Cruise Facebook Groups

[Perdita&Pongo]

Just FYI: the DISboards did used to have an app!!

 

[Cackyschmackers]

Just FYI: the DISboards did used to have an app!!

I know, but they don't any more for whatever reason.

 

[DLM1980]

I know, but they don't any more for whatever reason.

The reason they had an app was that the prior forum software was not very mobile friendly. However the company that made the app failed to keep it up and over time to the app became very buggy and crashed as it became more and more incompatible with the forum software. Eventually the dis switched to a new software to run the forums called xenforo. Part of the reason for this was the mobile compatibility. While xenforo solved most of the need for the mobile app it does not completely eliminate the desire for an app.

Getting push notifications of replies to a thread would be great

Ability to read a post without the popping up of the select/quote button would be great

Just in typing this out on my phone the web browser encountered an error and had to reload the page. This happens a lot lately on this site

Occasionally bad ads hit and want to open up the App Store

 

[TestingH2O]

Just in typing this out on my phone the web browser encountered an error and had to reload the page. This happens a lot lately on this site

I've been having this problem recently too.

 

[perditax]

The reason they had an app was that the prior forum software was not very mobile friendly. However the company that made the app failed to keep it up and over time to the app became very buggy and crashed as it became more and more incompatible with the forum software. Eventually the dis switched to a new software to run the forums called xenforo. Part of the reason for this was the mobile compatibility. While xenforo solved most of the need for the mobile app it does not completely eliminate the desire for an app.

Getting push notifications of replies to a thread would be great

Ability to read a post without the popping up of the select/quote button would be great

Just in typing this out on my phone the web browser encountered an error and had to reload the page. This happens a lot lately on this site

Occasionally bad ads hit and want to open up the App Store

There's a tapatalk / app plug in for the new forum software. They've admitted in one of the podcasts (at the time of the forum software change) that they won't enable the tapatalk plugin because it would decrease ad revenue.

 

[DLM1980]

There's a tapatalk / app plug in for the new forum software. They've admitted in one of the podcasts (at the time of the forum software change) that they won't enable the tapatalk plugin because it would decrease ad revenue.

I believe I heard that too. I don't want to minimize the complexity but I bet one could write the code necessary to integrate a patreon subscription into a tapatalk access thus relieving the loss of revenue from ads

 

[Flossbolna]

I believe I heard that too. I don't want to minimize the complexity but I bet one could write the code necessary to integrate a patreon subscription into a tapatalk access thus relieving the loss of revenue from ads

That is an interesting idea and you should send this suggestion directly to the webmasters.

I actually use the DIS a lot from my phone and I do not have all the problems people are reporting encountering. Maybe it is browser specific??

 

[Cackyschmackers]

That is an interesting idea and you should send this suggestion directly to the webmasters.

I actually use the DIS a lot from my phone and I do not have all the problems people are reporting encountering. Maybe it is browser specific??

I use five devices on 3 platforms: two PCs, one on Chrome, one on Firefox; two iPads, both on Safari, and my Droid with Chrome. I only have these difficulties with the iPads and Droid, which all have the latest OS. Very cumbersome. I don't expect it to be perfect but it's getting worse.

 

[phinz]

There's a tapatalk / app plug in for the new forum software. They've admitted in one of the podcasts (at the time of the forum software change) that they won't enable the tapatalk plugin because it would decrease ad revenue.

Makes me not feels so bad about using an ad blocking plugin since the scripts they run freak my laptop's browser out.

 

[cyclenut]

A lot of the discussion has turned to the technological differences with mobile devices as if that's really what makes the cruise groups here cumbersome. That FB handles mobile more elegantly is not what makes FB groups more attractive. It's really the way conversations are handled by the format of the application. I'll acknowledge that the underlying technology of the DIS forums do make it much more difficult to handle on mobile devices (I use mobile almost exclusively). However, even if the DIS someone "fixed" mobility, the way in which FB handles conversations carries the day.

For those who don't use FB, the point I'm making here is that when one person makes a comment on FB, when others contribute to that comment, all of the comments on that "topic" are threaded together as a single conversation. If that topic doesn't interest you, you skip past it and go to the next. You can see this in the general forums, but the cruise meets are not set up that way. There is one topic for the cruise and you have to scroll through the posts top to bottom. If you want to respond to a particular person you have to quote some of their text or nobody knows what you are referring to. It doesn't work that way on FB.

The other thing that makes FB so much more powerful when it comes to cruise groups is that there is a much larger community to draw from and it encourages more family participation. Online forums are difficult to learn. There are rules and techniques to posting pictures, including links, quoting posts, etc. Those that learn it don't give it much thought, but it's confusing to the average person. FB makes all of those things super easy. I see a lot of groups that include nearly everyone in the party whereas cruise meet links here on the DIS are generally represented by one or two people in the cruise party at most. That person becomes the liaison or coordinator for whomever is cruising in that group.

