Warning - Avoid Meet N Mingle Disaster

[p2lockhart]

Just got back from my 9/26 Elation cruise and it was great. You can read my review on the Carnival board. My only real disappointment was the Meet N Mingle that the 33 of us planned did not materialize and I am posting this in hopes that you all do not have the same disappointment that we did. We were so excited to meet each other that we planned ours for a Sail Away on the Verandah Deck by the pool and bar immediately following the lifeboat drill . Our first mistake. There was just too much going on at that time. I for one was trying to get my dining time and table changed so my family could eat together. Also, the bar where we were to meet was not yet open, no chairs were out and there were too many people there and no one could be identified as CCers. We even had a Plan B and the same thing happened at the second location. It was a mad house. I strongly suggest that you have your Meet N Mingle on the afternoon of your first day at sea, after lunch, about 2 or 3 so there is plenty of time afterward to get ready for the Captain's Welcome Party. Have a sign either on cardboard that you can fold over and set on the table and/or hold up and/or on paper that can be taped to the wall. At the beginning of most boards there is a sign you can download. It would probably be helpful for everyone to be wearing the same color of lei, or some other form of identification as a CC member so you can easily spot each other. If you did that the first and second day some of you might even be able to ID each other before the Meet N Mingle. I hope that you all are able to do some better planning for your Meet N Mingle than we did and that it is a roaring success, and that this is your best cruise yet! If you have any questions, I will try to check back and do my best to answer. Bon voyage!

Patti

[GoinCruisin]

We had no problem with our M&M... we met after the muster drill in one of the inside bars (which was empty...) Sorry you did not get to meet the CC people... it is exciting to meet others you have been chatting with...

[tef43]

I've seen them work extremely well, and conversely, extremely *bad.*

 

I'll share both ends of the spectrum:

 

On the Paradise last year, we had nearly 100% attendance from the roll call. On the Triumph last January we *never* were able to hook up with anyone who had posted. In both instances, the meeting was scheduled for 3 pm on embarkation day.

[hstrybuf]

Definitely some good points! We arranged two times to meet. Most everyone showed up at the first one but hardly anyone (and it was the same people) at the second. Having some way to identify each other is a good idea too!

[p2lockhart]

Hopefully others will learn from our mistakes so history won't have to repeat itself.

[kathy7558]

On our last cruise, we decided in advance to wear Mardi Gras beads so we could identify each other. Many of us wore them from Embarktion on so we met each other from the start. Then, we made our "official" meeting time as lunch the first sea day (b/c RCL has open seating for lunch in the dining room). Both worked and we met each other.

 

On the cruise before that, even though we had an official party put on by RCL, we met the first night by the pool unofficially, too. We wore the rubber wrist bands RCL gives the registered CCers and brought bottles of wine to share. It was great. Also, someone printed out nametags from these boards for each of us who promised to meet and we wore those around for a few days, too.

[jnnifer01]

Our 1st M&M on the Conquest worked out well- during a day at sea. The majority of us showed up.

Our 2nd one fell through, on the Pride, for whatever reason. We went and never saw anyone at the pool we were to meet at so we left (also on a day at sea). We did get to meet one couple at one of the ports because they recognized us by our descriptions.

Our 3rd one, on the Sapphire Princess, fell through because we planned it for 3pm on boarding day and guess what- they had the life boat drill at 3pm. We did get to meet another couple onboard later, since they recognized our description.

You can't say we didn't try ;)

I really do enjoy meeting fellow CCers onboard, so thanks for the great meeting ideas.

[basketballmom]

During our recent cruise, about 7 of us CC'ers decided to have a M&M. All but one showed up. We had it at 10:30 AM on the first sea day. Worked out good for us. It was great to meet people who you have been talking to on the boards.

[dickinson]

Ours worked out great on the Paradise. We were on the 15 day (strike that! Hurricane Frances made it 14 days) cruise through the Panama Canal. We had planned to meet on Verandah deck aft at sailaway and the next day by the one of the bars inside near the casino at 5 Pm (wouldn't interrupt people's afternoon activities). Because of the hurricane we ended up sailing at 10:30 pm to allow everyone who was planning to to arrive (about 500 or so people either cancelled or never showed up). this meant sailaway was during the darkness of night. We were to wear a rubber band on our wrists. WEll, we did not have the crowds that would normally be there but being dark we thought we would never see rubber bands. We were outside for about 5 minutes or so til we found someone else and before we knew it others found us. the next day at 5 pm we met the rest. Someone suggested meeting every day at 5 pm inside the piano bar where it would be quiet. At first I thought it was a bit much but it worked out great. We made most of the meetings and everyone chatted for about 45 minutes. I think probably everyone on our roll call made it at least once and most made it routinely.

[p2lockhart]

Now that's persistence, Dickinson.

[dbcruzin]

We had a large roll call for our Triumph cruise last March. One thing we did was post pics of the people in our group. Most made it to the meeting, and those that didn't were recognizable and later found. We had about 70 people in all that got together at one time or another. Having the pics made things much easier.:D