabin number, whether it's a suite, or plain-vanilla balcony cabin on my roll-calls -- and I'll usually volunteer for cabin crawls. And, as you can see, I also have my RC/X loyalty levels in my signature. More than once, I've had people on roll-calls ask me how the two loyalty programs work, reciprocity, what to expect in the lounges, etc. I think you really hit the nail on the head when you said that the tone of any roll-call needs to be "inclusive", to be truly successful! :cool:

[EithneMay]

Not yet, but if I got on a roll-call and found a lot of kids or families I would not book. This isn't too big a problem as we prefer 14 night cruises, but I still check!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I've been reading this thread with interest, since I participated in a Private Roll Call (Equinox) because we were traveling alone. It was nice to have a built-in group that we could see and say hello to as we wandered the ship and the ports. We found that so much fun, that I organized one for our Silhouette cruise in May and am currently putting the same together for our Equinox Caribbean cruise.

 

I'm trying to be very sensitive to the issues addressed here. I don't want anyone feeling excluded - because trust me - I don't exclude anyone. In my youth, my mom taught me a Markham poem: "He drew a circle that shut me out, Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout, But love and I had the wit to win, We drew a circle that took him in." And this has been one of the key motifs in my life.

 

It is hard to break into an already-established group, and people on the roll call have a responsibility to encourage others. That doesn't always happen because we are all human with all the baggage that entails.

 

So I hope those of you who have felt excluded will give roll calls a chance.

 

That said, I admit that one roll call made me feel uncomfortable because it seemed to be all about "I'm elite and am staying in a luxury suite"

 

When I do the private roll call, I don't list that status though we do list cabin numbers. So far no one has complained.

 

Love your circle story!

 

When I publish the lists for our roll calls, I include people's status (elite, etc.) if they've provided it, but I don't see it as exclusive or elitist. Gives one an idea of who to expect to see at the elite happy hour if one is so inclined. And I'm thankful that some sail in suites and are willing to share them on cabin crawls or better yet for parties! Again, I don't see people who sail in suites as being elitist, they're just people who like to sail in suites.

[PartyAllDaTyme]

To answer the OP's question, I would never let the roll call determine whether or not I booked a cruise. I might choose to lessen my participation with the group based on what I'm reading, but that's a separate issue.

 

This may be a separate topic, but roll call etiquette can be a concern. I've always tried to emphasize on the roll calls I've started (what can I say? I like to book early) that people should be free to participate as much or as little as they want, they should feel free to provide as much or as little information as they want. Everyone should feel welcome. I've always tried to say hello anyone who joined in the conversation. I'll invite anyone who hasn't posted yet to join in, but reassure anyone who prefers to lurk that there's nothing wrong with that, either. I try to get people's input and opinions when suggesting or trying to organize group activities, such as the informal sailaway party. I recognize that I have no inherent claim to being the roll call "leader," just because I was the first one to post, but I do think that the one who starts the roll call has a bit of a responsibility to act as the host at least until things get rolling and the roll call takes on a life of its own.

 

Also, the roll call is no place to debate divisive issues, like dress codes or booze smuggling. We need to recognize that some people with whom we may have a completely opposite view of what, to us, may be an important topic does not mean that we can't accept the fact that they're not the only ones with whom we disagree, just ones that we've met. Most of us have more in common with each other than issues that separate us. We're all on vacation, so let's play nice.

[Blazerboy]

This may be a separate topic, but roll call etiquette can be a concern. I've always tried to emphasize on the roll calls I've started (what can I say? I like to book early) that people should be free to participate as much or as little as they want, they should feel free to provide as much or as little information as they want. Everyone should feel welcome. I've always tried to say hello anyone who joined in the conversation. I'll invite anyone who hasn't posted yet to join in, but reassure anyone who prefers to lurk that there's nothing wrong with that, either.

Well said, Steve. When I was more active in roll calls, I used to post something along the lines of what you've stated if I saw things going South. Lately, we've been sailing with groups of friends, and we've also stopped doing as many shore excursions (ships or private groups.) We've been doing our own independent tours, so I haven't had as much to add. We also don't do cabin crawls, slot pulls or group dinners. So I'm now more of the 'Chat' type, and I've experienced roll calls where that's not as welcome...but I do it anyway, and always find some like minded souls. Just as I ignore the planninng of shore excursion posts, I hope those that don't like the chat ignore my posts. It's all good, and we always have a good time on the ship.

 

Andrew

[constantcruiser]

Hopefully the "we must be organized and pack as many silly extra activities into a day as possible" mentality is confined to longer cruises with multiple sea days. But it is really necessary to spend 50 posts, 2 1/2 years before the cruise starts, arguing over what color shirt to wear to the basketweaving tournament? Besides, with the senior moments I've been experiencing lately...I'm likely to get up, put on the regimented lime green & purple striped shirt, and spend the rest of the morning wandering around the ship trying to remember why I'm wearing it!

[Kellie Poodle]

I chose not to go on a cruise based on a roll call.

 

If I have a choice of sailings, I will check out the roll calls.

 

Last April some friends of ours were sailing to Hawaii and back from San Diego and we were planning to do a similar cruise around the same time. They cruise on Carnival. We were all starting to plan late in 2010 for the April 2012 voyage.

 

I went to the roll call for Carnival and found that it was mostly a group who had sailed together on other cruises who had combined to form a "group" for group rates.

 

Most of the conversations on the roll call were about getting together for parties, drinking, smuggling liquor and other things that are not our personal style.

 

We booked on Celebrity and had a fantastic time.

 

My friends, who went with Carnival, said there was no more drinking "than usual" on the Carnival ship. :)

 

I find the roll calls extremely valuable for sharing information on ports of call, pre and post cruise hotels and putting groups together for private excursions.

 

If it's a ship I have not sailed before, I can also get a lot of info about dining venues, etc.

[happy cruzer]

Alot of cruisers just don't want to be on a ship with a large organized group. And if the roll call seemed to be turning into a large organized group i.e. about 20 per cent of the ship then I would probably rethink that cruise, just as I would any other cruise that had a large group onboard.

 

Otherwise, the roll call should have very little to do with how the actual cruise is since it's members will be a small group just like you find on every cruise. There are always family reunions, and small convention/training type groups on most cruises.

[andiloveu]

Only time I steered away from a cruise is when I found out from the roll call that a member of the Jersey Shore cast was going on that cruise. Helped me make my decision to go on a different cruise.;)