RCI's Role in the Meet & Mingle Disappointing!

[BMT]

Why do so many Cruise Critic members consider themselves part of an "important group"?....

 

 

Because its the Nation of Why Not.................that's why:p:D:)

[Debde]

Passengers have enticed other family members and friends to book a sailing based upon how active a M & M group is and where most of the members are from. People form good relationships on board and will come back to book with their CC friends on future cruises. And RCCL didn't have to do a thing to "sell" them on the next cruise! These "new" CC friendships continue long after the passengers have left the ship. Planning for another trip begins almost as soon as they get home. That's how valuable CC is to RCCL.

 

MARAPRINCE

 

I thought CC was only 1% of the cruising population.? I'm sure they like our business but I think it's best to think we are a very small group possibly. :confused:

[CleoPat]

I'm sitting here reading all the complaints about M&Ms and comparisons to other cruiselines -- who don't even offer the meets. Maybe RCI doesn't need to "sell" their product to CC and the other cruiselines do and that's why the other cruiselines send their top brass?? Or maybe they don't know that RCI doesn't do all that much and thought they had to in order to keep up withthem? Just some thoughts. From my very first M&M I received exactly what I thought was offered -- an opportunity to meet everyone I had been chatting with on my roll call. That's it. Anything other than that was an extra for me. Some M&Ms are good and some are bad. It's left to the people, not the crew to make a good M&M. I've been to ones where tons of people sign up and don't show. That happens when it's a group or family where just one member is on CC and that member signs everyone up in order to qualify for the M&M. Those members who never posted on CC have absolutely no interest in going because they have no interest in meeting people they have never chatted with. My best M&M was on a 13 night cruise in the Med on Legend. There were about 30 of us who planned on taking public transportation into Florence for a day. The M&M was scheduled for a day we didn't like, so we asked for a change and that was made. But we still wanted to meet before the M&M, so I made up name tags online which everyone printed out and we met before the M&M and it was great reading the tags and meeting everyone. By the time of the M&M, we already knew one another so that M&M was great:D I asked the RCI staffer to take our group photo and after I came home, I had it posted on CC:) That's the way to do it! I don't think I would want to have to BUY my photo from RCI. I also think that RCI has a more active schedule than other cruiselines -- compare their dailys. They might not have many people available to host the M&M. One of my M&Ms had the CD there and the party was a dud because people did not mingle:confused: The one on Legend had a junior staffer there and our party was a success. Why? It's the people, not the staff....;)

[bigque]

Passengers have enticed other family members and friends to book a sailing based upon how active a M & M group is and where most of the members are from.

MARAPRINCE

 

Really?????? :confused:

[Maraprince]

Really?????? :confused:

 

 

Happened on my recent EOS sailing with only 2-1/2 weeks prior to the sailing. One couple who was booked for months told some mutual friends about the CC M & M for the sailing and what activities the group had planned -- slot pulls, visiting all the bars on board, cabin tours, etc. and that the group was very diversed and international in make up. The original couple's friends made a booking and signed up immediately with the M & M for the sailing.

 

MARAPRINCE

[Maraprince]

I thought CC was only 1% of the cruising population.? I'm sure they like our business but I think it's best to think we are a very small group possibly. :confused:

 

 

But is a very active 1% who tends to spend money on board through such activities as slot pulls, visiting all the bars and having a drink in them, etc. which translates into revenue. They tend to hang out together and participate in more things that cost money.

 

MARAPRINCE

[Gone Fishing]

They moved ours from 1:00PM to 10:30AM. I found out at around 12:30PM that the time was moved.

 

So much for our MM but at least I did get to meet a few people by accident but alas what can you do. Too bad really but we had a great time anyway even though the MM was a bust

[bajathree]

I have to be honest....I have pretty much come to the conclusion that the M&M's are a waste of time. I just went to ours on Liberty last week and it will probably be the last....just boring....no one seems to mingle much...everyone for the most part stays in their own group. What was told to us as "hot news" from the Royal rep present is months old news already:rolleyes: I think they auctioned off 2 items, maybe 3....even the rep looked back to staff and said...."thats it":confused:

 

I have found that organizing your own sail-away party on your roll call is MUCH better if you really want to meet people. The people that show up for the sail-away party are people that are really interested to meet everyone...not just look for some little freebie. These are the people that we have always made friends with and had fun with throughout the cruise and have stayed in touch with afterwards.

[Mammasan]

We became involved with Cruise Critic when we were to take our first Mediterranean cruise on the NCL Jade a couple of years ago. We had a great time and met several people, both young and old, with whom we ended up taking "on your own" tours of the various ports. Have even kept in touch with two couples we met. I did not find the meet and greet meetings stuffy at all. They were informative, helpful and a great way to get some time to speak with the hotel director (Mr. Armando da Silva) and other staff about food, etc. While at the meeting, several of us agreed to schedule an informal get together to discuss touring Athens, Rome and other ports. On our second cruise in the Med, I ended up leading a group of cruise critic members from Piraeus to the Acropolis, into Rome and to Sorrento and Pompeii. We didn't care if we had cookies and coffee, etc., but felt we benefitted from being able to meet some very experienced cruisers and travelers who had some great ideas about how to get the most bang for your buck when in port, not to mention just meeting some very nice and genuine people who have become our friends.

[Maraprince]

I have to be honest....I have pretty much come to the conclusion that the M&M's are a waste of time. I just went to ours on Liberty last week and it will probably be the last....just boring....no one seems to mingle much...everyone for the most part stays in their own group. What was told to us as "hot news" from the Royal rep present is months old news already:rolleyes: I think they auctioned off 2 items, maybe 3....even the rep looked back to staff and said...."thats it":confused:

 

I have found that organizing your own sail-away party on your roll call is MUCH better if you really want to meet people. The people that show up for the sail-away party are people that are really interested to meet everyone...not just look for some little freebie. These are the people that we have always made friends with and had fun with throughout the cruise and have stayed in touch with afterwards.

 

 

M & M's are pretty much what you make of it. If you have a very active group prior to the sail date and arrange a lot of activities to do once on board, you tend to enjoy the whole process much more.

 

If your group isn't very active about posting and arranging activities, then you cannot expect a lot of particpation.

 

It is just like the RCCL cocktail parties. You can stay with the person you are with and not socialize or make an effort to strike up a conversation with someone. I attended one party with my cabin mate and we did not reach out to others. The second party I attended on my own and I sat with strangers but by the end of the party we became friendly. Many times during the rest of the cruise we would run into each other and chat about what we did that day and what we expected to do later that night.

 

If you don't make an effort to "meet & mingle", you get what you get.

 

MARAPRINCE

[Kikkycat]

I have to be honest....I have pretty much come to the conclusion that the M&M's are a waste of time. I just went to ours on Liberty last week and it will probably be the last....just boring....no one seems to mingle much...everyone for the most part stays in their own group. What was told to us as "hot news" from the Royal rep present is months old news already:rolleyes: I think they auctioned off 2 items, maybe 3....even the rep looked back to staff and said...."thats it":confused:

 

I have found that organizing your own sail-away party on your roll call is MUCH better if you really want to meet people. The people that show up for the sail-away party are people that are really interested to meet everyone...not just look for some little freebie. These are the people that we have always made friends with and had fun with throughout the cruise and have stayed in touch with afterwards.

 

I think you've hit the nail on the head for why my most recent M&M, also on Liberty, was disappointing. We had the same experience as you did with the old news and the staff concluding things in about 10 minutes time.

 

Then, after the staff bailed, so did somewhat more than half the people who showed up. I never met them, nor mingled with them in person. Looking back, if they're just coming for the freebies and can't even say hello, I probably don't want to mingle much with them anyway....

 

On my previous two sailings, we had pre-sailaway meet ups at the pool bar, and had a lovely time. Then, when we saw each other again at the M&M, it was much more mingling and a fun get together. And I've stayed in touch with at least one other from each of those cruises.

 

As for RCI's involvement, perhaps the bar was set too high on my first two cruises. Both of those had the attendance of the CD and the first one also had the Hotel Director. I had come to see those as "normal" because that's all I had previously experienced.

[Debde]

.

 

If you don't make an effort to "meet & mingle", you get what you get.

 

MARAPRINCE

 

I think possibly-Royal knows you can do this on your own and they can deploy staff to other venues that may need some attention. Why do I think this is possibly something they may fade out in the future.? Remember-this bb helps and hurts Royal all in one felt swoop of a keyboard!!;)

 

A M&M group that meets in front of a bar that is buying drinks is way more appealing to Royal then a bunch of folks sitting in a room taking up space looking for freebies!

[Bailey151]

This is a free forum that is open to anyone with a valid email address... Also, it's a very small (under 1%) percentage of the cruising public.

It's a nice place to exchange idea's and reviews but let's not get carried away by our importance......

An attitude that has sent more businesses down the drain that any other. One percent membership - what's the hit rate? And bad news travels real fast, especially through the net.

 

A large group? No. An important group? No. A group with "big mouths"? Yep.

................. We feel Royal is not putting much emphasis on Cruise Critic Meet and Mingles........

Compared to:

As you said, Celebrity, and even more so NCL sends the top brass and hands out their Phone Numbers so you can call them with any concerns. Their goal is to make yo happy on the cruise, and correct any problems quickly

So what's the cost here? Little or nothing & it generates good PR = it's pretty stupid. I can see the captain or other senior officers being busy.....but the CD? Oh please, that's their job. Personally I don't care, don't need to be validated........but from a business perspective it doesn't make sense. It can cost them business & it costs little or nothing.

[laseiber]

bajathree (Steve) I want to be your travel companion, ha! Ha! now if I can just get the time off from work! I can't be too sad, I am going on a 14 day one Jan 2. Maybe our ships will pass in the night. I am doing my trip with one of my dd as well, other can't make it she is a teacher as well as a new mom. Have fun on your upcoming Cruises, I am envious.

[bajathree]

bajathree (Steve) I want to be your travel companion, ha! Ha! now if I can just get the time off from work! I can't be too sad, I am going on a 14 day one Jan 2. Maybe our ships will pass in the night. I am doing my trip with one of my dd as well, other can't make it she is a teacher as well as a new mom. Have fun on your upcoming Cruises, I am envious.

 

Hey I am envious of your 14 night'r:p....one of these days I will have to do a B2B or something longer than 7 nights....THANKS and have a GREAT time:)

[Maraprince]

So what's the cost here? Little or nothing & it generates good PR = it's pretty stupid. I can see the captain or other senior officers being busy.....but the CD? Oh please, that's their job. Personally I don't care, don't need to be validated........but from a business perspective it doesn't make sense. It can cost them business & it costs little or nothing.

__________________

 

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Great PR for a minimal investment by RCCL. Many times what is served at the M & M is readily available for free in the WJ. Having the CD pop in is a smart investment of time to get a reading on what actitives passengers are interested in.

 

The token gifts that RCCL's raffles off are not what draws people to the M & M's since most groups do their own gift exchange. Since many of the passengers have posted photos of themselves prior to the sailing to help them identify each other upon check-in, the M & M gives them a place to meet in person after months of posting on CC for their sailing. Having the M & M in a lounge allows people to purchase drinks and brings in revenue to RCCL. Those passengers on the fence about booking tours get an opportunity to decide on what tours they want to book with other M & M participants that they would not have done if left on their own.

 

 

MARAPRINCE

[Maraprince]

Just to let you know, I just completed and returned my e-mail survey that RCL after my recent sailing.

 

Cruise Critic was listed as one of the choices that influenced the decision to go with RCL. So go ahead and sneer at the 1% who post on CC. RCL does feel that they do influence passenger choices.

 

MARAPRINCE

[negc]

Just to let you know, I just completed and returned my e-mail survey that RCL after my recent sailing.

 

Cruise Critic was listed as one of the choices that influenced the decision to go with RCL. So go ahead and sneer at the 1% who post on CC. RCL does feel that they do influence passenger choices.

 

MARAPRINCE

Just judging from the large numbers of CCers who have attended some of the Meet & Mingles on our past cruises, I would agree that the boards do attract a good number of RCI cruisers.

[Maraprince]

Just judging from the large numbers of CCers who have attended some of the Meet & Mingles on our past cruises, I would agree that the boards do attract a good number of RCI cruisers.

 

 

My recent sailing on the EOS probably set a record for the most # of passengers signed up and showing up at the M & M.

 

For some of the participants, they are already in the process of booking the same sailing for 2011 due to the people they met on board. Most of the ports will be repeats, but they are going for the friendships they made via their 2010 CC M & M group.

 

 

MARAPRINCE

[lakelorain]

The EOS Nov 7 M&M was my first so I have nothing to compare it to, but we were impressed with the fact they did anything. Carnival doesn't. The thing I found myself thinking was please, no, I don't want free in room movies. We never sit and watch tv except for when we're getting ready to leave the cabin. I've seen where others have won free internet time at other M&M's. That's what I was hoping for, but I didnt' win anything. The fact is, they don't have to do anything, but at least a couple of the entertainment staff were there.[/quote

 

We were also on the EOS, Nov 7 cruise. The door prizes for in-room movies were actually a $50 internet credit. We were happy to get that.

 

I agree the meeting was not up to par. I felt the large number of people in our group may have been a problem for them. the meeting had to be moved to a larger venue instead of the Vortex. I have found that the quality of the M&M is directly related to the quality of the Cruise Director.

A good Cruise Director attends the M&M and spends time with the guests.

That being said. I enjoyed meeting many of the people from our board. It's the people who are the most important part of the meeting.

[RichardE954]

I have to agree with the OP. When I did the Oasis during Thanksgiving week our Meet and Mingle was pitifully handled by Royal. I've been on other Royal ships previously (Liberty and Freedom) and the M&M's were much better. This time there was no ship crew present except someone from the event staff and they did NOTHING. No introductions, no door prizes, NOTHING. Very disappointing.