R.C.C.L Respond To Immersion Crisis, Please

[TahoeBob]

 

have been changed to reflect the culture of the port

 

 

it the cruises have been changed to reflect the culture of the port, Then there will never be any cruise for me from Texas! Those people from Texas are not like us from California. I have only been to Texas once, I flew to Houston but had to change planes in Dallas. Really I have never seen so many cowboy boots in my life. If you take a cruise from texas they will probably make everyone take a pair of of cowboy boots for formal night.

 

The way they talk they sound different than we do here in California. As I was driving back from Houston to Calif I stopped for the night In Sonara Texas. The lady at the front desk at the motel had the nerve to tell me at check in "I see that you are from California, Have you ever been to our part of the state before" When I told her no "She then told me where I could get a good hamburger, and a cold beer" she closed in telling me "enjoy your stay and come back and visit us again sometime"

 

Never go to Texas because they are just so different from how we are in California.:D

 

I know the good people in Texas will know what I am talking about:)

[Mikew0805]

That is your choice, so let me see you go to a FOREIGN country, and expect everything to be American, nice wishful thinking.:rolleyes:

 

Maybe this was not handled correctly I am not sure, but it is not a crisis.

 

Maybe a trip to the community guidlines would be beneficial for you!

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/community/guide.cfm#10

[janazaz]

Never go to Texas because they are just so different from how we are in California.:D

 

I know the good people in Texas will know what I am talking about:)

 

Texans are different from those in CA? Yes. Far superior-no questions asked. Thanks for pointing it out...

[TRacanoUK]

LOL LOL LOL!!! THANK YOU FOR BRINGING CLARITY TO THIS "CRISIS"...LOL!!!

 

It is evident that there will be more UK cruisers onboard this summer...cruising from the UK...thanks to a very strong Euro. UK cruisers have been swarming onboard RCI ships for the past few years. I would not be too concerned about the immersion thing...after all...cruising and crossing were very nice back when Cunard ruled the waves. A lot of us have very fond memories of ships run by Brits. I think many of you are making too much of this...it will still be RCI. So...you will be having bangers for breakfast...big deal. You will have a great time...stop worrying about it.

 

The level of misinformation and lack of understanding on these threads is incredible. When did the United Kingdom adopt the euro? The United Kingdom's currency is pounds sterling, which, ironically has actually stayed relatively constant with the dollar in recent years. One reason why people from the U.K. are keen on cruising is that relatively speaking, things priced in dollars at the current onboard prices are cheaper than similar items purchased in the U.K. This is all about the cost of living and has nothing to do with the currency.

 

The euro has appreciated significantly against the dollar, but it has also appreciated significantly against the pound.

[abridalmaven]

Maybe a trip to the community guidlines would be beneficial for you!

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/community/guide.cfm#10

Right back at you. It was not a person attack.

[savva0122]

We all know the cruise lines check this site from time to time. I also know from primary sources that ship staff spends a fair amount of time viewing our pages. So this "immersion crisis" of ours is not news to most employees of R.C.C.L. Therefore I am asking R.C.C.L to respond and define what a 'immersion" product is! I also would like to suggest that it is in R.C.C.L.'s best interest to get out in front of this! The sooner we know what we actually bought, the more time we have to adjust!

 

I believe that anticipation of a wonderful cruise is a major component of the cruise experience! This confusion we now suffer from has taken away, at least for me, that good pre-cruise feeling I normally have.

 

If I'm going to have to make "adjustments" for my cruise the minimum I expect from R.C.C.L. are the facts, and as much time as possible to adjust!

 

I note with interest you are cruising on the Jewel of the Seas out of Harwich (as are we). I am surprised that you are thus calling this a crisis since largely everything on board will be the same. I do sympathise with you insofar as to the poor terminology of the cruise line, since "immersion" builds rather a bleak and extreme picture. In your case, I cannot see that this will happen. I also believe that this will be a wonderful vacation and you should look forward to it just as you was before.

 

I would be more concerned if I were going on a SA/Asia cruise etc etc. In this case I would reluctantly not choose to go with RCI. I discussed this at length with my TA who said cruises to SA should really be on P&O or Azamara, as the other lines use these itineraries more for the local market. I wouldn't want to go on a cruise and my language not be the first language - perhaps a bit arrogant, but there you go. As you are travelling from blighty, I should not expect too many difficulties in culture clashes.

 

What would I expect?

