Meet and Mingle - am I missing something?

[SandyDix]

We have just booked our first celebrity cruise on Silhouette. I note that at meet and mingle parties, the ship supplies light snacks and non-alcoholic drinks, with alcoholic drinks available to buy. What is the point of this when people have paid for full board anyway, and the vast majority will have a drinks package that includes alcoholic drinks? With this in mind, it seems to me that Celebrity are not actually providing anything at all at these meet and mingle parties!  I do accept that people may wish to meet fellow cruisers who they've been chatting to online, but surely this could be arranged privately between parties? Perhaps I am missing something here?!

[2tixParadise]

Just guessing here - but maybe it provides a large enough space for everyone signed up on a roll call.  Also gives a way for Celebrity to have a little bit of presence on Cruise Critic - a website where a lot of people researching cruises or chatting online are

[GUT2407]

13 minutes ago, SandyDix said:

We have just booked our first celebrity cruise on Silhouette. I note that at meet and mingle parties, the ship supplies light snacks and non-alcoholic drinks, with alcoholic drinks available to buy. What is the point of this when people have paid for full board anyway, and the vast majority will have a drinks package that includes alcoholic drinks? With this in mind, it seems to me that Celebrity are not actually providing anything at all at these meet and mingle parties!  I do accept that people may wish to meet fellow cruisers who they've been chatting to online, but surely this could be arranged privately between parties? Perhaps I am missing something here?!

What would you like them to provide??

Edited February 8, 2019 by GUT2407

[abbydancer2003]

I think what you are missing is that people on active roll calls enjoy meeting each other, and it's nice that the cruiseline provides a way to do that early in the cruise.    And while the snacks provided aren't something they couldn't get anyway, some people enjoy having them.

 

Also, there are usually some ship officers there to say hello.  Sometimes they stay a bit to chat, some times they just say hello when introduced and then leave. 

 

It's a nice way for people who have been chatting for months or years to put a face to a name.

Edited February 8, 2019 by abbydancer

[Toftwood]

I think like-minded people like to meet up as a group.  Yes, you could arrange to meet others you have “chatting to” on a forum but they would be “individual” meetings.  If your sailing has a big roll call, there may well be lots of people you would be keen to meet.  Doing it collectively so to speak, makes that easy. Our next sailing is T/Atl (no drinks package perks!) so with lots of sea days, we will no doubt be seeing a lot of our fellow roll call passengers around the ship during our eight sea days and it will have been nice to put a face to a name at the beginning if the cruise, not half way through it.

[laslomas]

As well as meeting other Roll Call members and finalising arrangements for activities, meeting the crew is a big part of any Meet and Mingle I have been to. I met an officer last time who said he regularly reads this forum and that he passes on ideas and comments to Heads of Department's and the Captain. The refreshments are not a big part of it, as stated they are available anywhere on the ship anyway, but usually a good number of the officers and the Captain give their time to attend the gathering and to meet us. 

[Alushar]

I'd second laslomas last 2 Meet ad Mingle we met ships officers who have then stopped every time they've seen us throughout the cruise to ask how we wwere, any problems etc

[Caribbean Chris]

It’s a free service that Celebrity offers to accept the reservations, get a final count, distribute invitations, and arrange a private venue.

 

For other cruise line roll calls, somebody has to volunteer to do all of the above, and I know from personal experience that it’s a real chore.

[Turtles06]

The snacks and beverages are the least of it.  (I’m not sure I’ve ever eaten anything at a M&G).  Celebrity provides a large enough space, you get a chance to met some of your fellow cruisers, and, on Celebrity, a number of the Dept heads and officers.  Particularly on longer cruises, like TAs, and when folks on a Roll Call have arranged shore excursions together, it’s a worthwhile opportunity.  

[drakes2]

1 hour ago, Turtles06 said:

The snacks and beverages are the least of it.  (I’m not sure I’ve ever eaten anything at a M&G).  Celebrity provides a large enough space, you get a chance to met some of your fellow cruisers, and, on Celebrity, a number of the Dept heads and officers.  Particularly on longer cruises, like TAs, and when folks on a Roll Call have arranged shore excursions together, it’s a worthwhile opportunity.  

On my upcoming cruise next month some of us on the roll call have planned three shore excursions together. In addition to the meet and mingle we have an informal get together at sail away to chat with those on our forum some of whom have booked a year or more in advance. I am still in contact with a couple from a 2006 roll call.  It's one of the highlights of my cruise. Its not about the snacks or coffee tea served but about the comeraderie. 

[Nachosdelux]

I always thought it was "Meat & Mingle"

 

I was sadly disappointed to discover there was no meat products.

[travelnap]

1 hour ago, Nachosdelux said:

I always thought it was "Meat & Mingle"

 

I was sadly disappointed to discover there was no meat products.

To find the meat you just have to open one of the sandwiches that are provided at most of the Meat & Mingles, but a bit of warning, sometimes it is a mystery meat.  LOL

[miched]

9 hours ago, SandyDix said:

We have just booked our first celebrity cruise on Silhouette. I note that at meet and mingle parties, the ship supplies light snacks and non-alcoholic drinks, with alcoholic drinks available to buy. What is the point of this when people have paid for full board anyway, and the vast majority will have a drinks package that includes alcoholic drinks? With this in mind, it seems to me that Celebrity are not actually providing anything at all at these meet and mingle parties!  I do accept that people may wish to meet fellow cruisers who they've been chatting to online, but surely this could be arranged privately between parties? Perhaps I am missing something here?!

 

It is exactly as you wrote.   You aren’t missing anything except for something  to interfere with something else.   All that I attended for me were a waste of time.  You sit there being introduced to the staff that will be introduced many times during the cruise and listening to how honored they are that you are sailing with them , blah, blah...

 

If there is a group that needs to meet up for final arrangements it can be done in private but many like to get a a invitation to a “private” event  to feel special and exclusive.

 

As far as getting together to make arrangements for a private tour we had one CD that actually made a comment that the cruise line doesn’t promote that stuff as it takes away from their income, and isn’t safe for the passengers because the ship doesn’t know where they,  has no control or way to contact them  if the ship has to leave early, and then asked for everyone to leave as the party was over.  

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

 

[hcat]

On X they have traditionally been called Connections Party, Meet and Mingle is the Royal  C name for it    You register in advance on line.

 

For those who actively  participate in the Cruise Critic roll call , it is a great way to meet the others you have been interacting with on line .  Cruise Director , Officers  and sometimes the Cap attend.

 

We have done gift exchanges...organized excursions and last week we gave out the lists  for 2 cabin crawls.  It's a great service/ event  that Cruise Critic and Celebrity privude.  Hope it continues!

 

It's voluntary so if some don't get it or don't enjoy it.,they can skip it and do something else!

 

Edited February 8, 2019 by hcat

[jsf]

We find that most of the time these parties are planned when we are off the ship or have other plans. They are a nice touch and don't cost the pax anything. 

Carry on,

J.

[C-Dragons]

15 minutes ago, jsf said:

We find that most of the time these parties are planned when we are off the ship or have other plans. They are a nice touch and don't cost the pax anything. 

Carry on,

J.

You were off the ship most of the time? X Connections parties have been scheduled for the first day at sea for as long I remember...

[mahdnc]

10 hours ago, SandyDix said:

We have just booked our first celebrity cruise on Silhouette. I note that at meet and mingle parties, the ship supplies light snacks and non-alcoholic drinks, with alcoholic drinks available to buy. What is the point of this when people have paid for full board anyway, and the vast majority will have a drinks package that includes alcoholic drinks? With this in mind, it seems to me that Celebrity are not actually providing anything at all at these meet and mingle parties!  I do accept that people may wish to meet fellow cruisers who they've been chatting to online, but surely this could be arranged privately between parties? Perhaps I am missing something here?!

 

Actually, I don't think I have ever eaten or drank at one of these gatherings because it is usually done in the mornings.  But I understand why you asked your question.

 

A lot of this has already been mentioned, but I wanted to highlight a couple of things on the value of having the ship organize it vs organizing it yourself thru the roll call.

 

1. The ship will dedicate a space for the meeting to an "invitation only" event.  Some of the gatherings have been large enough that it would be troublesome to try to carve out space for yourself at a public venue.

 

2. The ship will send out invitations directly to your stateroom.  It is a nice touch.  Not everyone will reveal their stateroom number to you on the roll call for privacy reasons.  And not everyone reads the roll call to catch the venue if you try to set it up that way.

 

3.  The CD and officers (sometimes including the Captain) will make an appearance to express their appreciation.  On a couple of occasions the Captain has extended an invitation to the bridge or the heliport for a sail away.  

Edited February 8, 2019 by mahdnc

[Charles4515]

13 hours ago, SandyDix said:

We have just booked our first celebrity cruise on Silhouette. I note that at meet and mingle parties, the ship supplies light snacks and non-alcoholic drinks, with alcoholic drinks available to buy. What is the point of this when people have paid for full board anyway, and the vast majority will have a drinks package that includes alcoholic drinks? With this in mind, it seems to me that Celebrity are not actually providing anything at all at these meet and mingle parties!  I do accept that people may wish to meet fellow cruisers who they've been chatting to online, but surely this could be arranged privately between parties? Perhaps I am missing something here?!

 

The meet and mingles did start out as privately arranged. Before Cruise Critic existed or Cruise Critic roll calls they were arranged ad hoc by people who met online who wanted to meet on the ship. You could arrange ad hoc with the cruise line for some space. Then the Cruise Critic Roll Calls became the easist place to gather online so the get togethers were arranged on the Roll Calls. Later Cruise Critic made an arrangement with Celebrity and Royal Caribbean to register thru them for the get togethers on those cruise lines. On cruise lines that don't have an official arrangement with Cruise Critic the cruise line will still provide space for a Cruise Critic get together and rprovide refreshements if a certain minimum number of people from Cruise Critic. It only needed someone from the CC roll call to contact the cruise line.

