Are folks losing interest in Meet & Mingle Roll Calls?

[The_Big_M]

Last year I didn't receive a Meet N Mingle invitation in my cabin, so RCL took the choice away from me!

 

Had the same issue with my last cruise, on Explorer.

 

That gets rid of even more numbers showing up!

[Goodtime Cruizin]

We have had much more mingling (and fun) on our informal M&M's on embarkation day. I would not miss the formal M&M hosted by the cruise line if it was discontinued.

 

Totally agree Bob.

[mcatmcat]

There is so much to do in a cruise that I rarely have time for a meet and mingle. There are so many social media and app these day to meet someone new before the cruise which is easier than actually going to a meet and mingle. Btw everything is moving forward, 10 years ago we liked to call a friend now we are texting a friend. You either ride the wave or you get stuck in the island.

[josumello]

M&M is primarily a female senior citizen event just like CC. The ladies love the little trinkets that the cruise line provides. The men prefer spending sea days in the casino or the bar.

 

 

Say what??

 

 

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[SpainAlien]

Our M&M on Allure last year was confirmed for a particular time on Day 2 then changed by the CD on board. I saw the confirmation on my desk on arrival but didn't check it so my party missed it completely arriving 1 hour late.

 

I was looking forward to the roll call on my upcoming South Pacific cruise but so far I am the only member. I don't think the Aussies get involved with them but we will see it might liven up we have 9 months to go

 

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[MattInFLL]

I usually do 3-4 day cruises and have had mixed luck with roll calls and informal sail aways. But my last 2 M&Ms on Indy and Freedom were very well attended - as were our pre planned events.

 

My upcoming cruise on Allure I suspect will have a problem because the M&M is at 9:30am immediately followed by the C&A at 10:15. So it's too early and too rushed. But I bet our slot pull will have a good turn out :)

 

I still find CC to be the best source of info and answers.

[surf cruiser]

After registering and getting email confirmation, several of us on Liberty of the Seas 3-13-16 sailing never got our invitations delivered to our staterooms. It wasn't overlooked in other handouts. We have gotten one every year in the last 7 years until this ship

So that is why some were "no show".

[BadBoysDriveAudi]

I think the popularity of CC in general has decreased in the last few years. There are so many social media platforms out there and I think it has diluted the CC base. too bad!:(

 

BILL

 

Bingo! You hit the nail on the head. I've noticed that using a variety of social media platforms to reach a broader audience had a direct correlation as to how many people actually met each other on the ship.

 

Another helpful activity was having everyone agree to wear something that designated them as part of the M&M group, such as wearing mardi gras beads. That gave people the extra day or two to meet each other before a "formal" M&M meeting. During sail away, you're bound to run into a few people wearing beads.

[BadBoysDriveAudi]

Thank you gaylemh! This is what I'm talking about, and the fact that it is hard to even meet someone that you have corresponded with on CC....half the time they don't show up.

 

Time for me to go back to my lurking.:D

 

Rick

 

I will admit - I am one who would rather sleep in after a night of partying than get up "early" to join in a meeting. Just not my style.

 

What did work on my last two cruises, and worked quite well, was having everyone in the roll call group or other social platforms to all agree to wear beads. Between the roll call discussions, people checking out profile and album pics on other platforms to recognize your face, and the beads - you found yourself spotting a lot of the folks you bonded with prior to the cruise.

 

We also organized activities prior to the cruise. Instead of meeting at the M&M, we all decided to meet at a certain bar on a particular day at a time later in the day. Turnout was great, people enjoyed drinks and conversation and it just all around felt better than any previous M&M experience I've had.

 

The wife and I are toying with the idea of another cruise. It's been a couple of years and the itch is back. The game plan is already set for building a network of future friends. Meet and mingle needs to evolve or it will die a slow and disappointing death.

[tluvspluto]

This is an interesting thread. This is my first meet n mingle and I can honestly say the lack of integration with other social media options is a real blocker.

