Mariner Japan Cruise - March 22-30 Review

[Paulette3028]

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.

 

There are plenty of things on my 'bucket list of cruises' before I would have to add China.

[oaktownboy]

To begin with, I am Chinese so please save your breath and do not accuse me of being culturally insensitive. I am also a Vietnam era vet and served my active duty in Asia. As such I have seen and experienced a plethora of asian cultures. I too am repulsed by the OP's depiction of how some of the Chinese acted on her cruise. Spitting on the floor, cutting and pushing in line, are not acceptable in a civilized world. Some have intimated that the Chinese push because it is so crowded where they live. Let me ask, do native Japanese not wait their turn in line in the buffet, because it sure is crowed in their native land. Let me give you all a tidbit to ponder. My friends from China say that some from their homeland act rudely because they feel entitled, and therefore rules apply only to others and not to them. So as my 100% Chinese son says, "let the haters hate".

[Paulette3028]

To begin with, I am Chinese so please save your breath and do not accuse me of being culturally insensitive. I am also a Vietnam era vet and served my active duty in Asia. As such I have seen and experienced a plethora of asian cultures. I too am repulsed by the OP's depiction of how some of the Chinese acted on her cruise. Spitting on the floor, cutting and pushing in line, are not acceptable in a civilized world. Some have intimated that the Chinese push because it is so crowded where they live. Let me ask, do native Japanese not wait their turn in line in the buffet, because it sure is crowed in their native land. Let me give you all a tidbit to ponder. My friends from China say that some from their homeland act rudely because they feel entitled, and therefore rules apply only to others and not to them. So as my 100% Chinese son says, "let the haters hate".

 

There are rude people and people with habits that are deplorable everywhere. I sailed the S. Caribbean and quite a few of the Brazilians that were on the ship, were obnoxious -- to the point of feeling 'overly entitled' to be rude. When they were spoken to as impolitely as they spoke to others, they did not like it, either.

 

But they were perhaps 1000 on a ship that had 2400. It still was a large enough overall group to have an impact. On the Mariner cruise being discussed, if 3200 were insensitive out of 3800 -- that is going make it even more difficult to enjoy the cruise. JMO.

[emileg]

There are plenty of things on my 'bucket list of cruises' before I would have to add China.

We spent have spent a total of 3.5 weeks in China and have always been treated respectfully, warmly and graciously by all Chinese people we met in five cities. It was the best vacation of our lives. Certainly we experienced culturally different behaviors, but we are richer for the experience.

 

The tourist goes to see sites and expects people to treat them in the manner they are accustomed to. On the other hand, the traveler and the people in the country they visit have positive interactions and both benefit from the experience.

 

In Xian, we brought our clothes to a cleaner. The laundry took up one room and the family lived in the next room. I brought in a list of items I took the time to write in Pinyin (phonetic Mandarin using Latin letters). The mother, who only read characters, said her eight year old daughter read Pinyin. Yes, I studied Chinese Mandarin for seven months before the trip. The daughter translated Pinyin into characters for the mother and was fascinated by our phrase book as she kept looking over my shoulder. When we returned to pick up our clothing, I left my phrase book for the daughter. THAT is what being a traveler is all about and it was one of the most memorable experience of our trip to China.

 

So, if you visit outside of your home country, learn to be a traveler rather than a tourist and both you and the people you interact with will be enriched in ways you can't imagine.

Edited April 7, 2015 by emileg

[John&LaLa]

There are plenty of things on my 'bucket list of cruises' before I would have to add China.

 

So then, what's Paulette's bucket list?

[PompeySailor]

We spent have spent a total of 3.5 weeks in China and have always been treated respectfully, warmly and graciously by all Chinese people we met in five cities. It was the best vacation of our lives. Certainly we experienced culturally different behaviors, but we are richer for the experience.

 

The tourist goes to see sites and expects people to treat them in the manner they are accustomed to. On the other hand, the traveler and the people in the country they visit have positive interactions and both benefit from the experience.

 

In Xian, we brought our clothes to a cleaner. The laundry took up one room and the family lived in the next room. I brought in a list of items I took the time to write in Pinyin (phonetic Mandarin using Latin letters). The mother, who only read characters, said her eight year old daughter read Pinyin. Yes, I studied Chinese Mandarin for seven months before the trip. The daughter translated Pinyin into characters for the mother and was fascinated by our phrase book as she kept looking over my shoulder. When we returned to pick up our clothing, I left my phrase book for the daughter. THAT is what being a traveler is all about and it was one of the most memorable experience of our trip to China.

