Interesting things overheard on latest Celebrity Cruise

[MuddyPuddles]

" Why are all the road signs in a foreign language? How am I supposed to know where I am?"

 

Actually heard a version of this on the Equinox in May, a woman complained that the signs in Istanbul were in Turkish! How inconsiderate of them...

[CathyCruises]

And... They vote and breed. ;-)

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

 

 

So I majored in Geography in college and consider myself pretty well versed in where things are. A few cruises ago, I got out the map to show my twenty-something son, who is an RN and not dumb, where we were going on our TA. He pointed to something on the map and said, 'What's that?" I looked sideways at him and said,"That's England!" He gasped and said, "What? It's an ISLAND??"

 

I almost died on the spot, so I apologize in advance if you ever run into him on a cruise and he makes a similar comment!! He's really a good kid, I promise!! ;)

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[patty1955]

I always tell people that one of the reasons I travel is to learn where places are. Somehow I never learned geography is school, but I never forget a place I've been.

[virginialucy]

On my last cruise on the Silhouette I was in one of the public bathrooms. I found a stall door that was unlocked and as I opened it, I saw a woman inside. I apologized and closed the door, and she apologized and said she didn't know how to lock the door. Which I would have believed if it wasn't just a knob you turn like almost every other public bathroom stall (it wasn't one of the handicap accessible stalls.) After that I was VERY careful in opening bathroom stall doors in case I ran into someone else as "confused" as she was.

 

Not on the cruise but shortly after, I was at a hotel relaxing on the terrace with my BF. There was a group of people on the terrace that had also just been on the Silhouette. I overheard one woman in the group say that the cruise line should have provided transportation from the port to the hotel. Um, they do...if you purchase a hotel package through the cruise line. They were pretty dismayed that they had to take a taxi and apparently thought the $20 or so they paid was highway robbery. It's not like it was far, it was only from Port Everglades to Fort Lauderdale beach!

[shofer]

My good friend's DS & BIL complained about their trip to Mexico that there were too many Mexicans and they spoke Spanish.

 

A young sales clerk was admiring my gold pineapple pendant asking where I got it. When I told her Hawaii she asked me what kind of money did they use there. I did remind her that Hawaii was a US state.

 

Sue

[Cybergoth]

So I majored in Geography in college and consider myself pretty well versed in where things are. A few cruises ago, I got out the map to show my twenty-something son, who is an RN and not dumb, where we were going on our TA. He pointed to something on the map and said, 'What's that?" I looked sideways at him and said,"That's England!" He gasped and said, "What? It's an ISLAND??"

 

I almost died on the spot, so I apologize in advance if you ever run into him on a cruise and he makes a similar comment!! He's really a good kid, I promise!! ;)

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

Why am I not surprised?

 

The National Geographic-Roper Public Affairs 2006 Geographic Literacy Study paints a dismal picture of the geographic knowledge of the most recent graduates of the U.S. education system.

 

Inside the United States, "half or fewer of young men and women 18-24 can identify the states of New York or Ohio on a map [50 percent and 43 percent, respectively]," the study said.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/05/02/geog.test/

 

http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news_events/ed/2007/winter/features/geography.html

[CathyCruises]

I know, it's pathetic. And who do we blame? The schools? The parents? I do think some people are geographically challenged, others don't give a darn. My daughter is more knowledgable than I am and she was raised identically to get brother--so I'm at a loss to explain it!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[SeagoingMom]

On a transatlantic when the ship ran out of a certain wine I heard a passenger ask why they couldn't restock before they got to the next port

Perhaps the passenger expected the Coast Guard to handle that...

 

Or a U.S. Navy supply ship.

[SeagoingMom]

So I majored in Geography in college and consider myself pretty well versed in where things are. A few cruises ago, I got out the map to show my twenty-something son, who is an RN and not dumb, where we were going on our TA. He pointed to something on the map and said, 'What's that?" I looked sideways at him and said,"That's England!" He gasped and said, "What? It's an ISLAND??"

 

I almost died on the spot, so I apologize in advance if you ever run into him on a cruise and he makes a similar comment!! He's really a good kid, I promise!! ;)

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

As long as your son knows the difference between the ilium and the ulna, the tibia and the tarsals, I think you should be very proud!

