"Class Wars" on the ships--Diamond+ folk, Carnival haters, etc

[ckrobyn]

[quote name='MrPete']All one has to do is watch "KEEPING UP APPEARANCES" to try to figure out why some boast that one line is better than the other, when most that have sailed both know better.

Don't you know RCCL serves better milk, sails on better water, and circulates better air?

I expect to find MANY Hyacinths on this thread. Some may have interesting titles in their signatures.[/quote]

Off topic....

Mrs. Pete - I LOVE that show "Keeping up Appearances" :p:p Have you ever watched "Are you being served" ? Hilarious!

[B-52]

[quote name='BarbaraM']These are probably the same folks who describe their "station in life" and enjoy having the roped off areas where they can let everyone else know that they are willing to throw down twice as much money for a 7 day cruise than the rest of us!

Anyway, my point is that the diamond + people I've met don't always fit into a certain category. But, I have met people you described in your post --[/quote]


It didn't take too long for someone to attack and stereotype people just because they choose to stay in a suite.

There's your class warfare right there.

[critterchick]

[quote name='HMSDingy']Some people don't even realize they are bragging. We met a couple on a recent cruise who kept on stating that they had flown first class and always booked a suite. There was never a mention if the airfare was at a discount or the suite was a special price. I would admit a cheapy airfare and a price drop. Nothing wrong with saving money.:D[/quote]

Simply stating that the flew first class and book suites isn't necessarily bragging IMHO, just stating a fact (unless they do it endlessly, as your post implies, in which case they are simply tiresome boors). It really isn't anybody's business whether they paid full price or got a discount.

In the 1980s it was considered tacky to admit that you bought something on sale or got a bargain. Now it's considered tacky not to. Go figure.:)

Now I love it when people go on and on about being D+ and having xxx cruise credits on RCI. That happened last week, where a man told me that I had a lot of cruises to go before I caught up with him. This was at the C&A party on Monarch. I just smiled, and then 5 mintues later graciously accepted my bottle of wine for being the most travelled cruiser.:D

[Cruzaholic41]

[quote name='Aquahound'] I am Diamond because I cruise RCI so much. I do not cruise RCI because I am Diamond. There's a difference.[/quote]

I had to read this twice before it clicked in my head. :o

That is a great statement.

[3redheads]

[quote] where a man told me that I had a lot of cruises to go before I caught up with him. This was at the C&A party on Monarch. I just smiled, and then 5 mintues later graciously accepted my bottle of wine for being the most travelled cruiser.:D[/QUOTE]

This is PRICELESS!

[critterchick]

[quote name='3redheads']This is PRICELESS![/quote]

He was a nice enough fellow, but it always irritates me when people put me (or somebody else) down when they don't know how many cruises I have. I guess I should talk about it more, LOL.

Of course, when they find out that I CHEATED my way to D+++ by sailing a ton of 3 night cruises in a JS....:rolleyes::D

[Tucker in Texas]

We cruised with someone that let it "drop" in every sentence whether it be to us, a crew member, or anyone else standing around that she was a "Diamond." So hubby and I made a game out of how often she said it whenever we were around her. I think the record was 12 in 1/2 an hour.

Tucker in Texas

[bthom70]

[quote name='Cushing985']I saw this question over on the Carnival board and at first I thought it would just be a bunch of snobs knocking Carnival. Not so! There are reasonable people in the world!

My wife and I are in the middle class and have cruised both Celebrity and Carnival. Carnival fits us based on price, service and the informality of the line. I must admit I was a bit paranoid about my first Carnival cruise last year on the Glory. I was expecting a bunch of drunks running around and see guys wearing "wife beater" tee-shirts in the MDR. Boy, was I mistaken! The service was great, our fellow passengers were great and our cabin was great. Glory's decorative look wasn't over the top but the Splendor, which we just just on, did take some getting used to. Toward the end of the cruise I just didn't see the pink circles!

For those who stated they haven't been on a Carnival ship for a long time I say give it another try. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised![/quote]


The 2 cruises we went on Carnival were exactly the way you described, wife beaters, drunk bubba and the wives, kids running around unsupervised all day long. Their smart casual clothing choices for dinner and formal night were picked from the bottom of the dirty clothes pile, tanks and tshirts everywhere.
We tried 1 and thought we might have had an off cruise, tried a 2nd a few years later from a different port and it was worse. I wont call this class wars, I'd call it the aggregation of like minded adults. Those that prefer to Carnival fast and loose and RCCL for a plesant cruise trip.
Carnival may be slightly cheaper right now, but you get what you pay for. We're thinking of trying Celebrity or maybe MSC after we make diamond in sept. Then we can have cross section to make educated choices.

[Vanessa L]

[quote name='halos']I truly believe that most people who love cruising, like the variety offered in all lines. I do see posts by RCI loyalists who look down their nose at people who sail Carnival, but there are some Carnival snobs as well. Why these folks feel the need to put down people who enjoy a different line is beyond me, but I try to ignore them.
I do think that the personal-type attacks on CCL cruisers by some RCCL cruisers have left CCL cruisers very defensive and NOT just on these boards either. I've seen it on ships.
OP, if you enjoyed your NCL cruise, you will enjoy Carnival as well. I love both :) I will say that (IMO) Carnival decor is not as beautiful as any RCCL ship...but the odd thing is that once you are on a Farcus' designed ship for a day, the decor magically seems to grow on you. It works somehow.
My first 3 cruises were on Carnival, before I branched out and tried a different line. I have now sailed NCL, CCL, RCCL and X (that is the order in which I prefer them at this point in time) and what I have discovered is that they are all different and this is good. I imagine, for me, sailing the same line all the time might get a bit boring. Princess is next on the list. I'm planning that for fall 2010.
I am in no hurry to have a 'status' on any line. More than likely I'll hit that mark on all lines at once. To me, being 'Diamond' or whatever, isn't worth having to stick with one line all the time. For me personally, variety is great :)
But to each, their own.[/quote]

Unbelieveably well said, halos. Thank you.

[houcruzer]

Couple of observations:

1 - I'm Diamond on RCCL. Have 2 previous sailings on Carnival with another one planned for September. First two experiences weren't great but they were are first two cruises, so what did we know? I'll tell you more after September.

2 - I'm Diamond because I can drive to Galveston. If I had to fly to a port I'd probably go about once every 5 years.

3 - We always get a large table in the MDR because my wife is very social. She'll know 50 people by first name after a week. That said, the absolute worst table mates we ever had talked non stop about themselves and I can assure you that they were among the least affluent of all we've every cruised with, proving only that self centeredness isn't tied to income.

Just my thoughts.......

[rubrrick]

[quote name='critterchick']He was a nice enough fellow, but it always irritates me when people put me (or somebody else) down when they don't know how many cruises I have. I guess I should talk about it more, LOL.

Of course, when they find out that I CHEATED my way to D+++ by sailing a ton of 3 night cruises in a JS....:rolleyes::D[/quote]


Jean.......we all get to do it.........."our way"! It does not matter how you did it.........the subject matter here seams to say......."do you flaunt your wealth" on cruise ships.

It's of no one's concern what we spend for our cruises. My brother and I used to debate over what was better..........I book OS cabins on RCCL ships..........and he books balcony suites on Crystal........and the cost were about the same. He had 260 square feet..........and I had over 600 square feet. He had the name.........and I had the mass market ship.

I wish that my brother were still here on earth.........and that the game could continue. I miss him!!

Rick

[Kokomo91165]

Well, the way I see it, there will always be someone less fortunate and more fortunate than you.......the same applies to cruising. There will always be someone with more and less cruises than you.

I think D+ cruises come from all walks of life, just like the rest of us.

[aqhacruiser]

[quote name='Aquahound']You make a good point here. I tried Celebrity for the first time a couple months ago. Although there were reciprocal perks, they were pretty much non-existent. The coupons I did receive were horrible and I did not use a single one.

Ok, to the point....even without a CL and perks, that cruise was one of my favorites of all time.

But then again, I am Diamond because I cruise RCI so much. I do not cruise RCI because I am Diamond. There's a difference.[/quote]

Exactly:D

[G'ma]

[quote name='MrPete']All one has to do is watch "KEEPING UP APPEARANCES" to try to figure out why some boast that one line is better than the other, when most that have sailed both know better.

Don't you know RCCL serves better milk, sails on better water, and circulates better air?

I expect to find MANY Hyacinths on this thread. Some may have interesting titles in their signatures.[/quote]

I LOVE Hyacinth....but I'd never want to be her neighbor....or relative....HA!!!

Poor Richard......

Some things are better seen from afar.......

[mikeerdas]

Thanks again for all the replies. I'll certainly be giving Carnival a close look for my next cruise--along with RCI, NCL, and Holland America. Looking forward to giving the others a spin (esp. Carnival and Holland, which I've not been on) and decide for myself. Somehow Holland never quite makes it into these debates. Wonder why. And possibly Celebrity and Princess if they fit my budget and have the best itinerary.

