Help with Meet and Mingle July 5 on Golden

[nanabananna]

I am try to set up a Meet and Mingle on our RT Seattle to Alaska on the Golden July 5.

I read on the CC Meet and Mingle page to call Princess to help set up arrangements. So I called Princess. They told me they do not set this up and to talk with Cruise Critic.

 

this is the information on CC: Cruise Critic Meet & Mingle parties will be held on all Princess Cruises sailings. Please check the daily activities program, called Princess Patters, for notification regarding the day, location and time of the event. Should you wish to pre-arrange the Meet & Mingle for your sailing, please contact Princess Cruises Customer Service at 1-800-PRINCESS

 

What do I need to do to make sure this happens on our ship?

 

This is my first cruise and I sure do not know how to proceed. Any help is greatly appreciated.

thanks!

[paul929207]

The contact for the Golden is Jan James 661 284 4452 jjames@princesscruises.com.

 

She has arranged several for me on other ships and has always done a great job.

[IECalCruiser]

There are many thing the people answering the 1-800-Princess number have no clue about and your response was one of them. There is a group services coordinator for each ship and Paul gave you the contact info for the Golden.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[h20skibum]

 

What do I need to do to make sure this happens on our ship?

 

 

Once you make the call or contact them by email, you will be their contact. They will ask you for a final count of the number in your group about 20 days before sailing. If you have enough in your group, they may put you in one of the venues and provide a bartender and some dry snacks, and some of the ship's personnel may make an appearance if other duties do not interfere.

 

It is worth the extra effort to meet some of the people on CC.

[JF - retired RRT]

A suggestion: make a Google docs spreadsheet with headers for Name(s), CC handle, cabin # (optional), # attending M&M?, Gift Exchange ?, cabin crawl ?, slot pull ?, sail away meeting, etc.

Then post the link on your roll call and invite interested members to sign up. No work for you to keep track of the # who plan to attend.

If you send me an e-mail at <g n j ferren at hot mail dot com> (remove spaces and add appropriate @ and .

I will be happy to send you Tom Barton's templates for name tags, invitations for the crew, etc.

Also probably helpful to put a reminder in the mail box for those who are willing to share their cabin #.

It is a little bit of work, but also a lot of fun.:)

[jrzebird]

A couple of quick comments, since you have the contact info you need for correct information on setting it up through Princesss.

 

First, your M&M or M&G will NOT be posted in Princess Patters. Despite requesting it several times, it has never happened in any I've been involved with. You will request the day and time and Princess will set up the where. It's then up to you to notify your roll call of the where and when or of any changes (my last cruise, they changed the venue 3 times, as the roll call grew). JF gave you some great suggestions. There are also several several threads on CC if you do a search.

 

Finally, I have never been to a M&G on Princess that had snacks but they generally do provide a bartender and it's a pay bar, not free. But I bet you knew that.

 

Have fun. It is a very rewarding job you've undertaken and will increase your enjoyment of your cruise more than you can imagine!

 

Maureen

[nanabananna]

Thank you all so much for the information on the Meet and Mingle.

I enjoy meeting new friends myself and hopefully others will as well.

I am even thinking of making few flyers and post them around the ship, not to many but maybe word will spread.

 

I will give Jan James a call Monday!

[caribill]

I enjoy meeting new friends myself and hopefully others will as well.

I am even thinking of making few flyers and post them around the ship, not to many but maybe word will spread.

 

 

I would not do the flyers posted around the ship.

 

Since the Meet and Greet is designed for your roll call members, sending flyers to their cabins (if you have the cabin numbers) is a good reminder.

 

Flyers for the non roll-call members would attract people who think Cruise Critic is a place to come and complain. In any event, probably the only place you could put the notice is in the library.

 

If you want ship's officers to attend, you will need to send them an invitation. You may want to prepare these in advance and add their names once you board and can find the names in the Patter. Just bring the invites to the Purser's desk and ask for them to be delivered. You may want to invite the Captain, Maitre d', Hotel Director, Cruise Director and maybe others. Their showing up will depend on what is already on their schedules for the time the meeting is set up for.

[h20skibum]

 

Finally, I have never been to a M&G on Princess that had snacks but they generally do provide a bartender and it's a pay bar, not free. But I bet you knew that.

 

Maybe we were lucky then, or I am just such a sweet talker, but this is what they wrote when I set up our Meet and Greet.

 

"Your Cruise Critic Meet & Greet has been confirmed for April 18, in the

Wheelhouse for 32 guests from 11am to 12pm.

The Wheelhouse Bar will be more comfortable with this size of group.

 

The below is what we always provide whenever a we have a Cruise Critic Meet

& Greet:

No-host Open Bar

Dry Snacks

Request to have Captain and any senior staff attend (work schedule

permitting)

 

You will be receiving a confirmation in your cabin, however, it will be

your responsibility to advise the other passengers when and where the Meet

and Greet will take place.

Also please provide me confirmed guest attendance count no later than 14

days from sail."

 

Our group had grown to 40 by the time of confirmation, and we even had a few more that joined in after.

 

Sorry, for some reason I thought they wanted confirmation 20 days out, but it was 14.

