Very inactive Roll Call

[Andee]

We're on the Regatta departing Oct 17.

Although a few people identified themselves on the Roll Call, only one other couple has been active.

It's interesting, considering that many cabin categories are waitlisted and all shore excursions in some ports are full.

I've loved Cruise Critic since 2003, but this reminds me how few people use it.

 

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[Mura]

It has seemed to me that roll calls in general have been far less active since the onset of "free" tours with oLife. Certainly that's been the case with all the cruises we've taken since then.

[warburg]

Greetings, Andee, from South Beach. This thread may be quiet because of where it is going. Whenever we are going to an interesting place or on a new ship, lots of activity. We cruise for lots of reasons, and usually consult CC. When we went on Regent's TA on Explorer, in March, the thread was very active. Now, our December Caribbean on the same ship has about thirteen participants.

 

Since we moved full time to the Beach, we have lost enthusiasm for flying. The port is 25 minutes from our place, and there are so many choices from here. CC is now hosting Meet & Greets on some lines. Regent is in the program, and groups of 12 or larger will have a sponsored event. However, the group as to be formed at least 30 days prior to departure. Check the program out. Bon voyage.

Mary

[Robb]

I know what you mean about a slow Roll Call. We are on the Regatta cruise just before yours. We leave on Oct. 8th, only 9 more days before departure. We have a total of 22 messages for the entire thread, and 10 of those are mine. We will have a small 'meet and greet' for a sail away drink, 3 couples. Quality instead of quantity.:cool::cool::cool::cool:

[RJB]

It has seemed to me that roll calls in general have been far less active since the onset of "free" tours with oLife. Certainly that's been the case with all the cruises we've taken since then.

I guess you never know. Our Dec. T/A has 10 pages. And our "free" tours are just included one's. Somewhere we are paying for them. We aren't getting something for nothing. For sure. But some of them are pretty good.

[Paulchili]

And our "free" tours are just included one's. Somewhere we are paying for them. We aren't getting something for nothing. For sure. But some of them are pretty good.

 

Of course they are not free - nothing is.

You can choose "cruise only" fare if you don't think the "free" (included) tours are a good deal.

[bitob]

I guess you never know. Our Dec. T/A has 10 pages. And our "free" tours are just included one's. Somewhere we are paying for them. We aren't getting something for nothing. For sure. But some of them are pretty good.

 

 

 

Yes. 10 pages. But for a ta that is tiny. Tas traditionally had some of the most active roll calls. we once had over 200 at a ta m& g

 

 

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[LHT28]

CC is now hosting Meet & Greets on some lines. Regent is in the program, and groups of 12 or larger will have a sponsored event. However, the group as to be formed at least 30 days prior to departure. Check the program out. Bon voyage.

Mary

Oceania is not in the program for hosting M & G

 

Regent is all inclusive anyway so no big deal for them to add some snacks to the free drinks

 

JMO

[LHT28]

Our roll call is quiet also

not much for tour sharing but then again it is a Caribbean cruise

maybe the included tours from O life have some effect on the low participation or people are just not doing tour sharing as much

It is a shame as we had some great tours in the past with fellow roll call people

[Noxequifans]

Would the increasing need for privacy be part of the issue?

[RJB]

Yes. 10 pages. But for a ta that is tiny. Tas traditionally had some of the most active roll calls. we once had over 200 at a ta m& g

 

 

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This is our first T/A so don't know about how many are on them compared to other cruises. Just seems like a lot to me. Interesting to know why that would be the case.

[Andee]

We've met lots of great people on Roll Calls in the past. Mura, I remember the cruise that didn't go to Libya.

We picked the OLife perk of shore excursions because it seemed like the most financially advantageous.

 

 

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[Mura]

I well recall non-Libya ... where we had a pre-formed group of 8 for a number of independent tours.

 

I put "free" in quotes because of course you are paying extra for the privilege. It's still less than it would cost to book them individually. On our cruises in June and October 2016 we did use the oLife tours, but we won't for our November cruise, simply because it wouldn't pay for that one. We could have five "free" tours but because we are meeting friends and relatives in two of the ports, it wouldn't pay ... so any ship's tours we will do will be purchased on board.

 

I wasn't trying to be judgmental about the quality of ship's tours because in general we've been pleased with them, even though we do prefer private tours which are usually less expensive and ALWAYS smaller.

 

I can see where roll calls would be less active on Caribbean tours, but our next two cruises are in Europe and although these aren't particularly unusual itineraries, they are the kind of itineraries that used to result in very active roll calls.

 

It also depends on the passengers taking your cruise ... especially if they've never heard of Cruise Critic!

[Andee]

Usually, we prefer touring independently or in a small private tour, for the cost saving, the personalization, and the small size.

This time, we only booked a month in advance, which gave me less time to plan.

Due to DH's heart and my weight, we hardly drink alcohol, so the beverage package didn't make sense.

Our TA is paying for gratuities and giving us some OBC, so we couldn't figure out what we'd do with $800 in OBC.

