Cruise 'Snobs'

[Thetrail]

When the wife and I were on our 1st cruise last month, we found that generally, most passengers were very friendly toward us, but, there were a few occassions when we were felt to feel 'lower class', for example, eating in the windjammer on Indy one night, we both decided to have something a burger.

 

On a table nearby, there were a group of people, tutting, and muttering under their breath about "these young people always eating junk food!" (we're both in our 30's, and this was the only time, apart from JR's we ate burgers!)

 

Another time, my wife was told to "Shut up, girl!" by a woman reading, when she was talking to someone else by the pool. Others were complaining about the amount of 'young people and families'. It seemed to me that some of these people felt that cruising was the reserve of the upper classes, and the more 'senior' folk. I even said to one that if they felt that way, don't book a cruise on a ship like Indy, which is a family-ship.

 

do others experience this? Or is it a rare thing?

Sad to say you usually run into one or two people who are just plain ignorant and annoying, the crew knows this all to well as to seasoned cruisers. But thankfully it is rare. Remember a large cruise ship is just a sampling of anyone you might run into in a small town....K.O.:)

[Big_G]

When I'm in the DL or CL and someone proclaims their status or asks mine, I don't think it rude. I think it's an opening to ask where they've cruised and what their experiences are. When I'm in the MDR and a table mate asks where I'm from or what I do or if I have kids, I don't think it rude. I think it's opening to get to know my table mates. When I see someone wearing their C&A pin, I don't think snob. I think they're proud to be loyal to Royal and good for them. I'm just not a pin wearin' type guy. Sometimes I read about rude encounters on CC and think they're right out of the Twilight Zone. Sorry, I know there are rudies out there but I just can't believe half of these stories...but that's just me. :o

Edited December 26, 2013 by Big_G

[Paulette3028]

We were on the Legend for 11 days in Dec. filled with seniors and in fact we are also seniors. Amazed at the attitude of entitlement some of them seem to have.

 

And I hate to say it but they seem to come from a certain area of FL.

 

At lunch in the Windjammer two couples next to us did nothing but complain about the food while shoveling it in.

 

There is always that segment that complains about everything and anything.

 

As for C&A status I see a lot of Diamond + and Pinnacle wearing their pins all of the time announcing their status.

 

I love talking to younger cruisers to get their opinion on the ship, entertainment, etc. Give one a different viewpoint.

 

Please don't make such a broad brush statement as "And I hate to say it but they seem to come from a certain area of FL" -- that is offensive to the many Floridians who cruise all year long, that are wonderful 'regular folks, not snobs'. I don't like when I interact with a New Yorker, on a cruise ship, that feels he is overly entitled to be guaranteed sun and warm weather, when he is on a cruise in the wintertime....and complains about it when "sun" is behind clouds. But I just tell them, that as a Floridian the class is college that was given with the instructions for how to guarantee warm weather and sun....was held too early in the morning for me to take part in.

 

As far as wearing my Diamond Pin, around the ship....when we achieve Diamond status and were given our pins, I just put it on my sun hat, where it has stayed. It isn't to brag to other passengers, we have been Royal Loyalists and enjoyed great cruises on the line, and want the staff to know it. If it helps me with a staff member in some way, because they recognize my loyalty -- so be it....it not it is just something cute on my sun hat.

 

The CREW on every ship in the line that we have been on has been wonderful.....and we keep going back.

[LMaxwell]

Snobbiness and rudeness are not the same thing. I have met people on cruises who were not rude but were DEFINITELY snobs that thought their "status" elevated them to some sort of higher pecking order.

 

Most people in this thread talk about rudeness. Doesn't take status to do that. A snob can be very friendly but make statements like "I would NEVER book a regular balcony room. I refuse to cruise below a GS no matter what the price." Okay, that's fine. That's not rude. It is just a preference being stated but it is a bit snobby. I think the people wearing 10 pins and name tags and walking around like they deserve better service are snobs, even if they are not outright rude to anyone. I find it a bit laughable really but I am not offended by it at all.

 

The next time someone asks my status I will just make one up "Double Black Diamond. Very difficult to achieve, ya know?"

[ChipLondon]

So I have read this thread with a lot of interest, mainly because over the years that we have been cruising, we too have noticed a lot of snobs, that flaunt their status. As we have developed up through the loyalty programme we really wanted to ensure that we did not become to much like some we have encountered.

 

What is interesting is the fact this thread is an old one that has been revitalised ( like many ships ), and I have to admit my thoughts have changed over the years.

 

YES we are Pinnacle Members and yes I do put that as part of my signature on CC, not to brag but to indicate any information I provide is based on my vast cruise experience.

