Change in "dining culture" on cruise ships!

[cruiseny4life]

16 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I 100% agree with this.  It's been going on as long as we have written history to document it. Probably longer. (Those cave men and women were probably bemoaning the passing of the "good old days" too.)  

 

Someone recently posted this quote from Socrates, the Greek philosopher -- it perfectly illustrates your point:

 

“The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.”
 

Thank you! I love this quote - hadn't heard it before, but it's so spot on! 

[RollingMeadows]

My hearing has gotten bad enough that I prefer a table for two. Tables for 4 are awkward and any more than that it becomes difficult for me to carry on a conversation. Getting old ain't for sissies.

 

[RollingMeadows]

17 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

A similar situation for me occurred on Star Princess.  I was seated at my desired sized/shape table for 6 with a family of 5:  two parents and three children of various ages, two of them mid-older teens and one an early teen.  I wondered how that was going to be.  Turned out it was wonderful!  The children were perfect ladies and gentleman and were able to carry on conversations with adults well.  The kids would get done with their dinners before we three adults did, leave for their evening activities, and Mom and Dad and I could continue to talk and linger over dessert and coffee.  

We have been pleasantly surprised in this way as well...on Carnival. Yes, lovely people cruise all lines. lol

 

[hazeleyes46]

23 hours ago, cruiseryyc said:

I cruised in the mid 80's to mid 90's and thoroughly enjoyed it; including traditional dining.  However once the ships became basically amusement parks on water with over 2000 passengers onboard, it was no longer enjoyable for those of us who wanted to sit and watch the ocean go by. Now with the number of passengers onboard I can't begin to imagine what its like and have no desire to find out.

 

I have taken a couple of European river cruises and enjoyed them, but my long distance travel days are over.

It actually is not bad and many times you look around and wonder where everyone is. Some ships are set up so well (RCCL Oasis class) that there are only certain times that it feels very crowded. 

[iancal]

We prefer anytime dining and we prefer a 2 top.  Happy to join a larger table sometimes but prefer not to dine with the same people at the same time night after night.

 

Nor  do we  want to dine at the same time every night or at the same venue.

[hazeleyes46]

20 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

I so love these posts. You do realize that if Cruise Critic had been around 40 years ago, you would have seen the same exact post...if Cruise Critic had been around 100 years ago, you would have seen the same exact post.

 

Why is it certain members of every single generation believe that the generations after them are just awful people? Doesn't that previous generation realize they raised the parents of the current heck in a handbasket generation?

 

To box me in, I'm a Millennial and my husband is a Millennial. You know what neither of us do? B!%& and moan about the kids on the stairs of a cruise ship that are Gen Z. Why? Because back in the day the Greatest Generation was B!%& and moaning about Gen X. It's just human to do this I guess...but lordy it gets quite tiring after awhile. 

 

G-d willing, I've got several more decades to watch people like you whine about the up and coming generations. 

 

Remember Elvis and his hips! 

While I agree that each generation has issues with the next, I noticed with my own kids who are 5 years apart that there was a huge difference in the way the parents parented and how they acted. I also have neighbors whose kids are about 10 + years younger than my youngest and these kids are ignored at many times and will scream bloody murder constantly. Parents are more interested in getting that perfect shot for social media, drinking because the kids drive them nuts and many wanting to be their friends instead of parents.  

[cruiseryyc]

41 minutes ago, hazeleyes46 said:

It actually is not bad and many times you look around and wonder where everyone is. Some ships are set up so well (RCCL Oasis class) that there are only certain times that it feels very crowded. 

Sorry Hazel but nothing you say is going to convince me to get back on a cruise ship. But I hope everyone who goes on one enjoys themselves.

[hazeleyes46]

1 minute ago, cruiseryyc said:

Sorry Hazel but nothing you say is going to convince me to get back on a cruise ship. But I hope everyone who goes on one enjoys themselves.

Aww ok, thanks so much 🙂

[mom says]

2 hours ago, RollingMeadows said:

My hearing has gotten bad enough that I prefer a table for two. Tables for 4 are awkward and any more than that it becomes difficult for me to carry on a conversation. Getting old ain't for sissies.

 

So true. DH has the same problem. And being in a noisy room just compounds the problem.

[ColeThornton]

3 hours ago, RollingMeadows said:

My hearing has gotten bad enough that I prefer a table for two. Tables for 4 are awkward and any more than that it becomes difficult for me to carry on a conversation. Getting old ain't for sissies.

 

 

 

You should consider a hearing aid.   My friend just got one and it's changed his life.  🙂

[Hlitner]

On 7/14/2022 at 11:52 AM, cruiseryyc said:

I cruised in the mid 80's to mid 90's and thoroughly enjoyed it; including traditional dining.  However once the ships became basically amusement parks on water with over 2000 passengers onboard, it was no longer enjoyable for those of us who wanted to sit and watch the ocean go by. Now with the number of passengers onboard I can't begin to imagine what its like and have no desire to find out.

 

I have taken a couple of European river cruises and enjoyed them, but my long distance travel days are over.

Thanks for coming back and explaining :).  I get it having started my own cruising life back in the mid-70s on a 14,000 ton ship.  Your "over 2000 passenger" comment is very out of date as we now have plenty of "Blights Upon the Seas" with over 5000 passengers.  But there are plenty of small ship (and boat) options although some of the best can be pricy.  Our last two cruises were on 600 and 450 passenger ship.  We have a future cruise on a 200 passenger vessel although we also have an upcoming MSC cruise on a 5000+ capacity ship.  But even that ship does have a "ship within a ship" with only a couple of hundred passengers (that is what we book).

 

If you really want small, I recently steered some folks towards Variety Cruises who operates ships/boats with only a few dozen passengers.   In fact, DW and I still consider a Greek Island cruise we took on a 20 passenger ship as among our favorite of all trips.   

 

Hank

[Mike981]

2 hours ago, ColeThornton said:

 

 

You should consider a hearing aid.   My friend just got one and it's changed his life.  🙂

 

Good advice truly, but...

I have been wearing hearing aids for 20+ years  (started when I was 30) and recently spent $6,000 on a pair. As much as they help, certain situations just don't work. When in a loud environment, the aids try to pick out certain sound that 'they feel' are the human  voice. It is unable to know what 'voice' you are wanting to hear, so they often increase all frequencies that fit the human voice. And it is like being in a car full of people talking loudly and the radio also playing loudly. You  just can't make out enough to have a decent conversation.

[rkacruiser]

20 minutes ago, Mike981 said:

Good advice truly, but...

 

Thanks for your post because it confirms what I have had others tell me.  One reason why I have not made that investment and because my hearing, while not perfect, remains good enough to carry on a conversation as long as others don't speak too softly.  

[rkacruiser]

20 hours ago, pris993 said:

Could be.   I have cruised on Cunard, both QV and QM2, did eat in the MDR on both, we have been cruising since l980s, did not see anything that unique on the menu.  Guess I would need to in an up class stateroom and dining room.  

 

My post to which you are referencing concerns dining experiences on ships well before QM2 and QV.  The original Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, Ile de France, Rotterdam V,  Andrea Doria and Christoforo Columbo, Bremen and Europa, Gripsholm, Oslofjord, America and United States:  these are just a few examples that represent different national ships where dining was an important part of the cruise experience.

 

18 hours ago, cruizergal70 said:

All of those foods can be found in the majority of cities across the US. They are not special and are not relegated to cruises. 

 

This is true, but, they are not found at fast casual or casual restaurants.  Most of us do not dine at Fleming's or Morton's, etc. on a regular basis.  In my opinion, foods such as Beef Wellington, Escargots, Crepes Suzette, etc. are special and, when I order them during a cruise, they help to make my cruise special.

 

10 hours ago, DirtyDawg said:

WOW! Kindergarteners. Just WOW! You deserve a medal for trying that. 

 

Or a straightjacket. 😇

 

 

Try herding early adolescents.  And, I retained my sanity when I retired.  One either "loves 'em or leaves 'em.  

[navybankerteacher]

21 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

 

…

I tried herding kindergarteners. Let's just say, it never worked!

When I substitute taught in elementary schools (I refused assignments in middle and high schools, except as a one-on-one tutor, because pre-teens and teens were worse than cats to a sub), the best were second through fourth graders - many had never had a male teacher, so the newness factor  worked in my favor.  Kindergartners were sweet but too much like little lost ducklings - a large part of the half day was spent taking off and putting on coats and jackets - and the best way to get them to line up was to get them to walk backwards - they tended to concentrate more -still I would rather herd cats.

[Cruise till you drop]

6 hours ago, RollingMeadows said:

My hearing has gotten bad enough that I prefer a table for two. Tables for 4 are awkward and any more than that it becomes difficult for me to carry on a conversation. Getting old ain't for sissies.

 

I am exactly the same way. I wear hearing aids but they don’t do well with a lot of background noise.  They have a background noise feature but it doesn’t work as well as it should.  I just get frustrated trying to listen to soft talkers and end up nodding a lot pretending to hear 

[rkacruiser]

4 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

(I refused assignments in middle and high schools, except as a one-on-one tutor, because pre-teens and teens were worse than cats to a sub), 

 

I understand!  Even as a regular faculty member, there were times when I needed to sub for another teacher during my planning period.  

 

My favorite story about one experience was when I was substituting for Mrs. W.  While conducting a lesson in the same subject that I taught, one student blurted out:  "Mrs. W. doesn't do it that way!"  I responded:  "Do I look like Mrs. W?  We are going to do it my way!"  And, we did.  Successfully.  

[Mike981]

My son is going back to college to get his masters in education. We are happy and proud of him for following his dream, and at the same time worried about another student loan and all of the horror stories I hear from current and past teachers. But hey, this is from a guy who traveled the country chasing his dream of being a radio announcer.

[wcook]

5 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Your "over 2000 passenger" comment is very out of date as we now have plenty of "Blights Upon the Seas" with over 5000 passengers.  But there are plenty of small ship (and boat) options

I was watching one of them young whippersnapper youtubers and they referred to a 2,000+ passenger ship as small. 

[SargassoPirate]

3 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Thanks for your post because it confirms what I have had others tell me.  One reason why I have not made that investment and because my hearing, while not perfect, remains good enough to carry on a conversation as long as others don't speak too softly.  

I wear hearing aids and when encountering strangers may let them know and ask them to speak up.  Most do.

 

We stopped sitting at anything more than a two top because as karma would have it, we would get seated with a low talker.  Add a noisy MDR to that and even She Who Must Be Obeyed, who can hear a mouse fart, admits it's too much of a challenge.

 

One nice feature of hearing aids is to be able to turn them off in noisy venues, and when things are over- amplified and turning them off doesn't work, I carry earplugs in case SWMBO drags me to a loud production show.

[wcook]

7 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

One nice feature of hearing aids is to be able to turn them off in noisy venues

Presumably it’s also nice to be able to turn them off when somebody has strong political beliefs and feels a cruise MDR is the appropriate place to share those beliefs.  

[sanger727]

I think that blaming this on social skills and family dinners is a gross oversimplification. I’m an introvert, as is my husband and most of the people in my family. Whether it’s nature or nurture is beside the point. 
 

I don’t consider myself ‘shy’ or lacking in social skills. We had family dinner every night. I have to meet and hold conversations with strangers at work and have no problem doing it. But I don’t enjoy it. At work it’s a necessity. But vacation is my time to do the things I want to do. And putting on my ‘social face’ to eat dinner with strangers is a chore, not something that brings me happiness.

 

I really don’t think introversion is a new phenomenon. In the past there was no choice so they at dinner at the tables and either were the quiet couple or were engaged into conversation by an extrovert. But it is a choice now, so why do something on vacation that I don’t enjoy??

[SargassoPirate]

25 minutes ago, sanger727 said:

....so why do something on vacation that I don’t enjoy??

BINGO!  You hit the nail on the head.  That's why I choose not to eat dinners in the MDR - I don't enjoy it.  It's why I avoid the Melanoma Deck when the Caribbean band or the movie soundtrack is blasting - I don't enjoy it.  It's why I avoid over- amplified production shows with screeching singers - I don't enjoy them.

 

But, there are so many things about cruising that I do enjoy that I continue.  A cup of coffee in hand watching the sun rise.  A good book on the shady side of the promenade.  Live string musicians with a wee dram.  And many more.

 

I often wonder how many things people "endure" because they feel obligated by social norms?

[cruisemom42]

2 hours ago, sanger727 said:

I think that blaming this on social skills and family dinners is a gross oversimplification. I’m an introvert, as is my husband and most of the people in my family. Whether it’s nature or nurture is beside the point. 

 

1 hour ago, SargassoPirate said:

 

I often wonder how many things people "endure" because they feel obligated by social norms?

 

I agree that there are valid reasons for passengers not wanting to share a table. Certainly being introverted to the point where conversing with others is not enjoyable, or not being able to hear a conversation are great examples of that.

 

But I also feel, based on conversations with others while cruising, that there are a number of people on the spectrum between "I wouldn't cruise without being able to share a table" and "I wouldn't cruise if I have to share a table."

 

There are those who are curious about it but have never shared a table and feel unsure about trying it. There are those who might share a table occasionally if they knew it was just for a night or two at their choice.  I've heard over and over from passengers on cruises "Oh, I didn't know you could do that!"  (Talking about choosing to share a table during anytime dining.)

 

To those people, I would recommend giving it a try. I am not the most extroverted person in the world. I don't "hold forth" at conversations. But I travel solo and I like sharing a table -- as I said before -- on most nights, at my choice. For those of you who are solid introverts but travel as a couple, remember that you might feel differently if traveling alone. Probably all but the most staunch introverts would rather not sit alone or with a Kindle every night by choice.

 

 

[ldubs]

Maybe they read cruise critic and think they don't want to be stuck with those people at a dinner table! 😀😀😀

Edited July 16, 2022 by ldubs