Roll Call Etiquette - What Would You Do?

[NMLady]

You were placed in an awkward position, but were gracious enough to allow her the pleasure of extending herself on your behalf, despite your own discomfort.

 

(She may have ruined your day, but you made her's.) ;)

 

I agree. It was nice of you to let her do that for you. It is hard to be a receiver. By being a receiver you gave her the gift of letting her feel good.

[NMLady]

No, she didn't ruin my day by any stretch.

Had I not thought her pleasant and likely someone I'd like to meet, I never would have introduced myself. I didn't expect for it to go further. She is a warm, welcoming sort of lady and had gone to a huge amount of work 'running' her M & G. She was proud of all the effort she and DH had extended for it.

 

What I felt uncomfortable about was my fault, not hers.

I had not signed up yet I accepted her invitation to attend.

I should not have and that is why I ask what others would have done as I've felt bad about it since. :o

 

 

Organizers of M&G'S usually like as many people to attend as possible. So, even though you hadn't signed up, you were actually doing her a favor by attending.

[mowmow]

I think she was probably thrilled to meet you in person. I'm glad you graciously accepted her invitation to attend the M&G. I hope you had fun.

 

She invited you because she wanted to. She offered you a present because she wanted to.

 

There's no awkwardness in accepting an invitation, or an offered gift, even if it's unplanned and spontaneous. All you need to do is accept happily and say "thank you, what a nice surprise!"

[the2ofus]

Judy, you are a naturally warm, kind person. Your instinct to introduce yourself and exchange a pleasant comment was certainly appropriate. You did not invite yourself to the Meet & Greet. The hostess invited you knowing that others who post on CC would enjoy meeting you. If she did not think there would be enough food or enough small gifts for all she would not have invited you. You honored her by accepting her invitation and likely met several folks who had always hoped to cross paths with you one day. You did the right thing by accepting. If anyone questioned why you were there you had only to tell them that the hostess was so charming in extending the invitation you couldn't refuse and you were glad to be there.

[wander]

Sail,

I think she did a very nice thing as did you. In my opinion, M&G organizers like as many people to attend as possible. In terms of numbers, assuming there is physical room there is always enough coffee/tea and cookies for a larger crowd than expected in my experience. Over the recent years I have attended wonderful M&Gs, some that I left very quickly and some that I skipped. It depends on my mood, the group and other factors. On longer cruises it is another way to meet folks I will be traveling with in the weeks/months ahead. For me the more I meet the better I enjoy the cruise as we can all (well almost all) find folks we really enjoy and others we would like to avoid.

 

For many M&Gs the problem is folks who said they would be there and are no-shows, not a few other CCers brought into the mix.

[HamOp]

Ham. Op.

 

Please. The bug. The little buggy wuggy. I don't want to disable everyone's siggies. I will not block you- there are 500 people on the Carnival board I will block before I will block you. But count me in the growing group who is being driven batty by the bug.

 

Sorry Seago2, the bug lives on.

 

You're out voted. Maybe I should start a pole as to the bug stays or goes:D

Non binding of course.

 

Some post avatars of their cat or dog, the bug is my pet.

 

Name anyone?

[Copper10-8]

Sorry Seago2, the bug lives on.

 

You're out voted. Maybe I should start a pole as to the bug stays or goes:D

Non binding of course.

 

Some post avatars of their cat or dog, the bug is my pet.

 

Name anyone?

 

Speedy

[Krazy Kruizers]

Another thread about Roll Calls brought a memory back to me.

 

I don't participate in Roll Calls and almost never even read them.

I don't plan to attend M&G's.

 

However.......

On a cruise several years ago, we were having breakfast in Pinnacle.

The two couples at the table beside us were talking about the Cruise Critic M & G which was to be held in about an hour. We could not help but hear them chatting about it as their voices carried.

 

As they rose to leave, I said to the lady who appeared to be the leader of the M &G from what we heard her say that I posted on CC, what my post name was and hoped she had a good time at her M & G. That was my only intention.... just to say hello to her and introduce myself and DH.

 

She was very gracious and insisted we attend though we had not signed up. I thanked her several time and declined but she insisted it was no problem and we should come.

 

DH didn't want to go so I decided I'd go.

It was a large group and the lady we had met was incredibly gracious and she included me in everything she had done for the group including small gifts she had purchased from her own funds.

 

I felt so uncomfortable accepting as I really 'didn't belong there'.

 

What would you have done?

 

First I would not have bothered to introduce myself to the woman.

Then there would not have been a problem.

[Mumsysailor]

Ham. Op.

 

Please. The bug. The little buggy wuggy. I don't want to disable everyone's siggies. I will not block you- there are 500 people on the Carnival board I will block before I will block you. But count me in the growing group who is being driven batty by the bug.

 

I've grown to like the bug but I've also discovered that I can cease it's movement, when on my iPad, by keeping my finger on the screen as I scroll the page. I know not everyone has that option.

 

I suggest it be called Critter as it fits in with cruise critics. :)

 

Mumsy.

[babyher]

Sail I think you did the right thing.

 

You just made polite conversation and this lady freely invited you to come along. Seeing she was running the M&G, she had the right ask you to come along. Since she paid for the gifts herself, she had every right to give them to whoever she wanted to.

 

I am sure many people at the M&G knew you as soon as they heard you were Sail7seas , so it wasn't like you were some stranger trying to horn in where you didn't belong for freebies.

 

You are world famous is CC you know :)

 

 

I think you made the lady happy by accepting her invitation and if you enjoyed yourself at the M&G , then it was a good situation all the way around.

[babyher]

I've grown to like the bug but I've also discovered that I can cease it's movement, when on my iPad, by keeping my finger on the screen as I scroll the page. I know not everyone has that option.

 

I suggest it be called Critter as it fits in with cruise critics. :)

 

Mumsy.

 

 

Cruise Critic Critter :)

 

 

I like it .......now try and say it three times fast *LOL*

[Mumsysailor]

Sail I think you did the right thing.

 

You just made polite conversation and this lady freely invited you to come along. Seeing she was running the M&G, she had the right ask you to come along. Since she paid for the gifts herself, she had every right to give them to whoever she wanted to.

 

I am sure many people at the M&G knew you as soon as they heard you were Sail7seas , so it wasn't like you were some stranger trying to horn in where you didn't belong for freebies.

 

You are world famous is CC you know :)

 

 

I think you made the lady happy by accepting her invitation and if you enjoyed yourself at the M&G , then it was a good situation all the way around.

 

Sail, I too think you did the right thing and I'd be thrilled if you turned up unannounced at a M&G that I was at.

 

See how you can bring so much joy to others - you have a gift in that. :)

 

Mumsy.

[kazu]

Let's face it. Some posters on here are the foundation of the HAL board. Sail is one of them.

 

Just by virtue of the fact that you don't often attend a M&G makes it that much more special that you did go. I'm sure the lady that invited you had read many of your valuable, informative posts and was pleased to have you attend.

 

I think you did the right (and nice) thing by accepting the offer.

 

What would I have done? If I really didn't want to attend, I'm not above telling a white lie, something like "thank you so much but I have a spa appointment at that same time".

 

Judy, I suspect you 'made the organizers' day' when you accepted. And those at the Meet & Greet.

 

I, too have organized several meet and greets and can honestly say I would be delighted to have you attend.

 

anyone who reads your posts know you don't attend and that would have made it even more special that you attended.:D

 

[COLLEYBERRY]

I love the bug...every forum needs a pet..our own little "Love Bug".

 

Sail, when ever people are gracious and nice to one another it is never a bad thing. Well behaved by all concerned.I wouldn't give it another thought:)

[HamOp]

Cruise Critic Critter :)

 

 

I like it .......now try and say it three times fast *LOL*

 

If it's not taken, that would be a great screen name!:)

[Seago2]

[quote name='HamOp'][SIZE="4"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"][COLOR="Blue"]Sorry Seago2, the bug lives on.

You're out voted. Maybe I should start a pole as to the bug stays or goes:D
Non binding of course.

Some post avatars of their cat or dog, the bug is my pet.

Name anyone?[/COLOR][/FONT][/SIZE][/QUOTE]

Not the Cruisecritic Critter! How about Hambly? HAL?

Really, it's more of a test to see how wound up people are. The more on edge the poster, the more Hambly drives them crazy. Example: this morning I love him:).

[Krazy Kruizers]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=4]I think the biggest problem I have here -- listening to another person's conversation.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=4][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=4]We have had people talking loud around us. I just keep talking to my DH and the staff -- ignoring those people.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[sapper1]

[quote name='Seago2']Ham. Op.

Please. The bug. The little buggy wuggy. I don't want to disable everyone's siggies. I will not block you- there are 500 people on the Carnival board I will block before I will block you. But count me in the growing group who is being driven batty by the bug.[/QUOTE]

Add me to the list of people who like the posts but are bugged by the bug.

[elizabeth612]

It depends on what the gift was, lol. BTW, what was the gift?

[HamOp]

[quote name='Seago2']Not the Cruisecritic Critter! How about Hambly? HAL?

Really, it's more of a test to see how wound up people are. The more on edge the poster, the more Hambly drives them crazy. [B]Example: this morning I love him:).[/B][/QUOTE]

[quote name='sapper1']Add me to the list of people who like the posts but are bugged by the bug.[/QUOTE]

Yes, but you see by tonight or tomorrow morning, you may come to love him:D

[sapper1]

[quote name='HamOp']Yes, but you see by tonight or tomorrow morning, you may come to love him:D[/QUOTE]

Do you want an update? :D

[HamOp]

[SIZE="4"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"][COLOR="Red"]My buggy got eaten....[/COLOR][/FONT][/SIZE]

[jbhcw]

[quote name='HamOp']Yes, but you see by tonight or tomorrow morning, you may come to love him:D[/QUOTE]

The bug almost didn't make it the other day...as I tried forcefully to get him off my monitor:eek: Good thing there was no one home to see this crazy old lady fighting with the little buggy!!

BTW...Sail...I believe I was at the same Meet and Greet and I assure you the host and hostess were thrilled you agreed to come! It was a larger M&G...structured with games and gifts if I remember correctly... and obvious that a lot of work had gone into organizing it. I am still in contact with them thru FB:)

Some M&G's are great...others not so much...I will say I have made life long friends from our Meet and Greet on the Zaandam in 2010 to Hawaii...But I think you can tell from the roll call if you're going to want to meet your fellow cruisers:)

[jbhcw]

[quote name='HamOp'][SIZE="4"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"][COLOR="Red"]My buggy got eaten....[/COLOR][/FONT][/SIZE][/QUOTE]

Uh Oh...I'll take the bug back please.....

[Boytjie]

[quote name='sail7seas'][B] No, she didn't ruin my day by any stretch.
Had I not thought her pleasant and likely someone I'd like to meet, I never would have introduced myself. I didn't expect for it to go further. She is a warm, welcoming sort of lady and had gone to a huge amount of work 'running' her M & G. She was proud of all the effort she and DH had extended for it.

What I felt uncomfortable about was my fault, not hers.
I had not signed up yet I accepted her invitation to attend.
I should not have and that is why I ask what others would have done as I've felt bad about it since. :o

[/B][/quote]

I have organized a few of Meet and Greets - some disgruntled CC member disrupted one roll call and called me the "self appointed leader" - not in a nice way either. I would be happy to see [B]any [/B]CC members there even if they did not participate in a roll call or RSVPed; I would hope that they do not feel uncomfortable or out of place. It is a meeting of Cruise Critic people, nothing more than that. Even those that participate in the roll calls beforehand participate at different levels.

Every meet-and-greet has a number of no-shows for various reasons and that is OK too. Some forget, some find something else to do.