CC meet and greet..

[Troban]

We board on Sat in Montreal on the Regatta and several of us have posted on a roll call for the last several months but nothing is planned. Who usually does this?

 

 

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[JoePDX]

We board on Sat in Montreal on the Regatta and several of us have posted on a roll call for the last several months but nothing is planned. Who usually does this?

 

 

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Oceania does not host official Cruise Critic meet and greets. One of your fellow passengers (or you) will need to settle on a place and time and get the word out. :)

Edited October 18, 2016 by JoePDX

[LHT28]

Someone on the roll call usually organizes one

We usually tell the Concierge when we board we will be meeting in Horizons they will provide a sign & an area if available

 

[janecambridge]

I sometimes wonder in cruise ship meet and greets,when they specify the space,if there is a cctv watching the passengers who belong to cruise critic.....

Tee heeee....

Edited October 19, 2016 by janecambridge
Spelling

[Mura]

I just set up a M&G on the October 4th sailing on SIRENA. Usually I do as Lyn suggested, give a list of participants to the concierge who selects a time and place depending on what else is going on around the ship. I've never had any place but Horizons selected, even with very small groups.

 

The October 4th sailing was somewhat different because the first three days were ports of call. So the first sea day was on the 8th. Therefore, I contacted Oceania in advance so that we could do it the day we boarded. A couple of people preferred waiting until that first sea day but most people wanted to do it earlier. Several had tours set up for those first few days and wanted to see their fellow participants in advance.

 

It worked out very well. For the first and only time in my experience, everyone who said they were coming actually did!

 

I always prepare printed name tags, but many people just use the stick-on kind and have a pen or marker available so that people can write in their own names.

 

It's not complicated! Just make sure they know that whoever is setting this up is NOT getting the bar bill! That happened to me our first time, even though we had made it clear that it was a cash bar. The word just didn't get to the bartenders that time.

 

Mura

[LHT28]

I just set up a M&G on the October 4th sailing on SIRENA. Usually I do as Lyn suggested, give a list of participants to the concierge who selects a time and place depending on what else is going on around the ship. I've never had any place but Horizons selected, even with very small groups.

 

The October 4th sailing was somewhat different because the first three days were ports of call. So the first sea day was on the 8th. Therefore, I contacted Oceania in advance so that we could do it the day we boarded. A couple of people preferred waiting until that first sea day but most people wanted to do it earlier. Several had tours set up for those first few days and wanted to see their fellow participants in advance.

 

It worked out very well. For the first and only time in my experience, everyone who said they were coming actually did!

 

I always prepare printed name tags, but many people just use the stick-on kind and have a pen or marker available so that people can write in their own names.

 

It's not complicated! Just make sure they know that whoever is setting this up is NOT getting the bar bill! That happened to me our first time, even though we had made it clear that it was a cash bar. The word just didn't get to the bartenders that time.

 

Mura

Sometimes I just do it the first night after muster & just tell the Concierge we will be there so he can let the F & B manager know to have more bar staff

Never ran into the bar bill problem ..everyone was billed separately

[boerneDQ]

I did as Mura did but for the September 20 sailing of Sirena. I actually contacted O via the contact us on the Webpage and asked that they let the concierge know we planned to meet right after Muster in Horizons. I also let the CD know when I boarded as I happened to run into him. O had the sign set-up with bar staff and ALL of the Senior Officers showed up except the Captain!

Charlotte

[curtdesilets]

I just set up a M&G on the October 4th sailing on SIRENA. Usually I do as Lyn suggested, give a list of participants to the concierge who selects a time and place depending on what else is going on around the ship. I've never had any place but Horizons selected, even with very small groups.

 

The October 4th sailing was somewhat different because the first three days were ports of call. So the first sea day was on the 8th. Therefore, I contacted Oceania in advance so that we could do it the day we boarded. A couple of people preferred waiting until that first sea day but most people wanted to do it earlier. Several had tours set up for those first few days and wanted to see their fellow participants in advance.

 

It worked out very well. For the first and only time in my experience, everyone who said they were coming actually did!

 

I always prepare printed name tags, but many people just use the stick-on kind and have a pen or marker available so that people can write in their own names.

 

It's not complicated! Just make sure they know that whoever is setting this up is NOT getting the bar bill! That happened to me our first time, even though we had made it clear that it was a cash bar. The word just didn't get to the bartenders that time.

