Demanding Passengers

I think most people would agree that the staff on the ships work hard and try to provide good service. It makes me angry then when I see rude or demanding passengers and some of the behaviours are so extreme they are actually laughable.

One of the most ridiculous demands I have ever seen is a passenger who wanted the waiter to peel his boiled eggs for him and demanded that this be done immediately in a very loud voice. Now had this been a deaf, arthritic octigenarian who could not carry out the task I might have had some sympathy. No it was a perfectly fit and healthy 30 something!

What is the worst passenger behaviours you have seen?

Did the waiter peel his egg?

What I hate (as I'm sure a lot of you will) is people in the buffet picking up food and eating whilst walking around.

Did the waiter peel his egg?

 

What I hate (as I'm sure a lot of you will) is people in the buffet picking up food and eating whilst walking around.

And the people who pick things up with their fingers then put it back.

The man the op mentioned seems like an arrogant bully and it is disgusting that the poor waiter was spoken to like that.

43 cruises and counting.

Yes the waiter did do it and was pleasant while doing so. The contrast in the behaviours was made all the more obvious by the good grace shown by the waiter (me, I would probably have added laxatives to his next drink!)

I hate the buffet pickers and lickers as well.

For those of us in a customer service role, this is not surprising. The number of arrogant, entitled, lazy and downright rude people in this world never ceases to amaze me.

I get it every single day, but luckily I'm only on the end of a phone, not in person. Although having worked in bars and restaurants I have endless stories of people like this where people basically scream at you, throw money at you, grab drinks and food from your hands without a thank you. But there is always ways of payback.

There are many ways to get even, and hopefully the poor waiter will have means at his disposal to ensure the passenger continues to 'enjoy' his cruise. :)

It costs nothing to say please or thank you, but you'd be amazed how many people do not even possess that common courtesy these days. And upbringing doesn't matter as I experience rudeness from all walks of society.

Late one night on NCL, a big group of people who were staying in the biggest suite onboard (they made sure to let everyone know) came into O'Sheehan's (the onboard Irish pub) and demanded insane amounts of drinks and wings, etc. saying that they "have purple cards" and can have whatever they want. It was awful the way they talked to the crew.

I sure hope it was a palatial suite because with that many people, they must've been packed in like sardines :')

Yes I face the general public every day at work and they never fail to amaze me. Some are charming, some are absolutely rude. And they are on holiday, so should be in a better mood.

I think some of the most disgusting treatments of cruise wait staff I have seen has been in the 'Diamond' Lounge on board a RCI ship on one occasion and in the 'Concierge' Lounge on another. Basically entry to these lounges is restricted during evening 'cocktail' hours to those of a certain loyalty level or those who are suite guests.

During the 'cocktail' hour (normally 3 hours) these guests are served complimentary beverages (beers, wine, house cocktails such as G&T and sodas). To see guests snapping their fingers and loudly demanding free drinks is appalling. On another occasion a guest who was sat in the lounge before the 'cocktail' hour commenced (you are allowed access 24 hours a day for coffee etc) was telling the server to 'hurry up' in setting up the bar.

2 hours later I witnessed this same guest shouting at another member of staff at the entrance to the show lounge, definitely the worse for wear having obviously spent the previous time consuming complimentary beverages.

Another show of bad manners is as you are receiving complimentary beverages, you are not paying any gratuities and so the wait staff do not get anything for serving you. So it is customary on RCI to give a gratuity to these staff, like you would in any bar in the USA, say $1 a drink, either at the time of service (which I do) or on the last evening.

So back to those snapping their fingers. I can confirm that they did not give a tip every evening and were there like clockwork each day. On the last night they were conspicuous by their absence. I asked the wait staff and the concierge had they been in and the answer was no, and we were the last and only people in there that night as the bar closed! What does that tell you?

I have witnessed someone on my current cruise complain that cheese was not added to an omelette at the correct time deeming it 'unedible' and demanded to speak to the chef.

I have witnessed someone on my current cruise complain that cheese was not added to an omelette at the correct time deeming it 'unedible' and demanded to speak to the chef.

Wow! That is... special.

One time, I was getting fried eggs and when the cook flipped them, one of the yolks broke. I was completely cool with taking them anyway but they insisted on throwing them out and starting over. Such a waste!

We saw a man, probably in his 80s, shouting and swearing at a waiter in the buffet because he said it was too cold in there. The waiter just smiled and started to walk away but the man continued ranting and raving (while his wife took her breakfast to another table. )My husband tried to calm him down and spoke politely explaining it wasn't the waiter's fault and there was nothing he'd be able to do. The old guy stood up and started swearing at my OH, put his fists up and shouted at him that he was going to sort him out. By that stage I'd gone to get the head waiter to report this "gentleman". As we left we spoke to the waiter and tipped him. The crew shouldn't have to put up with this kind of thing.

