Why Meet the Captain?

I guess I don't get it. I see various posts here where people want to meet all the high level staff, know their names, etc.

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Some people enjoy meeting new people, people in interesting jobs, learning about their jobs, gaining "inside" knowledge.

Some people don't.

Sometimes, it is the need to feel important so name-dropping can happen: "We said "hello" to CaptainX, who we had the opportunity to meet before on several of our HAL cruises."

I do not understand the need of people to see the Captain - some feel slighted or feel that the cruise is diminished because the Senior Crew is not out there glad-handing... Get me from point A to point B and be sure the line staff is doing their jobs and I am a happy camper. Bonzo the Chimp could be Captain - as long as he gets the ship around safely, I'm good...

I agree! I have no need to know the staff....although, I'm pleasant to them when I meet them...IF I meet them!

Sounds like a group that would make Lady Astor Proud!:D

It is only slightly more significant than chatting with the motorman on your subway train.

There was a time on HAL ships when on the first formal night, nearly everyone stood in line to meet the captain and get their picture taken with him -- which you could buy.

We enjoyed those evenings.

But I would still like to meet the captain -- sadly it doesn't happen anymore on HAL.

I'm with you, no idea why this is important. We met the captain once, it was shake hands, get a photo taken and move on, whoopee. We learned nothing of inside information, anything about his job or anything else for that matter. It was hello, thank you, good bye, period. :rolleyes:

Sit and gave a chat with him, yes, just shake hands and move on, no thanks.

No desire to meet the Captain. In fact on the night of the Captain's cocktail party I bypass the meet & greet line and head straight for the free cocktail and leave.

I don't get it either. It's not something I care about; would probably rather not, in fact, 'cause I'm kind of shy and have a hard time conversing with strangers. It just seems awkward.

Some people enjoy it - its as simple as that.

We have met some Captains who do not shine at the socializing aspect of their work, and others who are very adept at small talk. It isn't a big deal for us. Please just get us where we are going, safely.

I have meet 2 Captains and I must say it was neat....One did the make a wish walk, and he chatted with many people, another female, forgot her name, but she was all over the ship and I did my picture with her! Both very nice!!!

No desire to meet the Captain either after years and years of being paraded in front of any higher ranking officers than us in the military.

We were on a cruise and there were two or three other American couples. All were invited to the captain's table. It was an MSC ship. After the chit chat, I suggested that the Achilli Lauro (Sp ?) was an MSC ship. I asked him if he knew anything about the hijacking. He responded that he was the first mate on the A.L. I have seldom had a more intense conversation. Happens !!

It is part of the tradition...for those who have been cruising for years. Much like formal nights are part of the tradition...some today don't get that either.

Doesn't appeal to me I suppose.

I just don't get the people who feel a meet and greet/mingle is not a total success unless there's several ship officers there. I thought the purpose of these occasions was to meet in person those you've been conversing with online for several months.

I just don't get the people who feel a meet and greet/mingle is not a total success unless there's several ship officers there. I thought the purpose of these occasions was to meet in person those you've been conversing with online for several months.

None of the Meet & Mingles on RCI that we've attended have had any officer present, nor were they expected there. As you suggest, it is a gathering of fellow roll call cruisers hosted by a member of the CD's staff.

However we have been at a number of ship functions outside of the Captain's night that were intended as senior staff meet and greet type of gatherings that were well attended by the Captain and other staff and were enjoyable. That being said, we have not attended the formal Captains night handshake line for many years.

None of the Meet & Mingles on RCI that we've attended have had any officer present, nor were they expected there. As you suggest, it is a gathering of fellow roll call cruisers hosted by a member of the CD's staff.

 

However we have been at a number of ship functions outside of the Captain's night that were intended as senior staff meet and greet type of gatherings that were well attended by the Captain and other staff and were enjoyable. That being said, we have not attended the formal Captains night handshake line for many years.

I've seen some threads on CC in which many make a big deal about this. A few people even complaining that any time officers don't go to the MnG, it reflects badly on the cruise line. I have gone to the non-CC type of past passenger events and sometimes you get a handshake and a photo, sometimes not. Not a big deal for us either way.

Hubby and I even got to meet the captain on the bridge on our latest cruise as part of a presentation, but I think the best part for us was talking to one of the officers who was showing us some of the equipment.

Until I started sailing NCL I didn't understand why it was a big deal to some. Well, I still don't, but I do like the NCL meet and greets where some of the senior crew (and often the captain) attends. There's not thrill for me in meeting them--it's that I've usually found what they have to say interesting and they seem genuinely interested in hearing from the CC members about their experiences. Getting my photo taken with any of them is of no interest to me.

My thinking is this. I'd hope at any given moment, the captain has better things to do than meet me. Who am I that he/she needs to meet? I'm sure there are more than enough Rose Nylunds that bore them with stories of St. Olaf that I don't need to add to it.

I don't seek out hotel or restaurant managers and executives on a land vacation so I don't see the appeal of doing it on a ship.

It is part of the tradition...for those who have been cruising for years. Much like formal nights are part of the tradition...some today don't get that either.

Please don't lump all those who have been cruising for years in to the same bucket :roll eyes:

Just because someone thinks something was part of tradition does not mean it must remain forever. Nor does it mean that change is bad. If tradition dictated something remaining, at least in the USA, women would not be able to vote or serve in more positions than nursing and secretarial...

The "old" tradition meant fixed dining, required dress, same old same old entertainment, bingo and smoking everywhere. The "new" tradition means choices for dining, suggested dress and dropping the formal (I don't see any line who dropped formal bringing it back yet because of guests asking for the old), choices in entertainment and activities and smoking confined to very small areas.

We always try to meet the head of the buffet kitchen , not the Captain of the ship. On almost every cruise he has sat down with us for a chat about his background. Then he asks us if there anything special they can cook for us. We usually ask for some Indian dishes not normally available on the buffet with lamb, spinach paneer, gobi manchurian or butter chicken, etc. Usually he will say give them 24 hours and he will serve us himself.

This has always worked on Royal Carribean and Norweigian.