Issues of courtesy on a river cruise

We had a wonderful time on our recent Avalon Vienna to Amsterdam. Just got home a couple of days ago. Our ship made it all the way through with no problems and no swaps.

There were a few incidents on board that were topics of conversation and I think that raising awareness of them might prevent said issues on future trips. Of course, readers of Cruise Critic are already thoughtful and courteous therefore I'm probably preaching to the choir.

1. Do not talk loudly as you go down the passageway to and from your cabin. Your conversations can wait for 30 seconds or so until you get to the room or the reception lobby. People may very well be napping or relaxing in their rooms during the day OR already abed while you're stretching the evening out in the lounge. There were two couples on our cruise (one of whose cabins was adjacent to ours, that made breakfast plans every night in the hall outside our room. They had just come from the lounge but had to stop in the hallway to discuss what time they would meet for breakfast. Could they not have had that discussion a minute earlier in the lounge?

2. Keep the volume of the television turned down. People were reporting that their 'neighbors' watched movies all night long with the volume turned way up. They have more patience than have. I would have been having a "come to Jesus" discussion with the neighbors of the evening security officer. And for the life of me, I can't understand why anyone would want to watch TV at all. We never turned ours on the entire time. But that's just us.

3. Please do not get into political discussion with your table mates at meals! There were some very heated arguments over dinner and they were not at all friendly debates.

4. If you are sick, for the love of God, isolate yourself! A lady on our cruise had a terrible respiratory infection. She was coughing up her lungs all day long. We are not germaphobes but we, like many others on the ship avoided being around her. Nonetheless, she mixed in with every walking group as well as ending up on our bus twice. Rather than sitting in the back of the coach she sat in the midst of everyone and never seemed to notice, or care, that people were getting up and moving away from her. And of course, she and her husband would randomly select a table at meals that put them with other people whereupon she would cough her deep, croupy cough through dinner.

She took great care to tell everyone that she was not contagious (though she really had no way of knowing that) but she was constantly coughing and sneezing into her hand, then, of course, using the hand holds and rails on the buses and ship. I felt sorry for her that she was sick but she should have confined herself to her cabin or, at the very least, sat apart from others in the lounge and the dining room.

4b. PLEASE do not use your bare hands to scoop peanuts or other snacks out of the common bowls in the lounge. Yuk! That's what those little spoons are for.

5. Please do not carry on conversations or continue your board or card games during the daily Port Talk. This is extremely rude not only to the other travelers but also to your cruise director.

6. Please turn off the sound effects on your electronic devices when you are in a public setting. It is so annoying to hear constant "dings" or, worse, "bird tweets" every time you receive an email, tweet, or text message.

7. Try to close your cabin and closet doors gently and quietly. It is amazing how many people just let their cabin doors slam behind them when they enter or leave the room.

8. Don't be Mr and Mrs Oblivious. Yes, you paid big bucks for your cruise but so did everyone else on the ship. Being kind, courteous, polite and aware of others will make the experience much more enjoyable for everyone and will make you welcome at any table, not a pariah. A few people on our cruise were so obnoxious that others would change to a different walking group for local tours, just to avoid them. Sad, but true.

9. Don't get upset if your dinner companions for the previous two nights decide they want to sit at another table tonight. It's fun and interesting to meet new people.

10. Tables are not assigned and you have no rights to lay claim to a certain table just because you sat there for the past week. We got the stink eye from one group of people when we, apparently, trespassed on their turf one night and they had to sit elsewhere.

Of course, most of these tips are valid for hotels, too.

On a totally unrelated topic, here's another tip. TAKE A LONG EXTENSION CORD WITH YOU! You can thank me later.

Cheers!

Interesting points raised! We are just back from a trip on AMA Serena and experienced a few things that disappointed us. The first was a group from an American golf club singing rugby songs loudly in the communal lounge until asked to stop by a passenger ( for which we were all grateful). Then we had a number of evenings when one of the same group decided to sing karaoke. His party seemed to enjoy it but many other passengers didn't!!

This has put us off river cruising as there was just nowhere else to go on an evening other than our cabin.

Well said! Unfortunately, common courtesy is not so common!

Interesting points raised! We are just back from a trip on AMA Serena and experienced a few things that disappointed us. The first was a group from an American golf club singing rugby songs loudly in the communal lounge until asked to stop by a passenger ( for which we were all grateful). Then we had a number of evenings when one of the same group decided to sing karaoke. His party seemed to enjoy it but many other passengers didn't!!

