Are folks losing interest in Meet & Mingle Roll Calls?

[reallyitsmema]

First off, forgive me if this is something that has been discussed in the past. Is it just me (and the itineraries I sail) or does it seem that the M&M roll call threads are declining in popularity? When I first joined, roll calls were hopping and were great places to get acquainted pre-cruise and arrange shared shore excursions but lately they've been very slow. Do most people now just hop on this RCI board for questions/news and just skip the roll calls? Discuss.....

 

We have had active rollcalls and very quiet rollcalls. Some of the quietest were our Mariner sailings back when Mariner was sailing out of Port Canaveral. People are just looking for different things out of rollcalls. Some people just post now and then and aren't really looking for much. Others take possession of the rollcall and dominate all discussions, which can be very off putting. Some people are great at sharing information, others know all and make sure they tell you what you should be doing at a particular port because they don't understand why anyone would do anything else other than what they do.

 

Do what works best for you. If the rollcall is friendly and not cliquey, post away and enjoy. If it is not your cup of tea, just lurk or move on to what makes you happiest.

 

We will go to a meet and mingle if it doesn't conflict with what we have planned. If it doesn't work for us, we will catch people next time.

[Clarea]

I travel by myself, enjoy the commenting back and forth before cruises on the roll call pages. Everyone is different, some people are more cautious and don't want to share. I don't have a problem with it, never felt intimidated, or not safe, I don't get that part.

 

I've been traveling by myself over 30 years, 25+ cruises some with friends, some not and I like the meet and greet but fine on my own. I do traditional dining and except for one time years ago, have always met super people. I usually end up doing things with table mates during the cruise, or at least stopping to chat, or have a drink before dinner.

 

I'm very friendly and outgoing, some people respond well to this, others not so much. I can tell when people are reserved, quieter and I try to leave them alone! :)

Hi Susan, I remember how you left us alone on the Vision transatlantic!;)

:p

[Queen of Oakville]

My roll call for Oasis Nov 16 needs some resuscitation. There just doesn't seem to be enough interest to keep it going.

 

I left my roll call for Silhouette about half way through (after being one of the most active on the roll call for the first one. Someone came in half way through and appointed herself moderator deciding when conversations were done, off topic or needed to move on. I knew we weren't going to get along, so I just bowed out of the roll call and didn't bother to go to the M&M either.

 

On another cruise, a large group of people who knew each other invaded to the roll call and took it over. Everyone else felt like outsiders, though I'm sure a few broke into the group and partied with them on the cruise. Others (like me) just rescinded and left them to their roll call discussion of how they were going to booze it up on the cruise.

 

 

 

Most successful roll call that I've had was on Disney Fantasy. That roll call was moved to F---b---. It was fabulous - we got to know each other by real names and faces. Many became friends on that site. We got to know each other through personal relationships and parties joined up for dinner reservations too. Years later, I am still friends with some of those great men and women.

 

I get that CC doesn't want to loose traffic to other sites, and today I'm not sure that FB is the be-all end-all social media hub but many still use that site. I don't understand why CC can't offer an extension to FB that can link from here. CC can create the roll call there so that those who join an official CC roll call (just hosted everywhere).

 

 

I think attendance at the M&M is a different topic than participation at the roll call. But I agree with others that lots more could be done to improve the over M&M enjoyment. Like others have said, the Sail Away party is usually more enjoyable than the actual M&M. BUT you need to get to know others on the ROLL CALL to have a good sail away party.

Edited April 5, 2016 by Queen of Oakville

[oldguysandgalls]

We never joined the M & M Roll Call but we sure met a lot of wonderful people/new friends on board ship. As a matter of fact, we kept in touch and/or visited one another and/or cruised with our dear 'old cruise-friends' again. :)

[Clarea]

...I don't understand why CC can't offer an extension to FB ....

I suspect the CC advertisers who pay for this site would not like people being linked to another site.

[BillOh]

I suspect the CC advertisers who pay for this site would not like people being linked to another site.