That left the shore excursions; the ones we've picked total almost $1200, do the value seems good.

We took the $300 air credit because I could get non-stop flights for $186.

 

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[ORV]

It has seemed to me that roll calls in general have been far less active since the onset of "free" tours with oLife. Certainly that's been the case with all the cruises we've taken since then.

 

I agree with this very much.

[YoHoHo]

I agree the Roll Calls seem quieter for me. One pre-O-life Regatta to Alaska Roll Call was also very quiet. Arranged a couple of private tours which is not as easy as say, Europe as it is a short season for the tour operators and so many of the popular ones have exclusivity contracts with most the cruise lines. But not many on that roll call in any case.

 

Had one very busy TA Roll call but that was several years back and normally I would expect TA Roll calls to be quiet as fewer tours to arrange and ports to discuss.

 

Earlier this year a Cuba Roll call was slow, though not dead and a very good M & G (though ended abruptly when told to immediately pack up and leave due to a large affinity group taking over all of Horizon vs. the 1/2 they started with) Apparently prearranged that they would need it all but then why put us in there too?). There were three Roll calls for Cuba around the same time. One mostly active with those who were made that O changed the cruise to go to Cuba, ours, not dead but not nearly as busy as another one. That was very active.

 

I think it takes three to make an active Roll Call. If just one or two keep posting "anyone out there" keeps those away who are not as social and yet if those folks don't post then the roll Call will seem dead and others will not join.

 

Interestingly just earlier today saw the same thread topic on HAL's board.

 

So maybe quiet because of O-life, maybe quiet becasue of those already on the Roll call (yikes, not anyone I know and hopefully not me!), maybe quiet for a variety of reasons much like each cruise seems to have its own ambience

[sammiedawg]

Our roll call is quiet also

not much for tour sharing but then again it is a Caribbean cruise

maybe the included tours from O life have some effect on the low participation or people are just not doing tour sharing as much

It is a shame as we had some great tours in the past with fellow roll call people

 

I agree. Whether you choose O life excursions or O life OBC there is less incentive to share private tours. We are now taking a couple ship tours per cruise just to use OBC. We still DIY and will share a couple tours depending on itinerary.

[Go-Bucks!]

I usually cruise Princess and some on Celebrity. Most roll calls I've been a part of for these cruise lines are very active, but they have far more passengers than Oceania ships. 2,000-3,000 vs. 684; seems like there would naturally be fewer roll call participants on Oceania.

 

Both of the Oceania roll calls that I'm on are very slow. Certainly not as fun as active ones. A Celebrity roll call I was on for a 2016 cruise got lots and lots of posts daily and about 400 people actively posting! Did dinners together and many excursions. Really a great way to prepare and make friends.

[AZjohn]

My initial feeling was our inactive roll call for the Med next May was just a one-off situation. Decided last night to look at other cruise lines roll calls around the same date and similar ports and come to find out they all also have very slow starting threads.

 

Maybe anecdotal evidence, but perhaps CC roll calls aren't what they use to be several years ago? Things do change. Regardless, I'm still always looking forward to meeting other cruise passengers regardless if they post on roll calls or not. 99% of everyone I meet on board are great people looking for traveling adventure as we are. :)

 

Cheers,

John

[MarkieMarkNYC]

99% of everyone I meet on board are great people looking for traveling adventure as we are. :)

 

Cheers,

John

This is why I don't participate in roll calls. It's just so easy to meet enjoyable people naturally as the cruise happens.

[Mura]

I'm not sure that most people join a roll call to meet people in advance as the main purpose. I certainly don't. It's of course true that you can meet people on board as easily as you can meet them online. Besides, you might get along just great when you are posting on a message board and find that you really aren't simpatico when you meet in person.

 

My main reason for the roll call is in finding out information about ports as well as possibly setting up private tours. And the oLife tours have definitely impacted the latter.

 

Mura

[Andee]

I agree with Mura.

While I enjoy meeting people on a roll call, my main reason for joining is to share private tours.

 

 

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[LHT28]

a lot of cruisers are now using other social media sites to set up tours & chatting without some restrictions that CC have

I am not one of them but agree I join the roll call to share tours & info

a M & G is a bonus

sometime you hit it off with some people & are friends for a long time after the cruise ;)

[Andee]

How do you find fellow passengers on social media?

We'll, on Facebook, since that's the only one I use.

 

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[pinotlover]

Seems to be more procrastination now also. A lot of people signing up for cruises near sailing time and/ or waiting to sign up for shore tours. Last two cruises I've taken has seen roll call activity 10 or do months out. At that time, a small group of us made reservations and got everything lined up. Then the roll call went dead for months. Then about a 4-6 weeks out, new people seemed to wake up and say "we need to make plans!!".

 

To that later Group, it's "good luck". We booked everything months ago, where were you? Our next cruise is a 10 day cruise with nine port days. We are doing zero Oceania ship tours, all private tours booked with early roll call participants.