 

Now we do on occasions wear our Pinnacle badges on board, those occasions are on Formal Nights when we are invited to The Captains Table and for the Repeaters party, although after the event we usually remove our badges as our status is what we are not who we are.

 

Anyway, I have in the past questioned why some fellow Pinnacles choose to were their name tags 24 hours a day, on ship or even off. I cannot see why they need to be worn on the beach, or by the pool.

BUT I accept that this is an individuals choice, and is simply a way of showing attitude and lifestyle, in the same way as I do by driving a Ferrari or wearing a Rolex watch, neither of which I have by the way, as I spend my money on cruises.

 

However I rarely get effected by cruise snobbery, except on my recent cruise where on the first day of cruising a badge wearing Pinnacle Member approach the group I was drinking with, and practically ignored us whilst inviting other Pinnacles we were with to a special dinner. It was only on the second night ( which was formal ) and we were wearing our badges that this person realised that we might be worth attention. So in good faith I gave them the benefit of doubt, and joined the conversation. On the third night this same couple spent the entire time telling us about the value of their jewellery, after that we remained courteous but at a distance.

 

Of course if people on board ask our status we do state that we are Pinnacle but never offer up the information unless asked, that in turn provides us with great fun. I accept that we are quite young to have done so many cruises, and often people kindly tell us about their own cruising history, with the assumption that we are not as experienced. On our recent cruise we met a senior couple that had done a lot of cruises (58) They give us tips and getting the most out of cruising and talk about various ships and ports of call. It was only when they saw us dine with the Captain that they realised that might have actually done more than they had, and they approached us to apologise for boring us ( their words, not ours ) with their tales. We told them that we enjoyed hearing about other peoples experiences and views on cruising, and if we did not we would have kept out of the CL. We all laughed about it and enjoyed each others company for the rest of the cruise.

 

In summary Cruise Snobs are just as much part of any cruise experience as first timers, which we were all once. In over 120 cruises we have met several people that we choose to avoid, but only ever met ONE person that I can say I really disliked. But none of them will ever ruin my cruise as I travel with the best person in the world...My Wife, and I thank her for making every day of my life, ( on or off ship ) worthwhile.:D

[BillOh]

Based on my cruise history I would say RARE THING. Now off to read your replies, which will undoubtedly be interesting.

[cruisinck]

I think making your cruise status as a way to define yourself is humorous and if that is the status you have to go with in life, well.. that is even more humorous. I don't even know if I have a C&A number. I'm only working on my 3rd cruise with RCI so until recently it has not mattered. Heck, the only reason I want gold status is that the lounge chair reserved area would be a good meeting place for my family. I see people who don't have two nickels to rub together book expensive suites, etc while others who have plenty of money book lower end vacations in general. Your diamond status to me says, you have cruised with Royal a lot and probably had a lot of fun. I love Royal so more power to you. Does it mean you are better than me or have any right to act like a pompous ass… NO. I will only take humor in this behavior.

 

 

I apologize if you took this as anything but humorous. We have been able to cruise a lot because we live in Florida and we do not have any kids at home. I do not see myself better than anyone else but do enjoy the perks that RCL has given me for being a repeat cruiser.

[bjkTX]

I've read through the entire thread since we'll be taking our first RCL cruise in a few weeks and I wanted to know what was expected of me since I'm one of those "old" people :-) We have cruise 15 or so times, mostly on Princess and I'd have to say we've seen pretty much everything people have talked about at one time or the other - and frankly I just accepted it for what it was and moved on - although as I get older I do find it harder to just move on :-)

 

Anyway someone sent this to a group of friends that all met here on CC for past cruises and I thought it might be appropriate here - if they allow it to be posted :-)

 

http://stg.do/9i0c

[TEXASMUNK]

Not sure anyone "earns" a status. I am almost positive you pay for your status.

 

Not meaning to be snarky, just factual.

 

My favorite D+ story is the guy who spent every moment we encountered him and his wife bragging about their "status" while insuring everyone knew they only booked inside cabins and NEVER bought a drink (or anything else on the ship) and NEVER tipped.

 

Class act!

[nbsjcruiser]

Cruise #15 I think is upcoming for us and I've never run into this on any ship really but then again, when I'm on a cruise ship I tend to let things roll off my back. I try not to let other people dictate how or what I'm going to do. If I run into a screwball I ignore them.