 

As a moderator of a non-cruise related site that gets 1000th of the traffic that is huge part of it. I have been know to posts links to the official cruise critic roll call on the Facebook one, I guess Facebook is big enough not to care.

[Disneycruisers]

 

Most successful roll call that I've had was on Disney Fantasy. That roll call was moved to F---b---. It was fabulous - we got to know each other by real names and faces. Many became friends on that site. We got to know each other through personal relationships and parties joined up for dinner reservations too. Years later, I am still friends with some of those great men and women.

 

I get that CC doesn't want to loose traffic to other sites, and today I'm not sure that FB is the be-all end-all social media hub but many still use that site. I don't understand why CC can't offer an extension to FB that can link from here. CC can create the roll call there so that those who join an official CC roll call (just hosted everywhere).

 

 

 

Agree! (And, I'm not a millennial, or a 'young' cruiser. I'm almost 59, and appreciate F___B___.) Technology is technology. I send texts, take photos and post them, but I do answer my phone, LOL. And the most successful groups for cruise meets and meet and mingles for our family, were through F___B___. Someone from this forum (a few mos ago, on NCL boards) took the risk and posted a link. We met (noontime) the first sea day, and not only organized slot-pull and pub crawl, but also dined together in the steakhouse one night. Meet and mingle on forums might be losing popularity the same way the typewriters lost to computers (there are tons of comparisons.) It's a personal choice though.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

The roll call for my Brilliance cruise is super quiet - it's fine with me. Several people who were signed up have either cancelled their cruise or went with a different date (though one still posts on ours - fine, only got confusing when he announced there were enough for a M&M for his actual date).

 

I don't know that I would go to anything anyway. But some chatting beforehand is fine.

[richstowe]

Understandably we all try to extrapolate from our own experiences . Prior to my first cruise I found CC .

I joined the roll call where there was 1 poster who began it and dominated the discussions .

This was fine as he was informative and I had no other experience . He made arrangements for a M&G .

Once aboard we were left a message that he couldn't make the get together that he had organized . :confused:

Oh well . We did however meet up with one very nice couple from the roll call .

 

All this is to say based on my experiences , M&G's are improving . :D

Edited April 5, 2016 by richstowe

[Queen of Oakville]

I suspect the CC advertisers who pay for this site would not like people being linked to another site.

 

ah the dreaded advertisers!

 

I though it was about losing site traffic.

 

I'm not entirely sure how it all works but does CC actually offer advertising? I see the google ads banner here, but that (I think) is more of a function of CC signing up for google ads. They get revenue from google not from the actual advertiser.

 

For example, right now, I'm see an ad for Far Away Greens Indoor golf in Burlington, Ontario. I suspect I'm see that ad because I recently googled for golf summer camps. You are seeing an entirely different ad based on your location and the type of ads google wants you to see. I don't think this has anything to do with these companies actually advertising on Cruise Critic.

 

I just clicked on the ad which took me to the Far Away Greens website (wanted to make sure they were a local company). Now that I have clicked on the ad Far Away Greens has to pay google for the ad. There is no revenue whatsoever to Cruise Critic for me linking to that site.

[Queen of Oakville]

Agree! (And, I'm not a millennial, or a 'young' cruiser. I'm almost 59, and appreciate F___B___.) Technology is technology. I send texts, take photos and post them, but I do answer my phone, LOL. And the most successful groups for cruise meets and meet and mingles for our family, were through F___B___. Someone from this forum (a few mos ago, on NCL boards) took the risk and posted a link. We met (noontime) the first sea day, and not only organized slot-pull and pub crawl, but also dined together in the steakhouse one night. Meet and mingle on forums might be losing popularity the same way the typewriters lost to computers (there are tons of comparisons.) It's a personal choice though.

 

I'm 46 and FB is still relevant to me. But for the 20 something's and younger (judging by my nieces/nephews, kids and young cousins) - FB is not their thing. However, we are the ones with the cruising dollars not them :D

 

I could be wrong, but didn't Holland America move their official cruise meets to FB?

