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55+ Crusing - Hope others are mad at us


dazey
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We are now doing fewer cruises and more independent land trips. We find that we want to stay longer in certain areas. One day port stop does not do it for us. We keep our travel schedule flexible and will grab a last minute cruise if the price is right. Our last one was an AI, booked three or four days in advance of departure. Why stay home?

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  • 2 months later...

IMO, nobody can "make" you feel a particular way........somebody looks at me oddly, it's their problem, not mine. I only have issues with people who are openly verbally cruel or being obnoxious. I am fat and old and have only cruised solo, people might look at me weird but more often than not I make new friends every cruise. I respect and admire those older than me or who are disabled and still have the desire and ability to travel!

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We are 72 & 69 I retired at 60, but we have a good income do to our 12 rental properties and SS so we usually book Suites and fly business or first class our next cruise is on Viking Sea no children under 16 allowed on Viking ocean ships! Which is fine with us! It’s not that we don’t like kids we have kids and wonderful grandchildren but they can get pretty rowdy on a cruise. To those of you about to retire welcome to the club and see you onboard!!!

 

 

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Back in the days when they only had fixed dining we were at our table for 8 the first night when one of the other men says please bow your heads for grace! We were moved the next night! As we're two other couples. Unreal.

Why is that "unreal" when <80% of Americans consider themselves Christian? If it had been a Shinto, Hindu, Muslim or Flying Spaghetti Monster adherent, I simply would've remained silent for a moment. It's about respect. Would that one minute of your life have affected your cruise all that much? THAT is what's unreal to me. I'm sure he was as glad you moved as you were to move.

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Why is that "unreal" when <80% of Americans consider themselves Christian? If it had been a Shinto, Hindu, Muslim or Flying Spaghetti Monster adherent, I simply would've remained silent for a moment. It's about respect. Would that one minute of your life have affected your cruise all that much? THAT is what's unreal to me. I'm sure he was as glad you moved as you were to move.

You have a good point. It seems that tolerance is something that we all could try a little harder to achieve. I have been on cruises and been shown to a table with fundamentalist atheists who tried to tell me that all Christian art was bad art. I smiled and asked them to Tell me about the art they did like. We then had a decent discussion about modern American painting.

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We had a dinner table for 4 a few years ago with a couple who were half our age and it was their first cruise (we had been on about 20 at that time). They were renting a car in port in France and driving to Monte Carlo. They had never done that trip before by car but we had so we went along with them and split the cost.

 

They stayed up late the night before at the disco on the ship and the woman slept the whole way in the car and missed all the sights along the French Rivera. I was so disappointed for her that she missed the gorgeous scenery. Neither she nor her husband seemed to mind. I bet she was sorry later on when she told others that she slept through it all!

 

They were a lovely couple and we enjoyed their company every night for dinner but we sure had different interests. They used to go to the buffet before dinner and then have a complete dinner with us in the dining room.

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If anyone has issues with sitting with certain other people, (age, ethnicity, living situations, etc) they are the ones that should be requesting a private table, or shouldn't be cruising in the first place.

I disagree with that. They're paying for their cruise, too. We have asked to be moved when tablemates didn't suit us. Last time it was for excessive PDA. The couple was probably on their honeymoon, but it was pretty overt and belonged in their stateroom. They should've been given a table for two.

 

If someone doesn't want to sit with us for whatever reason, they shouldn't have to. I don't have a problem with that, or with asking to be seated with people that will enhance our cruise rather than detract from it.

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A cruise is a vacation so if I would happen to be seated at a table with people who make my skin crawl for what ever reason, I would move. There was a time when I wouldn't , and would just suffer through and dread dinner. Why would I want to do that now? MTD suits us and we sit at a table for 2. We have chatted with some lovely people during dinner or breakfast but don't have to sit with them or talk every day. It's so relaxing not to dread dinner. Everyone should do what suits them and that's ok. It is however important to always be kind.

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Why is that "unreal" when <80% of Americans consider themselves Christian? If it had been a Shinto, Hindu, Muslim or Flying Spaghetti Monster adherent, I simply would've remained silent for a moment. It's about respect. Would that one minute of your life have affected your cruise all that much? THAT is what's unreal to me. I'm sure he was as glad you moved as you were to move.

 

Sorry. Imposing your views on others is what's disrespectful.

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We have no issue whatsoever in sitting with people of any age or with those of differing sexual orientations.

 

We feel that one's faith is a very personal and private issue. We have no time for those who like to advertise it put it in the window on display. Nor do we have any time for those who want to talk politics, or worse combine politics and religion.

 

Most especially the hand holding variety who for some reason want us to hold their hands while they pray over dinner. Please....keep those practices in your own home. These are about the only reason we have ever bailed on a table. We will take the newly weds any day over this.