 

So, if you visit outside of your home country, learn to be a traveler rather than a tourist and both you and the people you interact with will be enriched in ways you can't imagine.

 

Agree with you 100%, wise words.

Something I always do before visiting a new country is familiarize myself with the cultures, beliefs and learn the basic salutations.

Always eat where the locals eat and try and interact as much as possible with the locals and learn their customs.

 

Having spent 4 weeks in Shenzen, I can say it was an experience of a lifetime, one day I hope to take my daughter there to experience what I did.

 

The other thing is to go with an open mind and do not believe everything you read in the newspapers or see on the news.

 

The people you meet and the experiences of living outside your comfort zone is what we travel for.

 

Fellow traveler:)

Happy Days!

[John&LaLa]

As reported back in late March in Cruise&Ferry.net

 

In addition, the cruise line is investigating potential Chinese drydock facilities to revitalise Legend of the Seas as early as 2018; logistics centres in China to supply its ships; and an inbound-tourism business model to bring thousands of North American vacationers to experience China.

[CVU]

DH just read they are opening up a school in China for training their crew and making a dry dock there. Very Smart move!! Should save some money in the end?

[Board_Shorts]

We spent have spent a total of 3.5 weeks in China and have always been treated respectfully, warmly and graciously by all Chinese people we met in five cities. It was the best vacation of our lives. Certainly we experienced culturally different behaviors, but we are richer for the experience.

 

The tourist goes to see sites and expects people to treat them in the manner they are accustomed to. On the other hand, the traveler and the people in the country they visit have positive interactions and both benefit from the experience.

 

In Xian, we brought our clothes to a cleaner. The laundry took up one room and the family lived in the next room. I brought in a list of items I took the time to write in Pinyin (phonetic Mandarin using Latin letters). The mother, who only read characters, said her eight year old daughter read Pinyin. Yes, I studied Chinese Mandarin for seven months before the trip. The daughter translated Pinyin into characters for the mother and was fascinated by our phrase book as she kept looking over my shoulder. When we returned to pick up our clothing, I left my phrase book for the daughter. THAT is what being a traveler is all about and it was one of the most memorable experience of our trip to China.

 

So, if you visit outside of your home country, learn to be a traveler rather than a tourist and both you and the people you interact with will be enriched in ways you can't imagine.

 

What a beautiful story. Now this is really what traveling and exploring the world is all about.

[Christine Frances]

We spent have spent a total of 3.5 weeks in China and have always been treated respectfully, warmly and graciously by all Chinese people we met in five cities. It was the best vacation of our lives. Certainly we experienced culturally different behaviors, but we are richer for the experience.

 

The tourist goes to see sites and expects people to treat them in the manner they are accustomed to. On the other hand, the traveler and the people in the country they visit have positive interactions and both benefit from the experience.

 

In Xian, we brought our clothes to a cleaner. The laundry took up one room and the family lived in the next room. I brought in a list of items I took the time to write in Pinyin (phonetic Mandarin using Latin letters). The mother, who only read characters, said her eight year old daughter read Pinyin. Yes, I studied Chinese Mandarin for seven months before the trip. The daughter translated Pinyin into characters for the mother and was fascinated by our phrase book as she kept looking over my shoulder. When we returned to pick up our clothing, I left my phrase book for the daughter. THAT is what being a traveler is all about and it was one of the most memorable experience of our trip to China.

 

So, if you visit outside of your home country, learn to be a traveler rather than a tourist and both you and the people you interact with will be enriched in ways you can't imagine.

 

 

Loved our 2 week land tour of China!! There was just the 4 of us and our guide visiting the most incredible places. The people we met were sweet, friendly and curious and the cities were surprisingly, really very clean (did have smog in Beijing and Xi'an though). I was prepared for smoking but found very little and actually we were impacted much, much more by smokers in Paris. And Shanghai... What a beautiful city! We will be back there in Oct and look forward to showing our friends around. Victoria has the second oldest Chinatown in NA after San Francisco and I am going to check with my friends and see if your experience with Chinese cruisers on board is culturally normal or an aberration as we have never experienced anything like that. I am so sorry for your experience:(

[oaktownboy]

I doubt that the Chinese that are taking RCCL cruises are not representative of the general Chinese populace. Rather they are probably from the highest economic echelons and used to acting and being treated like royalty.I suspect that the Chinese encountered on land tours are very polite, welcoming, and respectful, and are not in need of an attitudinal adjustment like their cruising countrymen.

