Reports on recent cruise critic meet & greets?

[DuckTollerFans]

I organized one in April on the Getaway.  Had a fair number of Cruise Critic folks sign up, and then....that other platform got involved.  We had a huge number sign up -- to the point where I closed the spread sheet.  A fraction of the folks signed up attended, and though I can't recall I'd put money that they were mostly CC folks.

 

That said, our coordinator was very helpful.  They had a nice spread of cookies, coffee, juice, some small pastries. Listing of all the department heads and their contact info.

 

Without digging out my photos, I'd say 10 senior staff attended and they were very gracious and obviously valued what folks say on CC.  It was clear that they were a team that worked well.  My husband made a few comments/asked questions as we waited for the event to start, and they took notes and we ended up with a few notes and goodies.  Maybe it was only a few chocolate covered strawberries or such, but clearly they responded.  And that goes a long way.

[Anoynmous Phoenix]

A Question.

 

What is it that is so attractive about the NCL arranged Private Cruise Critic Meet & Greet that people from other sources are so anxious to attend though they have made no input to the Cruise Critic Roll Call for the relevant cruise?

[julie3fan]

9 minutes ago, Anoynmous Phoenix said:

A Question.

 

What is it that is so attractive about the NCL arranged Private Cruise Critic Meet & Greet that people from other sources are so anxious to attend though they have made no input to the Cruise Critic Roll Call for the relevant cruise?

 

Maybe they like the free food? 🤔😁😉🤣

[The Traveling Man]

12 hours ago, Anoynmous Phoenix said:

A Question.

 

What is it that is so attractive about the NCL arranged Private Cruise Critic Meet & Greet that people from other sources are so anxious to attend though they have made no input to the Cruise Critic Roll Call for the relevant cruise?

Mike, among the possibilities are:

 

Lurkers

Hangers on

Lookie-Loos (or is it Lou?)

Freeloaders

(insert your own pejorative here for someone who only wants to take without giving)

 

James

 

[DorothyB]

12 hours ago, julie3fan said:

 

Maybe they like the free food? 🤔😁😉🤣

Maybe?

[Capitan Obvious]

13 hours ago, Anoynmous Phoenix said:

A Question.

 

What is it that is so attractive about the NCL arranged Private Cruise Critic Meet & Greet that people from other sources are so anxious to attend though they have made no input to the Cruise Critic Roll Call for the relevant cruise?

 

Actually, a great question...with a complex answer.

 

First, you don't have to "other sources" or "other site" here. You can say Facebook. You can't refer people to Facebook, but you can say the word.

 

In short, part of the reason is that they don't fully understand the purpose of the M&G, and part of the reason is that they believe it is an excuse to hob-nob with the officers.

 

The point of Facebook is to allow anybody to post/chat about anything that might interest them. The point of Cruise Critic is to allow members to post/chat about cruising. One is broad, one is specialized. A specialized group is more likely to have a well attended event than a broad based group would have.

 

The point of the Cruise Critic Roll Call is to have a place where people on the same sailing can post/chat about all things specifically related to that one cruise. To exchange ideas, tips, and even make plans for activities and excursions. This is cruisers talking about a common cruise...as opposed to Facebook where it is the general public talking about vacation.

 

The point and purpose of the Meet & Greet is to allow the Cruise Critic Members who have been participating an opportunity to meet and greet EACH OTHER once onboard. It is a chance to get together and put faces to the otherwise anonymous CC Screen Names. The idea that NCL sends officers and crew to make an appearance is PR on their part. Again...the purpose is to meet and greet each other...not to meet and greet the ship's staff.

 

The only reason that people on Facebook want to attend is that they think this is to meet the officers...not to get together with their fellow cruisers.

 

 

As to the attendance issue, one of the big reasons that people see such low numbers is that they just make it too easy to "sign up" and they have no buy-in from the people. It is far to easy to post "we'll be there' if that is all you have to do...and then people just get distracted and forget about it once onboard.

 

YOU HAVE TO CREATE SOME SORT OF BUY IN OR FEELING OF "OBLIGATION" TO GET PEOPLE TO COME.

 

I recommend creating a throw-away email account for the roll call. Sign ups should ONLY be made by people sending an email to that account with Screen Names, Real Names and Cabin Numbers. Don't do sign ups in the roll call.