I know I learned a lot from this thread--one reason I start these "contentious" threads. I hope others have learned something worthwhile as well. Thanks to everyone who participated with constructive comments.

For those with unkind words and personal attacks who don't like this particular thread, don't let the cabin door hit you you-know-where on the way out. :-) You're better off not encouraging such discussions by participating. And I'm better off not responding directly to individuals who make personal attacks--it only encourages more of the same un-fun, rotten behavior. :-)

[luckyprincess]

[quote name='mheeren']


From what some folks write, you'd think that RCCL is the QE2, and Carnival is the Minnow.

[/quote]
Lol! That made me laugh out loud at my desk!:p

[livylotte]

:D My mother IS Hyacinth!

I don't think cabin size is a good measure of a persons wealth. Wealthy friends of mine always make a b-line for the smallest, lowest inside cabin they can get and think nothing of squeezing four people in there ... probably why they are so rich :cool:

Nor is the number of cruises they have taken. There are many bargains to be had at the moment and if I lived on t'other side of the Atlantic I'd be D+ in no time :p

As for me ... strictly speaking I should be in steerage but I think I'd curl up and die if I had to spend one night without without fresh air so I go for a cabin with a bit more room and some outside space.

I think there is a good mix of people on RCI but most tend to be people who work for a living, some just earn a bit more than others. It caters for a vast array of people and I think it sits well as a middle range family fun cruise line. I certainly wouldn't rate it as better than CCL - it's just different. I would have thought the upper classes would run a mile from a ship like Independance :eek: Do they even know what bingo is?!!

Well that's me done... it's hot here today so I'm off to blow up the pool.

Happy cruising :D

Simples :D

(UK 'in' word at the moment)

[hellosailer]

Bingo was played on the Queen Mary in first-class 50 years ago.

How do I know?

Have a lovely b&w piccie of my parents, dressed up to the nines and when I looked closely at the photo.............they were playing Bingo!!

Bingo is a tradition on ships apparently. But I bet they didn't skim as much off the top as they do now!!

Click link for history of Bingo.

[URL]http://searchwarp.com/swa3187.htm[/URL]

[AddictedtoFL]

[quote name='J & G']Money, class, and IQ all have one thing in common......if you have to tell people you have it, then you don't have enough of it! ;)[/quote]

+1
Best Quote!

[OV8]

Apparently size matters to some ppl on RCL.
But beyond the confines of the ship in the real world...no1 cares & reality bites.

[OV8]

[quote name='J & G']Money, class, and IQ all have one thing in common......if you have to tell people you have it, then you don't have enough of it! ;)[/quote]

I luv this quote! Along the same lines of "act like you've been there" (in the end zone).

[livylotte]

[quote name='hellosailer']Bingo was played on the Queen Mary in first-class 50 years ago.

How do I know?

Have a lovely b&w piccie of my parents, dressed up to the nines and when I looked closely at the photo.............they were playing Bingo!!

Bingo is a tradition on ships apparently. But I bet they didn't skim as much off the top as they do now!!

Click link for history of Bingo.

[URL]http://searchwarp.com/swa3187.htm[/URL][/quote]

LOL :o I never knew that!

Looks like I picked the wrong activity. Maybe not Bingo then ...

I was just trying to get across my point that Indy would not appeal to someone looking for 'a more refined' kind of cruise and Bingo popped in my head.

We did have a go on our last cruise ... it was far to stressful for my liking!

[TexCruise371]

[quote name='critterchick']Simply stating that the flew first class and book suites isn't necessarily bragging IMHO, just stating a fact (unless they do it endlessly, as your post implies, in which case they are simply tiresome boors). It really isn't anybody's business whether they paid full price or got a discount.

In the 1980s it was considered tacky to admit that you bought something on sale or got a bargain. Now it's considered tacky not to. Go figure.:)

Now I love it when people go on and on about being D+ and having xxx cruise credits on RCI. That happened last week, where a man told me that I had a lot of cruises to go before I caught up with him. This was at the C&A party on Monarch. I just smiled, and then 5 mintues later graciously accepted my bottle of wine for being the most travelled cruiser.:D[/quote]

Awesome! :D

[J & G]

[quote name='AddictedtoFL']+1
Best Quote![/quote]

Thanks! I need a few plusses to offset some minuses! :D

[chriskwarren]

Lol if we get tablemates at our upcoming cruise (our first real vacation) who brag about their possessions, I can tell them about the Saturn we have, student loans, and the fact that our first cruise is postponing our first house purchase, allowing us another year to fully enjoy our small basement apartment ;p