What makes you stick with or leave a Roll Call?

[Karysa]

I think it's because the cruise lines hold the event at silly times. Early in the morning just doesn't work.

 

Oh, mine weren't until 11 on the first seaday in the past. I could see how early morning would not be the ideal time. I thought 11 was a bit of a strange time as well since most folks sleep in grab breakfast and settle in by the pool or attend an activity around that time.

[Karysa]

Karysa,

 

We dep LA for Miami, via Panama Canal. It is a 14 night cruise with six sea days. I think your hypothesis is correct - our previous NCL cruise was seven nights with only two sea days. Beyond the M&G, I didn't notice any attempt to structure anything. This Roll Call is busier andI think the number of sea days has something to do with it. Still, it's fun and has been a useful source of info and $avings! :D

 

I hope that I can find an interesting tour or two to join on my spring Greek Island cruise. Enjoy your cruise, that on is on my bucket list.:D

[34TigerLily]

What is a cabin crawl and a slot pull? I have been on several roll calls, attended several Meet and Greets, and have never heard of either of these activities.

[leaveitallbehind]

I have to disagree in the sense that they are voluntary until you want to opt out. Don't join the cabin crawls, etc, and be labeled the snobbish party pooper who thinks the other members are not good enough. (What? You're not coming on the cabin crawl? Have some fun!) (Don't spend money on a ship tour! These are great private tours and we only need one more person!)

 

We've never experienced any of that. We have never had a Roll Call where we felt in any way pressured to join something we didn't want to do - or felt labeled in any way by not doing it.

 

We also never take the roll calls so seriously to expect that to become our social plan for the M & M or beyond. It's simply an opportunity to meet people and maybe spend some time together - or not.

Edited November 17, 2013 by leaveitallbehind

[litebender]

I may be in the minority but I have always enjoyed participating in roll calls and have never had a negative experience. There are many reasons why I participate including gaining info, finding people to share tours with and also to have a group of people to share the planning and excitement with. Sorry, but my friends and family don't want to frequently hear about the cool thing I discovered about the ship I'm sailing or the great tidbit about a port of call. I enjoy sharing my excitement with others who are excited too!

 

+1

 

I was surprised to read so many negative comments regarding roll calls. My viewpoint has always been that a good roll call can enhance the cruise, lead to new friendships and make a ship of 3,000+ people feel a little more friendly when you recognize a familiar face.

 

Even if the M&G is a "dud", what have you lost? Maybe a half an hour or so on a sea day.

 

Regarding planned activities, I think these are what separate a M&G that dissolves into people wandering away out of boredom from one that provides a sense of comraderie, and more opportunities to get to know people. As previously mentioned, these are purely voluntary.

[Karysa]

I may be in the minority but I have always enjoyed participating in roll calls and have never had a negative experience. There are many reasons why I participate including gaining info' date=' finding people to share tours with and also to have a group of people to share the planning and excitement with. Sorry, but my friends and family don't want to frequently hear about the cool thing I discovered about the ship I'm sailing or the great tidbit about a port of call. I enjoy sharing my excitement with others who are excited too!

 

+1

 

I was surprised to read so many negative comments regarding roll calls. My viewpoint has always been that a good roll call can enhance the cruise, lead to new friendships and make a ship of 3,000+ people feel a little more friendly when you recognize a familiar face.

 

Even if the M&G is a "dud", what have you lost? Maybe a half an hour or so on a sea day.

 

Regarding planned activities, I think these are what separate a M&G that dissolves into people wandering away out of boredom from one that provides a sense of comraderie, and more opportunities to get to know people. As previously mentioned, these are purely voluntary.[/quote']

 

I have yet to join my next cruises roll call. Less than 6 mths out and it only has 10 posts. When do you find that they pick up these days?

[cruiserking]

I also don’t understand the critical comments about Roll Calls. The Roll Call is essentially a microcosm of Cruise Critic. We all visit CC regularly to get our cruise jollies. A particular passage, a question or comment will jog a memory of ship board life sending you into a state of bliss which makes your upcoming cruise that much more exciting.

 

Well, the Roll Call is another way to stimulate this excitement because it is directed at a specific cruise, the one you are booked on next. How can people be so negative against others who are essentially celebrating the excitement of it all by planning events like Cabin Crawls, Slot Pulls, Sail Away Meet and Greets.

 

You make plans for the various ports you visit then why not for ship board activities too. We have had a blast on Cabin Crawls wandering around the ship and visiting different cabins, it’s a great adventure. Someone several cruises ago added the Poker wrinkle. After each participant puts $5 in the pot a playing card is distributed at each stop, the best hand at the end wins the kitty.

 

By virtue of the Roll Call we have met so many wonderful people and have experienced many additional parties and gatherings aboard the ship with these new friends.

 

We have always had big turnouts for the Cabin Crawls and they almost always conclude with someone throwing a party in their suite at the final stop.

 

Each Roll call has its own vibe but, they are all similar in that a few diehards drive the machine forward. There are typically five or ten people who post frequently and others who just join the call and post once in a while. Sure, you can learn information about the ship, ports, excursions but, I enjoy the pre-cruise camaraderie of my fellow passengers. Our current Roll Call for the Explorer has bantered about Halloween decorations and travels to Hawaii it’s all good, because it’s conversation amongst fellow travel peers, we just keep passing the ball.

 

Whether a person has 150 posts on a Roll Call or 3 makes little difference, the fact is that they joined. I’ve had lovely conversations with all of the people on the list no matter how active they were before the cruise.

 

I find a strong Roll Call is a celebration of the upcoming trip. Keep the ball in the air, post about the weather, your trip to Kalamazoo, keep lists of all travelers in bright colored fonts. Create that spark of energy that will glow when we all meet at the Mingle in 91 days.

 

Jonathan

Edited November 17, 2013 by cruiserking

[leaveitallbehind]

What is a cabin crawl and a slot pull? I have been on several roll calls, attended several Meet and Greets, and have never heard of either of these activities.

 

A cabin crawl is when participating members of the Roll Call go from stateroom to stateroom to see what others staterooms the different categories look like. Usually done when there are people who have suites that many cruisers don't normally have a chance to see.

 

A slot pull is held in the casino where participating members of the Roll Call will all stake a certain amount of money (usually $10 pp), select a certain slot machine (usually a $1 slot) and in turn play the slot one person and one pull at a time until a certain amount of money is won (usually double the stake) or the group busts.

Edited November 18, 2013 by leaveitallbehind

[BlueRiband]

I also don’t understand the critical comments about Roll Calls. The Roll Call is essentially a microcosm of Cruise Critic...

 

Among Cunrad passengers I've seen very little overlap between regular Cunard forum posters and roll call names. Connecting a name with a face is the main reason why I would want to attend a M&G. But when I don't see any forum regulars there I have no incentive. Some join just to get port and excursion information, and how they choose to use it is just fine.

 

You enjoy the group activities, I don't.

 

The roll call for my last voyage was taken over by an organizer who never posts on the boards except in roll calls where she assumes control. Evidently she set up a Facebook group because the extent of the activities planned was never posted until somebody did after the voyage. She also moved the traditional 2PM time to 11AM and ran right against the Insights lectures.

 

Nobody on CC paid for my vacation. Why should I submit control over my sea days to another CC member?

[cruiserking]

 

The roll call for my last voyage was taken over by an organizer who never posts on the boards except in roll calls where she assumes control. Evidently she set up a Facebook group because the extent of the activities planned was never posted until somebody did after the voyage. She also moved the traditional 2PM time to 11AM and ran right against the Insights lectures.

 

Nobody on CC paid for my vacation. Why should I submit control over my sea days to another CC member?

 

I believe who ever is organizing the events should go along with the typical times that those cruisers have experienced on that particular line. Usually, people are friendly but, vocal about the special events being held on certain days and times. This woman was wrong to have changed the time.

 

Jonathan

[bob brown]

I may be in the minority but I have always enjoyed participating in roll calls and have never had a negative experience. There are many reasons why I participate including gaining info' date=' finding people to share tours with and also to have a group of people to share the planning and excitement with. Sorry, but my friends and family don't want to frequently hear about the cool thing I discovered about the ship I'm sailing or the great tidbit about a port of call. I enjoy sharing my excitement with others who are excited too!

 

I'm currently active in my 3rd roll call. It's an 11 day with 6 sea days so that does lend more time to having roll call activities. We have over 100 on the roll call, almost 90 signed up for the meet and greet and have a sail away party, cabin crawl, poker run, slot pull and gift exchange planned as well as several tours arranged. A few members are even helping another member pull off a surprise proposal.