 

Mura

 

I am the Meet and Greet organizer for our Dec 11th Sirena cruise. We intend on having it on the 1st sea day, which will be the 3rd day of a 10-day cruise. I will have plenty of time to arrange with the Concierge.

 

Any chance an Officer (or 2, or 3) can visit the Meet and Greet, and perhaps the Cruise Director, Dottie?

[LHT28]

I am the Meet and Greet organizer for our Dec 11th Sirena cruise. We intend on having it on the 1st sea day, which will be the 3rd day of a 10-day cruise. I will have plenty of time to arrange with the Concierge.

 

Any chance an Officer (or 2, or 3) can visit the Meet and Greet, and perhaps the Cruise Director, Dottie?

The last couple we have had the CD attend & the GM did on one of them

[Mura]

My experience (as opposed to Lyn's is that they don't. But then -- I never asked!

 

I remember a M&G on NCL back in 2010 on a TA and they had all the senior staff present. But Oceania (at least back then) didn't do so. But it doesn't hurt to ask ...

 

Mura

[boerneDQ]

I was very surprised by the number of officers that attended the M&G for our sailing. My guess is that it was because I had sent the info thru Miami to the concierge that they were informed far enough ahead to free up their time to attend. I did not request their attendance, but everyone was very pleased to get to meet them and chat.

It may vary depending on other duties on the day....

[LHT28]

I was very surprised by the number of officers that attended the M&G for our sailing. My guess is that it was because I had sent the info thru Miami to the concierge that they were informed far enough ahead to free up their time to attend. I did not request their attendance, but everyone was very pleased to get to meet them and chat.

It may vary depending on other duties on the day....

I did not send my info to Miami & yet the CD was there

 

I think they are now taking a more active roll in the M & G

They used to host the M & G way back in the early years but that stopped

[mare s.]

We will be taking our first Oceania cruise next year. In the past few years we've been exclusively on Azamara. They have always hosted the M&G, providing wine and canapes and the CD always starts off the meeting. The hotel director is generally there and often the captain stops by to say hello. It's a nice event.

[LHT28]

We will be taking our first Oceania cruise next year. In the past few years we've been exclusively on Azamara. They have always hosted the M&G, providing wine and canapes and the CD always starts off the meeting. The hotel director is generally there and often the captain stops by to say hello. It's a nice event.

Oceania is not like Azamara

You may be disappointed if you are expecting a catered M & G

Edited October 20, 2016 by LHT28

[Paulchili]

Oceania is not like Azamara

You may be disappointed if you are expecting a catered M & G

 

But I don't think you'll be disappointed in anything else :D

[mare s.]

But I don't think you'll be disappointed in anything else :D

 

I hope not. I'm learning a lot about Oceania on these boards. The more I know the more realistic my expectations. I am looking forward to very good food and very good service and an interesting itinerary. And those are the main reasons we cruise anyway.

[Paulchili]

I hope not. I'm learning a lot about Oceania on these boards. The more I know the more realistic my expectations. I am looking forward to very good food and very good service and an interesting itinerary. And those are the main reasons we cruise anyway.

 

You have the right attitude. Realistic expectations and an open mind with a new cruise line to you are the first steps to avoiding disappointment and having a good cruise experience.

Enjoy!

[LHT28]

I hope not. I'm learning a lot about Oceania on these boards. The more I know the more realistic my expectations. I am looking forward to very good food and very good service and an interesting itinerary. And those are the main reasons we cruise anyway.

An open mind & trying not to compare with other lines (hard to do)

you will have as more pleasant experience if you take Oceania for what is & not what it is not ;)

[ellbon]

I have done one oceania and one regent about 5 years ago. .Due to the fact i was on the new Marina with the lounge etc.. It will be interesting to see an "R" done up by Oceania. I am taking this years cruise for the ports. I know the food will be different and sounds like some is better like Lobster. I will miss the friendly officers but could care less about the M&G. as long as my butler good and the food good i am happy.

[bitob]

A lot depends on who organizes the m & g. Some of us have been able to have it "catered" and have officers attend. A lot also depends on how many are attending. We once had 200 plus on a transatlantic. Too big a group for o to ignore

 

 

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[Hawaiidan]

I hope not. I'm learning a lot about Oceania on these boards. The more I know the more realistic my expectations. I am looking forward to very good food and very good service and an interesting itinerary. And those are the main reasons we cruise anyway.

 

The fastest way to get up set is to compare one line to another. Going on a new line expecting it to be another version of another is the road to misery.

