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SargassoPirate

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Everything posted by SargassoPirate

  1. It's my cross to bear, having worked in food service in my teens and later being trained in public health and doing food operation inspections. I can't look away. That's why I get on my high horse about lax practices with the workers and will call out passengers who touch food and put it back.
  2. An apt description. I just don't like things hanging around my neck - id badges, neckties, bandanas, COVID masks, etc. I have a little card holder that I got on Celebrity years ago. Real leather. It holds my cruise card and a few folded bills for additional tips for the drink servers who deserve it. Then came the Medallion. Now I use a leather Apple tag holder that I found on Amazon. The medallion fits in the holder and there are a couple of slots for credit cards/folding money.
  3. I see the same thing. Not too long ago I saw a woman reach in for a roll, put it back and get another one. The tongs were right there. Not being overly shy, I spoke up and told her to stop touching other people's food. The supervisor heard me, came over and removed the bowl of rolls. Of course, the woman got in a big huff to try to deflect that she had been caught doing something wrong.
  4. If you are really serious about it and blessed with a mild case of OCD, check every morning. I did that for a particular and uncommon cruise that I wanted several years ago. The category I wanted was sold out and Princess reps said there was a waiting list. Folks on the roll call were discussing the waiting list, etc. I got up one morning to check online and was able to book a cabin. And without a single supplement being added. Two hours later the price was back up and everything was sold out. Evidently, the IT wonks were hard at work improving the system overnight. Folks on the roll call were still discussing the roll call as if nothing happened. They and the TAs missed that brief opening. That was one sweet cruise.
  5. Same reasons people miss planes and trains, yet planes and trains don't wait, so why should people expect a ship to wait?
  6. There was a long thread on here for the 2023 World Cruise with a lot of good questions and answers about the ship. After following the thread for four months or so, my takeaway was that it's an older ship with a great crew. If you want a new, pristine ship, look elsewhere.
  7. By waiting, ship's captains have trained entitled people that the ship will wait on them. Planes don't wait. Trains don't wait. Why do ships wait - unless it's an official excursion that is running late. If word gets out that cruise ships don't wait on passengers who can't tell time, that behavior would change.
  8. If the wonky app won't cooperate, just take your booking documents and show up at the pier at your convenience. Explain the issue and they'll take care of you. Don't waste your time, that you'll never get back, on the app.
  9. Check out whatsinport.com for info about what's in every port one can imagine. We use it for info that the cruise lines don't like to share - such as you can step off the ship and it's an easy walk into town. The cruise line would rather sell you an excursion than have you go off on your own. After our third visit to Athens on a cruise, we explored the port city of Pireaus. And that was after the cruise director said there was nothing to see there. Print out the map from whatsinport.com and you're all set.
  10. One cannot depend on others to do the right thing. I've made it this far by treating everything in the world and everyone in it as if they are infected with something, and then I simply break the chain of contamination. For example, if I'm riding a subway and grab the handhold, I don't go sticking my fingers in my mouth or touch any food without a good hand washing. Same thing if I shake hands with someone. If there's a vaccine available, I take it.
  11. One image that I can't unsee was during the height of the pandemic a woman driving through town, in a car by herself, wearing a pair of kitchen gloves and a dual cartridge respirator.
  12. I generally avoid handling anyone's tongue at the buffet, or anywhere else for that matter. 😜 (sorry, couldn't help myself after I almost blew coffee out my nose reading your post)
  13. I don't mind touching any surface including the serving utensil handles because I do washy washy on the way in and then sanitize after I'm seated and finished touching anything. I've seen some people use the gloves in the buffet line and then pull them off at the table, lay their silverware on the table, pull their chair in, touch the condiment containers, and then touch their food with the hands. Totally clueless. What about the food workers that wear them and never change them after touching multiple surfaces? Hence my sarcasm about the gloves having some sort of magical disinfecting powers.
  14. The only cabins I see available for the 25 day cruise are insides. All other categories are sold out. That may be the reason they pulled bookings for the transatlantic. Just a guess.
  15. Yes, I guess I have been lucky and my MD thinks I must have some sort of heavy duty immune system since I never get sick and never have had covid. You are right about covid being airborne, but have you noticed the ubiquitous rubber gloves? People must think they have some sort of magical sanitizing powers. Good for you for taking precautions to protect yourself. Stay well.
  16. Why do you need gloves for the buffet? What are the benefits? Do you wear them while you are eating? I'm curious about the phenomenon of gloves everywhere.
  17. I know your handle is "love to cruz' but with your record with covid, why continue to place yourself in harm's way? The other side of the coin is I have still not had covid, have had so many shots and boosters that my card is filled up, and never wear a mask anywhere unless required to. I don't worry about Noro either because I wash my hands before I touch my food.
  18. Had that happen on HAL transatlantic a few years ago. Staff would come around with a specialty restaurant menu and interrupt our meal with a sales pitch. It was hard not to be rude to them for interrupting our meal since they were being told to do it, so She Who Must Be Obeyed made a little sign with a folded index card that said "NO" on both sides and when the photographers or the specialty restaurant sales people would come around, rather than making eye contact with them and interrupting our conversation, one of us would just point to the sign. Before very long, "NO" signs were cropping up on other tables and by midway through the cruise the roving sales pitches stopped.
  19. Finding a local barber when traveling is often more fun than booking a canned excursion with hours on the bus. Barbers are good conversationalists and once they find out that you are a visitor, you will likely come away with a recommendation for a good lunch and some local sightseeing spots not on the excursion agenda. I've had some pretty good days in port getting a haircut and lunch at a local cafe off the beaten path.
  20. I recall years ago booking our first Princess cruise over the phone with whomever took the call. Nice older man from the US by the sound of his voice. He was very patient, had been on the ship we were booking, was full of tips about the ship and what not to miss, and everything went swimmingly. He even called to remind us about the final payment coming up. Ahhh, the good old days of real customer service.
  21. What?!?! HVAC techs are not working for minimum wage. That's pretty ballsy for a company to add a tip line. What's next? I guess the next time one of the cars goes into the stealership there will be a tip line on the invoice and a tip jar at the parts counter. And I'm the guy who tips a little extra for my wee dram on a cruise - To Insure Prompt Service!
  22. Pink sez " we notice that the waiter cleans the table of the previous table guest and then uses the same dirty cloth to clean the next table and he /she is not see washing his hands or using hand sanitizer at all between the tables and bringing water, coffee, tea, iced tea," I've complained about that practice for years - especially when I would see them wipe off a table with a used napkin and then set the table with coffee cups and tumblers placed upside down on the "clean table". BUT.....now they wear rubber gloves for an entire shift as theater to make the guests more comfortable.
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