Which cruise line has the most interactive cruisers Celebrity , Princess or HAL ?

[scubacruiserx2]

They are favorite 3 cruise lines so who do you think has the most interactive cruisers ?

[RuthC]

What is an 'interactive cruiser'? 

[AncientWanderer]

If you mean who is most social, I think Celebrity.  They seem quite ready to wine, dine and socialize.  Just my two cents worth.

[Cruzaholic41]

I agree with the last post. Celebrity. Not only do the passengers seem to be more social, but so do the ships officers. 

[scubacruiserx2]

Merriam Webster defines interactive as Mutually or reciprocally active .

[taxmantoo]

30 minutes ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

Merriam Webster defines interactive as Mutually or reciprocally active .

That could apply to basketball players, joggers, bridge players, Friends of Bill, or the knitting club.  Depends on what kind on interaction you are looking for. 

[scubacruiserx2]

The reason we joined Cruise Critic, is to be active  and interactive with fellow cruisers on our cruises. Joining Roll Calls and participating in Meet and Greets as well as shore excursions together.  Also dining together, meeting for drinks, meeting before the cruise or after the cruise and share like interests (for us it would be photography and scuba diving). We have written at least 3  photo travelogues  for each of the 3  cruise lines, to share  travel experiences and tips we have picked-up from others along the way. In the process we have made some life long friends.

Which cruise line has the most participation or interaction on Roll Calls which leads to other activities on and off the ship as a result ?

[bEwAbG]

There is no right answer for that.  Roll call activity varies depending on the who and when and is not dependent on the cruise line.

[taxmantoo]

11 minutes ago, bEwAbG said:

There is no right answer for that.  Roll call activity varies depending on the who and when and is not dependent on the cruise line.

Totally agree.  We have had some on HAL cruises where we had more than 75 persons actively involved in organizing activities on and off the ship, even organizing dinners at the port before embarkation.  We have also had the opposite occur a few times where less than 10 persons actually signed on to a roll call. The only way is to sign on to the roll call, state your interests and see if people react or not. 

[mcrcruiser]

It can vary from line to line & cruise to cruise has been our experiences during 84 cruises  .However ,I would say that Celebrity Roll Calls & activities  aboard their ships & private tours , would favor proactive to Celebrity cruises

 

[Taters]

I think that totally depends on the individual personality, not the cruise line.  Just thoughts coming from a person who had 2 great ears and then *POOF* went deaf in a split second.  I used to be very social, now, not so much!  I still love to cruise, though, and even though I have cochlear implants, they have their challenges and cannot compare or compete with natural hearing.  Again, it's completely up to the people who are cruising, and gregarious personalities can be found anywhere. 

Edited October 4, 2019 by Taters

[Aquahound]

Having sailed all 3 lines several times, I think the clear answer is Celebrity.  Celebrity and Princess have far more passenger participation activities than HAL, but Celebrity goes a step further and includes officers in the activities, like the officer/passenger dance contest.  These sort of things motivate people to open up and be more socially interactive with others. 

[scubacruiserx2]

In response to our question Celebrity had 303 views and 14 replies . HAL had 288 views and 11 responses and Princess had 218 views and 9 responses . Only Princess had more helpful and constructive responses than unhelpful . 

 

On Celebrity our top 3 travelogues have 522,000 views

 

On Princess our top 3 travelogues have 326 ,000 views

 

On HAL our top 3 travelogues have 177 ,000 views 

 

Our last 2 cruises on HAL were 2 of our longest and best cruises with some our best photos and videos and yet we only had 66 , 000 views . We wonder how many views we would have had if we were on Celebrity or Princess .

 

Our 3 future cruises have no M&G's or tours planned so we have booked our own tours . When we organized a M&G on the Eurodam to Alaska we were the only 2 people there .

[RuthC]

6 hours ago, bEwAbG said:

There is no right answer for that.  Roll call activity varies depending on the who and when and is not dependent on the cruise line.

Agreed. 

[ChinaShrek]

What about Carnival?  Having been on one of their cruises and reading through their forum, I would say their passengers are quite "interactive."

[bEwAbG]

13 hours ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

In response to our question Celebrity had 303 views and 14 replies . HAL had 288 views and 11 responses and Princess had 218 views and 9 responses . Only Princess had more helpful and constructive responses than unhelpful . 