[Queen of Oakville]

I'm 46 and FB is still relevant to me. But for the 20 something's and younger (judging by my nieces/nephews, kids and young cousins) - FB is not their thing. However, we are the ones with the cruising dollars not them :D

 

I could be wrong, but didn't Holland America move their official cruise meets to FB?

 

http://www.hollandamerica.com/cruise-vacation-planning/PlanningAndAdvice.action?tabName=Popular+Topics&WT.ac=pnav_FBG_FAQ

 

If you go down on to the bottom you see a link for the 2016 FB roll call. From there you set up your meet and greet at FB.

 

 

Now I can see why this is not something CC would want to do but if their roll call threads are not as active as they use to be ... this seems like a win/win for the cruise lines.

 

And CC could certainly advertise on those threads, to bring traffic over here :D

[Sandy Sails]

My last cruise was 4 years ago, and although we had a nice Roll Call here, the private FB group was hilarious and so much more fun.

 

I discovered Cruise Critic in 2006 and discovered the Roll Call a week before my Empress cruise that April. It was amazing to meet these people from all over the world. That cruise they all witnessed me meeting my husband, then on the Roll Call, which went on for YEARS, witnessed us falling in love and getting married. (this was before FB)

 

So 4 years ago we had a reunion cruise with all of these same people, from all over the world. They helped us celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary and reminisced about who got us to dance first, who got us to kiss first. It was so magical.

 

So thank you Cruise Critic and thank you Roll Calls. I may never cruise again but you'll always be special to me.

[Disneycruisers]

http://www.hollandamerica.com/cruise-vacation-planning/PlanningAndAdvice.action?tabName=Popular+Topics&WT.ac=pnav_FBG_FAQ

 

If you go down on to the bottom you see a link for the 2016 FB roll call. From there you set up your meet and greet at FB.

 

 

Now I can see why this is not something CC would want to do but if their roll call threads are not as active as they use to be ... this seems like a win/win for the cruise lines.

 

And CC could certainly advertise on those threads, to bring traffic over here :D

 

Like button! :)

[blueblock]

The meet-and-mingles I've been to have ranged from deadly dull to ordinary dull. I keep going to them anyway, apparently because I am a slow learner. I don't think I'd miss them if they were gone, though.

 

I find the roll calls helpful for setting up private excursions and exchanging information about price drops, destinations, etc. Most of my cruises have been European, and the Roll Calls are reasonably active.

[pharaoh]

Hi all. I know the CD staff is in charge of the M&M's. My question is, is there an email address or some way to contact the staff? My roll call is actually active but no one has confirmed our M&M and we are getting worried that it might be cancelled. We're still 6 weeks out but we would like to contact them just in case. Thanks in advance!

[yj2cute]

My last cruise was 4 years ago, and although we had a nice Roll Call here, the private FB group was hilarious and so much more fun.

 

I discovered Cruise Critic in 2006 and discovered the Roll Call a week before my Empress cruise that April. It was amazing to meet these people from all over the world. That cruise they all witnessed me meeting my husband, then on the Roll Call, which went on for YEARS, witnessed us falling in love and getting married. (this was before FB)

 

So 4 years ago we had a reunion cruise with all of these same people, from all over the world. They helped us celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary and reminisced about who got us to dance first, who got us to kiss first. It was so magical.

 

So thank you Cruise Critic and thank you Roll Calls. I may never cruise again but you'll always be special to me.

 

What a great story. This is what the roll calls used to be all about and what I miss. Congratulations!

[Queen of Oakville]

I'm 46 and FB is still relevant to me. But for the 20 something's and younger (judging by my nieces/nephews, kids and young cousins) - FB is not their thing. However, we are the ones with the cruising dollars not them :D

 

I could be wrong, but didn't Holland America move their official cruise meets to FB?

 

My last cruise was 4 years ago, and although we had a nice Roll Call here, the private FB group was hilarious and so much more fun.

 

I discovered Cruise Critic in 2006 and discovered the Roll Call a week before my Empress cruise that April. It was amazing to meet these people from all over the world. That cruise they all witnessed me meeting my husband, then on the Roll Call, which went on for YEARS, witnessed us falling in love and getting married. (this was before FB)

 

So 4 years ago we had a reunion cruise with all of these same people, from all over the world. They helped us celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary and reminisced about who got us to dance first, who got us to kiss first. It was so magical.

 

So thank you Cruise Critic and thank you Roll Calls. I may never cruise again but you'll always be special to me.

 

<3

 

What an amazing story!

[Half Pint]

ah the dreaded advertisers!

 

I though it was about losing site traffic.

 

I'm not entirely sure how it all works but does CC actually offer advertising? I see the google ads banner here, but that (I think) is more of a function of CC signing up for google ads. They get revenue from google not from the actual advertiser.

 

For example, right now, I'm see an ad for Far Away Greens Indoor golf in Burlington, Ontario. I suspect I'm see that ad because I recently googled for golf summer camps. You are seeing an entirely different ad based on your location and the type of ads google wants you to see. I don't think this has anything to do with these companies actually advertising on Cruise Critic.

 

I just clicked on the ad which took me to the Far Away Greens website (wanted to make sure they were a local company). Now that I have clicked on the ad Far Away Greens has to pay google for the ad. There is no revenue whatsoever to Cruise Critic for me linking to that site.

Thank god for ad blockers.

[Oak Hill Cruisers]

At the M&M, we wear lanyards with a card showing our first given name, our Cruise Critic name, and a photo of our Cruise Critic avatar picture. If you post often on your roll call thread, folks at the M&M will recognize you and come over and chat.

 

One of the folks organizing private tours told us that RCI discourages announcements during the M&M about tour arrangements, payments and the like. Not sure if this is true.

 

On a recent X cruise, a good portion of the meet & mingle was devoted to several people making announcements about their tours -- which may have been a bit off-putting for non-tour participants.

[ckfred]

I was on the Majesty's 4-day cruise last week. For the longest time, there was no roll call for the cruise. So, I started the thread. Only 2 other people signed up, even though the Majesty was full with 2,700 passengers, nearly 2,000 from the U.S. according to the Cruise Director.

[BecciBoo]

Paulette: A few years ago Teens had a fad creating their Prom Dresses and Tux out of Duct Tape. There's even a boat making contest on the web...I thought it might be fun to see what we could come up with at M&M.

 

We got the Cruise Directors staff to judge the creations. ...it was a phenomenal success, there were something like 12 entries and lots of chatting and mingling occurred. I bought little prizes like mini flash lights etc. for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd winners. I think the winner was a lady who made a purse, headband and jewelry. My DH made a tie. People really got creative and clever. Here's a video of the winner...

 

View My Video

 

[Kingofwylietx]

If roll calls are getting smaller and less active, I wonder if it may also be related to the sizes of the ships. Certainly, there are probably lots of reasons. However, I can imagine that going to a M&M would be less attractive today than it was in the past. Today, there are just so many other neat and fun activities vying for that same time.

[grand isle joe]

If roll calls are getting smaller and less active, I wonder if it may also be related to the sizes of the ships. Certainly, there are probably lots of reasons. However, I can imagine that going to a M&M would be less attractive today than it was in the past. Today, there are just so many other neat and fun activities vying for that same time.

 

...........plus who wants to be stuck in a room when it is beautiful outside listening to a bunch of blowhards and braggarts who drone on and on about "status" and "knowing" all the crew members? It reminds me of a weekly meeting of residents of a two bit assistant living facility. :eek: I usually sign up so those "sea gulls" can have a forum to boast but never attend.....too many great things aboard the ship to participate in.

Edited April 5, 2016 by grand isle joe

[Paulxyz2004]

I´ve made some great friends for life on CC and through the M&M, however These days I don´t bother anymore to post on Roll Calls or to participate in M&M.

 

Just as the wolrd keeps changing, cruising changes and CC changes as well.

 

I still Chat with my friends and I still value information on Cruisecritic, but for most of todays regular Posters, I have no desire to actually meet them in Person or spend my vacation with them.:eek: