Question?

[A01]

When you do the FE on the cruise ships how come the people on the list to get a gift don't participate in giving to others on the list? We had this problem on the Fantasy 2 years ago?

Can anyone answer that for me because to my understanding if you participate you must follow the rules
am I correct.

 

[NS8VN]

So, your question is "why do people say they are going to do something and then not do it?"

Great question. I believe our species will be in a much better place when we come up with a satisfactory answer, and maybe even a solution, to that. Until then, the unsatisfactory answer is "people are people."

 

[MUN]

When you do the FE on the cruise ships how come the people on the list to get a gift don't participate in giving to others on the list? We had this problem on the Fantasy 2 years ago?

Can anyone answer that for me because to my understanding if you participate you must follow the rules
am I correct.

Who didn't you get a gift from?

 

[Shanti]

When you do the FE on the cruise ships how come the people on the list to get a gift don't participate in giving to others on the list? We had this problem on the Fantasy 2 years ago?

Can anyone answer that for me because to my understanding if you participate you must follow the rules
am I correct.

This has been burning you up for two years? Really?

There are no cruise cops to police how well people adhere to FE rules. It's rude to call individuals out about it, especially when you can't know why they might have failed to reciprocate (lost luggage containing FEs, unintentional poor planning not giving them time to prepare, illness on board, etc.) This is not a common problem, but when it occurs, it probably isn't anything malicious. Some people just bite off more than they can chew when planning a trip.

I've participated in FE's twice, and in my and my son's opinion the true fun is in the giving, rather than the receiving.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

That's one reason I don't see the sense in putting names (to/from) on the FE gifts. The whole thing was supposed to be a pixie dust thing. You sign up, you get gifts (hopefully from everyone on the list, but sometimes not). But, without names, how would you know?

 

[GPaLarry]

I don't do FE, but I take glow sticks and/or tattoos and put them in the pouches for the pixie dust fun of it. Maybe this screws up the system, who knows?

 

[bobbiwoz]

I usually organize a Local Candy/Snack Exchange and I do not think “non-giving” is a huge problem. Whether the folks forgot their things, or someone took them, or perhaps there was a counting mistake, I would not give up participating.

We do ask for names “to and from.”

I like to know who gave the gifts. For our cruise at the end of January I sent an email to one participant about how special her gift was. She mentioned that she did not receive my gift, so I told her what it was, and asked for her address, so I could mail it to her. She got back to me to say that she DID receive that, but had attributed it to a FE group, and not to The Candy Exchange.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

When you do the FE on the cruise ships how come the people on the list to get a gift don't participate in giving to others on the list? We had this problem on the Fantasy 2 years ago?

Can anyone answer that for me because to my understanding if you participate you must follow the rules
am I correct.

Seriously? This is a problem? And it's been bothering you for two years?! You REALLY need those FE trinkets?!

 

[princessmommyx3]

After my last cruise, there was a big fiasco on the fb page about someone who noticed that certain people didn't deliver gifts to her cabin, so she left rude anonymous notes in their FE holders. I didn't participate in the FE, I just sat back with popcorn and watched the drama unfold. The thing is, this person was in 3 different FE groups (which is how she was identified, as she was the only person in all 3 groups of the people who got the anonymous notes) so I can't fathom how much time it took away from her vacation for her to catalog her 60+ gifts and figure out which rooms were missing, write the nasty notes, and then deliver them. If you are going to keep track of and be bothered by this, you probably shouldn't participate.

 

[Shanti]

If you are going to keep track of and be bothered by this, you probably shouldn't participate.

Probably?

 

[disneymagicgirl]

That's one reason I don't see the sense in putting names (to/from) on the FE gifts. The whole thing was supposed to be a pixie dust thing. You sign up, you get gifts (hopefully from everyone on the list, but sometimes not). But, without names, how would you know?

I agree. It used to be fun but with social media, as in alot of things, it got out of hand. I just fill ours myself now for my kids. It is so much better. They still get surprised and then we pixie dust random FEs with small trinkets.

 

[Snowwhyt]

When you do the FE on the cruise ships how come the people on the list to get a gift don't participate in giving to others on the list? We had this problem on the Fantasy 2 years ago?

Can anyone answer that for me because to my understanding if you participate you must follow the rules
am I correct.

Sorry some of the DISboard members must have shorts in their keyboards to have written some of those remarks.

I too felt my first was a little light in the receiving area. I brought an entire suitcase larger than what my personal suitcase held for the week. I placed my personal suitcase inside the FE suitcase to go home.
But so many things could have happened.

....you can't know why they might have failed to reciprocate (lost luggage containing FEs, unintentional poor planning not giving them time to prepare, illness on board, etc.) This is not a common problem, but when it occurs, it probably isn't anything malicious. Some people just bite off more than they can chew when planning a trip.

Shanti is correct above. In my 3 prior FE experiences, here’s what has happened:
•people have lost luggage(they bought gifts in port and at the shops),
•one lady said she wanted to back out less they 2 weeks prior to sailing(her daughter went over to her house and made beautiful pillow cases for her mom then)
•I’ve seen FE’s pile up at one door until the Fish broke when a lady was sick in bed for 2 days.
•sadly sometimes there are a few kids that may be taking from your FE while you are asleep or at a meal or show. This is often a problem on decks that have kids clubs.

Don’t lose faith. It’s about making someone feel special. It’s about the magic that you create for someone else. Especially the children.
But just so you don’t get slighted next time.... pick a cabin in a different area and sign up early so that you get the seasoned cruisers gifts. The first list always has the best FE’s! They are the planners!

 

[diznymom]

Sometimes, someone might not give....it happens. I organized a FE exchange and meet and greet one sailing. I found a few of the people just did not really understand how it all worked. I had one lady admit that she only read the first page of our thread and didn't read any further. One family brought their gifts to the meet and greet - I had to explain to them how it worked. One family sent their teenagers to deliver the gifts - the teenagers just put the gifts in some random pockets (not the ones their parents gave them a list of). All in all I think people's hearts and intentions are in the right place.

I do agree that the groups on social media have gotten out of hand. This next cruise will be the first time we won't be participating in the FE exchange.

 

[FigmentSpark]

You also forget that some things that are delivered can walk away from the FE before the family has found them. It's possible that the OPs gifts were delivered and taken by someone. Sadly, that happens.

 

[MelSpees]

Sometimes, someone might not give....it happens. I organized a FE exchange and meet and greet one sailing. I found a few of the people just did not really understand how it all worked. I had one lady admit that she only read the first page of our thread and didn't read any further. One family brought their gifts to the meet and greet - I had to explain to them how it worked. One family sent their teenagers to deliver the gifts - the teenagers just put the gifts in some random pockets (not the ones their parents gave them a list of). All in all I think people's hearts and intentions are in the right place.

I do agree that the groups on social media have gotten out of hand. This next cruise will be the first time we won't be participating in the FE exchange.

This is second time we're participating with the social media group and it is very well organized and I'm sure will work fine. The last one was really great. I think maybe better than the one I did from the DIS group. It depends on the people involved, not where it was organized from. Our social media group is really great. This is another case of generalizing from one or two experiences.

 

[nearlyfallinstar]

I don't do FE, but I take glow sticks and/or tattoos and put them in the pouches for the pixie dust fun of it. Maybe this screws up the system, who knows?

That does not mess up the system!

 

[MUN]

After my last cruise, there was a big fiasco on the fb page about someone who noticed that certain people didn't deliver gifts to her cabin, so she left rude anonymous notes in their FE holders. .

Nice!

 

[MUN]

I don't do FE, but I take glow sticks and/or tattoos and put them in the pouches for the pixie dust fun of it. Maybe this screws up the system, who knows?

That's a great idea! On our next cruise, perhaps, I will pixie dust FE people with packets of Twinings tea or hot cocoa.

MUN

 

[A01]

This has been burning you up for two years? Really?

There are no cruise cops to police how well people adhere to FE rules. It's rude to call individuals out about it, especially when you can't know why they might have failed to reciprocate (lost luggage containing FEs, unintentional poor planning not giving them time to prepare, illness on board, etc.) This is not a common problem, but when it occurs, it probably isn't anything malicious. Some people just bite off more than they can chew when planning a trip.

I've participated in FE's twice, and in my and my son's opinion the true fun is in the giving, rather than the receiving.

No this has not bugged me for 2 years. I was simply asking a question. When I joined the nice couple who explained everything to me about it said that if you are not going to buy everyone a gift then you shouldn't join because it's not fair to other people if they get a gift and the other one doesn't. She said there are rules to follow for it. That's why I asked if it was wrong for someone to participate if they don't follow the rules. I do plan to do it again and I enjoy giving to other people and I just feel I shouldn't have been called out on it. I simply was asking about the rules that we must follow for the FE.

 

[A01]

Who didn't you get a gift from?

We didn't get anything from a couple of families but it effected the children more than it did us grown ups. So I went into the shops and bought somethings for the kids and put it in there pocket of the FE.