[lalenalei]

I can't respond to each post, but want to clarify that:

 

1) I never said (or intended to say) that ALL Chinese people are bad. That is a ridiculous statement. But the 3,000 "group" (which is what I said) I encountered on the ship behaved badly. I thought I made it a point to say that the hotel's staff in Pudong were very nice and that my experience at Starbucks was positive. I, too, had positive experiences on land. We met some very nice Chinese people, including Joel, some servers, our private driver after disembarking, and a fellow we met while in Yuyuan.

 

2) I don't expect to go to China and be treated in some special "American" manner. I am very tolerant and very open to different types of cultures and people. I did ask fellow travelers for their experiences and I did know what to expect. But I wasn't prepared for the intensity and severity of what I experienced on the ship. Like I said, unless you were there, it's really hard to explain. Having your 9-year-old, 5 ft. tall kid cry because the people are pushing him in a way that scares him and he feels crushed by the crowd is not something that I think typically happens on a cruise.

 

3) I asked but didn't get much feedback on the ship diversity. I never expected it to be so overwhelmingly populated by Chinese nationals. I know better now.

 

4) I think it is absolutely appropriate to expect a certain level of safety, consideration, and dignity on a cruise that purports to provide a high quality of service.

 

5) If you ask any server or crew member, I am always polite, grateful, and kind to start. I rarely complain (see original post about the water temperature in the "best" stateroom on board). I have plenty of compassion for all people (I tell people in my practice every day that "we are all just people"), but I cannot tolerate when people violate the rights of others with no apologies or self-reflection. None of us are perfect. We will make mistakes. But I don't do things purposefully without any consideration for other people. My needs don't trump other people's. That is just wrong.

[woodyren]

I don't go to China to be treated like some special Aussie ether but I also don't expect them to all of a sudden have an understanding of my Western manners or values.

 

What you need to understand is that pushing or jostling for position , invading peoples personal space, speaking while having a mouth full of food, slurping their soup etc are not considered bad manners by many people there.

 

So they are not being rude to you because they do not know such a thing is considered rude.

 

The earlier post with the link to Chinese manners was spot on in my personal experience having visited there 6 or 7 times.

 

Many Chinese people do not travel independently. Their travel industry is set up for group travel so there is little reason for research. Their education system also does little to encourage free thinking and so group behaviour and old norms are slow to adapt to more modern thinking , particularly for the middle aged or elderly which make up the majority of those who now travel.

 

So again do even a little research and this will be understood. I can almost certainly guarantee though that if any of those who were in your opinion so increadibly rude and inconsiderate of you were to invite you to dinner you would see a complete other side of their manners and hospitality. In their culture they are increadibly considerate of their relatives and circle of friends and associates while almost completely oblivious of others. Again the article so kindly posted by emileg explains this very well. I will repost it if anyone missed it.

 

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

 

So my simple advice to all who wish to travel on a cruise sailing from and back to China or taking a tour with Chinese locals. Read the article and either be empathetic to the fact that this behaviour may occur and roll with it without complaint or avoid the place all together and remain within the cocoon of comfort in which you can enjoy yourselves.

Edited April 7, 2015 by woodyren

[lalenalei]

I don't go to China to be treated like some special Aussie ether but I also don't expect them to all of a sudden have an understanding of my Western manners or values.

 

What you need to understand is that pushing or jostling for position , invading peoples personal space, speaking while having a mouth full of food, slurping their soup etc are not considered bad manners by many people there.

 

So they are not being rude to you because they do not know such a thing is considered rude.

 

The earlier post with the link to Chinese manners was spot on in my personal experience having visited there 6 or 7 times.

 

Many Chinese people do not travel independently. Their travel industry is set up for group travel so there is little reason for research. Their education system also does little to encourage free thinking and so group behaviour and old norms are slow to adapt to more modern thinking , particularly for the middle aged or elderly which make up the majority of those who now travel.

 

So again do even a little research and this will be understood. I can almost certainly guarantee though that if any of those who were in your opinion so increadibly rude and inconsiderate of you were to invite you to dinner you would see a complete other side of their manners and hospitality. In their culture they are increadibly considerate of their relatives and circle of friends and associates while almost completely oblivious of others. Again the article so kindly posted by emileg explains this very well. I will repost it if anyone missed it.

