The difference between Aussies and Americans lol

[LizCruising2007]

Hi, I couldn't resist starting this thread. As I am new to the cruising scene I have been searching high and low (all of the threads) for answers to my multitude of questions. The one thing that has struck me is the difference in opinions when it comes to American travellers as opposed to us Aussie travellers - it is clear to me that we are VERY different in our expectations/style etc. I think I'll just stick to our good old P&O thread for all future questions. Has anybody else had a similar experience?;)

[aussiedisneyfan]

Having now done 2 US cruises, I have definitely noticed a big differnce in expections onboard and also even in these chat threads.

The Americans certainly have a much higher expection of facilities and standards on the ships. They also seem to be a lot more vocal about anything that is not up to standards. I think that a lot of them would not be happy on our P&O Australia ships.

Our ships are a lot more laid back and still a bit more of a party atmosphere, although not to the wild extent that they used to be. I love the luxury of the US ships but am just as happy with the comfort of our ships.

They also don't seem as chatty on the general threads.

I am not meaning to be rude to Americans, or critical just an observation. Also, not everyone is the same and have met some lovely people from the States on our cruises.

[kaseyoz]

I too have to agree. i researched my trip on the sapphire princess so was reading the princess boards.also read the carnival boards last year.

Just do not ask about formal wear over there!!!!

They are also "different" to travel not. Not in a bad way just different

[matmar]

Hi, I couldn't resist starting this thread. As I am new to the cruising scene I have been searching high and low (all of the threads) for answers to my multitude of questions. The one thing that has struck me is the difference in opinions when it comes to American travellers as opposed to us Aussie travellers - it is clear to me that we are VERY different in our expectations/style etc. I think I'll just stick to our good old P&O thread for all future questions. Has anybody else had a similar experience?;)

I have thought about this myself, but wasn't game to ask in fear of having my head bit off by an American.:D

Certainly would not start this in the Princess boards.:eek:

But I do agree we Aussies are more laid back and expect less even though we pay more than the Americans. Can't understand that.:p

[Star-Man]

They also don't seem as chatty on the general threads.

I know what you mean. I love how we can go from a post about tipping to what we had for lunch when we boarded to crazy characters that we met on board and so on. All in one thread :)

[AuzzieCruiser]

I also think that we are such a small group, that we all seem to get along quite well (though we do have our moments!!:p ).
We're not quite 'mainstream' if you know what I sort of mean!!:confused: :o
I've surfed the other boards for info on past cruises, but have been a bit 'scared' to ask.:rolleyes:

[qt_esme]

Yes im the same, im too scared to reply to their boards in fear of getting my head bitten off!:eek: You guys are all laid back and relaxed
So thanks for being so cool everyone:D

[AuzzieCruiser]

Commonly asked question 'What are you doing here?':eek: I thought it was a free world!! They can't fathom the idea of Australians travelling to the US to cruise.
Then there are the questions!!:rolleyes:
These are true questions that people have asked me:
* What month is it in Australia?
* When do you have Christmas?
* Do you really have Kangaroos in the street? (Thanks very much to the Simpsons for that one!!)
* Do we have ATM's in Australia!!

It is so hard to sit there and try not to laugh. Though there are some very knowledgeable out there too. Some were not too keen on Howard (surprised they knew his name!!).

[NSWP]

Guys, be very careful making comment on these boards re our American cruising friends. I got suspended for a month from 8/4 to 8/5 this year for alleged 'Vulgar Language, - Disruptive. To which I pleaded 'Not guilty. All I did was query Americans as a whole, no more than the thread above. I have met many, many Americans on my cruises, so I know the species. Jarrod, ye...I do have Roos in my street, 14 this arvo actually, true blue old son.

All the boards are monitered, irrespective of the Cruise line thread. Query why tipping & tuxedos and you will get WW3 from the Princess board anyway.

Over and out. Suppose I will be suspended again now for being Disruptive or a Smartie.:(

[aussiedisneyfan]

I hate to say Jarrod, but we do get Kangaroos round here too. :p

Best thing we got over there this time was from a young girl at "Jack in the Box" (McDonalds type place), asking what language we spoke. I swear she was serious. Sandra quite happily replied that she spoke Croation at home.

On our first US cruise we had an Aussie activities staff member who used to do a lot of the trivias. Some of the Americans (nicely and happily) protested because he always asked an Aussie question, so we had an advantage. Didn't matter that most of the other questions were US based and we still managed to get them right. I am just a genius. :D

I hope any US friends reading these posts doesn't take offence at my comments. It is just the different cultures etc that give us different expections, such as the whole tipping thing. We found it very hard to cope with always having to add that extra onto our bill for just about everything whereas it is the norm over there. We have had a few threads on "to tip or not to tip" sort of subject where I don't think most Americans would even consider not tipping unless it was extrememly bad service or something.

[Ransome]

Here's my 10 cents worth (or a dime as they say over there). I work for a US based multi-national company and I spend a fair bit of time on business in the United States. I love the place and the people (and I'm not saying that to stop getting booted off the boards). The thing to remember is that the United States has one of the lowest ratios of passport ownership per capita of any developed country on this planet. Most of the US population has never travelled outside the USA borders, and if they have it's been to Canada or Mexico (or Hawaii...) where until recently they haven't required a passport.

In a lot of cases, US travellers to international destinations can seem to be "ignorant" of things that we accept and take for granted - but this is because they are (in general) aren't well travelled. In contrast, we Aussies have one of the highest passport ratios per capita in the World; in short we are well travelled, and thus more relaxed and accepting of different cultures.

Visit the US and see the locals on their home turf and you will see a different person. Very warm, friendly and so willing to engage with us Aussies.

Time will change this.

[badgerbill]

[quote=AuzzieCruiser;10213977]* Do you really have Kangaroos in the street? (Thanks very much to the Simpsons for that one!!)
quote]

Hi Jarod
I got roo' s up my street.......honest i tell the truth... we live in the Glass House Mountains it s just part of our day.......got to laugh though when folks in England learned i lived close to Australia Zoo they all wanted to know did i know Steve Irwin and whats he like ... did all the spiders in Australia bite...and were the cockroaches really as big as rats !!! they had me rolling in the aisles with what they thought they knew about Australia
cheers shiona

[AuzzieCruiser]

I didn't mean to offend anyone. It was all in a sense of 'fun', not having a personal attack on a particular group or person.
It is true about the Americans not travelling far, afterall they do earn less than us, and only recieve an average of 2 weeks leave a year. It is a shock to us to hear that. If makes you appreciate how 'lucky' we are to explore the world.
I do apologise if I did offend anyone.
I am willing to take the suspension on the chin if Host Walt decides that is best.

[AuzzieCruiser]

[quote=AuzzieCruiser;10213977]* Do you really have Kangaroos in the street? (Thanks very much to the Simpsons for that one!!)
quote]

Hi Jarod
I got roo' s up my street.......honest i tell the truth... we live in the Glass House Mountains it s just part of our day.......got to laugh though when folks in England learned i lived close to Australia Zoo they all wanted to know did i know Steve Irwin and whats he like ... did all the spiders in Australia bite...and were the cockroaches really as big as rats !!! they had me rolling in the aisles with what they thought they knew about Australia
cheers shiona

First question often asked is if I live in Sydney. I do. If I ever saw a Kangaroo in my street, I'd have a stroke!!:p
I suppose we are just as nieve (spelling??)as others when it comes to facts about other countries.
Last post on this topic I think for me...:o back to packing ideas I think for me...:)

[novemberbravo1974]

Americans expect more quite often for less, We in Australia tend to accept less and pay more, ( Although it can be argued thankfully real prices are tending to fall a little these days in my view ) Its not unfair to say a lot of what we accept just doesn’t cut it elsewhere oh and you will hear them complain about it too, sometimes to the cows come home.

Americans do have a limited view of the outside world in many respects considering every other country resides in a galaxy far far away in there view. They are often surprised how often and how much Australians tend to travel and when told about our life here and how similar it actually is to them.

The dumb questions make chatting memorable. Petrol Prices, Food Prices, Restaurants, Tipping, Do you have this and General Comparisons in each other work etc can make conversations for hours. I find some of them are often reserved a little more than Australian's are in a group.

