Meet and Greet agenda

[zitsky]

Is there an agenda for M&G, or is there just informal socializing?  This is my first and I volunteered to be organizer.  

[ColeThornton]

Ask the folks on your roll call what they would like to do.

[casofilia]

Give us some idea of the cruise, ship and expected number and I'm sure people will help.

 

Contact me with specific details and I will help if possible.

 

Mike

casofilia @ xtra . co . nz  (no gaps)

[erdoran]

Same question for me. Jade, 4/29/19 TA NYC to Europe, about 50 people so far. Would love ideas.

[ColinIllinois]

See post #2.    😉

[erdoran]

9 minutes ago, ColinIllinois said:

See post #2.    😉

The more ideas the better

[zitsky]

11 minutes ago, erdoran said:

Same question for me. Jade, 4/29/19 TA NYC to Europe, about 50 people so far. Would love ideas.

 

Not a LOT of feedback.  But one suggestion is to run down the list of ports and have the excursion leader be available to discuss any details of private tours.

[OceanBlueWaters]

Good luck to you!  I did not host, but was at M&G and brought a gift for exchange.  There were no gift(s) left for me or other people.  Apparently, people who were there, decided to RUN for the gifts and took them even though they weren't signed up.  Be prepared for losers.  Aim low.  LOL! 

Oh sure, a minimal amount of $ spent on a gift is not gonna break me, or ruin my cruise, but just reiterates how rude people can be.  

Yeah...go to your Roll Call, and see what they want. JMO 

 

[zitsky]

1 minute ago, OceanBlueWaters said:

Good luck to you!  I did not host, but was at M&G and brought a gift for exchange.  There were no gift(s) left for me or other people.  Apparently, people who were there, decided to RUN for the gifts and took them even though they weren't signed up.  Be prepared for losers.  Aim low.  LOL! 

Oh sure, a minimal amount of $ spent on a gift is not gonna break me, or ruin my cruise, but just reiterates how rude people can be.  

Yeah...go to your Roll Call, and see what they want. JMO 

 

 

We haven't talked about gifts.  Now I know why.  Maybe a raffle would be fun.

[casofilia]

Apparently, people who were there, decided to RUN for the gifts and took them even though they weren't signed up.

 

Sounds like the same people who collect fridge magnets from outside your door!!!!  Don't use ones you can't "afford" to "lose"!!

[esm54687]

30 minutes ago, erdoran said:

The more ideas the better

Read Roll Call posts from your various ships for more ideas.... not just your Roll Call but the many many that are out there.

[casofilia]

If you want a gift exchange do it this way.

 

Have someone at a table where the gifts are collected to give out a numbered card.  At the end of the M&G have a draw with the same set of numbered cards.  To pick up a prize you have to give in your numbered card.   Only allow one person at the table at any time to collect.

[OceanBlueWaters]

10 minutes ago, casofilia said:

If you want a gift exchange do it this way.

 

Have someone at a table where the gifts are collected to give out a numbered card.  At the end of the M&G have a draw with the same set of numbered cards.  To pick up a prize you have to give in your numbered card.   Only allow one person at the table at any time to collect.

 

10 minutes ago, casofilia said:

If you want a gift exchange do it this way.

 

Have someone at a table where the gifts are collected to give out a numbered card.  At the end of the M&G have a draw with the same set of numbered cards.  To pick up a prize you have to give in your numbered card.   Only allow one person at the table at any time to collect.

Super advice!  People here, tend to "fight" rather than offer useful info for people...

[casofilia]

A method for Fridge Magnet Exchange.

 

Take 5 magnets if you want to take part, make them specific to your town, city, state or province.   At the end of the M&G interested people get together at a large table and show what they have.  Do a "hand over" exchange and put the ones you have "won" in your pocket.  Continue till you have "lost" your 5 and have the 5 you have "won" in your pocket.

 

Again don't allow a "free for all"!!!!

[kochleffel]

I haven't been in a Meet & Greet that included a gift exchange, and I hope not to be. It would be pain to have to bring a gift (especially when flying on a low-cost carrier, as I will be for my next cruise) and also to schlep one back. I agree about the numbered cards if there is a gift exchange.

 

Sometimes a gift exchange specifies a gift of something associated with the place where you live. That would make the schlepping part even harder in my case, because we're talking about wine, apples, and cheese. Also inferior candy, which I wouldn't even consider, and buckwheat, which would be really strange.

 

Some groups have a slot-machine pull. The basic idea is that everyone puts in money and takes turns pulling a slot machine. I can't explain more, because I don't participate.

 

I have heard of also having a cabin crawl, especially if those in luxury cabins want to show off theirs. However, it could be interesting to see more humble cabins - for example, on a recent cruise I had an obstructed ocean view, and there are often questions like "Just how obstructed are they?" I was pleased to get a look at an inside cabin on the same ship (only because I was leaving my cabin as the steward was working in the one opposite), and on ships that have studios there may be people who want to see one.

 

 

 

 

[casofilia]

It would be pain to have to bring a gift 

 

It is not compulsory!!!   I have been to a couple where only 8/9 people out of 40 did the exchange.

[casofilia]

I hate a big Meet & Greet/Meet & Mingle where "everyone" sits tight only talking to their immediate neighbours and only gets up to get another cup of ?? and another pastry.

