Cruise ship etiquette: Article.

[DISNEY FANTASY]

So conceirge and Platinum members get the first (best) choice of seats and let all of the newbies sit at the back?

 

I agree whilst I do book a suite that would be very unfair to all. New cruisers find it hard on booking things now, you can't add to that, the shows are a main event.

[maxtygar]

Most of these rules of etiquette are good but I wasn't crazy about a couple of them.

 

5. Make choices quickly at the buffet (it helps to take a look before you get in line). The buffet line is also not the time to lecture your child or quiz a chef about every ingredient in every dish. (If you have food allergies, you may be better off eating in the dining room where the crew can help track what you're served).

 

I have a food allergy and I know lots of other people who also have food allergies or have children with allergies. They can make you ill, even be life threatening. Some are more severe than others and some people may not even want to risk a buffet. I have found Disney staff at WDW to be very helpful regarding food allergies whether at a sit down restaurant or a counter stop meal or buffet and I am expecting that the cruise line staff will be just as helpful. If you or your child have a food allergy you have no choice at any form of restaurant but to ask questions of the people who prepare the food. It is also nice to have some variety and not have to eat at the same place or the same foods every day. There is no reason you cannot step around these people with allergies at a buffet while they discuss food choices and ingredients at that buffet with a chef. If they are completely blocking your way say excuse me , they will move and then you can pass or get at what you want. What is the big deal? I think that to suggest that people with food allergies should only go to the dining rooms and not also be able to enjoy some of the foods at the buffet with their family while on their cruise holiday would be unfair.

 

10. Follow the dress code. Nothing gets the ire of fellow passengers more then when they follow the dress code – putting on a jacket or tie, for instance – and you blow it off, showing up in the dining room carefree in a Hawaiian shirt.

 

My teenage son is adamant that he doesn't want to dress up and I really dont care to get too fussy on vacation. Vacations are about relaxation and fun for us. Some people like dressing up but some don't. I'll wear something nice but not formal wear, no gowns, jackets or ties . As long as we're clean and respectable I don't see why it matters to anyone around us what we are wearing, live and let live. If it was really a rule, a firm dress code that had to be followed, I would just avoid the dining room on that night. I recently inquired directly with DCL regarding formal nights and was told that participating in the "dressing up" was completely optional and that anyone who was not participating in formal wear was still welcome to attend their scheduled dining rotation arrangement for the evening. I hope I was not misinformed or I'll be headed back over to the buffet line with my allergy.:D

[Mbrthelegend]

I suppose I am having a hard time figuring out why anyone would let other people's behavior or actions negatively affect their trip. If someone, heaven for bid, save seats for their family and the theater just sit behind them. Why is this upsetting to you? While it is not something I would do, I wouldn't hold a grudge that someone else did. It seems like a very petty argument. If you want better seats go earlier. Focus on your self and your family and others seat saving won't be on your radar. If an exhausted mother walks through an adult area with her child perhaps you could admire the sweetness of the child and remember a time you were an exhausted parent. Take that moment to remember a precious memory of your own family. When an adult or a child takes time to select their entrée and a buffet line take that extra moment and consider your own choices. It is a buffet, set up for every passenger on the ship. Instead of expecting them to go to a sitdown restaurant so they can ask their questions, if YOU require such personalized attention and quickness through a line perhaps YOU should consider ordering room service. I don't understand your need to give everyone else rules so you can enjoy your vacation better. You and you alone are responsible for your choices. This is a ship full of children parents and grandparents. This type of cruise more than any other should include patience, flexibility and empathy for fellow passengers.

[Shmoo here]

I suppose I am having a hard time figuring out why anyone would let other people's behavior or actions negatively affect their trip. If someone, heaven for bid, save seats for their family and the theater just sit behind them. Why is this upsetting to you? While it is not something I would do, I wouldn't hold a grudge that someone else did. It seems like a very petty argument. If you want better seats go earlier. Focus on your self and your family and others seat saving won't be on your radar. If an exhausted mother walks through an adult area with her child perhaps you could admire the sweetness of the child and remember a time you were an exhausted parent. Take that moment to remember a precious memory of your own family. When an adult or a child takes time to select their entrée and a buffet line take that extra moment and consider your own choices. It is a buffet, set up for every passenger on the ship. Instead of expecting them to go to a sitdown restaurant so they can ask their questions, if YOU require such personalized attention and quickness through a line perhaps YOU should consider ordering room service. I don't understand your need to give everyone else rules so you can enjoy your vacation better. You and you alone are responsible for your choices. This is a ship full of children parents and grandparents. This type of cruise more than any other should include patience, flexibility and empathy for fellow passengers.

 

You do realize you're responding to a thread that's a year old? Many of the issues you are addressing have been hashed out for years on cruise boards.

 

There are people who feel that everyone should "play by the rules". While there are others who feel "it's my vacation, what I do shouldn't impact anyone else".

 

Unfortunately, neither side is completely right or wrong.