General Principles
All cruise groups are different, but the techniques below can help you keep them engaged.
Try to keep communications pretty frequent, particularly the further out you are. This is when people get to know one another versus the last 30+ days when the rookies will be asking tons of questions.
Change the group banner picture from time to time… seasonally, for holidays, etc… consider changing it on a set schedule as a countdown of sorts (like monthly). Here's a link to some available images.
Remember to try to mix up things to keep the interest of both veteran cruisers as well as rookies.
Try to keep things positive… there’s a reason virtually everything which happens on-board is of interest to someone, but perhaps not everyone, so remember not everyone is traveling for the same reasons. FE’s might be the highlight of someone’s cruise but you might not be thrilled about them, or you might love a Mixology session and the Drink of the Day but have many members who don’t drink… But try to help the various members enjoy their cruise for whatever reasons they’re on it.
Remember (and remind others as necessary) that people’s experiences are largely based on their past history… if they’ve cruised on other lines then DCL might not seem like a big deal until they’ve sailed and understand the difference, if they live in the north then 65 degrees might seem like a summer day to them but if they live in the south that might seem like winter to them, etc… So advice is going to be viewed through a particular lens of perspective and be more or less relevant to people… but probably not ‘right or wrong’.
Consider yourself the CIO - Chief Icebreaker Officer – to get people involved, and remember not to post questions you aren’t comfortable answering about yourself.
Ultimately being a cruise group admin should be something that helps you enjoy your cruise, so try to keep it light and fun! Get others to help you as well so the parts of it that are more like work get spread across people in the group.
Get creative… some of your ideas might flop and some might be great successes… but this might be one of the most rewarding parts of being a cruise group admin! Then please share with us here your successes.
Every communication from you gives members a change to engage, and sometimes you’ll find that someone who hasn’t commented since they day they joined suddenly gets inspired to participate!
Games
Disney character name (i.e. coming up with Disney Character Names)
· Use the last letter of the previous comment to name another character.
· Start an A-Z Naming characters. Here is a link to an alphabet list.
Disney Trivia – lots of these available online to source questions.
Name your group – solicit nominations from members and have a vote.
Questions
Favorites – you can ask people to provide their Favorite Disney or Disney Cruise ‘Thing’… lots of possibilities including:
· Food (could get specific to appetizer, entrée, dessert)
· Cocktail (alcoholic or non-alcoholic)
· Restaurant
· Lounge
· Activity on the ship
· Excursions
· Photo
· Movie (animated or live-action, classic or more contemporary)
How long is your Disney ‘history’ or what & when was your first Disney experience?
Create ‘interview questions’ and answer them for your family to get tell about themselves, their family, Disney Favorites, hobbies, where they live, pets, etc…
What is unique about where they come from/what will they miss most while cruising?
What is something most people don’t know about you, where you live, hobbies, etc…?
What is your response when people ask you why you’re going to Disney/on a Disney Cruise AGAIN?
What are you must looking forward to on the cruise? Lots of things you can see here…
Do a Question of the Day or Week to keep things fresh!
Polls / Surveys (very easy to set up in Facebook!)
You can easily set up lots of these to engage your members, where they might find out they have things in common, including:
· Farthest Distance to travel to/from the port?
· Shortest Distance to travel to/from the port?
· Special Celebrations? Anniversary, Birthday, Graduation, Other
· Modes of transportation to get to the cruise? Planes, Trains, Automobiles, Buses, Taxi’s, Bikes, Other
· Where are you staying beforehand? Near the Port, at a Disney Park, Just commuting on embarkation day?
· Is the cruise their entire vacation, or are they doing things before/afterwards? City visit, Disney Park visit, Just the Cruise, Staying on the Ship on a Back to Back voyage, etc…
· Weather they’re experiencing? Freezing, Drowning, Baking, etc…
Build on Poll/Survey topics to discuss things which might be of interest to people as well
Tips / How To’s / Cruise Info Posts
Educate members on various DCL-related or unique activities including:
· Paid In Full Dates
· Castaway Club levels/benefits
· Online check in
· Port Arrival Time and how it’s different from Boarding Time
· Tipping
· Mixology sessions
· Tasting sessions
· Fish Extenders
· Things to do / Places to stay / Transportation near the port
· Port Excursions
· Castaway Cay
· Cabanas
· Rotational Dining + the restaurants on your ship
· Adult activities
· Activities for very young kids
· Activities for older teens
· Personal Navigator
· Facts about the ship
· Packing/What to bring/what NOT to bring Lists
· Ways to save for the cruise
· Tink Tips
Pick a topic for a day, and it becomes a repository of information for members, particularly newer ones
Turn a discussion into raffle – have members nominate the Best Tip and provide some award… real or virtual… people like recognition and recognizing others!
National ______ Days… did you know there's a national Lasagna day? Every day is probably a couple of these!
Tips For New Cruisers
Thoughts from Chris Nichols:
I've written a variance of this post for the last 3-4 cruises I've been on, whether or not I was the admin, and it's always gotten a great amount of responses - sometimes between 50-100 of just great newbie tips. Feel free to use something similar in your own group:
I know we have a bunch of first time Disney cruisers in the group (and even some first-time cruisers, period!). You’ve all seen the countdown pictures I started up last week, and now that we’re within a couple of months, I wanted to start a daily post with tips, tricks, jokes, or whatever else I may come up with that day. So, here we go!
One of the best things about a cruise group is how much stuff is going on. But, as a first-timer, one of the *worst* things is that you find out HOW MUCH STUFF is going on! How the heck do you prioritize? What happens if I don’t get to do something? What have I gotten myself into hearing all of this stuff from you veterans?!?
First of all, take a deep breath.
My advice for all of you first-timers is not to stress out about all of the things you see here thinking you have to do EVERY SINGLE ONE. The overall experience of the cruise will be amazing for you, even if you end up doing nothing but sitting by the pool with an endless supply of soft-serve and pizza poolside (been there, done that, spilled it all on the t-shirt). There should be absolutely no fear of missing out. Let me say that again - your cruise will be AMAZING, and there should be absolutely no fear of missing out.
Things I suggest you definitely do, though:
- Forget sticking to any diet unless it's the "unlimited Mickey Bar and double app, double dessert" plan.
- Are you standing next to someone in line? Say hi - you may make some lifelong cruising friends.
- Take some time to wander around the ship. It's incredible!
- Wake up early to see a sunrise, and take time to catch a sunset.
- Bring something the characters can autograph. Picture frame matting works great for this to frame that awesome family or kids photo you'll end up with, but you'll see lots of other creative stuff too (can anyone add some examples in the comments?)
Overall, remember: this is a vacation, and if there are things you wish you had gotten to (there always are), that's a fantastic reason to book a placeholder for your next cruise (trust me, you'll want to)!!!
Post Pictures!
Even before your members cruise they might have pictures to show of past cruises or Disney vacations or of things involving this voyage!
Mickey Mail
T-shirts
Formal night plans
Character pics
Fish Extender for your door or gifts you’ve received or gifts you’re working on
Weather where they live... works great for winter cruises!
Disney stuff… everyone in your group is almost certainly a big Disney fan!
Special savings methods, pics of banks they create, etc...
Countdown graphics… you can provide and they can post their own versions from home!
Countdowns
Some people really love regular reminders of the time remaining until your group sails. Others may find them repetitive. You might consider less frequent count down posts when there is more than a year to go and increase the frequency as you get closer. Turn the countdown into a contest to increase interaction with those posts. Visit Count Down Graphics page.