American tend to think any pile of sand with a palm tree is impressive, Magans Bay in St Thomas is Beautiful to them, mediocre to most Australians etc etc.

All said and done, I will sail with an American any day though. They are good value!!!!!

Happy Sailing
Novemberbravo1974:)

[chaz cruiser]

I got suspended for a month from 8/4 to 8/5 this year for alleged 'Vulgar Language, - Disruptive.

I don't think I want to comment on this thread... Don't think I could cope with a one month suspension!!!:D

Oh darn this is a comment isn't it...:rolleyes:

Cheers,
Charmain:)

[oysterfiend]

Hey what about us Kiwis- don't we count ?
80% kiwis have passports only 20% Americans-
that is now on the rise as they are now required to have them to go to Mexico.
In Mexico (YUCATAN)we found some to be loud and rude to the staff and ignorant of people outside their country.
But on a personal basis we met many nice Americans - but yes they only have very short(often only a week)holidays which they spend big and want everything perfect!
One school teacher I spoke to bemoaned the fact that they soon had to get passports to travel to Mexico.
I replied that you expect them- the Mexicans to have documentation to go into the States so shouldn't the standards be the same.
She said it would cost too much for a family of four-
why travel then?
I said if kiwis didn't have passports we'd go nowhere and told her the statistics about passport ownership between the 2 Countries.
Her reply was Americans didn't really need to travel outside their country as they were so large and had everything.
That 's from an educator- NOW you see why the world has problems!

The Mexicans couldn't understand our accent as we spoke faster than the americans and for that we were truly thankful!

[karmac]

...80% kiwis have passports ...



Is that coz they can't wait to get out of the country:p ? (Just kidding)

Karen

[karmac]

I don't think you offended anyone Jarrod. And like you, living in Sydney, I would have a stroke if I saw a roo in my street.


Karen

[oysterfiend]

Oppossums are a pest here and are decimating our bush and bird life- even the kiwi is endangered and the best oppossum in NZ is a dead one.

They do make great pets and in Australia they are great animals but not in New Zealand where our bird life has evolved without any threat from Mammals and predators

And NO we are NOT part of Australia!

You are right about Americans being poorly paid and only getting 2 weeks holidays- we met many who could only take a weeks holiday at a time.
They are told if you take two weeks keep on going and don't bother coming back.
Thats why we have to ensure workers rights are protected and Globilization does not undermine our existing cultures.
We really have it good on this side of the world and travel only confirms this for me.
As Americans and Australians differ, so do kiwis and Australians- but it would be a dull world if we were all the same and travel makes me thankful for how much freedom we have DOWN UNDER

[DucknChook]

Is that coz they can't wait to get out of the country:p ? (Just kidding)
Karen

No Karen, it's just so we can migrate (like me) and take over what is known over the ditch as the 'West Island'.:p

[Skyrules]

I always find travelling to NZ no different than travelling to Melbourne, and I find it strange to be going through customs etc on the way back.

In NZ I feel like I'm at home. Until they start talking about Jandals and Chilly bins of course. :)

In fact sometimes I feel like Queensland is the 'foreign country', especially when we come back from Sydney or Melbourne or even Auckland.

[matmar]

In fact sometimes I feel like Queensland is the 'foreign country', especially when we come back from Sydney or Melbourne or even Auckland.


Queensland is so a "foreign country" we dont even have daylight savings:eek: . How backward is that!!!

[Skyrules]

Queensland is so a "foreign country" we dont even have daylight savings:eek: . How backward is that!!!

Well maybe if North Queensland get their way and become a state of their own, those of us down in the South East might finally get our way and get daylight savings.

Stranger things have happened.

[CruiseKidz]

Will be able to report back the differences between Aussies & Americans when we get back form cruising the Med on Emerald Princess, just discovered 9 Aussies booked on it 10 weeks to go and counting!!

[arxcards]

Compared to most other forums ( outside CC), I have found most of our US buddies to be helpful. Most are not chatty on the Princess boards (there are exceptions), but they are chatty on their roll calls and other general parts of the board. I think we have more in common while chatting with a coffee or a beer, than we do while we are typing questions & answers for each other.

