Anyone Have Trouble Scheduling A Meet And Greet Recently?

I'm on the 3/18/18 Star out of LA, just booked it 3? weeks ago. The roll call was not hopping and a couple people had talked about organizing a Meet and Greet, but no one had done anything. I have organized 4 previous times so I took the reigns, started a list based on those who had expressed interest, and emailed star special events requesting the M&G. I promptly got an email back saying they would forward my request to the ship, and I should hear shortly.

A week later I emailed again, again told waiting for the ship to reply.

A week later, waiting for the ship to reply...

Just emailed yet again, a week later, has anyone had this issue lately? NCL has been more than accommodating in the past and quick to schedule so I'm flummoxed :confused:

Yes, the Jewel is being slow at the moment BUT I know that there has been and will be quite a turnover of staff as the ship is ending its Antipodean cruises and moving to North America via Asia.

Also the two I am arranging are small in participants and I have asked for a change in normal venue.

I've never organized one but been to many. The main issue of late is that they tend to have them at the same time or overlap the BTS tour for Plats.

On the Jewel from Honolulu to Sydney they had 4 Behind the Scenes tours and the Platinums who wanted to attend the M&G asked to be put on one of the others.

That worked well as there were plenty of sea days to arrange the BtS tours, it would affect a cruise where there are few sea days.

I'm on the 3/18/18 Star out of LA, just booked it 3? weeks ago. The roll call was not hopping and a couple people had talked about organizing a Meet and Greet, but no one had done anything. I have organized 4 previous times so I took the reigns, started a list based on those who had expressed interest, and emailed star special events requesting the M&G. I promptly got an email back saying they would forward my request to the ship, and I should hear shortly.

 

A week later I emailed again, again told waiting for the ship to reply.

 

A week later, waiting for the ship to reply...

 

Just emailed yet again, a week later, has anyone had this issue lately? NCL has been more than accommodating in the past and quick to schedule so I'm flummoxed :confused:

Nope ran one the end of January on the Getaway. Only took them about a week to get back. Hoping you get a response soon. Good Luck!

I've never organized one but been to many. The main issue of late is that they tend to have them at the same time or overlap the BTS tour for Plats.

Yes that happened to us. By the time we finished the tour all the officers had left and we were pretty disappointed

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I volunteered to do the M&G for both my May cruises. How far in advance do you notify them. We only have about 25 people confirmed for each cruise and I hope to get more to attend as it gets nearer to sailaway. Also, whom do you e-mail? This is my first rodeo.

I email

specialeventsjewel@ncl.com

I suggest you change to the name of your ship

I'm on the 3/18/18 Star out of LA, just booked it 3? weeks ago. The roll call was not hopping and a couple people had talked about organizing a Meet and Greet, but no one had done anything. I have organized 4 previous times so I took the reigns, started a list based on those who had expressed interest, and emailed star special events requesting the M&G. I promptly got an email back saying they would forward my request to the ship, and I should hear shortly.

 

A week later I emailed again, again told waiting for the ship to reply.

 

A week later, waiting for the ship to reply...

 

Just emailed yet again, a week later, has anyone had this issue lately? NCL has been more than accommodating in the past and quick to schedule so I'm flummoxed :confused:

I organized the Meet & Greet on the Star over Christmas. It took over two weeks and 2 emails for them to get back to me.

I emailed them a month & a half out.

I volunteered to do the M&G for both my May cruises. How far in advance do you notify them. We only have about 25 people confirmed for each cruise and I hope to get more to attend as it gets nearer to sailaway. Also, whom do you e-mail? This is my first rodeo.

this has been my experience and I am just going by that: don't worry about only 25 so far,that number should pick up as you get a little closer: when to set up the M&G, I think someplace it ways a couple of weeks prior to sailing, but I usually do it, months ahead of time. I think I have organized about 6 or 7 of them. I just emailed the event specialist for whatever ship you are sailing. Usually have gotten a response in a few days. They may ask you how many people. You can estimate and later, just a week or so prior to sailing let them know the most recent number you have. Remember there will be fewer actually attend than the number who sign up. I think this is tacky but things do happen.

Tips, thoughts, previous ones & suggestions, and, little details - cheers & a little boo's (sorry for a long post) ... maybe of help:

Been to quite a few M&M in the last few years, some ship (hey, Gem ... calling you folks out, much obliged !! :D ) do it well & perhaps, starting with our inital request via Miami NCL HQ - asking consideration be given, to avoid the "known" & documented schedule conflicts with the typical Platinum BTS tour and the Meet & Mingle/Greet. Corporate's liasion was very responsive & prompt - it take them a few days to get back & confirm with the ship at sea to start setting it up.

I organized the Gem's M&M last April, once in touch with the ship's contact, nicely requested & reminded that we prefer to allow CC'ers to do BOTH the tour and the M&M ... - pledged to do their best to work with us. Contact Miami about 4 weeks out with a "firm" # of attendees - which was around 20 or so, the list got longer with last minute booking & solo, etc. - by the time we're asked to give a final #, it was closer to 35, to reconfirm directly with the ship then (as a matter of courtesy, also "cc" the email to Miami to keep them in the friendly "loop". The final count at 3 days was around 40 ... (those that done it and/or went to M&M know this, there'll always be some no-shows, for whatever reasons ... over-slept, still doing the tour, etc. etc.) - but we had a very good turnout, around 30+ being the count at the door with the sign-in sheet.

Be truthful with the headcount so that they can prepare the refreshment & setup the room accordingly ... try not to inflate, they didn't mind a last minute change or up-count, etc. on the Gem. Actually, they had to pull some extra chairs inside LeBistro (where it was held) to fit those that came late. The senior officers that came was cordial, friendly & the HD stayed a bit longer to chat with old CC friends and strangers alike, and took some friendly questions, like "kids" count on the sailing - the "formal" part done in 15 minutes or less.

The rest of the hour reserved is for the group to have fun, stay around, chat, do door prizes & giveaways, exchanged gifts, solo's discussed gatherings for meals & social hours, and just tell "stories" of past stormy sailings (LOL, for real) - before heading off to do the slot pull. My understanding is that the GEM has consistently planned it to allow everyone to do the BTS tour and make it to the M&M early enough to socialize - and, we did the hot breakfast up the lobby stairs at O'Sheehans, scroll down to meet up for the 9:30 AM tour.

Now, the Breakway is another story - ALWAYS & consistently "piss" us off in deliberately - I mean, despite requests made, to conflict & overlap (NCL, I know you read these posts ... so, please take notice - this isn't cheerleading for this ship's - BA's - onboard management & operations, give credit to the Gem when it's affirmatively due, and a slap on the wrist when it deserved !! :mad: ) Fell on deaf ears, again & again - we had a pretty big turnout (thanks, Richard for organizing, where are you these days ...) of 60 to 70 and despite a "promise" - didn't happend - and, I made it known - not happy to need to choose - when we signed up for the tour.

Guess who were among the "no-shows" for the 10 AM tour ... they claimed, that it is possible to leave the middle of the tour ... so, after seeing the laundry & maybe mid-way thru the I-95 walk to the gallery, one would be escorted to head up from below deck - not cool.

M&M started promptly around 11 AM and as the officers were finishing up the quick 10 minutes "hello" presentation and ready to leave, a half dozen latecomers show up, as they just finished the tour ... apparently, a few more were doing the tour, never bothered to run upstairs to join up with CC.

The Gem, from other M&M organized - and, our next sailing is again on that ship - continued their fine tradition of better coordinating and with the 30 minutes timing change, give everyone the opportunity to do both - without making a forced choice to sign up or not, or end up as a no-show.

It's not a big deal and doesn't ruin our cruises, but, what is so difficult about the known scheduling conflict - move the tour up by 30 minutes, or, the M&M by 30 minutes - if the Gem's group/special event coordinator(s) can consistently do it, there is no "excuse" that the Breakaway cannot make an effort to do it as a "win-win".

Good luck & hopefully OP will hear from the "Star" soon before they sail next month ... and, if not - contact Miami HQ's contact person/coordinator to let her/him know. The size of the group for the M&M should not matter, there've been smaller gathering of a dozen or so members showing up - and, they still hosted the event.

BTW, once we're onboard - there was a welcome note from the ship's liaison/contact person, just reconfirming the basic; and, a voice mail of the same - to let us/the group know, that it is all setup & ready (as it is a private (CC) event & not published in the Freestyle Daily ... the sign outside the venue, simply "Private Function")

I usually wait until after final payment to contact special events with the request and a head count. Then I update the head count about two weeks out. On our most recent BA cruise the head count doubled from 100 to almost 200. Apparently the updated info didn't get to the ship until we boarded. As over 150 attended and all of LaCuccina wasn't available, it was more than crowded.

On the Jewel from Honolulu to Sydney they had 4 Behind the Scenes tours and the Platinums who wanted to attend the M&G asked to be put on one of the others.

That worked well as there were plenty of sea days to arrange the BtS tours, it would affect a cruise where there are few sea days.

That trip being longer than 7 days probably combined with more Plats resulted in more than 1 BTS.

We have been on one ship where they had BTS on 2 different days.

Another ship we had two groups go at the same time but in opposite directions.

I've organized 2 Meet and Greet sessions recently. First of all, the M&G request is no longer handled directly with the ship in question. When you send an email to request a M&G, the response will come from Miami. Sometimes it does take 2 or more emails before you get a response. Then, you'll receive an acknowledgement and a written confirmation (which will look as though you've arranged to have a paid event). The reservation will give you the time and location along with the approximate number who will attend. They will ask you to confirm the numbers shortly before the cruise.

Since you won't have the name of the Group Services Coordinator when you board the ship, I suggest you go to Guest Services to meet with the GSC before the M&G. If I hadn't done that on our last cruise, I never would have been contacted prior to the meeting. She had apparently left a voicemail in our cabin but had the wrong cabin number for us. At least that was the story she gave me.

I know I'm emailing Miami and they are relaying to the ship, atleast the first few emails they replied they were working on it and would get back. I emailed yesterday early in the morning, they haven't even bpthered to reply. This isn't my first rodeo, I've never had this issue, we are 3 weeks out at this point...

Just to update, FINALLY today at 1 pm I got confirmation from the ship/group coordinator- no big shock Le Bistro first sea day (I could have told them that!)

18 days from sailing, and 1 month from initial request......but they are accommodating us;)

Just to update, FINALLY today at 1 pm I got confirmation from the ship/group coordinator- no big shock Le Bistro first sea day (I could have told them that!)

 

18 days from sailing, and 1 month from initial request......but they are accommodating us;)

Glad they got back to you!

Interesting the Star is having it in Le Bistro. Our M&G on the Star was in La Cucina back in December.

Just to update, FINALLY today at 1 pm I got confirmation from the ship/group coordinator- no big shock Le Bistro first sea day (I could have told them that!)

 

18 days from sailing, and 1 month from initial request......but they are accommodating us;)

Good news!