Periodically post a list of who has signed up. Just the screen name and number attending. Keep the real names/cabin numbers unposted.

One sign up per cabin...if someone has "friends" that want to come along, one of the friends should join CC, and register for their cabin.

Don't announce the M&G date/time/place on the roll call...only do so by sending an email to everyone registered. Ask people to confirm receipt of the info in a reply email. (This helps to ensure "buy-in").

Lastly, the organizer should print up some sort of reminder or invitation and place these in everyone's mailbox on embarkation day. Receiving the invitation also ensures "buy-in" and "obligation". If the organizer is not sailing in the Haven, the group coordinator onboard will ensure that those invites are delivered.

 

Remember, the M&G is basically a free event. It is easy for people to blow it off since they didn't pay anything for it. Make people take a step other than just a simple post to sign up, and then remind them a few times about the event to help with that feeling of buy in or obligation...this WILL help to increase the percentage of people who sign up and show up.

 

 

One final word. 

People are creatures of habit. Most will NOT participate in multiple sites for the same event. IOW, CC or Facebook...generally not both. If you want a successful CC event, post to CC and stay off Facebook for the cruise. If the Facebook people really want to come, then they need to join CC and participate in the roll call.

[julig22]

14 hours ago, Anoynmous Phoenix said:

A Question.

 

What is it that is so attractive about the NCL arranged Private Cruise Critic Meet & Greet that people from other sources are so anxious to attend though they have made no input to the Cruise Critic Roll Call for the relevant cruise?

I guess I'm a little confused. Is the issue who is signing up or the fact that actual attendance is low?

Attraction - bragging rights to be able to say 150 people signed up for MY M&G event???

 

On FB when people have been invited - sometimes by the person organizing the event, sometimes just some random person - I've seen comments basically saying it's too much effort to join CC and find the roll call.

 

As to attendance, it would be nice to somehow get a reminder - especially when the time/place is sometimes a moving target. But not everyone is comfortable giving out their room # and/or e-mail. And sometimes it also comes down to a choice, since there are other activities scheduled at the same time..

Note, I do check the CC roll call once onboard to verify the time/place - so it would be really helpful if the host could update so it's one of the last entries, not buried 50 posts back.

[omahabob]

On 7/13/2024 at 4:21 PM, JIMESOPUS said:

...the GM and senior hotel managers attended, and they cut back on the treats and drinks.

 

Might have something to do with the lower attendance.

[omahabob]

On 7/14/2024 at 6:40 AM, mcmomny said:

I have also noticed that Roll Calls are becoming a thing of the past, FaceBook seems to be the way to go but being one of the few who never drank the Kool Aid of Facebook I guess I have missed out on some get togethers on board!

You're better off without it. I quit all that stuff when they started censoring people by their viewpoints. Besides, if the folks won't coordinate here, is it really a Cruise Critic Meet and Greet?

[Capitan Obvious]

1 hour ago, julig22 said:

On FB when people have been invited - sometimes by the person organizing the event, sometimes just some random person - I've seen comments basically saying it's too much effort to join CC and find the roll call.

 

In a side-by-side comparison, I'd bet joining CC and posting to a roll call is easier than joining Facebook and getting approved by the admin to join a cruise group.

 

OTOH, if a person really thinks it is "too much effort" what they are really saying is they don't care enough about meeting you that they want to put any effort into it what-so-ever. Is this really someone who you'd want to meet anyway?

[julig22]

15 minutes ago, Capitan Obvious said:

 

In a side-by-side comparison, I'd bet joining CC and posting to a roll call is easier than joining Facebook and getting approved by the admin to join a cruise group.

 

OTOH, if a person really thinks it is "too much effort" what they are really saying is they don't care enough about meeting you that they want to put any effort into it what-so-ever. Is this really someone who you'd want to meet anyway?

 For once, I have to agree 100% with you LOL.

[JIMESOPUS]

1 hour ago, julig22 said:

I guess I'm a little confused. Is the issue who is signing up or the fact that actual attendance is low?

Attraction - bragging rights to be able to say 150 people signed up for MY M&G event???

 

On FB when people have been invited - sometimes by the person organizing the event, sometimes just some random person - I've seen comments basically saying it's too much effort to join CC and find the roll call.

