Should one say anything to uncouth passengers?

[Konagolfer]

We are currently one board the Mariner on the "Circle South America". Yesterday was the first day of the last segment and we have about 450 new passengers on board. One of the first things I saw was a man with his bare foot on one of the tables in the seating area just outside the coffee corner. Yuck! People often put their food and drinks on these tables. Then a little while later I saw another man take two cookies with his bare hands, using neither a napkin or the provided tongs. Later a different man was taking the candied ginger with his hands. Should one say something to them, if so, what? We seem to have had quite a few people on board with different illnesses, as I am typing this in the computer room there is a man seated behind me that keeps coughing. I know the staff is concerned as they have sent personal spray bottles of hand sanitizer to the suites twice along with a note about using it .

[RachelG]

Putting bare feet on a table--what in the world was he going around barefooted for?! ICK! I probably wouldn't say anything myself, but I tend to keep my mouth shut about a lot of stuff.

 

Now the coughing may or may not be a sign of disease, so I wouldn't necessarily worry. George was on some blood pressure med for a while that made him cough constantly. Until we figured out what the problem was, he went around coughing and got lots of nasty looks, including when we were on Navigator for a week.

[nana541]

I will confess to stealing a cookie without using tongs :0...... And I am the kind of nut who has "Clorox" wipes in my purse for every occasion! Bare feet on table in public place really icky!!!!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Feet on the table, bad. I would try to tell a staff member who could perhaps make the suggestion rather than you.

 

Cookies with tongs? Meh, I do that, but I'm careful not to touch the other cookies. No big deal I think. Think ab out it this way--who is sterilizing the tongs after each use?

[TedC]

UGH!!!!

 

 

If he didn't look like a NFL lineman I might just move my head in a NO gesture and still have an escape plan.

 

 

Another UGH is when people at your table lick their fingers and later pass the pepper or bread basket etc.

[nana541]

I'll be standing by with my "Clorox" wipes :)

[JMARINER]

...... One of the first things I saw was a man with his bare foot on one of the tables in the seating area just outside the coffee corner. Yuck! People often put their food and drinks on these tables. Then a little while later I saw another man take two cookies with his bare hands, using neither a napkin or the provided tongs. Later a different man was taking the candied ginger with his hands. Should one say something to them, if so, what? ...............

 

The older I get the more likely I would. And I am getting older in a hurry.

 

If they are going to act like children the talk to them like children. Feet on table: Excuse me Sir, but I put my food on the table where your feet are; This isn't you living room!!.

 

J

[Cruising Librarian]

I had the bad fortune of contracting a nasty cold on a flight to a cruise on the Paul Gauguin. Besides being miserable for the first couple of days, I had a lingering cough and was often on the receiving end of glares and icy looks from fellow passengers throughout the cruise, even though I took great care to cover my cough and excused myself if the coughing became too intense.

 

Not sure what a "couth" person would be expected to do-spend 2 weeks in their cabin? My husband didn't catch it from me, so I wasn't horribly contagious or contagious for an extended period. And what about folks with lung related disorders or other reasons (like RachelG) pointed out? Perhaps a little compassion might be in order.

[LA_CA_GAL]

The older I get the more likely I would. And I am getting older in a hurry.

 

If they are going to act like children the talk to them like children. Feet on table: Excuse me Sir, but I put my food on the table where your feet are; This isn't you living room!!.

 

J

 

"Sir, please, I would not put my bare foot there. I just had my exposed skin right there, and I have an extemely contagious case of herpes simplex IV."

[galavant3]

I certainly do not want to spend a moment of my precious vacation correcting the behavior of others. I would just make a mental note of who to avoid. I would hope that if a staff member saw a passenger with his bare feet on a table, the issue would be addressed. If not I would say staff training is in order and your complaint should be directed to management.

 

I agree with Wendy regarding the tongs!

[tallship]

I have seen people use their fingers to eat items from the salad bars while filling their plates at La Veranda or poolside on almost every cruise. Am hoping the staff would address this

[TheSeaAroundUs]

I agree with Wendy regarding the tongs!

Agree with this bit. A cookie is plenty large enough to take without touching the other cookies, AND you are not touching the tongs, which have been touched by how many hands before yours? So, perhaps (probably) more sanitary. But, when I do this, I'll use an extra-open-handed action, maybe even pinky and ring finger up, so that it is obvious to anybody who happens to be watching that I am taking care to only touch what I am taking.

 

Bare feet? De rigeur in my house. But not in any public place, and certainly not on a cruise ship!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Bare feet? De rigeur in my house. But not in any public place, and certainly not on a cruise ship!

 

Me too, I live in bare feet whenever I can.

 

But I would think the only place for them on the ship would be on the pool deck. "No shoes no shirt no service"!

[Hambagahle]

Bare feet - I grew up in Africa so I almost always am barefoot at home (never in the park however!!) However I cannot imagine why on earth anyone would (a) put feet on a table and (b) put bare feet on a table. I think I would have said something to him like "have you thought that people use that table to eat from?" or similar...

 

Where do these people come from??? Clearly this behaviour is "normal" them and it is time they were told it is not. I am shocked!

[mythologist]

I, too, like Cruising Librarian caught a cold on the flight to my PG cruise. I did go to see the doctor and it turned out I had actually gotten Bronchitis. I did what I could (took meds he gave me) and people were decent to me.

Rachel G also makes a point. Both Asthma and some heart/high blood pressure medicines have a cough as a side effect.

 

Now the bare feet? If I see something like that in the future, I will have a staff person deal with it.....

[poss]

Ok, here's a question: Is it uncouth to switch plates during a meal? We sometimes do that in restaurants, say if each of us orders something that the other would enjoy too. If we ask to share a table with others, do you think that they'd be put off by this? Is it gauche, or ok?

[poss]

I mean so long as we keep our shoes on?

[Threechicks]

Not a problem for me, however, if you remove your shoes and start passing food with your toes I would probably leave the table.

[SuzK]

Would you say something to someone who is showing a lot of butt cleavage at the pool?

I thought about telling him that he might get a wicked sunburn.

 

Oh and people with too much perfume , gag! We had to move at dinner because my nose was running from the overpowering odor of the lady next to us.

[RachelG]

I have no problem with switching plates. George and I often do that.

 

Now butt cleavage--that is another thing altogether. And once we were aboard Mariner when we saw a guy on the pool deck several times who appeared to be completely nude when seen from the front. He was hugely obese and wearing a speedo that was so small as to be undetectable due to his large stomach. The first time I saw him I about choked.

[SuzK]

I have no problem with switching plates. George and I often do that.

 

Now butt cleavage--that is another thing altogether. And once we were aboard Mariner when we saw a guy on the pool deck several times who appeared to be completely nude when seen from the front. He was hugely obese and wearing a speedo that was so small as to be undetectable due to his large stomach. The first time I saw him I about choked.

 

We must have been on the same cruise. The guy I'm thinking about was with a woman who, given her age and size, must have brought her granddaughter's clothes instead of her own.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Oh, now this is getting interesting! What are all the uncouth behaviours that we've witnessed on Regent.

 

Poss, I agree, changing plates is probably more "couth" than eating off each other's plate, although I've done that too, as long as we're side by side.

 

As far as the speedos go, that's Europe for you, different sensibilities.

 

I can't think of anything really uncool that I've seen, except for the drunk guy trying to come into CR wearing jeans. Or the loud obnoxious large guys taking over the hot tubs for the afternoon, along with their many drinks.

[Mjflowers]

Oh to be perfect in a perfect world. Sometimes our shallow thoughts come out when least expected.

[galavant3]

Wow, you guys are brutal.

[Hambagahle]

Ok, here's a question: Is it uncouth to switch plates during a meal? We sometimes do that in restaurants, say if each of us orders something that the other would enjoy too. If we ask to share a table with others, do you think that they'd be put off by this? Is it gauche, or ok?

 

It's one of those "American" things. Not done in Europe - that is, I have never seen it done! It makes us uncomfortable though we know that for people in the US it is normal (even for one of our closest friends who hates it when I say I do not want to "share"!!) But it doesn't make me uncomfortable to the point where I think of it as a sort of sin!!

 

What does annoy me is when men wear those wretched baseball caps indoors and sometimes even at meal times...