Weak activity on our roll call

[Hazel52]

Any great tips of how to drive traffic to our roll call? This is for a cruise in October so some may think that’s a long way off…. But I don’t. Hoping to get others to join us for some Spain Day Tours excursions. TIA

[CDNPolar]

My experience is that not many join roll calls...  There will be a few, but you are far too early for most.

[TayanaLorna]

That's a good question.  Roll Calls seem to have a life of their own.  All the cruises I have taken had very active Roll Calls.  The first two had a 50-60 people at the Meet & Mingle back when those were allowed.  They were also fairly new and popular itineraries.  Midnight Sun in it's third year running.  SA & Around Cape Horn in it's first year.  Both very active a year in advance.  A newer itinerary may make joining a RC more popular.  Perhaps.

 

Summer of 2021 the Iceland Roll Calls we're crazy active.  Again brand new itinerary and one of the first Welcome Back cruises.

 

Our TA from Barcelona to SJ was popular well over a year out.  It was one of the most multi page Roll Calls other then World Cruises.  But then many people rescheduled the same cruise that was cancelled the year before and everyone was raring to go.

 

Our Roll Call for the Amazon in February is pretty quiet.  Don't know why.  It's a newer Viking cruise that had one season's sailing I believe then Covid cancelled.  Hoping that more people find it as we get closer.  But if the RC is quiet because it's a half full ship that's fine with me.

 

You could join some of the Viking FB groups and put out a message for people on your cruise.  That might work to find people to share excursions.

[NavyCruiser]

Viking has roll calls...? 😉

 

Wait... just checked, we have 2 people & 2 posts on our Jan 2023 cruise...

[TayanaLorna]

2 hours ago, NavyCruiser said:

Viking has roll calls...? 😉

 

Wait... just checked, we have 2 people & 2 posts on our Jan 2023 cruise...

On FB there are several Groups who discuss Viking River and Ocean Cruises.

[Peregrina651]

7 hours ago, Hazel52 said:

Any great tips of how to drive traffic to our roll call? This is for a cruise in October so some may think that’s a long way off…. But I don’t. Hoping to get others to join us for some Spain Day Tours excursions. TIA

 

I don't think it is too early to start.There is a lot you can do but whether it will work is another story -- and you have to keep working at. 

 

First, it is a numbers problem. About one percent of Viking guests participate in Viking roll calls. On a ship with room for 926 people, that is 9 people on average for a roll call. Every now and then a roll call is hugely active -- but they are the exception not the rule.

 

So how can you beat the odds -- without poaching other forums.

 

1. Advertise. Make the first line in your Cruise Critic signature a hot link to your roll call. Only the first four lines of your signature file show above the "expand signature" and that's where you want to put any links. Learn how to make hot links, they take up less room.

 

2. Now that you have your advertising, see and be seen. Participate in threads here in the Viking forum. Comment. Ask questions. Mention your specific itinerary and date where appropriate. Always have an eye out for people who will be sailing with you and tell them about the roll call "Hey, we're on the same sailing; you should join the roll call."  Try to be up-beat; enthusiasm can be contagious.

 

3. Continue to actively participate in your roll call no matter how many people are there. Share what you learn -- from books, from television, from YouTube -- any thing, any place that does not break Cruise Critic guidelines -- anything to spark a conversation. Greet everyone who joins the conversation. Ask them a question that cannot be answered in one word. Activity breeds more activity.

 

4. Sometimes I've started a thread in the Viking Ocean forum about the itinerary itself asking folks who have already taken the cruise to please join in and help those of us who in the planning stages by answering questions and sharing experiences. Then I start asking specific questions about the itinerary. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't -- and it does take effort sustain. It works best on itineraries with multiple sailings in a season. You may even find someone who is sailing with you and then you can invite them to join the roll call.

 

5. Scour the Roll Call list for you ship looking for duplicate roll calls for your sail date -- especially if they were started after yours -- and ask Cruise Critic to combine them. There should only be one roll call per sail-date.

 

 

[Hazel52]

Wonderful ideas, thanks so much!

[Heidi13]

3 hours ago, Hazel52 said:

Wonderful ideas, thanks so much!

 

Might be worth checking out the Roll Call for the Neptune's 22/23 World Cruise, as it is now over 5,000 posts and 200+ pages. You could get some ideas on how to generate discussion once fellow pax join. 

[WNcruiser]

18 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

My experience is that not many join roll calls...  There will be a few, but you are far too early for most.

3 months out is too early? Does no one else plan anything in advance? I start a year out, especially when trying to book the best private guides. 

[WNcruiser]

19 hours ago, Hazel52 said:

Any great tips of how to drive traffic to our roll call? This is for a cruise in October so some may think that’s a long way off…. But I don’t. Hoping to get others to join us for some Spain Day Tours excursions. TIA

I am in the same boat 🙂. I am booked for Oct 22 and Jan 23 and both roll calls are very slow. I can’t even get a small group of 6 together for the Oct cruise. I guess I am used to Celebrity where the rolls calls are very active and private tours fill up in a day. 
 

 

[Heidi13]

30 minutes ago, WNcruiser said:

I am in the same boat 🙂. I am booked for Oct 22 and Jan 23 and both roll calls are very slow. I can’t even get a small group of 6 together for the Oct cruise. I guess I am used to Celebrity where the rolls calls are very active and private tours fill up in a day. 

 

 

While the Viking ships have less pax, which relates to a smaller audience, I find it all depends on the specific roll call. On the 2020 World Cruise, the vendor I used in Tauranga was amazed, as I filled his 10-seat bus and had a waitlist in less than 24 hrs.

 

On the 22/23 World Cruise, for the Sydney tour, I filled 2 - 20 seat buses in a little more than 24 hrs and they will probably require a 3rd bus.

 

All depends on how active the roll call is, and I also find the organiser's knowledge of the port, the vendor and the proposed tour helps to allay the fears of many pax that unless they are on a shore-ex, they could miss the ship. 

[Jim Avery]

1 hour ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Might be worth checking out the Roll Call for the Neptune's 22/23 World Cruise, as it is now over 5,000 posts and 200+ pages. You could get some ideas on how to generate discussion once fellow pax join. 

Haha, yes, post some Mouldy Oldie pix on their roll call too Andy....  That will scare them for sure.  Especially if I post more of mine too.🍺

[FetaCheese]

I joined roll call right after booking.  Learned a lot of good advice from especially 1 poster, who's an experienced pax, even though it'll be his 1st V cruise.  He and I seem to be the only active posters.  Glad I joined it

[Heidi13]

37 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

Haha, yes, post some Mouldy Oldie pix on their roll call too Andy....  That will scare them for sure.  Especially if I post more of mine too.🍺

 

Hey Jim - your turn to scare everyone next Monday😁

[Goosebear Mum]

Hi, in addition to the great advice above, I’ve noticed the longer the cruise, the more activity there usually is on a roll call. I realise this a generalisation. Short cruises tend to have few if any people on a roll call, unless it’s an unusual or maiden cruise. Longer cruises, more people make an effort to get to know others. Longer cruises have more ports, so more opportunities to discuss option. Longer cruises tend to have sea days/more sea days, where people may organise a meet up. Some cruises you just fall unlucky in that there are few computer interested people onboard. And there is now a competitor ‘marmite’ website which will take away traffic from here, as that is their first place they’ll think of for a forum…  Some only find CC as it’s referred to on those forums… 
 

[CCWineLover]

On 7/19/2022 at 8:26 PM, Hazel52 said:

Any great tips of how to drive traffic to our roll call? This is for a cruise in October so some may think that’s a long way off…. But I don’t. Hoping to get others to join us for some Spain Day Tours excursions. TIA

Hard to do.  If people aren’t there on Cruise Critic, they aren’t there.  
sometimes occasionally there will be a bigger group.  Luck of the draw.

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

I know not everyone's on Facebook. But if you ARE, you may want to find the pages/groups that people have set up for Viking cruisers.  People are always asking if anyone else is on their cruise.  I don't recommend posting info on there which lets people know when you'll be gone.  However, if nothing else, you may find others on your cruise, and you can then send private Facebook message without having to be "friends" with them, or disclosing to a large group of people that you'll be going away,  And people give advice on excursions, what to do in a port, post photos, etc. 

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

However, if nothing else, you may find others on your cruise, and you can then send private Facebook message without having to be "friends" with them, or disclosing to a large group of people that you'll be going away, 

 

 

Personally, I don't think private messaging is any safer. You still have no idea if you are connecting with a true passenger or a shill gathering information.

 

[Jacka__53]

On 7/19/2022 at 2:26 PM, Hazel52 said:

Any great tips of how to drive traffic to our roll call? This is for a cruise in October so some may think that’s a long way off…. But I don’t. Hoping to get others to join us for some Spain Day Tours excursions. TIA

👍

[JerryInIL]

On 7/19/2022 at 7:23 PM, TayanaLorna said:

On FB there are several Groups who discuss Viking River and Ocean Cruises.

On some groups you can start an “Event” for your particular cruise and anyone joining the Event can post there.  Eg. VO Voyagers.

Edited August 17, 2022 by JerryInIL

[SoBaycruiser]

On 7/20/2022 at 7:17 AM, WNcruiser said:

I am in the same boat 🙂. I am booked for Oct 22 and Jan 23 and both roll calls are very slow. I can’t even get a small group of 6 together for the Oct cruise. I guess I am used to Celebrity where the rolls calls are very active and private tours fill up in a day. 
 

 

i agree it’s related to the cruise line.  This will be our first Viking cruise.  Most of our previous cruising has been on R-ships on various cruise lines over the years.  They only hold about 690 passengers and yet many people participate in the roll calls.  If people start talking about private excursions, the traffic picks up.  I wonder because Viking publishes their excursions and prices so much closer to the cruise,  if more people hold off on booking private tours.

 

Rita.

[Peregrina651]

2 hours ago, SoBaycruiser said:

i agree it’s related to the cruise line.  This will be our first Viking cruise.  Most of our previous cruising has been on R-ships on various cruise lines over the years.  They only hold about 690 passengers and yet many people participate in the roll calls.  If people start talking about private excursions, the traffic picks up.  I wonder because Viking publishes their excursions and prices so much closer to the cruise,  if more people hold off on booking private tours.

 

Rita.

 

Or it could be that people aren't looking to share private tours. Either they are already traveling with a small group or they are happier booking a tour for two.

 

 

[KBs mum]

We rarely book tours, we prefer to use taxis/public transport to get around. Mainly so we can avoid wasting time on things that don't interest us and the long lunch stop