A little worried about my upcoming cruise!

[aidansmom]

Hi Everyone,

 

I am going on the AOS December 19, 2004 with my whole extended family. I have been looking forward to this cruise (my first one) for a long time. BUT I have noticed that there aren't many people going...at least it seems this way. I read a review here yesterday that one person said that because the ship wasn't full the give the locals from San Juan discount prices to fill the boat up and this made for a terrible cruise. It said that they were rude and loud! :(

 

Anyone know anything about this. Can anyone tell me if my boat is empty cuz it sure seems that way!

 

One other thing.

 

TIA!

[dougp26364]

About the only thing I can tell you is to take what opinions you read on the Internet with a grain of salt. People have a tendency to post more negative than positive or, we have a habit of remembering the negative posts and forgeting the positive posts.

 

We just got off the Explorer and had a great time. I'm sure you will too.

[PSCruiser]

Just looking at the pricing on staterooms, I think they are about "normal" for a cruise starting in about a month. If the ship was really hurting for passengers, they would have rooms at $500, maybe even less.

[WaterWish]

I'm wondering why I'm not seeing many fellow cruisers for my 12/18/04 Navigator sailing also. I thought that since this is the first week of holiday break for many schools, that the ship would be full. Maybe it is, and the majority of travelers aren't Internet-savvy, but I was wondering what the deal is...

[MackMasterson]

It seems to be a toss up on how active different sailings seem to be on these boards. I have gotten to the point of checking here first to see which sailings are active..LOL..

 

That being said, I agree with the poster above that said that people tend to be more negative sometimes. A vacation is as fun as you make it, and a cruise exemplafies that even more! Just make sure to not sweat the small stuff and it will be a trip to remember.

 

HAVE FUN!!

[skigirl]

I'd be happy to take your place - we absolutely loved AOS and would do it again in a heartbeat. We had no complaints and enjoyed different cultures/

[Pumbaamd]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=70221&highlight=AOS+12%2F19

Check out the "Meet & Mingle" for your cruise. They may be able to help you and you'll meet some new friends for your cruise!

[cruzincanuck]

I was on the AOS the 1st week of January this year and yes there were many Puerto Ricans on the ship during our cruise. I had read posts prior to my cruise concerning the behaviour of Puerto Ricans however I found this to be untrue. In all honesty, it is not the nationality of people who makes them noisy or disrespectful but rather the character of each individual.

 

This cruise rates the best so far in my 5 cruises. Enjoy !!

[njcruisebunny]

You will have a great time! AOS was wonderful.

 

RELAX and have a good time.

 

We went last January during Super Bowl and needed a vacation when we got home. We partied too much!

[nrdsb4]

. I had read posts prior to my cruise concerning the behaviour of Puerto Ricans however I found this to be untrue. In all honesty, it is not the nationality of people who makes them noisy or disrespectful but rather the character of each individual.

 

This cruise rates the best so far in my 5 cruises. Enjoy !!

 

Ditto.

 

I have always taken statements which categorize an entire nation of people in a negative way as pure drivel written by people who probably bring their prejudiced outlook with them. If I get on a cruise ship believing that Puerto Ricans are inherently loud and rude, then no matter what they do, that's what my perception will be. If I decide to give each person the benefit of the doubt, then each person will have the chance to make their own impression on me. Rudeness can be found in all cultures, American culture included. I have met many rude Americans in my lifetime, but I think to myself, "Gee, that guy was a jerk!" not "Wow, it's true, Americans are rude!" However, many people when encountering a rude Puerto Rican might say to themselves, "Wow, he's so rude. I guess it's true that Puerto Ricans are rude!"

I've traveled extensively and I always hope people will judge me based on my behavior and character and not assume I am an "ugly American." I extend the same courtesy to everyone I meet regardless of where they are from.

 

I think you will have a great cruise. You are likely to encounter all types of people. Some will be loud and rude. Most will be just like you, there to have a great cruise in the company of friends or loved ones. Enjoy.

[DMorris]

The cruise is what you make of it. We did have a great time, but our group made it fun. Yes we did encounter rude and obnoxious people, was our only complaint, but it did not ruin our cruise. You will have... don't let the other cruisers ruin it for you.

[lovetocruiserccl]

Ditto.

 

I have always taken statements which categorize an entire nation of people in a negative way as pure drivel written by people who probably bring their prejudiced outlook with them. If I get on a cruise ship believing that Puerto Ricans are inherently loud and rude, then no matter what they do, that's what my perception will be. If I decide to give each person the benefit of the doubt, then each person will have the chance to make their own impression on me. Rudeness can be found in all cultures, American culture included. I have met many rude Americans in my lifetime, but I think to myself, "Gee, that guy was a jerk!" not "Wow, it's true, Americans are rude!" However, many people when encountering a rude Puerto Rican might say to themselves, "Wow, he's so rude. I guess it's true that Puerto Ricans are rude!"

I've traveled extensively and I always hope people will judge me based on my behavior and character and not assume I am an "ugly American." I extend the same courtesy to everyone I meet regardless of where they are from.

 

I think you will have a great cruise. You are likely to encounter all types of people. Some will be loud and rude. Most will be just like you, there to have a great cruise in the company of friends or loved ones. Enjoy.

 

I agree. It's the character of the person. Not the nationality or the skin they are in. Being from a military family I love to travel and meet all people any race, creed or color. I'm very interested in people. I met the most wonderful people from all over the world. And of course there is one that is rude. But that person is not the spokesperson for the whole race.

 

Enjoy whatever life has to offer you. Enjoy your cruise.

[TahoeBob]

Hi Everyone,

 

I am going on the AOS December 19, 2004 with my whole extended family. I have been looking forward to this cruise (my first one) for a long time. BUT I have noticed that there aren't many people going...at least it seems this way. I read a review here yesterday that one person said that because the ship wasn't full the give the locals from San Juan discount prices to fill the boat up and this made for a terrible cruise. It said that they were rude and loud! :(

 

Anyone know anything about this. Can anyone tell me if my boat is empty cuz it sure seems that way!

 

One other thing.

 

TIA!

One thing to keep in mind I was told by someone on the mesage boards that you cannot judge how many people are going on a cruise by how many messages are posted on the Cruise critic message boards. Some ships just get more buzz than others. My wife and I are taking our first cruise on the Vision on 12-19 and very few messages are posted about this trip. We do have 31 people signed up for the M&M so I know that there will be at least 29 other people on board. The way I look at it if the ship is not that full there will be more food for me (not that there would not be enough food).

 

Try reading more than one message from the same person, many times I think you will find that if a person leaves a negitave post you will find the same tone in all there messages.

 

have a great time

 

Bob P.

[cruiseman_tx]

I agree with the above posters. We've done both itineraries on the AOS, and these cruises rate as the best we've taken. We've also done pre & post-cruise stays in San Juan and have found the Puerto Rican people to be warm, friendly and quite accomodating.

As for the lack of activity on this board for any particular cruise...just remember that eventhough CruiseCritics is a large community, it's still a small percentage of the vast cruising population.

I personally refuse to have a bad time on a cruise, and I refuse to associate with negative people on the ship. Just get on that ship with your family and have a great time.

Bon Voyage