Anyone Else Harassed by Ship's Entertainers?

[LisaH]

For many people like myself, having the entertainer draw attention to them is not enjoyable - in fact, it's miserable. For all of those who feed off of attention, more power to you! But don't beat up on the OP just because audience participation isn't his type of fun!

 

Personally, when I attend that type of show, I sit towards the back because it's less likely that I will be singled out. But, I do get the OP's thought that you shouldn't have to sit in the back just to avoid getting picked on.

 

I agree with this as well. The entertainer, should have left the OP alone and moved on.

 

And sit where you want to, front or back...and just say no thank you and hopefully they will move on next time. NOt sure I would call it harassment but I certainly understand the uncomfortable feeling.

 

Don't let this keep you from sitting where you want to next time. :)

[Puffinater]

For many people like myself, having the entertainer draw attention to them is not enjoyable - in fact, it's miserable. For all of those who feed off of attention, more power to you! But don't beat up on the OP just because audience participation isn't his type of fun!

 

Very well said. I agree 100%. Whether you choose to agree with the OP or not one's perception is one's reality. The entertainer should have moved on much sooner.

[Older Party]

We embark on another cruise this month and I'm still wondering about an incident on our last one. Here's the story:

 

I was sitting in row three on the aisle of the ship's theater to watch a show. One of the ship's entertainers was singing the Name Game song (banana fana-fo-fana, etc) and came down to into my aisle for audience participation. He got someone to stand up and do the song with her name. I realized I was at risk of being called on and I definitely didn't want to participate, so I made sure I squarely looked away while he was scanning for participants.

 

The entertainer didn't seem to accept that signal, walked up and stood over me to get me to play along. I kept looking away. He wouldn't go away, and even started making jokes that I wasn't looking at him, so I put my hand up by my face. He apparently wasn't taking no for an answer. He than asked me my name and put the microphone in my face. I responded to this intrusion by saying "not telling." After another comment or two, he moved on.

 

Then a few minutes later the ship's entertainers were dancing and one of the male dancers came down the aisle and jumped in my lap (I'm a man. I admit it the retaliation may have been less annoying if it had been one of the girls!). I almost dumped him on the floor and he jumped up to save himself.

 

I intended to complain to the cruise director but my travel mate asked me not to make a fuss.

 

I can't believe that taking an aisle seat near the front is signing over one's right to privacy. I certainly made it clear from the git-go that I wasn't interested in participating. Surely there are many people looking at the entertainer, smiling, etc. and looking like they're thinking "Pick Me!". And for another entertainer to try to embarrass me further by leaping into my lap does seemed rude.

 

Have others had this kind of intrusive experience?

The onus here is on the entertainer. You shouldn't have to take a back seat just because you don't feel to be 'part of the show'. An entertainer who does any kind of audience participation, or meet and greet type entertainment, should be trained in the art of reading their audience. RCCL should train their employees in this specific method of entertainment the same way land based shows and programs do. Unfortunately, headliners are independent contractors so RCCL has no say over their behavior. You should have made your displeasure known to the Cruise Director in case he/she has had similar complaints. I am sure RCCL would refrain from re-hiring the person if so.

[BethCarp]

Is your name Chuck.............

 

That's where I thought he was going with the story. :D

[Bound4Bermuda]

On my recent cruise, there were some passengers who basically became a joke around the ship because of participation. For instance, the Love & Marriage participants got shout-outs from the CD when they showed up at Quest, etc. One guy in particular wore ridiculous hats (Gilligan type sailor hats, pirate scarves, etc). He seemed to love the attenion, though. However, then there was "Santa" (white beard) who was ridiculed by the comedian, and whenever we saw him, we saw other people shouting out Santa comments to him. He probably gets it in everyday life, but "Santa" didn't seem to enjoy the attention the way "Gilligan" did. Granted, I don't think saying your name in a stupid song would have propelled you to being "infamous" around the ship like "Gilligan" and "Santa" were. However, I can see why you'd rather fade into the background than receiving unwanted notoriety around the ship. You did run the risk of having to hear, "Hey, it's Bob-bob-fo-fob!" (or whatever your name is). Anway, with all that rambling, what I'm trying to say is that, yes, I've seen people being "harrassed" by the performers. It happens. It seems like your experience taught you to perhaps sit a little farther bak in the audience...and let some other fool take the attention. ;)

[Creeks]

Anway, with all that rambling, what I'm trying to say is that, yes, I've seen people being "harrassed" by the performers. It happens. It seems like your experience taught you to perhaps sit a little farther bak in the audience...and let some other fool take the attention. ;)

 

Sitting further back isn't always the way to avoid being singled out by a performer - some reach further into the audience to try to get someone to participate. Performers should take NO for an answer and move on...........

[donaldsc]

Did you try saying "NO!!" or "I do not want to participate"?

 

If I did that and truly did not want to participate, I would have gotten up and complained to the entertainment director after the show.

 

I personally think that you overreacted but you also should have the right to sit anywhere you want to in the showroom and also not to participate in the show if that is your choice.

 

DON

[DeeDeeRode]

Is your name Chuck.............

 

ha ha ha - best response in this thread!!

 

Have to agree with others. Just say no. Personally I love to play along. Hey, it's not like your ever going see any of these people again!

[cantwait2cruize]

Is your name Chuck.............

 

No....Buzz Kill!!!!:p:D

[firefly333]

Sitting further back isn't always the way to avoid being singled out by a performer - some reach further into the audience to try to get someone to participate. Performers should take NO for an answer and move on...........

 

The OP never said no. He said he looked away and refused to make eye contact and then wouldnt give his name.

 

I agree a simple NO, is where I would have started.

 

I would be embarrassed, its not my thing for sure, but if the OP is so introverted that it was harassement, Im not sure its all on the entertainer .. the OP could have done more too to handle the situation.

[fourkittys]

Of course you dont have to participate. Iv seen other people refuse. You can just say NO, instead of not making eye contact and playing games with the entertainer.

 

When you started playing games, it probably encourage them to play games back.

 

Harrassment?? Only if it continued past the show. Learn to say no and stand up for yourself.

 

As first time cruisers a few years ago, we went to a show and sat near the front to watch the show for the best viewing. My husband is kinda shy and and little bit of an introvert. The performer also was looking for audience participation and we gave NO indication that we were interested. He picked out my husband and invited him on stage. My husband respectivley declined and the performer turned away and called him a jerk. There was laughter from the audience but he was sooo mortified. I think they do this on purpose. Very insulting. And yes, we learned not sit that close again.

[SamFritz]

I guess the thing that surprises me most is that a self respecting professional entertainer would try to involve an adult audience in "The Name Game," a song that was excruciatingly lame when it was released about 50 years ago. What's next -- "The Hokey Pokey?"

 

If you really want them to leave you alone, say your name is "Chuck". No, on second thought, that might not work anymore.

 

OK so it took two posts before I realized why Chuck would be a bad name for the "Name Game Song." :p And I'm an urban middle school teacher! :o

[Puffinater]

OK so it took two posts before I realized why Chuck would be a bad name for the "Name Game Song." :p And I'm an urban middle school teacher! :o

 

I was going to ask who Chuck was but I just got it:o

[reallyitsmema]

I was going to ask who Chuck was but I just got it:o

I feel better now because I couldn't figure out what Chuck had to do with this either.

[babyher]

Quite a few years ago we were at a comedy show in Atlantic City. The Comedienne was working the crowd asking the usual, Where are ya from? What do you do? Ya married? all that .

 

 

She starts talking to my mother (who I have always believed was the inspiration for Sophia on the Golden Girls *LOL) and that was the end of that :)

 

For the rest of the show when the comdienne wanted to make a point she say "Am I right Norma " ....."Back me up on this Norma "

 

 

And my Mom had no problem yelling out "You're right".. "You tell'em" ...or whatever the appropriate response would be.

[srlafleur]

Since I'm not interested in being part of any show, I usually sit in the mezzanine when possible. I can see the whole stage and choreography better from there, anyway. Though when I saw Blue Man Group in NYC, one of the Blue men scared the living daylights out of me by climbing a ladder and popping up right in front of my face, proceeding to climb up and over me!!!

[SamFritz]

Since I'm not interested in being part of any show, I usually sit in the mezzanine when possible. I can see the whole stage and choreography better from there, anyway. Though when I saw Blue Man Group in NYC, one of the Blue men scared the living daylights out of me by climbing a ladder and popping up right in front of my face, proceeding to climb up and over me!!!

 

I ate some of a Blueman's Captain Crunch in Orlando! He was pretty freaked out that I ate off of the same spoon as him. He also let me hold his flashlight. It was fun.

[babyher]

Since I'm not interested in being part of any show, I usually sit in the mezzanine when possible. I can see the whole stage and choreography better from there, anyway. Though when I saw Blue Man Group in NYC, one of the Blue men scared the living daylights out of me by climbing a ladder and popping up right in front of my face, proceeding to climb up and over me!!!

 

 

*LOL* Reminds me of when we saw Cirque De Soleil in Las Vegas.

 

The characters didn't bother anyone in the front rows , but they would climb over people in the middle of the theater to get to one poor unsuspecting soul in the the middle of the 50th row who figured they were very "safe" from all the crazy antics .

[mjldvlks]

OK so it took two posts before I realized why Chuck would be a bad name for the "Name Game Song." :p And I'm an urban middle school teacher! :o

I guess I should apologize for being repetitive -- I thought I had read the whole thread, but I guess not. Anyway, beyond a five year old's birthday party it is still a pretty lame song I've hated it for almost 50 years and I am only 55.

[galavant3]

On my recent cruise, there were some passengers who basically became a joke around the ship because of participation. For instance, the Love & Marriage participants got shout-outs from the CD when they showed up at Quest, etc. One guy in particular wore ridiculous hats (Gilligan type sailor hats, pirate scarves, etc). He seemed to love the attenion, though. However, then there was "Santa" (white beard) who was ridiculed by the comedian, and whenever we saw him, we saw other people shouting out Santa comments to him. He probably gets it in everyday life, but "Santa" didn't seem to enjoy the attention the way "Gilligan" did. Granted, I don't think saying your name in a stupid song would have propelled you to being "infamous" around the ship like "Gilligan" and "Santa" were. However, I can see why you'd rather fade into the background than receiving unwanted notoriety around the ship. You did run the risk of having to hear, "Hey, it's Bob-bob-fo-fob!" (or whatever your name is). Anway, with all that rambling, what I'm trying to say is that, yes, I've seen people being "harrassed" by the performers. It happens. It seems like your experience taught you to perhaps sit a little farther bak in the audience...and let some other fool take the attention. ;)

 

I am slow today. Just got the comment about Chuck. Duh.

[Euphemus]

If you consider that harrasment then mabe you should stay in your room and hang out the don't disturb sign on your door. Then you won't be bothered by any entertainer or other passenger for that matter. Or better still...stay at home.

 

Come on, lighten up. The front row seats aren't usually the best anyway.

 

bmarshal, I don't necessarily agree with this nor the others who just say "Awww...relax...go with the flow." I think it's being a bit unfair to the OP.

 

On the other hand, I will say that I think that describing it as 'harassment' might be a bit much.

 

What I really wonder is: how much of how we would react in a similar situation is part of our flight or flight response?

 

When I say *fight* I don't necessarily mean it in the literal manner of actually coming to fists. What I mean is an internal response that brings you to *engage* with the other person. I loved the story in this thread about the art auction where the husband sort of rolled with the punches when confronted by the auctioneer. The gentleman in question in this case responded by *engaging* with the auctioneer and, essentially, one-upping him. (Of course, because this was an onboard auctioneer it makes all the better to me but that's another thread :) )

 

Nor does *flight* mean literally to "run away"; however, the manner in which the OP responded could be seen as *withdrawing*, at least figuratively.

