Reluctance to join "Roll Call" Postings

[Travelcat2]

Besides, Travelcat, what are the odds that lots of people on this general list will be on your cruise????

 

Posting as you did on the Roll Call would be rather different. And even then, only a small percentage of passengers on your cruise will be familiar with CC.

 

Mura

 

Not sure why you excluded me but I assume that 100% of people on Roll Call will be on our cruise (unless they cancel and failed to post that fact on RC). It has been said that only 5% of cruisers post on CC. Still, if the 5% want to get together, I see nothing wrong with it - even though I would not participate in the activities described on this thread. Like kimanjo, we tend to stay to ourselves. The only people we spoke with in depth on our only Oceania cruise was the GM, Social Hostess, bartender and our Butler. Our interests are in the lives of the crew rather than fellow passengers. While CC is my hobby, it does not intrude on our vacations:)

[Mura]

Not sure why you excluded me but I assume that 100% of people on Roll Call will be on our cruise (unless they cancel and failed to post that fact on RC). It has been said that only 5% of cruisers post on CC. Still, if the 5% want to get together, I see nothing wrong with it - even though I would not participate in the activities described on this thread. Like kimanjo, we tend to stay to ourselves. The only people we spoke with in depth on our only Oceania cruise was the GM, Social Hostess, bartender and our Butler. Our interests are in the lives of the crew rather than fellow passengers. While CC is my hobby, it does not intrude on our vacations:)

 

 

Maybe it's my mistake, entirely possible! But am I wrong -- this thread is in the "general" board, yes? Maybe not! That's what I meant by few people would see your post and I was only addressing your comment that you were in a VS but also said that you don't like to announce that fact. It was then said by another that you already had. So I was ONLY addressing your comment about your cabin level.

 

I certainly wasn't trying to say that you are wrong to travel the way you wish to travel! We ourselves do like to interact with other passengers (not necessarily all of them!) but that doesn't mean we judge others who prefer to keep to themselves. We don't do all that many "group" activities ourselves other than perhaps a M&G and dining with others. We could care less who is the CD. And so on ...

 

My apologies if you misunderstood what I was trying to say.

 

And as I read over this, I probably am just perpetuating the confusion so I'll bow out at this juncture!

 

Mura

[Travelcat2]

Guess I'm confused too. I am participating in the Roll Call for our November cruise We may drop by the M&G. My earlier point was only that if we meet people on board, there is really no way to connect us with posts I've made on Cruise Critic. Hmmmm, this is not making much sense either:o

[Tansy Mews]

My word! When I posted above my reasons for not joining roll calls (#14 above), I didn't mean to spawn discussions of the value of "crawls", gift exchanges, accusations of snobbery or classism, or of NCL / Carnival.

 

I wanted to answer the OP's question from my point of view, and did hope, if anyone had experienced the same process, that it might engender some discussion of the proprietary attitude some participants assume in a Roll Call, and hoped to see some discussion of ways to counter or defuse the attempt without creating WWIII among the participants.

 

So, let me ask clearly: have you ever witnessed an attempt to hijack a Roll Call and how did you react? Has it altered or affected your participation in other Roll Calls?

I do participate in Roll Calls because I find them useful. I do attend the Meet and Greets. However I have only been on one roll call which was planning "games" such as gift exchanges, etc. I just ignored those messages.

 

If no useful information was to be garnered (especially close to embarkation time), I would just pay less attention to the roll call. Or if I had a question or information to be shared, I would post that. As Travelcat2 says, once on board, there is no obligation to participate in any activities I don't choose to.

 

But I do find roll calls very useful. Someone posted about a change in port departure on my last cruise (yes, it was on the Oceania site but not obvious). On another, some who had booked early hadn't noticed an important change in port (RCCL cruise). We have discussed visas and currencies.

 

So, the short answer, I ignore what doesn't interest me and what I don't find useful!

Edited May 11, 2014 by Tansy Mews

[Glenndale]

Please, will someone enlighten me, what is a 'slot pull'?

:confused:

[Noxequifans]

Apparently it is the pooling of funds to gamble on the slot machines. It is usually found on the more downscale cruise lines.

[hondorner]

Please, will someone enlighten me, what is a 'slot pull'?

:confused:

After arrangements are made with the casino manager to determine a specific slot machine, participants take their turn pulling the lever. Typically, $5 = 5 pulls on a dollar machine. The pulls are cumulative. At the conclusion, the payout is prorated to each participant. One can win or lose. The fun is in watching as each person makes their pulls - eithet adding to the potential profit or losing some of it. There is cheering and groaning, probably to the discomfort of nearby gamblers who prefer their risks in quiet :) . I've only done it once, and may never do it again (I'm a lousy gambler), but my $5 did return $6.75 - the most I've ever won and entirely due to the luck of others.

 

It may be more prevelant on mass market lines, but it's enjoyed by some, including a very classy lady I know who has cruised Oceania more than most of us. If you don't want to participate, no one will force you, and 99% of the guests will never know it happened.

 

I'm a bit surprised at the number of snobbish comments; the folks I've met on board are a lot more fun...

Edited May 11, 2014 by hondorner

[Noxequifans]

I am concerned that some of the activities found on the downscale lines might be creeping into the Oceania experience. May I use the word "carnivalization". Just a little here and just a little there and before you know it, there will be those dreadful contests by the pool.

[LHT28]

I am concerned that some of the activities found on the downscale lines might be creeping into the Oceania experience. May I use the word "carnivalization". Just a little here and just a little there and before you know it, there will be those dreadful contests by the pool.

+1

I agree

Maybe I am snobbish or sophiscated (in my own mind) but it seems to downgrade Oceania to a mass market level

 

JMO

[ORV]

Apparently it is the pooling of funds to gamble on the slot machines. It is usually found on the more downscale cruise lines.

 

How's the view from up there? :cool:

[SellaVee]

Glenndale, thanks for asking, I've been wondering too. Must be a UK thing. I call those machines one armed bandits.

 

Travelcat and Mura, here's what I thought when I read your posts:

 

Paulchilli (jokingly I think) said Travelcat had given away what suite she/he was in.

 

Travelcat said that no one would know who she/he was (as she/he uses a nom de plume).

 

Mura agreed with TC and said that as this was the general board, recognition was even less likely than it would be if the same information had been posted on a roll call. I read the phrase ''Besides, Travelcat'' as meaning ''Also, Dear Travelcat'' rather than ''Apart from Travelcat''. It's the perils of the written word not coming over as the writer hears it in their head.

[Bruin Steve]

I am concerned that some of the activities found on the downscale lines might be creeping into the Oceania experience. May I use the word "carnivalization". Just a little here and just a little there and before you know it, there will be those dreadful contests by the pool.

 

+1

I agree

Maybe I am snobbish or sophiscated (in my own mind) but it seems to downgrade Oceania to a mass market level

 

JMO

 

I think some of you are rising to the "snobbish" level here...(and I usually avoid that term because I'm usually the one getting called that)...

 

I don't know that these activities are usually "found on the downscale lines"...I've seen them rarely anywhere...

 

And I don't know that a private small group slot pull is any less classy than a ship-sponsored slot tournament or poker tournament...

 

Personally, I am just not into gambling...so I choose not to participate...

But I also try not to make general value judgments as to the class or lack thereof of others...

 

I don't find smoking classy...Yet I see people on Oceania, who think of them selves as classy, smoking...

 

I have been on many cruises where I've met people who think formal nights and formal attire defines class...Yet Oceania has no formal nights....Less classy? In the eyes of some people, correct...But, at least in my view, it's not wearing a tux that makes one classy...You can exude plenty of class in shorts and a t-shirt.

 

Everyone has a different concept of what may be classy or classless...And you'll find examples of all of that on any cruise line...

 

But it is not for any one of us to determine what should be allowed or disallowed on our cruise. We can only be responsible for ourselves.

 

But, IMHO, none of these types of activities discussed here take away from MY cruise experience...My cruise experience is determined by what I do, what I participate in and how I behave....

 

It is not up to me to determine "class" for others...

[burm]

How can anyone possibly say that Carnival is not classy. Just look at their elegant dining room décor. :p

 

[LHT28]

How can anyone possibly say that Carnival is not classy. Just look at their elegant dining room décor. :p

 

 

OMG :eek:

I have a headache already :D

[SellaVee]

Wow, did Michelangelo paint that ceiling? Or was it one of the other Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?

 

However, though it might make my brain hurt to look at that picture, I mustn't knock it because I haven't tried it. I'm a big fan of Blackpool Illuminations.

[Bruin Steve]

Having actually taken a few Carnival cruises for one reason or another, I can attest to the fact that the photo posted here is not the worst of Carnival decor...

 

I always joke that their designer has two main clients--Carnival cruise ships and bordellos in Tijuana (though I'm guessing there, I've never been in one)...

 

The funny thing is that it's not that any of it is cheap...I'm pretty sure they spent a lot of money on overdone decore and outrageous color schemes...And I've commented on it on the Carnival boards--and the regulars there shoot back that THEY think it's beautiful!!

 

My personal opinion is that it serves its purpose--to distract you from the more glaring deficiencies. You can almost see one of them in that photo--it's that the dining rooms are far too crowded, too packed together...There is hardly enough room to walk between the tables...which not only impacts the passengers' comfort, but the ability of the waiters to serve properly as well. To fit more people in, they rely on a lot of booths--which means the waiters can't properly serve the folks in the interior seats...

 

To me, the lack of proper service and the overcrowding does more to affect the cruise than the gaudy decor...

 

Which leads me back to what really makes a cruise, a cruise ship or a cruise line "classy". It starts at the top--with the management of the cruise line themselves. What are they "going for"? In Carnival's and some other similar lies') case, it's to cut corners, maximize profits, put as many people on a ship as they can fit, cut prices to attract a larger demographic. Their strategy works. It has made them a lot of money. And it has made cruising accessible to a lot of people who, at one time, were shut out of the market. And the people who regularly cruise Carnival enjoy it. But it IS, whether they like the term or not, the "Walmart of the Cruise industry"...They are a cruise line for the "everyman". Doesn't mean that all of those Carnival cruisers are "classless" (though some, no doubt, are). But it does mean that they are content to have a more crowded ship, not quite top level service, long waits for various things, overcrowded showroom and lounges, hard to find seating on the pool deck and so on...

 

Some other cruise lines take a different approach. They are catering toward a different market--people who aren't that concerned about paying a little more in order to get a better experience. This tact allows them to offer what many people would think of as a classier or more elegant cruise...Oceania, along with some other lines, falls into this category

 

Of course, some cruise lines go beyond that. They cater to a clientele that doesn't care about what anything costs...who are willing to write the check no matter what the cost to get what they perceive as the finest experience imaginable...Of course, they are likely overpaying for what they get...but they just don't care. And you know what? The cruise may have a considerable amount of elegance...but it doesn't guarantee that everyone on board has class...

[LuAnn]

This thread has really taken on a "life of it's own"!!!

 

Can't we all agree to just get along...and have fun....what ever "fun" means to each of us???

 

I have been on numerous O cruises...and always enjoy the R/C...and DO participate...as I am always interested in meeting new and interesting people...enjoying tours arranged by fellow CC members and just getting to know my fellow cruisers. Yes...I have arranged CC luncheons on board on T/As several times...and many CC members have joined in and had fun...but that was their choice! No one "strong-armed" them into coming!!! I don't "do" slot pulls...but that is because I don't gamble...but on one T/A we had probably 15 to 20 people who did join in...and had fun! And it was THEIR CHOICE!!!

 

Oh...and those "dreaded" cabin crawls...with people going around the ship "as in a herd"??? Well ...when Marina was new...many of us were interested in seeing the various, new and different cabins available..to us all. So yes...we did have a cabin crawl...and it WAS FUN!! I'm sorry...but to many of us...a picture of a room is not the same as seeing it in "the flesh"...and remember...this was all new and exciting...and we did this experience in this vein!!!

 

Please...fellow CC members...I have been a member for a long time...and I really find that some of these comments on the O board are becoming more and more as "ORV" and "hondorner" and "Bruin Steve" have said "snobbish". What's up??? No one HAS to join a R/C...no one has to do anything they don't want that is suggested/organized at all...

 

I don't think this has anything to do with the "down-dumbing" of O...to the "dreaded" level of a "mass-market" line....this is people...like you and me...choosing to have fun...the way they want to....To Each His Own! Participate or don't...it is your choice...but please don't insult those who decide that this is the way they want to enjoy their cruise. OK....you can start throwing those flames now!!! ;):cool: LuAnn

[Glenndale]

After arrangements are made with the casino manager to determine a specific slot machine, participants take their turn pulling the lever. Typically, $5 = 5 pulls on a dollar machine. The pulls are cumulative. At the conclusion, the payout is prorated to each participant. One can win or lose. The fun is in watching as each person makes their pulls - eithet adding to the potential profit or losing some of it. There is cheering and groaning, probably to the discomfort of nearby gamblers who prefer their risks in quiet :) . I've only done it once, and may never do it again (I'm a lousy gambler), but my $5 did return $6.75 - the most I've ever won and entirely due to the luck of others.

 

It may be more prevelant on mass market lines, but it's enjoyed by some, including a very classy lady I know who has cruised Oceania more than most of us. If you don't want to participate, no one will force you, and 99% of the guests will never know it happened.

 

I'm a bit surprised at the number of snobbish comments; the folks I've met on board are a lot more fun...

 

Thanks for the explanation Hondorner.

 

I usually join in the roll calls and the people we've met have generally been very pleasant people, the smaller excursions are certainly preferable to the larger ship tours and can be tailor made to suit different interests.

 

On the subject of what's classy, it seems such a pity to me that Oceania have reintroduced art auctions, but there are people who enjoy them.

We are all different, what a boring world it would be if we all liked the same things ;)

Edited May 11, 2014 by Glenndale

[Lady Meer]

This thread has really taken on a "life of it's own"!!!

 

Can't we all agree to just get along...and have fun....what ever "fun" means to each of us???