 

The numbers for the activities range from 5 people to 45 participating. Each activity is totally up to the individual and I've never felt pressure to participate in the things I don't want to. We are on NCL who provides a meeting space and refreshments for the meet/greet so no need to shell out money for a "cocktail party" or paid m/g. Each previous sailing, the m/g was well attended and while they didn't last long, they did provide an opportunity to put names with faces and make some acquaintances. One roll call was for a very port intensive itinerary so the only planned activity was the m/g and a children's gift exchange. Another one had a meet up for those in town the night before and a m/g but nothing else. On NCL, the officers often attend the m/g so that is an added bonus.

 

Have I ever become bosom buddies with someone from my roll call? No. But I have met some lovely people from around the country and around the world. I've enjoyed seeing familiar faces around the ship and the brief conversations of "how was your day today" or "what did you do in port". I've liked knowing a few folks to invite to share a meal.

 

It would take a lot to make me leave a roll call -- maybe if someone became too snarky or controlling or if the discussion disintegrated into arguing. BTW, I'm not a rah-rah person at all. My DH and I are both introverts, but, part of the fun of cruising for us is meeting people from other areas.[/quote']

 

I also don’t understand the critical comments about Roll Calls. The Roll Call is essentially a microcosm of Cruise Critic. We all visit CC regularly to get our cruise jollies. A particular passage, a question or comment will jog a memory of ship board life sending you into a state of bliss which makes your upcoming cruise that much more exciting.

 

Well, the Roll Call is another way to stimulate this excitement because it is directed at a specific cruise, the one you are booked on next. How can people be so negative against others who are essentially celebrating the excitement of it all by planning events like Cabin Crawls, Slot Pulls, Sail Away Meet and Greets.

 

You make plans for the various ports you visit then why not for ship board activities too. We have had a blast on Cabin Crawls wandering around the ship and visiting different cabins, it’s a great adventure. Someone several cruises ago added the Poker wrinkle. After each participant puts $5 in the pot a playing card is distributed at each stop, the best hand at the end wins the kitty.

 

By virtue of the Roll Call we have met so many wonderful people and have experienced many additional parties and gatherings aboard the ship with these new friends.

 

We have always had big turnouts for the Cabin Crawls and they almost always conclude with someone throwing a party in their suite at the final stop.

 

Each Roll call has its own vibe but, they are all similar in that a few diehards drive the machine forward. There are typically five or ten people who post frequently and others who just join the call and post once in a while. Sure, you can learn information about the ship, ports, excursions but, I enjoy the pre-cruise camaraderie of my fellow passengers. Our current Roll Call for the Explorer has bantered about Halloween decorations and travels to Hawaii it’s all good, because it’s conversation amongst fellow travel peers, we just keep passing the ball.

 

Whether a person has 150 posts on a Roll Call or 3 makes little difference, the fact is that they joined. I’ve had lovely conversations with all of the people on the list no matter how active they were before the cruise.

 

I find a strong Roll Call is a celebration of the upcoming trip. Keep the ball in the air, post about the weather, your trip to Kalamazoo, keep lists of all travelers in bright colored fonts. Create that spark of energy that will glow when we all meet at the Mingle in 91 days.

 

Jonathan

I like what both of these posts have to say...I have always joined roll calls since I discovered Cruise Critic's...and have never regreted doing so.

There is so much to learn about ports, ships, activities, tours, insider tips on parking, hotel's, transportation, potential obstacles, etc. that impact on cruising in general, and for my cruise in particular...

I agree that not all roll calls are equal, some are too quiet, others the opposite, with a handful of poster's misusing the roll call as a virtual chat room discussing irrelevant personal issue's. But the vast majority have been a delightful and educational experience.

I enjoy cabin crawls, especially on a new class of ship...since the ship is sold out, there is no other way to see the variety of accommodations available, that you might have interest in future bookings.

And sometimes I have enjoyed a bonus as a result of attending a meet and greet....an invitation from the Captain for a complimentary tour of the bridge extended to all of us....:)

[marco]

We always join, find out about the M&G, and possibly connect for private tours/excursions. I tend to check back less frequently if a couple of posters turn the roll call board into a personally back and forth chit chat conversation. I wish those folks would just exchange e-mail addresses and "chat away".

[Karysa]

We always join, find out about the M&G, and possibly connect for private tours/excursions. I tend to check back less frequently if a couple of posters turn the roll call board into a personally back and forth chit chat conversation. I wish those folks would just exchange e-mail addresses and "chat away".

 

Are you permitted to exchange e-mails on cc? I think this would be a good idea but on the other hand wouldn't this just add to the cliquiness?

[leaveitallbehind]

I believe who ever is organizing the events should go along with the typical times that those cruisers have experienced on that particular line. Usually, people are friendly but, vocal about the special events being held on certain days and times. This woman was wrong to have changed the time.

 

Jonathan

 

Just an observation. I can't speak for all cruise lines, but with RCI they organize and sponsor the on-board Meet & Mingle for the Roll Call, which assures a certain amount of "control" over the event. Certainly Roll Call members who wish to participate voluntarily with separate activities (cabin crawls, slot pulls, etc.) can - and do - set those up independently for times after the M & M. But I can see how with cruise lines that don't directly involve themselves with or host the M & M, this gathering could certainly take on a different tone.

Edited November 18, 2013 by leaveitallbehind

[lovemylab]

Are you permitted to exchange e-mails on cc? I think this would be a good idea but on the other hand wouldn't this just add to the cliquiness?

 

I've seen lots of people exchange email addresses on a roll call. I was on one last year where we exchanged email addresses as we were sharing a private tour together. Any chit chat conversations were done through email and we used the roll call for general cruise conversations.

 

Earlier this year I was on a roll call with a large group of people who had cruised together a few times before. Due to all the chit chat and inside jokes, it made the roll call extremely hard to follow. Everyday there would be several new pages of posts to go through - very few were about the cruise. There were even people posting that weren't even on the cruise! Had they all just emailed each other to discuss their personal lives and kept the posts on the roll call to be cruise related, I think it would have made things less cliquey since the new people to the roll call would have had a chance to get to know each other. Instead, the roll call turned into a personal chat board for the returning cruisers and the new people hardly ever posted.

 

I have nothing against a chatty roll call; however, when it's filled with inside jokes and conversations that are aimed at only a handful of people it's not enjoyable for everyone else.

Edited November 19, 2013 by lovemylab

[lovemylab]

 

I have yet to join my next cruises roll call. Less than 6 mths out and it only has 10 posts. When do you find that they pick up these days?

 

Perhaps others are thinking the same thing as you? I would join and then see if others follow. Perhaps there are several others who haven't joined because they feel it's not active enough.

[cruiserking]

 

I have yet to join my next cruises roll call. Less than 6 mths out and it only has 10 posts. When do you find that they pick up these days?

 

They start to pick up when new people join the Roll Call. So don't delay post a a message on your Roll Call and get the conversation started. ;)

 

Jonathan

[Ehpride]

I also don’t understand the critical comments about Roll Calls. The Roll Call is essentially a microcosm of Cruise Critic. We all visit CC regularly to get our cruise jollies. A particular passage, a question or comment will jog a memory of ship board life sending you into a state of bliss which makes your upcoming cruise that much more exciting.

 

Well, the Roll Call is another way to stimulate this excitement because it is directed at a specific cruise, the one you are booked on next. How can people be so negative against others who are essentially celebrating the excitement of it all by planning events like Cabin Crawls, Slot Pulls, Sail Away Meet and Greets.

 

You make plans for the various ports you visit then why not for ship board activities too. We have had a blast on Cabin Crawls wandering around the ship and visiting different cabins, it’s a great adventure. Someone several cruises ago added the Poker wrinkle. After each participant puts $5 in the pot a playing card is distributed at each stop, the best hand at the end wins the kitty.

 

By virtue of the Roll Call we have met so many wonderful people and have experienced many additional parties and gatherings aboard the ship with these new friends.

 

We have always had big turnouts for the Cabin Crawls and they almost always conclude with someone throwing a party in their suite at the final stop.

 

Each Roll call has its own vibe but, they are all similar in that a few diehards drive the machine forward. There are typically five or ten people who post frequently and others who just join the call and post once in a while. Sure, you can learn information about the ship, ports, excursions but, I enjoy the pre-cruise camaraderie of my fellow passengers. Our current Roll Call for the Explorer has bantered about Halloween decorations and travels to Hawaii it’s all good, because it’s conversation amongst fellow travel peers, we just keep passing the ball.

 

Whether a person has 150 posts on a Roll Call or 3 makes little difference, the fact is that they joined. I’ve had lovely conversations with all of the people on the list no matter how active they were before the cruise.

 

I find a strong Roll Call is a celebration of the upcoming trip. Keep the ball in the air, post about the weather, your trip to Kalamazoo, keep lists of all travelers in bright colored fonts. Create that spark of energy that will glow when we all meet at the Mingle in 91 days.

 

Jonathan

 

This may be just me but I research my ports so that I can make use my likited time in a port. In some ports, I plan an excursion. In others, I have a general idea of what I want to do, but I go with the flow. On sea days, my plans pretty much involve getting as much sun as possible and maybe doing some ship activities. I don't like to overplan them or commit to a m&g/activity in the middle of the day. At night, there are almost always ship activities that I look forward to doing. I am much more likely to attend a m&g on embarkation day.

[Karysa]

 

Perhaps others are thinking the same thing as you? I would join and then see if others follow. Perhaps there are several others who haven't joined because they feel it's not active enough.

 

I will be honest. I am not interested in chitchat. I am being stubborn and selfish. I am hoping that I will reap the benefits of someone's hard work and be able to join a tour. There are no such offers as of yet though.

[lovemylab]

 

I will be honest. I am not interested in chitchat. I am being stubborn and selfish. I am hoping that I will reap the benefits of someone's hard work and be able to join a tour. There are no such offers as of yet though.

 

Even if joining a private tour with others in your roll call, I strongly recommend that you still do your research.

 

A lady in my roll call last year posted a request asking others to join her tour - quite a few people did - when I looked at the details more closely I noticed that: a) the tour was leaving from a port we weren't even docking in (we were docking in Cannes and her tour was leaving from Villefranche) and b) the person organizing the tour got the times in port wrong and didn't take into consideration that people would be tendering. So even if she had got the port correct, everyone would have missed the ship. Moral of the story = just because someone is posting a request for others to join a tour doesn't mean they did the research.

 

It's not that hard to book a private tour - just visit the ports of call boards and most of the work is done for you (especially if doing a Caribbean cruise) :)

Edited November 20, 2013 by lovemylab

[Karysa]

Even if joining a private tour with others in your roll call, I strongly recommend that you still do your research.

 

A lady in my roll call last year posted a request asking others to join her tour - quite a few people did - when I looked at the details more closely I noticed that: a) the tour was leaving from a port we weren't even docking in (we were docking in Cannes and her tour was leaving from Villefranche) and b) the person organizing the tour got the times in port wrong and didn't take into consideration that people would be tendering. So even if she had got the port correct, everyone would have missed the ship. Moral of the story = just because someone is posting a request for others to join a tour doesn't mean they did the research.

 

It's not that hard to book a private tour - just visit the ports of call boards and most of the work is done for you (especially if doing a Caribbean cruise) :)

 

Excellent advice thank you. I will definitely do some more research before booking. I have ideas of things that I would be interested in I just thought that on one or two of the ports that it would be nice to join a group instead of going of on our own again. I have booked many excursions in the Caribbean and some in Europe with much help fom the Europe Boards.

[pris993]

I like folks but not groups, so I tend to read for port info and am willing to share info I might have with others. Not really interested in joining group activities on board or in port.

 

A turn off are messages that become more personal and chatty.

[notentirelynormal]

I didn't realize for years about the roll calls even though I was active on the forums. Then one year I signed up on the roll call for a cruise that was a two-parter. The cruise left from Ft Lauderdale through the canal ending in LA BUT then a 3 dayer to Vancouver. Those of us joining in LA were asked to meet at certain times (twice) for the get together. Well, those on the first segment decided to, well, ignore us newcomers. I know at least three people showed up for the M&G but none of the original cruisers did. Wasted our time and made us look foolish. Later, on the roll call. they said... well we decided to cancel. Okay. So the rest of us - twice - wasted our time meeting up with you. I know this because those of us on the last leg came back to the roll call to comment about "what happened?".

 

I did do a Caribbean one that turned out quite nice. We had a group already so no doing private tours with anyone but our group but it was really nice to put faces with the names. There was also a very nice "air" to the first meet.

[BlueRiband]

I will be honest. I am not interested in chitchat. I am being stubborn and selfish. I am hoping that I will reap the benefits of someone's hard work and be able to join a tour. There are no such offers as of yet though.

 

That, I submit, is exactly why one is expected to sign on for everything or nothing. Don't buy the t-shirt, don't join cabin crawls, etc and get labeled as selfish. So much work was put into organizing those things and now how selfish I would be to only go to the M&G.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

I join to exchange info on the ports and some are good and some are poor boards .. But I stick with them ... Cruise Critic gives us the info needed to travel like we do ..

Edited November 20, 2013 by we're sailing away....