This has put us off river cruising as there was just nowhere else to go on an evening other than our cabin.

I think most people would prefer the lounge to be quiet enough for small group chatting. Some people just naturally talk too loudly and it disturbs others. We had to ask the bar tender to turn down the piped in music a few times. It was too loud to carry on a conversation.

But we didn't have any rugby singers!

I think most people would prefer the lounge to be quiet enough for small group chatting. Some people just naturally talk too loudly and it disturbs others. We had to ask the bar tender to turn down the piped in music a few times. It was too loud to carry on a conversation.

 

But we didn't have any rugby singers!

Well done, Kenster!!! Rules to live by....if only there were some way of enforcing them.

On a totally unrelated topic, here's another tip. TAKE A LONG EXTENSION CORD WITH YOU! You can thank me later.

 

Cheers!

Some are very good tips for ocean cruising as well, but I'm curious - why did you need a long extension chord?

We're on Viking and I've seen photos of the cabins, There seem to be an adequate supply of plugs. Was that not the case on Avalon?

Some are very good tips for ocean cruising as well, but I'm curious - why did you need a long extension chord?

 

We're on Viking and I've seen photos of the cabins, There seem to be an adequate supply of plugs. Was that not the case on Avalon?

But are the outlets where you need them?

I spend about 180 nights each year in hotels and too many of them do not have outlets at or near the night stand to plug in your devices. So I always carry a cord. Avalon cabins had three outlets: one side of the bed, one at the desk and one in the bathroom.

We both want to keep our phones on a charger over night, plus I use a CPAP machine. The outlet was on the wall on her side of the bed so I needed the cord to be able to plug in my things.

Plus, we had one adapter. Having the cord allowed us to plug in several things off of one outlet.

OMG, preach it.

I've gotten sick on two of our cruises--head cold-upper resp. infection kind of sick. BECAUSE of other doofuses who can't be bothered to cover their cough, wash their hands or be considerate about sneezing away from others. Hand to God--first day of our Eastern European Cruise this spring, some guy SNEEZED right in my face as we passed in the corridor. I actually felt the spray. The countdown began and exactly 3 1/2 days later, I was sick. spent the back half of the cruise miserable. GRRRRR

I'm a food service professional and I'm not afraid to call out other buffet guests about using tongs. Bare hands are a nightmare. Tongs are there for a reason, as are the hand sanitizer dispensers (altho those don't stop norovirus unfortunately..)

We are usually the youngest on Viking and I think the "loud volume" on the TV has more to do with people taking out their hearing aids before bed... and then falling asleep with the TV on.

We were rafted next to another Viking ship going thru one of the locks near the Iron Gate. There was an extremely loud group on the other sundeck and we were really happy not to be sharing a ship with them.

The other travel suggestion I have: Ziploc bags. I pack a LOT of stuff in quart and gallon sized ziplocs...for one, your liquids and gels won't burst everywhere and it's a great way to keep socks and small items under control. Then I pack my souveniers in them for the return.

We experienced all of this at one time or another on ocean cruise ships but luckily not all of it on the same cruise. It's truly annoying, especially the sneezing into your face in the hallway and all over the table. I swore I would get up the next time and leave the table, but it is easier to avoid certain people on a larger ship.

Sometimes, Americans are too polite to speak up. For example when a group tried to talk loudly through the disembarkation information on the Yangtze, two Europeans shushed them. :p

Thanx for the reminders, Ken

Ira

We had a karaoke hog on our Uniworld cruise in July. He loved to hear himself sing but no one else shared his enthusiasm. :rolleyes:

Entertainment was lacking on the cruise overall but his commandeering of the microphone most nights ran off the few of us that ventured into the lounge after dinner.

But are the outlets where you need them?

 

I spend about 180 nights each year in hotels and too many of them do not have outlets at or near the night stand to plug in your devices. So I always carry a cord. Avalon cabins had three outlets: one side of the bed, one at the desk and one in the bathroom.

 

We both want to keep our phones on a charger over night, plus I use a CPAP machine. The outlet was on the wall on her side of the bed so I needed the cord to be able to plug in my things.

 

Plus, we had one adapter. Having the cord allowed us to plug in several things off of one outlet.

