Difference between Australian and American style cruising

[The_Big_M]

Cunards "dining separation" comes about from whichever cabin you choose to select and therefore pay for. Nothing to do whatever with loyalty programmes. I actually like Cunard's dining separation - it keeps some away from us who possibly we would not care to dine with. We quite enjoy dining in steerage mind you, steerage class has improved a lot since the days of Titanic.

 

Fair enough - to be fair, some other cruise lines have started doing similar now too.

[Sutho]

I agree! Although it is very common on Aussie ships it is becoming more popular on the US ships as it catches on. I have had Americans and Canadians come up to me and ask where I got my lanyard as it is such a good idea' date=' they want one.

 

Much better than seeing women walk around the ship with their handbags, I just don't get that at all. :eek:[/quote']

 

 

I have not seen the cruise card around the necks of people on P&O UK yet... I did not notice it on Sapphire Princess back in 2005, but more recent Princess ones that were all Australians it was evident.

 

Wearing something around my neck on holidays is not really my thing. I found from my first cruise it was easy to slip the card in my pocket. I noticed women had their in a handbag or had their partners to hold it.

 

Also on the P&O UK World Cruises the atmosphere is very laid back and casual on deck, it is not crowded and you could safely leave your gear on a deckchair whilst in the pool. The sunbed situation on P&O UK is also great as you could turn up to any pool any time of the day and find lots of vacant sunbeds. I am not sure how P&O is going to cope when they send Azura out here in 2013 for its World Cruise as I think that ship is way too crowded and not suitable for long voyages. I have predictions that Azura will be a big failure on a World Cruise with allof of complaints to come about it. One of the worst mistakes they could make with a Grand class ship was to add that extra deck, and the pay to use retreat does not help one bit and turns the ship into a snobs paradise.

[Debsta]

Oi, get out of my turrets :p and stop making fun of my speech impediments.......that's not very nice :rolleyes:

 

Ahhh yes, us common Australian folk like to wear our cruise cards around our neck....it reminds us of the convict days in preparation for the gallows :D

 

But then again, us common Australian folk like to live the easy life and not drag our newly purchased Guess handbags around with us thus the need for bold displays of elitism across our turrets :p

[thied]

What I find very funny is people carrying around a huge hand bag around the ship, ( port days are different and having small children I can under stand)

What the need for it?

We do not money as we have a cruise card.

if ladys need to tuch up there make up ....... there cabin is not that far away.

If people buy any thing from the shops on board the ship they put in a bad for you any way.

[Sutho]

The funny thing is that I never see other Australians wearing their licence, credit card, house keys around their neck! - Why do it on holidays! People can just slip something that small in their pocket.

[Sutho]

What I find very funny is people carrying around a huge hand bag around the ship, ( port days are different and having small children I can under stand)

What the need for it?

We do not money as we have a cruise card.

if ladys need to tuch up there make up ....... there cabin is not that far away.

If people buy any thing from the shops on board the ship they put in a bad for you any way.

 

I have rarely seen that. I know many people may take up a small bag from the ships shops to leave their items in when they are in the pool to stop them blowing away.

 

Some women tend to have handbags at dinner and you see them use it for glasses, medication etc.

[Debsta]

The funny thing is that I never see other Australians wearing their licence, credit card, house keys around their neck! - Why do it on holidays! People can just slip something that small in their pocket.

 

Bbbbbut bbbbbbut bbbbbbbut (there's that stammer again!) but your licence (ID), credit card, and house keys ARE your cruise card all rolled into one :D

 

What difference does it make anyway, how people choose to carry their cruise card? Perhaps they just don't have a pocket to put it in! Or maybe, just maybe, it's just so much easier to have it hanging around your neck to buy drinks, get back into your cabin, shove it in a poker machine :eek:. Who cares anyway?

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

Bbbbbut bbbbbbut bbbbbbbut (there's that stammer again!) but your licence (ID), credit card, and house keys ARE your cruise card all rolled into one :D

 

What difference does it make anyway, how people choose to carry their cruise card? Perhaps they just don't have a pocket to put it in! Or maybe, just maybe, it's just so much easier to have it hanging around your neck to buy drinks, get back into your cabin, shove it in a poker machine :eek:. Who cares anyway?

