Would you defend the waitstaff? How?

[SilkySal]

While I'd agree that wiping the blood on the napkin is rather rude, there's no problem at all with doing a blood sugar test, or giving a shot at the table. She even asked, so it's not like anyone is going to pass out from a needle phobia. Is there somehow something inherently offensive about drawing up a shot?

 

No, not at all, and the sight of blood doesn't bother me either (I know it does bother some). My point is the "production" she was making of it in the MDR was totally inappropriate. She was loud, obnoxious, rude, and made sure that a lot of people seated at the other tables could hear her and see what was going on. She seemed to crave and enjoy the attention. It wasn't "what" she was doing but rather "how" she was doing it. Didn't mean to offend anyone here, and I truly apologize if I did that!:o

[Domino D]

NOW that's totally discusting

 

I'm not a fan, but if he offered them up during Quest, I guess I could look the other way.

[Nessa1dc]

:eek: OMG now that would be a sight...

:eek:

 

Yea...I tried to look away, but my Husband just stared at him with his mouth open. My brother and girlfriend just got up...I was in the middle of my tiramisu, I couldn't just leave it. We laugh about it now...at the time, it wasn't that funny. The gentleman's wife didn't miss a beat...she was used to it.

[SilkySal]

Yea...I tried to look away, but my Husband just stared at him with his mouth open. My brother and girlfriend just got up...I was in the middle of my tiramisu, I couldn't just leave it. We laugh about it now...at the time, it wasn't that funny. The gentleman's wife didn't miss a beat...she was used to it.

 

I am not sure what I would do if that happened and just hope it never does!!;)

[Snowrose]

At the time it happened, I would leave the table and let the manager know the waitperson is being abused. If possible, I would also pull the waitperson aside away from the table and let them know they're great, I don't support the abuser, and that I've informed the manager of the problem.

[Eslader]

I don't know where you folks come upon people like this. I've yet to experience rudeness by anyone to the staff.....to other cruisers, maybe, because folks aren't paying attention...but never deliberate rudeness.

 

We've always had good tablemates, and we enjoy them! I'm sorry others haven't had such a good experience.

 

They're definitely out there, but it is rare to see on a ship. Maybe the long relaxation suppresses people's inner jerk or something. But that does make it all the more startling when you do see it.

 

The only time I ever saw anyone outright abusing the staff was the last cruise I was on. Some idiot drank all but a couple ounces of a bottle of wine, then poured a little coffee or tea into it and marched into Vintages. Berated the poor guy for selling her a bad wine. Wanted her money back despite having consumed most of the wine. Still had a little wine in a glass in her other hand, which was the proper color, hence the easy deduction that she doctored the bottle.

 

Argued with the poor guy for 10 minutes while we watched. He ended up giving her another bottle of wine to make her go away. Then he and the rest of us spent about 15 minutes talking about what a jerk she was.

 

 

She didn't rise to the level where I felt like customers needed to intervene, but she was close. I used to see that kind of crap all the time working retail in college, so I knew what she was up before she even opened her mouth. I'm sure the staff on the ship is used to it too.

[Nashna]

On a RCCL cruise several years ago, we were assigned to dine at a table for 10. An elderly gentleman at our table was rude and loud and his wife was obviously embarrassed by his behavior. He complained about the food, the service, the temp. of the room and the general state of the World. After that first meal, I requested that we be assigned a different table. The maître d begged us to stay at the table as the three other couples had already bailed. He explained that the gentleman was from Chicago and spent the winter on the ship, staying in the cheapest inside stateroom, doing the same itinerary. Because of his status, he had to be treated like gold or else the crew would suffer the consequences from headquarters. Since, the gentleman only wanted his soup and main course, the service would be quick. Because he would also be dining the next three nights with the captain, first officer and the cruise director, we were promised at least three nights without him. I must admit, the thought of the best wine and service each night, plus the pleading by the head waiter, caused us to agree to stay. On the nights when he did dine with the two of us, we actually enjoyed ignoring him and chatting with his wife. The wait staff went out of their way to thank us. We had more wine in our room than we could consume. Plus, we had amazing stories to tell our new cruise friends after dinner. On the last night of the cruise, his wife stayed for desert and thanked us for not leaving the table, as we had been the first couple in 8 weeks that stayed at the table.

