Issues With Meet & Mingle

[grand isle joe]

I have a confession. We sign up to get the minimum for the people that want the event. How dare us do something so helpful? :eek: It's never even crossed my mind to be irritated by people not showing up. It's not exactly a formal event! And I like having the option of going if I choose to at the last minute.

 

But we stopped going for many of the reasons here. Number one is that the time is just not good for us. I don't want to interrupt my first "at sea" morning and that is the time ours always seems to be. If that changes, maybe we will reconsider. The last few we attended had some of the same issues - (1)a small minority of whiners and complainers who take the event as an opportunity to gripe;(2) a large contingent of people who basically sat there and stared at each other, most of which had NOT even posted on the roll call and showed no interest in "meeting" or "mingling"; (3) one sailing a small group was too busy shaming those who did not participate in a voluntary gift exchange to even enjoy themselves and my favorite - we were at the same restaurant where a pre-cruise group had organized their dinner. I had told them I would be at the same restaurant. I had met one of the couples at our hotel earlier and said I would come by and say hello. When I did, most looked at me like I had grown another head and had spit in their food. I acted friendly and normal - I was clueless as to why the reception was so cold. They had all been friendly on line. Even the lady I had met was embarassed by it. We saw each other onboard and when she asked why I wasn't at the M&M, I told her that dinner was quite enough. SHE agreed with me and said "I don't know WHAT that was about." So....perhaps everyone who is so intent on the M&M's needs to chill out and not take them so seriously - and be nice to everyone.

 

We have much preferred doing an informal "hi there" either before sailaway or during. People are happy and excited and the best is you might find new friends and the worst is you might see people that you simply smile and say hello to all week. We have made many great friends through CC and enjoy anticipating the cruise on the roll call. But nah, the M&M is not on the top of the To Do list.

 

I agree with your view 100%.......and may I add the "brag-a-deers" who just talk and talk about their royal status......enough already....I just sign up so they can get the numbers they need.

[cruising granddad]

My Take: Thank you, Royal Caribbean, for offering us a place to meet with people we've been chatting with for months. Thank you for the raffles & gifts; maybe some don't appreciate them, but others go out of their way to try to win the same at Trivias and other events. Thank you for providing either the CD or sometimes ship's officers to welcome us. Thank you for offering this free event in an age when everybody (cruises, AI's, etc.) seems to be cutting back.

 

Steve, all the M&Ms should be like the one you helped setup on Enchantment OTS!

That was the BEST M&M that I was ever a part of!

Has it been 5 years?

The pink mohawks from Bill and the skit you and Beth put on was over the top!

That was a GREAT cruise because everyone bonded so well!

Tell Barb and Loralie hi for me!

I hope your health is improving!

[MicCanberra]

Steve, all the M&Ms should be like the one you helped setup on Enchantment OTS!

That was the BEST M&M that I was ever a part of!

Has it been 5 years?

The pink mohawks from Bill and the skit you and Beth put on was over the top!

That was a GREAT cruise because everyone bonded so well!

Tell Barb and Loralie hi for me!

I hope your health is improving!

 

Is there a video?;)

[papcx]

At M&M on the Oasis last week there were few in attendance and enough raffle items for everyone except two people. The two of us long timers asked Chris to remove our names from the raffle so that everyone else could receive an item.

 

 

That, my friend, is true class!

[MicCanberra]

That, my friend, is true class!

 

I am sure the others appreciated the gesture.:D

[BonTexasNY]

Again, my issue is not that people don't show up at M&Ms but too many do show up that never posted on their roll call. It makes meeting people you want to meet extra difficult if there are no other activities, like cabin crawl, slot pull, etc.

 

Wolfie was right. People do sit in groups amongst themselves looking bored to tears, not expecting to meet anyone because who would they meet?. Those are the folks who never posted and never got to know anyone!

[BillOh]

Again, my issue is not that people don't show up at M&Ms but too many do show up that never posted on their roll call. It makes meeting people you want to meet extra difficult if there are no other activities, like cabin crawl, slot pull, etc.

 

Wolfie was right. People do sit in groups amongst themselves looking bored to tears, not expecting to meet anyone because who would they meet?. Those are the folks who never posted and never got to know anyone!

 

This is frequently true, but not always and you can help. My Allure 2011 meet and mingle was terrible for that very reason, but I mentioned it early on in my 2013 Allure roll call and we made a point to mingle. After wards a few people logged in and said, We sure mingled in that one. Best M&M ever.

