Meet and Greet popularity

On my upcoming cruise, the M&G is at a surprisingly bad time (9am on a port day!)

 

When I asked how this was selected, I was told that NCL gave them that time as when the officers could make it.

 

Whatever.

 

I would think that convenient times for the passengers is more important than presence of officers.

I think this happens sometimes when the person in charge waits to long to contact NCL. I always contact them about 3-4 months prior to sail date. They always get back to me within a day or two with a day and time....it's always been first sea day around 10:30 or 11:00 a.m. for an hour. I usually get back to them a few weeks prior to sailing with a more accurate number of those who will attend. I also make sure to check to make sure that the Platinum BTS tour is not scheduled for the same day/time. I've been very lucky to date with all those I've planned.

Harriet

I find it to be a mix- depends on the cruise, how many people have signed up etc.. A lot of times the staff gives us their direct lines to reach.

One I went to 5 years ago was good, even one of the comedians came but he was really hung over so didn't say much- but made an effort.

In general they are fun to attend and often a bunch of people do lunch or a cabin crawl afterwards.

My friend Dave from Dayton, actually met his wife at a M&G!!

I find it to be a mix- depends on the cruise, how many people have signed up etc.. A lot of times the staff gives us their direct lines to reach.

One I went to 5 years ago was good, even one of the comedians came but he was really hung over so didn't say much- but made an effort.

In general they are fun to attend and often a bunch of people do lunch or a cabin crawl afterwards.

 

My friend Dave from Dayton, actually met his wife at a M&G!!

Thats awesome!

I've gone to all M&Gs on all our cruises except the 1st one (before CC). NCL's have been much better - not even a contest. One NCL one a few years ago, we had about 80 people show up out of 100! That was huge! We will be on the Dawn for Thanksgiving out of NOLA. Very very little activity on our roll call. People don't check back in after popping in initially. I do expect it to pick up about 4-6 weeks out, but right now, our M&G is scheduled for only 20 people (and that was a guess when I requested it).

I too have been to some great M+G's.

The best one by far was the So. Caribbean cruise on the Dawn.

It was held in the smaller MDR and it was a blast, there was more than 100 CC'ers.

Still keep in touch with some of those folks.

I firmly believe that Facebook, Twitter etc. has taken it's toll on all web based forums.

And the fact that CC does not allow links to Facebook doesn't help either, and I'm not even on Facebook!

I think this happens sometimes when the person in charge waits to long to contact NCL. I always contact them about 3-4 months prior to sail date. They always get back to me within a day or two with a day and time....it's always been first sea day around 10:30 or 11:00 a.m. for an hour. I usually get back to them a few weeks prior to sailing with a more accurate number of those who will attend. I also make sure to check to make sure that the Platinum BTS tour is not scheduled for the same day/time. I've been very lucky to date with all those I've planned.

 

Harriet

Harriet--I guess I am taking this personally since I am the organizer for the cruise Poperpro5 is on. So please forgive me if this post sounds snarky. Pokerpro5 came late to the roll call and therefore had no say in the time and date. I am sorry that he did not participate until this late date.

For this particular cruise, the sea day is day 4 which is an issue because I suspect most of the group will forget about the M&G. The group decided that they wanted the M&G at a time when the most officers could attend. The options were day 2 after sail away at 3pm, day 3 at 9am before arrival of 11am or day 4 the sea day. NCL then selected the 9am day 3 based on our criteria of officer's attending. The issue wasn't when NCL was contacted but the schedule that has a late sea day.

I have also organized several M&Gs and also have been lucky with good attendance, but they have always had a sea day on day 2. Not sure what the attendance will be in this situation, but 67 people from the roll call have said they would attend.

I think this happens sometimes when the person in charge waits to long to contact NCL. I always contact them about 3-4 months prior to sail date. They always get back to me within a day or two with a day and time....it's always been first sea day around 10:30 or 11:00 a.m. for an hour. I usually get back to them a few weeks prior to sailing with a more accurate number of those who will attend. I also make sure to check to make sure that the Platinum BTS tour is not scheduled for the same day/time. I've been very lucky to date with all those I've planned.

 

Harriet

This has nothing to do with it, I bet

I just requested one for my upcoming cruise less than a month away, and got assigned the second sea day at 11, which is what I have always have assigned on 7 day cruises

shorter cruises are different, but I bet they have to assume that there will typically be a request for almost any sailing for a M&G

this is all just guessing, but I do not think the date and time has to do with how early you request. There are multiple venues they can hold it in, and that might vary depending on the size

Harriet--I guess I am taking this personally since I am the organizer for the cruise Poperpro5 is on. So please forgive me if this post sounds snarky. Pokerpro5 came late to the roll call and therefore had no say in the time and date. I am sorry that he did not participate until this late date.

 

For this particular cruise, the sea day is day 4 which is an issue because I suspect most of the group will forget about the M&G. The group decided that they wanted the M&G at a time when the most officers could attend. The options were day 2 after sail away at 3pm, day 3 at 9am before arrival of 11am or day 4 the sea day. NCL then selected the 9am day 3 based on our criteria of officer's attending. The issue wasn't when NCL was contacted but the schedule that has a late sea day.

 

I have also organized several M&Gs and also have been lucky with good attendance, but they have always had a sea day on day 2. Not sure what the attendance will be in this situation, but 67 people from the roll call have said they would attend.

I'm sorry....I didn't mean for you to take this personally. I have/had no idea what the circumstances are/were for your cruise. All I can attest to is the fact that on two of the many M&G's I've been to it wasn't scheduled at the 'normal' day and time. In talking about that with the crew at the M&G as well as the host...on both times the host didn't contact the ship until just a few weeks prior to sailing and all venue and times had already been taken.

I can only speak of the two I've experienced and the reason I was told.

Again, I'm sorry you took it personally.....my only intent was to share why I thought it might have happened due to my experience.

Enjoy your M&G as well as your cruise.

Harriet

Harriet--I guess I am taking this personally since I am the organizer for the cruise Poperpro5 is on. So please forgive me if this post sounds snarky. Pokerpro5 came late to the roll call and therefore had no say in the time and date. I am sorry that he did not participate until this late date.

 

For this particular cruise, the sea day is day 4 which is an issue because I suspect most of the group will forget about the M&G. The group decided that they wanted the M&G at a time when the most officers could attend. The options were day 2 after sail away at 3pm, day 3 at 9am before arrival of 11am or day 4 the sea day. NCL then selected the 9am day 3 based on our criteria of officer's attending. The issue wasn't when NCL was contacted but the schedule that has a late sea day.

 

I have also organized several M&Gs and also have been lucky with good attendance, but they have always had a sea day on day 2. Not sure what the attendance will be in this situation, but 67 people from the roll call have said they would attend.

I hope you aren't taking my comments personally. I am not trying to attack you. I appreciate your efforts in setting up the M&G. I said that in my most recent post in our roll call.

I am not complaining about my lack of input in the M&G date/time. I realize that I came to the roll call just recently, so I didn't expect to have a vote.

However, I was very disappointed with the time selected. 9am on a port day -- even if the ship arrives at port at 11am -- is a very inconvenient time for most. Mornings are hectic on cruises during port days (even late-starting ones). Between breakfast, getting everyone ready, etc, you really don't want/need an hourlong meeting slapped right in the middle of all of that. In addition, anyone desiring to use the 11am dock time to sleep in will not be able to attend the M&G. It's just a lousy time, and there are so many possible choices for times, even if you wanted the M&G to take place on the first half of the cruise.

Yes, it's nice to have the maximum number of officers present, but that shouldn't have been judged as the most important factor. I'm sure the vast majority of attendees would rather a more convenient time with fewer officers than this awful time with more officers.

Sure, you might still get good attendance, but I imagine that almost everyone will tell you (if asked) that they really didn't like the selected time.

So I was just expressing disappointment that this wasn't realized before offering it to NCL as a possible choice.

I realize that no one likes seeing their volunteer work criticized. I realize that you aren't getting paid for organizing this thing, so I am not holding it against you. I appreciate that you stepped up and did this at all. I was just very disappointed that the presence of officers was prioritized to the point of selecting a highly inconvenient time for those who simply wanted to attend to meet one another.

I wouldn't cancel it this far out from the cruise. If there's still no interest two weeks before the cruise you could cancel it then. Many people wait until closer to the cruise before getting involved.

I agree with you as to some cruisers wait until the final weeks to join in on the roll call. Our upcoming cruise roll call is almost just me yakking about the weather and a few asking questions. we are a long way out so I am hoping it will pick up in the new year.

Our M&G for Mexico was well attended and we had lots of fun especially with the cabin crawl and the generosity of one of the cruisers to host a spread in their forward suite.

Wait and see until you are closer to cancel.

Yes, it's nice to have the maximum number of officers present, but that shouldn't have been judged as the most important factor. I'm sure the vast majority of attendees would rather a more convenient time with fewer officers than this awful time with more officers.

 

Sure, you might still get good attendance, but I imagine that almost everyone will tell you (if asked) that they really didn't like the selected time.

 

So I was just expressing disappointment that this wasn't realized before offering it to NCL as a possible choice.

The organizer does not suggest times to NCL, the group coordinator on the ship finds a time and place and tells the organizer when it will be.

The organizer does not suggest times to NCL, the group coordinator on the ship finds a time and place and tells the organizer when it will be.

This is not always the case. I did suggest three times and our coordinator contacted the ship. The ship coordinator came back and said that one of the three times suggested would be best for the roll call's agenda of getting the most officers to attend. I do think that the first sea day is the default time on most cruises.

I do think that the first sea day is the default time on most cruises.

In our experience the default is 11am the first sea day.

In our experience the default is 11am the first sea day.

That would have been way better.

I see pizzalady has offered to change it in our roll call thread, but nobody is really speaking up, so that probably won't happen.

Oh well. You guys will live just fine without my presence.

On our BA 8/9/15 sailing, although requested to NCL NOT to be, the platinum behind the scenes tour was scheduled at the same time. Tour at 10 :30 meet and greet at 11 - first sea day. We were very disappointed that we had to chose between the 2 events. Not the fault of our host at the M&G. We chose to attend the M&G, as we usually enjoy them, but were very unhaopy to have to miss the tour. The officers when asked had an "Oh well, always lots of things going on at the same time" - true but these are two major events, and was requested not to be scheduled together.

Safe sailing

On our BA 8/9/15 sailing, although requested to NCL NOT to be, the platinum behind the scenes tour was scheduled at the same time. Tour at 10 :30 meet and greet at 11 - first sea day. We were very disappointed that we had to chose between the 2 events. Not the fault of our host at the M&G. We chose to attend the M&G, as we usually enjoy them, but were very unhaopy to have to miss the tour. The officers when asked had an "Oh well, always lots of things going on at the same time" - true but these are two major events, and was requested not to be scheduled together.

Safe sailing

The M & G might be a major event to you, but it's not to the ship.

The M & G might be a major event to you, but it's not to the ship.

Yet they worry so about what cruise critics will post. They always ask that there be no negative posting, and allow them to handle any problems on board. The officers come mostly to the M&G to secure that point to us.

Safe sailing

Yet they worry so about what cruise critics will post. They always ask that there be no negative posting, and allow them to handle any problems on board. The officers come mostly to the M&G to secure that point to us.

Safe sailing

That doesn't make it a major event to the rest of the officers, crew and passengers.

But really.....how many times can one go to the Platinum BTST?

After you've seen 2, 3 or 4.......to me, they're all the same already. Even the Breakaway and Getaway was pretty much the same as the older/smaller ships.

Harriet

I agree with you that the M&G is not the place to ask loaded questions or to try to place the officers in an awkward position even though I have seen this happen. Since the M&G is usually held the first sea day or the second day of the cruise, it is hard to understand how some people can have serious problems so early in their cruise.

 

This is a social event, and if someone has a complaint that requires the attention of one of the senior officers, it should be taken up in a different venue or by discreetly asking for a personal meeting with that officer..

 

Good manners make for a good meet and greet !!!

I totally agree !

(and re: some voicing their problems so early in cruise..probably because they bring a lot of "baggage"/discontent with NCL policies/changes onboard with them and unfortunately take it out on the available officers-)

:mad:

On our last sailing on the Getaway, the Hotel director gave us their card and later on in the cruise, we had an issue, called his card, and it was fixed, but I would never have brought it up in public at the M&G

Sometimes, the meet and mingle is not at the best time for everyone, but that is how things go - you can't please everyone and the ships crew and staff make an effort to be there and say hello not because "We're from cruise critic and they dont want us to leave a bad review" but because they genuinely care and appreciate us...and yes, they would rather us talk to them privately if there is an issue, and if they can, they will fix it.

There's nothing worse than reading bad reviews and knowing if only that person came to you for help in resolving the matter, the review could have been positive - so I don't see any harm in them saying to come to them if you have any complaints.

I totally agree !

 

(and re: some voicing their problems so early in cruise..probably because they bring a lot of "baggage"/discontent with NCL policies/changes onboard with them and unfortunately take it out on the available officers-)

 

:mad:

The issue I have with this is that the anger is misplaced - it's like people yelling at the ticket agent because the plane is out of service. The hotel director runs the customer side of the ship - one ship - not the cruise line. If you're that annoyed, call corporate before you leave.

I totally agree !

(and re: some voicing their problems so early in cruise..probably because they bring a lot of "baggage"/discontent with NCL policies/changes onboard with them and unfortunately take it out on the available officers-)

:mad:

I'm sorry....I didn't mean for you to take this personally. I have/had no idea what the circumstances are/were for your cruise. All I can attest to is the fact that on two of the many M&G's I've been to it wasn't scheduled at the 'normal' day and time. In talking about that with the crew at the M&G as well as the host...on both times the host didn't contact the ship until just a few weeks prior to sailing and all venue and times had already been taken.

 

I can only speak of the two I've experienced and the reason I was told.

 

Again, I'm sorry you took it personally.....my only intent was to share why I thought it might have happened due to my experience.

 

Enjoy your M&G as well as your cruise.

 

Harriet

As the organizer for what might possibly be one of the two that Harriet references above, I have to agree with her. I was following the guidelines on CC about when to begin organizing the M&G, and it turned out to be too late to get the best space for us. I think the time was fine, but getting about 120 people in the Star Bar on the Star was way too crowded.

It might also have to do with how repetitive/unusual your cruise is. The one I organized was the 14-day Norway/Faroes/Iceland/British Isles from last September/October, and since it's done so rarely, there were a lot of European Travel Groups or Clubs on the ship who had taken a lot of the prime space for their equivalents of M&Gs by the time I contacted NCL.

So, there could also be factors related to the "uniqueness," if you will, of a particular cruise that could affect the time (and location!) of your M&G.

--Michael

If I'm at a meet and greet and this type of behavior starts to happen, I'll simply get up and leave, as I don't want to be associated with those passengers that try to take the changes out on the officers that have no decision making power over the changes.

I agree, there is a time and a place for everything and the M&G is neither the time nor the place.