Would you still attend a Cruise Critic Meet & Mingle event without refreshments?

[ConnieTact]

I have organised CC Meet & Mingles on NCL in the past and they have been well attended with officers attending. Complimentary hot drink refreshments and pastries were also kindly provided by NCL. I contacted NCL last week, to inform them I am organising one for my next cruise with 100 attending, and was surprised to be told NCL will no longer provide refreshments at Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle events, I’m very surprised and wondered if this will put people off planning an event or attending one?

[ggTexasGal]

I voted "Maybe", but to clarify, the lack of food/beverages would not be the deciding factor!

[Asawi]

Maybe.But it has nothing to do with food/beverages. I don't care for neither. There is enough of that available all over ther ship anyway.  For me it¨s about how the roll call makes me feel. Am I excited to get to meet these people or not?

Edited July 25 by Asawi

[Capitan Obvious]

Coffee, juice, water, pastries...all things that we could get at the buffet. I would think people could hold off on the "refreshments" for an hour, but if not you can swing by the buffet and pick up something to just bring with you.

 

I can't blame NCL. It takes manpower and time to provide those refreshments and clean up afterward....not to mention the food waste.

[PATRLR]

I voted that I would still attend because that choice more closely matches my opinion.  The reality is I have lost interest in the M&Ms so probably won't attend regardless.  But, if I were inclined to attend, it wouldn't be for the food/refreshments.

[debenson0723]

I have never gone for the refreshments and only eaten them maybe once or twice. I see so much food go to waste that I am sure that was part of the decision. Having just coffee, tea, juice and water available should be enough and easier to manage.

[cruiseny4life]

I choose not to partake of the empty calories as the pastries just aren't good. I did grab a cup of coffee, but I could easily get that before coming in. Refreshments wouldn't be the deciding factor at all!

 

A host that does way too much (y'all know who you are) would keep me from attending. I don't need games, contests, raffles, trinkets, or gift exchanges. I'm there to meet folks I interact with on Cruise Critic. That's all I need. With better internet, I probably don't even need the meet and greet (I hate the other M word). I believe they may be from a bygone era very, very soon. 

[Capitan Obvious]

1 hour ago, cruiseny4life said:

A host that does way too much (y'all know who you are) would keep me from attending. I don't need games, contests, raffles, trinkets, or gift exchanges. I'm there to meet folks I interact with on Cruise Critic. That's all I need.

 

So nobody else should be able to enjoy games, contests, raffles, trinkets, or gift exchanges simply because YOUR personal interests lie elsewhere? Just because someone has activities doesn't require you to partticipate. 

 

What ever happened to live and let live? It may be all you need, but the needs of other might just differ from your own.

[snorklinbarb]

Just of Joy.  At the entrance of District Brew House, a lovely team was welcoming us, holding coffee and some danishes.  I didn't spot urns of OJ or water.

 

Had a great time and all the Sr. Officers attended!

 

Same with Prima last month.  A spread of pastries, croissants, cookies (!) along with OJ, water, coffee and tea.

 

Sometimes the M & G email reply makes that "we don't provide refreshments" comment but at least in my last 3 cruises (Getaway in Apr.) I really didn't notice any changes. Very nice gesture.

[ConnieTact]

30 minutes ago, snorklinbarb said:

 

……Sometimes the M & G email reply makes that "we don't provide refreshments" comment but at least in my last 3 cruises (Getaway in Apr.) I really didn't notice any changes. Very nice gesture.

I organised my last one on the Bliss in May and refreshments were provided (shown in my photo above) and most people took a hot drink or some juice. It did not say they would not be provided on that confirmation I got in May though, so it is new. I’m on the same ship again.
I really hope you’re right and that we do still get some. I’m not bothered by the pasties myself but it’s quite a way from nearest bar that serves hot drinks. 

[snorklinbarb]

We had a very small last minute organized Meet & Greet (thanks Sidney).

 

When it's hundreds in the Manhattan Room like on Getaway it was a full blown table of goodies and drinks (coffee, tea, OJ, water).  

 

Hope you have a good experience and the email you got isn't a new procedure though I just was on Joy. 

 

I got a response once saying that we would have to pay for AV equipment, microphone, etc. No such thing for M & G but apparently may be the case with groups with presenters.

 

BTW, cookies available there, in the Observation Lounge and upon request in the Garden Cafe.  We had 1000 under the age of 21.....that's a lot of cookies!!

[ChiefMateJRK]

I just grab a beer on the way and chill.

[cruiseny4life]

34 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I just grab a beer on the way and chill.

I'd grab a coffee and chill...I suppose to make it vacation-mode, I ought to get an espresso martini (or two)!

[omahabob]

2 hours ago, Capitan Obvious said:

...It may be all you need, but the needs of other might just differ from your own.

Star Trek fan? The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few....or the one.

 

Can we wear name tags? My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.

 

Seriously though, my attendance would depend on my wife. She's not an incredibly social person, and might not want to go.

[Turtles06]

I don’t care about the “refreshments.”  For me, the purpose of a Meet & Greet is to meet some of the folks from our Roll call, and, if Officers/Staff also show up, to have them introduce themselves as well. On NCL, the latter will typically give out their business cards/extension numbers, which can sometimes come in handy. 
 