[EmilyB12]

My contribution to the 'funny comments' overheard - on a cruise last year to the Canary Islands we boarded a shuttle bus at one of the stops to take us into town. Soon after leaving the dock we passed a long golden beach - a lady sitting behind me said 'Oh what a lovely beach. I didn't realise we would be so near the sea'

 

Hmm - cruise - sea? :confused:

[teecee60]

Why am I not surprised?

 

The National Geographic-Roper Public Affairs 2006 Geographic Literacy Study paints a dismal picture of the geographic knowledge of the most recent graduates of the U.S. education system.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/05/02/geog.test/

 

http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news_events/ed/2007/winter/features/geography.html

 

I know, it's pathetic. And who do we blame? The schools? The parents? I do think some people are geographically challenged, others don't give a darn. My daughter is more knowledgable than I am and she was raised identically to get brother--so I'm at a loss to explain it!!

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

If you want your kids (or YOU) to learn the "basics" of world geography, get a DVD of the Steven Spielberg cartoon series "The Animaniacs." (OR just google "Yakko's World") ;)

 

I had many ninth graders learn all 200+ countries on the face of the planet in a single evening. :eek:

 

If you pointed to a country on a map or globe some kids might have had to sing the 5-10 other names in that area before they got to the one they were asked about, but then again, I still have to "silently sing my ABC's" when I get out a dictionary. :o

 

Unfortunately, world geopolitics has already rendered the video somewhat outdated as it was produced when there was still a Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia.

Edited June 24, 2014 by teecee60

[helpthejuggler]

While visiting St. John's Cathedral in Malta, built in the 1500s, on a very warm day I overhead some people wondering why the builders did not fit air conditioning.

[dorisis]

Years ago we always heard "What time is the Midnight Buffet"?

J.

 

The "Midnight Buffet" always started before midnight so that passengers could take photos.

Not such a dumb question.

[jackaboo]

 

In Blu restaurant....

"My friend told me that the food has gone downhill in Blu. She's right" (later conversation revealed it was her first Celebrity cruise)

 

ahhhhh hahahaaaa this one got me! :D

[papaflamingo]

As someone said we get these comments everywhere. I am an airline pilot. Same type of questions and comments. Usually people realize how silly it is after they ask. On one particular type of airplane the brakes, due to their composition, tend to "chatter." One day a first class passenger in a very nice suit (obviously a businessman) complained to me (the pilot) that "the brakes need to be changed." I said "no, the brakes on these airplanes are always like that." He immediately and indignantly stated "I'm a frequent flier, no they don't, they need to be changed!" The Flight Attendant immediately replied "I think the Captain's a frequent flier too. If he say's they're ok then they probably are." The guy realized what he had said and sheepishly left. I was simply going to thank him for his input, but he had been pretty "tough" on the Flight Attendant.

Edited June 24, 2014 by papaflamingo

[LF2C]

This is the best one I have heard. While watching the World Series in the Casino Lounge the signal kept cutting in and out. Someone bellowed out "they must have cable!". At first it seemed funny but after he kept complaining and seemed serious it got scary!

the two funniest things I heard on a Cruise was 1) on an excursion in Grand Caymen, which for those who don't know, has little rickety buses with no windows, and as a rather large lady hauled herself aboard she said very loudly "Geez, I hope they got aircon on this thing"

2) A lady on the same cruise (Caribbean out of New Orleans) on finding out we were English, said she'd love to do a Mediterranean cruise but didn't think it was safe. I said it's ok as long as you don't go with Costa (I know, bad joke at the time) but she no, she was worried about the conflicts in Iran & Iraq............if you're not sure, look at a map!

[Straight Flush]

On an Alaskan cruise: Why is it so cold here?

[Beachdude]

Overheard on the first sea day of our Bermuda Summit cruise last week:

 

"They must keep the pool water cold to keep the drunks from drowning."

 

And:

 

"Who do we ask to turn off the pool wave machine?".

 

Burt

[SeagoingMom]

You know, I'm just a little skeptical about the authenticity of some of these comments and questions. I simply can't believe that folks would say some of these things.

