Meet & Mingle Ideas

I am organizing our Meet & Mingle for our January 4th Panama Canal Cruise on the NCL Star and would like some ideas to get people up and mingling.

I have organized several in the past year and my biggest issue is getting people up and mingling.

I already have a raffle planned. A "cruise merchandise" company is donating some really cool prizes, i.e. tote bags, key card holders etc...but that won't take long.

I know the officers might be there and talk - but again that doesn't take long.

Most of the time people just sit there and even if we pass around a mic to introduce our selves, that is boring.

We also have 2 slot pulls and a cabin crawl/poker run planned. It is a 14 day cruise with lots of sea days after all.

So, any fun ideas to get people more involved? Maybe a game or trivia? I can always get more prizes.

Any ideas will be greatly appreciated.

On one meet and greet, the organizer set up a bingo game. The card had things like "someone from California", "new NCL cruiser" (items she got off folk's posts on the roll call. It was a lot of fun and made folks talk to each other.

On one meet and greet, the organizer set up a bingo game. The card had things like "someone from California", "new NCL cruiser" (items she got off folk's posts on the roll call. It was a lot of fun and made folks talk to each other.

That's an interesting idea.

Hometown gift exchange, limit it to $10 or some small amount, bring an item that represents your city. Some people got creative on the last one I did. I'm from Kansas City, so mine was BBQ-related :-)

Send me an email at casofilia at xtra dot co dot nz and I will send you a copy of one I have used very successfully especially with a small number (<40) people.

Mike

Cabin crawl and/or poker crawl.

Instead of the traditional slot pull, we did a group roulette spin on our last cruise. Everyone puts in $15 and receives five $3 chips. On each spin, 5 people each put down a $3 bet on specific numbers (no red/black, odd/even, etc. bets). Winning bets pay off to the group at 35:1, so $105 for a $3 bet. If you have 30 people participating, there will be 30 spins of the wheel, 5 bets on each spin, or 150 bets in all. If the group wins 5 of those 150 bets, you'll come out winners.

From the feedback I got, people really enjoyed the change, especially because we could all gather around the table and see what was going on. On most slot pulls I've participated in, the vast majority of people can't really see the action. The casino was also willing to chip in some nice prizes (I was expecting decks of cards or key chains. Instead we got polo shirts and casino comps) for the individuals who hit their numbers.

Cabin crawl and/or poker crawl.

Already have those planned....thanks.

We had a cruise over Halloween, and had a door decorating contest. I think there were like 25 doors decorated. I see you are just past New Years, maybe something pertaining to a new years resolution door decorating you could do, like the biggie...weight loss...decorate your door with photos of before and after photos (not of the people in the cabin, just random photos) and scales at various weights with ???? over them, more cruises....lots of cruise ship photos and items, ideas could be endless. The most "outlandish" doors were the talk of the ship. I have a few other ideas...email me if you want, my address is in my signature, just put cruise critic in subject line.

Instead of the traditional slot pull, we did a group roulette spin on our last cruise. Everyone puts in $15 and receives five $3 chips. On each spin, 5 people each put down a $3 bet on specific numbers (no red/black, odd/even, etc. bets). Winning bets pay off to the group at 35:1, so $105 for a $3 bet. If you have 30 people participating, there will be 30 spins of the wheel, 5 bets on each spin, or 150 bets in all. If the group wins 5 of those 150 bets, you'll come out winners.

 

From the feedback I got, people really enjoyed the change, especially because we could all gather around the table and see what was going on. On most slot pulls I've participated in, the vast majority of people can't really see the action. The casino was also willing to chip in some nice prizes (I was expecting decks of cards or key chains. Instead we got polo shirts and casino comps) for the individuals who hit their numbers.

That is a really interesting idea. We already have a slot pull planned but since this is a 14day cruise, I was thinking of doing another slot pull later in the cruise. I think instead we will do the one slot pull and a roulette spin for the second gathering. Thank you so much for the idea.

Have a few questions though...

I am not aware of $3 chips ....I play table games and there have always been $1, $5, $25 and so on....

Where do the $3 chips come from or did you use 3 $1 chips?

And do the people pick them own numbers or was it a group decision?

I don't pay attention to the roulette game when I am playing cards, is the table generally open the whole time the casino is open? Would hate to plan it and have people sign up and the table not be open.

Sorry for all of the questions....really want to give this a try.

Maybe arrange for some group excursions together.

We did a shot glass exchange last November on our Escape cruise. Much simpler than a gift exchange.

We did a shot glass exchange last November on our Escape cruise. Much simpler than a gift exchange.

Leaves out anyone who does not drink. But how does limiting the gift to any one particular item make it any simpler?

We have been a part of a Murder Mystery on one cruise and organized one on another. It is a lot of fun.

We did a shot glass exchange last November on our Escape cruise. Much simpler than a gift exchange.

That is a great idea, since they are small and easy to pack and one doesn't have to drink to participate. I don't participate in the gift exchange (something from your state), because I think it is a pain to have to figure out what to bring.

What good is a shot glass if you don't drink? You don't have to drink to participate in a standard gift exchange! If it is a pain to figure out what to bring as your gift you are thinking about it waaaaaay too much. :)

We had a fun and different twist where the meet and greet coordinator had us send him a photo of ourselves. He didn’t say what it was for. Partway through the meet and greet he had his wife put an envelope in front of everyone.

When we opened the envelope in front of us all at the same time he said that we had to go and match up the photo that we received with the person in the room that it went to. We had to bring the match up to the front and we introduced ourselves to the group and said where we were from. The first three people that had a match got a small gift.

There was some fun scrambling around at first to be the first with a match. It got everyone up from their seats and moving around the room for about ten minutes. Then he went back and did the usual ending of the meet and greet.

We had a fun and different twist where the meet and greet coordinator had us send him a photo of ourselves. He didn’t say what it was for. Partway through the meet and greet he had his wife put an envelope in front of everyone.

 

When we opened the envelope in front of us all at the same time he said that we had to go and match up the photo that we received with the person in the room that it went to. We had to bring the match up to the front and we introduced ourselves to the group and said where we were from. The first three people that had a match got a small gift.

 

There was some fun scrambling around at first to be the first with a match. It got everyone up from their seats and moving around the room for about ten minutes. Then he went back and did the usual ending of the meet and greet.

That's interesting.... Did everyone send a photo? Just wondering how hard it is to get everyone to participate.

That's interesting.... Did everyone send a photo? Just wondering how hard it is to get everyone to participate.

We had a few that didn’t send in a photo and we had the usual that didn’t show up. He had us join the cruisers site where you upload a photo and tell about yourself and then put in the ships name and date to find the group.

We could also Email a photo to him. I think the part that made it work was that it was a surprise. He just told us that he needed a photo for a project that he was working on. I’m sure that your group will have a great time even if you don’t do many extras.

That is a really interesting idea. We already have a slot pull planned but since this is a 14day cruise, I was thinking of doing another slot pull later in the cruise. I think instead we will do the one slot pull and a roulette spin for the second gathering. Thank you so much for the idea.

 

Have a few questions though...

 

I am not aware of $3 chips ....I play table games and there have always been $1, $5, $25 and so on....

Where do the $3 chips come from or did you use 3 $1 chips?

 

And do the people pick them own numbers or was it a group decision?

 

I don't pay attention to the roulette game when I am playing cards, is the table generally open the whole time the casino is open? Would hate to plan it and have people sign up and the table not be open.

 

 

Sorry for all of the questions....really want to give this a try.

You're right. There are technically no $3 chips, but when I arranged this ahead of time with the casino manager, he just designated a particular color chip as a $3 chip (since we were a closed table with only one bet amount). I had collected all the money at the Meet & Greet, so it was really quick and easy to buy all the chips a few minutes early and distribute 5 chips to each person on my list. The only issue I had was that 3 people who had paid forgot about the event, so I had to track them down later to return their $15.

Each person picks their own number when placing a bet, but there was shouted encouragement from others on occasion when there was a hot number. It was totally random on which 5 people played any particular spin of the wheel. First 5 people to put down their bets.

You absolutely want to arrange this ahead of time with the casino. Like with the slot pulls, they will try and arrange it for a time when the casino is less crowded and give your group its own table.

We ended up with 26 participants and made $5 profit each. It took about 30 minutes, so about the same as a slot pull.

You're right. There are technically no $3 chips, but when I arranged this ahead of time with the casino manager, he just designated a particular color chip as a $3 chip (since we were a closed table with only one bet amount). I had collected all the money at the Meet & Greet, so it was really quick and easy to buy all the chips a few minutes early and distribute 5 chips to each person on my list. The only issue I had was that 3 people who had paid forgot about the event, so I had to track them down later to return their $15.

 

Each person picks their own number when placing a bet, but there was shouted encouragement from others on occasion when there was a hot number. It was totally random on which 5 people played any particular spin of the wheel. First 5 people to put down their bets.

 

You absolutely want to arrange this ahead of time with the casino. Like with the slot pulls, they will try and arrange it for a time when the casino is less crowded and give your group its own table.

 

We ended up with 26 participants and made $5 profit each. It took about 30 minutes, so about the same as a slot pull.

Thanks for the info. One more question....how did you arrange it with the casino ahead of time?

Wouldn't I need to be able to post the day and time on the message boards before the cruise?

I like to have reminders printed with the activities scheduled to pass out at the M&G.

Send me an email at casofilia at xtra dot co dot nz and I will send you a copy of one I have used very successfully especially with a small number (<40) people.

 

Mike

Hi I tried to send you an email but keeps bouncing back! Thanks anyway!

Thanks for the info. One more question....how did you arrange it with the casino ahead of time?

Wouldn't I need to be able to post the day and time on the message boards before the cruise?

I like to have reminders printed with the activities scheduled to pass out at the M&G.

I've tried in the past to pre arrange it but was never successful. I would go to the Casino customer service or manager once you board and tell him what time you are planning on being there for the slot pull. Of course I've only had at most 15 people participating so I just ran it myself and they gave us a couple bottles of wine.

Hi I tried to send you an email but keeps bouncing back! Thanks anyway!

casofilia at xtra dot co dot nz

at => @ dot => . (point) Take out the gaps No "e" at the start of "xtra"

Left Center Right!

It's a really fun dice game and I'd never heard of it until our Panama Canal cruise a few years ago. We played nearly every sea day. First game we had about 30 people show up. After that there was always 15-20. It's a great way to get to know your fellow passengers. We made lifelong friends on that cruise.

Here are the rules to play (better than me trying to explain it! ;p)

https://www.wikihow.com/Play-LCR

We used dollar bills instead of chips so $3 per person per game.

You can get the game on Amazon for around $7.

P.S. I like the roulette idea!