Have RCCL "Meet & Mingle" Roll Calls Suffered?

[Biker19]

....better bring a big shopping bag for all those RCL "goodies" you are bound to win:D......

 

Not unless another 24 people sign up. ;)

 

Biker, who participated in the the epic Quantum maiden TA roll call thread that was archived 3 times and had well over 10,000 posts.

Edited August 20, 2015 by Biker19

[klepton]

I agree 100%....it turns into a "can you top this" contest as far a number of cruises for the least amount of money and how many crew members they are "friends" with......enough already.....it's become the same as showing up at your local McDonalds and see the retirees huddling in the corner protecting their small coffee for hours talking about bowel movements......no more for us......

 

If I had to choose one post to sum up my feelings on the issue, this would be it. All three RCCL cruises we've been on the M&M has been dominated by groups of very frequent (Pinnacle) cruisers. Shouting answers out before the CD can finish the question, making sure to name every single person they know, etc. Not saying that pinnacles shouldn't have fun, but they aren't' as funny as they think they are in these circumstances.

 

There just wasn't the opportunity to mingle. We didn't meet anyone because everyone was already circled into their own groups, and trying to break in was impossible. We will still attend, but of all the cruise lines we've sailed I can say that I look the least forward to RCCL M&Ms. On Carnival or Disney, I will leave feeling like I've met everyone in the room. On RCCL I leave usually having not talked to anyone else. Maybe I'll feel differently when I'm old and pinnacle. :D

[wander]

I may be the outlier, but I have too many other things to do in life than spend a lot of time on a roll call for a cruise 12+ months in the future. I usually sign-on to the group, but then check it maybe once every month or so UNTIL about 6 months out. Then I will become more active on the roll call. Just me - but IMHO, to worry about an inactive Roll Call for a cruise approx. 12 months away - way too many other things to do each day, even on CC itself. Just me.

Edited August 20, 2015 by wander

[Dlanco]

I may be the outlier, but I have too many other things to do in life than spend a lot of time on a roll call for a cruise 12+ months in the future. I usually sign-on to the group, but then check it maybe once every month or so UNTIL about 6 months out. Then I will become more active on the roll call. Just me - but IMHO, to worry about an inactive Roll Call for a cruise approx. 12 months away - way too many other things to do each day, even on CC itself. Just me.

 

Thanks for your opinion.....

[GolfMom321]

My next cruise roll call for Dec. 2015 is the least active roll call we've ever been a part of. I tried to get 25 people to commit to a meet and mingle and I offered to do the research to set it up - but no response.

 

It is not just because it is a Christmas cruise either - this will be our 6th Christmas cruise. Our last Christmas cruise on the same ship - Allure, we had over 60 people show up for the Meet and Mingle onboard. We did a cabin crawl and played a white elephant gift exchange.

 

We have noticed less from Royal over the years. Officers no longer show up, snacks are now peanuts and cookies. Gifts are smaller and there are fewer of them. I don't know if that is why no one is interested anymore.

 

I've never done a RCCL Meet & Mingle (haven't been on RCCL since '95, pre-CC), so my only experience is with Princess Meet & Greets. They provide a venue, "dry snacks" (think nuts and crackers mixed), and a bartender. The rest is up to us. All the M&G's I've been to have been well attended. Our last one, I organized it. Sent invites to all the senior officers, and had 7 or 8 attend! We had to move to another venue because the next activity came in to the place where we were meeting! And yes, our roll call had been pretty active--setting up tours, suggesting things to do, etc.

 

I love CC but they are too restrictive. you cant mention this or that..... you get punished like a toddler if you do and get put in time out. you cant offer a tour you havent been on, thats crazy- if we want to set up a group excursion and none of us have been on it then we cant suggest it. I do go to the meet and mingle but have noticed alot less traffic on the roll calls. I think they are forcing people to leave and choose the other site because you cant cross post. not everyone wants to go to the other site but if they dont and we cant mention the activities on here then they will go where they can see all that is offered.

 

I don't know where you got that idea, but it is incorrect. We have set up private tours that No one involved has ever been on, on every roll call I've ever been on. Someone says "I've found this tour through XYZ tour company, anyone interested in joining?" And then people join up. On my fall TA (which I cancelled and went with a different one), there was a spreadsheet of all the tours arranged by roll call members. That's one of the biggest benefits of a roll call!

[klepton]

I don't know where you got that idea, but it is incorrect. We have set up private tours that No one involved has ever been on, on every roll call I've ever been on. Someone says "I've found this tour through XYZ tour company, anyone interested in joining?" And then people join up. On my fall TA (which I cancelled and went with a different one), there was a spreadsheet of all the tours arranged by roll call members. That's one of the biggest benefits of a roll call!

 

They are likely referring to this:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1129866

 

Hello everyone!

 

Members may no longer make recommendations for tours they haven't taken. If someone asks for a tour recommendation in a port, you can only recommend a tour if you've actually taken the tour; not if you've researched tours and plan to take a tour or someone told you about a good tour. You have to have taken the tour in order to recommend it.

 

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to write to the address below.

 

Thank you for your anticipated cooperation!

 

They have this as a sticky in many of the POC threads, I wouldn't think that applied to roll calls and group excursion discussions, but I guess I don't know that for sure.

[BillOh]

We will still attend, but of all the cruise lines we've sailed I can say that I look the least forward to RCCL M&Ms. On Carnival or Disney, I will leave feeling like I've met everyone in the room. On RCCL I leave usually having not talked to anyone else. Maybe I'll feel differently when I'm old and pinnacle. :D

 

I would say you are over generalizing. On 6, 7 day cruises I've only felt that way about 1 Meet and mingle. You wouldn't have felt that way about my last 3.

[BillOh]

They are likely referring to this:

 

Hello everyone!

 

Members may no longer make recommendations for tours they haven't taken. If someone asks for a tour recommendation in a port, you can only recommend a tour if you've actually taken the tour; not if you've researched tours and plan to take a tour or someone told you about a good tour. You have to have taken the tour in order to recommend it.

 

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to write to the address below.

 

Thank you for your anticipated cooperation!

 

 

They have this as a sticky in many of the POC threads, I wouldn't think that applied to roll calls and group excursion discussions, but I guess I don't know that for sure.

 

The clear intent it to keep people from the excursions from self promoting. I've seen some of that in the POC threads. I've near seen it present a problem in a roll call. I brought up the Nachi Cocum on our last cruise because I was thinking of trying it. Turned out our roll dominated the facility that day. (50 people there, 33 from our roll call) Had a great time.

[GolfMom321]

They are likely referring to this:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1129866

 

 

 

They have this as a sticky in many of the POC threads, I wouldn't think that applied to roll calls and group excursion discussions, but I guess I don't know that for sure.

 

I think there's a big difference between recommending a tour and trying to put together a tour with others on your roll call...

[grand isle joe]

I would say you are over generalizing. On 6, 7 day cruises I've only felt that way about 1 Meet and mingle. You wouldn't have felt that way about my last 3.

 

 

 

 

 

 

......I don't think I could tell how anyone else could "feel" about anything. What a person perceives is just that.......what they experience through their perception. :rolleyes:

[BillOh]

......I don't think I could tell how anyone else could "feel" about anything. What a person perceives is just that.......what they experience through their perception. :rolleyes:

 

I guess I have ability you don't. And I'm not rolling my eye back .

Edited August 20, 2015 by BillOh

[klepton]

I would say you are over generalizing. On 6, 7 day cruises I've only felt that way about 1 Meet and mingle. You wouldn't have felt that way about my last 3.

 

I'm certainly not over generalizing... you might say I have a very small sample (3 cruises), which is true, but that was certainly my experience with all three M&Ms on RCL cruises. If you didn't get that, that's great! Absolutely share your own experiences. I was just sharing mine.

[klepton]

The clear intent it to keep people from the excursions from self promoting. I've seen some of that in the POC threads. I've near seen it present a problem in a roll call. I brought up the Nachi Cocum on our last cruise because I was thinking of trying it. Turned out our roll dominated the facility that day. (50 people there, 33 from our roll call) Had a great time.

 

I think there's a big difference between recommending a tour and trying to put together a tour with others on your roll call...

 

I wasn't saying that it applied to roll calls, I was just saying that's likely where the rumor got started.

[gpnfish]

I don't mind the roll calls; they are a good way to exchange info about the cruise, shore excursions, and travel logistics. Meet and Mingles - no thanks! They are a waste of time and always badly timed. The last thing I want to do is give up my lounge by the pool to attend a mtg somewhere in the bowels of the ship in the middle of the morning.

 

 

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