 

Well I use a lanyard! I don't want to put my card in my pocket and worry about losing it all the time and I am not about to give it to my DH to mind, what if I want to duck into the shops for a bit of retail therapy. I would have to ask him for my card, to which he would want to know what I wanted it for...... it is like money, and I want my own in easy reach so why not a lanyard.

 

I think we need to take a vote......... who wears a lanyard ....... and is proud of it????

 

ME!

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

What an interesting thread.

My pennys worth is that all ships are 'ships' and we all cruise on them for different reasons, convenience, price, style, availability.

 

One thing I will say which personally annoys me on the American ships, that's that they don't have soup spoons.... Silly I know, but it's just a personal peeve, and I'm not being snobby but I don't enjoy my soup with a dessert spoon.

 

I can't remember if they use them when in the USA? Maybe they remove them when come down here. Anyone know?

 

As for gratuities don't get me started on that. I've heard so many Australians and NZers gloating that they have no intention of leaving any gratuities for any staff on any ship they cruise on. Why? I just couldn't be like that.

 

 

I agree it's a bit naff to eat one's soup with a dessert spoon. I think it's because of the terrorism thing and only allowing a certain type of cutlery on board. I may be wrong though.

My wife Henrietta never orders soup for that reason, she just has the bread roll, she loves that bread roll ritual that Royal Caribbean waiters do at dinner.

 

Cruising Colin

 

 

 

Cruising Colin, is Henrietta your chook?

[Bella cruiser]

Well I use a lanyard! I don't want to put my card in my pocket and worry about losing it all the time and I am not about to give it to my DH to mind' date=' what if I want to duck into the shops for a bit of retail therapy. I would have to ask him for my card, to which he would want to know what I wanted it for...... it is like money, and I want my own in easy reach so why not a lanyard.

 

I think we need to take a vote......... who wears a lanyard ....... and is proud of it????

 

ME!

 

Me too!!! No pockets in a sundress swimsuit combo:)

[critic2702]

Hi Gang,

 

My wife Big H and myself always wear our cards on our Pacific Sun lanyards, we started on our holiday on the "Nude Cruise"

 

Before we did, Big H kept sitting on her's and we even lost a couple up the secret staircase, so to be on the safe side we dug out the lanyards from our Pacific Sun Memorabilia pack and started using them.

 

Everyone was so impressed and we strutted our stuff around on board. It even doubled as a impromptu sun screen for our delicate areas.

 

Cruisin Col

[cjm66]

Hi Gang,

 

My wife Big H and myself always wear our cards on our Pacific Sun lanyards, we started on our holiday on the "Nude Cruise"

 

Before we did, Big H kept sitting on her's and we even lost a couple up the secret staircase, so to be on the safe side we dug out the lanyards from our Pacific Sun Memorabilia pack and started using them.

 

Everyone was so impressed and we strutted our stuff around on board. It even doubled as a impromptu sun screen for our delicate areas.

 

Cruisin Col

 

In the latest Edition of Cruise Weekly, P&O are touting their new marketing ploy - aimed at the group tour market - conventions of hairdressers, incentivation groups and conventions etc. Was this an earlier grope effort?

 

Colleen

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

Well I use a lanyard! I don't want to put my card in my pocket and worry about losing it all the time and I am not about to give it to my DH to mind' date=' what if I want to duck into the shops for a bit of retail therapy. I would have to ask him for my card, to which he would want to know what I wanted it for...... it is like money, and I want my own in easy reach so why not a lanyard.

 

I think we need to take a vote......... who wears a lanyard ....... and is proud of it????

 

ME!

 

 

Me too Eileen :). I've got a pretty blue beaded necklace thingy made especially for cruise cards. I purchased it on board Rhapsody a few years ago. Love it. I definitely would not want to carry it around either in my hand or in my pocket,

that's not secure enough for me.

 

Jilly:)

[icat2000]

I wear a lanyard for my security card at work. So I do the same for cruise. Who cares if you wear one or not. Beats having to have things shoved into pockets or carry or wallet around.