 

As to attendance, it would be nice to somehow get a reminder - especially when the time/place is sometimes a moving target. But not everyone is comfortable giving out their room # and/or e-mail. And sometimes it also comes down to a choice, since there are other activities scheduled at the same time..

Note, I do check the CC roll call once onboard to verify the time/place - so it would be really helpful if the host could update so it's one of the last entries, not buried 50 posts back.

If the roll call is done right, there should be no issue with attendance, spreadsheet, and constant communication / post to keep the roll call on page #1 so everyone can easily find it. There were always some no-shows in the past, but that number was minuscule. After the restart, almost everything has gone awry.

On the Prima TA in 2022, there was a CC roll call, a FB roll call, and a secret CC group. The third group only became known to me and other CCers when the Oktoberfest invite was posted 

[DorothyB]

12 minutes ago, JIMESOPUS said:

 

On the Prima TA in 2022, there was a CC roll call, a FB roll call, and a secret CC group. The third group only became known to me and other CCers when the Oktoberfest invite was posted 

I guess the secret group wasn't part of these forums?  What was the purpose of it?

[drew69]

Interest in M&Gs and Roll Calls has been dying off more and more each year.  Maybe it is time to let them become extinct cruise traditions like midnight buffets and parading Baked Alaska.

[The Traveling Man]

9 minutes ago, drew69 said:

Interest in M&Gs and Roll Calls has been dying off more and more each year.  Maybe it is time to let them become extinct cruise traditions like midnight buffets and parading Baked Alaska.

And coat & tie requirements for dinner !

[julig22]

4 minutes ago, drew69 said:

Interest in M&Gs and Roll Calls has been dying off more and more each year.  Maybe it is time to let them become extinct cruise traditions like midnight buffets and parading Baked Alaska.

Or ramped up a little. I'm not sure everyone who is directed to a roll call and M&G knows what happens (or can happen) at a M&G. And while lately the crew has been relatively well represented but often missing the list of crew contacts - which to me was always a nice thing to have. That's on NCL's side.

[Anoynmous Phoenix]

Perhaps those of you who know me as "Anoynmous Phoenix" never came across me as "casofilia" where I had made over 14K posts on Cruise Critic and attended and arranged quite a number of Meet & Greets.   

Nor may you know that I totally removed myself from Cruise Critic for over 6 months till I re-involved myself as "AP".

I returned because there were questions on Roll Calls that were not being answered but which I could answer but I made a decision NEVER to attempt to arrange a M&G again but also decided, as I loved meeting fellow cruisers, to arrange small number "dinner parties" early in a cruise so people could get together.

 

The reason I left was because I used to arrange Meet & Greets in the way outlined by @Capitan Obvious posted in Post 31.   The method was not acceptable!!

[omahabob]

2 hours ago, drew69 said:

Interest in M&Gs and Roll Calls has been dying off more and more each year.  Maybe it is time to let them become extinct cruise traditions like midnight buffets and parading Baked Alaska.

Was never greatly interested in the M&Gs, but I do like the roll calls. I can contact someone directly from there if I want to meet them.

[Firstin87]

@DorothyB I've never hosted an M&G, but DH and I have done ~20 NCL cruises and have attended the M&Gs on most of them (missed on some of our early cruises).  Just from the point of view of a frequent attendee, I have found that the shorter cruises have fewer turnout.  I'd guess because there is less opportunity for people to participate in other activities together.

 

Something that has not been mentioned here that we have found to make an M&G more enjoyable for us is when the host has 'get acquainted' activities planned for the M&G.  Not just 'sign up for...', but during the M&G something to get people up and moving and talking to each other.  One of the best ones we attended was hosted by @Anoynmous Phoenix when he was known as "caso fil i a" (didn't know until this thread that you'd changed your CC name).  Attendees had a list of 'find someone who...' that we tilled out, so people were up and asking each other questions - 'are you from outside the US', 'do you have more than 4 kids', 'do you drive a Ford', etc. - which led to people recognizing each other around the ship and chatting throughout the cruise.  If an M&G has 50 people, but they all sit at tables and only talk to their tablemates or those they arrived with, people really aren't 'meeting' or 'greeting' each other.

 

On the other hand, one of the worst we attended was this past spring when the host was anonymous.  They were not at the table greeting passengers as we entered the venue, not helping with the name tags (all done by NCL staff), never got on the mic and welcomed the attendees.  Left the event with no idea who the host was, although we did learn later from others that they were there.  Once the officers spoke, everyone left.  M&G lasted 20 minutes max.  I don't recommend following that example - lol.