 

"Why is it so cold here?" Come on....

 

Some of the quotes posted might actually be funny if they did not sound so absurdly impossible. Really, they are mostly just sad.

 

Perhaps I have an unrealistic view of how brainless cruisers can be.

[sasset]

You know, I'm just a little skeptical about the authenticity of some of these comments and questions. I simply can't believe that folks would say some of these things.

 

"Why is it so cold here?" Come on....

 

Some of the quotes posted might actually be funny if they did not sound so absurdly impossible. Really, they are mostly just sad.

 

Perhaps I have an unrealistic view of how brainless cruisers can be.

 

Amen

[tserface]

A customer service person told me once that they often get people who just boarded (first time cruisers) coming down to say that they specifically asked for a balcony room so they would have a view of the ocean, but all they can see is the parking lot. She said that they always just tell them come back after 5p if it's still a problem.

 

I actually overhead a person once in the photo lounge asking how they tell which pictures are their's.

 

Tom

[Beachdude]

You know, I'm just a little skeptical about the authenticity of some of these comments and questions. I simply can't believe that folks would say some of these things.

 

"Why is it so cold here?" Come on....

 

Some of the quotes posted might actually be funny if they did not sound so absurdly impossible. Really, they are mostly just sad.

 

Perhaps I have an unrealistic view of how brainless cruisers can be.

 

I can assure you the quotes about the cold pool water and the wave machine did occur and were quite serious in the nature of the discussion.

 

And yes, I am disapointed in the lack of perspective folks have when they are discussing these things.

 

Burt

[srlafleur]

All very funny...

 

In defense of some comments/questions, it is sometimes easy to forget you are on a ship, particularly after a drink or four.

 

Also, you just can't tell if some people are kidding. Example: my husband will occasionally make a comment about kids when he sees them ("shouldn't allow rugrats", etc.). He is totally not serious (assuming the kids actually aren't running around, screaming or anything off-putting like that), but he says it in such a deadpan manner that anyone within earshot would think he was completely serious and the worse sort of old curmudgeon. He's not. He will also, on occasion, regurgitate the type of comments that you've read here and just keep walking. If you aren't a seasoned cruiser who's heard some of these at every farewell show on every cruise ship, you would, again, think him serious.:eek:

This earns him the occasional elbow to the gut.

[fleckle]

You know, I'm just a little skeptical about the authenticity of some of these comments and questions. I simply can't believe that folks would say some of these things.

A lot of those comments are made facetiously. For example, when an elevator passes by without stopping at your deck is when someone is likely to say that these elevators only go up, or only go down.

 

The same remarks are made at elevator banks in office buildings when the elevators only stop when going in one direction, not the other way.

 

Example: my husband will occasionally make a comment about kids when he sees them ("shouldn't allow rugrats", etc.). He is totally not serious (assuming the kids actually aren't running around, screaming or anything off-putting like that), but he says it in such a deadpan manner that anyone within earshot would think he was completely serious ......

Your husband is not the only one. We know others who also enjoy deliberately making the kinds of remarks described here for their own amusement just to see what kind of reaction they can draw.

They find it hard to believe that there is really anyone who actually thinks they are serious, but it seems there is always someone who does.

 

Most of these remarks have been repeated on cruise ships for decades (like the ones about the view of the parking lot or the midnight buffet or the long cable) as they kept getting passed around from one cruise line to another.

 

Sometimes the cruise directors would use them in their routines, pretending that they just heard them for he first time, but I guess they got too many eye rolls and groans as I have not heard a cruise director use them recently. :D

[dkjretired]

You know, I'm just a little skeptical about the authenticity of some of these comments and questions. I simply can't believe that folks would say some of these things.

 

"Why is it so cold here?" Come on....

 

Some of the quotes posted might actually be funny if they did not sound so absurdly impossible. Really, they are mostly just sad.

 

Perhaps I have an unrealistic view of how brainless cruisers can be.

 

I worked for almost 30 years in an urban Police Department, some of the things said in this thread are intelligent compared to some of the things people say in other settings. The world and people can be a funny place, if you could work in a 911 center for a couple of nights you would walk out shaking your head.