Mariner Japan Cruise - March 22-30 Review

[aussielozzie18]

I am enjoying your honest review of your experiences onboard. I would like to cruise to Japan in the future so its been an very interesting read so far.

 

I have to say that whilst most your experiences on board so far sound terrible and poor form from other guests and very poor maintenance in the RS, your experience in Chops sounds like a simple case of misunderstanding on behalf of the staff. I don't think there was deliberate slight being made against you, I just think that they were simply waiting for your DH to arrive before they started serving both of you.

 

Btw, your son is very handsome.

[scorpluvsdolphins]

I disagree. This is poor service. Even if she was waiting for her husband, they should have come over every 5 to 10 minutes to see if she needed anything else. That they had done that, she would have informed them again she was starting without her husband. There is no excuse for being ignored for 20 minutes whether you are waiting on someone or not.

 

 

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[lalenalei]

I am enjoying your honest review of your experiences onboard. I would like to cruise to Japan in the future so its been an very interesting read so far.

 

I have to say that whilst most your experiences on board so far sound terrible and poor form from other guests and very poor maintenance in the RS, your experience in Chops sounds like a simple case of misunderstanding on behalf of the staff. I don't think there was deliberate slight being made against you, I just think that they were simply waiting for your DH to arrive before they started serving both of you.

 

Btw, your son is very handsome.

 

Thank you for the compliment! I don't think they were trying to ignore me, but they weren't trying to give me good service. Even at a more casual restaurant (I worked at a bistro), we were required to do check backs, and they were required to be done within a certain number of minutes. For example, after drinks or food is delivered, you are to check back within three minutes to see if there are any problems. There is no way I should be left alone for that long.

 

I disagree. This is poor service. Even if she was waiting for her husband, they should have come over every 5 to 10 minutes to see if she needed anything else. That they had done that, she would have informed them again she was starting without her husband. There is no excuse for being ignored for 20 minutes whether you are waiting on someone or not.

 

 

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Absolutely. That's all I wanted. And hello, can I please have a cocktail??? :D

[lalenalei]

Day 4

We arrive in Yokohama, and have to do a face-to-face immigration process with officials, regardless of whether or not you plan to visit Tokyo. This is to receive a Provisional Landing Permit (PLP), which is basically a giant sticker on the back of a copy of your passport (which we were all required to bring onboard). Each time we enter Japan subsequent to Yokohama, we just show the PLP. The process is smooth, although you have to wind through the Sound of Music MDR. The line takes us through the back of the house, and we can see crew areas, including lots of memos, lists, and crew assignments. It looks pretty depressing.

 

We chose the Highlights of Tokyo tour. I threw away the shore excursions listing, and now can’t remember everything, but will try. Our tour guide was fabulous and talked a lot about the city. We drove for about 45 minutes through Yokohama and into Chiyoda to see the Imperial Palace. It was impressive, however, you can’t get too close for good photos unless you have a good zoom lens. We took pictures from below with the bridge in the foreground and then walked up the hill to get closer, although the view was then more blocked by trees. There is Kitanomaru Park next to the Palace, but we understandably didn’t have time to visit there.

 

Then it was off to Asakusa, which was a wonderful experience. Sensoji Temple is large and right in the middle of things. It’s really cool. There are alleys with food and souvenir shops. We know everything is expensive, but still just buy little samples of food and the boys get two more kendamas (they were a big rage here in Hawaii a couple of years ago). One tip: I’ve learned from many that it’s better to just use an ATM if your bank doesn’t have large fees. I’ve found this to be very true for me. You get the current exchange rate and my bank only charges $2 per transaction plus CCA and C/B fees that equal about 1% of the transaction. In Japan there are 7-11s everywhere. I just went in there and withdrew what I needed. We sampled dango, which is mochi balls on a stick. We tried one that had shoyu (soy sauce) on it, and a sweet one with sticky honey-like sauce (but it wasn’t honey). We also got traditional mochi with a strawberry inside, which is one of my favorites and very difficult to get in Hawaii (only on the Big Island), so I was delighted!

 

Then it’s back to the ship. We dined again at Giovanni’s, which was planned previously with the boys. I forgot to mention that I love gnocchi with meat sauce. It reminds me of my semester in Italy in college. Giovanni’s makes it with a different sauce, but they were happy to accommodate my request both last night and tonight. I also had caprese salad and tiramisu. They also made a nice dessert for the boys’ birthday. Again, the service was wonderful and the food was delicious.

 

I made a mistake about trivia. Last night was the Motown trivia, which we played with our two friends. Tonight was the 70s. My favorite era for this game. I won again. We keep getting prizes, because no one else is playing. The boys are excited because they love the pens, highlighters, and especially the medals.

 

We went to the magic show, and it was a snorefest. Literally. I fell asleep. Before that, the lady next to me kept kicking me, as she splayed herself out in her seat. Kids kept going on stage, even when they weren’t asking for volunteers. I left with one son and the other, who loves magic, came back with DH five minutes later. He said it was "boring". We usually really enjoy the magic shows on DCL, so this was a bummer.

 

 

You can see the palace on the top right, peeking out from behind the trees:

 

When you get off the bus, you walk past this statue and through paved walkways, then across the street to the palace.

[lalenalei]

Asakusa

 

 

 

This is a kendama

 

Yum!

[BCCRUSINGCOUPLE]

Thanks for all the great info and pics. Your suite looked very cozy.

[lalenalei]

Some things I forgot:

 

1) The gym is busy in the mornings, as usual. One cool thing is that each day, there are some people doing Tai Chi in the aerobics room, as well as a few practicing ballroom/salsa/really good dancing. One guy is like 60-65 and doing the splits all over the place. Standing, sitting, OMG!

 

2) Most things listed on the Cruise Compass were sales or drawings in the shops. There were maybe 10 English trivias throughout the whole cruise. No bingo. All the karaoke was Chinese (we went once and I wanted to poke myself in the eye with a fork).

 

3) The food was very Asian heavy. Not the normal menu, and not even what I would consider a "variety" of Asian food. Pretty much targeted the Chinese nationals completely.

 

4) There is no MTD on the sailings from Shanghai. The reason we were told is because the Chinese travel in large groups (sometimes the whole cruise is on giant TA group), and they like to sit together, so they have to do dining with times, but open seating. Our friends asked for the same server every night (they had 2nd seating, which is empty in China since they like to eat early). We only ate in the MDR once, because it sucked so badly. We had dinner in our room (RS) either ordering from the suite menu (which is same as MDR -- to me the good choices were very limited) and once I was able to get Giovanni's to send it to the room.

 

5) I asked a bartender one night about the sales (the Chinese also didn't drink). There were 37 swipes for packages (this includes everything from bottled water to soda to cocktails) and $130 in sales. Pathetic. Means no tips for them. I am a ridiculously huge tipper, so tried to overcompensate even more for them. I felt bad. RCI is apparently allowing them to bail from the Chinese market after one contract to go back to other areas to actually make money. They are actually given a "minimum" and if they don't meet it, RCI will cover the difference since they have realized that the Chinese market does not benefit the servers. The minimum was still horribly low, though.

 

6) By day 3, the bar and café staff are all calling me by name and remembering what I drink. We always bring gifts from Hawaii (chocolate-covered macadamia nuts, honey roasted macadamia nuts, POG, etc.), and hand them out as thank you gifts (as well as plenty of cash). The crew members are very grateful and appreciative. Joel’s roommate is Peter, one of the entertainment staff, and he thanks me for the chocolates at one of the trivias. The aloha spirit is almost considerate to a fault (like stopping traffic to let another car in haha), which is a big reason why I was so offended by the Chinese behavior.

[HiCSailor]

Thanks for sharing the feedback and beautiful images. Sorry for the many issues you experienced. I remember a few months ago you had asked about pre-cruise lodging, and I was interested in hearing how the voyage went because at the time I was considering a solo cruise on Mariner. At the moment, I'm glad my schedule and cruise plans changed.

 

I would still like to cruise in Asia, having lived in Japan and visited quite a few of the wonderful countries in the region, but it looks like avoiding RT China may be the best option. I think a cruise around Japan would be a lot of fun, and will never tire of visiting Hong Kong, Singapore, and Manila. On the shore-side, I did have an amazing time visiting Shanghai and Beijing -- not quite the Aloha Spirit, but an enjoyable and memorable time nonetheless. You mentioned a return to Japan, do you plan to explore China more thoroughly?

[anandaindonesia]

Thank you for sharing your review and photos.

We are lucky our Mariner cruise RT Singapore in February has not became so "China syndrome" yet.

Edited April 6, 2015 by anandaindonesia

[nekzaadvakil]

Thank you for your detailed review. I've been wanting to cruise in Asia/China for quite some time, since we live in India and that would save us quite alot on airfare. However anyone who I've spoken to usually says the EXACT same things that you've mentioned about the Chinese people. I've usually thought that they've faced these rude Chinese since they were also Indians (we really don't like each other too much) :D

 

My parents took an Asian cruise earlier this year and they also seemed to have the same issues. Many Americans, Brits and Australians who they met on the ship and became friends with, had similar experiences with the Chinese. Not sure if its a culture thing or if the really do not have good manners. Especially at the elevators!

[Cindy]

Thank you for your detailed review. I've been wanting to cruise in Asia/China for quite some time, since we live in India and that would save us quite alot on airfare. However anyone who I've spoken to usually says the EXACT same things that you've mentioned about the Chinese people. I've usually thought that they've faced these rude Chinese since they were also Indians (we really don't like each other too much) :D

 

My parents took an Asian cruise earlier this year and they also seemed to have the same issues. Many Americans, Brits and Australians who they met on the ship and became friends with, had similar experiences with the Chinese. Not sure if its a culture thing or if the really do not have good manners. Especially at the elevators!

 

This is probably quite politically incorrect, but yes, it's cultural. I was very taken aback the first time I encountered the behavior in Europe. It doesn't seem to happen with individual tourists, but more with large groups, and it's definitely an acceptable behavior in that culture -- in Paris a couple years ago the tour guide was just as pushy and rude as the tourists. My sister and I got so tired of being shoved out of the way at Versailles that we started playing a childish game...every time we got pushed so someone could take a picture we paid them back by photo-bombing them.:rolleyes: Childish? Absolutely, but until you encounter the behavior you have no idea how irritating and frustrating it is.

 

The worst encounter I've had came last spring in St. Petersburg at the Hermitage. It was very crowded when we were there, and as it was cold and rainy we had to make our way downstairs to the coat check before we could leave. The lobby was so crammed full of tourists one could barely move. Our guide did a good job of trying to move all 11 of us through the crowds, but it was so chaotic and unorganized in there that she was fighting a losing battle. I thought the crowd situation inside was bordering on a riot/loss of control. I was repeatedly elbowed by a woman from a very large group of Chinese tourists who were trying to push their way through the lobby, and ultimately this same lady shoved me in the back as hard as she could. Had it not been wall-to-wall people, I would have tumbled down the marble staircase.

 

I was shaking like a leaf -- I just couldn't believe someone would do that. The comments from the OP and others about pushing and shoving on the Mariner scare me. It's a real concern, and I can easily see someone being badly injured by a pushing, shoving throng of people.:( Ironically, a very short time later we saw a piece on CNN about Chinese tourism, and how the government actually has a campaign to try to teach the citizens how to behave when they travel. I don't think it's working.:rolleyes:

Edited April 6, 2015 by Cindy

[woodyren]

A simple few questions.

 

Does anyone think that there are aspects of USA, Australian, or British culture, manners etc that may not fit the accepted norms in another country?

 

Would you change your manners to suit and even if you did do you think ALL or even most of your fellow countrymen would?

 

Would it not be reasonable to expect that a cruise line would be set up to cater for the majority of it's customers on certain itineraries?

