Cruising Snobbery

[navybankerteacher]

I confess: when we started cruising we always had Oceanview cabins. A couple of times at dinner I did ask others at the table if anyone had a balcony. I wanted to know more about cabins with balconies. I feel as though I made a faux pas, after reading this thread :(

 

What you feel is the effect of reverse snobbery: as displayed by a fair number of posters who want to show that they are somehow better, because they are less snobbish, than others.

[frankc98376]

In the past guest names and stateroom numbers were posted by the Front Office for anyone to see. Never heard of any problems. Used it many times to locate a stateroom to slide an invitation or a card under the door.

[imouer]

If anything I always assumed people they got outside rooms were newbies and I was snobby to them because they didn’t think they know how to save money or enjoy your cruise without being holed up in their room. It’s all perception BS

 

 

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[bennybear]

I find the people on Hal generally great but we had a few that were only interested in themselves for sure. On Princess they wanted to know if you were elite. Really? And on Cunard were you in the Grills? The class system is still there unfortunately. But being from the colonies it is harder to rank my university and accent, lol!

[newbeestl]

Snobbist! New word. The real question, is there such a thing as reverse snobbism? I’m thinking so.

 

 

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[Sunni Ten]

I'm about to go on my first cruise and I don't see a problem or see it as snobbery if someone asks about a cabin. Frankly, I see a cabin as a place to sleep and I don't intend to spend any time in there except for that. And you know what? I bet the mattresses are the same. And I bet they're all the same, cleanliness-wise. So, some rooms are bigger and some have a porthole or a balcony. Their choice! They might see it as something they must have, and that's fine. I see it as an unnecessary expense.

[avian777]

some snobbery for sure - the wine list isn't good enough - "pre-made"sandwiches - had enough of HMC - I find it tiresome but have never dealt with it personally - only see it one here

(y)(y)(y)

We have never been asked our cabin number, but we have been asked, while waiting to board, what deck we were on. And I have noticed while waiting to board lots of people check out your luggage tags where the cabin number is prominently displayed.

 

Yes, the world and these threads are full of lots of snobbery. All you have to do is wait and it will be on full display in a dress code thread. I find the absolute worst offenders are those who like to throw out their cruise history. Experience is great. Yet many forget that experience is also affected by our perceptions and beliefs. Memories of our experiences are often unreliable, yet many want us to believe that their history some how makes them an expert.

 

FWIW: I don't know if there is more snark on the boards - just the same posters displaying the same snark.

 

(y)(y)(y)

[mcrcruiser]

with 80 cruises in the past we have never been asked about our cabin . We have been on cabin crawls on several of our cruises & every one was very pleasant :)

[Aquahound]

some snobbery for sure - the wine list isn't good enough - "pre-made"sandwiches - had enough of HMC - I find it tiresome but have never dealt with it personally - only see it one here

 

The snobbery is definitely worse here than on board. No doubt. So many things complained about are Cruise Critic problems, not real cruise problems.

[avian777]

The snobbery is definitely worse here than on board. No doubt. So many things complained about are Cruise Critic problems, not real cruise problems.

 

Spot on!!! (y)(y)(y)

[iancal]

Never been asked about our cabin but from time to time some have been particularly interested in what we did for a living and a drill down to actual position. We toy them and make them work for it all the while snickering to ourselves about how shallow some people are.

[whogo]

If you mention your Harvard education, you may be a snob.

If you mention your second home, you may be a snob.

If you mention you live in Palm Beach, Newport, or Palm Springs, you may be a snob.

If you mention your Neptune suite experience more than 5,000 times on Cruise Critic, you may be a snob.

If you mention you are a Texan, we understand. You're from Texas and you are required to say so for reasons the rest of us don't understand.

Either way, I'm happy to share a dinner table with you.

[westcoastcruiser]

Never been asked about our cabin but from time to time some have been particularly interested in what we did for a living and a drill down to actual position. We toy them and make them work for it all the while snickering to ourselves about how shallow some people are.

 

 

As I was reading this, I kept thinking our experience has been less about our cabin and more about our profession. In fact, it got so common, that my husband and I now chose to eat by ourselves rather than endure the endless questioning. Oftentimes we felt like a captive audience to those that boosted about their successes. Not how we want to spend precious cruising time.

[kazu]

As I was reading this, I kept thinking our experience has been less about our cabin and more about our profession. In fact, it got so common, that my husband and I now chose to eat by ourselves rather than endure the endless questioning. Oftentimes we felt like a captive audience to those that boosted about their successes. Not how we want to spend precious cruising time.

 

That seems to happen a lot - and not just on cruises. On planes, at meetings, in new social settings. One of the first 3 questions is often what do you do.

 

Good point.

[Aquahound]

I understand it being rude to go on and on about one's own successes but at what point in time did it become snobbish or inappropriate to ask people what they do? That's typical ice breaker conversation when getting to know new people. What's next....it's snobbish to ask someone their name?

