How to quiet the negativity of your fellow cruisers?

I did just the opposite back in the days before anytime dining. Night 1, we were seated with a couple who were prolific complainers. Plus they were cruise braggarts, which made them even more annoying. When they got around to asking what I do for a living, I told them I was on parole after a long prison term and that my doctor recommend a cruise to treat my violent tendencies.

 

I thought my wife was going to kill me but it worked. They requested a table change. :D

Priceless! :D

This reminds me of the poster who said that she would have no problem berating anyone who left the bathroom without washing their hands. She would do it loudly too to make sure they are embarrassed by their actions.

Later in her post she said that on this trip it was even worse then her last cruise where people were openly staring at her and wondered why. What was the deal with those rude people openly staring. She was out on deck talking to the crew when she noticed it. Umm, because you are rude and insulting to people and by them staring at you they are letting you non verbally know that you are the obnoxious one.

Sometimes you can shut down a complainer by starting a side conversation with your partner at the table...start with a positive experience, describe the wonderful time you had in the last port or the great cabin steward you have, bring a Pollyanna spirit to the table. If the table is 6 or more she/he will lose their audience as others join the happy cruiser conversation.

This reminds me of the poster who said that she would have no problem berating anyone who left the bathroom without washing their hands. She would do it loudly too to make sure they are embarrassed by their actions.

 

Later in her post she said that on this trip it was even worse then her last cruise where people were openly staring at her and wondered why. What was the deal with those rude people openly staring. She was out on deck talking to the crew when she noticed it. Umm, because you are rude and insulting to people and by them staring at you they are letting you non verbally know that you are the obnoxious one.

Great post - I'd "like" it if I could. In relation to the OP's post though, I think it's pretty boorish to try and correct the behavior of strangers - including complainers. All the "witty" retorts and barbed remarks strike me as equally ill-mannered.

While this tread is about dealing with complaining people... sometimes you don't need to complain at all or if you do, complain to the cruise line not other passengers.

Case in point, on our last Princess cruise. the cabin next to us had a family with children, apparently one of the kids left the bath tub running.... which flooded their cabin, ours and the hallway before it was noticed by someone...had to have our carpets dried out with a fan for a couple of days, the carpet in the room with the over flowing bath tub had to be removed... what mess.

Any rate - we did not complain, obviously Princess was well aware of the problem and trying as best they could to deal with it.

Much to our surprise, we were contacted and give a free dinner in the Crown Grill to try and compensate us for the problem. We were surprised and enjoyed the dinner.

Thinking about this, I guess I would say the only place for complaints is when you are trying to bring an issue to the cruise line's attention... some times that is an important thing to do. No point in complaining to other passengers they have no power to correct the problem...

This has never been an issue for us. I guess we are lucky or like the Op we dont sweat the small stuff.

This is hilarious!!!!!!!!!:D:D:D

Love it.

I don't generally "listen in" on other's conversations...so I don't know how they feel about anything! If someone was to walk up to me, and say, "My cabin attendant sucks and won't empty my trash", (or some other nonsense)...I'd tell them how to fix it.

This is YOUR vacation...why are you letting anyone else mess with you? Crazy!

Anytime dining. Then you are stuck w them for only 1 night. Some solutions are totally obvious.

DON

AGREE! That's one of best things about Anytime Dining! :D

I did just the opposite back in the days before anytime dining. Night 1, we were seated with a couple who were prolific complainers. Plus they were cruise braggarts, which made them even more annoying. When they got around to asking what I do for a living, I told them I was on parole after a long prison term and that my doctor recommend a cruise to treat! my violent tendencies.

 

I thought my wife was going to kill me but it worked. They requested a table change. :D

Your comments gave me a good chuckle!!

I did just the opposite back in the days before anytime dining. Night 1, we were seated with a couple who were prolific complainers. Plus they were cruise braggarts, which made them even more annoying. When they got around to asking what I do for a living, I told them I was on parole after a long prison term and that my doctor recommend a cruise to treat my violent tendencies.

 

 

 

I thought my wife was going to kill me but it worked. They requested a table change. :D

You are my favorite person, brilliant!

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Anyone who has cruised a few times knows that if you are with other people who gripe and complain about everything the whole cruise, that it can ruin the cruise or at least dampen your spirits a little while cruising.

 

A cruise is my vacation and I refuse to let any little thing ruin it for me. I try to stay as upbeat as possible and just let the little things slide. I believe that if I had been on the Titanic that I would have been the most cheerful person there.

 

Many times on a cruise your tablemates or others in your party will start complaining about some minor incident, such as the waiter forgot to refill their water glass and then others chime in about their many complaints also and soon it sounds like you are on the cruise to hell.

 

Have you any polite way to tell these people to stop their complaints so that you can enjoy your vacation and instead to find the positive aspects of their cruise to expound upon?

NO! It would be rude to tell other people that they should change their conversation because you don't like it. If you don't like what they're talking about and can't ignore it, then leave the conversational area. If it's at dinner, ask to change tables. It's one thing to tell shouting people to lower their level to a conversational tone, but you don't get to choose what other people talk about in a public place.

 

Have you any polite way to tell these people to stop their complaints so that you can enjoy your vacation and instead to find the positive aspects of their cruise to expound upon?

I would just respond with "that is too bad. I am having the most fantastic time of my life and cannot wait to do it again".