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Back in the days when they only had fixed dining we were at our table for 8 the first night when one of the other men says please bow your heads for grace! We were moved the next night! As we're two other couples. Unreal.

 

Why is that "unreal" when <80% of Americans consider themselves Christian? If it had been a Shinto, Hindu, Muslim or Flying Spaghetti Monster adherent, I simply would've remained silent for a moment. It's about respect. Would that one minute of your life have affected your cruise all that much? THAT is what's unreal to me. I'm sure he was as glad you moved as you were to move.

 

But goldenrod and company were requested to BOW THEIR HEADS for the religious practitioners' grace ... had not such an explicit request been made, it would've been okay--people have their rights to conduct whatever religious practice they want, may it be Shinto, Hindu, Muslim or Flying Spaghetti Monster, as long as their behavior isn't disruptive in the public place. Nonetheless, people also have their rights to NOT practice a certain behavior if they don't want to. Asking others you don't really know to participate in your brand of religious practice is excessively presumptuous. I have my own beliefs, values, thoughts, wishes, and practices, and mine needs to be respected too ... on vacation or not!

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Absolutely. If someone wants to pray before dinner no issue. Just do it privately by yourself at the table. We have been at numerous tables where some folks did this.

 

We take issue with those who ask others at the table to do the same. Or do silly things like join hands. On a cruise ship....with the threat of noro always present. No thanks.

 

It is past presumptuous to us, it is rude and disrespectful to others at the table.

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Old people have better stories! (I'm 52. DH is 60.) I went on a cruise with my Mother In Law, just the two of us, a couple years ago. (she's DEFINITELY over 55) We ate with different people every night. We went as a family about four years ago and we ate together.... But seriously.... I work with retirees. They have GREAT stories! So go! Eat with other people! Tell your stories! Ask them for theirs!

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Like to hear the stories. Not interested in hearing how smart their kids or grandchildren are, or what important jobs they have.

I'm interested in the job part. Met a former helicopter fighter pilot, a university's head of computer science, and a guy who swam his way from Communist Cuba on the last trip. Fascinating people! Everyone has a story to tell.

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Why is that "unreal" when <80% of Americans consider themselves Christian? If it had been a Shinto, Hindu, Muslim or Flying Spaghetti Monster adherent, I simply would've remained silent for a moment. It's about respect. Would that one minute of your life have affected your cruise all that much? THAT is what's unreal to me. I'm sure he was as glad you moved as you were to move.

 

Being 'a little outspoken' I would have said with a respectful smile, "Wow, I had no idea I'd be seated at a table this evening with someone embarking on a pilgrimage, tell us about your day."

I would hope to have made that person feel just as uncomfortable with my statement as he had in making his request, regardless of how well intended his call to prayer was :halo:.

One of the best things that can accompany getting older is not being too worried about being outspoken.

After my remark I would have continued on as if nothing had happened. I certainly would not have let the incident get in the way of a pleasant evening chatting with the gentleman that made the request or the other guest seated at our table.

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If someone wants to do a silent prayer prior eating who am I to complain or object to it? We don't care.

 

What we object strenuously to is people who appear to want to wear or advertise their faith on their sleeve by praying out loud, asking others to join in, or even worse asking people to hold hands We really do not understand the latter...especially on a cruise ship with the ever present concern over noro..

 

For us, faith is a very private matter. We do not feel the need to advertise or flaunt it in front of others. In fact, we feel that it is incredibly presumptuous disrespectful to to do so. The fact that we are part of that 80 percent never enters into our mind. The opposite it true...it tends to make us more sensitive to others who practice different faiths.

Edited by iancal
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Our first cruise ever, we were assigned to a 6-top with an Uncle/Nephew and two women in late 20's, my DH and me (29 or 30 at the time). Uncle in mid to late 60's, Nephew in 30's but very awkward. When the two women found out that DH was "not available" and had sized up the Uncle and Nephew -- they did not even make it to dessert the first night! This was an Alaskan cruise in 1989! Crazy place to be looking for a man.

 

Years later, my DD was 13YO. We ended up at a large table with two UK couples traveling together and another couple (Costa Ricans who had just moved to Southern CA). All of the adults were within about 15-20 years of each other. One of the women from one of the UK couples was visibly irateate at having a "child" at "their" table - but the other three of the couple were nonplussed. DD has always been a polite kid who has been able to hold her end of a conversation. By the end of the cruise the original stink-face still was not happy, but her friend had struck up a relationship with my DD and confided to me that she really enjoyed having our DD at the table and a few weeks later sent DD a Christmas card with a clipping from a London Newspaper about a topic the two of them had been debating.

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