Are fewer cruisers participating in Roll Calls now??

[rkacruiser]

I SO agree with this. Yet, those that might have reminded people to please not discuss private tours at the M & G have been criticized on this thread.

 

It's all about a time and place for everything as you so eloquently stated.

 

 

 

Agree 100%.

 

I want to add my agreement to Ruth's comments.

[rkacruiser]

The few Roll Calls I have participated in have been mainly discussions of private tours at the ports, which usually involves some bashing of those who chose to take ship-sponsored tours. I have no interest in arranging or participating in private tours. I would love it if the Roll Calls were more like get-to-know-your-fellow-cruisers or places to arrange trivia teams or ways to share on-baord activities. But the ones I have seen have seen are nothing more than people trying to find the 6th or 8th person to fill their private tours.

 

By your own admission, you are using the Roll Call for exactly the reason I do not want to join one.

 

What you describe about what you wish the Roll Calls would be is exactly what the Roll Calls once were. My first Roll Call was for the Volendam's 2002 Asia/Pacific Cruise. It was a "get to know you" and "what information can you share about the ports we are going to visit". It was not a large number that participated, but we did get to know each other prior to boarding and those of us newbies to the Asian and Pacific nations we visited benefited from the experience of others who had traveled in that part of the world. We met several times during the cruise and long-lasting friendships were developed from that Roll Call.

[Scrapnana]

Since you are still on the GWV, I think. Thanks for this posting and taking the time and expense to do so. Why the fall off in the attendance in your final M&G attendance in your opinion?

I have had some people tell me they either forgot or had something else to do at the time of our final M&G. Also, we did not have many RC members get on in Cape Town. To be honest, there were more in attendance than I expected.

[Tinknock50]

I haven't had 'instant notification' in a long time, so don't know if it still works this way, but I will tell you why I changed to 'daily notification'.

 

At the time I was using it, instant notification was set up that you got a notification when there was a post, but got no more until you went into the thread and read what had been posted. Then you got a notification for the next post, but the stop/start process repeated.

 

With 'daily notification' you get all the posts at the same time in the evening---and you get them every evening, whether you read the Roll Call thread or not.

 

Try switching to 'daily notification' and see if this solves your problem.

That's a good idea. Perhaps I will get SOMETHING as opposed to getting nothing now.

[sammiedawg]

People may avoid M&G when a third party sets too many rules, right down to telling others what can be discussed. This is the logical place to meet others sharing a private tour. Sometimes money is exchanged and so what if if it is, HAL officers do not attend these events per their policy. I didn’t see officers or crew there even when they supposedly attended.

There is nothing shady about touring Independently or going out with others with a local guide. This is not a whisper activity. I cannot believe a passenger’s ears are so delicate that they would be offended.

[kazu]

People may avoid M&G when a third party sets too many rules, right down to telling others what can be discussed. This is the logical place to meet others sharing a private tour. Sometimes money is exchanged and so what if if it is, HAL officers do not attend these events per their policy. I didn’t see officers or crew there even when they supposedly attended.

There is nothing shady about touring Independently or going out with others with a local guide. This is not a whisper activity. I cannot believe a passenger’s ears are so delicate that they would be offended.

 

Personally, and only personally, we have discussed private tours by email and on roll calls and my roll calls so far have had a good mix of everything. Our tours have been booked long ago and the "final arrangements" have been sent by email. People are welcome to ask any questions by email.

 

Meet and Greets are about getting to know each other. Finally putting a face to a name.

 

If you don't have your private tour organized by now, then this is not the time. This is a time to get to know your fellow travellers.

 

And while HAL says officers don't come, the Captain did on our last Meet and Greet. "Send me an invite and I always come" he said. I would have been very embarrased if these were discussed in his presence. JMO though and experience.

 

I am sure many will disagree with me, but I don't think a meet and greet is the time or the place (to plagarize RuthC). Easy for organizers to stay behind or e the participants what cabin they are in to contact. No need at a time when we want to finally meet each other.

Edited April 8, 2018 by kazu

[Hlitner]

People may avoid M&G when a third party sets too many rules, right down to telling others what can be discussed. This is the logical place to meet others sharing a private tour. Sometimes money is exchanged and so what if if it is, HAL officers do not attend these events per their policy. I didn’t see officers or crew there even when they supposedly attended.

There is nothing shady about touring Independently or going out with others with a local guide. This is not a whisper activity. I cannot believe a passenger’s ears are so delicate that they would be offended.

 

Like! HAL is the only line (among the 14 on which we have cruised) where some folks want to dictate "rules" at a Meet and Greet. It seems like there are always some HAL cruisers who have decided it is appropriate for them to project their personal agenda and rules on all! It is interesting that HAL is also the only line (upon which we cruise) where most of the Senior Officers have also grown weary of Meet and Greets and no longer attend. For us, the HAL Meet and Greets are something to avoid unless we have agreed to meet somebody at that time/place. Imagine going to a cocktail party and being greeted with a set of rules about what you can and cannot discuss.

 

Hank

[cruisemom42]

(y)(y)

 

I also marvel at people who willingly provide personal information to others in RCs and M&Gs. And claims that the information is kept confidential mean nothing. How is the information kept confidential? Is it encrypted? Locked away and password protected? How is it kept and stored? Who has access? Where is it stored? On what devices? Is it in a cloud? Keeping personal information confidential does not necessarily mean that it is secure.

 

This level of concern seems a bit over the top for the scope of the current discussion regarding M&Gs. We're talking about the name of the cruiser, possibly their home town and cabin number. The cabin number is very time-limited information, and how many times do you give your name out every single week -- does your dry cleaner keep it secure? when you make a reservation at a restaurant or a hotel, do you ask whether they encrypt the information or store it in the cloud? Ever write a check to a store? Do you know who sees your name and address on it?

 

This is not the same thing as sharing your passport number, or social security number or credit card info. Nor is it the same as what the "information gatherers" like FB are doing -- they are more concerned with gathering intel like what sites you visit, what news stories you read, your online shopping habits, etc.

 

Of course, if one doesn't want to give out their information, they certainly should not have to do so. But the level of alarm expressed above just seems a little excessive....

[bobh002]

. I have found that, disappointingly, I am unable to "find" some of the people who have posted on the Roll Call that I really looked forward to meeting. When one only knows a screen name, that is of no use in trying to make contact with them on a ship.

I think you have hit on one of the key problems with CC, anonymity. We recently did a cruise and there were only 40 or so people signed up for a M&G through Cc and 148 on the private Facebook page for it. Approximately 100 people showed up at the M&G and this was one of the topics discussed. Years ago when we would cruise you had to re-introduce yourself with your real name, hi I’m Bobh002 but in real life I’m Bob. Or as some have suggested, wearing something unique. However on FB you can see who you are chatting/cruising with and seem to get a better feel if you want to ‘hang out’ with them for the cruise you will be on. Maybe CC may want to redo their format and possibly change their pages so that chats flow smoother and you know who that person really is, instead of a screen name.

[USN59-79]

A few comments from someone who has cruised a lot (5-star HAL, Elite Princess) and always participates in the Roll Call. We always book a cruise within 90 days of sailing, mainly to get a better price, but also because I don't like to plan that far ahead. Once we book a cruise (usually longer ones, between 25 and 60 days), I start doing my homework for the cruise. I want to find out what to see or do in each port and the best way to accomplish that. I then check out the Roll Call for the cruise. Lately, we have been cruising in Asia. Some reasons: I have been in the area since 1959 (on Navy ships); I lived in Taiwan from 1961 to 1963 and married my Chinese teacher; and we enjoy going back there at least once a year. So when I go to the roll call and find a few people asking questions that I can easily answer, I wonder if I am considered one of the "Know it alls" that some are complaining about. I never thought that some people would be offended if I spent the time to answer someone's question. As far as revealing personal information goes, the only thing I am worried about is that some burglar in my home town will learn that I am going to be away from home on a particular time frame. Anyways, that is what home insurance is for so I don't worry about it too much, but I don't list my home town on CC.

[3rdGenCunarder]

A few comments from someone who has cruised a lot (5-star HAL, Elite Princess) and always participates in the Roll Call. We always book a cruise within 90 days of sailing, mainly to get a better price, but also because I don't like to plan that far ahead. Once we book a cruise (usually longer ones, between 25 and 60 days), I start doing my homework for the cruise. I want to find out what to see or do in each port and the best way to accomplish that. I then check out the Roll Call for the cruise. Lately, we have been cruising in Asia. Some reasons: I have been in the area since 1959 (on Navy ships); I lived in Taiwan from 1961 to 1963 and married my Chinese teacher; and we enjoy going back there at least once a year. So when I go to the roll call and find a few people asking questions that I can easily answer, I wonder if I am considered one of the "Know it alls" that some are complaining about. I never thought that some people would be offended if I spent the time to answer someone's question. As far as revealing personal information goes, the only thing I am worried about is that some burglar in my home town will learn that I am going to be away from home on a particular time frame. Anyways, that is what home insurance is for so I don't worry about it too much, but I don't list my home town on CC.

 

I suppose some people may be annoyed by what they would call a "know it all," but I'm always grateful for local info. I've never thought of answering questions as showing off. It's sharing. On the roll call for our P'dam cruise, lots of people have contributed information, and we've all benefited from that.

[ellieanne]

So when I go to the roll call and find a few people asking questions that I can easily answer, I wonder if I am considered one of the "Know it alls" that some are complaining about. I never thought that some people would be offended if I spent the time to answer someone's question.

 

I have no problem with sharing information about the port. In some places there are not ship tours that appeal to me, so I want to wander the port area on my own. It's nice to have some knowledge of what's close or easy to get to on foot.

 

Answering questions is not the same as begging for people to make up the numbers on private tours, or commenting that those who have other priorities in the port are not as savvy or are somehow worse tourists than those who do it all on their own. It's those latter types of posts that turn me off Roll Calls.

 

I am more than willing and very happy to answer questions and offer my suggestions about the ports I know well. I would think others feel the same way.

[Stratheden]

A few comments from someone who has cruised a lot (5-star HAL, Elite Princess) and always participates in the Roll Call. We always book a cruise within 90 days of sailing, mainly to get a better price, but also because I don't like to plan that far ahead. Once we book a cruise (usually longer ones, between 25 and 60 days), I start doing my homework for the cruise. I want to find out what to see or do in each port and the best way to accomplish that. I then check out the Roll Call for the cruise. Lately, we have been cruising in Asia. Some reasons: I have been in the area since 1959 (on Navy ships); I lived in Taiwan from 1961 to 1963 and married my Chinese teacher; and we enjoy going back there at least once a year. So when I go to the roll call and find a few people asking questions that I can easily answer, I wonder if I am considered one of the "Know it alls" that some are complaining about. I never thought that some people would be offended if I spent the time to answer someone's question. As far as revealing personal information goes, the only thing I am worried about is that some burglar in my home town will learn that I am going to be away from home on a particular time frame. Anyways, that is what home insurance is for so I don't worry about it too much, but I don't list my home town on CC.

I certainly wouldn't think of you as a "know it all" if you were answering a question with such excellent information. I think folk are referring to those who try to take charge and direct the RC & M&G in certain directions.

[Nanner]

This has been an interesting read today. I'm currently on 3 roll calls due to consecutive segments, and all 3 are very active. Two have over 50 couples participating. The shortest segment is 10 days, but as it is the Baltic, it has the most participants and most discussion of shore excursions. It also helps that the first segment is a TA, and about half of those who are on that cruise are staying aboard for the Baltic. We'll be running into a lot of familiar faces by the time we disembark.

 

I agree with those who don't want to see discussion of open spots on tours at a M&G. To me, the purpose of the roll call is to make those contacts ahead of boarding. I have not made a comment on those boards about not discussing excursions at the M&Gs. Since it is very rare to have officers attending nowadays, it is less of an issue. That said, I don't care to hear attendees saying they need 2 more couples to fill their tours. I don't think the purpose of the M&G is to hawk your private excursions. The purpose, IMO, is to put faces to the names you've seen on the roll call, meet those who you will be sharing excursions with already, and maybe find others who share an interest in bridge, trivia, etc.

[myfuzzy]

I feel this thread could be taken further is it was under a general cruise question, I have the same opinion, but have never sailed HAL, and I am sure all cruisers could add input to this conversation

[Tampa Girl]

I think you have hit on one of the key problems with CC, anonymity. We recently did a cruise and there were only 40 or so people signed up for a M&G through Cc and 148 on the private Facebook page for it. Approximately 100 people showed up at the M&G and this was one of the topics discussed. Years ago when we would cruise you had to re-introduce yourself with your real name, hi I’m Bobh002 but in real life I’m Bob. Or as some have suggested, wearing something unique. However on FB you can see who you are chatting/cruising with and seem to get a better feel if you want to ‘hang out’ with them for the cruise you will be on. Maybe CC may want to redo their format and possibly change their pages so that chats flow smoother and you know who that person really is, instead of a screen name.

 

And force people out of their anonymity! And don't forget the mistrust that is being expressed about revealing one's first name and hometown in a roll call. I never have understood how revealing a first name and a hometown is somehow going to jeopardize one's identify. Are we not being just a little paranoia? Overall, this thread is not just a little depressing. Perhaps none more so that the post described herein as perhaps "some of the CC'ers" may be honest and trustworthy. Really?? Does that mean most of us are not trustworthy? And the irony is that many of these posters are probably using FB and Twitter. Sad.

[hrhdhd]

The purpose, IMO, is to put faces to the names you've seen on the roll call, meet those who you will be sharing excursions with already, and maybe find others who share an interest in bridge, trivia, etc.

 

So, I don't play bridge and don't care to hear people talking about it--can't you figure out who wants to play bridge on the roll call? :confused:

 

Again, one person's topic of interest is not another's. People should be able to talk about what they want, and if you're not interested, walk around and talk to someone else.

[navybankerteacher]

I certainly wouldn't think of you as a "know it all" if you were answering a question with such excellent information. I think folk are referring to those who try to take charge and direct the RC & M&G in certain directions.

 

It is easy enough to ignore the self-appointed "managers" of roll calls - and just swap comments with people with whom you share interests. The M&G sometimes evolves into a gift swap with cumbersome rules - then it is easy enough to just not come. It's like any other interaction: participate to the extent you like, and avoid the trivial annoyances.

[myfuzzy]

Wow, it sounds like a lot of posters don't like M&G's for one reason or another. Or others don't like RC's either. Could it be they have become a venue of opinions and not for exchanging information on your specific cruise. What I'm not crazy about are people that do the "auto post" and are never heard from again. I have asked questions pertaining to my cruise and the posts are passed over for conversations of specific people who know each other chatting about their "private" tours too. Sometimes I just want to post what I'm thinking, but I don't want to be known as the poster who causes trouble or a nuisance poster...so I just bow out and I do have a great time on my cruises, but it would be nice to get to "chat" about it with someone ahead of time.

[DaveOKC]

And force people out of their anonymity! And don't forget the mistrust that is being expressed about revealing one's first name and hometown in a roll call. I never have understood how revealing a first name and a hometown is somehow going to jeopardize one's identify. Are we not being just a little paranoia? Overall, this thread is not just a little depressing. Perhaps none more so that the post described herein as perhaps "some of the CC'ers" may be honest and trustworthy. Really?? Does that mean most of us are not trustworthy? And the irony is that many of these posters are probably using FB and Twitter. Sad.

 

I agree (for the most part). I use my first name and the city (a large one) I am from in my CC name. However, if I lived in a very small town, I would not do this. This is one of the reasons I do not use the FB roll call (on any cruise line) - they know your name and city. While it is unlikely that anything could come from this, why chance it? I sure do not want to worry about this while on a cruise.

[Tampa Girl]

I agree (for the most part). I use my first name and the city (a large one) I am from in my CC name. However, if I lived in a very small town, I would not do this. This is one of the reasons I do not use the FB roll call (on any cruise line) - they know your name and city. While it is unlikely that anything could come from this, why chance it? I sure do not want to worry about this while on a cruise.

 

Yes, I can see why one would not want to list the hometown if it were very small and the first name rather unusual. One possibly could find the individual. Ah . . . the times that we live in!

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

I agree (for the most part). I use my first name and the city (a large one) I am from in my CC name. However, if I lived in a very small town, I would not do this. This is one of the reasons I do not use the FB roll call (on any cruise line) - they know your name and city. While it is unlikely that anything could come from this, why chance it? I sure do not want to worry about this while on a cruise.

 

I don't worry about folks knowing my first name and location on CC. There are a lot of people named Linda out there! I agree if you live in a very small town where everybody knows everybody it might be an issue in some way. But for the most part I don't think it matters....JMO

[iancal]

We only troll them for private tour suggestions/groups or salient information about a port stop. Or for the heads up on a price drop or a cabin location recommendation or warning.

 

From our perspective there is too much of the 'oh I grew up down the road or did you go to this high school'. We are not in the least bit interested in old home week or whether your sister and BIL are joining for the special cruise. Not interested in current weather in some other city or state....we have access to the Weather Network. Or the posts that tell us that there are 72 days to go before embarkation. We have a calendar

 

This may sound harsh but we get tired of going through pages this stuff that has little relevance for us.

[myfuzzy]

We only troll them for private tour suggestions/groups or salient information about a port stop. Or for the heads up on a price drop or a cabin location recommendation or warning.

 

From our perspective there is too much of the 'oh I grew up down the road or did you go to this high school'. We are not in the least bit interested in old home week or whether your sister and BIL are joining for the special cruise. Not interested in current weather in some other city or state....we have access to the Weather Network. Or the posts that tell us that there are 72 days to go before embarkation. We have a calendar

 

This may sound harsh but we get tired of going through pages this stuff that has little relevance for us.

 

WOW...harsh is putting it mildly

 

Its posts like this that turn me off.....I know, if you don't like it.....move on....I do....

Edited April 9, 2018 by myfuzzy

[Tinknock50]

Maybe I am just too easy going. If I am part of a Roll Call that doesn't respond to my comments or questions, it doesn't hurt me that they don't have the same interests. Prefer that to a phony, polite interest. Still there is some value to meeting these people on board.

 

I also don't have an issue with discussions about private tours on the Roll Call. But it does seem to be a little late to wait until the M&G to organize one. By then, generally everyone has made their plans and probably booked something. I don't think the Ship Staff is shocked and dismayed by private tours. They know people do that all the time. One of my successful M&G on NCL had one man try to start one and there were simply no takers. However, I don't have a problem if someone needs "one more" and brings it up at the party. (But that is generally after the staff meet and question period).

 

There are all kinds of people out there in the world. Why would , or should it be any different on a cruise? You may connect with some, or not. It could never ruin my cruise! :)