Cruise Critic Meet & Mingle

[Host Jazzbeau]

As of July 2023, neither the Cruise Critic sign-up for Azamara Meet & Mingles nor the Azamara website sign-up are working.  BUT don't despair:  astute member @takemewithyou reports that they are being held onboard and are listed in the Azamara daily program, The Insider, usually on the day of embarkation.

 

 

[norn iron]

Thanks Host Jazzbeau. I had been searching with no luck.

[Grandma Cruising]

Thanks.

[South Yorkies]

Thanks very much. That's good to know.

[beatnix]

On our last cruise it was announced in the Insider but nobody attended.

Edited July 5, 2023 by beatnix

[aliaschief]

Our last two cruises the Meet and Mingle was held on embarkation day at 5:15 in the Living Room Card playing area or on Onward the new small library section in Living Room. IMO 5:15 is a poor time as most folks are enjoying sail-away. On a Intensive cruise itinerary it maybe the only feasible time.

It was listed both times on the Insiders timetable of events. 

[KirkNC]

I think many are unaware it is going on.  As you say, many are unpacking, unwinding and or enjoying the sail away.  To me it should be the second day but it is what it is.

[aliaschief]

38 minutes ago, KirkNC said:

I think many are unaware it is going on.  As you say, many are unpacking, unwinding and or enjoying the sail away.  To me it should be the second day but it is what it is.

Kirk, I agree but also feel that if there is going to be a successful and attended Meet & Greet it needs to be established and committed to on the Roll Call prior to cruise. Roll Calls work best if they have a dedicated leader/organizer overseeing the Roll Call.

Bruce

Edited July 5, 2023 by aliaschief

[KirkNC]

20 minutes ago, aliaschief said:

Kirk, I agree but also feel that if there is going to be a successful and attended Meet & Greet it needs to be established and committed to on the Roll Call prior to cruise. Roll Calls work best if they have a dedicated leader/organizer overseeing the Roll Call.

Bruce

Agreed.

[Host Jazzbeau]

8 hours ago, beatnix said:

On our last cruise it was announced in the Insider but nobody attended.

When it's at sailaway on the first day, many people haven't even looked at all the flyers in their cabin yet...

[Baynanno1]

The Insider is one of the first things we check out after accessing our stateroom.

[takemewithyou]

1 hour ago, Baynanno1 said:

The Insider is one of the first things we check out after accessing our stateroom.

Always!

[knitter]

Our roll call seems to have settled on 2 events for our 8/1 Norway cruise - embarkation day at 5:00 in the Sunset Bar and first sea day at 4:00 in the Library. But I will be sure to check the program guide when we get on board!

[FranYAlice]

3 hours ago, knitter said:

Our roll call seems to have settled on 2 events for our 8/1 Norway cruise - embarkation day at 5:00 in the Sunset Bar and first sea day at 4:00 in the Library. But I will be sure to check the program guide when we get on board!

8/7 is hoping for a post on INDISER for a M&M on departure day - trying to get a space on Arendal day for a 2nd greeting!!

[PirateWife]

Before COVID, I enjoyed attending the M&Ms. There was always a crew member, often the Cruise Director, that would be in charge. The last one I remember had so many people signed up for that it was held in the Cabaret. The last ones I have been to, all in the library, have been poorly attended with no one in charge, and no appearance by a crew member. People sit around and talk to people they already know.

[Grandma Cruising]

The last one I went to worked out very well. It was held in the Drawing Room, someone brought some sticky labels and had set the chairs out in a circle and a chap took charge and asked us all to go round and say our CC name, our real name & where we were from. 
In the absence of anyone from the ship, it certainly needs someone to organise it a bit in order for it to work well.

Edited July 17, 2023 by Grandma Cruising

[takemewithyou]

1 hour ago, Grandma Cruising said:

The last one I went to worked out very well. It was held in the Drawing Room, someone brought some sticky labels and had set the chairs out in a circle and a chap took charge and asked us all to go round and say our CC name, our real name & where we were from. 
In the absence of anyone from the ship, it certainly needs someone to organise it a bit in order for it to work well.

Agree.  If someone from the roll call is willing to facilitate letting everyone know when the roll call meeting will be held, typically on embarkation day it is posted in the Insider newsletter around 5 pm.  If one person on a roll call helps maintain a list of CC names and where everyone is from,  it helps get people involved.  It facilitates conversation and then people want to meet up with others they have been chatting with on the roll call.  But it really is key to having someone who will organize the roll call and the gathering.  

[Mackdogmolly]

Are these still being scheduled automatically? Can anyone who has been on a recent cruise report?

[luv2travel90266]

Someone from a roll call needs to begin the process. I did it for 3 cruises. One had no one showing up. Azamara will put a one line on the daily schedule which will be missed by most. 

[takemewithyou]

2 hours ago, Mackdogmolly said:

Are these still being scheduled automatically? Can anyone who has been on a recent cruise report?

It was in the Insider for 5 pm on embarkation day on my cruise mid June on Pursuit.  Hopefully cruisers with more recent experience will respond.

[beatnix]

2 hours ago, takemewithyou said:

It was in the Insider for 5 pm on embarkation day on my cruise mid June on Pursuit.  

Same on our cruise end of May on Pursuit. Unfortunately nobody showed up. 😪

[Host Jazzbeau]

We had the same timing on our Journey voyage in October.

 

Here's a thought:  CC M&Gs were originally a way to get free drinks on non-inclusive cruise lines.  That isn't necessary on Azamara, so I'm thinking that Roll Call communities should just organize themselves and choose a mutually agreeable time and place and just show up.  Not on embarkation day.  Then someone from the group can contact the Hotel director when they board and ask to have the venue confirmed (or moved to one that Azamara packs) – and use email to keep everybody posted.

[Riocca]

Cruise line organised CC meetings always seemed to be a RCG thing, we came to Celebrity/Azamara from mainly P&O and Princess and had never experienced one with them.

After experiencing meetings with Azamara I did volunteer to organise one on a Princess Cruise, never again it was far too much trouble and Princess basically weren’t interested.

Azamara at least are providing a venue and putting on the calendar other lines leave it up to the CC roll call to decide a time and place which doesn’t always work out well.

[Mackdogmolly]

1 hour ago, Riocca said:

Azamara at least are providing a venue and putting on the calendar other lines leave it up to the CC roll call to decide a time and place which doesn’t always work out well.

It sure doesn’t! I have an upcoming Viking cruise with a very inactive roll call and as a Viking newbie, I really have no interest in spearheading it myself.

[luv2travel90266]

I have headed 3 roll calls on  Azamara and a number of them on Celebrity. I found and put together small group private tours of 6 to 8 at a lower cost with much better attention by the guides. It depends how much you like being on a big bus with 40  of which several are also late fir the bus. All being done online prior months before the cruise. I agree that the meet and greets are poorly attended partially due to them being done during sail away and partially do to no invites separate to a line in the daily schedule. With all going on with the boarding I do understand the staff on board has higher priorities.