 

I have been on numerous O cruises...and always enjoy the R/C...and DO participate...as I am always interested in meeting new and interesting people...enjoying tours arranged by fellow CC members and just getting to know my fellow cruisers. Yes...I have arranged CC luncheons on board on T/As several times...and many CC members have joined in and had fun...but that was their choice! No one "strong-armed" them into coming!!! I don't "do" slot pulls...but that is because I don't gamble...but on one T/A we had probably 15 to 20 people who did join in...and had fun! And it was THEIR CHOICE!!!

 

Oh...and those "dreaded" cabin crawls...with people going around the ship "as in a herd"??? Well ...when Marina was new...many of us were interested in seeing the various, new and different cabins available..to us all. So yes...we did have a cabin crawl...and it WAS FUN!! I'm sorry...but to many of us...a picture of a room is not the same as seeing it in "the flesh"...and remember...this was all new and exciting...and we did this experience in this vein!!!

 

Please...fellow CC members...I have been a member for a long time...and I really find that some of these comments on the O board are becoming more and more as "ORV" and "hondorner" and "Bruin Steve" have said "snobbish". What's up??? No one HAS to join a R/C...no one has to do anything they don't want that is suggested/organized at all...

 

I don't think this has anything to do with the "down-dumbing" of O...to the "dreaded" level of a "mass-market" line....this is people...like you and me...choosing to have fun...the way they want to....To Each His Own! Participate or don't...it is your choice...but please don't insult those who decide that this is the way they want to enjoy their cruise. OK....you can start throwing those flames now!!! ;):cool: LuAnn

 

LuAnn - Couldn't agree more. No flames from here ;).

[hondorner]

I'm really curious why so few folks post to the various "roll call" links for their particular cruise on this website.

Getting back go the original intent of this thread, I'm pleased to announce that on our upcoming NY/London cruise on Marina on May 22, the Roll Call has been rollicking, and to date there has been 159 people signed up for the Meet & Greet. That's over 12%! To the best of my knowledge, this is a new record.

 

I can remember the first M & G I organized, on Insignia on a transAtlantic, with twelve (12) people registered. Ten of them attended :cool:.

Edited May 11, 2014 by hondorner

[LHT28]

On the subject of what's classy, it seems such a pity to me that Oceania have reintroduced art auctions, but there are people who enjoy them.

 

On our Jan cruise I did not even know they had auctions other than a note in Currents

They were not "in your face" like before ...& no Tiny Tim :D

[alidor]

Just got off the Marina on Tuesday after a 17 day cruise and there was no art auction at all - thank God!

[LuAnn]

Getting back go the original intent of this thread, I'm pleased to announce that on our upcoming NY/London cruise on Marina on May 22, the Roll Call has been rollicking, and to date there has been 159 people signed up for the Meet & Greet. That's over 12%! To the best of my knowledge, this is a new record.

 

I can remember the first M & G I organized, on Insignia on a transAtlantic, with twelve (12) people registered. Ten of them attended :cool:.

 

DH and I had planned to be on this cruise...but had to cancel!!! have a "rollicking" great time! I know many O CC regulars are on this cruise...party on!!! LuAnn

[LuAnn]

LuAnn - Couldn't agree more. No flames from here ;).

 

so appreciate that!!! LuAnn

[hypercafe]

I think some of you are rising to the "snobbish" level here...(and I usually avoid that term because I'm usually the one getting called that)...

 

I don't know that these activities are usually "found on the downscale lines"...I've seen them rarely anywhere...

 

And I don't know that a private small group slot pull is any less classy than a ship-sponsored slot tournament or poker tournament...

 

Personally, I am just not into gambling...so I choose not to participate...

But I also try not to make general value judgments as to the class or lack thereof of others...

 

I don't find smoking classy...Yet I see people on Oceania, who think of them

selves as classy, smoking...

 

I have been on many cruises where I've met people who think formal nights and formal attire defines class...Yet Oceania has no formal nights....Less classy? In the eyes of some people, correct...But, at least in my view, it's not wearing a tux that makes one classy...You can exude plenty of class in shorts and a t-shirt.

 

Everyone has a different concept of what may be classy or classless...And you'll find examples of all of that on any cruise line...

 

But it is not for any one of us to determine what should be allowed or disallowed on our cruise. We can only be responsible for ourselves.

 

But, IMHO, none of these types of activities discussed here take away from MY cruise experience...My cruise experience is determined by what I do, what I participate in and how I behave....

 

It is not up to me to determine "class" for others...

 

 

 

I think you put it very well. Some of the comments on the so called luxury line boards make me wonder who people think they are. On the Regent board one said they had no problem with people from the mass market lines coming up to the luxury lines. Some of the comments here are really outrages. It just takes money to sall on a more expensive line and having money has nothing to do with class. The people in the Carnival picture seem to be having lots of fun, and that's why they took the trip.