NO! It would be rude to tell other people that they should change their conversation because you don't like it. If you don't like what they're talking about and can't ignore it, then leave the conversational area. If it's at dinner, ask to change tables. It's one thing to tell shouting people to lower their level to a conversational tone, but you don't get to choose what other people talk about in a public place.

I agree unless the language used or subject discussed is deemed offensive or inappropriate.

NO! It would be rude to tell other people that they should change their conversation because you don't like it. If you don't like what they're talking about and can't ignore it, then leave the conversational area. If it's at dinner, ask to change tables. It's one thing to tell shouting people to lower their level to a conversational tone, but you don't get to choose what other people talk about in a public place.

I agree and I'm pretty sure the OP was not asking a genuine question. :rolleyes: Topics like this get posted every once and awhile - more for purpose of generating conversation than for seeking information.

Aquahound......You are my hero!!!!:D:D

I did just the opposite back in the days before anytime dining. Night 1, we were seated with a couple who were prolific complainers. Plus they were cruise braggarts, which made them even more annoying. When they got around to asking what I do for a living, I told them I was on parole after a long prison term and that my doctor recommend a cruise to treat my violent tendencies.

 

I thought my wife was going to kill me but it worked. They requested a table change. :D

I love this !!!!!!

Acquahound....you just made a LOT of new friends

I did just the opposite back in the days before anytime dining. Night 1, we were seated with a couple who were prolific complainers. Plus they were cruise braggarts, which made them even more annoying. When they got around to asking what I do for a living, I told them I was on parole after a long prison term and that my doctor recommend a cruise to treat my violent tendencies.

 

I thought my wife was going to kill me but it worked. They requested a table change. :D

You de man. However, when I told my Wife that I was making note of your response, she stated that if I ever use it when she is at the table I had better get a blanket from the crew and find a lounge chair for the night. :D

Bob

Cruise lines share some of the blame for complainers. There ads metion excellant service with attention to every detail for making your cruise a fantastic expierence. First time cruisers are given unrealistic expectations and start to complain. The ones that lack common sense are unreasonable anyway will be the biggest complainers. Hopefully they won't return to cruising.

Treat them just like a little child who is throwing a temper tantrum (since basically that is what they are anyway), ignore them...

That is just what I was going to say.

I usually acknowledge the person's complaint with a "sorry that happened" and perhaps a suggestion to correct it - then I change the subject.

What are you doing at your next port?

Is this your first cruise?

What cruise lines have you been on?

Do you take land vacations as well?

What is your favorite place to vacation?

on on...

We had a wonderful cruise planned to celebrate my parents 50th wedding anniversary. My family, my Mom's sister and brother and sister-in-law. My aunt's family decided to join us...uninvited. We had to change our plans..I won't even go into all of it, because we decided to make the best of it, even though this cousin was a professional complainer, thinking that a cruise would be so much fun she would forget to complain. After all, we can't stop smiling on a cruise and it's SO MUCH FUN. She then invited her brothers and their families. In total, she changed the cruise from 11 to 27 of us, CHARTERED a bus and insisted we not fly, and there was not one thing that she and her brothers and their family did not complain about...from the food to the weather to the crew. They even went so far as to almost accuse the cabin steward of stealing a piece of jewelry (found right where they had HIDDEN IT). The weather was too hot (it was the Caribbean during the summer), the food was too fancy (really?), the food was too spicy, the waiter was too slow and should just bring all the courses at one time (seriously?), the water coming out of the faucet was too warm, the beds were too hard, too soft, too short, the shower was too small, they didn't like how the toilet flushed, the pool area was too crowded, the halls were too narrow, the walk was too long to get everywhere on the ship, the music wasn't good, the shows were corny, their eggs weren't cooked the way they cook them at home, the drinks were too expensive, the humidity fogged up the lens on the camera, they didn't like dressing up (and this wasn't even about formal night...wearing pants was a big deal), they didn't like being out in the ocean all day (sea days), they didn't think the ports were safe, the walls in the cabin were too thin, the cabins were too small...the list was endless. The got into such a loud argument among themselves, I thought they were going to get thrown off the ship one night. We tried to stay as far away from them as possible. The spent the entire LONG bus ride home complaining about the cruise. The good thing that came out of the cruise was that by the time the charter bus pulled in and let us out, we never spoke to them again...still haven't and that was about 10 years ago. We go on a cruise about once or twice a year and from the time I get on the ship until they make me leave, I'm smiling and enjoying myself. I don't understand anyone that complains while they are on a cruise. When I stop enjoying it, I'll stop cruising. It's 117 days until my next cruise and I'm so excited I can't stand it. We have another one planned for 191 days from now. I smile every time I think of being back on a cruise ship.

...... In total, she changed the cruise from 11 to 27 of us, CHARTERED a bus and insisted we not fly, and there was not one thing that she and her brothers and their family did not complain about...

This is why I love my travel agent.

Yes, I have booked cruises for the two of us, and it wound up with over twenty. But, all I care about is the two of us, what anyone else does is none of my concern.

Right now, a couple of friends of ours said they want to go on a cruise. I just booked another Bermuda cruise next year, and the only thing I will tell them is the date and my TA. Period, end, maybe I will see you on the ship. Maybe not.

BTW, paragraphs are our friends.

I agree and I'm pretty sure the OP was not asking a genuine question. :rolleyes: Topics like this get posted every once and awhile - more for purpose of generating conversation than for seeking information.

Yes, folks are bored with their fingers waiting anxiously on the keyboard reading to talk about anything. Strangely discussions talking bad about other bad people seems to get those fingers going. It's todays culture.

Burt