Cruise Critics Meet & Greets - Per John Heald

[Vidimom]

Having computer problems, sorry!

 

Here it is again!

 

 

I posted a question to John Heald on his blog and received a response today I think everyone should hear. He doesn't realize the can of worms he just opened doing this, but he is the Senior Cruise Director and we all know he will do what he can for us Cruise Critics.

 

 

Here is the response from John Heald!

 

ROBERT / SUSAN V - Thanks for the excellent posting. I wanted to concentrate on the segment where you requested that Carnival could have a place for Cruise Critic members to meet up on the first day of the cruise. This can be done easily…………and right now. If any Cruise Critic group is sailing on any Carnival ship and you all want to meet all you have to do is ask. If it’s a group of 40, 400 or just 4………….let me know. Give me two weeks notice and I will confirm the time and place for you. All you have to do is ask me. I suggest you post this on the boards and make sure your editor and my friend Carolyn sees this so she is in the loop. I hope this helps. Cheers.

 

 

Looks like we all have a contact to set up our Cruise Critics meet & greets on board now.

[qprrules]

Very cool................he's gonna be a busy man:D

[BigDfromTN]

Very cool................he's gonna be a busy man:D

My guess is he has someone to hand this off to................

Now theres your busy "person":D :p

 

But still very nice of them!;)

[Caliber1]

Well that's cool. Very nice of them to do.

[scperk]

We had one person in our roll call take it upon himself to organize a cocktail party...It cost $19.95 per person for a 2 hour open bar and dry snacks party..It was set up by the wedding dept and is going to be the second sea day..We had 37 people sign up......We had one set up for our NCL last October, no open bar just a meeting an a couple of crew members there....Dennis

[GoinCruisin]

We always have our own parties... there is no organized CC party and I am not sure if John spoke out of turn or not, but I would guess this thread might disappear... it would be nice if they did, but I don't think it's part of the agreement, or anything official... I guess we'll see!!!

[Vidimom]

The question I posted to John was for a location that we could have for a meet and greet since I have ran into the situation that people couldn't find the other CC because of crowds and he said a room could be reserved. I don't expect them to have drinks for free but at least it's a space that CC can meet and not have to try and hunt each other down or miss because they got there a little late. It's a nice gesture and if it is near a bar maybe they can have a server take drink orders for any that want a cocktail. I didn't ask Carnival to "organize" the meeting just offer a meeting place!

[Firsttimescaredcruiser!]

The question I posted to John was for a location that we could have for a meet and greet since I have ran into the situation that people couldn't find the other CC because of crowds and he said a room could be reserved. I don't expect them to have drinks for free but at least it's a space that CC can meet and not have to try and hunt each other down or miss because they got there a little late. It's a nice gesture and if it is near a bar maybe they can have a server take drink orders for any that want a cocktail. I didn't ask Carnival to "organize" the meeting just offer a meeting place!

 

 

This is wonderful information...please excuse the hijack...I am sailing on the Victory April 6th and would love to contact John also. I am out of town with slllloooowww limited internet. Would you mind please sending me the link to John's blog or other contact informtion? I know you don't know me---:p . I would really appreciate the help and information.

pjones490@bellsouth.net

 

Have a great evening.

Pam

[SunFunCruiser]

I think that's great! I know HAL does it for free for anyone that asks them to. They even serve snacks.

There are plenty of empty spaces on the ships during the day, I don't see why they can't do it.

Like someone else said, you can also do small cocktail parties at very reasonable costs.

[SunFunCruiser]

I think that's great! I know HAL does it for free for anyone that asks them to. They even serve snacks.

There are plenty of empty spaces on the ships during the day, I don't see why they can't do it.

Like someone else said, you can also do small cocktail parties at very reasonable costs.

[nolaAlive]

I think the objection is going to be calling them Cruise Critic Meet and Greets, which I believe are "reserved words".

 

Any group can request space on cruise ships to meet. Typically it will be in a bar that is not normally open on whatever day and time they allow you to meet and may not be a day and time convenient to everyone.

[jleq]

I think the objection is going to be calling them Cruise Critic Meet and Greets, which I believe are "reserved words"..

 

 

Possibly have Carnival "deal with them" as "Cruise Forum Meet/Greets"...open to members of all cruise forums. Sort of like they do with "service clubs" such as Elks/Lions/more....

[mav39]

Thanks for this information. Our group of CCers is leaving 9 Mar on the Pride and want to have a get together.

 

I have gone to John's blog and cannot find the link to post a request/question. Can anyone tell me how to find the link. We are just over two weeks out and I need to make the request by Sunday to meet his deadline.

 

Thanks in advance

[Vidimom]

Just go to the very end of John's blog and there is a place to post questions. I comment occasionally on there and several times he has commented back. You need to open one of his post first. ( I just went and checked). He didn't give another email address on the post so I would just post on his blog. He usually comments back in a few days!