O stresses cuisine, in no less than 6 excellent venues.. and that more than serves her clientele.

 

Yes Azamar has similar ships, but thats as far as it goes.. O it totally different in a very good way in th opinions of many. Hey read the Carnival thresds...some folks just adore everything about Carnival.

 

Many, myself included, could give a rats reared about meeting with the General manager, the captain and any other officer, mate , cook or bottle washer., as I am sure they are equally un excited about meeting me or others. We come to cruise, dine in the company of fellow passengers like us. That is enough without special parties, bars and the like.

 

It is an independent, self sufficient well mannered group that really dosent need or want to be fawned over by staff. We are happy they are good at what they do, but that is sufficient thanks and recognition.

 

I think you may find that the fellow passengers on Oceania will be even more enjoyable to socially interact with than staff. Many skip the Captains party, farewell party, the O club reception as just PR fluff and seem to enjoy life quite well. never meeting the captain or knowing names or stature. Sort of like hanging with the ski instructor, or Life guard at the beach for some sort of status..

 

Murna has her act together...I laud her. However meet and greets are hit and miss. on my last cruise they even published a time and place... only 2 showed up...as everyone else was engrossed in other things, to them more rewarding.

 

For the most part I think Meet and greets started earily on in cruising and were a way to meet people on huge ships awash with thousands, of disoriented ,insecure passengers, lost in their new surroundings, people looking for something, someone to orient themselves with..meeting someone, anyone in the crowd.

 

O ships are 1/5 the size to 1/10 the size and in truth in a few days you pretty much run into everyone on the ship and the feeling of a seagoing family takes root, something quite foreign og the maga sea monsters afloat today.

 

What O lacks or dosent do, is exactly what attracts many of us to patronize Oceania repeating cruises again and again just for that atmosphere they find so warm and comforting. Me well, I just plain decided after some 30 years of cruising all over the world, that Oceania was exactly what I was looking for.. how can i beat that?

[Mura]

Dan, you can't! It's as simple as that.

 

As for the value of M&Gs, we've always done them because it's a nice way to meet other passengers on your Roll Call. If I didn't know about Roll Calls, I probably wouldn't do it either! (Well, truth be told, if it weren't for the Roll Call I wouldn't KNOW about the M&G!)

 

On the cruise we just left (Sirena, 10/4 to 10/22) we made several excellent friends, starting with the Roll Call and proceeding to the M&G.

 

But is a M&G essential? No, I wouldn't say so. It just can make things easier.

 

Another way is to share tables at dinner but it has recently become clear to me from posts here that there are a lot of people who prefer to dine alone, just as they do as home. (Well, I assume they do so at home.)

 

In our case, we dine alone at home so we've always liked to share tables. That has been modified a bit recently because DH has vision as well as hearing problems, and it embarrasses him to not hear what people are saying. So on our June cruise on Nautica and our October cruise on Sirena, we tended to dine alone. Not MY choice! But thanks to the Roll Call and the M&G my DH was more amenable to dining with others.

 

Mura

[sdk1980]

I am traveling with my family, I have a 1200sq foot suite all to myself! My friend cancelled on me last minute and now I don't have any one to go with. My family is great, but I am a 36yr old male and it's my first luxury cruise. So I guess what you're saying is I'm just going to have to meet people on my own?

 

 

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[JimandStan]

I am traveling with my family, I have a 1200sq foot suite all to myself! My friend cancelled on me last minute and now I don't have any one to go with. My family is great, but I am a 36yr old male and it's my first luxury cruise. So I guess what you're saying is I'm just going to have to meet people on my own?

 

 

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LOL, you're mixing the apples with the oranges! :D

 

The topic of this Thread is the introductory party which we on Cruise Critic often arrange for (and amongst) ourselves at the start of a Cruise.

 

These parties are generically referred to as "Meet and Greets", but by no means are they the only way of meeting people on the ship.

 

 

Suggestions:

• Look for the "Singles Get Together" which will be posted in "Currents" the ship's newspaper, once you are on the ship.
  
• Make it a point to share tables in the Grand Dining Room and Terrace Cafe with others. The Restaurant Captains are a great help with this.....get to the restaurants early and chat with them for a bit ;)
  You will meet all kinds of nice people.
  

[sdk1980]

I am fine on my own, just don't like my friend skipping out last minute. If you say it's as friendly as you say I won't need a M&G because I'm outgoing! It's because this is the luxurious cruise I have been on and have a whole lot of space all to myself

 

 

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