T-shirts for group

[hlb76]

Our Roll call is talking about doing T-shirts for our group. I have never done this but have seen many groups that have and think its great. Sure beats looking for MArdi gras beads that no one ever seems to really wear.

 

Anyone have any tips or suggestion on how to go about doing this?

 

thanks

[crazyfrazee]

I am certainly not trying to sell anything here but the company my wife and I own do cruise shirts quite often along with family reunion etc. Most of the cruise shirts of course have the dates, places it's going etc. Some have tropical trees, ships, just whatever people want. Some people just give about what they are looking for and we create something to show from there. We ship orders but you can go to most trophy shops and ask if they do screen printing. I think our rates are average. So when you go or call around the prices should run around $25 for screen charge and then around $9 per shirt. It will depend on how many and if you want both sides printed.

[latitude918]

Customink.com -- you can easily make shirts. The more you order the cheaper they are. If you order enough you get free shipping.

 

If you're going to do it, get sizes and money up front, and have a cut off date.

 

Advice from being the Tshirt guy before: don't be afraid to be the bad guy. It isn't your problem someone missed the deadline to get their money or order in. You don't want to get stuck with a bunch of shirts you have to pay for.

[wwcruisers]

On our 2012 Millennium Wine Cruise, we were lucky enough to have an artistically gifted roll-call member (Rockfish). He came up with a series of designs that we all voted on, and he had shirts with the winning design made by Cafe Press. We just went to their website and ordered our own t-shirts, magnets, and pins with Rockfish's "Millie's Wine Hounds" logo. It worked out very well, since we could order styles and colors that fit our individual tastes -- and, we were each responsible for our own orders. :cool:

Edited November 11, 2013 by wwcruisers

[Lerin]

Seems like a great idea, but what is the problem with Mardi Gras beads?

They are much cheaper and easier to organize when working with a group of strangers.

Just curious.

Edited November 12, 2013 by Lerin

[sail7seas]

Lots of cruisers talk about being on tight budgets.

Some folks may shy away from your Roll Call if they feel 'obliged' to participate in purchasing t-shirts for perhaps their whole family.

 

Maybe something to think about?

[Colorado Kat]

I don't wear t-shirts, but I am more than happy to bring along some Mardi Gras beads and wear them the first day.

[Karysa]

I think that cc itself would be offering group t-shirts for roll calls if they thought that this was going to be a popular item. Sometimes folks with the best intentions take over a roll call and others feel alienated. I'm of the opinion that offering group t-shirts will do just that to your roll call.

Edited November 12, 2013 by Karysa

[ducklite]

I agree that t-shirts are overkill. I wouldn't buy one, I have a ton of them and seldom wear them. I would probably just skip the event, because it seems like a few are trying to really control it.

 

 

 

 

Autocorrect responsible for most typos...

[sail7seas]

I think that cc itself would be offering group t-shirts for roll calls if they thought that this was going to be a popular item. Sometimes folks with the best intentions take over a roll call and others feel alienated. I'm of the opinion that offering group t-shirts will do just that to your roll call.

 

I agree that t-shirts are overkill. I wouldn't buy one, I have a ton of them and seldom wear them. I would probably just skip the event, because it seems like a few are trying to really control it.

 

 

 

 

Autocorrect responsible for most typos...

 

 

That what was I was trying to get at.

 

You said it better. :o

 

[Karysa]

That what was I was trying to get at.

 

You said it better. :o

 

 

I wouldn't say better. We were just, well let's say, less subtle!;):D.

[hlb76]

Wow critical much? I have seen many groups wear T-shirts while boarding and many many many groups on land do then too. I was not asking for opinion if they where a good idea or not I was asking if anyone had tips on where to get them printed.

 

It has come up in our group I said I would look into it. No biggie if it happens or not.

 

Mardi Gras beads are fine. In my experience they are so common especailly sailing from NOLA that they dont really help identify a cruise group. But all is well if they work for you.

[beachbum53]

While you might have a very small handful of people on your roll call interested in having t-shirts made, there are other alternatives. Probably the best would be, as others have mentioned, Mardi Gras beads. They're cheap and easy to come by. Another possibilty would be some type of cheap colorful party hats, like you'd wear at a birthday party. If your group doesn't want to pay for a Meet & Greet party, arrange to meet at a pre-determined area at a specific time, such as the Havana Bar at the rear of the Lido deck right after the Muster drill. It's been our experience that not everyone that joins the roll call wants to participate in some sort of group meeting. More often than not, someone will post "Hi! I and my family wiil be on this cruise. Can't wait to go!" And that's the one and only time time you'll hear from them. Out of a group of 50 people that join your roll call, you'll be lucky to meet maybe ten of them. Just something to keep in mind.

[Karysa]

Wow critical much? I have seen many groups wear T-shirts while boarding and many many many groups on land do then too. I was not asking for opinion if they where a good idea or not I was asking if anyone had tips on where to get them printed.

 

It has come up in our group I said I would look into it. No biggie if it happens or not.

 

Mardi Gras beads are fine. In my experience they are so common especailly sailing from NOLA that they dont really help identify a cruise group. But all is well if they work for you.

 

Sometimes good information comes out of questions like yours. I am quite sure that someone with the same idea as you have might well appreciate the honest answers that you were given even if you don't.

[hlb76]

Once again.. there ARE people ASKING for T-shirts. I'm not here to be talked out of doing them. If you have a suggestion or help pertaining to my subject of DOING t-shirts I would love the help. Thanks to those who can and will stay on subject!!

 

This is not my first cruise so I do not have any unreal expectation of meeting everyone or having life long friends. Even with our formal meet and greet that we have paid for some will still not show. SHIP HAPPENS.

 

If the shirts dont happen its fine! If 3 people on the whole ship do them thats fine too.

Edited November 12, 2013 by hlb76

[wwcruisers]

Once again.. there ARE people ASKING for T-shirts. I'm not here to be talked out of doing them. If you have a suggestion or help pertaining to my subject of DOING t-shirts I would love the help. Thanks to those who can and will stay on subject!!

 

 

Heather, did you get a chance to check out the website for Cafe Press yet? I was very happy with their products/pricing, and the process, that allowed us to each order (and pay for) our own items. If I ever find myself in charge of getting T-shirts for a group, their company would be my first choice. As I mentioned in my earlier post, our shirts were designed by one of our roll-callers, but the Cafe Press website seems to have lots of "stock" designs -- that you could probably personalize with dates, names, etc. Instead of T-shirts, some folks ordered pins with our roll-call's design on them. They wrote their names on them with marker, and wore them as name-tags at our CC events. And, of course, some folks opted out entirely -- which was fine. We had a lot of fun with that project, and now I have some nice souvenirs of a very memorable cruise. Best of luck with your T-shirts, and your cruise! :cool:

Edited November 12, 2013 by wwcruisers

[Karysa]

Once again.. there ARE people ASKING for T-shirts. I'm not here to be talked out of doing them. If you have a suggestion or help pertaining to my subject of DOING t-shirts I would love the help. Thanks to those who can and will stay on subject!!

 

This is not my first cruise so I do not have any unreal expectation of meeting everyone or having life long friends. Even with our formal meet and greet that we have paid for some will still not show. SHIP HAPPENS.

 

If the shirts dont happen its fine! If 3 people on the whole ship do them thats fine too.

 

Message received loud and clear.

[beachbum53]

Once again.. there ARE people ASKING for T-shirts. I'm not here to be talked out of doing them. If you have a suggestion or help pertaining to my subject of DOING t-shirts I would love the help. Thanks to those who can and will stay on subject!!

 

This is not my first cruise so I do not have any unreal expectation of meeting everyone or having life long friends. Even with our formal meet and greet that we have paid for some will still not show. SHIP HAPPENS.

 

If the shirts dont happen its fine! If 3 people on the whole ship do them thats fine too.

 

For those in your group that want t-shirts, I highly recommend CustomInk. Their customer service is top notch, ordering is very easy, and you'll be pleased with the results.;)

[slidergirl]

My philosophy: 1) Friends don't let friends wear Group Tshirts… 2) Group Tshirts are good if your group is heavily into drinking - people can identify you and find someone in your group if you are too intoxicated to find your way back 3) Group Tshirts are like a target on your back to pickpockets/thieves ;)

 

Another thought: Instead of trying to wrangle enough people to get a deal on pre-made group Tshirts, why not just come up with a design that people can copy onto transfers and make their own shirts if they want? That way, people only need ask for the design and not have to pony up money for the shirt…

You can buy Tshirt transfer medium at any office supply store - just put it in your printer, print off the design, iron onto shirt. I've done that for team shirts before and it works well.

[donaldsc]

Our Roll call is talking about doing T-shirts for our group. I have never done this but have seen many groups that have and think its great. Sure beats looking for MArdi gras beads that no one ever seems to really wear.

 

Anyone have any tips or suggestion on how to go about doing this?

 

thanks

 

I am sure that doing a google search will find you lots of places that will make them for you. That is what I would do.

 

That said and this is just my opinion but you could not pay me enough to join a group that wears custom group t-shirts.

 

DON

Edited November 13, 2013 by donaldsc

[cruzeluver]

That said and this is just my opinion but you could not pay me enough to join a group that wears custom group t-shirts.

 

Ditto.

[Arzeena]

Our Roll call is talking about doing T-shirts for our group. I have never done this but have seen many groups that have and think its great. Sure beats looking for MArdi gras beads that no one ever seems to really wear.

 

Anyone have any tips or suggestion on how to go about doing this?

 

thanks

 

I read the advice/opinions from the T Shirt police:D. Made me laugh how people scolded you with a "rather be dead than join a t shirt group". LOL

It is a matter of preference ...some people like to do t shirts, magnets and such stuff and some like to wear mardi gras beads, some like to wear hats! All is good.

 

We were on the Star repo last October. Our cc roll call group had used Zazzles.

[jmf123]

Heather, did you get a chance to check out the website for Cafe Press yet? I was very happy with their products/pricing, and the process, that allowed us to each order (and pay for) our own items. If I ever find myself in charge of getting T-shirts for a group, their company would be my first choice. As I mentioned in my earlier post, our shirts were designed by one of our roll-callers, but the Cafe Press website seems to have lots of "stock" designs -- that you could probably personalize with dates, names, etc. Instead of T-shirts, some folks ordered pins with our roll-call's design on them. They wrote their names on them with marker, and wore them as name-tags at our CC events. And, of course, some folks opted out entirely -- which was fine. We had a lot of fun with that project, and now I have some nice souvenirs of a very memorable cruise. Best of luck with your T-shirts, and your cruise! :cool:

 

Cafe Press is fun...'search' anything like 'corvettes' or 'cruise ships' (check out this link): http://www.cafepress.com/+cruise-ship+gifts. Need a cruise ship shower curtain, magnets, flip flops, iPad cover? :)

[ger_77]

You can buy Tshirt transfer medium at any office supply store - just put it in your printer, print off the design, iron onto shirt. I've done that for team shirts before and it works well.

 

hlb76: This is a great idea; I made t-shirts for our kids and their spouses (adults in their 30's) for our first full family cruise. It was very easy to print off and iron the transfer onto the shirts. Everyone had a different colour and wore them onboard the day we celebrated our 35th anniversary. They said "Mom likes me best".

 

Let us know what you decide!

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

[BananaAnna]

Our Roll call is talking about doing T-shirts for our group. I have never done this but have seen many groups that have and think its great. Sure beats looking for MArdi gras beads that no one ever seems to really wear.

 

Anyone have any tips or suggestion on how to go about doing this?

 

thanks

 

I enjoy group tshirts and have worn them on girlfriends cruises as well as family cruises. We have smallish groups. I usually ask what info folks want, come up with a design, we collectively tweak it into a final design. I email the file to everybody, they print onto tshirt transfers and iron onto tshirts.