Do you "Roll Call"?

[sugaangel601]

I know both of my cruises are still pretty far away, but I haven't seen a roll call for either of them.

 

I check, read, and create the roll calls for my cruises. I have also met or are planning to meet people who I have gotten along with on the roll call. If there hasn't been a roll call created for your cruise, feel free to do so. Someone has to be first!

 

Check the archives before you start one! I had been researching a particular cruise, and just thought Id check the roll call for fun. It was pretty inactive, as it is pretty far out. A little over a month later, Im almost ready to book our group and checked again: couldnt find the roll call! I knew it was there before! Sure enough, I searched for the date and it showed up in archives (because my settings were only showing posts in the last month).

[2013CruiseBride]

This cruise will be our first since I joined Cruise Critic. I know our cruise is pretty far away, but I'm really excited and started a roll call for it...well I just went to check it and it's GONE! :eek::eek::eek: When I go to my User CP I see that I started the thread and the link still works to go to it, but when I go to the Roll Calls for Paradise it isn't there. :(

[sugaangel601]

I like the rolls calls. Good way to learn about your ship, excursions and ports. I have gone to Meet n Greets and then see the people you met around the ship. Right now I am on a very active roll call with lots of activities planned. It's a 15 day Hawaii cruise with lots of sea days that's 18 months away. We are having fun getting to know one another and plan together!

I agree... for the same reasons! Plus, its a nice way to pass the time before the cruise by sharing your excitement with others who are just as enthusiastic. Once onboard, its nice to sometimes see a familiar face who asks how your excursion was today or reminds you about the free drinks at the past guest party tonight ;)

 

Ive met some very nice people from my roll calls. We've even got together and booked some very reasonably excursions with them as a group. Last month met a wonderful family...wished we lived closer...just genuinely nice people. :)

I met a family onboard that I unknowingly had "met" on the roll call. We didnt figure it out until we got home and re-connected on the boards... after I went on a date with the one son... and am still dating 2.5 years later! I have even met some nice people from Canada and NY with whom I still keep in touch, and with whom I am planning another cruise!

 

But I can understand that its not for everyone. Some people want it to be their time away from EVERYTHING. And thats the beauty... it can be whatever you want it to be!

 

 

 

meeting people in person for the first time can make me look like the most awkward person in the world and if people can get past the first few hours and not think I'm a total weirdo then I do open up.

I kinda feel this way too, Mrs CruisinCritter! And, I sorta have a theory as to why... but I dont want to sound completely crazy! LOL :D

[Banditswife]

I didn't even know about roll calls til our last cruise. That roll call was a blast. We did 2 M/G, tea, & cabin crawl. But for me, it was more of a way to pass the time waiting for our sail date, discussing excursions, pre/ post cruise hotels, & it was nice to see a familiar face while onboard. We didn't seek anyone out to become "buds" with specifically, but did end up making some good friends. I was accused of being the ringleader by a DH, he wanted to meet that crazy person his wife had met on RCall. But the roll call I am on now is pretty slow. Nobody else pops in just to chat. I just want a way to pass the time til we cruise, get ideas about excursions, etc.

 

Luv the MIL joke, LOL, hope your MIL doesn't read this.

 

To OP, you'll never know til ya try, might have fun.

[sugaangel601]

This cruise will be our first since I joined Cruise Critic. I know our cruise is pretty far away, but I'm really excited and started a roll call for it...well I just went to check it and it's GONE! :eek::eek::eek: When I go to my User CP I see that I started the thread and the link still works to go to it, but when I go to the Roll Calls for Paradise it isn't there. :(

Adjust your settings so that you can see posts older than a month. Or post a line seeing if there is anyone new sailing; that should bring it back to the active boards.

 

There was a poster who has started about 7 roll calls for the same cruise... I can only assume this was happening to her, too. How would anybody know which roll call to join?

[2013CruiseBride]

Sure enough, I searched for the date and it showed up in archives (because my settings were only showing posts in the last month).

 

Hmm.. maybe I should have read your post all the way before I posted mine!! LOL :p

[vivavegas]

I always do the roll calls and attend most of the M & G's. It's a good way to meet new friends and share cruise activities.

[Mrs CruisinCritter]

I kinda feel this way too, Mrs CruisinCritter! And, I sorta have a theory as to why... but I dont want to sound completely crazy! LOL :D

 

 

LOL You have peaked my curiousity! :D

[Scootercruise]

I usually check the roll call for the cruise we are booked for, and I will respond to some chatter, in 2009 we were chatting on the roll call with different people for our cruise, while we were in line waiting for embarkation, we were talking to a couple making small talk when we both the woman in the couple mentioned being on the roll call. We all got quite a kick out of the fact that we were in line with someone we had been chatting with on the roll call. We met up later and ended up spending all week with them at dinner, shows and whatever activities we liked. We live in southern Illinois, they live in southern California and we have all become great friends, we have stayed at their home twice on vacations and went on a cruise with them last fall. So even though you may not make a great connection with anyone on every cruise, the one you make may be very special to you.:)

 

Whatever you choose, have fun, I am usually the one who will talk to anyone, my wife thinks I am crazy sometimes, but she has admitted that we have lots of fun talking to people from around the US and other countries.

 

Scott

[vamartha]

I usually check out and participate in the online roll call but on the last cruise I didn't participate in the actual onboard roll call activities, however the previous cruise we did.

