Has ANYONE else noticed this?

[gothic_angel]

Maybe Im reading into things wrong, or maybe Im naive...but it seems alot of people here that have bad experiences say alot of things that almost sound prejudice...particularly against those of a diiferent culture. This is going to be my first cruise and i feel very fortunate to go on the Atlantica. You know why? Cuz I am probably going to be a minority on the ship. A young, single white mom of three, ex drug addict, high school drop out and poverty level, travelling by greyhound bus across the country from Washington to Florida alone. alot of personal triumphs in 2006 and rewarding myself with this cruise with like minded people...namely Goths and Vampire Live Action RolePlayers. I know how it feels to been an outcast. I may even get dirty looks for the way I look (piercings and purple hair) being on the ship. Or I may not. I dont really care. I work in the service industry and fully agree that customers should be treated with respect and courtesy at all times....but I also know that its REALLY hard when there are tons of people hassling you and dissing you because you dont speak their language well, but you understand enuff to know that they are ridiculing you. Its pretty universal. A smile is a smile in any language...but any one can also feel that evil little current of holier than thou elitism and snide comment that hurt others even when they are supposed to pretend not to notice.

 

You do not by any means EVER have to put up with ANY outright rude and disrespectful behavior. But the crew are PEOPLE. They have feelings, no matter what bloody language they speak. They have a huge job, week after week dealing with all kinds of people. A smile is worth a thousand words. Ive appreciated that sometimes more than tips Ive gotten waitressing.

 

Wow! that was long...sorry ya'll. i know you spend your time n money on the cruises, im guess im an idealist...playing mind and word games with each other to have it seem that others are wrong and you are right is kinda, well, high-school-ish. If you dont like what someone says, ignore them. You feed into it of your own volition.

[CruisenChic]

Hey Gothic Angel, you in my opinion may be right in what you are saying about SOME of the people who post negative comments about cruise staff, people in Jamaica and various other things that may be 'different' then what they are used to. I have noticed when I cruise that many of the staff are a little hard to understand when speaking english, for most it is a second, or in the case of Costa a third language. But I have found in my life experience that if you take the time to listen you can usually understand what is being said. To think that there are people who post that you should not get off of the ship in Jamaica because the people are too aggressive. Aggressive by whos standards? Why would you miss such a beautiful island because those poor people are trying to make a living. In my experience a polite 'no thank you' is all that it takes and they are off to another conquest. But then again that is my experiance. By the way, congrats on all of your accomplishments, and don't worry that some 'stick in the mud' will have issues with your appearance. Not everyone is supposed to be the same.

[christina_haws]

I too have to agree to some extent, especially about the "pushy Jamaicans" etc when talking about the ports. I haven't noticed comments so much about the crew, but I'm usually on the fashion forum and that isn't discussed as much there. I would hate for anyone to miss out on a port like Jamaica, (which is my favorite!) just because of the comments of others. I think it's important to get out there and experience it yourself ... THEN form an opinion. We're the foreigners in those places, we should respect the customs/culture of those counties, even if we don't particularly enjoy them.

 

Anyway, I hope you have a great cruise ... When are you sailing? I leave Jan 16th on the Costa Atlantica.

 

Christina

[gothic_angel]

Thanks for your encouragement!! Its been kinda hard to find others who feel as i do. I loved the REAL Jamaica...the dirt roads had the really dense trees on the side sometimes, and REALLY big spiders would spin beautiful canopies overthe roads. Kinda creepy, but really pretty. I think talking to people are great, es[ecailly when you can find things in common that have nothing to do with language. This 15 year old Jamaican girl from Montego Bay LOVED my hair, it was really long and blonde and straight. Her accent was so heavy I couldnt hardly understand her, but we had an awesome time teaching each other hair tricks and braids, buying beads and scarves for my hair, etc. It was so cool. She was my pen pal for a year after that trip!

[dogbeau]

hey gothic angel

 

When are you sailing? As a former goth-boy, I'd love to see your purple hair!