Do You Meet Fellow CruiseCritics Onboard??

[MandyGirl]

Seeing all the polls has brought a question to my mind...

 

On your cruise, do you meet fellow CruiseCritics that you shared posts with in the weeks/months leading up to your cruise?

[MandyGirl]

We have had mixed results on our cruises.

- On our two NCL cruises, we all definitely met and it was awesome getting to meet those I had communicated with (didn't "hang out" but definitely met!).

- On our Celebrity cruise, we actually did not find anyone on CruiseCritic to speak up that they were on the same cruise (it was less than 20% American passengers according to the crew, so I am assuming very few were aware of CruiseCritic at that time).

- On our HAL cruise, we found one person to be on the cruise from CruiseCritic but nothing was ever brought up about CC gatherings, so I just assumed HAL cruisers didn't do that. (However, when stepping off the elevator one night, a lady quietly told her male companion "that's the girl from the message boards" so I figured that was the other poster I communicated with or maybe just someone who reads CC and never posts - and they wanted to keep their identity secret).

- On our upcoming HAL cruise, we are all looking forward to meeting! :)

So I've seen quite the variety. In any case, we've enjoyed meeting those we communicated with!

[ryansmemom]

Chimera and I have been meeting people we have met on the CC board while on our cruises for some time now. We have found meeting people to be very enjoyable and made some very good friends this way.

 

In some instances we have scheduled future cruises with people or continued our relationships at home. Last year on the Maasdam we met a large group of CCer's and had a wonderful time. There are a large number of us planning to meet up next year on the Veendam and I know everyone is very excited about that.

 

We usually set up a meeting place and time before the cruise and then meet up once on board. This has worked out very well for us and enhanced our cruise experience.

 

We have met some really wonderful people through this board!

 

Linda :)

[FlorenceItaly]

I met a few people from the roll call board in June on the Maasdam. It was very enjoyable, and enhanced my cruise(Hi Becky, Hi Beverly).

 

There are a few of us on my roll call for the cruise later this month, and we are planning on meeting.

 

And, in September I am going on a CC Group Cruise...there are about 200 of us!!

 

Marie

[jhannah]

I also have had mixed results. I missed one gathering, but made it to another that was most enjoyable. Really is neat to put faces and REAL personalities to the names on the board. Funny, but some "pan out" while others are completely different that what you imagine from just reading posts. All were great people, though.

[Vicar]

I had already finished my last cruise when I started coming here. But I would love to meet some of the people I have met here if we happened to be on the same cruise in the future.

 

Heck I still have high hopes of all of us going on that "Blender thread" cruise *LOL*

[MandyGirl]

jhannah - I totally agree! One CC person I met didn't look like what I expected at all, but he was just as cool in person as he was in his posts! He had backpacked in over 33 countries and had shared how beautiful Scotland was. We just experienced our first trip to Scotland this summer... and appreciate what we have learned from other cruisers. :) We're always "game" for meeting, although sometimes you may not find CruiseCritics on the same sailing as you. With the links to pics in my signature, we're not hard to miss, so it interesting to finally meet a fellow CC person when you've never seen a picture of them.

[MISSYLOU]

I started meeting CC'ers on board in Nov 01 on the Maasdam. Met Joel Keenan who many long time HAL posters might remember. At that time he posted here quite often and had an amazing sense of humor. Anyone heard from Joel?

 

Have met CC'ers on every cruise since then. We always manage to hit it off with some in the group. Have two cruises booked where we will be sailing again with CC'ers we met on previous cruises.

 

We seem to hook up with a lot of Canadians. Why is that, eh?:D

 

We think meeting here and onboard is a great way to share our addiction with others.

[localady]

On most of our cruises, we've not found many CCers, if any, on the cruise.

 

Last December though, we had the pleasure of meeting about 36 folks who were CC'ers and/or their significant others. It was a 17 day South America cruise, which gave us a chance to get together twice, once with assistance of the Food and Beverage Management. It was an exceptional group of people and many of us continue to keep touch here and elsewhere. :)

Am looking forward to our unofficial "CC Veendammers" cruise in Nov 05, as many from this forum will be present!:cool:

[cruisinjudy]

We first met other CC friends on Statendam in 2002 and we have met up with other CCers on all but a family cruise on Ryndam last year. It is really great to feel like you know people all over the ship!

[joanagain]

on my first cruise, i had a dinner companion everynight with a very knowlegable and interesting lady, we talked about many things but not cc...she gave me advise on many "do"s, that as a crusing newbie , i was unaware of...

 

it was not until i came back from the cruise, did i read the boards and find out that she is also a cc enthusiast.

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

 

We have been able to met with cc'ers several times on several cruises. The best groups were on the Rotterdam and Maasdam where we all met nearly every day.

On our last cruise, the get togethers seem to be when we had something else planned - that's the breaks. On that cruise we were first seating dinner and the majority of the group were second seating.

:)

[Orcrone]

There are only a few people from CC that are going on my October cruise on the Maasdam, and they're ones that don't post regularly. However, there's a good size, and seemingly fun group from C@ that are going on the same cruise. So I'm looking forward to meeting all of them. It's being referred to over there as the HAL-O-Weenie cruise.:D

[Lois R]

hi.:) ..the one really neat thing on Celebrity is...if you have 25 people or more on your ROLL CALL up to 3 days prior to your cruise....X will have a "get together" for them on the ship.

Its quite nice....putting faces together with names:D It is informal...usually on the first sea day..with coffee, pastries, etc.....

Now, sometimes folks end of being friends for life...other times, a nice smile or hello during the week. But I have always enjoyed meeting others from this site! And I look forward to meeting the small group on our roll call too! Hi Pete, Beckey, Ruthann, Dave, Eric, Victoria...and whoever else is going with us!!

[lipoppop]

On our June cruise to the Norwegian fjords about 20-30 cc's met in the Crow's Nest just after the lifeboat drill. This was arranged by a cc'er who acted as secretary on the cruise posting for that specific voyage.

[Lois R]

Cool...that is where our group is meeting:D

[xpcdoojk]

Like Lois I have sailed on X and RCI most recently, and we have had rubberband, cruise critic, and now meet and mingles as they are called. We have had low to high turnout on these events. The longer more exotic cruises had better attendance than the short 7 day cruise.

 

I hope to meet people in the roll call forum and at least have a drink and put a face with a message board id.

 

jc

[FrankiRN]

We go to the M&M, usually to meet the folks that we have been corresponding with on the Roll call that we didn't get to meet the night earlier at the hotel bar :D .

[TT]

We have been meeting people for years and it has been great. We loved seeing people around the ship and receiving/giving drinks when we saw them around. We became so close with one of the couples that on the Final sailing of the NCL Norway (yea right) we exchanged gifts and had a great time with them all week. Hi Gretchen/Carl! We also have extended for them to come and stay with us here in Florida anytime. They are just the nicest people going. We also have kept in touch with many other cruisers. Only once was I surprised/confused at the outcome of a CC board member. But, passed that I love meeting and exchanging information. I am looking forward to the Sept. Zuiderdam cruise and meeting everyone.

 

Toma

[Terri Lee]

Definitely yes!On the Rotterdam in December 2001, a bunch of us CCs had a great time together.I sat at the same table at dinner with 2 couples,Billi and Alan,along with their daughter,Alex,plus Allan and Barbara(can't remember their actual CC names!)Another couple,on the same cruise.....Quendryth and her husband..............great times were had by all.

 

Then on the Maasdam,December 2002, I arranged for 2 newbies to be at my table,Josh and Bobby(from Atlanta).They were terrific company and we had a ball together!

The last CCs were on the Zaandam December 2003,micmin and her husband,although we never saw the other CCs who were on board at that time:( ................that was my last cruise................

 

Just noticed a pattern....I seem to go in for December cruises! LOL!

 

Terri;)

[xpcdoojk]

FrankiRN

 

You are going on Hal in December 05, change to November and go with us to South America! Come on girl, you can do it.

 

jc:cool:

[elmorejj]

I enjoy meeting people from CC and have made some great friends. One time, I was sure the poster was a man, was I surprised when I found out it was a lady!! We will be cruising for the third time with this lady in Dec......jean

[Sage]

We have met some delightful people on cruises and have grown very close to some wonderful people we met on the Rotterdam. We look forward to the Veendam cruise in 2005, as there is a large group on that cruise.

[FrankiRN]

JC, we're not cruising in December. Who told ya that? We are cruising RCCL in October, the Navigator. And then the Legend for a 2 week Panama canal next March. No what I think is that YOU should jump off HAL and come on the Navigator with us. A good time will be had by all and I can assure you that EVERYONE will buck the heck up or else :D .

[LAFFNVEGAS]

We have not been so lucky in this area. Our Zuirderdam April of 2003 there were about 6 CCer's that were suppose to meet by the Lido Pool at a set time. I made a fool of myself asking about a dozen people if they were part of Cruise Critics? I would just get this really strange look:eek: So after about 30 minutes I gave up. Never did run into any one. Now on our Oosterdam cruise there were only 4 of us but 2 never responded back on the Roll Call Board the other one was great she actually had a cabin next door to us. We ran into them all over the place so that was fun putting a face to a name. So far I have started 2 Roll Calls for the Ryndam and the Westerdam, no one has responded. I have not started the Oct 2005 Oosterdam because I think it is a little bit early but I think that will be a different story there are already a few that are booked and getting that bargain from this board:cool: