Meet and Greet gift ideas

[seapals2]

Been to a few Meet and Greet on board various cruise lines but not one where we were asked to take along a gift relevant to our home town. Any one got experience of this and suggestions. Not sure if its one gift to enter into a random selection of a gift for all who are on the list. For us the problem will be packing items suitable to fly. Have suggested postcards ..cheap ,light and can have contact info on if you wish. Ideal for us to pack but anticipate others might choose more random gifts possibly heavier or larger. We are doing a two week back to back so the problem is double as there is a meet and greet at the start of both weeks.

[sail7seas]

Many M&G's make the gift thing optional. I would never lug M&G gifts to a ship. Check on your Roll Call and you may find lots of folks don't want to participate.

 

[Shorex]

The roll call for your cruise will almost certainly have someone designated as the "person in charge" of arranging the gift exchange. There will be an upper limit for cost. I have never encountered a gift exchange where a gift is brought for everyone on the list. You bring one gift, you get one gift.

 

Remember, participation in all these activities such as gift exchange, cabin crawl, slot pull, etc. are entirely voluntary. We prefer to go to a meet/greet and simply meet/greet. Personally, I would not bother with all the extras, especially for the second half of a back to back.

 

Don't stress. If you want to do this and there is no little gadget unique to your home town, just bring a generic "thing". If you choose to. It's all optional.

[OCruisers]

As others have said, you do NOT need to participate in the gift exchange part of the M&G unless you wish to do so. We never do.

 

LuLu

[beachbum53]

If your group has a Meet & Greet, plan on a third (or less) of those that say they'll be there. At least, that's been our experience. If it's put to a vote, I would vote "No" on the gift exchange. If you make friends with one or two couples in your group, you could get together at a lounge on board and buy each other a cocktail, or share a bottle of wine at dinner, as a sort of gift exchange.

[NMLady]

Been to a few Meet and Greet on board various cruise lines but not one where we were asked to take along a gift relevant to our home town. Any one got experience of this and suggestions. Not sure if its one gift to enter into a random selection of a gift for all who are on the list. For us the problem will be packing items suitable to fly. Have suggested postcards ..cheap ,light and can have contact info on if you wish. Ideal for us to pack but anticipate others might choose more random gifts possibly heavier or larger. We are doing a two week back to back so the problem is double as there is a meet and greet at the start of both weeks.

 

Gift exchanges at M&G are usually optional. If you don't bring a gift you don't take part. If you bring a gift, it is for one person and you get a gift in return that someone else brought. Whoever organized it on your roll call should have explained that.

I took part in one gift exchange but never again participated in one on any of my subsequent cruises. I got note cards with photos from the person's hometown. Nice cards but I had no use for them. And when I saw some of the items others were getting I decided not to ever participate again in a gift exchange. Too many times the gift is nothing the other person wants or can use. Even your idea of postcards isn't something most people would want or could use. People have brought magnets, caps, tshirts, maple syrup or other canned food products unique to their area. Some people spend $10, get something in return that only cost $2 and aren't happy.

 

If you wish, take part in one gift exchange but not the next week. I presume the next week is a different cruise?

Edited November 2, 2015 by NMLady

[Scrapnana]

We are all sounding rather anti-social but I wouldn't bother with a gift exchange either. There are bound to be others on your roll call that don't wish to participate in bringing gifts. Hopefully this idea has not pushed some people away from the M&G because it really is fun to get to meet people you have talked and planned with over the months.

[seapals2]

Thanks for the replies ... It is just ONE gift to exchange. That makes it easier .. Will give it a go the first week. Don't worry I will come up with something better than a postcard now it's just the one item. The postcards will come in useful for exchanging contact info if we make new friends. Easier to hang onto than scraps of paper.

[dorisis]

Gift exchanges can be fun, but most gifts are not very useful. Best was a bottle of local wine from Calif. I no longer participate in the exchanges because we do many cruises per year.

[trish1c]

seapals2

 

Try to get a gift that is about where you are from. Your info says you are from the UK. In that case perhaps offer a small box of tea or a shot glass from a local tourist shop.

 

Being from NJ I'd probably bring some salt water taffy or something related to Bruce Springsteen.

 

Don't tie yourself up over this. Odds are you are going to throw out whatever you receive as a gift.

Edited November 2, 2015 by trish1c