Unfortunate Events with Fellow Passengers

[parallax]

Based partially on my recommendation, a fellow colleague took her family on cruise on the Summit right before the holidays. It was a much needed break for her, husband and two kids (6 & 8). Yesterday, I asked how the cruise went and she told me that they enjoyed Celebrity and the ship but were underwhelmed by the fellow passengers. One incident was them derogatory racial remarks about their family because they are an interracial family. It was pretty coarse so I won't repeat it. The second was a fellow passenger telling her husband while waiting to board the ship that they should have taken their kids on Disney and not Celebrity. The person, with the kids within earshot, told him that they would have a miserable time.

 

I feel bad for them. Why do people have to rain on other peoples parades.

[Rufferto]

First incident is inexcusable. Absolutely disgusting.

 

The second seems like someone who meant well but had no class. I would tell my friends and family that their kids would love Disney more than a Celebrity cruise. But I would tell them only because they are my friends and family. I would never tell a complete stranger that, because I don't know them and it's really none of my business. I might say it here on these boards only if someone asks for an opinion, but that's about it.

[Karynanne]

How unfortunate that your friends had that negative experience.

 

There are just some people in this world that are missing a much needed filter. What pops into their brains...falls out of their mouths, before their thoughts can be filtered.

[Jane2357]

Sorry that your colleague reported back that two fellow passengers were rude - something that can happen no matter where a person might be whether on a cruise or in a grocery store. Unfortunate but such is life. Certainly this is no reason that they did not have a wonderful vacation and you say that they liked the ship and Celebrity. I wouldn't take the report personally, this is nothing that can be controlled.

 

 

 

[BecciBoo]

Can't abide rude behavior in a man- Cpt Call

 

Or a woman, no excuse for rudeness...but some seem to think it will make them feel better to do so. Fortunately I haven't run into that but one other time....so 97% courteous.

 

Tell me she overlooks this please::( Only way to handle it is to ignor it...

can't fix stupid...:cool:

[We're The Groupnors]

Unfortunately, there are jerks everywhere, not just on Celebrity ships. And they are often right behind me in an airplane or movie theatre.

[john watson]

Whatever anyone says to another always reflects on them. If you say something nasty to anybody whilst you hear the verbal message a silent message is sent to all onlookers about the original speaker. The grace with which one can reply says a lot about you and is remembered longer by all.

 

Regards John

[parallax]

They went ahead and had a nice time and did not ruin their experience. However, it seemed based on my conversation they were a little more withdrawn around fellow passengers as the incidents happened early in the cruise. I think the outgoing nature of the crew made up for it.

 

I will say that in my experience in cruising that is a certain segment of fellow passengers who are nosy, the Gladys Kravitz's of the world, and want to share their opinion with fellow passengers like it or not. Maybe it is sharing the same limited space that brings it out. I have experienced it on every cruise that I have been on.

[Queen of Oakville]

Hatred, racism, and idiots abound - everywhere.

 

I will speak first to your last point - my kids love Celebrity more than Disney. They've been on two Disney cruises as well as a few RCL - they like X hands down. Just as some adults are better suited to X over other cruiselines, so to are some children. But just because my kids prefer X does not mean that all children will. I would never dream of telling someone that they made a mistake in booking their holiday.

 

 

My family is visibly/noticeably inter-racial. We've been very fortunate to have very few experiences where this has been an issue. I've had maybe less than 5 instances my whole life were racist comments/actions were made in front of me. I NEVER encountered any form of racism on Reflection. The idiots who made comments to your friend could easily have crossed paths with them anywhere in the world.

 

On HAL Eurodam, we were refused seating at a table during the Indonesian Tea. I was with my two children (who are half-white). As the host went to seat us at this table, the lady said, "no - sit them somewhere else" very rudely. Perhaps I was refused because of the colour of my skin or perhaps I was refused because of my children. I will never know. It really doesn't matter, either way her actions were rude and uncalled for. I regret to this day that I did not call her out and demand an apology for her rudeness. Perhaps I took the classy/highroad, perhaps I wimped out.