Ease of use. That's the key here.

 

[godde8ss]

My first cruise in 2015, the meet up group on here had someone organize a FE and that was my first experience with it. Someone else, organized a mixology. My second cruise and two upcoming, there were/are crickets on the cruise meets. My second cruise, I did FE, mixology, group open bar, meet up - all organized thru FB. Meanwhile, the meet on here was silent. I read this board and try to contribute, because there is good value in sharing the information. But, the Book has been the place for all of the social interaction. This, I believe, is because of ease of use. You are already on your phone, on your FB, might check in real quick with my cruise group. You see their photos, learn their names...it is much more personal. I think there is no solution except to accept that they are two different platforms and one is for information, and the other, for social interaction.

As far as FE groups go, I am lucky that I have never been in a group with "rules". I would drop out if there such a thing in place. That, to me, takes the whole point away. My kids enjoy the giving and dropping off of the gifts probably more than the receiving. That is how it should be.

 

[Mark pescar]

We are going on the Disney Magic sailing out of Miami 4/25/2022 to the Bahamas with 2 stops at Castaway Cay. I have been searching for our Disney Cruise Meets forum but there is no link. Can someone help me to find the link or tell me how to create one. This will be our 18th cruise since we joined Disney Vacation Club in 2007. We have always participated in fish extenders. I really would love to do that again on this cruise but I am not sure if that is being allowed because of Covid. If anyone can help with any of this information needed I would greatly appreciate it. Regardless very excited about our upcoming cruise once again.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We are going on the Disney Magic sailing out of Miami 4/25/2022 to the Bahamas with 2 stops at Castaway Cay. I have been searching for our Disney Cruise Meets forum but there is no link. Can someone help me to find the link or tell me how to create one. This will be our 18th cruise since we joined Disney Vacation Club in 2007. We have always participated in fish extenders. I really would love to do that again on this cruise but I am not sure if that is being allowed because of Covid. If anyone can help with any of this information needed I would greatly appreciate it. Regardless very excited about our upcoming cruise once again.

Here on DISboards there's an April 21, 2022 Magic cruise header listed, but no one has started a cruise meet thread to be linked there.

To start the thread you need to go to the cruise Meet Board https://www.disboards.com/forums/disney-cruise-meets.85/ and click on the "Post Thread" link in the upper right. Then make a post starting your meet thread. Copy the URL address at the top of the page, once you've created it and then go back to the main page and scroll down to the Magic 2022 cruise meet thread https://www.disboards.com/threads/find-your-2022-magic-cruise-meet-link-here.3816124/ and click on the title. There post a reply asking for the link to be added to the directory. Be sure to paste the link into your post. ONE NOTE: you need to have 10 posts here on DISboards in order to post a link.

Be aware DCL has currently banned Fish Extender exchanges onboard.

Links to other site cruise groups are not allowed on DISboards.

 

[Snowwhyt]

Be aware DCL has currently banned Fish Extender exchanges onboard.

DCL has requested that people not pass out gifts throughout the halls to keep down the traffic and for passenger safety.
Many FE groups now pick a time and place to meet and exchange items in person. My sailing on Saturday has several groups meeting at different times. They have EVERY group you can think of, so many exchange times it’s got to be hard if you signed up for them all. So they still have FE exchanging just change with the times.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

DCL has requested that people not pass out gifts throughout the halls to keep down the traffic and for passenger safety.
Many FE groups now pick a time and place to meet and exchange items in person. My sailing on Saturday has several groups meeting at different times. They have EVERY group you can think of, so many exchange times it’s got to be hard if you signed up for them all. So they still have FE exchanging just change with the times.

Well, technically not a FE (Fish Extender) exchange, just a group gift exchange get together.

Fish Extender exchanges were originally anonymous gift giving via the extender placed on the fish (mail box) at each door.

 

[Snowwhyt]

Well, technically not a FE (Fish Extender) exchange, just a group gift exchange get together.

Fish Extender exchanges were originally anonymous gift giving via the extender placed on the fish (mail box) at each door.

True, but people are not going to change the name of it so soon when it might come back.
It’s kind of like having to change your Christmas party because of Covid. Maybe you have it in July, but it’s still your family Christmas party.
Sometimes you have to make do.

 

[Sleepyluke]

DCL has requested that people not pass out gifts throughout the halls to keep down the traffic and for passenger safety.
Many FE groups now pick a time and place to meet and exchange items in person. My sailing on Saturday has several groups meeting at different times. They have EVERY group you can think of, so many exchange times it’s got to be hard if you signed up for them all. So they still have FE exchanging just change with the times.

I think it is funny that they are trying to keep a few people out of the halls at the same time, and to fix this, the groups are gathering all together at the same time and place. That make sense!!

 

[AquaDame]

Since we have our own meet threads and have been asked not to allow links to facebook since the time this thread was opened I'm going to lock this one.