Meet And Mingle Farce

[Host Kewlguy]

It's been my observation that RCCL doesn't take the Meet & Mingle very seriously. The last two we attended Royal only sent an assistant cruise director and a couple of his minions. When we sailed on NCL six officers attended the gathering including the Hotel Director, Food and Beverage Manager, etc. All handing out their cards. Even Celebrity sent the Hotel Director on our Constellation cruise.

[Erie Dave]

I tend to agree with Laura that it is up to us to make these meetings a success. You can tell from some of the roll calls which m&m's are going to be good. If you set up a party with a bunch of duds, it will probably be a bad party. If the group is a bunch of outgoing, happy-go-lucky folks, it will probably be pretty good.

RCL has no control of who we are and how we get along. I appreciate the fact that they provide a space and time to us to meet after talking online. For our upcoming cruise, we have our own time set up for a meeting just because it was convenient at the time and we will also get together for the m&m when it is scheduled. RCI's participation in this, in my opinion, is quite minor. We will enjoy our time reguardless....

[LauraS]

Laura - It's good to hear that future problems should be avoided now the IT department at RCI Head Office has fixed the problem.

 

Perhaps you can also fix it for the passengers on the VOS 9th September sailing, who were treated appallingly by Guest Relations, to all receive personal written apologies from RCI Head Office for the mess up regarding our Meet and Mingle.

 

When we queried what had happened to the Meet and Mingle Invites, we were told they knew nothing about it as they had not received confirmation of registered passengers for the party from Head Office at Miami.

 

On the 2nd day of our sailing, they told us it was too late to contact Miami for the registered M&M passenger list, their excuse being that by the time they had emailed them and received a reply, it would be the end of the cruise!! Have they not heard of telephones??

 

Then finally, on the 5th day of our cruise, I was left a voice mail in my stateroom saying that if I came to Guest Relations they would release the cabin numbers of the Meet and Mingle passengers who had left their details at reception so that I could telephone them myself and arrange our own Meet and Mingle!! Why couldn't they do it??

 

Quite frankly, I am disgusted that I haven't even received so much as an acknowledgement to my email that I sent to RCI Head Office, and the fellow passengers that I am still in contact with feel just as annoyed about this.

 

The very least they can do after such a disappointment is to offer a written apology.

 

Plus, it seems that every RCI ships Cruise Directors need to attend a crash course on how to arrange successful Meet and Mingle parties, so that there are never any flops!

 

Carole

 

I have been made aware of this particular situation. I will offer you up a huge Cruise Critic apology on this one.

 

I have to share with everyone that staffers at RCI HQ are extremely diligent in trying to get to the bottom of mistakes and errors. I'm extremely pleased to be working with them.

 

We need to remember that even though RCI is a large corporation, a corporation really is nothing more than a group of people working towards a common goal. Everyone makes mistakes from time to time. It is simply life.

 

That said, Cruise Critic is proud of our partnership with Royal Caribbean and the fact that RCI and Celebrity as well, reach out to our members and reward their online brand loyalty with these parties.

 

Your experience on your cruise mirrors what has been shared above -- a miscommunication between the ship and land due to a new computer system. Nothing more, and certainly nothing done on purpose.

 

We certainly hope you will sign up to attend another Meet & Mingle in the future. Things are only looking better and better.

 

Laura

[Fran Harp]

I tend to agree with Laura that it is up to us to make these meetings a success. You can tell from some of the roll calls which m&m's are going to be good. If you set up a party with a bunch of duds, it will probably be a bad party. If the group is a bunch of outgoing, happy-go-lucky folks, it will probably be pretty good.

RCL has no control of who we are and how we get along. I appreciate the fact that they provide a space and time to us to meet after talking online. For our upcoming cruise, we have our own time set up for a meeting just because it was convenient at the time and we will also get together for the m&m when it is scheduled. RCI's participation in this, in my opinion, is quite minor. We will enjoy our time reguardless....

 

On our roll call I'm trying to get a Pink Boa Society off the ground, and we are posting photos on a roll-call website. Also talking about linking our dinner reservations so we can sit together. However, a Meet and Mingle will also be a bonus.

 

Fran in Toronto

[Robert Christen]

:) Hi all,

 

My experience with RCi is good so I do believe the mess up is due to IT problems. Guest relations said to me from the beginning they did not receive any information from Miami.

 

Our M&M was sceduled on the 2nd day. Only thing was that the time (1700) was for some people not good as they were on land attending a RCI tour....

 

M&M should take place I think as it's a perfect way to meet others.

 

I'm sure M&M will continue to take place and I'm sure RCI learns from their mistakes.

 

We'll just have to do another cruise to find out... It's a hard job to do but hey, somebody needs to do it so might as well be us...

[windjamming]

On our roll call I'm trying to get a Pink Boa Society off the ground...

 

Hi Fran, what's a Pink Boa Society?

[Fran Harp]

Hi Fran, what's a Pink Boa Society?

 

Try these links for the explanation and the poem "Ode to Freedom". My hope is that somehow we can link the pink boas to breast cancer awareness as well....not drumming up money or anything, just raising awareness. I'd need to clear that with RCI, though, as anything which looks like soliciting or fundraising might be a problem. In any event, the Pink Boa Society is getting under way. Emmy was one of the originators on Freedom, and says they hope to get a Pink Boa Society going on every ship. On the Freedom, Captain Wright threw on a boa and danced.:eek::D

 

Links:

 

History: http://members.shaw.ca/pinkboas/

 

Poem: http://www.cruisecritic.com/features/articles.cfm?ID=273

[windjamming]

Try these links for the explanation and the poem "Ode to Freedom". My hope is that somehow we can link the pink boas to breast cancer awareness as well....not drumming up money or anything, just raising awareness.

 

That's super, Fran. Thanks. I'd love to have seen Capt. Wright dancing with a pink boa!

 

Good luck on getting the pink boa society started up and linked to breast cancer awareness. Great cause, and I think you'll get some great devotees.

 

Now, if we can just get you out of your "shrinking violet" shell... (joke :))

 

Kat.

[Fran Harp]

Now, if we can just get you out of your "shrinking violet" shell... (joke :)) Kat.

 

No, No, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO:eek::eek: It's too comfy in here, no one knows who I am, I'm so anonymous and shyyyyyyyyyyyy.

 

(Hiding on the bed under the blankets in my prayer shawl and pink boa.......:p)

 

Shrinking Fran

[wrp96]

no one knows who I am, I'm so anonymous and shyyyyyyyyyyyy.

 

Shrinking Fran

 

Fran you do know that lying is a sin, right?;) :p :D

[Fran Harp]

Fran you do know that lying is a sin, right?

 

It is??? I don't remember that being inscribed on the tablets. Moses (shouting out the door of the cave) did you chisel that one off???? :eek::eek::D:D:D

 

Fragile Fran

[gadiamondgal]

This will be my 11th cruise on RCL, and it is only 18 days away! They have not yet posted the schedule for our M&M! Usually, notice is posted several weeks out. I hope they don't forget us, as there seems to be a lot of really nice folks (as usual) on our thread and I am really looking forward to meeting all of them! Hope there is no reason for concern here!

[mjsshipboy]

I remember one instance where over 50 people signed up and less than 10 showed up even though the M&M was scheduled for something like 3:00 PM on a sea day.

 

Before RCI offered to have an organized M&M, the people on this board arranged their own meetings. By arranging it ourselves, we were sure that it would be scheduled at a convenient time. We usually had them in the afternoon on a sea day so there were no conflicts with meal times and no one would have to rush out. We usually had them in Viking Crown lounge since it would be pretty empty at that time. In order to be able to identify each other we all wore a rubber band on our wrist. Hence, the parties were called rubberband parties. These rubberband parties were the forerunner of today's M&M's. The bottom line is that it's a good idea to arrange your own meeting. If the RCI sponsored M&M comes off, consider it a bonus.

 

I encourage you all to organize your own and then see the hazards that make it difficult to get everyone in one place. A thing about modern cruising is that their ARE options and there is no time in the day when nothing is going on.

 

Boarding day is a great time, but when to do it?

 

Before boatdrill? "No - we don't get into Miami til 3:00pm and will miss it"

After boatdrill? "No - we want to be on the helicopter deck for sailaway, that's what we always do on a cruise"

6.00pm - "But I am on main seating"

7.30pm - "I don't want to miss the show"

8.30pm - "I am on second seating"

10.30pm - "That is a bit late for us"

 

How about day 2 - presuming it is a seaday...

 

9.00am - "Too early"

11.00am - "That is the same time as bingo - and they are raffling off the suite this morning"

12 noon - "I can't miss lunch"

2.00 pm - "I can't miss the sexylegs/minigolf/art auction"

 

You get the idea. WHATEVER time it is, there are objections and on some itineraries, there is no seaday at the beginning, or late departures from ports etc.

 

If ANYONE can give me one time that is suitable for everyone.... please tell me...

 

Then remember that the staff also have to work this, and it has to work around their schedules as they have things to do for 2000 - 3500 other guests.....

 

And I am not surprised that a lot of crew are negative towards the M&M, most I have been to have been a bore, that is when people have bothered to actually turn up.

[traveler/]

We attended our first ever meet and mingle on Vision Alaska cruise 9/16 actual date of M&M.:)

Thank you so much to RCI and the great folks who organized it. We had 46 people, a complete list of everyone involved, got an invitation on board, and I think an email before. Nice party for 1 hour, free refreshments, nice gift and the chance to meet some very nice people at the beginning of our cruise, 12:15 pm on first sea day. We feel like we made new friends who we then saw later in the cruise.

I think this is a great concept, and probably it is just as good as the effort that everyone puts into it. I even put it on my comment card to RCI in hopes that they will continue.

Sorry the M & M posted here was not good, but keep trying and hopefully things will get better!

[AAAAmerican]

When we have organised them and/or just been part they sometimes turn out well and sometimes not..

 

As in anything timing is so very key.

 

Usually the first sea day is best after noon as that timing does not conflict with most people..

 

One way as in any meeting to have abetter attendance which is to have great prizes and/or gifts there and the people know what is expected also ....

 

 

A little knowledge never hurts anyone this way.. it is the same stimuli used in marketing x=cruises in the first place...

 

If RCL:NYSE would give C C more Co-Op dollars that will help as well even a Press release issued by both RCL:NYSE and CC jointly in the local and regional markets .. that way everyone wins with a great gratis public interest story...

 

 

I have to ask now..

Who is going to be on the Exlorer of the Seas leaving the old MOTBY (Millitary Ocean Terminal) in Bayonne, Hudson County, New Jersey on October 15th to the 27 Island of Bermuda?

 

We want to have an M&M also.

 

Regards.

 

AAAAmerican

 

:cool:

[AFT_LOVER]

and I am on Freedom in 17 days. They just listed our M&M: 10/16/2006 10:15:00 AM, Pharaoh's Palace - I sure this place is HUGE with over 325 people for M&M & over 1000 Diamond/Plus. Still no phonecall on the free excursion either.

 

 

That's super, Fran. Thanks. I'd love to have seen Capt. Wright dancing with a pink boa!

 

Good luck on getting the pink boa society started up and linked to breast cancer awareness. Great cause, and I think you'll get some great devotees.

 

Now, if we can just get you out of your "shrinking violet" shell... (joke :))

 

Kat.

[rubrrick]

For the record, I just want to share that RCI came through with flying colors on this and has changed their Meet & Mingle to a more acceptable time.

 

After speaking via e-mail with the folks at RCI's HQ this week, I've learned that over the past few weeks -- in migrating over to a new mainframe computer system -- the shoreside information had not made it to the ships in a timely manner. So, the ships erroneously thought there were no scheduled parties for some sailings. Their IT department has been working on this issue, and they confident that problem is now fixed and we're hoping things go much smoother in the future.

 

Laura

 

Laura.........I wanted to thank you personally for your part in getting our M & M changed. I know that it was an effort on both of our parts, but I was not aware of the bigger picture.........of the communication problem with Miami.

 

Rick

[Big Thunder]

Hello!

 

I will put in my 2 cents on the M&M's. We attended an M&M for a Mariner cruise a year ago. We had a lot of posts on our board and some key people organized a sailaway party which was a lot of fun, horse auction and races, dinner out together at Chops etc. The actual M&M was a bit of a letdown the staff did not do a great job of keeping things rolling. We found that those that attended the initial sailaway met up more as the week went on. We ended up making new friends that made the cruise very special (we are currently planning a reunion cruise for next year).

 

I would highly recommend checking out any M&M offered for a cruise. You may meet some great cruise companions and if you dont well you are still on a cruise! Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

 

Thunder