First time on the Oceania Marina

[dogs4fun]

Hi,

We are booked on a Baltic cruise on the Marina in June, 2015. This will be our first experience on the Oceania fleet.

Question: Does Oceania sponsor Meet & Greets? If so, how does one go about setting one up?

Any information is greatly appreciated! :)

[LHT28]

Hi,

We are booked on a Baltic cruise on the Marina in June, 2015. This will be our first experience on the Oceania fleet.

Question: Does Oceania sponsor Meet & Greets? If so, how does one go about setting one up?

Any information is greatly appreciated! :)

 

No they do not

Just join the roll call & set up a M & G on your own

There are a few threads here on what others have done in the past

[Mura]

I'll jump in to answer since I set up lots of M&Gs on Oceania's ships.

 

First, collect a list of your compatriots including their room numbers and email addresses. Don't publish this information, you need to have it in order to set up the event.

 

When you board the ship, as soon as you can go to the concierge and give him or her your list. I usually do two lists, one alphabetical, one by room number. It's only because I'm compulsive about some things -- I figure the room number list is handier for the person who delivers the invitations.

 

The concierge will check what other events are scheduled and let you know the best time and place. Mine have ALWAYS been set up in Horizons. They will rope off an area for your group. Make sure that everybody (especially the bar tenders) know that this is a cash bar, otherwise you could be surprised with a very big bill depending on how many people you are.

 

On the "R" ships I used the concierge whose desk is in the reception area, but on Marina I have used the concierge in the Concierge Lounge.

 

While Oceania has never "sponsored" these get togethers, I have always found them helpful in arranging them. If you are a small group, you can in effect to it yourself, but with a large group (my last one was about 125) you need the assistance.

 

This may change now that NCL owns Oceania since NCL has always been better about actually sponsoring M&Gs than Oceania was. On our last NCL cruise a few years ago we were about 100 people and representatives from all the departments and the high officers were present and gave short talks.

 

Mura

[hondorner]

...This may change now that NCL owns Oceania since NCL has always been better about actually sponsoring M&Gs than Oceania was. On our last NCL cruise a few years ago we were about 100 people and representatives from all the departments and the high officers were present and gave short talks...

Yet another potentially Good Thing from NCL if it happens...:cool:

[roothy123]

Yet another potentially Good Thing from NCL if it happens...:cool:

 

Hhmm...I thought the Captain's welcome cocktail party that's held early on was for introducing key staff on the ship! I think I'd rather spend Meet & Greet time meeting cruisers. However, more help from O staff can't be bad. I organized a Meet and Greet one time and while it wasn't hard, I guess it would have been a Good Thing to have official Oceania sponsorship!

Edited January 8, 2015 by roothy123

[hondorner]

Hhmm...I thought the Captain's welcome cocktail party that's held early on was for introducing key staff on the ship! I think I'd rather spend Meet & Greet time meeting cruisers. However, more help from O staff can't be bad. I organized a Meet and Greet one time and while it wasn't hard, I guess it would have been a Good Thing to have official Oceania sponsorship!

You're absolutely correct about the Captain's welcome party, but the NCL Meet & Greet has nothing to do with that.

 

It isn't as "automatic" as Celebrity, which has a sign-up link directly on Cruise Critic. One of the passengers makes a list, similar to how it's done on Oceania, but forwards it to NCL before the cruise. The social hostess and/or cruise director sponsors the M&G on board, and the Captain, Hotel Director (like the Oceania General Manager), Cruise Director, members of the entertainment group and others introduce themselves. The Captain usually takes some questions and often (but not guaranteed) invites the group to the bridge later in the cruise. Then the meeting is turned over to the group, usually the person who made the arrangements takes the lead. There's plenty of time to get to know each other. The meetings are usually scheduled in the morning and pastries, cookies, coffee and juices are available. The primary difference between that and an Oceania M&G is the official recognition and the fact that NCL shows their appreciation of CC participants.

 

I've seen the same recognition and appreciation on Celebrity (and presumably RCCL and Azamara, but I have no experience with them). Oceania is getting better; it used to be like pulling teeth to get cooperation, but Oceania still seems to go out of their way to NOT show that appreciation of CC participants.

[arima22]

We had support from Oceania Marina staff on our August 2014 cruise- set up in advance of the cruise. They roped off a section of Horizons on the starboard side with a "CC Meet and Greet" sign. Had the event right after muster on first day. About 80 people attended.

[bbwex]

We boarded REGATTA on December 5th, and the M&G was supported quite well by Oceania. The organizer got in touch with the ship in advance, and someone on board suggested doing it the morning after departure since that was a sea day. The staff in Horizons had an area set up with a sign that it was a CC Meet and Greet. They were very accommodating.

[Hambagahle]

You're absolutely correct about the Captain's welcome party, but the NCL Meet & Greet has nothing to do with that.

 

It isn't as "automatic" as Celebrity, which has a sign-up link directly on Cruise Critic. One of the passengers makes a list, similar to how it's done on Oceania, but forwards it to NCL before the cruise. The social hostess and/or cruise director sponsors the M&G on board, and the Captain, Hotel Director (like the Oceania General Manager), Cruise Director, members of the entertainment group and others introduce themselves. The Captain usually takes some questions and often (but not guaranteed) invites the group to the bridge later in the cruise. Then the meeting is turned over to the group, usually the person who made the arrangements takes the lead. There's plenty of time to get to know each other. The meetings are usually scheduled in the morning and pastries, cookies, coffee and juices are available. The primary difference between that and an Oceania M&G is the official recognition and the fact that NCL shows their appreciation of CC participants.

 

I've seen the same recognition and appreciation on Celebrity (and presumably RCCL and Azamara, but I have no experience with them). Oceania is getting better; it used to be like pulling teeth to get cooperation, but Oceania still seems to go out of their way to NOT show that appreciation of CC participants.

 

I have had this experience ONCE on Regent, Don. I kept the list of people on the Roll Call and took it to the CD when we boarded. She (Dionne Laughlan) took over. Arranged a cocktail party in Stars, had the GM, Captain etc there and hosted it. It was lovely. Of course slightly easier to do that on regent since there is no "bar bill". But that said, it was the only time there was any cooperation at all.

 

I think this shows lack of foresight. CC "members" are likely to be great ambassadors of any cruise line that they like... and hosting this kind of event would be/should be great PR for the line. Seems that Oceania has the same attitude as Regent. They ignore the potential of the reception.

Gerry