Use the Facebook feature to “Ask Pending Members Questions.” Usually simple questions are enough to help to screen new members. Some suggested questions are: What port is this cruise visiting on day X? How did you find out about this group? How many nights is our sailing? Yes, those are questions that anyone could find the answer to, but in reality a determined person could find an answer to just about any question about the cruise that you could ask. When challenged by the questions, most people who should not be joining the group will simply leave and fail to answer them.
The great thing about using FB as a cruise group meet is that EVERYTHING you want to do and plan can be organized at one page, by utilizing the docs located in the 'Files' tab. You can also easily link to Google Forms and Sheets for sign up forms and documents.
To name or not name your cruise group: My suggestion is to ask the group, What would you like to name our cruise group? If yes, then ask for names, then put the names to a vote. This is a good way to get people involved in the group, and you can have T shirts or magnets made to commemorate your cruise.
At a minimum, your cruise group will need the following: FE group list and suggested activities. These two lists are your foundation. The FE list should be pinned on the top of the page so cruisers can find it easy. The suggested list of activities are for scheduling activities for your cruise. Keep in mind, you can ask for a helper to help with activities.
Engage your group. If you are more than a year out, ask trivia questions or post cruise tips every week or every other week. Be active in your group.
Fish Extenders: The options for organizing your FE groups is beyond the scope of this document. More detailed FE info is available on this site, look under “Planning” for various FE documents. One caution, the FE coordinator will often collect information that some cruisers would not be comfortable sharing with everyone (email addresses, children’s names and ages, etc.). Treat all info with caution and only share with those who need it.
Remember: you are the "Cruise Director" of your cruise group. There may be times where a group of friends or a strong-willed individual will join the cruise group and want to run your group. With tact and kindness you can usually direct their enthusiasm in ways that will benefit the group. Try to run the group in a way that will benefit all members.
Have the first time cruiser in mind when planning your cruise activities. If you're admining a 3 or 4 day, try not to jam pack your cruise with too many activities. Cherry pick the top few.
As the group admin, add new group members in a timely fashion. If you know you will be too busy, or be away, ask someone you have grown to trust to join you as an admin.
Do not be a cruise group 'dictator' or a control freak. You do not need to be the person who runs everything! It would be polite to ask the person(s) who created the Facebook page permission to start any new activity. If the admin says 'go for it', you can enjoy watching people start all kinds of fun meets and activities.
As an admin you will occasionally have to deal with difficult personalities and disagreements. Experience has shown that dealing with issues as they arise is better than letting them fester. Also, it is wise to correct problems as privately as possible. If the issue involves few people, private messages are better than airing a problem in front of the whole group.