 

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

 

So my simple advice to all who wish to travel on a cruise sailing from and back to China or taking a tour with Chinese locals. Read the article and either be empathetic to the fact that this behaviour may occur and roll with it without complaint or avoid the place all together and remain within the cocoon of comfort in which you can enjoy yourselves.

 

I hear what you are saying. I really do. I just don't think you are hearing that I'm saying that I don't need to be in some sort of comfortable cocoon. I put myself in unfamiliar situations on purpose to experience life. I'm not trying to protect myself in my comfort zone. Yes, jockeying for position. I get it. Personal space. I get it. But I don't get how their customs or unawareness are more important than others on a cruise line based in Miami!

 

I also tell people every day that we often have to forgive and to let go of things that other people do. That many times people do things FOR them and not TO us. We shouldn't take it personally. I don't think any of these behaviors were some sort of personal vendetta against me. I just don't get how their needs are more important than anyone else's. Perhaps they are truly kind to people in a more intimate setting or in their inner circle. Again, I never said all Chinese are bad. In a nutshell, I don't think that being on a RCI ship is considered being in China.

 

I'm working on the first day in Kobe. Perhaps then I can convey better what I'm trying to say.

Edited April 7, 2015 by lalenalei

[roquejo]

I feel I have to give some further input on these.

 

Half of my cruises are from China while half in western cruises as I have taken Alaska twice, Australia/New Zealand and Western Caribbean once.. so I am familiar with both cultures and adapting to be able to tolerate the Chinese tourist culture.

 

Given I am already exposed to this rude Chinese tourist culture. Everything reported here is true, I used to think that all mainland Chinese are like that.. but like what some posters mention here on their respective trips to China, I got a realization on my previous China trip (before boarding Voyager) that the many young professionals in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai are not like that. They are just as cultured and educated as the westerners.

 

This realization changed my outlook of the mainland Chinese people. When I asked the young Chinese workers on how come their toursts overseas are behaving very rudely while most young people I met in Beijing are not. They told me because those who travel are already the older generations, who grew up during China's poverty, so are not educated/refined and not exposed to western culture, but got suddenly rich due to China's recent affluence. so those types of people are the rude Chinese tourists we know of.

 

And here is the key: He told me that the young Chinese educated professionals who are polite and westernized, with many educated abroad, have just began working, starting a family, or are just establishing their careers so are too busy to travel at the moment.

 

So given that, I say, wait for these future educated generations to grow up to affluence and take over their country and start traveling in a few years and the Chinese tourists will soon be civilized.

 

Let's be aware is China is just a new superpower and has just recently been exposed to the western world just 20 years ago, that is why many of their older generations who are traveling now with lots of money are very much unrefined and rude, knowing they grew up when China is still a poor, closed communist civilization 20 years ago.

 

And oh.. it is not customary to fall in line in native China... only those Chinese who are exposed to western culture falls in line... so when they cut you.. it's a pity they don't think they are doing something wrong. Even if the Chinese government during orientation tells them to fall in line, it is difficult for older people to change their habits overnight.

Edited April 7, 2015 by roquejo

[Paulette3028]

We spent have spent a total of 3.5 weeks in China and have always been treated respectfully, warmly and graciously by all Chinese people we met in five cities. It was the best vacation of our lives. Certainly we experienced culturally different behaviors, but we are richer for the experience.

 

The tourist goes to see sites and expects people to treat them in the manner they are accustomed to. On the other hand, the traveler and the people in the country they visit have positive interactions and both benefit from the experience.

 

In Xian, we brought our clothes to a cleaner. The laundry took up one room and the family lived in the next room. I brought in a list of items I took the time to write in Pinyin (phonetic Mandarin using Latin letters). The mother, who only read characters, said her eight year old daughter read Pinyin. Yes, I studied Chinese Mandarin for seven months before the trip. The daughter translated Pinyin into characters for the mother and was fascinated by our phrase book as she kept looking over my shoulder. When we returned to pick up our clothing, I left my phrase book for the daughter. THAT is what being a traveler is all about and it was one of the most memorable experience of our trip to China.

 

So, if you visit outside of your home country, learn to be a traveler rather than a tourist and both you and the people you interact with will be enriched in ways you can't imagine.

 

Thank you for your lecture on how to go on my vacation. From what has been described, these were behaviors exhibited on the ship, and those people you have to co-exist with for 7,10,12 and maybe more days....that doesn't make for nice friendly living together. I have been on travel excursions with private guides in foreign countries to me, and well understand how diverse people will be. It is my vacation time, and I will put myself into situations that are more comfortable for me. This one, right now, doesn't sound like a good fit for me.

[nekzaadvakil]

Thank you for your lecture on how to go on my vacation. From what has been described, these were behaviors exhibited on the ship, and those people you have to co-exist with for 7,10,12 and maybe more days....that doesn't make for nice friendly living together. I have been on travel excursions with private guides in foreign countries to me, and well understand how diverse people will be. It is my vacation time, and I will put myself into situations that are more comfortable for me. This one, right now, doesn't sound like a good fit for me.

 

Very well said. I also agree with the OP, you have to experience it yourself before you can preach about how one needs to understand other cultures. Also lets not forget that while they're on the cruise, they are not in China. The cruise ships are for all nationalities and they must learn how to follow internationally accepted manners. You cannot break a line, push others and then blame it on culture. This is unacceptable behavior.

 

Instead of asking people not to travel if they cannot 'understand' other cultures, perhaps the same logic should be applied to the Chinese and they should be made to stay in China, before they learn some basic manners.

 

There's an article on fox news (today) that the Chinese Govt is even keeping a track of its tourists unruly behavior which is getting out of hand. Even they are not brushing this under the carpet and blaming it on culture. I think the OP is well within her rights to explain HER travel experience.

[Paulette3028]

I can't respond to each post, but want to clarify that:

 

1) I never said (or intended to say) that ALL Chinese people are bad. That is a ridiculous statement. But the 3,000 "group" (which is what I said) I encountered on the ship behaved badly. I thought I made it a point to say that the hotel's staff in Pudong were very nice and that my experience at Starbucks was positive. I, too, had positive experiences on land. We met some very nice Chinese people, including Joel, some servers, our private driver after disembarking, and a fellow we met while in Yuyuan.

 

2) I don't expect to go to China and be treated in some special "American" manner. I am very tolerant and very open to different types of cultures and people. I did ask fellow travelers for their experiences and I did know what to expect. But I wasn't prepared for the intensity and severity of what I experienced on the ship. Like I said, unless you were there, it's really hard to explain. Having your 9-year-old, 5 ft. tall kid cry because the people are pushing him in a way that scares him and he feels crushed by the crowd is not something that I think typically happens on a cruise.

 

3) I asked but didn't get much feedback on the ship diversity. I never expected it to be so overwhelmingly populated by Chinese nationals. I know better now.

 

4) I think it is absolutely appropriate to expect a certain level of safety, consideration, and dignity on a cruise that purports to provide a high quality of service.

 

5) If you ask any server or crew member, I am always polite, grateful, and kind to start. I rarely complain (see original post about the water temperature in the "best" stateroom on board). I have plenty of compassion for all people (I tell people in my practice every day that "we are all just people"), but I cannot tolerate when people violate the rights of others with no apologies or self-reflection. None of us are perfect. We will make mistakes. But I don't do things purposefully without any consideration for other people. My needs don't trump other people's. That is just wrong.

 

I believe I totally understood what you were trying to convey. I also feel you did a good job of it.

[Paulette3028]

I feel I have to give some further input on these.

 

Half of my cruises are from China while half in western cruises as I have taken Alaska twice, Australia/New Zealand and Western Caribbean once.. so I am familiar with both cultures and adapting to be able to tolerate the Chinese tourist culture.

 

Given I am already exposed to this rude Chinese tourist culture. Everything reported here is true, I used to think that all mainland Chinese are like that.. but like what some posters mention here on their respective trips to China, I got a realization on my previous China trip (before boarding Voyager) that the many young professionals in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai are not like that. They are just as cultured and educated as the westerners.

 

This realization changed my outlook of the mainland Chinese people. When I asked the young Chinese workers on how come their toursts overseas are behaving very rudely while most young people I met in Beijing are not. They told me because those who travel are already the older generations, who grew up during China's poverty, so are not educated/refined and not exposed to western culture, but got suddenly rich due to China's recent affluence. so those types of people are the rude Chinese tourists we know of.

And here is the key: He told me that the young Chinese educated professionals who are polite and westernized, with many educated abroad, have just began working, starting a family, or are just establishing their careers so are too busy to travel at the moment.

 

So given that, I say, wait for these future educated generations to grow up to affluence and take over their country and start traveling in a few years and the Chinese tourists will soon be civilized.

 

Let's be aware is China is just a new superpower and has just recently been exposed to the western world just 20 years ago, that is why many of their older generations who are traveling now with lots of money are very much unrefined and rude, knowing they grew up when China is still a poor, closed communist civilization 20 years ago.

 

And oh.. it is not customary to fall in line in native China... only those Chinese who are exposed to western culture falls in line... so when they cut you.. it's a pity they don't think they are doing something wrong. Even if the Chinese government during orientation tells them to fall in line, it is difficult for older people to change their habits overnight.

 

What is bolded and in red is ridiculous....just because they grew up in poverty and are now recently affluent and able to travel, doesn't give them a reason to have no manners when with others that would account for some of their behavior with fellow cruisers they are sharing the ship with.

 

My grandparents who emigrated from poverty stricken areas of Europe, in the late 1800's I am still sure knew that pushing, shoving, spitting on floors where other people were was not to be done....you don't need and upper income for that. It did not matter that they did not understand the language they knew what was inappropriate behavior.

[marci22]

Very well said. I also agree with the OP, you have to experience it yourself before you can preach about how one needs to understand other cultures. Also lets not forget that while they're on the cruise, they are not in China. The cruise ships are for all nationalities and they must learn how to follow internationally accepted manners. You cannot break a line, push others and then blame it on culture. This is unacceptable behavior.

 

Instead of asking people not to travel if they cannot 'understand' other cultures, perhaps the same logic should be applied to the Chinese and they should be made to stay in China, before they learn some basic manners.

 

There's an article on fox news (today) that the Chinese Govt is even keeping a track of its tourists unruly behavior which is getting out of hand. Even they are not brushing this under the carpet and blaming it on culture. I think the OP is well within her rights to explain HER travel experience.

 

Well said and to the point.

[Aquahound]

1) I never said (or intended to say) that ALL Chinese people are bad. That is a ridiculous statement...

 

2) I don't expect to go to China and be treated in some special "American" manner...

 

I applaud you for telling it like it is! Please do not get discouraged by the PC crowd. There are those of us out here who are (or were) considering this cruise and things like this are exactly what we need to hear.

[jakenashleysmom]

We all need to accept the OP's opinion as a precautionary tale instead of bashing her comfort level as being unaccepting of Chinese culture. I for one would never take this cruise due to this review, thank you for being honest. Right or wrong, way out of my comfort level. Living on the Canadian border with its proximity to Niagara Falls and Toronto, we are subjected to this behavior (in a much smaller concentration) from Chinese tour groups and I can only imagine how uncomfortable it would be to be trapped on a cruise ship with people behaving in this manner.

 

Sent from my KFTHWI using Forums mobile app

Edited April 7, 2015 by jakenashleysmom

[Miryam1234]

Would you be so kind and continue your review? I would be interested in hearing the rest of the story.

 

Please go on! Thank you.

[Cindy]

I'm sorry the OP's very interesting and informative review has become a judgmental thread, but that seems to be how so many end up these days.:(

 

Regardless of what one believes about the behaviors being discussed, it doesn't change the fact that some of the things the OP experienced were unsanitary (spitting), but more importantly dangerous (pushing and shoving). I don't care where a ship is operating or what the cultural norms of the predominant passenger group are, Royal Caribbean is OBLIGATED to provide a safe environment for all aboard. If that means offending a large Chinese travel group or wealthy US college Spring Breakers to maintain a safe environment, then that is what they should do to stop the behavior. In my experience, the cruise lines often fail to do this because they're hyper-sensitive to not angering a customer.

 

I fully understand the panicked feeling from being pushed and shoved in a large crowd. There's no room for that kind of behavior on a cruise ship or any other public gathering place. If that makes me a tourist and not a traveler, then so be it. I love getting off the beaten path and exploring many cultures, I just don't expect to be physically manhandled while I'm doing it.

[Cel_cruise]

Just wanted to encourage the OP to continue the review as well. I'm finding it all interesting and helpful. I think her expectations of a cruise align with mine well.

 

As a westerner, I am somewhat attracted to the idea of cruising to see some of these sights as a cruise on a US Ship would be expected to isolate me from many of these customs. I would expect to be fed the menu posted by RCI online, not additional Chinese items (especially for a ship visiting Japan). I would expect to be able to hear/read/communicate in English on board. I would expect that since its a US Ship that US behavior would be the expected experience, not that of the country of origin.

 

Maybe my expectations are wrong - but they are in fact what I would be expecting had I taken this cruise like the OP.

 

If I was on a Chinese branded line - or even an Asian branded line - my expectations may be different.