Attention: Previous Passengers 12-night Cruise from Amsterdam!

[In Retirement]

Greetings,

This is a request for information. My logic is that the best way to predict future behavior is past behavior -- this is especially important when the information is in Miami and all phone calls go to a "call center" in Kansas. Apparently in the search of profits, corporations have no idea of how much they alienate their customers (I just keep remembers how wonderful the experience will be and how lucky we are to have chosen a Norway Fjords cruise to end our June vacation to northern Europe!)

 

The goal is to establish that the Cruise Critic get together is/has been on the first day at sea (for us we depart 26 June, so this will be 27 June). It seems that all itineraries offered this year June/July from Amsterdam start with a day at sea. Is your experience that the Cruise Critic meeting occurs this day. On our itinerary it is the only reasonable location for it (as well as the first dress evening).

 

My reason for asking is not that I can't tolerate ambiguity (we are starting with a Basel/Amsterdam river cruise where we will "go with the flow" for a week). But for this Celebrity experience we have gathered what looks like the entire Roll Call for several independent activities, at one port a private vendor has offered 37 seats and we have filled 36, and at two ports we -- not being able to find those small van driver/guides so prevalent in Italy, have leased 45-seat buses with drivers! (So, we are somewhat of a force to be dealt with, over 50 of us!) If I say, we meet at Cruise Critic on 27 June and be sure to be registered and there is no meeting on that day, I will be spending my time making phone calls and holding private meetings somewhere -- generally, not the idea of a cruise?

 

Your help is most appreciated,

DJ:)

[middlehaitch]

DJ, there is a good chance your Cruise Critic Connections Party will be held at around 11am on your first sea day, if there is only one sea day at the beginning of your cruise. However, the day and time are at the discretion of the events co-ordinator, so be aware that it could be scheduled for any time she can slot the event in.

Unfortunately there is no way of knowing, pre cruise, when it is going to be.

On our last cruise we had over 160 people for the party, I advised them of a probable time ( incorrect), but also told them that there would be an invitation in their cabins on embarkation day giving them the exact time and location.

It is also a good idea to let those on your roll call know if they haven't received the invite by the evening of the first day that a call to guest relations will get them the information they need.

Hope this helps.

Cheers, h.

 

 

 

Sent from the nether world using magic

[RickT]

There is nothing stopping you from arranging your own meet and greet for that day. It does seem like the perfect day but whether or not X will choose that day depends on their complete schedule and availability. And while you can make that request I assume it will still be up to the descretion of the ship staff. The Connie starts sailing this same route in May and perhaps you will get feedback from others on the same itinerary about the day the meet and greet was planned?

 

We've arranged our own meet and greet on other cruises and sometimes the meet and greet was the same day, other times it was a different day and we had two meetings.

 

I'm on the same cruise (Aug) and I would plan a meet and greet for 11:00 AM on the first sea day in Reflections Lounge (big enough in case other people are hanging out) with an alternate location in the event the lounge is closed (Rendezvous?). And make sure everyone agrees that if the "official" meet and greet gets scheduled for the same day the offical meet and greet takes precedence.

[Iamthesea]

In Retirement - I would suggest meeting after the Muster drill on embarkation day, as an informal CC meet. That's what we do.:)

 

If you are wishing to meet to take up money from people for transportation, be very careful and discreet in doing so. Celebrity really frowns on private excursions. I have read more than once about passengers "getting in trouble" for taking up money.

 

Surprised at your statement about not being able to find small private guides in Italy. We have never had a problem finding guides and drivers in Italy.

[In Retirement]

Hello,

Apparently all Constellation RT Amsterdam cruises begin with a day At Sea -- just because of the geography of the situation. Anyone not have a Meet & Greet on this first day at sea? Any description of where the meeting was held (I'll then check the deck plans.) Everyone will have emailed to them a master list with everybody's cabin number.

 

Our cruise leaves at 4:30 and first dinner is at 6:00 -- do they do the muster drill at 5pm?

 

My comment about Italy was that the standard for much of the Mediterranean is private van drivers, although I have used excellent services in Turkey and Greece of those who use a small or even a standard bus. Rather than a small group we find the service of a guide with a separate driver to be most excellent because you can negotiate the experiences for the day and then the guide can arrange close drop-off and then pickup on the other side. In this way you make excellent use of the hours involved.

 

My last Celebrity Cruise was Baltic and the use of private tour companies was the standard for Russia while other ports had the majority of DIY. Had read many, many warnings about Celebrity's giving "trouble" to these folks, and absolutely never saw it. Have observed for our upcoming cruise that many private websites provide the same experience for about half the price!

 

All comments from RT Amsterdam passengers are much appreciated,

DJ:)

[SixOneTwo]

Honestly, you are better off setting up your own meeting time and place. Why? Not everyone receives notice of the Celebrity Connections "party," and so you will definitely miss people. Those folks either didn't receive the paperwork discussing it, or didn't pay attention to it, didn't understand it, or weren't available.

 

If your roll call arranges a time and public place and announces it before the cruise begins, everyone will know the date, time and location without question. You can negotiate with your group for the best time. They can plan their day's events in order to make it.

 

Be sure you instruct people on some way to identify themselves, even if it's just the coordinator of the event, so that folks know they're in the right place with the right people when they do arrive. Some wear Mardi Gras beads, for instance.

 

Finally, there is usually an old fashioned bulletin board on the ship for passengers to set up independent meetings, bridge play, etc. That would be another way for you to coordinate your group.

[Iamthesea]

If your cruise leaves at 4:30, then your Muster should be at 4:00...sometimes sooner. You can plan to meet in the Reflections lounge during or after sailaway. I have suggested to my group that we meet there for undesirable weather. If it is pretty outside, we are meeting on the back deck - Sunset Bar. However, if you have business to do, you would be better off meeting in the lounge where there is more room.

[In Retirement]

If your cruise leaves at 4:30, then your Muster should be at 4:00...sometimes sooner. You can plan to meet in the Reflections lounge during or after sailaway. I have suggested to my group that we meet there for undesirable weather. If it is pretty outside, we are meeting on the back deck - Sunset Bar. However, if you have business to do, you would be better off meeting in the lounge where there is more room.

 

I see on the Sunrise Deck (#10) a very large lounge (Revelations), which is pretty typical of such ships and usually not occupied in the mornings?

 

I obviously first need to emphasize that everyone needs to register for the CC meeting and if, for example, this meeting is not called for that morning, that there is an alternative morning meeting there (allowing for any minor catch-ups during the afternoon?). All along, as we lucked out with cabin 6030, plan to do some relaxing as well!

 

Much thanks,

DJ:)

[Knolmom]

Last year we had a very large ( 150+) CC group on our Med/ Adriatic Cruise. We had very few sea days on the cruise, so I believe we were able to have one of our elite members contact a suite concierge and had them inform the staff member responsible for setting up the Meet and Mingle that due to size and activities, we needed to know when it would be and if it was not yet scheduled, could we please have it on x day at y time. Our wishes were conveyed and they arranged it.

[alcpa1]

Last year on a South American itinerary I arranged tours in four cities involving over 80 people so I can offer you some suggestions and comments. This was not the first experience I have ever had with organizing shore excursions.

Our first sea day was three days into the sailing BTW.

The most important planning took place over e mail and off the Roll Call. Each passenger communicated with me often. Many of us flew into our embarkation port but some were on the previous leg so I made sure that final details were disseminated before the b2b.

Everyone was told where to meet in the ship so we could exit the ship and board our vans. Even on the day that we had 60 participants we had vans.

Everyone was encouraged to meet after the muster drill for final instructions or changes. Only about half showed up. That is why prior communication is so critical. I had anticipated this.

Everyone was encouraged to call our cabin if they had a cabin change via upgrade etc. I kept the list of cabin numbers with me at all times.

As past experience had proven, not everyone shows up for the meet and mingle either.

I did have to do some phoning once on board.

I carried duplicate itineraries if there were changes on the shore excursions. I also took duplicate rosters so that my DH could help me check everyone off.

The constant e mails proved very effective. No one was ever late or held a group up.

I hope you have a wonderful cruise and everything goes well. Once again I encourage you to handle everything before you leave and any gathering prior to your tours will be icing on the cake.