However, if you are cruising from Australia, the best areas are:
Here (P&O Australia)
The roll call for your cruise ( hopefully SP & DP Aussie cruises will be eventually moved to merge with P&O - yes, I have also asked officially by email, and not received a reply after several weeks)
Ports - Australia \ New Zealand
Ports - Pacific all (even this is mostly Tahitian stuff)
Fun Stuff

Even to ask for details of SP & DP on the Princess boards can be difficult, as we have different expectations, and different services & rules in OZ. (Taking wine on board, room service charges, dining options etc). And as mentioned before, stay away from topics such as tipping, formal night attire, plus also you must spell pretty well. There are some posters there that have long running arguements, and it can be easy to get caught in the middle of their agendas.

Skyrules - Chilly Bins LOL.
I was speaking to a Kiwi friend on the phone a few years ago, and he was talking about packing for a trip. His Kiwi pronunciation was chullybuns. I had no idea what he was talking about till he said - you know Bro, to keep me drinks cold"

NSWP - Gee, a 1 month suspension and now a downgrade on Regal Princess.:D Only kidding - I hope Carnival appreciate your free feedback, and upgrade you to a suite.

Really, If you want to know the true difference, I am just about to post a pic to the "Need a good laugh" thread.

Cheers,

[scrappingyankie]

I think being an American living in Australia I can see all the differences in the two countries even though we have so many things that are the same. I must admit that I had no idea what Australia was really all about before I moved here, I pictured Australia Zoo and the outback. I was terrified of the redbacks funnel webs and all the deadly snakes. Could not figure out how my kids were going to play outside with all those deadly creatures. I find it funny now, but still get asked the question regularly. But this is such a great country, and I really did not know that there were so many awesome places to visit. And in 10 years I have not been bitten by anything more then an ant. Funny that huh?

I will always find it hard not to tip as it is just something that we have always done, but I don't take any offence to anyone who doesn't want to. Aussies are so laid back, that is why I choose to live here all the time.

As for cruising we have done both and honestly they simply do not compare. I think they are both awesome and will keep cruising with both. I simply try to take each trip individual and have no expectations as to good or bad. I am just happy to be cruising.

[S&D]

Hi there,
We always enjoy reading this board, such a nice bunch of people here.

Having done 6 Princess cruises, we have travelled with - and been involved with many, many friends from the USA.


We have had roll calls of over 100 people on some of the cruises. We have yet to meet a nicer bunch of people! The majority of these people have been from the USA. The Americans we have met absolutely LOVE Australia.

We and our Aussie friends always find the Americans very generous in nature, friendly and genuinely nice people..:) We are so happy to have made long term friendships among them.

Yes, people from the USA do certainly have much higher expectations from ships crew regarding service etc, it's part of the culture there. The formal wear and tipping threads are always sure to bring out a heated discussion on the boards..LOL...:D

We love cruising with all our Aussie friends, we are so laid back and easy going, and we do love those big luxurious ships, and we are so pleased to have had the opportunity to have met such fine Canadian and American friends along the way.

We always feel very lucky to be able to cruise, and to participate in these boards and roll calls..so much fun!

I think the day is fast approaching when we will be getting a mega ship down here permanently in Aussie waters...maybe the Golden or Grand or Star Princess, we Aussies are becoming cruise addicts fast!!! Already they seem to be replacing and updating the fleet down here.

S&D

[Croozin']

The tipping thing gets me too. However, once my mother (she's American, which makes me a holder of 2 fantastic citizenships and passports!) explained that workers in the US get paid A LOT less than their counterparts in Australia, and that most in the service industry rely on tips to survive, it made a bit of sense. I've done some work in the hospitality industry over here in WA and we do get paid pretty well compared to the US - the tips at the end of the night here are just seen as a bonus.

I remember when my mom and dad took us to the US about 8 years ago to meet my mom's parents and family. I sat in a park with two of my cousins listening to music, and kept getting looks from two of their school friends. Finally those girls turned around and said, “hey, you’re the Aussie cousins!” (we were in small-town America). I then got asked to talk, and I was like “um…what would you like me to say?”. They then turned on their baby cutsie voices and said, “Can you say ‘wombat’? Can you say ‘kangaroo’? OH! That’s so cute!!!”. I remember looking at them with an amused expression on my face and thinking wow, this is surreal.