[Orator]

13 hours ago, SandyDix said:

We have just booked our first celebrity cruise on Silhouette. I note that at meet and mingle parties, the ship supplies light snacks and non-alcoholic drinks, with alcoholic drinks available to buy. What is the point of this when people have paid for full board anyway, and the vast majority will have a drinks package that includes alcoholic drinks? With this in mind, it seems to me that Celebrity are not actually providing anything at all at these meet and mingle parties!  I do accept that people may wish to meet fellow cruisers who they've been chatting to online, but surely this could be arranged privately between parties? Perhaps I am missing something here?!

Connection parties are usually held about 10:00 AM on the first sea day. Coffee, Tea and pastries are usually set up. I've never noticed anyone getting anything that would require a drink package. Officers, including the Captain in larger groups, are there to meet and mingle. They are introduced usually by the CD and often mingle with passengers. This is an opportunity to get their cards with their direct number that can be used if you encounter any problems during the cruise. I've found some gatherings valuable and others a total waste of time. There are occasions when one member feels that they need to be the center of attention and I walk out as soon as I see that happening. I've met some wonderful people at this event and many have become friends.

Celebrity is providing time, space and staff and all are valuable.

[ASell]

I thought it was a nice touch and a nice gesture. I met some interesting people for a little chatting, got to speak to the officers. Yes you meet them in other spots, but this is a much smaller venue with fewer people for them to have to focus attention on.

 

Is it a big deal?  No

Is it a waste of time?  Depends on your perspective, but hermit that I am, I still thought it was nice and spoke to several other folks I met there throughout the cruise.

 

Its a nice gesture on the Cruise line's part as well. The officers are busy, but were very accessible and seemed to enjoy answering questions.

 

Like so many things, it will be what you make of it.  Not for everyone, enjoyable to others.

[davekathy]

15 hours ago, SandyDix said:

We have just booked our first celebrity cruise on Silhouette. I note that at meet and mingle parties, the ship supplies light snacks and non-alcoholic drinks, with alcoholic drinks available to buy. What is the point of this when people have paid for full board anyway, and the vast majority will have a drinks package that includes alcoholic drinks? With this in mind, it seems to me that Celebrity are not actually providing anything at all at these meet and mingle parties!  I do accept that people may wish to meet fellow cruisers who they've been chatting to online, but surely this could be arranged privately between parties? Perhaps I am missing something here?!

Then don't go to the M&M. 

[mfs2k]

Years ago the CC Meetups would be arranged in the roll call and was often an informal gathering at a bar on board. 

 

This just seems a bit more organized. 

 

Its all good. And optional. If you’d rather skip it and hang by the pool you can. 

[hcat]

On QM 2  a few yrs ago, our get together was organized by a roll call member..not by Cunard.  It was a great party  and officers did stop by! 

 

Glad X and Royal  pitch in to a great extent,

[Straughn]

I have mixed emotions about the Connections get together. I have been to some great ones and a couple where I left quickly. At some, the officers, including the captain, stayed, mingled and really tried to talk to a number of attendees. I have been to ones where the CD introduced the staff, who disappeared so fast after introductions that I really thought I had dreamed that they were there. 

 

It it really is up to the participants to make it work. One of the  recent ones I attended we had a gentleman  who deemed himself the MC. After the CD left, he took over the mic and talked, and talked, and talked. He pushed, and pushed, and pushed a couple of private tours he had arranged, but needed more participants to get the best rate. He talked so much that I wondered why there was no PowerPoint presentation.

 

The best one ever was run by a CD who really knew how to engage the crowd. He asked everyone to get up, pair with someone they didn’t know, introduce themselves, learn about each other, and then introduce that person to someone else. This took about 15 minutes. The CD slipped out quietly and it was a while before anyone realized he had left. It was a great way to “Connect” and we all left knowing many more  people than when we walked in.

 

I don’t go to the Connections events for the F&B. As a predominately solo cruiser, I go to meet fellow passengers and to get to know others. The snacks are nothing to write on Cruise Critic about.

[DeBlonde1]

I have only been on 1 Celebrity cruise (Edge) and found the meet up to be a waste of time; so I probably will not attend on my next cruise in April.  They spent about 3 minutes introducing themselves but did walk around and mingle. 

 

I have gone to many on NCL and the officers spend time talking about their area of expertise and often take a few questions.  I was at one well-attended a few years back and the CEO (former Kevin Sheehan) showed up.  It was probably sheer luck he was on board that day, but what a treat.   They also give you a card with the contact information for the officers should you have an issue and send chocolate covered strawberries to your room. 

 

I also went to one on MSC Seaside this past October and found it to be very well attended and had bar servers walking around with trays of free cocktails and appetizers.  The Captain came and talked, answered questions, and they had a huge cake and took pictures of everyone with the captain which were later sent to everyone's room.  

 

The other cruise lines seem to value CC members a bit more and realize the possible impact and importance of this board.