Are crew no longer required to speak English in public areas?

Racism!?

The last time I looked (and it was sometime ago) the word is defined as meaning 'considering a race to be intellectually inferior'. Which is a really silly thing for anyone to do: because it can' t be true!

As for myself, a little while back my family, through me, started giving a Prize for academic excellence to a student annually at a Manila College: and the winner usually seemed brighter than anyone I knew well.

My Posts but stated a few facts, and tell of some experiences (objectively); and yet what a lot of breathless bleating from you all!

On Silversea, the Filipinos now have a self-protection arrangement going which is pervasive and serves to dumb-down the air around you. (Some of you may not be able to notice this.)

I get the impression that most (for quite understandable economic reasons) did not get taken to a restaurant by their parents as kiddies, often or at all; and the drinking-in-a-Bar which some of us know is not common there either. But, throughout Europe and North and most parts of South America and South Africa and New Zealand etc. it is; even for those not too well-off; and they just know what to do.

So, unfortunately, it's just a lack of requisite experience. I get the feeling that sometimes they realise they are out of their depth; as much as I would be in trying to do what they did socially when growing up. Worse, actually!

And anyway, let’s get back to this silly Racism business. If you think about it, it is always contained within a Country: USA Whites/USA Blacks, for example; and Japanese and the Ainu, if they even think about them; some Australians and our Indigenous People; and possibly even sometimes among the 200 ethnic groupings and the 100 different languages in the Philippines.

Against a Black living in Nigeria, no Bubba has anything to say/think: until he appears near him on his boulevard.

And, from my limited time there and from being on the ships, can say that Filipinos seem to be as equally bright and not-so-bright as the rest of us; and, when going about their own affairs are in the main as good-natured a people as you're likely to come across.

Unlike lots of others: especially those who Post one-liners of half-explained pique.

Racism!?

 

Unlike lots of others: especially those who Post one-liners of half-explained pique.

It's clear that people who have accused you of racism haven't ever experienced racism themselves. If they had done then they wouldn't trivialise racism in this ill-informed way. One poster even purposefully self-indulged themselves in purposefully being rude about your grammar whilst pompously misrepresenting you as a racist.

Technically anything that makes presumptions about race generally is I guess technically under the definition racism. If you say a race seems to be better at something than anyone else, you are implying that the others are inferior aren't you.

So asking why is it that Blacks make better athletes than Whites is under this rather daft interpretation racism. Or that they seem to produce better contemporary music. Saying that all the best American music in the first half of the 20th century was written by Jews is I guess racism. because it implies that non-Jews contributed less. Saying the English hate the Germans when they are around the pool in Spanish hotels is racism. Saying the French are now crap at cooking compared to the Brits is racism. Saying that Parisians are notoriously rude to tourists is racism. Stating that the people with the best sense of humour in the whole world are Ozzies is racism because it implies the rest lack humour.

You can contort the accusation of racism into almost anything these days if this is what you want to do. But when you do you trivialise genuine ill-intentioned racism and insult all those that have suffered from real racism. This manufactured bullying has to stop. Just ignore them and push on!

:)

So at what level does comment based on race change from observation to racism?

Surely expecting a certain behaviour from someone based only on their race is racism (regardless whether that prejudice is positive or negative). While it is fair to say that the most succesful athletes in distance running, let's say, are black is an observation, to say that someone will be a great athlete because they are black is racist.

It's the casual acceptance of such stereotyping that perpetuates prejudice.

There are comments I would like to make on this topic, regarding different cruise lines and their staffing, but will not as they would almost certainly attract vituperation from the ultra PC brigade. These are things I would happily discuss, and sometimes do, with fellow passengers on ships - no one is at all nasty or racist, but here anything I wrote here would be jumped on.

So at what level does prejudice based on race change from observation to racism?

 

Surely expecting a certain behaviour from someone based only on their race is racism (regardless whether that prejudice is positive or negative). While it is fair to say that the most succesful athletes in distance running, let's say, are black is an observation, to say that someone will be a great athlete because they are black is racist.

 

It's the casual acceptance of such stereotyping that perpetuates prejudice.

It is racism and that was my exact point. And your presumption that all stereotyping perpetuates prejudice is just incorrect. I can quite easily stereotype ie generalise without it leading to prejudice. It is different to say that most whites aren't as good as most blacks as athletes than saying no whites are as good as any blacks as athletes and that is why your argument fails. You have said that both observations are identical. They are not.

Your post illustrates the problem. Everything must either be black or white. The presumption by some people who's limited capacity for reason means they can only handle black or white and are not able to handle tones in between.

Has it ever occurred to you that imbedded in our nature given survival instinct and in all people is a degree of racism to lessor or greater degrees and that the inbuilt fight or flight relies on being wary of all of those that are different? I would be interested to hear whether everyone here who has thrown the racist card always feels safe when walking through areas known to be unsafe "no go" black areas. That situation fits neatly into your idea of stereotyping of racism.

But what has happened here is what is sadly happening far too widely. It is ill-conceived and self-indulgent bullying by people who cannot argue in any other way.

I actually am unsure of the reason why and can only speak to corporate policy in the N.Y. area, but Marriott hotels have an English only policy in place that results in a "write up" for infractions across the board. Other languages are considered a hiring bonus. It does not seem that it could be world wide. I wonder if the reason (whatever it is) is the same reason that SS has in place?

What about Marriott hotels in Italy, run by Italians. Like Silversea.

What about Marriott hotels in Italy, run by Italians. Like Silversea.

I clearly said that I don't know the answer but mentioned another company with the same policy.

An interesting article by Trevor Phillips in today's British Sunday Times, which might be appropriate reading for some of the people who have posted on this thread.