 

On Celebrity our top 3 travelogues have 522,000 views

 

On Princess our top 3 travelogues have 326 ,000 views

 

On HAL our top 3 travelogues have 177 ,000 views 

 

Our last 2 cruises on HAL were 2 of our longest and best cruises with some our best photos and videos and yet we only had 66 , 000 views . We wonder how many views we would have had if we were on Celebrity or Princess .

 

Our 3 future cruises have no M&G's or tours planned so we have booked our own tours . When we organized a M&G on the Eurodam to Alaska we were the only 2 people there .

 

Do you sail for recognition?  Paid per view?  Why do you care?  The focus seems very odd.

 

I think the Celebrity and Princess general boards are more active overall.  The rolls calls can be hit or miss.  If you want recognition for your writing, make a topic that is tangentially related to whatever board you post it on.  It would also help if your writing was more clear.  The initial responses you received everywhere you posted this question on Cruise Critic all shared a common theme: having no idea what you were asking.

[cruisemom42]

19 hours ago, bEwAbG said:

There is no right answer for that.  Roll call activity varies depending on the who and when and is not dependent on the cruise line.

 

However, on average, there are far fewer HAL roll calls that "take off" with a large participatory group than on Celebrity or Princess, in my experience....

 

I'll add my own little "odd" statistic: as I often travel solo and do the equivalent of Anytime dining, I'll say that among the three lines, the most outgoing conversationalists have been on Celebrity. Princess and HAL have both been somewhat hit or miss in this regard (but with more hits than misses).

 

I've also come across a higher number of 'complainers' at shared dinners on Princess -- those who've complained nonstop about everything from how the salads are no longer dressed 'at table', who've complained about even well-behaved children being in the dining room, complained about the shore excursions they took, and on and on....

[scubacruiserx2]

59 minutes ago, bEwAbG said:

 

Do you sail for recognition?  Paid per view?  Why do you care?  The focus seems very odd.

 

I think the Celebrity and Princess general boards are more active overall.  The rolls calls can be hit or miss.  If you want recognition for your writing, make a topic that is tangentially related to whatever board you post it on.  It would also help if your writing was more clear.  The initial responses you received everywhere you posted this question on Cruise Critic all shared a common theme: having no idea what you were asking.

 

 

We sail to places that we want to visit and photograph . We share these photos to entertain and help others  We make no money from it . The response numbers on the boards and photos speak for themselves . 

 

The initial responses you received everywhere you posted this question on Cruise Critic all shared a common theme: having no idea what you were asking.

 

Your line is not true . The first 4 responses on Princess were understood and had helpful replies . You and Ruth's remarks are condescending and mostly negative . I would like to see either one of you do a better job than we do instead of just talking about it . 

[RuthC]

29 minutes ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

You and Ruth's remarks are condescending and mostly negative .

Since when is asking a legitimate question, when the use of the word 'interactive' was unclear, "condescending"? 
Don't bother. I won't ask you anything ever again. 

[bluesplayer]

On 10/4/2019 at 7:43 AM, RuthC said:

What is an 'interactive cruiser'? 

I had the same legitimate question.  Could mean anything from sports to jigsaw puzzles to M&G participation to cocktail hour.    Not condescending..   further information needed.  

   

[RuthC]

24 minutes ago, bluesplayer said:

I had the same legitimate question.  Could mean anything from sports to jigsaw puzzles to M&G participation to cocktail hour.    Not condescending..   further information needed.  

   

When the word 'interactive' is used, typically it has something to do with electronics---clickers, or swiping at screens. As used by the OP, the mental image, although amusing, was at best unclear. 

[Kwaj girl]

MOST "interactive"?  Regent!  We are a very social group.

[AncientWanderer]

Interesting thread!

I was intrigued enough to look at responses on the other boards.  I've always thought the Princess forum is the most "friendly" and they didn't disappoint here either.  Many thoughtful responses on Princess thread.

BTW...really enjoy the travelogues posted by Mr. and Mrs. Scubacruiserx2.  Many are related to places we've been, and the wonderful photos help me relive great memories.  (DH and I are terrible about taking photos.)  

[scubacruiserx2]

2 hours ago, AncientWanderer said:

Interesting thread!

I was intrigued enough to look at responses on the other boards.  I've always thought the Princess forum is the most "friendly" and they didn't disappoint here either.  Many thoughtful responses on Princess thread.

BTW...really enjoy the travelogues posted by Mr. and Mrs. Scubacruiserx2.  Many are related to places we've been, and the wonderful photos help me relive great memories.  (DH and I are terrible about taking photos.)  

 

Thank you for your kind interaction and openness to check with the other threads . We agree that Princess respondents could understand what we meant and be helpful . We are glad that you enjoy the travelogues and we hope that they are helpful . Different people have different gifts . For some it might be photography , some like you have a kind heart and some are good with words . I'm going to borrow some words from someone the Celebrity thread .

 

 

  20 hours ago, Hlitner said:

ahhh, so you are trying to define cruise lines by their CC related interactivity.  That is tough and it might depend more on the specific cruise (and length of cruise) then the cruise line.  We go back to the very beginning on CC and our attitude towards Roll Calls has been to generally "blow off" any Roll Call related onboard activities on all three of the cruise lines you mention .  Why?  Because Roll Calls and related Meet and Greets started becoming somewhat juvenile and annoying about 10 years ago (perhaps a bit longer).  At one time Roll calls were pretty much blogs about an upcoming cruise, ports, organizing private tours, etc.  There were also the usual folks that wanted cabin crawls and perhaps slot pulls.  All was fine.  But then we started getting folks who wanted to talk about their sick dog, dying Aunt, etc.  And we also had those who wanted to do such grown up Meet and Greet activities as gift exchanges (like we used to do in Elementary school and are now generally banned), skits, etc.  We also had take-charge folks at some meet and greets who insisted on controlling the conversation (i.e. prohibiting any talk about private tours), etc.  And then there were other folks who would coral attending cruise ship staff and Senior Officers so that they could whine and complain about various issues onboard (even though they had only been aboard 1 or 2 days).  Hence, some cruise lines (such as HAL) started discouraging Senior Officers (and Staff) to avoid Meet and Greets.  It is only on a recent MSC Divina cruise did we see much of the spirit of the old Roll Calls where everyone had a great time, there was lots of socialization, the ship's Captain essentially MC'd the function, etc.

 

We still enjoy making new friends onboard but no longer find the M&G a good place for any interaction.  Most of our newfound cruise friends are now found while sharing large tables at open sitting dinners, joining others in the Lido, and spending time in various lounges and interacting with nearby folks.   You will no longer find us at a Meet and Greet unless we have a reason to meet a specific person and it has been previously arranged online.

 

Hank

 

Thank you Hank , you said what we think better then we did . It's not just juvenile at the M&G 's but take a look at some of the responses to our question . Mostly not constructive .

 

 

We hear you :).  There are some folks who seem content with the current M&G situation and they do a great job explaining why we no longer want anything to do with those functions.  I suspect the folks who are "not constructive" are the very same folks that have convinced me to not waste my time going to M&Gs.  We do see some exceptions and it seems like the Roll Calls for some longer cruises (we are talking weeks) are very constructive.  Perhaps it is because these cruises tend to attract an older (and often well traveled) crowd who enjoy trading info on travel and ports rather then focusing on their cat :).

 

About 2 years ago, right before we were to take a long Princess cruise, one of the Roll Call folks simply posted that he liked going to the International Café early on sea days, would generally be wearing a Hawaiian shirt, and would welcome anyone to join him for coffee and conversation.  On the first day he had about 8 visitors (including us) and the early morning group quickly grew to about a dozen who came and went as they pleased.  There were no "rules," "gift exchanges,"  speeches etc. but simply folks that would get together to talk about anything.  In a sense it was what we used to see at the old Meet and Greets.  Most of us became friends and we all learned from each other.    A few would just sit with their coffee and listen.  Others were very chatty and were generally quite interesting.  If one was unhappy with the group or conversation they could simply walk away...and others who were curious were immediately welcomed.  One Aussie lady actually mentioned that this was the new "Roll Call."