 

Not Being allowed to share messages on other social media has really slowed things down for me at least. My only other cruise a few years ago, there was also a closed private FB group that was really active and fun prior to the cruise. In fact many of us are still in contact, and have holidays together a few times since.

 

Sadly, cc and this type of board just doesn't make it easier enough to interact with potential friends of the future. I did write to the admin about the rules regarding sharing FB but had no response. Disappointing really.

 

But as in all things you get out what you put in, so I am making that effort to get to know a few folks in our m n m before we sail.

[xxHadleyxx]

I find it varies hugely from sailing to sailing. I think most pre cruise threads fall into one of two categories:

 

1. Really big, tons of organized activities, hard to keep up with---often these feel a bit "clique-y" with many posters who know one another from lots of prior sailings nad often ignore new posters almost entirely (though I find if I keep plugging away at posting, eventually people recognize the name more and respond--I don't think anyone is intentionally leaving people out, but they get excited to see their friends and forget to be welcoming to new people once in a while).

 

2. Really small groups which seem to focus almost exclusively on arranging shared excursions or airport transfers and the like. Sometimes posting getting to know you type things is actively discouraged. (these make me sad)

 

once in a great while you find that perfect mix of people who may also want to arrange excursions, etc but are truly interested in getting to know one another and starting to build some friendships online before sailing. I love these.

 

 

Once onboard--well the people who wanted to make friends tend to find one another either in CC organized activities, or see one another at check in or what have you, and the ones just looking for someone to cut the cost of an excursion--well, how would you know them anyway?

 

The actually Meet and Mingle party can be fun, but I agree it is often hard to mingle (with big groups, holding it in the ice rink makes that really physically difficult to accomplish) and the staff usually want to get if done and over with. I have noticed more and more tendency to change the time/day, not deliver invitations and to hold the M&M during things like progressive trivia---all of which cuts attendance as well.

 

 

I've noticed this as well. The roll call for my upcoming cruise is probably the worse I've experienced ... heck, the one just started for my sailing next Dec has more activity.

 

I was really hoping for my upcoming one to be more active as it will be my first time in Europe and I was hoping to book some group tours. There's been mention of 2 tours, but more than likely I'll have to book the others independently.

 

I have found that many of our cruises in Europe, especially shoulder season ones, have TINY roll calls (we had one once where the roll call only made it to page 2). These cruises tend to have a lot of non English speaking guests (when the roll call is really small I consider it a sign that we will have a lot of Spaniards or Italians on board--which tends to me great dancing and lots of well attended deck parties :D )

 

The more that cruise is sold to people from mainland Europe (Germans also seem to sail RCI a lot--and a handful post here, as do a handful of Dutch, but not in the numbers the Americans and Brits do)--the fewer posts about excursion sharing you will see: both because many more locals cruisers are sailing more for the ship then the ports (much like Americans sailing the Bahamas or more popular Caribbean islands) and because those of us who live here tend to be much more comfortable doing our own thing, using public transit, etc in port (plus, that language barrier for many passengers).

[diamonddaddy]

Unfortunately they are.

[Miryam1234]

After registering and getting email confirmation, several of us on Liberty of the Seas 3-13-16 sailing never got our invitations delivered to our staterooms. It wasn't overlooked in other handouts. We have gotten one every year in the last 7 years until this ship

So that is why some were "no show".

 

This has happened to us twice. We never got the invitations to our cabin - and therefore did not attend. That's sad, although some of the M&M have been kind of awkward. Or maybe it is just me and my language barrier.

[BadBoysDriveAudi]

This is an interesting thread. This is my first meet n mingle and I can honestly say the lack of integration with other social media options is a real blocker.

 

Not Being allowed to share messages on other social media has really slowed things down for me at least. My only other cruise a few years ago, there was also a closed private FB group that was really active and fun prior to the cruise. In fact many of us are still in contact, and have holidays together a few times since.