[shipshape sam]

This is frequently true, but not always and you can help. My Allure 2011 meet and mingle was terrible for that very reason, but I mentioned it early on in my 2013 Allure roll call and we made a point to mingle. After wards a few people logged in and said, We sure mingled in that one. Best M&M ever.

 

Good idea to help the lurkers get involved!

[setsail]

Again, my issue is not that people don't show up at M&Ms but too many do show up that never posted on their roll call. It makes meeting people you want to meet extra difficult if there are no other activities, like cabin crawl, slot pull, etc.

 

Wolfie was right. People do sit in groups amongst themselves looking bored to tears, not expecting to meet anyone because who would they meet?. Those are the folks who never posted and never got to know anyone!

 

What's wrong with people showing up,anybody? No one here has that control.Rci will not turn people away for not posting or even registering, as long as they are cc members all are welcome. On Most M&M threads , only 10 or 12 people do most of the posting anyway.

 

On your upcoming cruise 11 people have most of the post

Edited July 28, 2015 by setsail

[pcur]

Well, here I go with another spin on this topic. I am a very active poster on my Meet & Mingle threads. However, when I get on the ship I really just want to veg with my hubby. I love helping people with their planning, and I am so very, very grateful for the help I received over the last 13 years I've been on CruiseCritic. But, some of us aren't minglers; I'm a one-on-one type of person.

 

So, I'll just keep posting on the threads and signing up for the M&M's so the rest of you can meet each other! (I'm the quiet one reading on the Promenade Deck!!) :D

Edited July 28, 2015 by pcur

[cyntil8ing]

A few years ago, I wrote an icebreaker for a Meet & Mingle party. It went really well. It got people up, out of their groups and talking to other people. The game is to find as many people as possible on the list. Items on the list are things such as -- has five or more siblings, is on their first cruise, is allergic to shellfish, etc.

 

Feel free to use the idea.

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_ebCUE57t_zbUpjZ0N4Z2h5eTQ/view?usp=sharing

[reallyitsmema]

Again, my issue is not that people don't show up at M&Ms but too many do show up that never posted on their roll call. It makes meeting people you want to meet extra difficult if there are no other activities, like cabin crawl, slot pull, etc.

 

Wolfie was right. People do sit in groups amongst themselves looking bored to tears, not expecting to meet anyone because who would they meet?. Those are the folks who never posted and never got to know anyone!

 

There are no rules that say you have to post to a rollcall thread to be able to attend a meet and mingle. Not everyone likes to post, some just like to lurk. How does having more people in the room make it "extra difficult"? So you might have to ask a few more people if they are "Mary" or whoever it is you are looking for, it really isn't that hard.

[legaljen1969]

Well, the people at my last M&M did seem pleased. I wouldn't know because they changed the time up 30 minutes the day before and I didn't get notified. :( We walked in and got to meet a few people walking out.

 

Yes, but the upgrade fairy had visited you. LOL I nearly missed it too. I got there just moments before you.

 

It is not right of them to change it and not notify folks.

[BillOh]

Yes, but the upgrade fairy had visited you. LOL I nearly missed it too. I got there just moments before you.

 

It is not right of them to change it and not notify folks.

What made it bad was I posted the scheduled time in the roll call the day before most people started traveling.

 

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

[legaljen1969]

What made it bad was I posted the scheduled time in the roll call the day before most people started traveling.

 

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

 

Well yes, that did make it a little confusing. When I got my notice, I thought it was a mistake and went with the time you posted before everyone started traveling. Anyhow, it was very nice to meet everyone. I am so happy Jody put together the Face page. That helped a LOT. I really hope I run into some of the folks in our roll call again.

 

I would have loved to the Nachi Cocum thing with you all, but my husband is not a big beach person. After spending 51 days in the sand in Desert Storm with no shower, he still hasn't ever gotten over it. :)

 

Bill is an excellent roll call and M&M organizer.

 

If you have a chance to join a roll call started by BillOh, you should definitely do it. By the cruise, you will feel like you are old friends with everyone.

[frito58]

Again, my issue is not that people don't show up at M&Ms but too many do show up that never posted on their roll call. It makes meeting people you want to meet extra difficult if there are no other activities, like cabin crawl, slot pull, etc.

 

Wolfie was right. People do sit in groups amongst themselves looking bored to tears, not expecting to meet anyone because who would they meet?. Those are the folks who never posted and never got to know anyone!