 

Here is a link to his blog:

 

http://johnhealdsblog.com/

[Vidimom]

I just received a response from John and wanted to post it here for those of you that want a meeting location on your cruise.

 

SUSAN V…………..Hello Susan. I can tell you that we have taken the Cruise Critic meeting very seriously and we are formulating the best permanent options that I know everyone (even the skeptics) will be happy with. Meanwhile, if you have any Cruise Critic groups sailing in the immediate future let me know via my thingy. I am working on the group for the Carnival Pride and will have the confirmation of that shortly. I promise I will make sure you have a room on your Carnival Valor trip as well in September as by then the plan will be firmly in place. Thanks again for bringing this to our attention and all the best to you and everyone at Cruise Critic.

 

If you want to request a meeting location, contact John on his blog and he will confirm one for your group.

 

http://johnhealdsblog.com

[SunFunCruiser]

Thanks for the update, that is great to hear! Can it be on any ship?

[NCTribeFan]

Would've been nice if we'd had this available on our Miracle cruise. Our Roll Call (my first since I only discovered CC a few months prior to sailing) just met at the aft pool bar after muster drill. But it was COLD and I didnt' stay long. Ended up missing some of the people I'd really wanted to meet since some were other places watching sailaway.

 

Unfortunately, it seems our Glory Roll Call is much, much less active.

 

As to the name, I would think Cruise Critic would be happy to have their name out there "officially" on a Carnival cruise. I'm pretty sure the RCI folks have Cruise Critic Meet & Mingle signs. They also have door signs that someone designed and that folks can print out to put on their cabin door to identify them as CC members.

 

It could be called something else if the name is in use by another line. It could be as simple as "Cruise Critic Roll Call."

[Pugs]

I just received a response from John and wanted to post it here for those of you that want a meeting location on your cruise.

 

SUSAN V…………..Hello Susan. I can tell you that we have taken the Cruise Critic meeting very seriously and we are formulating the best permanent options that I know everyone (even the skeptics) will be happy with. Meanwhile, if you have any Cruise Critic groups sailing in the immediate future let me know via my thingy. I am working on the group for the Carnival Pride and will have the confirmation of that shortly. I promise I will make sure you have a room on your Carnival Valor trip as well in September as by then the plan will be firmly in place. Thanks again for bringing this to our attention and all the best to you and everyone at Cruise Critic.

 

 

 

Susan, where do you post the message on John's Blog. I have a group going in July.

 

Thanks, Pugs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you want to request a meeting location, contact John on his blog and he will confirm one for your group.

 

http://johnhealdsblog.com

 

 

Susan , Where do you post the message, I have a group going in July.

 

Thanks, Pugs

[GoinCruisin]

Would've been nice if we'd had this available on our Miracle cruise. Our Roll Call (my first since I only discovered CC a few months prior to sailing) just met at the aft pool bar after muster drill. But it was COLD and I didnt' stay long. Ended up missing some of the people I'd really wanted to meet since some were other places watching sailaway.

 

Unfortunately, it seems our Glory Roll Call is much, much less active.

 

As to the name, I would think Cruise Critic would be happy to have their name out there "officially" on a Carnival cruise. I'm pretty sure the RCI folks have Cruise Critic Meet & Mingle signs. They also have door signs that someone designed and that folks can print out to put on their cabin door to identify them as CC members.

 

It could be called something else if the name is in use by another line. It could be as simple as "Cruise Critic Roll Call."

 

There are only 2 cruise lines on CC that are allowed to have "official" meet and mingles... others can be arranged, but won't be "official"... the subject always quickly "poofs" around here, so I'm not saying anything else :p

 

You can do the door sign for any cruise line. We always have Carnival door signs on all of our groups...

[sa_girl]

We were on NCL Pearl in December and we had a wonderful meet and greet organized together with the staff from the Pearl. They arranged for us to meet in one of the smaller restaurants, provided drinks and snacks. The captain came plus the hotel director and 4 other high ranking staff. The Captain didn't stay too long but the hotel director stayed for close on 40 minutes chatting. Later on during the cruise we all got a letter inviting us to a free game at the bowling alley plus a free drink. It was superb. NCL agreed that they take CC seriously and infact he had a few alias himself to read what gets said on the boards. Unfortunately a week later we did a Carnival cruise and only one other family pitched up after we organized a meet at one of the bars by the pool. Bit disappointing.

[fireman845]

Thanks sooo much for the info, very good to have now...

[NCTribeFan]

There are only 2 cruise lines on CC that are allowed to have "official" meet and mingles... others can be arranged, but won't be "official"... the subject always quickly "poofs" around here, so I'm not saying anything else :p

 

You can do the door sign for any cruise line. We always have Carnival door signs on all of our groups...

 

But isn't the point of this thread the fact that John Heald is willing to get involved and make is so that Carnival's CC Roll Call folks can also have "official" meet and greets? Why would CC make it go away if someone within the corporation is willing to help us get them going?

 

And what is what that huge blank space in Pugs post? Fall asleep with your elbow on the Enter key?

 

:p