 

Sadly, cc and this type of board just doesn't make it easier enough to interact with potential friends of the future. I did write to the admin about the rules regarding sharing FB but had no response. Disappointing really.

 

But as in all things you get out what you put in, so I am making that effort to get to know a few folks in our m n m before we sail.

 

+1.

 

Their board; their rules. I had a post vanish on me because I posted a link to a group page on another social platform. I guess I didn't read the rules carefully enough. Again, no disrespect to the CC team - their board; their rules. I'll respect them.

 

I will argue, however, that not allowing the cross pollination hinders the overall product. There are two sides to that position and the CC admins are encamped on the other side. The beautiful thing about free enterprise is that you can simply wait and let the market decide.

 

All that said, I'm still here. There's still intrinsic value in the knowledge base and when I meet people that are new to cruising, this is one of the places I still encourage them to visit. What I've noticed over the past handful of years are three things:

 

1. People migrate here for the knowledge base. The depth of knowledge is amazing and there are some great folks here that are willing to offer their experiences with respect to all things cruising.
   
2. People are migrating elsewhere for targeted cruise groups.
   
3. M&M, as currently implemented by RCL, is a dying dinosaur. The format offers a meeting time that not many desire, the meeting is poorly attended and of those that do attend, there are a number of people that simply don't network well. It's almost as if they didn't mingle much pre cruise so they become wall flowers.
   

[drummerdavebmth]

I've never been on a cruise in the Caribbean, but European & Mediterranean cruises usually have quite active Roll Calls.

 

They are quite port intensive and, therefore, people are keen to reduce their expenditure by sharing local, non-Royal Caribbean excursions.

 

I've only been on 3 cruises (so far) but this has been my experience :)

[icsys]

Judging by the confirmed party list page, I'd say RCI is losing interest too.

[molly361]

We have had much more mingling (and fun) on our informal M&M's on embarkation day. I would not miss the formal M&M hosted by the cruise line if it was discontinued.

 

Same here!!!

[boulders]

Judging by the confirmed party list page, I'd say RCI is losing interest too.

 

Couldn't open your link.

 

We haven't done a tremendous amount of cruising on RCI, but I started 10 years ago and my last cruise was two weeks ago. Our first few cruises, RCI placed us at dinner with very interesting tablemates. One cruise, we got tablemates who scowled at us and didn't speak when we introduced ourselves. After that, even though we request shared tables, we end up at a table by ourselves. Based on looking around the dining room on our last cruise, it seems that most RCI cruisers are in large family groups who really aren't interested in socializing with others outside of their own group. Maybe the marketing of RCI as a family destination has decreased the number of solos or couples who are interested in socializing with others on board.

[Clarea]

Couldn't open your link.....

The link was unresponsive earlier, but is working for me now.

[xxHadleyxx]

Judging by the confirmed party list page, I'd say RCI is losing interest too.

 

Are only those showing dates/times supposed to be confirmed? I have a feeling there might be a lack of updating going on.

[xxHadleyxx]

. Maybe the marketing of RCI as a family destination has decreased the number of solos or couples who are interested in socializing with others on board.

 

I keep hearing about how people cannot meet others easily onboard anymore--and I find that so odd.

 

I cannot think of a single cruise we have taken where we have not ended up meeting several people we really enjoy at least on the cruise, and very often remain in contact with long after (we clicked so well with one family in October on Splendour that we are all sailing together again next month on Serenade).

 

Admittedly, we frequently opt for My Time Dining now (not that we don't enjoy having the same tablemates all week, we usually do, but so often the fixed dining times do not work out with the shows in recent years, so we went for flexible and now ask to be seated with others sometimes, or make friends elsewhere and then all end up dining together, etc), but we never made our better friends at dinner anyway. (and twice we had less than stellar dining mates---our last fixed dining, the witch did not start acting witchy until day 3, other than one comment on day 2--by which point we liked the other two couples and felt we should not leave the table and them due to the third couple, but it was not pleasant dining with someone who went on rants about how no one under 18 should be allowed to sail while we dined with our teen daughter, made a point of talking about how girl who wear strapless or spaghetti strap dresses to prom are sluts--on formal night while our daughter sat there in in her spaghetti strap dress, etc).

