Information about your fellow cruisers

What if river cruise companies offered the following option? Before cruising, or at the beginning of the cruise, the line would give you the option of sharing some of your personal information with fellow river cruisers.

Along with your name, you could give your hometown, a sentence or two about yourself, and email address. The info could be printed up and distributed to cruisers after boarding. It would be totally optional with the opportunity to not participate at all, and to give as much or as little information as you wanted.

On my three river cruises, I've always wished that I would have known a little more about my shipmates.

Is this a good idea? Would you participate?

FuelScience

I'm one that certainly would. I'm a gregarious person who likes to meet and talk with new found "friends". I'm more than happy to talk about Australia and its history, flora and fauna. After our last river cruise with Tauck who by the way give you a list of all the passengers and where they come from we made a number of new friends and still converse today with them via email.

Good subject FuelScience I hope many on this board participate.

GCT sends a list of pax with home towns with the cruise docs.

Hmmm - I find out about my ship mates the old fashioned way; going up and introducting myself and speaking to them face to face.

I probably would not participate but for those that like the idea, it would be a nice option.

First names and country would be nice to know. However, I would rather meet people first before giving further info including email address.

But how could you match the list to the faces? You still wouldn't know who is who. Also it might cause people to prejudge others. Ex, in my case, oh they're from ny. . . Let's stay away from them. (Said tongue in cheek)

Last year on a Celebrity cruise some of our table-mates were frequent cruisers. On the last night when we were saying good bye and exchanging addresses, they had "business cards" which they gave us. They had had them made just for that purpose, name, address, phone #, e-mail, and I think some had a nautical image. I thought it was a great idea, easier than writing it out and no chance of mis-reading someone's handwriting.

Vista Print online gives you 250 cards for the cost of shipping. We have used them several times and it works great. It is so much easier than writing stuff down.

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We too pass out 'business' style cards when we travel, especially to those that seem to have like interests. It is much easier than trying to remember information. We made our own using the business card templates in packages of 200 pull apart cards (much like address labels) that you can buy from any store that has office supplies. (Target, WalMart, Staples etc) The instructions and format are very easy to follow.

One person mentioned trying to put a face later with the person you met via a list.......well we solved that also with the business card.... as we put a small photo on the front of the business card of us. We include our name, email addresses, city/state, my Cruise Critic screen name on the back, and the small photo on the front.

This has worked very well for us. We have kept in touch and in fact have began to discuss doing future cruises with a few of those we have met. Sorry for the poor quality of the image, but think most will get the idea.

But how could you match the list to the faces? You still wouldn't know who is who. Also it might cause people to prejudge others. Ex, in my case, oh they're from ny. . . Let's stay away from them. (Said tongue in cheek)

Oops didn't think of that aspect. We look forward to meeting people from everywhere.

We too pass out 'business' style cards when we travel, especially to those that seem to have like interests. It is much easier than trying to remember information. We made our own using the business card templates in packages of 200 pull apart cards (much like address labels) that you can buy from any store that has office supplies. (Target, WalMart, Staples etc) The instructions and format are very easy to follow.

 

One person mentioned trying to put a face later with the person you met via a list.......well we solved that also with the business card.... as we put a small photo on the front of the business card of us. We include our name, email addresses, city/state, my Cruise Critic screen name on the back, and the small photo on the front.

 

This has worked very well for us. We have kept in touch and in fact have began to discuss doing future cruises with a few of those we have met. Sorry for the poor quality of the image, but think most will get the idea.

Where us the "like" button? This is a super idea:)

Where us the "like" button? This is a super idea:)

Thanks...... I actually got the idea from a retired neighbor of mine who utilized business cards to give his information to friends and neighbors.

It really is easy to do....the hardest part was importing a small photo onto the card. The cost (besides your time and ink) was less than $20 for 200. I was going to use Vista Print, but wanted to use various colors and the back side of the card which I believe they charge quite a bit for..........200 cards go a long way.