 

[Anoynmous Phoenix]

@Firstin87

 

One of the best ones we attended was hosted by @Anoynmous Phoenix when he was known as "casofilia" (didn't know until this thread that you'd changed your CC name).    Thank you for your kind words.

 

If an M&G has 50 people, but they all sit at tables and only talk to their tablemates or those they arrived with, people really aren't 'meeting' or 'greeting' each other.   Wholly in agreement, a couple of those early on were the reason I moved into making the arrangements the way I did.

 

Too many like those in your last paragraph recently.

 

You can't MEET & GREET or MEET & MINGLE sitting for the whole time; that was my basic concept when arranging a M&G.   

 

I reiterate Laura S's statements in "How to set up a Cruise Critic MEET & MINGLE

 

 

Tip from LauraS: If you RSVP that you are going to the Meet & Mingle, PLEASE GO! If the cruise line takes the time to set up a special gathering for Cruise Critic members, we should definitely do our best to attend.

 

Tip from LauraS: When you attend the gathering, DO NOT SIT DOWN. This is often the kiss of death at these events. Although there are usually NCL Officers at event, the entertainment really is….you! Remember that your main purpose is to meet your fellow Cruise Critic members. Get up, and MINGLE!

 

Mike/Anoynmous Phoenix/casofilia

[DorothyB]

41 minutes ago, Firstin87 said:

 

 

  Attendees had a list of 'find someone who...' that we tilled out, so people were up and asking each other questions - 'are you from outside the US', 'do you have more than 4 kids', 'do you drive a Ford', etc. - which led to people recognizing each other around the ship and chatting throughout the cruise.  If an M&G has 50 people, but they all sit at tables and only talk to their tablemates or those they arrived with, people really aren't 'meeting' or 'greeting' each other.

 

 

That sounds like fun - was it announced ahead of time?

[Anoynmous Phoenix]

@DorothyB

 

It was one of the many things that I delivered to the cabin door the day before the Meet & Greet.   That along with colour coded and informative Name Tags, that I had made, were my "attempt" to get people to MEET & GREET.

Another thing was a personal invitation.

 

Mike/AP

[DorothyB]

I remember getting lots of exercise delivering things on the Jewel!

[mking8288]

One of the reasons that FB private cruise group "administrators" sometimes come into our domain to poach, hijack, takeover and disguised claims of a "joint" FB-CC Meet & Greet is that, they get - upon negotiated requests with group events - a larger meeting space for FREE, reserved for an hour, for their FB members (some belonging to both platforms) to mingle & also meet the ship's senior officers - that, plus free/complimentary light refreshment of coffee/juice, flavored water & sometimes lemonade and bakery goodies ... made the effort a worthwhile one.  

 

Of course, some of these self-appointed cruise group administrators (organizers/planners) can usually expect and are sometimes given, some consideration of limited "extra" perks & VIP access onboard ... which I'm not going into here.  

 

NCL Group Events cater to other affinity groups onboard, including travel agency groups along with FB groups and when they request space for their exclusive & private functions (I'm sure many of us seen those signs onboard) - it isn't free and there is a charge for the meeting/group space.  However, it has (and, hopefully ... continue to remain unchanged) been free & complimentary for CC's Meet & Greet gathering over the past decades+ 

 

Of course, we've seen recent reports - unconfirmed - that NCL no longer provide complimentary light refreshement at the M&G for CC, senior officers from most departments continue to attend briefly, sometimes the GM taking the lead but sometimes, the Captain also come down from the bridge briefly.  

 

[Firstin87]

17 hours ago, Anoynmous Phoenix said:

@DorothyB

 

It was one of the many things that I delivered to the cabin door the day before the Meet & Greet.   That along with colour coded and informative Name Tags, that I had made, were my "attempt" to get people to MEET & GREET.

Another thing was a personal invitation.

 

Mike/AP

@DorothyB  I don't recall if we got our list the day before (i think it was in 2018), but I do recall there being copies at the M&G so if you didn't have one beforehand, you picked it up there.  Very well organized, good variety of questions that covered quite a few areas of interest so you were bound to find something you had in common with someone.