 

I like a smaller one, say up to 40, where everyone is encouraged to get up and talk to everyone else and only sits while the officers are doing their thing.

[erdoran]

YES Cole, I have asked my roll call a while back, but not a lot yet so figured I'd broaden my reach.  I've got a spreadsheet for slot pull, cabin crawl, shared post-cruise transport, pub crawl, and private excursions.  I volunteered to organize the M&G and I'm organizing the roll call, but hoping others will step up for some of the other activities.  Always up for more ideas, but trying to figure out what to do at M&G other than say hi and eat/drink/schmooze.  Last cruise there was a shot glass exchange (separate from M&G) which is another thought for a separate activity . 

 

thanks for the ideas & keep 'em coming!

 

Edited December 15, 2018 by erdoran

[marktwothousand]

Make sure the host of the group gets to make a speech and in the roll call, offer the chance for anyone else who wishes to make remarks, to be able to go up and do so, as some people may wish to make announcements or special greetings.

 

also, in your speech, make sure to promote that it is a Cruise Critic meet up, and that it’s important to stick to platforms like CC because they’re specialty platforms for the cruise industry and avoid fragmenting the community by using other platforms to form groups. Also, make sure to thank CC for providing the platform and reminding people to post reviews and make sure they keep the industry’s feet to the fire and make sure the industry accounts for its decisions. 

[mking8288]

Been to a # of M&M over the years - the idea is to Meet & Mingle, don't sit around as very often, chairs are set up ... lecture/training style, not ideal to "Meet" everyone except for the few sitting around you.  Get up and go around - ask folks to come 10 to 15 minutes early, enjoy the complimentary pastries, coffee & juices, etc. (our last one on the Escape at DBH ... treated to extra "samples" of "beverages, not done on most/all ships)

 

The officers will be there & with the ship's group coordinator, make a welcome remark, introduce themselves, hand out their calling cards - and, sometimes, take a few "friendly" questions.  Then, they usually exit together & turn it back/over to the CC group - the CD and/or coordinator usually will stay a little longer to chat, help & handle any other matters.  Ditto on what Mark said ... be sure to thank everyone for coming & making the efforts, if other events are being held, i.e. Slot Pull, Cabin Crawl, dining for solo cruisers - repeat those announcement & details ... you might want to provide the group with a way to contact you on the ship; and, perhaps to stay in touch post-cruise as friendships develop & stay, over time.  

 

There are no set "agenda" or format to follow, just do what's comfortable & freestyle it, let it flow.  Maybe, an embarkation lunch or dinner (informal) for those who wanted to chat & socialize, maybe a bar crawl - it's up to your Roll Call membes to choose & decide on what to do and NOT.  

 

Check out the Roll Calls on the ship you are sailing on to see what others are doing and planned to.  Make it simple and uncomplicated, if you try to do it "All" - you will easily get overwhelmed - get others to help out as team leaders and "assistants" to organize different functions.  Each sailing is different, even for the same ship, because the personalities & cruisers are usually not the same "chemistry" - just go with the flow.  

[erdoran]

Thanks, great info!  Getting lots of good ideas here.  Once the holidays are over I’ll ask on the roll call for volunteers to coordinate different activities, and if someone does volunteer, they can get up at M&G and introduce themselves and perhaps get signups, etc - will get people up and moving.

 

Our M&G on Bliss last Sept was in District Brew House and it was crowded and in a fairly narrow area, so it was hard to get up and move around freely.  The first one I went to on Epic was a bigger open area.  Hopefully we’ll have somewhere roomy on Jade.

[mking8288]

@erdoran - your Spring T/A sailing on the Jade out of NYC eastbound is likely going to be unique with different demographics, fewer children & teens (if any) and you will have several full sea days.  M&M will likely be on the morning of Day 2, typically in Le Bistro, by the casino - the last one I organized on the Gem, we had probably about 50 to 60 that actually attended.  There was a drawing for door prizes, some members donated their bottled wine - no "exchanges" involved, about 15 people left with someone - an Aussie CC member had a magnet for everyone.  You will likely have plenty of solo cruisers, they self-organized dinner plans & gatherings.  

Have a plan & backup for staying in touch with the members, like getting their email address ahead of time, for last minute alerts (if they choose to share & provide) - and/or - provide a mean for the rest of them to contact you in case of "urgent" matters once the sailing is underway (i.e. someone to be the "communications" liasion onboard, it could be you or someone else volunteering).  

 

The MDR on the Jade & similar mid-sized ship is open for embarkation day sit-down lunch, it's another way to pre-meeting some of the CC "strangers" - if there is interest, the host/ess can usually set aside 2 or 3 big tables easily for the group, to get acquainted (well, the Haven folks would likely be "upstairs" but for steerage, it's a good way to solo folks to get comfortable with strangers for the week ahead.)  

[LD Silver]

I did a shot glass exchange on my November 2017 Escape Cruise. Had 60+ people participate.  Better than a gift exchange because it is cheap and easy to transport in your luggage.

[zitsky]

We have 100+ people signed up on the Sun sailing (12/22 M&G 12/23) in the Spinnaker/ Observation lounge.  No idea what to expect.

[NLH Arizona]

At one meet and greet I attended, the organizer set up a bingo game where the squares were information gathered from others prior to the sailing.  You had to go around and talk to folks to see who belonged to which square.  It was a great way for people to socialize.