 

I agree , I have posted that time and time again. Makes no sense to me why would attend a Meet and Greet when you never posted or never introduced yourself at all in the first place. I have been to a lot of them formal and informal ones . I am very active on roll calls . have made a LOT cruise friends this past 15 years . I even have had people come up and give me a quick hello and say how much they enjoyed reading the roll call but never ever posted . Not sure why they enjoy reading all of our jibber jabber . But if it give them some enjoyment glad we could help out. But I will attend them , don't care if they have prizes , or food or drinks or whatever . To me its or more about making new friends and having fun:):):)

[NCteacherlovescruising]

I signed up for ours next week but they scheduled it for 10 AM so unless it's raining we won't attend because it's not worth losing our loungers near the pool. If we manage to get there early enough to get them. I'm use to them being in the afternoon which would have worked much better for us.

[BillOh]

 

If you have a chance to join a roll call started by BillOh, you should definitely do it. By the cruise, you will feel like you are old friends with everyone.

 

Thank you for that. I'm sensitive to people who think (and it happens) that a few people monopolize roll calls freezing people out. I try to be inclusive and not dominating, but alas probably 10,000 of my posts are in roll calls. :o

[BillOh]

Not sure why they enjoy reading all of our jibber jabber . But if it give them some enjoyment glad we could help out.

 

 

 

I'm sure in between the "jibber jabber" there are useful posts. But sometimes in the jibber jabber you pick up things about people that influence what you think about other posts. That is why people frequently start their reviews with "about us" . You might pay attention more to some posts if people have or don't have kids, eat vegetarian. I never discourage that kind of talk. Now it may make things more difficult for people who join in the last days, but I am good at skimming forums and roll calls mining good information. I guess that comes from being online since the early 80s

[cjdixon4]

Well, here I go with another spin on this topic. I am a very active poster on my Meet & Mingle threads. However, when I get on the ship I really just want to veg with my hubby. I love helping people with their planning, and I am so very, very grateful for the help I received over the last 13 years I've been on CruiseCritic. But, some of us aren't minglers; I'm a one-on-one type of person.

 

So, I'll just keep posting on the threads and signing up for the M&M's so the rest of you can meet each other! (I'm the quiet one reading on the Promenade Deck!!) :D

 

Peggy, I'm with you on that one. Sometimes hubby and I go, and sometimes we don't. M&Ms are not a contract event; nobody signs an "agreement" to attend. It's all meant for fun. Catch you on the deck one of these ole' days!

[pcur]

Peggy, I'm with you on that one. Sometimes hubby and I go, and sometimes we don't. M&Ms are not a contract event; nobody signs an "agreement" to attend. It's all meant for fun. Catch you on the deck one of these ole' days!

 

Blond hair, glasses, on the "fluffy" side, with the big guy. See you there!! :D

[legaljen1969]

Thank you for that. I'm sensitive to people who think (and it happens) that a few people monopolize roll calls freezing people out. I try to be inclusive and not dominating, but alas probably 10,000 of my posts are in roll calls. :o

 

Bill, my opinion is that you were a great facilitator in our roll call. It was definitely inclusive. You started our roll call. I would expect you might post more than others. That's just me though. You are a great leader, and just got people talking.

 

Are there ever multiple roll calls for the same cruise? I hadn't even participated in one until I got in on the one for the Freedom cruise.

[legaljen1969]

I was thinking about the issue of folks who don't show up when the responded, and folks who do show up when they didn't respond.

 

That's pretty much the nature of most social functions and group gatherings. If I plan a party, I always leave some margin for folks who forget to RSVP and for those who RSVP'd but then had to cancel or forgot at the last moment.

 

So what is it going to hurt if you meet a couple of extra people? If you like them, you have some new friends you might not have considered. If you don't like them, you probably won't ever see them again after you leave the ship. There is always that possibility that you will see them over and over again ON the ship, but you can just always be "passing through on the way to somewhere else."

[BillOh]

.

 

Are there ever multiple roll calls for the same cruise? I hadn't even participated in one until I got in on the one for the Freedom cruise.

 

It happens on rare occasions, but this is one area the moderators do a good job. (I think I'm allowed to talk about that) If they see a duplicate roll call or someone reports one, they merge them together into one.

[beachnative]

I've come to a decision after reading this thread and being surprised at some of the complaints:

 

To heck with attending Meet and Mingle.

 

To heck with signing up after reading posts that remind us to "sign up for Meet and Mingle so that we can reach 25".

 

I've attend plenty of M&Ms and now I'll start sitting on deck and enjoy the day thus giving the judges one less irritant.

Edited July 28, 2015 by beachnative