[cotton93]

Well I use a lanyard! I don't want to put my card in my pocket and worry about losing it all the time and I am not about to give it to my DH to mind' date=' what if I want to duck into the shops for a bit of retail therapy. I would have to ask him for my card, to which he would want to know what I wanted it for...... it is like money, and I want my own in easy reach so why not a lanyard.

 

I think we need to take a vote......... who wears a lanyard ....... and is proud of it????

 

ME!

 

Another one here Eileen ......... so much easier and safer hangin around the neck ........ have heaps to choose from RCI, Aussie, Queenslander ones and the list goes on. Have converted a few "Americans" too !!!!! :)

[stki]

I'm a Lanyard girl too:) Ist stop is the pursers desk to get a hole punched in my cruise card.

 

Tanya

[Sutho]

I dont particularly care who wears a lanyard or not. I just said that it is another difference between the other lines compared to how Australians cruise.

 

I have done a few of the regular P&O UK cruises straight out of Southampton and have never seen anyone with them around their necks. Even on the larger Azura where its well over 3000 passengers.

 

In my opinion the only good thing Australians can contribute to cruising is by introducing the non tipping policy.

 

Seeing how some people get worked up over negative reviews/comments and opinions of P&O Australia ships certainly does not encourage anyone to even consider trying them. After seeing 13 pages of this I am sure many Americans and British would think twice before considering the line.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

The most amazing loyalty programme 'ceremony' I have seen was on Holland America where the people who have reached higher levels are invited to the front during the repeat passengers Cocktail Party. They are awarded medals suspended on wide ribbon that is ceremoniously draped around the passengers neck. I felt it could be like a Masonic Lodge ceremony. (Apologies to all Masons out there.):)

 

Something similar happened to us on our first HAL cruise. It was a 30 day WC segment and we received an invite to the piano bar. Had no idea what it was for, and then they started handing out the "gongs". As you say medals on long ribbons. We felt very embarrassed to start with , as some of them were coming up for 2 and 3 thousand days on board. Then at the end we were awarded a 25 day pin as our first start on the HAL journey of rewards.

It somehow seemed to put everything back into perspective....You have to start somewhere.

I think HAL have stopped the medals now, but we were also lucky to get a Copper One for 100 days just before the scheme wound up.

 

 

[happysnapper]

Really not concerned how people wish to carry their (coloured) card. But I do wonder why they find the need to go ashore and travel around the towns/cities with them on display. ? could it be a case of "if lost return to sender".

Glennys

[Sutho]

Really not concerned how people wish to carry their (coloured) card. But I do wonder why they find the need to go ashore and travel around the towns/cities with them on display. ? could it be a case of "if lost return to sender".

Glennys

 

I feel the same way. I dont care what people do wear the lanyard or not, I just find it amusing that it is something Australians do when the rest of the world doesnt.

[Aus Traveller]

I feel the same way. I dont care what people do wear the lanyard or not, I just find it amusing that it is something Australians do when the rest of the world doesnt.

Probably someone wore a lanyard, others saw it and thought it was a good idea. I can't recall seeing passengers on the Fairstar wearing lanyards, so this practice is a more recent innovation.

 

Personally I find the ribbon hanging around my neck annoying :) but if others want to wear them that's their business.

[Sutho]

There is no way I would want to go on a cruise and have them put a ribbon or medal around my neck for long time cruising. That is going way too far for my tastes.

[kiwipete]

Point of interest, Princess have been selling lanyards in their "on board" shops for as long as we've been cruising.

Another point, the two cruises we've done on P&O UK's Oriana a goodly number of passengers were wearing lanyards!

[icat2000]

Point of interest, Princess have been selling lanyards in their "on board" shops for as long as we've been cruising.

Another point, the two cruises we've done on P&O UK's Oriana a goodly number of passengers were wearing lanyards!

I think its a worldwide thing. Not only when cruising but quite common to see workers were their security cards on their lanyards.

[pacificlover]

I think in the days of Fairstar we did not have cards?? As for wearing the lanyards ashore.......a lot of time it is that people forget they have them around their necks. They need the card to "ping" on and off the ship and just forget to take them off and put in their bag whilst ashore.