 

I feel a little caught in the middle on this one. On one hand, I do have a basic fear of being called on in such a situation, and tend to react like the OP: avert my gaze, etc...On the other hand, I know that to resist in a similar situation can cause the entertainer to be more persistent or cause them to turn it into a bigger deal. I usually gulp hard and play along but, I will say, it has to be a conscious decision on my part to resist the urge to withdraw further.

 

I tend to think that some people are "tuned" to engage in a spontaneous manner when they find themselves in an unforeseen or unpredictable situation. I think that other people are "tuned" to withdraw in unforeseen or unpredictable situations. Some people feel one way or the other but can, through sheer will, respond in the opposite way to their standard "tuning" when need be.

 

To each his/her own.

 

My real quarrel is with the initial entertainer who a) picked on someone averting his/her gaze and then b) persisted. There are so many people in the theater and, it seems from this thread, so many who are really happy to participate that it has to be easier to pick on one of the latter than waste energy on one of the former.

[pcur]

We embark on another cruise this month and I'm still wondering about an incident on our last one. Here's the story:

 

I was sitting in row three on the aisle of the ship's theater to watch a show. One of the ship's entertainers was singing the Name Game song (banana fana-fo-fana, etc) and came down to into my aisle for audience participation. He got someone to stand up and do the song with her name. I realized I was at risk of being called on and I definitely didn't want to participate, so I made sure I squarely looked away while he was scanning for participants.

 

The entertainer didn't seem to accept that signal, walked up and stood over me to get me to play along. I kept looking away. He wouldn't go away, and even started making jokes that I wasn't looking at him, so I put my hand up by my face. He apparently wasn't taking no for an answer. He than asked me my name and put the microphone in my face. I responded to this intrusion by saying "not telling." After another comment or two, he moved on.

 

Then a few minutes later the ship's entertainers were dancing and one of the male dancers came down the aisle and jumped in my lap (I'm a man. I admit it the retaliation may have been less annoying if it had been one of the girls!). I almost dumped him on the floor and he jumped up to save himself.

 

I intended to complain to the cruise director but my travel mate asked me not to make a fuss.

 

I can't believe that taking an aisle seat near the front is signing over one's right to privacy. I certainly made it clear from the git-go that I wasn't interested in participating. Surely there are many people looking at the entertainer, smiling, etc. and looking like they're thinking "Pick Me!". And for another entertainer to try to embarrass me further by leaping into my lap does seemed rude.

 

Have others had this kind of intrusive experience?

 

I've only read a few of the replies here, but I'm with you on this one. I would have been steaming if they had pushed this hard on me while I wanted only to watch the show.

 

I would have headed for Customer Relations (after I calmed down) and told them to communicate to whomever is the entertainment director that the staff should make sure a person is smiling and "engaged" before they approach. This should be a standard procedure.

 

You should be able to sit anywhere you want and enjoy the show without being embarassed or, yes, harrassed.

[krisko]

That certainly isn't harassment. While it's unfortunate it happened, nobody did anything wrong. I do sympathize as I am not outgoing until rather drunk. I probably would've played along in your case though.

[brfan]

I find it interesting that I haven't seen any comments regarding the male dancer that jumped on the OP's lap. I wouldn't be happy if that happened to me and likely if I wasn't shocked by it would have tried to push the person away from me.

[wwcruisers]

*LOL* Reminds me of when we saw Cirque De Soleil in Las Vegas.

 

The characters didn't bother anyone in the front rows , but they would climb over people in the middle of the theater to get to one poor unsuspecting soul in the the middle of the 50th row who figured they were very "safe" from all the crazy antics .

 

LOL -- My thoughts exactly! A few years back, DH and I were in Vegas, waiting for Mystere! to begin. One of the roaming performers started coming toward our seats, and DH broke out into a cold sweat. Fortunately, they "selected" the young man in the row directly behind us. :p

 

To the OP -- so sorry that you were made to feel uncomfortable. But, your polite protestations may have made you look like the perfect "straight man" to the over-eager performer. :o