 

Perfect example of a Cruise Critic problem.

[sail7seas]

some snobbery for sure - the wine list isn't good enough - "pre-made"sandwiches - had enough of HMC - I find it tiresome but have never dealt with it personally - only see it one here

 

 

 

I want to be sure I am understsanding. Lest we b called even more names than some are now, we should be careful to not come here and commmentt about what we like an what we don't like. If we don' care f for-pre made sandwiches, we now are SNOBS. WHO MADE THAT directive? We are not to express opinions h ere, now? Whatt is on the approved as okay list? Is it okay to talk about the weather or is that now on the too controversial list?

[iancal]

We do anytime dining now.

 

Yes, from time to time it got tiring of hearing about children and/or grandchildren who were famous brain surgeons, lawyers, or who were on the verge of solving world hunger. Gets tiring after a while. Either that or how very important our table mates were.

 

One thing that we did learn. The children and grandchildren of cruisers all appear to be very smart and very successful. Best fathers and mothers this side of Beirut.

[Pstreet12]

Just finished our umteenth cruise (though not as many as lots of others have done) and we've never been asked about our cabin placement of choice. The only time it ever came up was when registering for a cabin-crawl and they were short one category.

 

We have been asked lots of times what we did before retirement, but I always thought of it, as someone said earlier, as a typical ice-breaker. We've all had jobs of some sort; we all live somewhere; we all cruise--they all work to initiate conversation (and so would cabin placement, but there's not a whole lot of conversation that can flow from cabin placement).

[meredy]

After almost 20 cruises we have never been asked about the type of cabin we had. But at a Chefs Table Dinner, we had multiple couples brag about being 4 star Mariners and getting their laundry done! Of all the things to talk about! We could have had conversations about the wine, the food, the ports. I would have even been open to the dreaded politics conversations! :eek:

[Sunni Ten]

NOooooooooo! Please, no politics conversations! Especially after this last election. I really want to enjoy my cruise. I hope NO ONE I run into discusses politics.

[GateGuardian]

I didn't know this was a thing.... most cabin prices are a few hundred dollars or less apart between categories. It's know like living in an RV vs a mansion.....

[roses313]

Interesting discussion.

 

We always do anytime dining and enjoy meeting and talking to other cruisers. Over the years we have met fantastic folks, from different backgrounds, countries and experiences. The location on our cabins may only come up in casual conversation..."spent most of the afternoon reading on my balcony". Never have we or anyone drilled us on our cabin or its location.

 

On a recent HAL cruise, which was not sold out, folks had purchased the cruise for "bargain prices" at the last minute and were bragging about how little they paid, while we who must contend with air travel do not have the option of booking last, last minute. Some of the braggers got to be quite annoying.

 

As for out and out snobbery, well I would say, yes it does exist on the ship, but in very subtle ways. The most blatant snobbery we experienced was on a Celebrity cruise where people were obsessed with their free drink tickets and the cocktail reception for elite cruisers. Since it was our first (and last) Celerity cruise can't say it was a "one of" for that cruise, or common place.

 

In my opinion, elitism, to some degree exists on Cruise Critic. Sometimes subtle and perhaps not intentional, while in some cases it is in your face elitism.

[avian777]

NOooooooooo! Please, no politics conversations! Especially after this last election. I really want to enjoy my cruise. I hope NO ONE I run into discusses politics.

 

... must be a subscriber to the Ignorance-Is-Bliss Club!!!

[avian777]

Interesting discussion... In my opinion, elitism, to some degree exists on Cruise Critic. Sometimes subtle and perhaps not intentional, while in some cases it is in your face elitism.

 

... so, I guess I shouldn't mention my most recent Prinsendam (or "P-dam" as we veterans like to call her) cruise in every other one of my Posts ...

[kazu]

I understand it being rude to go on and on about one's own successes but at what point in time did it become snobbish or inappropriate to ask people what they do? That's typical ice breaker conversation when getting to know new people. What's next....it's snobbish to ask someone their name?

 

Perfect example of a Cruise Critic problem.

 

 

No one said it was rude or snobbish, but it's just a shame that people can't talk without asking what you do. My DH prefers not to say unless it is a close friend (and they know) or someone really needs help.

 

He considers it snobbish or that he is "showing off/boasting" if he does say his profession - so you see? it works both ways.

 

What someone does for a living does not define who they are. There are lots of other questions you can ask to get to know someone. But, that's just us.

 

... so, I guess I shouldn't mention my most recent Prinsendam (or "P-dam" as we veterans like to call her) cruise in every other one of my Posts ...

 

What does the P'dam have to do with being a snob? She's part of the fleet and offers some itineraries that other ships in the fleet can't. Sailing on the P'dam does not make you a snob. At least, I hope not;p

Edited December 12, 2017 by kazu