 

Hank

 

 

[avian777]

7 hours ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

 

Thank you for your kind interaction and openness to check with the other threads . We agree that Princess respondents could understand what we meant and be helpful . We are glad that you enjoy the travelogues and we hope that they are helpful . Different people have different gifts . For some it might be photography , some like you have a kind heart and some are good with words . I'm going to borrow some words from someone the Celebrity thread .

 

 

  20 hours ago, Hlitner said:

ahhh, so you are trying to define cruise lines by their CC related interactivity.  That is tough and it might depend more on the specific cruise (and length of cruise) then the cruise line.  We go back to the very beginning on CC and our attitude towards Roll Calls has been to generally "blow off" any Roll Call related onboard activities on all three of the cruise lines you mention .  Why?  Because Roll Calls and related Meet and Greets started becoming somewhat juvenile and annoying about 10 years ago (perhaps a bit longer).  At one time Roll calls were pretty much blogs about an upcoming cruise, ports, organizing private tours, etc.  There were also the usual folks that wanted cabin crawls and perhaps slot pulls.  All was fine.  But then we started getting folks who wanted to talk about their sick dog, dying Aunt, etc.  And we also had those who wanted to do such grown up Meet and Greet activities as gift exchanges (like we used to do in Elementary school and are now generally banned), skits, etc.  We also had take-charge folks at some meet and greets who insisted on controlling the conversation (i.e. prohibiting any talk about private tours), etc.  And then there were other folks who would coral attending cruise ship staff and Senior Officers so that they could whine and complain about various issues onboard (even though they had only been aboard 1 or 2 days).  Hence, some cruise lines (such as HAL) started discouraging Senior Officers (and Staff) to avoid Meet and Greets.  It is only on a recent MSC Divina cruise did we see much of the spirit of the old Roll Calls where everyone had a great time, there was lots of socialization, the ship's Captain essentially MC'd the function, etc.

 

We still enjoy making new friends onboard but no longer find the M&G a good place for any interaction.  Most of our newfound cruise friends are now found while sharing large tables at open sitting dinners, joining others in the Lido, and spending time in various lounges and interacting with nearby folks.   You will no longer find us at a Meet and Greet unless we have a reason to meet a specific person and it has been previously arranged online.

 

Hank

 

Thank you Hank , you said what we think better then we did . It's not just juvenile at the M&G 's but take a look at some of the responses to our question . Mostly not constructive .

 

 

We hear you :).  There are some folks who seem content with the current M&G situation and they do a great job explaining why we no longer want anything to do with those functions.  I suspect the folks who are "not constructive" are the very same folks that have convinced me to not waste my time going to M&Gs.  We do see some exceptions and it seems like the Roll Calls for some longer cruises (we are talking weeks) are very constructive.  Perhaps it is because these cruises tend to attract an older (and often well traveled) crowd who enjoy trading info on travel and ports rather then focusing on their cat :).

 

About 2 years ago, right before we were to take a long Princess cruise, one of the Roll Call folks simply posted that he liked going to the International Café early on sea days, would generally be wearing a Hawaiian shirt, and would welcome anyone to join him for coffee and conversation.  On the first day he had about 8 visitors (including us) and the early morning group quickly grew to about a dozen who came and went as they pleased.  There were no "rules," "gift exchanges,"  speeches etc. but simply folks that would get together to talk about anything.  In a sense it was what we used to see at the old Meet and Greets.  Most of us became friends and we all learned from each other.    A few would just sit with their coffee and listen.  Others were very chatty and were generally quite interesting.  If one was unhappy with the group or conversation they could simply walk away...and others who were curious were immediately welcomed.  One Aussie lady actually mentioned that this was the new "Roll Call."

 

Hank

 

 

FWIW I hope you don't judge all HAL cruisers by the negativity of those few who submitted snarky and downright nasty comments.  Based on our extensive cruising history with HAL and our slightly lesser experience on CC, I could've predicted beforehand (with almost 100% accuracy) who would submit negative comments.  Even though it may not be my "place" to do so, I would like to apologize to you for the very unfriendly reception you received - it is certainly not typical of the HAL cruisers whom I've been fortunate enough to meet both on CC and in person.

BTW thanks, Hank, for your kind and helpful insights.

Edited October 6, 2019 by avian777