Where do I sign up for a group for fish extender?

[Judyanimar]

This is my first time trying to participate on the gift exchange. I had been doing research and I dumped into this neat idea that I would love to be a part of. Where do I sign up and what other information I need to know?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

This is my first time trying to participate on the gift exchange. I had been doing research and I dumped into this neat idea that I would love to be a part of. Where do I sign up and what other information I need to know?

You need to go the Cruise Meet board http://www.disboards.com/forums/disney-cruise-meets.85/

and find your Cruise Meet thread. If there is one started. Fish Extender exchanges are handled on the Cruise Meet thread.

 

[alexandlillie]

I did a back to back on the wonder over Xmas and signed up for the fe on both cruise meets. And BOTH groups on dis boards fell apart. It's really sad - as DIS was a great resource on our two prior cruises. There's new rules about mentioning other specific sites and I think its done a disservice for this purpose.

I recommend looking at other popular networking sites and searching your cruise dates. Again just based on recent experience those organized off DIS were actually successful.

I hope my opinion and experience won't be censored.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I did a back to back on the wonder over Xmas and signed up for the fe on both cruise meets. And BOTH groups on dis boards fell apart. It's really sad - as DIS was a great resource on our two prior cruises. There's new rules about mentioning other specific sites and I think its done a disservice for this purpose.

I recommend looking at other popular networking sites and searching your cruise dates. Again just based on recent experience those organized off DIS were actually successful.

I hope my opinion and experience won't be censored.

I've done the FE on several cruises. The first time I participated in two separate cruise meet groups (different forums) for the same cruise. While there were people that were in both groups, each group was handled separately. And all the organization and discussions were handled directly on the DIsboards for the DIS group. There was a separate FB group for just chatting with others more privately/personally, but the group itself, and the decisions as to what activities were planned for the group and organizing thereof, was done on the boards. The other board I was in a roll call on also handled all their "stuff" directly on the roll call (and they've always had the "no other websites" policy).

There's no reason that a group on DISboards can't be as "successful" those on other sites. No reason that DISboards and other sites can't have separate groups for the same cruise.

Just prior to the change I was involved in a Cruise Meet group here that migrated elsewhere. And all activities, policies, whatever were set up and handled there. Since I'm not on that site, I asked if we could start a DISboard group for those not on that site, I was basically told "we'll keep you informed". Well, thanks, that made me feel like a second class citizen, basically saying "Here's what we have planned, do you want to be included?". I (and others) couldn't participate in decision making, indeed had no input at all.

Cruise Meet groups and Fish Extender groups were handled on DISboards for years before other sites started doing the same.

 

[Mom to 2 Girls]

I guess here might be the place to ask this. I have seen a group setup for my family's up coming cruise there was one person that started the thread with an interest in FE but later stated she is no longer on that cruise and if someone could take over the FE. I haven't seen that anyone else has even really been active. When do the groups really become active? Is it too soon? Is it possible that I'll be cruising on a ship with an FE group?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I guess here might be the place to ask this. I have seen a group setup for my family's up coming cruise there was one person that started the thread with an interest in FE but later stated she is no longer on that cruise and if someone could take over the FE. I haven't seen that anyone else has even really been active. When do the groups really become active? Is it too soon? Is it possible that I'll be cruising on a ship with an FE group?

Generally, cruise meet threads get active somewhere in the 3-9 month window. Although, if you have several in the group who are really into it, a thread can be very active from the start. My first cruise meet group was already 10-15 pages into it when we booked the cruise (at 18 months out). Other groups didn't really get rolling until much closer.

Just depends on how much those in your group want the group to succeed.

If you want a FE group, and there's none going on your cruise meet thread, you could step up and maintain the list. Basically that's all you need to do. Keep the list and make sure everyone gets a copy of it. You can do that via Conversations (PM) or emails, if people want to give them to you.

 

[Mom to 2 Girls]

Generally, cruise meet threads get active somewhere in the 3-9 month window. Although, if you have several in the group who are really into it, a thread can be very active from the start. My first cruise meet group was already 10-15 pages into it when we booked the cruise (at 18 months out). Other groups didn't really get rolling until much closer.

Just depends on how much those in your group want the group to succeed.

If you want a FE group, and there's none going on your cruise meet thread, you could step up and maintain the list. Basically that's all you need to do. Keep the list and make sure everyone gets a copy of it. You can do that via Conversations (PM) or emails, if people want to give them to you.

This is our first ever cruise so I'm not really sure how they operate. Not that I can take charge of something but seems weird to "not have a clue" and offer. My reason for asking this was because my 100 day mark is this week and the most activity was previous OP answer my questions.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

This is our first ever cruise so I'm not really sure how they operate. Not that I can take charge of something but seems weird to "not have a clue" and offer. My reason for asking this was because my 100 day mark is this week and the most activity was previous OP answer my questions.

I can tell you that the shorter (3 & 4 night) cruises sometimes don't have very active groups (if at all). Mostly because they are mainly first-time cruisers and don't "know all the ins and outs" yet.

Really, FE exchanges and Cruise Meet threads are not necessary for you to have a great cruise. Personally I'm glad I never knew about DISboards and the other cruise boards before my first cruise, or I would have been a basket case. There's a lot of drama and angst about "what room should I pick?" to "can I get a cabana?" worries that really don't even matter.

 

[TXDCLfan]

I did a back to back on the wonder over Xmas and signed up for the fe on both cruise meets. And BOTH groups on dis boards fell apart. It's really sad - as DIS was a great resource on our two prior cruises. There's new rules about mentioning other specific sites and I think its done a disservice for this purpose.

I recommend looking at other popular networking sites and searching your cruise dates. Again just based on recent experience those organized off DIS were actually successful.

I hope my opinion and experience won't be censored.

We have also found this to be so true!
Just my observation but when the Dis boards band people from mentioning FB the FE program went down in popularity

 

[alexandlillie]

I guess here might be the place to ask this. I have seen a group setup for my family's up coming cruise there was one person that started the thread with an interest in FE but later stated she is no longer on that cruise and if someone could take over the FE. I haven't seen that anyone else has even really been active. When do the groups really become active? Is it too soon? Is it possible that I'll be cruising on a ship with an FE group?

So this is kind of what happened to our group. Plus then people on the dis group found the FB site -which was incredibly active from a year out before the cruise - and wandered away from the dis and didn't return. There were a couple people on both dis and FB - and we just exchanged once. Again fell a part. And this happened twice.

Now I'm booked on a May 3 day cruise and on a very active FB group that I actually feel late to the party on. (And its early January as of this posting).

I've learned so much from dis and grateful to the site. I would just hate for someone to miss out on fe. Or worse be a part of a group that disintegrated because of what seems to be going on.

When I mentioned my concerns on my prior cruise meet thread I was given strikes and my posts were deleted. And the meet thread was really confusing because lots of people's posts had been deleted. i think It really does a disservice to casual and intermittent users. Which is the only reason I thought to answer your question.

 

[alexandlillie]

This is our first ever cruise so I'm not really sure how they operate. Not that I can take charge of something but seems weird to "not have a clue" and offer. My reason for asking this was because my 100 day mark is this week and the most activity was previous OP answer my questions.

So yes... I think what's happening is that the most experienced fe people have left dis and are organizing off site. Certainly I'm coming up on our 5th cruise and I won't even join the meet thread after my recent experiences with the two cruises (a month ago) that just disintegrated. And finding stronger activity elsewhere.

In my recent experience, There was some help from the dis moderator encouraging the newbies trying to get traction to Keep the dis fe group going, which was nice...but I kind of agree with your point. It's nice to have a mix of newbies and more experienced people in your group. That's part of what makes it fun.

 

[Mom to 2 Girls]

So yes... I think what's happening is that the most experienced fe people have left dis and are organizing off site. Certainly I'm coming up on our 5th cruise and I won't even join the meet thread after my recent experiences with the two cruises (a month ago) that just disintegrated. And finding stronger activity elsewhere.

In my recent experience, There was some help from the dis moderator encouraging the newbies trying to get traction to Keep the dis fe group going, which was nice...but I kind of agree with your point. It's nice to have a mix of newbies and more experienced people in your group. That's part of what makes it fun.

Thank you for replying!