I haven’t cruised before, but I have lived overseas and travelled extensively. Americans always told me they would love to come to Australia, but according to the documentary channel we have so many things that can kill you. I’d try to explain that you wouldn’t always be dealing with venomous snakes and spiders and sharks in your back yard, but it didn’t persuade them. “But it was on TV! I saw it!”.

I also was living overseas when Steve Irwin became big news in the US. On planes people would ask me if I knew him personally. Took me a while to work out who he was, and then I’d say, “Yup. Australia really isn’t that big – of course I know him!” Not. Mind you, I also used to say that everyone had pet kangaroos and we rode emus to school. When they would start believing that, I’d quickly tell them I was joking.

I found when travelling that as soon as I established I wasn’t American (hey, I can pick and choose!) or, in some cases British, but an Australian, doors would fly open all over the place, I’d be welcomed everywhere and the hospitality would be amazing! I think it was also the novelty of meeting an Australian in some of the countries I visited.

One last thing - when people worked out I was Aussie, they'd ask from which part (not many knew of Perth - everyone had heard of Sydney and in some cases Melbourne). I'd explain Perth in relation to whatever city they had heard of, and then I'd get, 'Hey, my friend Dave lives in Australia. Do you know him? Can I give you a letter to pass on to him?'

[ClipperMiami]

Interesting that up to this point there are no comments from "up here" --- I'm not sure what to make of it but it is interesting.

It is true that Americans are not as worldly travelers as many other nations (if passport holding is an accurate measure of 'worldliness') but much of that has to do with a wide variety of factors. Some noted that heretofore we did not need passports to travel to Mexico and Canada (and they did not need then to travel here by the way) and large parts of the Caribbean. So the need for passports is/was significantly lower. Americans are historically more insular than Europeans and Aussies/Kiwis.

America is a vast nation as is Australia. But we are a vast nation widely settled/developed sea to sea, border to border. Australia too is highly developed but in a fairly narrow band along the coasts, much of the interior is sparely, far more sparsely, settled/developed than the US. Similarly, something like 90% of Canadians live within a hundred miles or so of the border.

As to Americans being vastly underpaid compared to Australians, according to the IMF the US ranks 4th at 43,444 USD/per capita versus Australia 16th at 32,938 USD/per capita. The CIA Factbook ranks the US 6th at 44,000 USD/per capita and Australia 15th at 33,300 USD/per capita. Admitedly these are per capita portions of GDP and not strictly what's in the pay packet but they are representative. It is also true that in general Americans enjoy far less vacation time than many of our foreign counterparts.

Australia does have the US beat in some areas. Australia has 11 of the world's 10 deadliest spiders and 12 of the world's 10 deadliest snakes so that's something to consider. And, don't forget Australia has Vegemite which has to count for something :)

All that being said despite all their shortcomings some of my best friends are Australians :)

[howsthis]

The only thing I have ever noticed with Americans is that our sense of humour is somewhat more pronounced than theirs or we can laugh at just about anything and they take life a lot more seriously. I have relatives who live in America and they have said that they have to be careful with their 'jokes' as some 'just don't get it'. Some people call us 'laid back' others think we don't care enough. Best Aussie saying, 'She'll be right mate!'

[Croozin']

The only thing I have ever noticed with Americans is that our sense of humour is somewhat more pronounced than theirs or we can laugh at just about anything and they take life a lot more seriously. I have relatives who live in America and they have said that they have to be careful with their 'jokes' as some 'just don't get it'. Some people call us 'laid back' others think we don't care enough. Best Aussie saying, 'She'll be right mate!'


Australians have quite a sarcastic and dark bent to their humour, more in line with the British. I found myself altering my speech and thought process when joking around to try to make it a little more relevant. Of course, when I was trying to tell someone who spoke English as a second language a whole new set of rules come into play!

[Fires]

I lived in the US for 4 years spread between California, Colorado and Virginia, so I'm no expert but I've lived and played amongst them and I found the differences to be sometimes slight and at other times glaring.

I could write a book, but I'll quote one American I met whilst travelling back in 91.

"Isn't it great that they built the castle so close to the railway station, I hate walking".

