Never outdress or out tip a customer!!

[smileyeagle1021]

Then again, I'm the type of guy who'd rather spend his money on a trip out west to enjoy the Rockey Mountain slopes.

oh yes, please do so... the greatest snow on earth is calling to you... listen to it, it wants you to ski on it... it also wants you to stay at Airport East because our hotels out here NEED you (seriously, our occupancy is pathetic)

oh and back on topic, what is wrong with people like that... I've had guests complain because one of our shuttle drivers was talking about staying in a suite in a hyatt back east on his birthday last year... and they got upset that our shuttle driver obviously thought he was better than the guests here because he didn't stay in the same brand... my other personal favorite is the guests who get upset when I get into my car and it's nicer than there's... and when I say I could afford it because of my inheritance they tell me just how lucky I am... I want to tell them they can go to hell, I'd rather have my father alive still than have a nice car because of the inheritance.

[Eric the Grey]

Oh the agony of being shown up as a poor deadbeat person ... who can afford a cruise.

??!WTF??

I can't afford a cruise. Orcprincess you are showing me up just by BEING cruise staff! How dare you remind me how I can't even afford to get ON the boat! You are so CRUEL!!!

LOL.

That lady that complained... is just a bitch.

Just to play devil's advocate here, she probably saved up for a while to afford said trip, and was most likely feeling a bit of a pinch, assuming she had to pay for meals as well.

When we went on our cruise, my sister and brother-in-law saved up for 2 years, and we took the cheapest cabins/trip/etc we could afford. The upside of ours was that all food and (non-alcoholic) drink on board was included.

I'd imagine she was feeling out of her depth amongst the regular people who cruise all the time, and this "injustice" was just the straw that broke the camel's back so to speak.

Of course, that didn't excuse her tirade, but nothing really does....

I really enjoyed my trip, and will do it again . . . someday. I also have a lot of respect for the people who work on board the cruise ships.


Eric the Grey

[Shards]

Just to play devil's advocate here, she probably saved up for a while to afford said trip, and was most likely feeling a bit of a pinch, assuming she had to pay for meals as well.

When we went on our cruise, my sister and brother-in-law saved up for 2 years, and we took the cheapest cabins/trip/etc we could afford. The upside of ours was that all food and (non-alcoholic) drink on board was included.

I'd imagine she was feeling out of her depth amongst the regular people who cruise all the time, and this "injustice" was just the straw that broke the camel's back so to speak.

Of course, that didn't excuse her tirade, but nothing really does....

I really enjoyed my trip, and will do it again . . . someday. I also have a lot of respect for the people who work on board the cruise ships.


Eric the Grey

In that event she also knew she would be dealing with people who would seem more at home than she would there, and when she bought the ticket to climb on board by them, she waived her right to be upset by seeing people who looked better off. Just my $0.02.

[Victoria J]

What I really marvel at is that she felt embarrassed by just sitting near you and the fact that people might notice she was dressed less well, and tipping less well, than staff working on the cruise but she wasn't at all embarrassed to throw a temper tantrum in public and repeatedly refer to her clothes, her low tip and her being "shown up" by you.

I don't understand people.

Victoria J

[Blade_Raver]

Wow.. you demonstrate a perfect example of being a non-sucky customer with class... and the rest of society looks down on you.. WTF is wrong with society these days?

Keep on keepin on orcprincess You're doing a fantastic job!

[AccountingDrone]

Dumb question, never been on a cruise [other than several on The Mystic Whaler, a sailing vessel that does short 1,3 and 5 day cruises...eentirely different thing=) ]

On the average cruise ship, one that apparently has several different eateries like the one in the OP ... does one eat anywhere you want for each seating [breakfast, lunch and supper] and it is part of your ticket and you "pay" by swiping your room key, and alcohol and tips are extra, or do you pay? My only real experience is watching love Boat that seems to have had a dining facility that had like assigned seating, and a bar ...

We are getting to where we may actually be able to indulge in an occasional expensive touristy vacation like a cruise, or a stay at one of those nifty carribean resorts once a year or so... so look on this as sort of research on how to be nonsucky! I worked in a restaurant and try my best to be nonsucky, and I know I tend to tip on the high side unless the server is the suckitudinous one .... so I want to make sure that we are on our best behavior=)

[Bramblerose]

when I worked retail clothing, I learned one takes good clothes to cruise. THis is why if I can ever pull it together, we will take a barefoot cruise- I don't want to travel with the fuss and feathers.

What this idiot from teh OP needs is a quick dose of art school (any art).

Rule One: There will *always* be someone better than you.

Rule Two: Suck it up or leave.

[Amina516]

Dumb question, never been on a cruise [other than several on The Mystic Whaler, a sailing vessel that does short 1,3 and 5 day cruises...eentirely different thing=) ]

On the average cruise ship, one that apparently has several different eateries like the one in the OP ... does one eat anywhere you want for each seating [breakfast, lunch and supper] and it is part of your ticket and you "pay" by swiping your room key, and alcohol and tips are extra, or do you pay? My only real experience is watching love Boat that seems to have had a dining facility that had like assigned seating, and a bar ...

Most of your food and drink like coffee tea and juice are included in the fare. There are specialty restaurants to go to for a lilttle extra $$ and the alcohol is usually an extra charge, as is the soda. Tips are definately extra.

Cruises are my favorite way to vacation. I have one coming up in 10 months!! im very excited! that being said, If I saw some crewmembers that I was familar with on land, Id wave or something along those lines. Did that crazy lady think OP was chained to the ship and paid nothing?! This boggles my mind...

[Evil Queen]

I'll bet Crazy Lady doesn't think the people working on the ship get paid too.

[AccountingDrone]

Most of your food and drink like coffee tea and juice are included in the fare. There are specialty restaurants to go to for a lilttle extra $$ and the alcohol is usually an extra charge, as is the soda. Tips are definately extra.

Cruises are my favorite way to vacation. I have one coming up in 10 months!! im very excited! that being said, If I saw some crewmembers that I was familar with on land, Id wave or something along those lines. Did that crazy lady think OP was chained to the ship and paid nothing?! This boggles my mind...

Sounds like fun, Now that my walking is pretty much limited to gimping with a cane for about half an hour max [i can move around the house, like from bed to desk, manage to get meals for myself, and bathroom type stuff but long wanders through the mall are pretty much wheelchair trips now...] vacations have been changed from long leisurly wanders though museuns, historical monuments and hiking in parks. Pretty much lounging around watching people, reading in the shade and casual chatting with people is going to be it ... and a cruise sounds like fun.

So I would be ok with loungy stuff for the day and some nice dinner clothes? Like what you would call cocktail dress? And dumb question ... I use a 60 dose injector with byetta for my type 2 diabetes and some heavy hitting painillers. Not to sound like I expect the whole staff and crew to be thieves, how safe are my meds in the average low end cabins? You always hear the negative stories about stuff being stolen, and people being mugged or otherwise attacked on a cruise....I know tha tin general people are honest but I really cant do without my meds being immediately on and and not have to go to the ships office to get something out of a safe...

[Amina516]

LONNNGGG....

Sounds like fun, Now that my walking is pretty much limited to gimping with a cane for about half an hour max [i can move around the house, like from bed to desk, manage to get meals for myself, and bathroom type stuff but long wanders through the mall are pretty much wheelchair trips now...] vacations have been changed from long leisurly wanders though museuns, historical monuments and hiking in parks. Pretty much lounging around watching people, reading in the shade and casual chatting with people is going to be it ... and a cruise sounds like fun.

So I would be ok with loungy stuff for the day and some nice dinner clothes? Like what you would call cocktail dress? And dumb question ... I use a 60 dose injector with byetta for my type 2 diabetes and some heavy hitting painillers. Not to sound like I expect the whole staff and crew to be thieves, how safe are my meds in the average low end cabins? You always hear the negative stories about stuff being stolen, and people being mugged or otherwise attacked on a cruise....I know tha tin general people are honest but I really cant do without my meds being immediately on and and not have to go to the ships office to get something out of a safe...

I wouldnt call any cabin "low end" Some are cheaper than others yes, but if youre even on the ship youre a lucky girl or boy. I have never had a problem with stealing ANYTHING that includes money, electronics, candy that has been left out. The staff has been great and in room safes are provided.

They have special cabins set aside for those with diasbilites, they are usually larger to accomodate wheelchairs and the bathrooms are bigger. Also, some companies rent those hoverround type scooters that you can get on the ship and use for the duration of your vacation.

Everyone is in loungy clothes or bathing suits (usually) during the day and depending what cruise line youre on, they may or may not have requirements about what to wear for dinner. Some ask that you dress to the nines, some ask for business casual and some dont care. Youre there to have fun, thats the main part. Ive been to dinner in cocktail dresses, in jeans, in slacks, in skirts flip flops...It is what you make it!

If you think about it, every week TONS of cruise take off with anywhere from 500 to 2500 people a week. Thats a HUGE amount. The negative stories in the news cover such a small percentage of that number, its almost unfair to paint all cruises with that brush. A bad vacation can happen no matter where you are.

Hope you jump on a boat soon! You wont regret it...

[DataJager]

Life is about competition and thus there must be losers. I think it's kind of ironic that they could afford the cruise but then couldn't tip properly. $4 is only a good tip if I only order coffee.

[smileyeagle1021]

I think it's kind of ironic that they could afford the cruise but then couldn't tip properly. .

I think it's a sign that she couldn't actually afford the cruise...

[Becks]

I call the woman in the OP a -a-thon champion.

[LibraryLady]

Yeah, it's an odd situation but, in my experience, the staff are often the best-dressed people on the ship.

We've been on cruises that ranged the gamut from shoes and shirts in the Dining room, please to a Cunard Cruise where every night except the first and last are formal. Actually, we like a bit of formality because we rarely have the chance to dress up at home.

In a certain sense, a cruise ship is a fantasy place and dressing up is part of that. Certainly, extra tariff restaurants on board are the place for it.