Some observations from Jade (7/19/2013)

[lanceholt]

We rarely take ship's excursions but did in Corfu and it was memorable.

After a short time in Old Town, rode on a bus to the top of the mountains, stopping at a monastary on the way, once on top we had wine and snacks at a restaurant there and then descended to the port by another route. Not tiring at all and we would have been sorry to miss it.

[corkpopr]

take the funicular in santorini not the donkeys. the road up stinks from the droppings and the view frm the funicular is amazing. med cruises are too port intensive, we have taken six transatlantics and love the 7-9 sea days.

[karoo]

Interesting thread by OP. I was on the Jade for 21 days back in January a B2B with different ethnic groups and yes I found it interesting/different. It certainly shows you how in different cultures different behaviours are what they consider the norm. The concept of lining up seems to be only really relevant in most of the English speaking cultures. Also another culture/race bought backpacks into the buffet each morning complete with lunchboxes to fill to the top with meats/fruit/rolls/cheese etc etc. Unsure how they were going to eat all that food or what they did with it as they are a race of short and finely built people. (I'm assuming they would have small appetites.) Obviously thought there was nothing wrong with wht they were doing as I heard one of them ask-'Are there any more oranges?' I felt like saying, 'No. You've taken them all.' Also another group of teens all sat on the staircases totally blocking them so you couldn't get past. I asked politely if I could get through, only to be told by them I could use the elevator. Other's totally ignored the 'no smoking areas' one even walking through the atrium smoking. But the one I couldn't understand was if you were in a line they literally slammed their bodies up against you. It wasn't going to get them there any faster-hey three people in front of you is still three people to go. We are used to giving everyone personal space here so I found that really creepy. I still had a wonderful cruise, but it opened my eyes and really made me think and question the social rules living here we just assume everyone knows and should do. It also helped me understand why certain cultures living here behave the way they do. Once their kids go to school and get socialized into the expected behaviours here the next generation takes on the new social norms!

One positive I did notice though on the Epic in July. In the buffet everyone lines up, so if the person in front takes their time selecting the food the lines are very slow moving. You might not even want something from the first part. Because the other cultures just bypass that person/section and go to the part where they want to get their food from the buffet seems to work much more efficiently.

[Ilovesailing]

We too were on this cruise doing b2b last May/June and was annoyed by a lot of what has been said and the down right rudeness of the Europeans onboard.

I was also shocked by the majority of them smoking and mostly the women.

They have never heard off line ups and they eat off the buffet as their going along.

And their kids are just as rude and never attended to.

We also found this a few years ago when NCL did their last South America cruise.

 

Queueing or following orders given by the crew was completely unknown concept to many other passengers, there were people trying to push their way through queues that were not even moving etc.

 

With regards to this statement these are the same people that will panic in crisis on board and are the same ones that miss or don't think that they have to attend the muster drill.

[Ilovesailing]

Very good review and very little that I would disagree with.

The biggest argument I would have was that I would not want that Cruise Director's job with all the languages he has to speak, also thought his singing was quite good.

On the other hand because he seems to be everywhere and on the loud speaker morning noon and night I did find him somewhat annoying and feeling that he was attached to us..