 

We meet people by inviting them to join our trivia team, or striking up conversations in the hot tub or at the bar, etc. Most people seem very open to striking up conversations in informal settings onboard and i think the more casual grouping makes it easy to find someone you really do connect with and keep building from there.

[T.O.cruisers]

Meet and mingles are fun if you've been active on the roll call planning excursions together. It's a great way to meet the people who we will be touring with for a full day. It's great to put a face to a name. We may enjoy sea day together having a leisurely breakfast or lunch in the MDR,having a drink in a lounge at night. It's nice to be able to nod and say "HI" to a cruise critic member when you pass them. I hope the meet and mingle stays around. It's great for those that want it to be.

I'm looking forward to my next M&M next month in the Mediterranean.

[Teeara]

I'm not sure exactly what it is that makes a roll call active or not. When I did my Canada/NE cruise on Jewel the ship was nearly sold out, yet our roll call was very slow. On Adventure, which was a 7 night Southern Caribbean, it was extremely active and we had a great time.

 

My upcoming Freedom cruise has been very slow. Most of the people who posted only came on to say they were sailing with a large group and then never heard a peep out of them again. No one seems to want to participate, but new people ask if there will be an M&M onboard the ship. We have enough to have one, but it will be interesting to see how many actually show up for it.

 

Now the 9 night Navigator cruise which I have booked for April next year has been phenomenally active. We were active the moment the sailing opened for booking in March of last year. We are so active that as of today, we have the #13 roll call with the most responses on the Navigator Roll Call thread. I would not be surprised if we end up in the top 3 (if not #1) by the time the cruise is over. And we still have over a year to go before our cruise! We have a bunch of events planned, there are a lot of people who are talking every day and only some of the group have cruised with others.

 

So I guess it all comes down to whether the people who show up at a roll call are willing to put the time and effort into keeping it going. Sometimes you have to mix it up and post questions for discussion purposes when the roll call lags. If you are in a roll call where it seems that everyone seems to know each other, just jump in and start responding. Don't be afraid. I would rather someone new jump in and start participating. That's what makes a roll call great.

[ryano]

My last M&M on Freedom last year was very active but thats because of two individuals that worked hard putting everything together. After the meeting in the VCL, they had a slot pull which I didnt participate in but met them at the casino afterward for the cabin crawl. I offered up my accessible Promenade cabin for the crawl because most people had never seen one and we stuffed about 35 guests in there :D:eek: It was a very fun group.

 

Even though CC and Carnival has now partnered up for official meet and mingles, I doubt my roll call will have enough people. Its been very very slow for weeks

 

With that said, on our Magic cruise Facebook page, we have arranged a first sea day party at the Red Frog Pub for 3pm the first day at sea and Im expecting a HUGE turnout for that one.

Edited April 5, 2016 by ryano

[SMHCPA]

I think these boards can be very intimidating, particularly if you are new.

 

There is a ton of very valuable information and many of the frequent posters are very helpful and welcoming to new comers (Bob and Andrew in particular come to mind). But many are not. If you happen to ask the wrong question or step into the controversial quicksand you will likely be immediately branded stupid, selfish, ignorant, inconsiderate or a OPW or a troll. Maybe you have never had a balcony and just didn't know that you aren't supposed to prop it open [emoji14]. I'm sure there are trolls and OPW but if ignored they would simply go away. On the other hand if a first time poster is instantly ganged up on is it surprising they don't come back for more?

 

Like I said, I find these boards very helpful (and also addicting lol) but I can see why lurkers would remain lurkers. Much safer that way!

 

 

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