Wow those are some shocking examples of guest behaviour. Thankfully I've not seen anything near as bad as that.

I think I'd have to attribute most of what I've seen as 'lack of common sense' or 'just lack of manners'.

Such as the types who sit for hours on end after they've finnished eating in the buffet when its busy and you can't find a seat. Or those who seem to think that you're just standing around admiring the view, and not waiting for a lift, and then promptly force in front of you to get in said conveyance.

I've seen my fair share of ignorant and rude fellow passengers, it's as though they leave their manners at home for the duration of the cruise.

On our last P&O cruise I had a "gentleman" behind me on the gangway shouting and swearing at the top of his lungs at security, he blamed them for breaking his wife's camera. He quietened down when I warned him not to shout right in my ear like that ever again.

It amazes me how folk can get through life treating people like that. Roll on Karma!

I think I'm very fortunate in that aside from 'finger-lickers' [emoji31] and non hand washers [emoji31] I've never really seen anyone treating crew as some of these stories describe.

The passengers I find most objectionable are those who think that for some reason they are better or superior to others and insist on telling everyone they sit next to about their chauffeur driven car to the terminal or how successful their children are - seriously, who cares? I find that the most wealthy and successful people I know are also the most well mannered, tolerant, non-judgemental and unassuming people - rarely boasting about their money, or how they spend it. In my opinion nobody is special or more important than the next, we are all just passengers, however many cruises we have done, whoever we know at P&O, what ever type of cabin etc.

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Have to agree with that Florry, unfortunately the only cruises I have met real braggers on have been P and O

I really hate people at dinner or in the buffet who order far too much food and extra this and that and then leave most of it, such a waste of food.

Also people who try to get into the lifts when people are trying to get out!

Also people who try to get into the lifts when people are trying to get out!

And people who get into a lift and don't move towards the back to make room for others who want to get in.

Oh and people who forget how to queue.

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I have witnessed someone on my current cruise complain that cheese was not added to an omelette at the correct time deeming it 'unedible' and demanded to speak to the chef.

If I were the waiter I should have said "I think you mean inedible, sir"

Lol John

Oh and people who forget how to queue.

 

 

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I thought the Brits like to queue?:o

I thought the Brits like to queue?:o

Only if I am at the front :rolleyes:

I thought the Brits like to queue?:o

They used to.

I use my bus pass a lot and I have noticed that even some of the elderly now hang around at the start of the queue at bus stops and try and get on first. That bus pass entitles them to fare free travel, not priority in the queue. Another thing that is becoming more common is they get on the bus before people get off :mad:

Dave the 66 year old angry wrinkly :evilsmile:

They used to.

 

I use my bus pass a lot and I have noticed that even some of the elderly now hang around at the start of the queue at bus stops and try and get on first. That bus pass entitles them to fare free travel, not priority in the queue. Another thing that is becoming more common is they get on the bus before people get off :mad:

 

Dave the 66 year old angry wrinkly :evilsmile:

Definitely the worst are the lift jumpers who turn up last then run into lift and also the people who don't give you a chance to get out of the lift before they get in, probably the same who queue jump.

43 cruises and counting.

Apart from the diners I once saw and heard snapping their fingers at the waiters and calling them "Boy" in the MDR, the other example that springs to mind is an elderly gentleman on a mobility scooter travelling through a fairly crowded thoroughfare in a public area at "speed", effing and blinding at people to get out of his way and lashing out at them with his walking stick.

I have the utmost respect for the elderly and/or the infirm - we all get older and all might need assistance with mobility one day, for whatever reason - but his behaviour really was quite dangerous and unnecessary.

They used to.

 

I use my bus pass a lot and I have noticed that even some of the elderly now hang around at the start of the queue at bus stops and try and get on first. That bus pass entitles them to fare free travel, not priority in the queue. Another thing that is becoming more common is they get on the bus before people get off :mad:

 

Dave the 66 year old angry wrinkly :evilsmile:

They used to.

 

I use my bus pass a lot and I have noticed that even some of the elderly now hang around at the start of the queue at bus stops and try and get on first. That bus pass entitles them to fare free travel, not priority in the queue. Another thing that is becoming more common is they get on the bus before people get off :mad:

 

Dave the 66 year old angry wrinkly :evilsmile:

G'day Dave, maybe that is why around Sydney, the oldies don't push to the front at the bus queue, no free travel, if you have a seniors card/pension card you can travel for AU$2.50 all day on trains, buses and ferries, cheapest Sydney Harbour cruise ever. Trouble is not all oldies get a pension, like me for instance, self funded retiree, so nicht pension from Government.:evilsmile: I am a 68 year old 'wrinkly.:halo: