Meet and Greet on Oceania

[alcpa1]

Does Oceania sponsor any gathering for the Cruise Critic passengers?

[gbits]

No they do not. Someone from the roll call will usually put it together. Oceania will provide an area to meet and officers will stop by, but no refreshments.

[LHT28]

just  to clarify 

there are no free alcoholic drinks 

There  will be waitstaff to take your drink orders

 

 

 

[GeezerCouple]

We've had regular "bar snack" nibbles provided, and topped up either as needed or upon request.

And of course, there is no charge for non-alcoholic beverages.

 

GC

[alcpa1]

I didn't think so and I appreciate your responses.

[Redtravel]

on some cruises, we have had complimentary drinks and snacks. On some cruises, there is nothing. I don't know what makes it happen or not.  There are some cruise lines that like to meet & mingle with guests. Some lines avoid making it easy for cruise critics to meet. Guess that they don't value the meeting.  Azamara has hosted multiple coffees to greet and discuss various things.  On my first Azamara cruise, there were 4 events during the 2 weeks. If you want to meet people from your roll call, start the event, pick a date and time, let the cruisers know, inform the cruise line, and hope that there will be some refreshments.

[LHT28]

2 minutes ago, Redtravel said:

on some cruises, we have had complimentary drinks and snacks. On some cruises, there is nothing. I don't know what makes it happen or not. 

Could  be  a Travel agent  organized the event  & paid for the  drinks/snacks or  an alumni group  you were in paid for the extra snacks/drinks

That is an option if people want to  pay for the hors d’oeuvres & drink package for the party

or you can just buy your own alcoholic  beverages  & enjoy the simple snacks of chips/pretzels/nuts

 

I have done several M & G  the goal is to meet those on the roll call & find those you may have tours  with

JMO

 

[warburg]

Hello, LHT28. In 2004, on our Venice-Athens cruise on Insignia, Oceania did host a party as we sailed away from Venice. It was lovely. On our Marina TA  from Rome, in her maiden year, they hosted another one. Out of our six cruises on O, they were the only hosted ones for CCs. O does host repeaters parties. 

Mary

[LHT28]

3 minutes ago, warburg said:

Hello, LHT28. In 2004, on our Venice-Athens cruise on Insignia, Oceania did host a party as we sailed away from Venice. It was lovely. On our Marina TA  from Rome, in her maiden year, they hosted another one. Out of our six cruises on O, they were the only hosted ones for CCs. O does host repeaters parties. 

Mary

Yes back in the day  Oceania  did host M & G parties if  the group  met the minimum numbers   but that ended  about 2006  (I think)

Yes a maiden voyage  of the new  class of ship would certainly be a reason to party

But  generally they do NOT host  CC M & G  with free  alcoholic beverages

Someone will correct me if  I am wrong

 

[bob brown]

On 12/11/2018 at 1:04 PM, Redtravel said:

.  There are some cruise lines that like to meet & mingle with guests. Some lines avoid making it easy for cruise critics to meet. Guess that they don't value the meeting. 

Probably the reason that some lines do not like the M&M, is because often it is used by various passenger's to solicit joining privately organized tours....which in a sense are in direct competition with those offered by the cruise line.   

While there is nothing wrong with doing this right here on CC  on the Roll Call's, I think it is in poor taste to do at the event that the ship has provided for CC....or at least wait until the officer's have left the room, and do it quietly...JMHO...

[Redtravel]

People who join other people from cruisecritic exchange info way before embarkation.  On our most recent Oceania cruise we shared private tours with 3 people that we exchanged info on the rollcall.  There was no meet & mingle. We arranged our own places and times to meet each other. The meet & mingle is just a nice way for people who like cruising to meet.  I have never arranged a private tour with anyone while on the ship.  I like to plan in advance.   When Oceania has a meet & mingle, it is arranged by somebody on the rollcall.   I don't think that Oceania objects to an event. They don't seem to want to send out invitations.

[LHT28]

12 minutes ago, Redtravel said:

They don't seem to want to send out invitations.

I have not had a  problem getting invites sent out  but do not expect  it for  embarkation day  M & G

IME

 You need to supply the Concierge with a list of pax names.cabin numbers on embarkation day & they will check what date is available  for your M & G

some of the M & G 's have been 100pax  so now I just opt for  embarkation day or the sea day  without invites .. it is come if you want deal 😉

[StanandJim]

1 hour ago, Redtravel said:

 I don't think that Oceania objects to an event. They don't seem to want to send out invitations.

Invitations are so amazingly cheap now through Vistaprint and similar services, that we just bring them with us.  

 

[Mura]

Jim was kind enough to send me info a few years ago about his invites, but we ended up cancelling the pertinent cruise as I recall so I haven't used Vistaprint myself.

 

Oceania has always sent out invitations to M&Gs that I set up, except as Lyn said it's not possible if you do it on embarkation day -- which has been the case with mine on the last 3-4 cruises.  When you have a port intensive cruise, it seemed best to do the M&G right after the boat drill.  People could still get together for a drink and then go to dinner.  Otherwise I met with the concierge to schedule a time and place.  This was usually on a sea day (not conflicting with the Captain's Party) and in Horizons.

 

I would just meet with the concierge upon boarding and give him my list.  Invitations were always delivered without a hitch.

 

While initially O didn't provide nibbles, for a number of years now they have.  Peanuts, chips, etc.

 

The comment about management not liking people to use the M&G for soliciting people for private tours, I've never seen anything like that happening.  If you are on a Roll Call -- and that's where people find out about the M&G -- you already have your private tours setup.  There's no need to seek out additional passengers.

 

They do NOT like to see people forking over money to pay for the tours, however, at these functions!  That didn't stop the person on our Black Sea cruise in 2012 who did collect money there!  She encountered no problems at all from staff.

 

Mura

 

[alcpa1]

I truly appreciate the input as this will be our first Oceania cruise.

I've opened the Roll Call but there have been no additional posters. The cruise is 14 months away and I'm sure we aren't sailing alone. After trying to sail with Oceania a couple of times we finally were able to get cabins. That's why we booked so far out.

I am an organizer so I will make sure we have a gathering of one kind or another. 

Thanks

[bob brown]

Most of the roll calls I have been on, on other lines, someone on the roll call volunteers to organize the meet and greet party on board, and maintains the list of participants on the roll call, or sometimes also a linked spreadsheet.   This person will coordinate the event with the group planner on board the ship, and when they give them the approximate final count, they will be notified of the time and place...in time to post it on the roll call for all to see, so no invitation's are really necessary.

RCI and Celebrity and perhaps a few other's are exceptions, as they have a place to 'register', and they maintain the list, and place invitations in the cabin the night before....

[mjox32]

On 12/13/2018 at 11:49 PM, alcpa1 said:

I truly appreciate the input as this will be our first Oceania cruise.

I've opened the Roll Call but there have been no additional posters. The cruise is 14 months away and I'm sure we aren't sailing alone. After trying to sail with Oceania a couple of times we finally were able to get cabins. That's why we booked so far out.

I am an organizer so I will make sure we have a gathering of one kind or another. 

Thanks

 

Alcpa1 I posted to your roll call.  This segment of the cruise is part of a Grand Voyage cruise.  Do you have to have a roll call for each segment of a cruise?   

 

[LHT28]

3 hours ago, mjox32 said:

 

Alcpa1 I posted to your roll call.  This segment of the cruise is part of a Grand Voyage cruise.  Do you have to have a roll call for each segment of a cruise?   

 

It makes it easier for those not doing  the GV  but  just one segment

 

Having several segments joined together   as GV makes  the Roll call's  more confusing  for some

JMO