Edited January 29, 2015 by Queen of Oakville

[ProfessorEFFE]

Not all the monkeys are in a zoo. Ignorance just shows us why we need to educate. Racism is an ugly disease, however it might be curable. Stupidity unfortunately isn't curable.

[akowilm]

This makes me sad. I recently disembarked the Reflection, an early January cruise, and the demographic was such a mixed bag...it made the cruise seem so international, everyone carried themselves with class, and the fee children that were on board were doted on by all! I wouldn't trade the experience for anything...hate that your friend had a different experience....I don't think its the norm...

[parallax]

It was just bad luck. It could have happened on any cruise line. Putting the ugly racist comment aside, she was really bothered that someone would tell her husband, with the kids right next to him, that they would not enjoy Celebrity.

[NLH Arizona]

There are rude people everywhere and if someone lets the ignorant/rude remarks of a few ruin and/or have an impact on their vacation, them going shopping, them going to a restaurant, ect., then I think they have to toughen up a little, because it can happen antwhere and a few do not speak for the majority. Celebrity doesn't have a monopoly on rude customers and the majorit that cruise with Celebrity are fantastic, didnt they meet any of those great folks. People should teach their children, after such an encounter, that it doesn't really matter what some jerk says or feels about them, the only thing that counts in how they feel about themselves and how their loved ones feel about them and how they treat others. Tell them next time to just walk away with a smile and their heads held up high and let those comments roll off their back and continue having a good time.

[patty1955]

Sometimes people talk first and think later. On our last cruise, a woman was very tentative getting in the pool. She told another woman that she was worried about getting in over her head. I tried to reassure her that the salinity level would help keep her afloat and she shouldn't worry. What I didn't know was she had a phobia about water and was truly terrified. She was very loud about telling her friend about my comment.

I meant well but I should have kept my mouth shut.

[Tudorcruisers]

very saddened to read this as I have never come across anything like this thank goodness in all our cruises but that was awful for your friends. How rude and ignorant of the other passengers!! I reslly hope they had a good time despite this.

[Tark]

That kind of behavoir does make me sad. Why people feel the need to be so nasty is beyond me.

 

I would have said to the person who made the Disney comment that maybe she would like to take them on a disney cruise for me then!!

 

As for the poster that said about being refused a seat at a table either due to having children or maybe racism.... Disgusting! I am sad the host did not pick up on it and have a word with them.

 

As others have said, you will find mean people everywhere. You will also find amazing people when you not looking for them :D

[NLH Arizona]

 

On HAL Eurodam, we were refused seating at a table during the Indonesian Tea. I was with my two children (who are half-white). As the host went to seat us at this table, the lady said, "no - sit them somewhere else" very rudely. Perhaps I was refused because of the colour of my skin or perhaps I was refused because of my children. I will never know. It really doesn't matter, either way her actions were rude and uncalled for. I regret to this day that I did not call her out and demand an apology for her rudeness. Perhaps I took the classy/highroad, perhaps I wimped out.

you took the classy route, the host took the wimpy route.

[scifimonkey]

First incident is inexcusable. Absolutely disgusting.

 

The second seems like someone who meant well but had no class. I would tell my friends and family that their kids would love Disney more than a Celebrity cruise. But I would tell them only because they are my friends and family. I would never tell a complete stranger that, because I don't know them and it's really none of my business. I might say it here on these boards only if someone asks for an opinion, but that's about it.

 

You would also, based on our experience with our son, be wrong. Maybe because he was over 10 before cruising and had been to Disney world a couple of times before cruising with Disney which perhaps made the nautical version seem somewhat second rate but he preferred celebrity. Is your view based on the response of your kids or on what you personally think would be the case?

[DYKWIA]

I think the racist remarks should have been reported to the relevant authorities

[Queen of Oakville]

you took the classy route, the host took the wimpy route.

 

Thanks NLH, but sometimes you regret not standing up for yourself. I don't blame the cruiseline host. On HAL most are Indonesian and I'd bet have been on the receiving end of racist remarks themselves. I would never have expected them to say anything.