[Rottweiler Puppy]

On my cruise last year I didn't participate other than online as I wanted a week to just my girlfriend. We are very social and met many wonder full people on the cruise but we didn't want to worry about meetings and stuff.

 

My upcoming cruise its all about our kids so we wont be doing any roll calls.

 

We might do them after but I don't think it would be wisel. I cant keep quiet when I see folks get bullied here by the fanatics so I am sure I pissed off a good number of folks by now. I should probably lay low.

[javamom]

Do you "Roll Call"?

 

Oh yeah!

[kkdleon]

I join the Roll Calls online to read about the possible demographics on the ship. We have a son who is 15 and I like to make sure there are some others his age. I also read a lot of posts about excursions and pre-cruise hotel options. I am reasonably social on the roll calls but I have yet to go to a meet/greet or any other function for the roll call. As far as I can tell, only a few have been that organized with plans, but even if they all were, I still wouldn't go. While I am reasonably social in reality too, I do have a little social anxiety in big groups of people I've never actually met.

 

What's funny is on our Christmas Cruise on the Liberty OTS, we were at the wine bar when I overheard a fellow patron mention where he was from. I don't know why I thought he would be the only one on board from Canada, but we struck up a conversation. The next thing I know, we are making introductions with our partners, and he was telling they were meeting up with some others from the roll call informally. 5 nights later and multiple meet-ups, we had a great time and some great new friends. Hopefully in the future things will work out with a visit when we are in their neck of the woods, but if it doesn't, we have some great stories.

 

Join online, and know that it doesn't have to go any further than you are interested. Some of the others might be able to help you make the most of your trip. If you seem to connect well with one or two, you can always make plans to meet up with just a few of them. Maybe not so overwhelming then.

 

Whatever you decide, go at your pace. The roll calls aren't going anywhere

[Andoria]

On my cruise last year I didn't participate other than online as I wanted a week to just my girlfriend. We are very social and met many wonder full people on the cruise but we didn't want to worry about meetings and stuff.

 

My upcoming cruise its all about our kids so we wont be doing any roll calls.

 

We might do them after but I don't think it would be wisel. I cant keep quiet when I see folks get bullied here by the fanatics so I am sure I pissed off a good number of folks by now. I should probably lay low.

 

 

Well, you I would meet. I've noticed how you always stick up for the underdog. That's a great way to be.

[gelo7]

Not I.....

[TabFox]

Joined a roll call last year and did the meet & greet...it was awesome! Met some wonderful people! We stayed in contact through the year and ended up that we're going on the same cruise again this year, so we started a new roll call and arranged another meet & greet. We didn't feel obligated to hang out together, but it was so nice to see people that we knew around the ship...we'd stop, talk for a while, share a drink, etc. I'm not normally very social, but I am so glad that I decided to participate last year because I met some people who I'm sure we'll be friends for a long, long time.

[elcuchio24]

Not usually. We have little interest in 'getting together' while on board, and most of the roll calls I join diverge into a few lonely people talking back and forth about their everyday lives leading up to the cruise, and I am even less interested in that.

[bunchesofun]

I joined the roll call for our Dec 2012 cruise back in June and have been chatting primarily with one other lady until recently when we got a few more people checking in. Our children are around the same ages so they will have someone to look out for to start with. We are just now talking about trying to do a meet and greet if possible. I am looking forward to meeting everyone.

[BeccaBecca1713]

Meh, I'm kinda over the roll call thing. I mean, I've been checking on the ones for my next 2 cruises and making chit chat here and there but don't plan to meet up. Participated in one last year. Actually did end up meeting a few nice people, but as a whole, there was a lot of junior high drama that I could've easily done without. Me and DH tend to cruise to "get away from it all" since our jobs are stressful and require so much interation with others.

[fergusonvt]

On our first cruise (NCL) I organized the meet and greet on our roll-call. A group of us also met for a drink during sail-away. We all wore Mardi gras beads and met at a specific location so we could find each other easier. On my second cruise we also participated in the roll call and attended the meet and greet. It's a great way to meet the officers on the ship and we got invited for a bridge tour on our last sea day. We also met up with quite a few members on various excursions and shared a birthday surprise with one couple in Costa Maya.

 

Does Carnival do anything for CC meets and greets? On NCL they provide snacks and juice/water/coffee and have the senior officers including the captain available to speak to.

[Room Service!]

I do join them but don't necessarily go to the meets. I like talking to the other 'roll callers'. There are always things to learn.

[cruisenanny]

Some of the roll calls are outstanding and some are duds.

 

Best one was last year on Miracle to Bermuda and think we made some friends for life.

 

Ah, yes, I remember your roll call was huge! We were on the Bermuda cruise after yours and that was about the best roll call I have ever been involved with.

 

I will usually participate in my roll calls, but rarely feel the need/desire to go to the m&g's.

[divingmedic]

I try to, mostly to fiend kids my daughters age before camp or circle c starts. Better to meet people in a informal setting frist.

[MrPete]

If you don't see one, start one.

 

I have joined and started some, but none have been fruitful.

[ChefSusan]

Meh, I'm kinda over the roll call thing. I mean, I've been checking on the ones for my next 2 cruises and making chit chat here and there but don't plan to meet up. Participated in one last year. Actually did end up meeting a few nice people, but as a whole, there was a lot of junior high drama that I could've easily done without. Me and DH tend to cruise to "get away from it all" since our jobs are stressful and require so much interation with others.

You just said a mouthful my friend! ;-)