I also use a cpap and an extension cord is always in the cpap bag. But, the side of the bed with an outlet is mine. :cool:

I also use a cpap and an extension cord is always in the cpap bag. But, the side of the bed with an outlet is mine. :cool:

I have a stupid question, so please forgive my ignorance! I understand the need for a European plug to plug in electronics (iPad, iPhone, etc.), but if I were going to plug my electronics into an 110 volt (American) extension cord with the proper European plug on the end, would it work? I would like to take an extension cord, but don't know how that whole electricity thing happens....:)

Thanks for any help you all can offer.

liz

I have a stupid question' date=' so please forgive my ignorance! I understand the need for a European plug to plug in electronics (iPad, iPhone, etc.), but if I were going to plug my electronics into an 110 volt (American) extension cord with the proper European plug on the end, would it work? I would like to take an extension cord, but don't know how that whole electricity thing happens....:)

 

Thanks for any help you all can offer.

 

liz[/quote']

Be careful! Make sure all your electronics are rated 110/220 volts. I smoked my charger which only 110 when I plugged it in.

If you put the plug adapter (2 round pins) to your 110 volt extension, it will NOT change the voltage. All the outlets will be at 220 volts

Nearly all small appliances, at least those that you would take on a cruise (not sure about your toaster) are dual voltage so there is no worries about your laptops, phones, cameras, curling irons, etc. (don't take a hairdryer. there's one in your cabin. Avalon even loans out laptops!)

So, yes... your American extension cord will plug into your Euro adapter,, then plug your devices into the extension cord.

Nearly all small appliances, at least those that you would take on a cruise (not sure about your toaster) are dual voltage so there is no worries about your laptops, phones, cameras, curling irons, etc.

I'd check the curling irons carefully a lot are dual voltage but some still aren't, especially if you've had them for a while.

Phones, tablets, cameras etc. are a virtual certainty but still wise to check just in case.

Thankfully the passengers on our Avalon trip were very well behaved. There was no issues with unpleasant groups and the sick people (that would be us) put themselves to bed :)

Thankfully the passengers on our Avalon trip were very well behaved. There was no issues with unpleasant groups and the sick people (that would be us) put themselves to bed :)

You were brought up right! Sorry you were sick!

You were brought up right! Sorry you were sick!

Thanks! Ya we were sorry too:( But kudos to a fellow passenger (our next door neighbor) and a Doctor for the care and concern he offered. There are lots of wonderful people to be met while traveling and our boat have a "boatload" of them!

Unless you specifically buy a dual voltage hair appliance, most (esp the cheaper versions) are NOT, so yes, check carefully!

Personally, I have a very old 220v curling iron I use for travel (most places I stay have a hair dryer, and if they don't - it's not the sort of place I need to worry about how my hair looks anyway;))

Nearly all small appliances, at least those that you would take on a cruise (not sure about your toaster) are dual voltage so there is no worries about your laptops, phones, cameras, curling irons, etc. (don't take a hairdryer. there's one in your cabin. Avalon even loans out laptops!)

 

So, yes... your American extension cord will plug into your Euro adapter,, then plug your devices into the extension cord.

Make sure your extension cord is rated for 220!

Make sure your extension cord is rated for 220!

That isn't the problem you might expect it to be, the cords will be fine at the higher voltage as you are now only using half the amps.

Just pay attention to the to the total watts you are trying to draw down the cable as that is the same regardless of USA/EU voltages.

So try not to run high wattage devices at the same time on the one cord.

Chargers for electronic devices are, generally, low wattage. It's easy enough to get a heavy duty 10-15 foot extension with multiple outlets so you can be fine with almost anything.

Chargers for electronic devices are, generally, low wattage. It's easy enough to get a heavy duty 10-15 foot extension with multiple outlets so you can be fine with almost anything.

Agreed, but don't go plugging in the hairdryer and the flat iron along with a travel kettle for example :)

But are the outlets where you need them?

 

I spend about 180 nights each year in hotels and too many of them do not have outlets at or near the night stand to plug in your devices. So I always carry a cord. Avalon cabins had three outlets: one side of the bed, one at the desk and one in the bathroom.

 

We both want to keep our phones on a charger over night, plus I use a CPAP machine. The outlet was on the wall on her side of the bed so I needed the cord to be able to plug in my things.

 

Plus, we had one adapter. Having the cord allowed us to plug in several things off of one outlet.

The photos I saw of our Viking ship had outlets by the desk vanity area, one on each side of the bed and one in the bathroom. They are 110 voltage with separate 220 voltage That seems sufficient for us. We don't need to plug in our devices next to the bed - any outlet will do. Neither of us need a CPAP machine.

For our hotel stays, I'm going to look for a converter with adapters that has more than one plug, but we manage with 1 plug on our ocean cruises.

But thanks for the tips!