[xxHadleyxx]

When I'm in the DL or CL and someone proclaims their status or asks mine, I don't think it rude. I think it's an opening to ask where they've cruised and what their experiences are. When I'm in the MDR and a table mate asks where I'm from or what I do or if I have kids, I don't think it rude. I think it's opening to get to know my table mates. When I see someone wearing their C&A pin, I don't think snob. I think they're proud to be loyal to Royal and good for them. I'm just not a pin wearin' type guy. Sometimes I read about rude encounters on CC and think they're right out of the Twilight Zone. Sorry, I know there are rudies out there but I just can't believe half of these stories...but that's just me. :o

 

I love your attitude and share it :)

 

We run into a small handful of rude people on just about any cruise, just as we do on land vacations. They are generally easy to avoid though and you can either do that, or see them as entertainment or a little of both :p I have never let it have an impact on my enjoyment of my trip.

[Rogueperson]

I apologize if you took this as anything but humorous. We have been able to cruise a lot because we live in Florida and we do not have any kids at home. I do not see myself better than anyone else but do enjoy the perks that RCL has given me for being a repeat cruiser.

I too was on The Sain's Independence of the Seas cruise. It was great, but there was a LOT of Diamond and Diamond Plus members on this cruise. So much so, that the Diamond and Diamond plus check in, when i came through, had a line! I had a separate line because I was a lowly gold member. I guess no one was gold, so i had no line :p.

 

My theory is that the perks for being a loyal customer set you apart from the general population. Some people get used to the perks of being a Diamond+ member. I mean, you get preferential seating in the theater. Preferential dining, preferential debarkation in ports, so on and so on. My theory is that all those perks set you aside from the "regular" cruisers and one begins to feel entitled to those benefits. They set the bar higher and higher for themselves, and before you know it, they set themselves apart from the general population.

[Desertbelle]

Life is too short and cruising too wonderful to let anyone spoil it for me. I doubt that snide remarks, rude behavior or anyone trying to control or change my behavior would even register in my mind.

 

I'll be the one smiling if we ever run into each other on a cruise! :D

[Onessa]

We travel for the itinerary - so we've cruised a number of lines and do the occassional "land" trip as well. Not sure what our status might actually be and we've used few-to-none of the associated perks over the years.

 

We smile, we like talking to other pax, we enjoy ourselves -- what more do you really need. I seriously doubt that I will ever, ever see anyone I meet on a cruise again, so why should I care that you were or were not impressed by my level?

[teddie]

We've met cruise snobs--and we usually laugh about them in private. We've also met fun Pinnacles--most notably one gent who wore both his and his wife's Pinnacle pins affixed to his tee shirt. One on each breast, if you get the picture. Hilarious!

 

Teddie

[retiredgram]

I've read through the entire thread since we'll be taking our first RCL cruise in a few weeks and I wanted to know what was expected of me since I'm one of those "old" people :-) We have cruise 15 or so times, mostly on Princess and I'd have to say we've seen pretty much everything people have talked about at one time or the other - and frankly I just accepted it for what it was and moved on - although as I get older I do find it harder to just move on :-)

 

Anyway someone sent this to a group of friends that all met here on CC for past cruises and I thought it might be appropriate here - if they allow it to be posted :-)

 

http://stg.do/9i0c

 

Loved the video. Thanks.

[debbs0723]

I apologize if you took this as anything but humorous. We have been able to cruise a lot because we live in Florida and we do not have any kids at home. I do not see myself better than anyone else but do enjoy the perks that RCL has given me for being a repeat cruiser.

 

I apologize. I think my post sounded a lot more "snarky" than I meant it to be. I agree with another poster that if someone is Diamond status, it is an opportunity to find out all they have done. I just would not appreciate someone throwing it around out loud as if it means they are better than the general population. Seeing someone wear a pin does not offend me either. Okay… I haven't ever even noticed a pin :eek: When I'm on vacation, I just don't have time to worry about status.

 

Debbie

[big al]

I have been on 29 cruises with my wife on all but Costa, as far as mainstream lines go..rude people come in all shapes, colors, sexes, ages, nationalities, cultures,etc. As another poster said, when you get 2000-6000+ people in a confined space, you are bound to have anywhere from a few rude to a few HUNDRED rude passengers. Since you are drawing people from all the groups I mentioned, plus many more, it would be illogical to NOT expect some "snobbery" or rudeness..most passengers ( maybe 90% ) are fine. The other 10% are made up of rude, snobby, inconsiderate people..these people are not BAD, just rude..

 

As far as the seniors go, I find them a mixed bag..I am 61, so you can say I'm a senior now..it is a fact that as we get older, we ( men more than women) lose brain cells and those cells are involved with memory AND behavior. The more brain cells lost, the more you will see negative behavior- that is why some seniors are fine/ normal, and some say/ do things that we might consider inappropriate..my recent 92 yr. old Uncle passed away in August..he was constantly saying rather crude & inappropriate things, mostly to females ( many very young, like teens working in a store)..I had to constantly apologize to them for his verbage, and say something like, "sorry, he says things he shouldn't at this point"...BUT, some seniors are fine...some teens can be rude, some are polite...I am Diamond on RCI, but we don't consider ourselves snobs, more thankful that we have been able to take wonderful cruises, and this is a perq from that...we have taken vacations in Las Vegas, Hawaii, Paris, London, Cancun, and more, and found the same all over- there are kind, decent people mostly, and there are rude idiots- I would use another term, but it would be "inappropriate" to use that term here, LOL...

 

Go and enjoy the new Royal Princess and congrats on all...remember school? There were nice kids, and there were......

 

Big Al

[Paulette3028]

We travel for the itinerary - so we've cruised a number of lines and do the occassional "land" trip as well. Not sure what our status might actually be and we've used few-to-none of the associated perks over the years.

 

We smile, we like talking to other pax, we enjoy ourselves -- what more do you really need. I seriously doubt that I will ever, ever see anyone I meet on a cruise again, so why should I care that you were or were not impressed by my level?

 

We cruise because we like it --- as you say:"We smile, we like talking to other pax, we enjoy ourselves -- what more do you really need."

 

There have been a few times, when we have come across people we HAVE met on a cruise ship in the past.....sometimes on another cruise we are taking....it happens; it even happened to me in a shopping mall, months after a cruise. But we live and cruise mostly out of S. Florida.

[booze brothers]

When you encounter those folks, just remind yourself, you do not have to live with them!

When they attempt to "control" a situation, smile, and irritate the H*** out of them...it will drive them nuts.

When the are rude, ask if their mama forgot to teach them manners.

 

Belittle those that attempt to rule over you, it feels so good.

 

LOL I do the same thing. Someone shoots off their mouth in a bad way, I just turn around and say " Hi, it's sure is good to see you again" Blank stare follows.

 

Of course, under my breath I'm thinking. Ya old bag !!!

(I'm 70 so get to say these things) lol

[JohnSnowGOT]

As it has been said already............thousands of people confined....FORGIVE THEM!

If you are really offended by someone's acts or words by all means correct them, but know you'll be rolling in the mud like they are. Otherwise ignore them.........enjoy your vacation.

Edited December 27, 2013 by JohnSnowGOT

[Pennstateman]

When the wife and I were on our 1st cruise last month, we found that generally, most passengers were very friendly toward us, but, there were a few occassions when we were felt to feel 'lower class', for example, eating in the windjammer on Indy one night, we both decided to have something a burger.

 

On a table nearby, there were a group of people, tutting, and muttering under their breath about "these young people always eating junk food!" (we're both in our 30's, and this was the only time, apart from JR's we ate burgers!)

 

Another time, my wife was told to "Shut up, girl!" by a woman reading, when she was talking to someone else by the pool. Others were complaining about the amount of 'young people and families'. It seemed to me that some of these people felt that cruising was the reserve of the upper classes, and the more 'senior' folk. I even said to one that if they felt that way, don't book a cruise on a ship like Indy, which is a family-ship.

 

do others experience this? Or is it a rare thing?

 

 

 

I seem to have the same reaction every time I encounter a rude or snobby person.....I suddenly get some 'intestinal distress' and the malodorous result usually quiets them:rolleyes:

[Stateroom_Sailor]

We're taking our first cruise on RCL in about 6 weeks, and from what I've seen, there's no reason to have snobbish attitudes where people have come to have fun and relax. I don't care what people wear or what's going on in their head, but when they're verbally speaking down at others, we should have their back. Those who can't fly, clip wings. People are often times an open book as to how they feel about their own self.

[BillOh]

As mentioned by several, I don't let these people bother me as I've doing everything I can to have a good time on a cruise. On a semi related note, in day to day life, I hate KNOW IT ALLS, and I run into many of those on a cruise and usually just laugh it off. My favorite was on Navigator in '09. A New England Journal of Medicine article made national news the say we sailed and I heard one lady tell another, while waving her hand dismissively, "Oh, I researched it and its not true" Just part of my people watching pleasure.

[Pennstateman]

As mentioned by several, I don't let these people bother me as I've doing everything I can to have a good time on a cruise. On a semi related note, in day to day life, I hate KNOW IT ALLS, and I run into many of those on a cruise and usually just laugh it off. My favorite was on Navigator in '09. A New England Journal of Medicine article made national news the say we sailed and I heard one lady tell another, while waving her hand dismissively, "Oh, I researched it and its not true" Just part of my people watching pleasure.

 

Uh...ok, sure. I guess