What is a gift exchange and cabin crawl?

We have been on 6 cruised and never heard of a gift exchange or cabin crawl. Please explain so we can know if we want to sign up for them. Thank you.

We have been on 6 cruised and never heard of a gift exchange or cabin crawl. Please explain so we can know if we want to sign up for them. Thank you.

This varies by roll call but a gift exchange is when roll call members agree to exchange small gifts with each other (usually something related to where the member is from). A cabin crawl is an organized activity where roll call members go from cabin to cabin to check out the different categories (of course they are only going to the cabins of those enrolled on the roll call;)).

You need to sign up for your roll call meet and mingle. Each meet and mingle is very different. Some are very active. There can be numerous activities planned, usually someone on the M&M takes the lead and is very active organizing things like slot pulls, gift exchange, cabin crawl, etc.

These are not events scheduled by cruise line.

We have been on 6 cruised and never heard of a gift exchange or cabin crawl. Please explain so we can know if we want to sign up for them. Thank you.

We sign up for the CC meet and greet for our specific cruise in the roll call tool here on Cruise Critic (CC). Some Meet and Greet organizers plan for the meeting with name badges a private function for CC members. Some M&G meetings have a gift exchange. personally don't care for this, just more stuff to pack for the trip home but some really like it. Meet and Greet sometimes add in a cabin crawl. Volunteers open their cabin of different types so that CC members can see the cabin options for future cruises. They generally have different Suites types, Mini or Jr. Suite, Balcony, and inside to preview. Generally you do a walk through and then move on to the next cabin on the list. This can be followed by a slot pull in the Casino.

We enjoy the Meet and Greets a great way to meet fellow cruisers.

When someone is setting these up on your roll call, you can still go to the M&G and not participate in the extra things. Same is true for "slot pulls".

When someone is setting these up on your roll call, you can still go to the M&G and not participate in the extra things. Same is true for "slot pulls".

Yes, don't feel you are under any obligation to participate in ever single organized activity your roll call group foists upon you.

...making the quoted answer above the polite version of mine: A gift exchange and cabin crawl are two signs that the leader of your roll call group is a micro-manager who believes every minute of the cruise should be occupied by an activity planned to the nth degree and rigidly scheduled as far in advance as possible--and that every member of the roll call has to feel the same, or else why would they have joined in the first place :rolleyes:

Often the suggestions and plans for other things are by roll call members ... not the person setting up the M&G.

No one single person is really in charge. On person is nice enough to set up a M&G, another may take care of the Roll Call LIST, and others may plan extra functions. :)

All are free to participate in as much or as little has they wish! :D

LuLu

Often the suggestions and plans for other things are by roll call members ... not the person setting up the M&G.

 

No one single person is really in charge. On person is nice enough to set up a M&G, another may take care of the Roll Call LIST, and others may plan extra functions. :)

 

All are free to participate in as much or as little has they wish! :D

 

LuLu

Not always the case, LuLu. I have been involved with a roll call where one person took over as if she owned it. All planning were hers, all ideas were hers, all scheduling was hers. It's was as if she organizing a private party at her home and invited the rest of us to attend and participate in the activities she came up with - slot pulls, gift exchanges, party hats, contests, etc. EVERYTHING was all about what she wanted to do, which quickly started to feel more like a kids party than a gathering for adults. Some people become control freaks with these events.

Needless to say, we, and several others, simply ignored her and went our own way once we met on board.

Not always the case, LuLu. I have been involved with a roll call where one person took over as if she owned it. All planning were hers, all ideas were hers, all scheduling was hers. It's was as if she organizing a private party at her home and invited the rest of us to attend and participate in the activities she came up with - slot pulls, gift exchanges, party hats, contests, etc. EVERYTHING was all about what she wanted to do, which quickly started to feel more like a kids party than a gathering for adults. Some people become control freaks with these events.

 

Needless to say, we, and several others, simply ignored her and went our own way once we met on board.

Totally Agree! When that seldom but sometimes unfortunately happens, I make an extra effort to welcome all to the roll call and make a point of saying anythings planned at the M&G are totally optional.

The roll call belongs to all of us equally. No one person can be in total control unless we allow the person to be.

Like you, we ignore the person trying to take over and chat & make plans with others . :)

LuLu

One cabin crawl cost about $5 to join if you wanted to play the 'game'. You didn't have to pay if you just wanted to visit cabins. Everyone whose cabin was being visited had a deck of cards in their cabin. Everyone took one card and went to the next cabin. At the last cabin whoever had the best poker hand would win the 'pot'. I didn't really like this everyone was moving from cabin to cabin. There was no time to get to know anyone or talk with them. There was no other 'meet & greet'.

One cabin crawl cost about $5 to join if you wanted to play the 'game'. You didn't have to pay if you just wanted to visit cabins. Everyone whose cabin was being visited had a deck of cards in their cabin. Everyone took one card and went to the next cabin. At the last cabin whoever had the best poker hand would win the 'pot'. I didn't really like this everyone was moving from cabin to cabin. There was no time to get to know anyone or talk with them. There was no other 'meet & greet'.

The meet and greet is organized by RC. If you registered, and 25 people minimum have to register, you should have received an invitation in your cabin indicating time and place. Usually cash bar and snacks/punch/coffee provided.

Cabin crawl would have been organized by someone on your roll call - not necessarily part of the meet and greet.

Perhaps you didn't get an invitation to the meet and greet.

This is how RC handles it .... Not sure about other cruise lines.

This was not on RCCL. But never have had to register for a meet & greet. You just let your roll call know you were coming. Best was on NCL where we had a lounge, coffee, tea and pastries. Then two officers came and spoke to/with us. We were having such a good time we were finally asked to leave the lounge as the lounge was being used for something else!

The meet and greet is organized by RC. If you registered, and 25 people minimum have to register, you should have received an invitation in your cabin indicating time and place. Usually cash bar and snacks/punch/coffee provided.

 

Cabin crawl would have been organized by someone on your roll call - not necessarily part of the meet and greet.

 

Perhaps you didn't get an invitation to the meet and greet.

 

This is how RC handles it .... Not sure about other cruise lines.

Royal, Celebrity and Azamara have an agreement with Cruise Critic to have the cruise lines host the "Cruise Critic Connections Party". Cruise Critic provides a link to a dedicated page on the website of each of these lines to register. If 25 or more register, there will be a hosted event near the beginning of the cruise. A room will be set aside, refreshments will be provided, a no-host bar is usually available, and the cruise director typically attends, as will some of the ship's officers, often the captain himself. An invitation will be in the cabin detailing the time and place. Often, an extra activity will be offered by the cruise line to party attendants, such as bridge or galley tours, that aren't available to the rest of the passengers.

Activities such as cabin crawls, gift exchanges, etc., are arranged through the roll call. Some will occur at the Connections event. Others will occur at a date and time set by the roll call participants.

Below is what the Celebrity registration page looks like.

Just returned from a Celebrity cruise on Equinox. No refreshments provided, though a no host bar was available.

IMO the idea of a cabin crawl is a great experience and gives people some idea what various cabins look like. As for gift exchanges, I am not a fan of them. If they are not held at the toward the end of the M&G they can dominate the event and take away from getting to know members of the roll call. Plus, really who needs a $10 plastic potato from Podunk, Idaho an imitation fir tree from Boring, Oregon (and I apologise to the good folks of Boring, OR).

IMO the idea of a cabin crawl is a great experience and gives people some idea what various cabins look like. As for gift exchanges, I am not a fan of them. If they are not held at the toward the end of the M&G they can dominate the event and take away from getting to know members of the roll call. Plus, really who needs a $10 plastic potato from Podunk, Idaho an imitation fir tree from Boring, Oregon (and I apologise to the good folks of Boring, OR).

You always do a GREAT job of setting up the M&Gs on the cruises we've taken with you!

Say "Hi" to Dudette for us! :)

LuLu

IMO the idea of a cabin crawl is a great experience and gives people some idea what various cabins look like. As for gift exchanges, I am not a fan of them. If they are not held at the toward the end of the M&G they can dominate the event and take away from getting to know members of the roll call. Plus, really who needs a $10 plastic potato from Podunk, Idaho an imitation fir tree from Boring, Oregon (and I apologise to the good folks of Boring, OR).

I haven't participated in a gift exchange yet but I would bring a small bottle of Vermont Maple Syrup (unless weight restrictions prohibited it).:D

I've been to several meet and gets now. One was actually organized by myself (mostly because no one else did it and I am more of a step up organizer but not a direct leader type). All of the meets have been fairly informal, royal Caribbean is the only one that was really big and elaborate... but that was only because the staff did all the work. On our last HAL cruise I organized a meet but didn't involve any staff since it was fairly small, they however showed up unexpected and gave us all one free drink of our choice and brought out fancy snacks.

You always do a GREAT job of setting up the M&Gs on the cruises we've taken with you!

 

Say "Hi" to Dudette for us! :)

 

LuLu

Thanks Lu Lu, I certainly will.

Cheers

oops, wrong thread?

Yes, don't feel you are under any obligation to participate in ever single organized activity your roll call group foists upon you.

 

...making the quoted answer above the polite version of mine: A gift exchange and cabin crawl are two signs that the leader of your roll call group is a micro-manager who believes every minute of the cruise should be occupied by an activity planned to the nth degree and rigidly scheduled as far in advance as possible--and that every member of the roll call has to feel the same, or else why would they have joined in the first place :rolleyes:

Your use of the word foist and your micro-manager remark are uncalled for. Many times the extra activities are organized by other members. And even if the leader did the organizing of other activities, since they are totally optional no one has to feel the same. The activities are purely optional and are not "foist" upon anyone.

I attend meet and greets but do not participate in gift exchange nor in cabin crawls and have never felt that I have to. They are purely optional and no one is pressured into joining the activities.

I realize that this is a 2-year old thread, but once somebody organizes these activities it really isn't "optional". Except for the option to drop out of the roll call altogether.

"Gift exchange"? Imagine the feeling of arriving empty handed at an event billed as a social mingling only to find that one was expected to bring something. "Cabin crawl"? Don't open up your super duplex suite and one faces laments as being insensitive to the concept of "community".

When I see a superorganizer has taken over a roll call I drop out. Better to let people have their fun rather than be the party pooper.

Sadly, these "superorganizers" are a big turn off to so many! :(

Even when a "superorganizer" sort of takes over, we've never allowed ourselves to feel the pressure to participte in anything and still remain on the roll call and attend the M&G.

It's our roll call too!