He was refering to the Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Terry

[NSWP]

CHeers ARXCARDS, hope I don't get put in the brig on Regal. Suite would be nice eh? But I just got my cruise docs from Carnival/Princess today..9 weeks before cruise, early eh ? Same cabin number I booked, oceanview-forward on Plaza Deck.

ClipperMiami, very good post for American/Australian relations, think the service/tipping thingo is what seperates us, we were not born to tip as you probably know by now, service people here, i.e. restaurant/hotel/bar staff get a reasonable minimum award wage, not peanuts like in U.S. So I can understand why you tip everybody. But I have been intoo many discussions re tipping so will end there.

Best wishes to all in OZ and US, fair enough ?:cool:

[Forever dreaming]

I've always been to scared to ask this question as bringing up the subject of tipping makes people angry. I just wondered if anyone could tell me whether this is true?

Apart from tipping because wages are low is it true that the Government taxes 'service' workers on 'estimated tips" that they will/may receive. Whether they do receive the tip or not is irrelevant to the tax office?

I was told this before I travelled and helped me understand the tipping policy but was never sure if it was the true or not.

:)

[Croozin']

I've always been to scared to ask this question as bringing up the subject of tipping makes people angry. I just wondered if anyone could tell me whether this is true?

Apart from tipping because wages are low is it true that the Government taxes 'service' workers on 'estimated tips" that they will/may receive. Whether they do receive the tip or not is irrelevant to the tax office?

I was told this before I travelled and helped me understand the tipping policy but was never sure if it was the true or not.

:)


I was under the impression that yes, the tax is true. I work a bit in hospitality but just one night a week here and there, so my tips aren't very big, and I don't think I'll have too much trouble come tax time.

[aussiedisneyfan]

I think that the ATO has an expectation or something that waitstaff will earn a certain amount in tips and if you don't declare them or no where near that amount compared to your income then they may check up on you.

[Justgottago]

And NO we are NOT part of Australia

But we were once. Geologists believe that New Zealand broke away from the Australian East coast a million or so years ago.

And we almost were again. The 1908 Australian Federation Act provided for New Zealand to be admitted as a state if it asked for that. And I believe that it is still on the statute books.;)

[The Big Booper]

When on cruise critic I usually stick to RCI, our line of choice. I sometimes wander over to Princess and if I have the nerve to make a comment on something they bite my head off too. And I live in the NY suburbs, not down under.

Americans have always been fascinated by kangaroos and in general Aussie wildlife because you have so many unique species that don't exist anywhere outside your continent. My wife is dying to see a kangaroo because she thinks they look so cute.

As far as the passport issue, as other here have noted, we do not need a passport to go to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean, which is where most Americans vecation. This is all changing now. We also don't need a passport to fly 10 hours to Hawaii, any more than we need a passport to go 3 miles over the GW bridge from Manhattan to NJ.

One other comment, it has often been said that America, the UK and Australia are 3 countries separated by the same language, but on our recent trip thru the Panama Canal on the Radiance, one of the cruise staff was from South Africa and we all had the darndest time understanding her accent or the colloquial (sp?) terms she used. Nice girl, though.

G'day mates. :)

[Tropicalshowers]

Had to laugh when I read Croozin's recollection of 'knowing Steve Irwin'.
We too were asked the same question many times when we visited the states years ago, and it wasn't till we got home that we found out who this guy was!

We loved our short time in the US....we were given such wonderful hospitality always....when we were discovered to be Aussies, we got more!

What we noticed the most while there was, that the media didn't cover anything that was not American related. Very cocooned with global information. Maybe things have changed since then but there is a huge world out there & one doesn't have to travel to find out about it. It's the initial finding out that makes us want to travel after all!:D

My 10 cents/ quarters/ bobs worth...
Cheers!

[chaz cruiser]

One other comment, it has often been said that America, the UK and Australia are 3 countries separated by the same language, but on our recent trip thru the Panama Canal on the Radiance, one of the cruise staff was from South Africa and we all had the darndest time understanding her accent or the colloquial (sp?) terms she used. Nice girl, though.

:confused: Not sure how the South African fits in!!! Poster is talking about America, UK & Australia and then says couldn't understand a South Afrikan (where the official language is Afrikaans, sorry spelling may not be right!).:confused:

Cheers,
Charmain:)

[The Big Booper]

:confused: Not sure how the South African fits in!!! Poster is talking about America, UK & Australia and then says couldn't understand a South Afrikan (where the official language is Afrikaans, sorry spelling may not be right!).:confused:

Cheers,
Charmain:)

She was speaking English, but with a South African inflection. We frequently run across Aussie's on RCI ships, on the CD staff and in the gift shops. It is always interesting to hear how the different branches of the English speaking world have localized the language.

[arxcards]

:confused: Not sure how the South African fits in!!! Poster is talking about America, UK & Australia and then says couldn't understand a South Afrikan (where the official language is Afrikaans, sorry spelling may not be right!).:confused:

Cheers,
Charmain:)

Afrikaans is the most common language spoken by European South Afrikans, but not exclusive as quoted by answers.com -

"South Africa has 11 official languages, nine of which are indigenous—Zulu, Xhosa, Tswana, Sotho, Swazi, Venda, Ndebele, Pedi, and Tsonga. Many blacks also speak Afrikaans (the first language of about 60% of the whites and the majority of those of mixed race) or English (the first language of most of the rest of the nonblacks)."

South African accents can be heavy, think Tony Greig, Graeme Smith (cricket), Andre Joubert (rugby), Nelson Mandela. The ultimate South African accent to me is the crooked diplomat in Lethal Weapon 2. South African television broadcasts in Afrikaans & English.
This Youtube link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzddZeTH_cY) is of a comedian with a pretty good accent.

Big Booper,
For me the accent is not just about South Africans. There are Northern English & Scottish accents from Britain I have trouble with as well as those with a Southern US twang. I know there are some distributors I deal with in the US that have trouble understanding me (and vice versa). The same can also happen on these forums, as we all have a slightly different way of typing our point.

A am glad we are all a little different, as it makes meeting new people on your travels (and these forums) so much more interesting!:)

Cheers,

[The Big Booper]

Big Booper,
For me the accent is not just about South Africans. There are Northern English & Scottish accents from Britain I have trouble with as well as those with a Southern US twang. I know there are some distributors I deal with in the US that have trouble understanding me (and vice versa). The same can also happen on these forums, as we all have a slightly different way of typing our point.

A am glad we are all a little different, as it makes meeting new people on your travels (and these forums) so much more interesting!:)

Cheers,

While in the Radiance Windjammer buffet, we were seated near a large round table with 4 couples. They all had British accents but each couple's accent was different from the others. I wandered over to inquire and we had a London couple, a couple from Scotland, a couple from the English countryside and a couple who moved between Australia and England for business purposes and had been doing it for 15 years. After discussing the different word usuage they commented that they could understand Northerners from the US but had trouble with US Southerners to which I replied, so do we.:D

Y' all have a real good day, yee-haw!

[arxcards]

While in the Radiance Windjammer buffet, we were seated near a large round table with 4 couples. They all had British accents but each couple's accent was different from the others. I wandered over to inquire and we had a London couple, a couple from Scotland, a couple from the English countryside and a couple who moved between Australia and England for business purposes and had been doing it for 15 years. After discussing the different word usuage they commented that they could understand Northerners from the US but had trouble with US Southerners to which I replied, so do we.:D

Y' all have a real good day, yee-haw!

And it isn't just the accent, but the speed as well. Yep, G'day mate, No worries, 'ave a good one.

[CruiseKidz]

Being from Northern Ireland, when I first moverd to Oz no one understood my accent. I had trouble in shops, when I ordered from the deli counter I always got the wrong amount of ham, bacon etc!! I worked in the kitchen of a nursing home and about 3 months after I started one of the staff told me when the milkman came to the kitchen to take the daily order he went outside and asked her what I had just said, no one thought of telling me!! I've slowed down over the years but ocassionally some one does get it, I know from the blank look on their face.

[The Big Booper]

And it isn't just the accent, but the speed as well. Yep, G'day mate, No worries, 'ave a good one.

G'day to you, mate.

The link to the Sun Princess forward webcam is great. How often is it refreshed?

[The Big Booper]

Being from Northern Ireland, when I first moverd to Oz no one understood my accent. I had trouble in shops, when I ordered from the deli counter I always got the wrong amount of ham, bacon etc!! I worked in the kitchen of a nursing home and about 3 months after I started one of the staff told me when the milkman came to the kitchen to take the daily order he went outside and asked her what I had just said, no one thought of telling me!! I've slowed down over the years but ocassionally some one does get it, I know from the blank look on their face.

I noticed from your signature that you will be on the beautiful Rhapsody of the Seas when she relocates to Asia, much to the displeasure of the folks in Galveston, Texas. We have been on her twin, the Vision of the Seas, and it was one of our favorites. What is the itinerary?

[arxcards]

G'day to you, mate.

The link to the Sun Princess forward webcam is great. How often is it refreshed?

Howdy Mr Incredible,
The image will update to the current Sun Princess webcam pic each time the page is loaded or refreshed. (It does not refresh by itself like the Princess site does).

Love your picture galleries. Sensational pics like these really open our eyes to wider horizons through the world of cruising!

Cheers,

[The Big Booper]

[/color]

Howdy Mr Incredible,
The image will update to the current Sun Princess webcam pic each time the page is loaded or refreshed. (It does not refresh by itself like the Princess site does).

Love your picture galleries. Sensational pics like these really open our eyes to wider horizons through the world of cruising!

Cheers,

Thanks for the pic compliments.

I wish I had time to load our last 2 trips.

[CruiseKidz]

I noticed from your signature that you will be on the beautiful Rhapsody of the Seas when she relocates to Asia, much to the displeasure of the folks in Galveston, Texas. We have been on her twin, the Vision of the Seas, and it was one of our favorites. What is the itinerary?

Big Booper
The Raphsody leaves Shanghai for Seoul (Pyeongtaek), Cheju Island S Korea, Pusan S Korea, Kagoshima Japan and back to Shanghai. A 7 day cruise. Haven't put an itinery together but are looking at a few days in Hong Kong flying to Beijing for a few days and possibly the overnight train back to Shanghai for the cruise. B-I-L was on the Brilliance transtlantic FL to Barcelona and raved about it. He is now looking at the Raphsody NZ Australia itineries, he's hooked!! I Have trip to the med in August first on the Emerald Princess before the Asia trip.

[Anissa72]

I lived in the USA and my eldest daughter who is now 17 was born there. We are both very similar but very different if that makes sense? There is so much we can learn from the Americans as there is with them learning from us here in Australia.

Although I havent cruised in the USA in which I would like to one day. I think cruising is a very high part of American lifestyles. If you look at their marketing companies or we would call them "Party Plan" all recieve cruises for incentives so they really love to cruise. This is what I think.

Australians have been cruising but more so the last few years when they are making them alot more affordable for us. As I said before this is what I have been noticing.

I would have to agree with someone who spoke about the passport issue, I know for a fact that my best friend who lives in LA has never travelled outside the US or has her family. Also my ex's family in the US havent travelled outside either and they all live in Utah. I think they said they have so many wonderful states to see over there.

I know from looking at the US cruise ships they look amazing and very different to our cruise ships here. More modern. I guess it all depends on what youre after but for me I am after every bit of enjoyment on any cruise ship. Life is to short and I am going to love every bit of it whether that be in Australia or the US. I really am looking forward to being able to cruise the US one day. I hope this doesnt get me into trouble for chatting about this..lol

Have a wonderful weekend.

[arxcards]

Surely mentioned earlier, but one word comes to mind at the moment.........wait for it ............here's the link........







Tipping (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=10681041)



Cheers,

[SouthAussie100]

Surely mentioned earlier, but one word comes to mind at the moment.........wait for it ............here's the link........







Tipping (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=10681041)



Cheers,
OH LORDY NOOOOOOO !!!:p

[Fires]

OH LORDY NOOOOOOO !!!:p

I second that. It's not just a differnce, it's a debate that has its own NO MANS LAND.

Terry

[NSWP]

Not TIPPING, WAGE SUBSIDY !!

[SouthAussie100]

Not TIPPING, WAGE SUBSIDY !!

LOL :D