Finding a website

[Medic411]

Can someone please point me to the thread discussing websites that help with finding groups that may be on your cruise? I forgot to bookmark the thread and am beginning to wonder if our cruise (Alaska southbound Carnival Spirit June 21) is a big group of some kind. Hardly anyone is posting to that cruise's thread. Thanks in advance for the help. These boards are awesome!:D

[mctrekkie]

Medic, try the "roll call" section of the Cruise Critic board. Just go back to the main "cruise critic message boards" page, find the "Roll Call" section, and click on your cruise line. If there isn't a thread for your cruise, feel free to start one! My ship sails in September (we're on Celebrity), but I've started our Roll Call already and had some responses! Don't be discouraged if nothing is posted yet....it's early! Good luck!

 

Peggy

[sounder]

Cruisemates.com also has a roll call section - I don't find it as busy as this board though

[cherylandtk]

Can someone please point me to the thread discussing websites that help with finding groups that may be on your cruise? I forgot to bookmark the thread and am beginning to wonder if our cruise (Alaska southbound Carnival Spirit June 21) is a big group of some kind. Hardly anyone is posting to that cruise's thread. Thanks in advance for the help. These boards are awesome!:D

Keep in mind that on average, only 1% of the ships passengers will even be CC members or know about this site. I've had busy roll calls, and empty ones, and it had nothing to do with a group being on board.

[benjidog]

I think medic was referring to a special group that all booked together. Like a convention of sorts. If that's the case, I can't be of any help. I guess we'll have to wait to hear back from medic to clarify this.

[RevSmith]

I remember getting lost when I first found this site...it never hurts to ask.

[cherylandtk]

I think medic was referring to a special group that all booked together. Like a convention of sorts. If that's the case, I can't be of any help. I guess we'll have to wait to hear back from medic to clarify this.

Sue, I agree with you. But medic was thinking there might be a large group or convention because so few people were on the roll call; I was trying to point out that just because you have an inactive roll call it does not necessarily mean that there is a large group or convention on board. It usually just means that your particular sailing has less than the average 1% CC members.:)

 

TO Medic: I also recall several threads asking about how to tell if there is a large group on board; have found many of them by searching titles with "group" and "large group"--but no specific websites in any of the responses, just suggestions to do a google search on your ship and date. Hope that helps.

[benjidog]

Sue, I agree with you. But medic was thinking there might be a large group or convention because so few people were on the roll call; I was trying to point out that just because you have an inactive roll call it does not necessarily mean that there is a large group or convention on board. It usually just means that your particular sailing has less than the average 1% CC members.:)

 

I agree. My roll call wasn't very active. Thanks for helping to clarify this for medic. Sue

[Host Kat]

Can someone please point me to the thread discussing websites that help with finding groups that may be on your cruise? I forgot to bookmark the thread and am beginning to wonder if our cruise (Alaska southbound Carnival Spirit June 21) is a big group of some kind. Hardly anyone is posting to that cruise's thread. Thanks in advance for the help. These boards are awesome!:D

 

Howdy Medic411!

 

Welcome to the Cruise Critic Message Board and thanks for your kind remarks!

 

A little OT, but you did mention the inactivity of your Roll Call. If you don't mind , I thought it would be wise to pass some info on to help your Roll Call grow. And, as mentioned before, only a small percentage of the cruising public are Cruise Critic members. You will not hear from every passenger on your cruise.

 

You & your fellow Roll Call members should advertise your Roll Call in your signatures and show the link. Click on User CP on the blue bar above next to FAQ, then Edit Signature. Say something like "Click here to join the fun on the Spirit 06/21/06 Southbound Roll Call: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=270796 " That way, every time any of your Roll Call members post on any forum or thread, it is "out there" for all to see. I'm sure you have seen them on other poster's signatures by now. I just wish I had one right now along with a countdown clock, but my next cruise has not been picked. Hopefully, any Cruise Critic member on your cruise will see the invitation and link in the signatures, click on it, and then post on your Roll Call to join in. When they do, the Roll Call members should post welcoming messages and everyone can take their on-line relationship on from there.

 

With a little advertising, and as the time for your cruise draws near, you will have more folks joining in. You and your fellow Roll Call members will need to post often to keep your Roll Call on the front page so others that want to join in can find it easily. On my last Roll Call, we chatted and supported each other during that long countdown time until our cruise with all sorts of postings about our upcoming cruise as well as most everything going on in our lives without divulging too much personal info on the Internet. Without our Roll Call, we would have never had so much support for each other through the good and the bad such as Katrina & Rita, the birth of a grand-baby, adults with chicken pox, surgeries & hospital stays, birthdays, anniversaries, engagements, graduations, cruises being canceled, death of a beloved pet, all sorts of weather from all over the world (we were from the USA, the UK, Canada, & Hong Kong), drink & food recipes, car wrecks, holidays, tips on cruising, as well as info about our ship & ports from past passengers since quite a few were repeaters on our ship or itinerary. Out of about 80 Roll Call members, only 10 - 15 of us chatted daily about most everything, to keep our Roll Call on the first page. It will start out slow, but will gain momentum as the excitement of your embarkation day nears.

 

Also, while checking out & posting on the other forums & threads here on Cruise Critic, you and your fellow Roll Call members should look for other posters mentioning their ship & date in their post or signature that is the same as yours. Post a reply to them on that thread welcoming them to join your Roll Call and tell them about the link in your signature. I "roped" in a few folks that way myself right here from the First Time Cruisers Forum! Most often, new cruisers are not aware of what Roll Calls are all about and how much fun they can be.

 

Some Roll Calls have one of the members in charge of receiving e-mailed pictures of the Roll Call members and then posting them on a website somewhere for all your Roll Call members to see. That makes it so much easier for everyone to recognize each other when you finally get to meet on your cruise. It also helps to have a face in mind as you chat on the Roll Call. Anyone 'puter savvy in your group?

 

Since so many of us were going to our port the day before our cruise, we had a pre-cruise dinner party at a restaurant the night before embarkation day. There were about 50 of us there. One of our members made a reservation for a private room about a month before our cruise. It was great meeting folks face to face we had gotten to know while we shared the long countdown time until the cruise. For the remaining 30 or so that came to the port the day of our cruise, we were able to get to know them at a planned get together the second day of our cruise. It was great running into our fellow Roll Call members all over the ship and in the ports during our cruise. Some played the shipboard games, dined and went on tours together too, when we finally made some ports. I say that because I call our fantastic cruise "The Boll Weevil Cruise". We cruised the week of hurricane Wilma and just like that old song, our ship wandered all around the Caribbean "looking for a home" in 15 - 20 foot seas the first part of the cruise. Our ship was not allowed in any of the 3 ports on our original itinerary due to their storm damage, but towards the end of the week our Captain found dock space in two other ports.

 

So sorry this has gone on for so long! I sincerely hope you do not mind my suggestions. Also hope you have lots of good luck with your Roll Call, and a wonderful cruise too!!

 

Happy trails to you...

 

Kat