[grapau27]

No, not at all, and the sight of blood doesn't bother me either (I know it does bother some). My point is the "production" she was making of it in the MDR was totally inappropriate. She was loud, obnoxious, rude, and made sure that a lot of people seated at the other tables could hear her and see what was going on. She seemed to crave and enjoy the attention. It wasn't "what" she was doing but rather "how" she was doing it. Didn't mean to offend anyone here, and I truly apologize if I did that!:o

No offense at all.

My late mam was diabetic and very discreet with her injections at the table if we were at a restaurant. She often took her injection in my car before entering a restaurant because she was embarrassed and didn't want to upset other restaurant patrons injecting in public.

[grapau27]

Yea...I tried to look away, but my Husband just stared at him with his mouth open. My brother and girlfriend just got up...I was in the middle of my tiramisu, I couldn't just leave it. We laugh about it now...at the time, it wasn't that funny. The gentleman's wife didn't miss a beat...she was used to it.

She should have told her husband not to do that in front of everyone unless she thought it was funny.

My wife would have been sick at the table at that sight.

[SilkySal]

No offense at all.

My late mam was diabetic and very discreet with her injections at the table if we were at a restaurant. She often took her injection in my car before entering a restaurant because she was embarrassed and didn't want to upset other restaurant patrons injecting in public.

 

Glad to hear your thoughts Graham!! Thanks!!:*

[Katy_Tbird]

Funny, to me it seems about 50-50..... .....those that would insert themselves into a situation they don't belong, resulting in the unnecessary escalation and those that would recognize an inflammatory situation and do what they could to avoid exacerbating it!:cool:

 

Agree with you. From a LEO point of view, adding more people to the fray or fuel to the fire has the high probability of a worse outcome. Unless, of course, they are in imminent danger of being attacked. Then you can be a hero. Otherwise, stay out of it, report it to the proper authorities or management.

[grapau27]

Glad to hear your thoughts Graham!! Thanks!!:*

Thanks.

[reallyitsmema]

In answer to the OP's question, I would not confront the passenger; however, I would defend the wait staff by verbally complementing them on their service for our table.;)

 

Will share a couple of our past experiences at a large table. We have some good friends, who we cruise with from time to time and his wife is diabetic. She asked everyone at our table if we minded that she give herself her insulin shot while at the table. Her injection was pre-made before she came to dinner and she knew exactly when to take it. She was very, very discreet while doing this (I was sitting next to her) and I am sure no one else even knew what she was doing.:cool: No one had a problem at all with the way she did this.

 

Now, on to the next experience. We had 6 couples at our table, and had recently met both couples in the DL on a previous cruise and decided to cruise with them again. As above, the wife of one couple was diabetic and asked if she could give herself an insulin shot while at our dinner table. Since our good friend had done this in the past, we did not see a problem with this. Mistake!!:eek: Well, she proceeded to lay all of her stuff out on the dining table, pricked her finger and dabbed up the blood on her napkin, then held up the insulin bottle to draw out the insulin for ALL to see, and gave herself the shot! Am I being heartless to think this is so wrong?!!:rolleyes:

 

BTW, the 2nd woman was also a "constant" complainer in the MDR, as well as the DL, and complained about nearly everything! She couldn't understand why the DL couldn't make her a white Russian and why the WJ never had any blueberries for her breakfast, so she brought her own blueberries on board with her. The other couple with us decided not to return to the MDR and ate elsewhere for the rest of the cruise. Forgot to mention that the cruisers sitting at the table next to ours befriended us after the rude couple left the table, and complimented us on how patient we were with them and expressed their sympathies to us!!

 

That's my story folks!:(

 

Totally inappropriate to test or inject at the table in the MDR, unless the person was having some sort of emergency.

[cruziJenn]

We have almost never seen any cruiise passengers being rude or abusive to crew and so my comments as well as probably many others should be taken with a grain of salt, or like absolute worst case. But whenever ANYONE is being treated in a clearly abusive and demeaning manner I really want to believe that most people (that are able to) will react in some appropriate way....and the 'appropriate way' will depend a great deal on how severe and abnormal an individual circumstance is. I myself absolutely hate to see anyone belittled and demeaned in front of others.