 

Is it really "pathetic" that people don't drink or tip?

 

Should the cruise line continue to serve up roast turkey and escargot even when 90% of their customers prefer other cuisine?

 

If the cruise line knows that there will be no tips because the customers drink less and have no tipping culturally should they not raise the price of the cruise so they can adequately pay the staff?

 

What I am trying to say is that behaviour of other cultures fits their social behaviours. I do not understand how people who travel in Asia for example expect that people will behave like they would in the USA. I strongly suggest that if you can't understand or have some tolerance of these things then travels in China would best be avoided.

 

Manners are slowly changing in China but remember it is only a generation or 2 ago that most of these people were starving and/or freezing and if you didn't push and shove you probably would have never made it onto the bus.

[Markanddonna]

I was on a TA on the Mariner a few years ago when the Asian sailings were announced. The Mariner has been my favorite ship so far but I could have probably predicted a lot of what has been reported on this review. Thank you so much for taking the time. It was once a great ship!

[HiCSailor]

A simple few questions.

 

Does anyone think that there are aspects of USA, Australian, or British culture, manners etc that may not fit the accepted norms in another country?

 

Would you change your manners to suit and even if you did do you think ALL or even most of your fellow countrymen would?

 

Would it not be reasonable to expect that a cruise line would be set up to cater for the majority of it's customers on certain itineraries?

 

Is it really "pathetic" that people don't drink or tip?

 

Should the cruise line continue to serve up roast turkey and escargot even when 90% of their customers prefer other cuisine?

 

If the cruise line knows that there will be no tips because the customers drink less and have no tipping culturally should they not raise the price of the cruise so they can adequately pay the staff?

 

What I am trying to say is that behaviour of other cultures fits their social behaviours. I do not understand how people who travel in Asia for example expect that people will behave like they would in the USA. I strongly suggest that if you can't understand or have some tolerance of these things then travels in China would best be avoided.

 

Manners are slowly changing in China but remember it is only a generation or 2 ago that most of these people were starving and/or freezing and if you didn't push and shove you probably would have never made it onto the bus.

I see your point and agree...

 

But this review highlights the challenge that the cruise lines face as they expand into China. "How do you expose your existing customers to China, and vice versa, in a positive and meaningful way? "

 

I think there is an expectation (however unfair) that a given cruise line delivers a certain standard of service that we have grown accustomed to as often longstanding loyal guests.

 

In most areas of the world this expectation has been met or exceeded, despite the tailoring the line has done for a specific market. This may not be the case going forward in some Asian markets, most notably China. The challenge for the Lines is how to attract and serve the Chinese market while still nurturing the globally inclusive atmosphere that is part of the allure of cruising.

 

At least in the short term, it may be too tough a challenge for one Line to be all things to all people. I think we'll see more new Lines, subsidiaries and partnerships focused on the Chinese market. Ideally this would see the current fleet focused on passengers from other markets looking to explore in and around China, as well as Chinese tourists looking for a global experience (European/American food and amenities) close to home.

[lalenalei]

Thanks for sharing the feedback and beautiful images. Sorry for the many issues you experienced. I remember a few months ago you had asked about pre-cruise lodging, and I was interested in hearing how the voyage went because at the time I was considering a solo cruise on Mariner. At the moment, I'm glad my schedule and cruise plans changed.

 

I would still like to cruise in Asia, having lived in Japan and visited quite a few of the wonderful countries in the region, but it looks like avoiding RT China may be the best option. I think a cruise around Japan would be a lot of fun, and will never tire of visiting Hong Kong, Singapore, and Manila. On the shore-side, I did have an amazing time visiting Shanghai and Beijing -- not quite the Aloha Spirit, but an enjoyable and memorable time nonetheless. You mentioned a return to Japan, do you plan to explore China more thoroughly?

 

We absolutely loved Japan. We area already planning a trip back (maybe for Christmas?) Our friends agreed that we didn't have enough time in the ports. Definitely not trying to go back to China.

 

Thank you for your detailed review. I've been wanting to cruise in Asia/China for quite some time, since we live in India and that would save us quite alot on airfare. However anyone who I've spoken to usually says the EXACT same things that you've mentioned about the Chinese people. I've usually thought that they've faced these rude Chinese since they were also Indians (we really don't like each other too much) :D

 

My parents took an Asian cruise earlier this year and they also seemed to have the same issues. Many Americans, Brits and Australians who they met on the ship and became friends with, had similar experiences with the Chinese. Not sure if its a culture thing or if the really do not have good manners. Especially at the elevators!

 

Right! The elevators were horrible. Beyond what I mentioned earlier, they also shove their way in, even when there are already too many people. One lady literally tried to straddle me! Facing me with her legs around my legs! I was like "No! You wait for another elevator!" Really???

 

Thank you for sharing your review and photos.

We are lucky our Mariner cruise RT Singapore in February has not became so "China syndrome" yet.

 

We are considering a B2B Malaysia/Thailand for Christmas as well. Need to research or ask Joel if there are many Chinese on those sailings!

 

 

This is probably quite politically incorrect, but yes, it's cultural. I was very taken aback the first time I encountered the behavior in Europe. It doesn't seem to happen with individual tourists, but more with large groups, and it's definitely an acceptable behavior in that culture -- in Paris a couple years ago the tour guide was just as pushy and rude as the tourists. My sister and I got so tired of being shoved out of the way at Versailles that we started playing a childish game...every time we got pushed so someone could take a picture we paid them back by photo-bombing them.:rolleyes: Childish? Absolutely, but until you encounter the behavior you have no idea how irritating and frustrating it is.

 

The worst encounter I've had came last spring in St. Petersburg at the Hermitage. It was very crowded when we were there, and as it was cold and rainy we had to make our way downstairs to the coat check before we could leave. The lobby was so crammed full of tourists one could barely move. Our guide did a good job of trying to move all 11 of us through the crowds, but it was so chaotic and unorganized in there that she was fighting a losing battle. I thought the crowd situation inside was bordering on a riot/loss of control. I was repeatedly elbowed by a woman from a very large group of Chinese tourists who were trying to push their way through the lobby, and ultimately this same lady shoved me in the back as hard as she could. Had it not been wall-to-wall people, I would have tumbled down the marble staircase.

 

I was shaking like a leaf -- I just couldn't believe someone would do that. The comments from the OP and others about pushing and shoving on the Mariner scare me. It's a real concern, and I can easily see someone being badly injured by a pushing, shoving throng of people.:( Ironically, a very short time later we saw a piece on CNN about Chinese tourism, and how the government actually has a campaign to try to teach the citizens how to behave when they travel. I don't think it's working.:rolleyes:

 

OMG. That would freak me out! I haven't finished my Kobe report yet (tax prep for our CPA appointment -- stress time!), but this is when it becomes super scary. And yes, they are "trying" to educate them. An epic fail.

[commie]

A simple few questions.

 

Does anyone think that there are aspects of USA, Australian, or British culture, manners etc that may not fit the accepted norms in another country?

 

Would you change your manners to suit and even if you did do you think ALL or even most of your fellow countrymen would?

 

Would it not be reasonable to expect that a cruise line would be set up to cater for the majority of it's customers on certain itineraries?

 

Is it really "pathetic" that people don't drink or tip?

 

Should the cruise line continue to serve up roast turkey and escargot even when 90% of their customers prefer other cuisine?

 

If the cruise line knows that there will be no tips because the customers drink less and have no tipping culturally should they not raise the price of the cruise so they can adequately pay the staff?

 

What I am trying to say is that behaviour of other cultures fits their social behaviours. I do not understand how people who travel in Asia for example expect that people will behave like they would in the USA. I strongly suggest that if you can't understand or have some tolerance of these things then travels in China would best be avoided.

 

Manners are slowly changing in China but remember it is only a generation or 2 ago that most of these people were starving and/or freezing and if you didn't push and shove you probably would have never made it onto the bus.

 

Thank you for finally pointing these out. +++1

 

Some of these 'complaints' are legitimate, however, others seem to be more elitist expectations.

So if someone does not drink on a trip, now they are pathetic?

 

There are some parts of the experiences here due to culture/manners, and as you mention, its slowly developing.

 

But most of these behaviors can be attributed to just being the crowd mentality. Being part of a large group on a small space.

 

I've travel the world all over, and in the USA pretty much most states. I could name just as many 'ungodly' behaviors shown by your favourite Americans, British, Japanese, Mexican, Australian, etc..

 

What about the rude crowds in Florida during spring breaks? The large families overtaking the hotel pool during a family reunion, large groups of folks blocking the buffet lines on a cruise.

 

The point is rude behaviour can happen anywhere and by any creed. The OP demonstrated their own rudeness plenty of times, least of which is using your almighty attitude by referring to them as 'these' people. Your nose must've been so far up by showing your Japansese-American heritage over and over again.

[Bookish Angel]

A simple few questions.

 

Does anyone think that there are aspects of USA, Australian, or British culture, manners etc that may not fit the accepted norms in another country?

 

What I am trying to say is that behaviour of other cultures fits their social behaviours. I do not understand how people who travel in Asia for example expect that people will behave like they would in the USA. I strongly suggest that if you can't understand or have some tolerance of these things then travels in China would best be avoided.

 

Manners are slowly changing in China but remember it is only a generation or 2 ago that most of these people were starving and/or freezing and if you didn't push and shove you probably would have never made it onto the bus.

 

Traveling outside cultural norms with which you are familiar requires tolerance, some adaptation and knowing that true travelers do not expect all people to have the same cultural/social behaviors - there would be no point in traveling if all people where the same.

Edited April 6, 2015 by Bookish Angel

[HiCSailor]

We absolutely loved Japan. We area already planning a trip back (maybe for Christmas?) Our friends agreed that we didn't have enough time in the ports. Definitely not trying to go back to China.

 

Thats great to hear! So much to love and enjoy, so little time. I can relate, I feel like I had only begun to see all there was when it was time to move on. [emoji353]

 

If you want some Japan travel ideas and recommendations from someone who lived there for 6 years and traveled pretty extensively, drop me a line. I know a guy... [emoji41]

[emileg]

Had the OP read, before the cruise, the following article on cultural behavioral differences one could expect to find in China, I think she may have had a more rewarding and enriching experience.

 

http://www.china-mike.com/china-travel-tips/chinese-etiquette-tips/

 

There are also Western behaviors that Chinese people might consider rude, even though we might consider them perfectly permissible.

 

http://www.quora.com/Chinese-Etiquette-and-Behavior/What-things-cant-an-expat-get-away-with-in-China-which-would-be-socially-acceptable-in-the-West

[PompeySailor]

Research

Homework

More Research

Would you skate over a frozen lake;)

 

When we did a Brazil Itinerary, we knew ahead of time 90% of pax would be Brazilian!! Shocker I know:eek:

 

Imagine our surprise when we arrived that it was actually about 95% Brazilian:eek:

 

6 P,s

Planning

Preparation

Prevent

Piss

Poor

Performance.

Just saying, love the RS by the way, one of our favs:)

 

Happy Days!

[lalenalei]

A simple few questions.

 

Does anyone think that there are aspects of USA, Australian, or British culture, manners etc that may not fit the accepted norms in another country?

 

Yes. I never said any of those cultures were perfect.

 

Would you change your manners to suit and even if you did do you think ALL or even most of your fellow countrymen would?

 

I am fine with "when in Rome". I just expect some common courtesy and respect for other human beings.

 

Would it not be reasonable to expect that a cruise line would be set up to cater for the majority of it's customers on certain itineraries?

 

Again, that is fine. I just want to be able to enjoy my cruise. It is my vacation, too. Not just theirs.

 

Is it really "pathetic" that people don't drink or tip?

 

Don't take my words out of context. I never said they were pathetic. I said $130 in sales was pathetic.

 

Should the cruise line continue to serve up roast turkey and escargot even when 90% of their customers prefer other cuisine?

 

No. And I never said they should. But they should at least have some variety.

 

If the cruise line knows that there will be no tips because the customers drink less and have no tipping culturally should they not raise the price of the cruise so they can adequately pay the staff?

 

They didn't raise the prices. This was the most affordable cruise I've ever been on. Perhaps I don't have a good frame of reference, but to me, $7700 with $900 in OBB was a steal for the RS.

What I am trying to say is that behaviour of other cultures fits their social behaviours. I do not understand how people who travel in Asia for example expect that people will behave like they would in the USA. I strongly suggest that if you can't understand or have some tolerance of these things then travels in China would best be avoided.

 

Manners are slowly changing in China but remember it is only a generation or 2 ago that most of these people were starving and/or freezing and if you didn't push and shove you probably would have never made it onto the bus.I don't think that gives them a license to behave the way they do. That would be like saying that my family can hate white people and continue to treat them badly because they were put in internment camps after Pearl Harbor. The people on the ship aren't starving and freezing now.

 

Thank you for finally pointing these out. +++1

 

Some of these 'complaints' are legitimate, however, others seem to be more elitist expectations.

So if someone does not drink on a trip, now they are pathetic?

 

There are some parts of the experiences here due to culture/manners, and as you mention, its slowly developing.

 

But most of these behaviors can be attributed to just being the crowd mentality. Being part of a large group on a small space.

 

I've travel the world all over, and in the USA pretty much most states. I could name just as many 'ungodly' behaviors shown by your favourite Americans, British, Japanese, Mexican, Australian, etc..

 

What about the rude crowds in Florida during spring breaks? The large families overtaking the hotel pool during a family reunion, large groups of folks blocking the buffet lines on a cruise.

 

The point is rude behaviour can happen anywhere and by any creed. The OP demonstrated their own rudeness plenty of times, least of which is using your almighty attitude by referring to them as 'these' people. Your nose must've been so far up by showing your Japansese-American heritage over and over again.

 

Again, I never said they were pathetic for not drinking. I also never said that other groups of people aren't rude. There are plenty of rude people everywhere. I am definitely not rude, but I stand up for myself when someone violates my personal space or can't wait like everyone else. We are all people. I treat everyone the same. It is only after someone does something to me that I react. There is no snobby "Japanese-America heritage" here. Don't judge me for what you did not experience. Trust me, people from many places were commenting (without solicitation from me) about the behavior.

 

I wasn't in Florida and so I'm not talking about rude spring break crowds. This is a review of my cruise.

[PompeySailor]

$7700.00 and $900 OBC for a 7nt in any RS is a steal, you got a great deal on the suite.

Edited April 6, 2015 by PompeySailor

[commie]

I am definitely not rude, but I stand up for myself when someone violates my personal space or can't wait like everyone else. We are all people. I treat everyone the same. It is only after someone does something to me that I react. There is no snobby "Japanese-America heritage" here.

 

Some would say saying the national anthem of another country while they are doing their safety sessions is and can be considered rude, obnoxious, and demonstrating your 'Japanese-American' aggression.

Rightly or wrongly, I would not be surprised if you got some 'extra' treatment on the ship from the locals, if that was your attitude towards the native Chinese on board.

[Paulette3028]

Based on reading this thread, IF I was considering a cruise such as this itinerary, I would rethink it.

 

As a loyal Royalist, I have come to expect certain things and types of entertainment and activities are quite a bit of them....I can't help the poor manners or behaviors of other cruisers, but the line needs to make sure that cruisers do have an honest idea of what to expect....because expectations will be based on past experiences on their ships.

 

Not signing up for a cruise in these locations any time soon.

[CVU]

Read a review as well, about the smoking problem on Mariner in Asia.:eek:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=500040

 

That was enough, along with this review, to cement in our mind that we were Right about the Food, Behaviour and Smoking issues we would encounter IF we ever decided to do Asia. Not happening for us anytime soon.