 

I think the racist remarks should have been reported to the relevant authorities

 

that's school yard tattle-tailing. I assume by authorities you mean cruisline personnel? Most can barely handle a complaint about the cruiseline, can't imagine how they'd handle a complaint about another passenger.

 

 

The recipient of racist remarks in this situation (or any) has two choices - confront the racist or let the comment roll of your shoulders and ignore it. And by confront, I don't mean violence.

[DYKWIA]

 

that's school yard tattle-tailing. .....

 

The recipient of racist remarks in this situation (or any) has two choices - confront the racist or let the comment roll of your shoulders and ignore it. And by confront, I don't mean violence.

 

Oh dear - reporting racist abuse is seen as school yard tattle tailing??? We're talking grown up adults not children calling each other childish names.

 

In the UK it might well have been a criminal offence. People are hauled up in front of the courts for such behaviour.

 

A cruise line off loading racists would make for a better cruise IMO

Edited January 29, 2015 by DYKWIA

[Queen of Oakville]

I'm not endorsing racist comments by any means.

 

But to go up to a port worker or part of the embarkation team and say, "that lady over there called me a name". What exactly would you expect them to do? I'm pretty sure they would not know what to do.

 

 

If the comment were directed at me, the last thing I'd think to do is "notify the authorities". Now my husband on the other hand, would make a big scene and "defend my honour". And then the port authorities would probably pull him away and we'd be denied boarding

Edited January 29, 2015 by Queen of Oakville

[phoenix_dream]

Both comments were ignorant in every regard. Unfortunately there are stupid and rude people everywhere, and cruise ships are no exception.

 

I am going to make another point that was not mentioned -just something I was wondering about as I re-read the first post. No matter where I go over the course of a vacation, or a week wherever, I am going to have an instance here or there where I encountered a rude person of some sort. I practically got run off the road yesterday on the way home from grocery shopping for example, by a rude driver who could not wait her turn. I guess in the end I am wondering why a friend/acquaintance would even bring it up, knowing it could only make you feel bad. In particular, the second comment seems to fall in the 'rude people are everywhere' as opposed to the apparently more hate filled comment about mixed families, which sounds like it was bad enough to really upset someone. I can't imagine coming home and reporting something like this to someone who was trying to help me out. I know we do not know the whole story, the closeness (or not) of the relationships, and so on. So I am not judging them, as I was not there. I just found it a bit odd. Am I the only one?

[parallax]

Both comments were ignorant in every regard. Unfortunately there are stupid and rude people everywhere, and cruise ships are no exception.

 

I am going to make another point that was not mentioned -just something I was wondering about as I re-read the first post. No matter where I go over the course of a vacation, or a week wherever, I am going to have an instance here or there where I encountered a rude person of some sort. I practically got run off the road yesterday on the way home from grocery shopping for example, by a rude driver who could not wait her turn. I guess in the end I am wondering why a friend/acquaintance would even bring it up, knowing it could only make you feel bad. In particular, the second comment seems to fall in the 'rude people are everywhere' as opposed to the apparently more hate filled comment about mixed families, which sounds like it was bad enough to really upset someone. I can't imagine coming home and reporting something like this to someone who was trying to help me out. I know we do not know the whole story, the closeness (or not) of the relationships, and so on. So I am not judging them, as I was not there. I just found it a bit odd. Am I the only one?

 

I have worked with this person for 7 years. We are more than business friends and we are very candid with each other. I am not trying to state that each incident carries tha same moral weight. However, the person adding his/her two cents about kids and Celebrity caused a major buzzkill. Just think if some one said that to you as you were going on the first cruise and preparing to board.

[Lois R]

Cruising is just a small % of life.....as such, people who are bigots are

all over the place, including on cruiseships. It really is sad that in 2015

it is still so prevelant.

Sorry your friends had this issue:(....and as for other rude passengers,

they are on every cruise......

 

As for reporting them? Not sure what the charges would be? Ignornace?:eek:

I remember reading something a long time ago........

"You can't fix stupid".

 

Hope your friends enjoyed themselves otherwise.:)