 

We also did a slot pull and pub crawl that was a lot of fun. You will not get all your roll call to participate, but they are enjoyable. We had 21 in a slot pull and 20 in our pub crawl. I used a numbers spreadsheet on an iPad to keep track of who paid, calculate amounts won for the group and calculate payouts. It made things go smoothly.

[JF - retired RRT]

Maybe we were lucky then, or I am just such a sweet talker, but this is what they wrote when I set up our Meet and Greet.

 

"Your Cruise Critic Meet & Greet has been confirmed for April 18, in the

Wheelhouse for 32 guests from 11am to 12pm.

The Wheelhouse Bar will be more comfortable with this size of group.

 

The below is what we always provide whenever a we have a Cruise Critic Meet

& Greet:

No-host Open Bar

Dry Snacks

Request to have Captain and any senior staff attend (work schedule

permitting)

 

You will be receiving a confirmation in your cabin, however, it will be

your responsibility to advise the other passengers when and where the Meet

and Greet will take place.

Also please provide me confirmed guest attendance count no later than 14

days from sail."

 

That is pretty much what they do for all the M&G but the letter was more informative and friendlier than the ones I have received.

Yes, the staff are notified, but I have been told several times by the staff that did show up that they appreciate the personal invitation.

[paul929207]

Thank you all so much for the information on the Meet and Mingle.

I enjoy meeting new friends myself and hopefully others will as well.

I am even thinking of making few flyers and post them around the ship, not to many but maybe word will spread.

 

I will give Jan James a call Monday!

I am not sure Princess would like you putting up flyers around the ship. Even if they did, it could backfire on you, I have heard that at times in the past, the Meet & Greet was announced in the Patter. People saw the word "Critic" and thought it was their chance to complain about whatever they did not like. The get together did not go well.

 

Just post it regularly on the Roll Call

[JF - retired RRT]

I am not sure Princess would like you putting up flyers around the ship. Even if they did, it could backfire on you, I have heard that at times in the past, the Meet & Greet was announced in the Patter. People saw the word "Critic" and thought it was their chance to complain about whatever they did not like. The get together did not go well.

 

Just post it regularly on the Roll Call

 

On a couple of our cruises, some of our more outgoing :D members struck up conversations with people they met around the ship or in the MDR and brought their "new friends" to the M&G. That was fun.

[paul929207]

On a couple of our cruises, some of our more outgoing :D members struck up conversations with people they met around the ship or in the MDR and brought their "new friends" to the M&G. That was fun.

I have no problem if CC members invite non-members to the M&G. I just don't want people who know nothing of CC and think it is an opportunity to complain to management about their problems with the cruise.

[jigger_b]

You have a very small Roll Call for this sailing although it may pick up. I have planned/hosted 14 M&Gs as well as numerous other activities for our Cruise Critic gangs. Read below for an option for your smaller group.

 

Yes, Jan James is your Princess Angel for this ship and she will help you book whatever may be available at this late date. I generally book our M&G venue at least 18 months or more out as we're ones to book when the itinerary is released and I then immediately book our venue.

 

Dry snacks is all that Princess will provide.

 

You are responsible for inviting the officers - they all know the drill and that a M&G is generally held on the first sea day. I prepare personalized invitations for each based on the pre-cruise emails we all get. Jan can also help you tweak the list about 3 weeks prior to sailing. Once on board, I give these invitations to guest services and they see that they are delivered. I also include a small Las Vegas trinket with each invitation as well as gifting one to the staff at guest services whom I hand the invitations to. I've had very good luck in having a great showing of officers.

 

Also...check out the starboard side of the Tradewinds Bar at Sailaway - back at the wall. I think there's an unwritten rule that officers gather here for Sailaway. I've ambushed a few times to introduce myself and how I hope they'll join us tomorrow... I find that most had already received the invitation and planned to attend :). One time, I had gifted a Las Vegas poker chip magnet and several had them in their pocket!

 

You are most welcome to email me for specific questions - the link is in our signature.

 

If your groups stays intimate, then I might suggest a combo Sailaway & M&G at the Outrigger Bar at Sailaway. Arrive right after muster, have name badges for everyone, and simply provide the opportunity to everyone to mingle. No need to reserve a space. We've done this a few times for 3 or 4 day sailings. And, sailing out of Seattle offers the most beautiful city view - this is where to see it!

 

Most of all, have fun, and remember to relax.

[JF - retired RRT]

Don't worry, you still have plenty of time. I have done one that was a short time to sail and all was organized in time.

Once you post on your roll call, you will probably find that everyone jumps in and signs up. Most do not want to organize, but are willing to attend. On our last 2 cruises (I did one and someone else did the other), no one was expressing interest in the M&G. In fact, there were a lot of comments along the lines of "who needs it" and "why bother". As soon as the spreadsheet link and the time/date were posted on the roll call, the attitude changed. We had between 30-40 at both of the M&Gs.

Have fun!

[jigger_b]

Don't worry, you still have plenty of time. I have done one that was a short time to sail and all was organized in time.

Once you post on your roll call, you will probably find that everyone jumps in and signs up. Most do not want to organize, but are willing to attend. On our last 2 cruises (I did one and someone else did the other), no one was expressing interest in the M&G. In fact, there were a lot of comments along the lines of "who needs it" and "why bother". As soon as the spreadsheet link and the time/date were posted on the roll call, the attitude changed. We had between 30-40 at both of the M&Gs.

Have fun!

Amen to all that! :D

[Cruisin' Chick]

I have no problem if CC members invite non-members to the M&G. I just don't want people who know nothing of CC and think it is an opportunity to complain to management about their problems with the cruise.

 

Even though it would probably happen in a limited amount of cases, I would imagine that officers would probably want to start avoiding these meet and greets if too many turn into b----- sessions. And it probably would prove to be uncomfortable to actual members of the roll callers. I had missed the meet and greet on our last cruise (just went to the sailaway one) and someone told me that someone who had participated in the roll call was complaining about the lack of strawberries.

 

Personally I wouldn't think less of a gathering if none of the officers did show up as I figure they are busy working and if every group on board (and there will be some) requested their presence....

[jrzebird]

Even though it would probably happen in a limited amount of cases' date=' I would imagine that officers would probably want to start avoiding these meet and greets if too many turn into b----- sessions. And it probably would prove to be uncomfortable to actual members of the roll callers. I had missed the meet and greet on our last cruise (just went to the sailaway one) and someone told me that someone who had participated in the roll call was complaining about the lack of strawberries.

 

Personally I wouldn't think less of a gathering if none of the officers did show up as I figure they are busy working and if every group on board (and there will be some) requested their presence....[/quote']

 

OH YEAH. I was active in a roll call a few years back. I honestly don't remember which ship, or even which line, it was. Anyway, something happened pre-cruise that made several people very unhappy and they wanted to know why and what was going to be done about it, and planned to question the Captain at the M&G. Several fellow cruisers jumped in and begged them not to ruin the M&G and that there are proper channels, but a public venue was not it. I have no idea what happened because I opted to skip that M&G to avoid any perceived involvement in the 'mutiny'. If I recall, I was told that no officers actually showed up, probably because they knew what a few had planned! :eek:

 

Maureen

Edited June 16, 2014 by jrzebird

[Colo Cruiser]

First, your M&M or M&G will NOT be posted in Princess Patters. Despite requesting it several times, it has never happened in any I've been involved with.

 

Correct....Princess will not put it in the patter.

From past experience......

Believe me you don't want it advertised in the Patter.

It caused lots of problems as noted above with people showing up to complain. :(

[hoosier_done_it]

The contact for the Golden is Jan James 661 284 4452 jjames@princesscruises.com.

 

She has arranged several for me on other ships and has always done a great job.

 

Does anyone have contact info like this for the Coral?

[jigger_b]

Does anyone have contact info like this for the Coral?

Last coordination I did was with:

 

Stacey Anderson

Group Services

sanderson@princesscruises.com

 

There have been some changes - no guarantee Stacey is still assigned to the Coral. Princess Angel Jan James would know.

Edited June 16, 2014 by jigger_b

[Colo Cruiser]

Does anyone have contact info like this for the Coral?

 

Here is a list from a February 2014 post....

 

Jenny Streeck - Sapphire & Grand jstreeck@princesscruises.com 661-284-4444

 

Diana Hall - Diamond & Star -- dhall@princesscruises.com 661-284-4449

 

Jan James - Golden, Ocean & Pacific jjames@princesscruises.com 661-284-4452

 

Berna Grayr - Emerald & Ruby bgrayr@princesscruises.com 661-284-4448

 

Coleen Reyes - Crown & Carribean creyes@princesscruises.com 661-284-4447

 

Stacey Anderson - Royal, Dawn & Sun sanderson@princesscruises.com 661-284-4333

 

Lawrence Andrada - Regal, Island, Coral & Sea landrada@princesscruises.com 661-284-4445

Edited June 16, 2014 by Colo Cruiser

[jigger_b]

Here is a list from a February 2014 post....

 

Jenny Streeck - Sapphire & Grand jstreeck@princesscruises.com 661-284-4444

 

Diana Hall - Diamond & Star -- dhall@princesscruises.com 661-284-4449

 

Jan James - Golden, Ocean & Pacific jjames@princesscruises.com 661-284-4452

 

Berna Grayr - Emerald & Ruby bgrayr@princesscruises.com 661-284-4448

 

Coleen Reyes - Crown & Carribean creyes@princesscruises.com 661-284-4447

 

Stacey Anderson - Royal, Dawn & Sun sanderson@princesscruises.com 661-284-4333

 

Lawrence Andrada - Island, Coral & Sea landrada@princesscruises.com 661-284-4445

 

Lawrence Andrada also handles the new Regal.

[paul929207]

Does anyone have contact info like this for the Coral?

For the Coral, contact

 

Berna Grayr 661 284 4448 bgrayr@princesscruises.com

[Colo Cruiser]

For the Coral, contact

 

Berna Grayr 661 284 4448 bgrayr@princesscruises.com

 

Can you post the latest up to date list?