Difference between Australian and American style cruising

[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.

Just my opinion...

Jilly:)

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

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.

 

Just my opinion...

 

Jilly:)

 

I am sure I have used soup spoons on Princess USA ships Jilly. They bring it with the soup (that is in the MDR, don't know about Horizon Court)

[Aus Traveller]

Doesn't everyone get nasty on here and very picky, I'm not too sure I've done the right thing signing up here.

 

There are some much more friendlier forums

 

Surely saying that P&O are not very good and have smelly ships is not the same as insulting the people who sail in them.

 

Cruising Colin

Don't let it worry you. :)I agree with your comment that someone is free to critisize particular ships or cruiseline but they shouldn't extend that criticism to the people who sail in them.

 

If you want to see 'nasty' just log onto the American forums (Princess for example). They get personally insulting very quickly.

 

Actually, I have enjoyed the debate (but it has kept me from work I should be doing).

[Sutho]

The thing that really gets better with the visiting lines is the itinerary.

 

Princess being based here has limited itinerary unless they are doing the Cherry Blossom or World Cruise. If it is P&O UK then the itinerary becomes much more diverse and varied if you are prepared to fly home or to the cruise.

 

I like Princess for their shorter cruises, but I honestly dont think I could like them for a longer World Cruise. P&O UK have been doing these for longer than I have been born and have their World Cruise routine mastered.

 

I dont think Princess can be called a 100% American experience as they have allot of British entertainment staff. I think Princess is a bit of a mixture between British and American style.

 

Sometimes American's may change some of the famous cruise ship jokes/acts around on their ship and Americanise the words to such an extent that the jokes make no sense unless you see them in their original format they are not funny.

[critic2702]

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

[bazzaw]

My father was in Borneo during WW2 - I don't think he had a soup spoon. I am not sure that he had any kind of spoon. I do know that he had a battered old enamel cup to drink tea from - because I have a video of him ( at age 19) doing so. I don't think he could have even imagined the things that his only son would have been able to do during his (son's) lifetime.

 

Soup spoons? Better service in the MDR?? Demanding things because you have paid for them?? PIFFLE!!!!

 

We are the sons and daughters of the ANZACS - but we have forgotten that.

 

 

Barry

[critic2702]

If you are so interested in putting down P & O Australia ships and say you have travelled on P & O UK and RCCI ships...... why do you put P & O Australia as your favourite cruiseline in your profile :eek:

 

I do' date=' however, agree with you about the dress sense in the MDR but I think you will find that these would be first time cruisers and therefore would have no idea what the dress standard expected would be. I have been on short cruises on Princess where the blue cards have made up 85% of the passenger ratio.[/quote']

 

Eileen I'm a bit of a newbie on this forum, what's a blue card?

 

Cruising Colin

[critic2702]

My father was in Borneo during WW2 - I don't think he had a soup spoon. I am not sure that he had any kind of spoon. I do know that he had a battered old enamel cup to drink tea from - because I have a video of him ( at age 19) doing so. I don't think he could have even imagined the things that his only son would have been able to do during his (son's) lifetime.

 

Soup spoons? Better service in the MDR?? Demanding things because you have paid for them?? PIFFLE!!!!

 

We are the sons and daughters of the ANZACS - but we have forgotten that.

 

 

Barry

 

Did he go on cruises back there then?

 

I didn't even know they cruised in Asia then let alone have video recorders.

 

This truly is the lucky country

 

Cruising Colin

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

Eileen I'm a bit of a newbie on this forum, what's a blue card?

 

Cruising Colin

 

It is the cruise card (charge card/door key) that princess gives you when you cruise. Blue means you have never cruised with Princess before, gold is given after your first cruise (ie your 2nd to 5th cruise) Platinum is given after your 5th cruise (ie your 6th to 15th cruise) and black (elite) is given after your 15th cruise (ie 16th and onwards) Each of these levels have benefits in the Princess Circle Club, the more you cruise, the more benefits you get.

[critic2702]

It is the cruise card (charge card/door key) that princess gives you when you cruise. Blue means you have never cruised with Princess before' date=' gold is given after your first cruise (ie your 2nd to 5th cruise) Platinum is given after your 5th cruise (ie your 6th to 15th cruise) and black (elite) is given after your 15th cruise (ie 16th and onwards) Each of these levels have benefits in the Princess Circle Club, the more you cruise, the more benefits you get.[/quote']

 

Thanks for that,

I think I would have to have short 2 or 3 nighter before I went on a long cruise with them then.

I don't think I could handle the shame of being a "Blue carder" on a long cruise:)

 

Cruisin Colin

[Aus Traveller]

Thanks for that,

I think I would have to have short 2 or 3 nighter before I went on a long cruise with them then.

I don't think I could handle the shame of being a "Blue carder" on a long cruise:)

 

Cruisin Colin

Our first cruise was a 28 nighter and altough we had plenty of 'nights' to qualify for Elite, we weren't on that status because it was our first Princess cruise. We knew nothing about the Captains Circle levels of membership until I read them on here not long before our cruise.:)

 

By the way cruises on the much-maligned P&O count towards the Princess loyalty scheme.

[bazzaw]

Blue means you have never cruised with Princess before' date=' gold is given after your first cruise (ie your 2nd to 5th cruise) Platinum is given after your 5th cruise (ie your 6th to 15th cruise) and black (elite) is given after your 15th cruise (ie 16th and onwards) Each of these levels have benefits in the Princess Circle Club, the more you cruise, the more benefits you get.[/quote']

 

And people say that Cunard is elitist!!!:eek: Rather than the different colour cards, wouldn't it be easier for Princess to stamp something on the wrists of passengers to show their relative loyalties . How TACKY can you get!! I have never heard of this before. It shows to me that there are many ways to display elitism. By all means, reward people for loyalty -- but such tacky conspicuous display ?? !!!!

 

Barry

[Royalty X]

Carnival Cruises (U.S.) hand out (badge like) pins to their loyal passengers to wear whilst onboard to display their status. Maybe that's another difference between American and Australian cruising. :)

[critic2702]

Our first cruise was a 28 nighter and altough we had plenty of 'nights' to qualify for Elite, we weren't on that status because it was our first Princess cruise. We knew nothing about the Captains Circle levels of membership until I read them on here not long before our cruise.:)

 

By the way cruises on the much-maligned P&O count towards the Princess loyalty scheme.

 

In that case I think it is a wonderful idea because I would qualify for a gold card, I like it.

It certainly has won me over, I'll take my own soup spoon and one for H.

 

Cruisin' Colin

[Debsta]

Are any of you reading the crap coming out of your fingertips? Seriously people :rolleyes:

[critic2702]

Are any of you reading the crap coming out of your fingertips? Seriously people :rolleyes:

 

That's not very nice and you look like such a quiet girl much like my H in fact.

 

Cruisin' Colin

[Debsta]

That's not very nice and you look like such a quiet girl much like my H in fact.

 

Cruisin' Colin

 

I cannot believe this thread. I thought I'd stumbled on the US forum bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

 

Oh and I have 2,222 posts with this one mwahahahahahahaha (and probably my last LOLOLOLO)

[critic2702]

2223 coming up

 

Cruisin' Colin

[Debsta]

I can't believe that they let people post such things, do they not have nice people on here checking to delete the comments.

 

By the way I hope nobody makes fun of your turrets as that would be out of order.

 

Cruisin' Colin

 

Awwwwwwwwwwww you're so sweet to worry about what others think of me :D But if they make fun of my broomstick I hope you'll stick up for me LOL

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

Carnival Cruises (U.S.) hand out (badge like) pins to their loyal passengers to wear whilst onboard to display their status. Maybe that's another difference between American and Australian cruising. :)

 

Oh Princess give out those too, we have a gold one each and a silver one each and next cruise a black one each.

 

By the way P & O UK also count towards Princess captains circle points. Barry you might be elite and not know it! How cool is that!!!!!!

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

That's not very nice and you look like such a quiet girl much like my H in fact.

 

Cruisin' Colin

 

Debbie is definitely not quiet! :eek::D

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

I can't believe that they let people post such things, do they not have nice people on here checking to delete the comments.

 

By the way I hope nobody makes fun of your turrets as that would be out of order.

 

Cruisin' Colin

 

Bwwwwwwhaahhhh

[critic2702]

I've just been studying the past threads and the subject has been broached before.

The real answer to the difference can be found if you check the passenger to weight ratios of the US ships against the Australian ships. I'm not quite sure how they work it out but a low number is good.

 

I was unaware of this but evidently, when they fit these ships out and "Australianize" them suddenly suites that were 2 or 3 berth become 4 berth and they then crowd more people on them. Hey Presto! the Pass. to Wt. ratio goes up.

 

In fact the Pacific Sun, believe it or not was called the Carnival "something" (not sure of the name) before coming here, it was not a new ship!

When it was in the US it carried 1500 passengers, now there are sometimes over 2000 on it.

No wonder there's a funny smell from down below sometimes!

 

Anyway hope that clears things up.

 

Cruisin' Colin

[Aus Traveller]

Oh Princess give out those too' date=' we have a gold one each and a silver one each and next cruise a black one each.

 

By the way P & O UK also count towards Princess captains circle points. Barry you might be elite and not know it! How cool is that!!!!!![/quote']

I can assure that after Barry has done his first Princess cruise he will certainly be elite. After all he did a 104 night around-the-world cruise. Add to that his other cruises ....

[Aus Traveller]

Carnival Cruises (U.S.) hand out (badge like) pins to their loyal passengers to wear whilst onboard to display their status. Maybe that's another difference between American and Australian cruising. :)

Your post is a puzzle. :) The Princess loyalty programme is not Australian, it is really American.

 

We have pins from Princess and HAL (and we are eligible for a Carnival one) but have never worn one of them. Likewise we don't hang our cards on a lanyard, we keep them in our pockets. I also don't have my cruising history with my signature. Who really cares how many cruises I have been on? Just my choice.:)