It’s become pretty well known that many folks who sign up for a M&G don’t show up, so I don’t blame NCL for declining to go to the trouble of setting up refreshments, many of which will likely go to waste. 

[Anoynmous Phoenix]

If this becomes common; no food or drink;  and that the officer card also disappears; it has happened; are they signals that Cruise Critic Meet & Greet are going to be downgraded to the status of any other group that wants somewhere to meet?

 

How long before a thread starts saying that the officers didn't attend?   Then!

 

You ask for a spot at a certain time, day and place and takes your chances, no preferential treatment.

 

That would be the start of the end of CC M&Gs which would be followed by the end of active Roll Calls (those are few and far between these days) leading to a complete take over by another group.

[cruiseny4life]

I don't see anything wrong with the scenario you portray. 

[complawyer]

im not one for formal m&g's, so i probably wouldnt attend regardless. if im going to meet other people around me, i'd rather do it on an excursion, or people sitting near me in a restaurant. 

 

if i'm sitting at the sushi bar, i dont mind telling others, what i'm having if they ask. also at teppanyaki, if the other person initiates the conversation

[Turtles06]

If 100 or so people really do show up to a Meet & Greet, it's a pretty unwieldy number imho.  Not really conducive to "meeting" people. 

[Birdnutty]

I'm with Turtles06. I go to meet people, to get the officers' business cards or numbers, to actually get a chance to eyeball, if not meet the officers that attend.  The refreshments are unnecessary, and a flagrant waste of food, although I have to admit that the last time I was on the Getaway, the cookies (Yes!) that were just about to be tossed found their way into my possession.  Best catch of the day, considering not many people were into cookies in the morning.  

I hate waste of any kind, so I honorably did my part.  😇

I used to enjoy the M&G's where there wasn't enough room to sit, so you had to wander and actually (gasp!) talk to other people!  Never was much of a fan of the gift exchange (Don't need more crap). But I do enjoy meeting people that I could possibly hang out with more during the cruise.  Met a couple once many years ago that we still cruise with together to this day.

[JillK]

There just seems to be a lack of interest in these coming out of the COVID shut down.

 

Hubby and I organized one that was well attended on the Gem in December 2019. Tried to get one put together last Nov on the Jade and was told by several roll call members not to bother, that they weren't interested so didn't move forward. 

 

Also put out feelers for the role call I started for our upcoming Med cruise in August but the roll call itself has seen little action and no one appears interested. 

 

That being said, if you have an active roll call and people who are interested in/willing to attend, I don't think the food/beverage is a big deal so not a deal breaker. People will choose to attend/not for many other factors that have nothing to do with whether there will be coffee and pastries so this alone shouldn't stop you from planning one if your roll call is expressing interest.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, Turtles06 said:

I don’t care about the “refreshments.”  For me, the purpose of a Meet & Greet is to meet some of the folks from our Roll call, and, if Officers/Staff also show up, to have them introduce themselves as well. On NCL, the latter will typically give out their business cards/extension numbers, which can sometimes come in handy. 
 

It’s become pretty well known that many folks who sign up for a M&G don’t show up, so I don’t blame NCL for declining to go to the trouble of setting up refreshments, many of which will likely go to waste. 

We had a meet and greet on the huge Epic in 2012. Several indicated they would attend; almost none did. Even the person who set up the meet and greet did not attend. There were a total of 2 tables, and on one the passengers there were all on the same excursions and meeting basically to set times and places to meet for the excursions. The other table had 4 people, DW, myself, and another couple. The other couple realized I was the one who posted that his DW was an art teacher so they pumped her for information about museums in Florence. She was always happy to discuss anything about art and/or museums.

[ontheweb]

9 minutes ago, JillK said:

There just seems to be a lack of interest in these coming out of the COVID shut down.

 

Hubby and I organized one that was well attended on the Gem in December 2019. Tried to get one put together last Nov on the Jade and was told by several roll call members not to bother, that they weren't interested so didn't move forward. 

 

Also put out feelers for the role call I started for our upcoming Med cruise in August but the roll call itself has seen little action and no one appears interested. 

 

That being said, if you have an active roll call and people who are interested in/willing to attend, I don't think the food/beverage is a big deal so not a deal breaker. People will choose to attend/not for many other factors that have nothing to do with whether there will be coffee and pastries so this alone shouldn't stop you from planning one if your roll call is expressing interest.

On our Prima cruise in the summer of 2023, I tried to see if their was any interest in a meet and greet. There was almost none, and there ended up being no meet and greet.

[graphicguy]

I’ve always enjoyed the M&Gs.  Always enjoy the “Captain’s Receptions”.  Always enjoy the Latitudes Party!

 

Not really a “foo-foo” drink person or the cookies, canapés, Danishes, etc that they serve.  Nice gesture and NCL does a nice job with all of them.

 

But, I go to commune with my fellow cruisers, first and foremost!

[ConnieTact]

52 minutes ago, Birdnutty said:

…… The refreshments are unnecessary, and a flagrant waste of food, although I have to admit that the last time I was on the Getaway, the cookies (Yes!) that were just about to be tossed found their way into my possession.  Best catch of the day, considering not many people were into cookies in the morning.  

I hate waste of any kind, so I honorably did my part.  😇

…..

Well done for stepping up and helping out! 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪👌