This happen to anybody else?

[sandij]

I enjoy the roll calls, chatting with everyone so excited about the upcoming cruise and I have gone to several of the meet and greets but not for a few years now. My DH refuses to go and I don't want to go by myself and actually I usually forget about it once I'm onboard, so many other things to do.

[LandlockedCruiser01]

It seems like Cruise Critic roll calls are a lot like online dating in 1996. (I don't mean they're for finding dates; bear with me.) That is, people enjoy the ability to talk and share thoughts, some quite personal, with strangers all over the country, but when it comes to meeting in person, well... that's when they start hemming and hawing, and finding ways to get out of doing it. Basically, people enjoyed talking online more than getting together in real life. I see multiple reasons for this.

 

One, not everyone benefits from roll calls as much as others. Solos benefit the most, presumably. (I myself met two great people from my roll call, and hung out with them around the ship and in port, where we went dancing together.) Also older couples and groups of friends, who already had plenty of time to enjoy each other's company, and want new people to hang with. Ditto for teenagers, who get bored on family vacations, and want nothing more than a company of other teens. Newlyweds and families with young children, not so much. They're usually plenty busy enjoying their own company, and don't feel a need to meet people from the internet.

 

Two, expectations of roll calls aren't clearly laid out. So roll callers aren't sure just what kind of togetherness is expected. Is it: (1) have a quick drink together to celebrate the sailaway, meet each other, and generally go your own ways; (2) be a "vacation group", joined at the hip for most of the time; or (3) something in-between. Since most people come onboard with some kind of personal ideas they're set on doing and don't want to be controlled by others, they decide to play it "safe" and not meet at all.

 

Three, I'm sure there are people out there who actually confuse roll calls with online dating. So they build up ideas in their mind. Then after participating on a roll call for some time, they realize that a roll call is just that. Their hopes get dashed, and they back out.

Edited May 8, 2015 by LandlockedCruiser01

[elliair]

Last roll call someone wanted name tags that I was doing. Only wanted the first name on it although the other 105 wanted full name. Dropped off the face of the earth and never picked up their name tag. Guess they just wished to see what was going on.

 

I attended a roll call and someone went out of their way to make up nice name tags. Another person set up a luncheon in the MDR and 150 said they would show up at the lunch. 90% of the people never showed up for either the M&G or the lunch. Only 15 showed up for the lunch. Maybe people just want to know what's going on, learn about hotels, excursions, etc., then don't bother showing up for the M&G. It's easier to type on a message board than it is to meet with people in person. I'm probably one of those people.

Edited May 8, 2015 by elliair

[acceber32]

I enjoy talking on roll calls so I don't drive my family and friends crazy with my cruise talk. I like seeing what everyone has planned and discussing what to do. But I don't go to meet and greets. My husband is not social and does not like going so we don't.

[Raxter54]

Sailed on the Serenade last March, and our M&G was scheduled for the morning of the first sea day. Of course, I spent most of the first morning flat on my back, waiting for the Bonine to take effect. Since I didn't know any one personally from our roll call, never was able to meet any of them during the cruise...

Edited May 8, 2015 by Raxter54

[LandlockedCruiser01]

I enjoy talking on roll calls so I don't drive my family and friends crazy with my cruise talk. I like seeing what everyone has planned and discussing what to do. But I don't go to meet and greets. My husband is not social and does not like going so we don't.

Ditto for me. I use roll calls as my cruise talk outlet. My friends made peace with the fact I like to cruise solo, and I don't want to look like I'm bragging but not inviting them. My family doesn't want to be driven crazy, plus their priorities for cruise selection are different from mine, due to the generation gap. And I keep my vacation plans hush-hush at work, lest the management tries to contact me. (I don't even say I'm going on a cruise until after; I only give the name of the port I'm most excited about.)

 

One of my fellow roll callers in the past said that short cruises (5 days or less) usually don't have active roll calls, and when they do, they don't always pan out. While longer cruises usually have good roll calls where people are interested in meeting. Just something to consider.

Edited May 8, 2015 by LandlockedCruiser01

[DebJ14]

I enjoy the Roll call discussions, but my DH does not care to meet anyone on the ship.

[TNCruzer56]

WOW-I posted a general question and got several different responses relating to Socio-Dynamics.

This is really going to impact the way I chat with peeps on the roll call in the future.

Frankly, I`m disappointed at cruzers that milk info, excursion tips, $$ saving short-cuts, but have no interest in Human Interaction.

I guess I`m feeling a tad disenchanted that F2F is so repulsive or intimidating, even worse BORING.

I`m going to have a much more jaded approach to the R/C room if I even join at all.

-

Reach out and touch

Somebody's hand

Make this world a better place

If you can-"Diana Ross"

-

It`s no wonder "Baltimores happen"

[OCruisers]

We actually like to attend the M&Gs BUT there are times when they conflict with other things we're doing. It's never that we don't want to socialize and meet others. :)

LuLu

[Missymo]

Went on a longer Oceania cruise. Had 60 people signed up. We ended up with over 90 . It was an hour of meeting and making some new friends [emoji4]

[eponym]

I love the roll calls, but have only met up with people a handful of times...

 

However, we all have a great time striking up conversations with random people on our cruises...

 

There have been times when I planned to go to a M&G but got busy having fun & forgot.

 

We love the various cultures and personalities we just randomly interact and meet in the course of our cruise vacations, as opposed to the feeling of being herding around. Some people dig organized M&G, big groups, and follow the leader, so I am not bashing. It's just a preference.

[eponym]

Went on a longer Oceania cruise. Had 60 people signed up. We ended up with over 90 . It was an hour of meeting and making some new friends [emoji4]

 

Nothing wrong with that.

 

But that approaches a large group size. Complicated to move around a ship at any given area, or point to point if there is not a formalized meeting area. I am not saying it is bad, but would say it could be disruptive to others just enjoying a peaceful existence.

 

We have the entire vacation to meet and talk with people, and we are outgoing.

Edited May 9, 2015 by eponym

[elliair]

I enjoy the Roll call discussions, but my DH does not care to meet anyone on the ship.

 

We meet more people at Happy Hours on board than at M&G. We've even stayed in touch with a few we have met. I also printed out 4 different people's airline boarding passes with people we met here and there. We find this more exciting and entertaining. We seem to gel with more spontaneity than with formal meetings.

[Donh44]

We all know how engaging the roll calls can get. New members, funny posts, group excursions, etc.

 

2 outta the last 3 roll calls (pretty active) there was an active poster that just disappeared 2-3 weeks before departure. One time this nice guy would regularly put out fantastic pics for months and Poof-He was gone. Never again on the thread and not on the ship.

 

Could it be, that some folks enjoy the roll calls so much they just want to chat with other cruzers, even though no trip is planned???

 

I am kind of guilty of being one of those persons on a cruise 2 yrs ago. I was booked but had a sudden surgery that had to be done and, although my surgery was over, I was not strong enough to be able to handle luggage thru airport and port terminals, etc. I kept up with the roll call up until they sailed.

[Karlou]

I enjoy talking on roll calls so I don't drive my family and friends crazy with my cruise talk. I like seeing what everyone has planned and discussing what to do. But I don't go to meet and greets. My husband is not social and does not like going so we don't.

 

 

You could be me! [emoji1]

[Cruise life]

I enjoy talking on roll calls so I don't drive my family and friends crazy with my cruise talk. I like seeing what everyone has planned and discussing what to do. But I don't go to meet and greets. My husband is not social and does not like going so we don't.

 

 

My husband does not like the roll calls, but will attend the meet and greet and go to the cabin crawl and cocktail party, etc., if they are planned. We don't gamble and have never done a slot pull, however. We are doing a gift exchange on our next cruise, the crawl (hosting a quad 4k) and the meet and greet. We do sometimes meet people we end up spending time with on the cruise, sometimes dinners, buffet lunches, or even tours. It all depends on how we click and whether or not the timing works out.

[TNCruzer56]

Thanks for the feedback. Interesting how some distain the online chat, yet want to interact with peeps. Others LOVE the online yack for as much as a year, but have no desire to meet a real human being, that they`ve shared family stories, personal preferences, island fantasies, off color jokes, food favs, cabin picks, an a bunch more.

People are a funny lot...just when I think I got it figured out-They Amaze me!

 

G`nite an Happy sailing!

[luvs2beachit]

We have been involved with several rollcalls, all were for longer European / TA cruises. We join primarily to gather / share info about the ports we will be visiting and to connect with private tours that are being arranged. Linking to the private tours has provided us with fabulous experiences that allowed us to visit places and see things, often for a quarter of the price, that no cruiseline tour ever could. Two of the rollcalls in particular stand out, one had over 200 people who were involved and the other our 2012 TA which had over 400 people who were signed on with a vast majority of the folks staying involved and participating in the M&G and other planned activities. Some even continued to connect on the rollcall for months AFTER the cruise. We met many wonderful people. This was a great rollcall. Now, having said that, there were rollcalls that were not so great. They were boring, had people who wanted to control the thread, had some jerky posters or became forums for for the few who would post lots of irrelevant drivel. When this happens we just think nothing here for us and just move on.:D

[ruthie101]

Thanks for the feedback. Interesting how some distain the online chat, yet want to interact with peeps. Others LOVE the online yack for as much as a year, but have no desire to meet a real human being, that they`ve shared family stories, personal preferences, island fantasies, off color jokes, food favs, cabin picks, an a bunch more.

People are a funny lot...just when I think I got it figured out-They Amaze me!

 

G`nite an Happy sailing!

 

I believe we met you and your wife at a M&G on one of our cruises and we shared a golf cart with you on Grand Turk. We had a great time and maybe we'll meet again on another cruise.

[luvmy2redheads]

I'm guilty :rolleyes: At home when the kids are at school or at night I am able to join in on the roll call and enjoy seeing and knowing who are all going but once I'm on the cruise i'm pulled in 4 different kiddo directions and my husband wants my attention too so most times I don't make it as well! If I run into someone I'm thrilled but then I have to remember that our family vacations are about our family and that comes first and foremost over any meet and greet for me :)

[eponym]

I'm guilty :rolleyes: At home when the kids are at school or at night I am able to join in on the roll call and enjoy seeing and knowing who are all going but once I'm on the cruise i'm pulled in 4 different kiddo directions and my husband wants my attention too so most times I don't make it as well! If I run into someone I'm thrilled but then I have to remember that our family vacations are about our family and that comes first and foremost over any meet and greet for me :)

 

Yes, and that can often override our decision to ever show up to a non company sponsored/hosted/invite M&G. When we get the sense that it is TA driven organized, large crowd drinkfeast, we often opt out due to family first considerations.

[Lurkyloo]

WOW-I posted a general question and got several different responses relating to Socio-Dynamics.

This is really going to impact the way I chat with peeps on the roll call in the future.

Frankly, I`m disappointed at cruzers that milk info, excursion tips, $$ saving short-cuts, but have no interest in Human Interaction.

I guess I`m feeling a tad disenchanted that F2F is so repulsive or intimidating, even worse BORING.

I`m going to have a much more jaded approach to the R/C room if I even join at all.

-

Reach out and touch

Somebody's hand

Make this world a better place

If you can-"Diana Ross"

-

It`s no wonder "Baltimores happen"

 

That's a bit unfair - keep in mind that someone posting on the Roll Call is usually cruising with people who aren't involved with the Roll Call... I have gone on different cruises with from 6 - 20 others - none of whom were on the roll call and don't really have an interest in meeting people they have never chatted with. They are more interested in relaxing on Lido with a few drinks then exploring the ship and checking out their room. I can usually get my hubby to come with me to M&G for a bit, but that is about it. Often times several in the Roll Call will go on the same excursions and that is always fun too - but that is the extent of my personal involvement. I enjoy chatting pre cruise, and a bit after cruise - and running into them around the ship and on excursions, but I generally am cruising with friends or family and that is who I spend the bulk of my time with.

 

That being said - I agree that it is rude to say you will attend the M&G when you have no intention, and even ruder to sign up for a luncheon you have no intention of attending. If you are there just for the chat and info, you can be honest and say that - I don't think anyone would mind.

[Rock712]

For me personally , participating in the roll calls is a way to help plan for the cruise. As with most forms of social media , it's an easy way to communicate for someone like myself who is not that social of a person. For instance if there were a group of people here in my town that wanted to get together once a week to discuss and plan the upcoming cruise , I would never go , but I will sign on here every day to do the same thing. My wife can go into a room of people and 10 minutes later have an entire room full of lifelong friends. I could go in the same for for hours and not speak to one person and be fine with that. I'm great with family and friends , just not much for chatting up strangers. I'm that guy that found on our first couple of cruises that having to sit at a table full of strangers in the MDR to be painful. After the second time it's either been anytime dining table for two or the Lido. I wish I had the outgoing personality of some , but it's just not me. I let my wife do the socializing for the both of us.

[Rock712]

One thing though , I do agree 100% with several of the posters that have said it's rude and unfair to say your going to attend meet and greets or gatherings when you have no intention of going. I've been on several roll calls where someone went to a lot of time and effort to organize and set things up. It's not fair to them and you should be honest about attending

[Grits53]

For what it's worth, I have been active on almost every roll call on all 21 Carnival cruises I've been on. I was the organizer of the meet & greet on several of those. But I have not attended a meet & greet on the past several cruises. Why? Well, I am just not into the whole drinking, partying thing, and I am uncomfortable in large groups of people that I don't know. I just like to relax and enjoy the cruise with my husband, rather than having to attend organized roll call events that might not fit in with my plans. But I still enjoy talking to people on the roll call and giving out suggestions or advice as needed or requested.