 

Slightly different food options. Proper bacon at breakfast, possibly more roast & veg options at mealtimes. I would be amazed if the menus differed other than very slightly.

Tea. Proper tea. I would be really disappointed if we had the crappy Lipton's tea. However on Jewel in Sept this was the case, on Legend 2 years ago we had Tetley. A good choice of tea please

UK beer - hopefully a chance to have one or two proper ales on board.

UK themed entertainment. There may be a UK comedian or two on board. There may also be someone of one of the umpteen talent shows we have to endure - but I would expect this should suit all tastes anyway. Perhaps one of the shows will be UK themed - maybe a Beatles tribute or something.

Everybody speaking about how much the cruise cost them. Unfortunately this seems to be a UK trait on bragging how little (or lots) the cruise cost. Bores me.

The dollar. The cruise line resolutely refuses to change the onboard currency, which suits me as it's so weak against the pound ;)

 

I can't really think of anything else. I would have great sympathies if you were going on a SA cruise for example (although why spend that sort of money and not get your TA to fully explain the experience), but with this one you'll be fine.

 

I also don't think it's new - we went on a number of Barcelona based cruises and some of the language etc on board was spanish - no big deal -

[curley23]

I think this has more to do with what was expected when the cruise was booked. If you are booking a vacation with an American company and no notation has been made at the time of booking that your cruise experience will be any different than any other RCCL cruise, then they are creating a situation that is not the best for those involved.

 

It is one thing to know ahead of time and you can DECIDE whether or not you want to take on this experience, and quite another to have it changed on you so late in the game.

 

Yes - people cruise to enjoy new cultures, etc. But if you are booking with a company that is American based, you come to expect the traditional RCCL cruise. Now, if I were flying into another country to hop on another company's ship, like P & O or any of those - then I can fully expect that I would be the minority and need to cope with the foreign experience onboard.

 

Again - I think most people are just plain upset because it was done after the fact.

 

Do you think that maybe people should have investigated their cruise a little more than just expect it to be a certain way. This is a problem I see.

No where in RCI brochures, on line info or cruise contract, is it implied, or written that any specific language, food, money, or anything else will be geared towards americans. there needs to be a little common sense here. Do people expect that RCI is only catering to americans to go on cruises that leave from other ports in the world.

I have seen very few say that they checked posts from people who have been on cruises out of other countries, and here is what has happened. Most of those posts have told about 5 or 6 languages being spoken, changes, or deviations in menus, etc.

If you booked with a TA and didn't ask any questions, then whose fault is it. If you were given wrong info by a bad TA, whose fault is it. If you did not use a TA and did not do the reaseach before you booked, whose fault is it. As you say everyone expected it to be a certain way. I have also yet to see anyone post that they did the reasearch, and were told something completely different.

I suppose now RCI will have to put a warning label on the cruises telling the reality, and what not to expect.

[Cruise Junky]

Do you think that maybe people should have investigated their cruise a little more than just expect it to be a certain way. This is a problem I see.

No where in RCI brochures, on line info or cruise contract, is it implied, or written that any specific language, food, money, or anything else will be geared towards americans. there needs to be a little common sense here. Do people expect that RCI is only catering to americans to go on cruises that leave from other ports in the world.

I have seen very few say that they checked posts from people who have been on cruises out of other countries, and here is what has happened. Most of those posts have told about 5 or 6 languages being spoken, changes, or deviations in menus, etc.

If you booked with a TA and didn't ask any questions, then whose fault is it. If you were given wrong info by a bad TA, whose fault is it. If you did not use a TA and did not do the reaseach before you booked, whose fault is it. As you say everyone expected it to be a certain way. I have also yet to see anyone post that they did the reasearch, and were told something completely different.

I suppose now RCI will have to put a warning label on the cruises telling the reality, and what not to expect.

 

Going forward, you might be right, but this was only very recently done by RCI. They personally phoned everyone about the change. They were not solded as such and there has been no history of this in the past that anyone could have possibly researched.

[savva0122]

To be fair, familiarity breeds contempt, and it's a whole many people could have fallen into.

 

I'd like to think though, if I were going to more unusual climes and the cruise was likely to have a sizeable if not majority proportion of local travellers, how that would affect the cruise. I don't see this as an issue for an English (or English speaking eg Sydney) cruise, the doubts creep in with for example Santos or Barcelona being home ports

[MakinGold]

Right back at you. It was not a person attack.

 

I think the reference to house rules was probably aimed at the fact that you seemed to be picking on the OP's spelling.

[PSCruiser]

I have an upcoming Independence cruise out of Southampton. I'm working on my Cockney accent, but hope there is something more than the baked beans for breakfast. And, the blood pudding - no way! Also , not planning on being polite - I'm American!

[MakinGold]

I was on an immersion cruise on the Voyager in February, and it was simply awful! Most of the passengers were speaking Texan, there was a pool-side chili cook-off, the entertainment included country music, line dancing, and even the captain singing "God Bless Texas."

 

Stupid @$#*!^) RCCL should have at least let us know what to expect . . . :mad:

[AZ-Floater]

This thread has been very enlightening, so thanks to the folks that have posted. I think the best plan for us is to book thru the C&A reservations line and when sailing out of a foreign port, determine the primary language of the cruise.

 

So far, there is no indication that our April 2009 trip out of Barcelona is classified as immersion, but if anyone has information on this, please let me know. I'm still getting the hang of all the resources on Cruise Critic.

[paulap70]

In regards to this posted earlier:

 

1) English not spoken by ship staff ( are they going to fire all if their current staff to accomodate this, I can not see them doing this or forcing them to learn all new languages all speak other languages, English being one of them)

 

I am sailing on the Enchantment from Panama next February. It appears that several of the sailings are going to be Immersion. So, I am left wondering if ALL of the Enchantment's sailings are going to be Immersion. If so, it is entirely possible that the staff won't speak English.

 

I am excited about this cruise, but also a bit apprehensive. If I were sailing on one of those British immersion cruises, I probably wouldn't think twice about it. Yes, the British people "sound funny" to me, but I can generally understand and converse with them! This Latin Immersion cruise (and by the way, NO ONE at RCCL has been able to confirm whether it will be Spanish or Portuguese) concerns me a bit more as I want to enjoy my vacation without being stressed out!

 

I, too, wish that RCCL would come out with more details regarding immersion, rather than the vague and sometimes conflicting statements they have made thus far.

[Ms Understood]

Curley our expectations were based on experience. From European ports we have taken 2 RCL Med cruises, one Silversea Norwegian fjords cruise, one Regent Baltic cruise. Additionally we have cruised from Santiago Chile, Tokyo Japan and Auckland NZ. This is the first time I have been told that English will not be the primary language on board. I doubt that YOU would spend more time investigating your proposed trip then we do. We were completely blindsided and that has been obvious as well with respect to others on these boards who are in this situation. Do you really think this is our own fault?

[I LOVE SUITES]

I have an upcoming Independence cruise out of Southampton. I'm working on my Cockney accent, but hope there is something more than the baked beans for breakfast. And, the blood pudding - no way! Also , not planning on being polite - I'm American!

 

So have I, although Im looking forward to the black pudding, toad in the hole, bubble and squeak and spotted dick, as for Cockney you might need to learn some words before your accent, like,

 

I will dog and bone you without the trouble and strife nearby, catch up at the boozer with a whistle and flute dont be two and eight and make sure you have a pony with you,so that we can head up west:D

[Mark_K]

I noticed on the RCCL website the Asian "immersion" cruises contained the following wording:

 

Take a trip back in time to visit ancient temples, or take the shopping trip of a lifetime. Asia will delight your senses with exotic sights, sounds and tastes like no other vacation you've ever experienced.

 

Please note: this product has been sold almost exclusively to guests from Asia; therefore the services and product have been tailored to their cultural preferences in food and beverage, entertainment and retail. While English language assistance will be provided, the local language will be the primary language spoken onboard. Please check with your local consulate or embassy regarding visa requirements.

*** All itineraries are subject to change without notice. Please confirm your itinerary on the Review page before purchasing your cruise.

For the 1/4/08 Vision cruise the following wording is used:

 

The creation of the Panama Canal literally changed the world - so just imagine what it can do for your vacation. With tropical jungles, white-sand beaches and vibrant cultures in every port of call, a cruise through this engineering masterpiece is nothing short of amazing.

*** All itineraries are subject to change without notice. Please confirm your itinerary on the Review page before purchasing your cruise.

 

I hope RCCl will post a statement soon about what "immersion" means to them. We now know what it means to almost all users of CC. ;)

Time to go buy me a English-Asian dictionary, so I can understand all the people speaking in Asian. ;)

[xpcdoojk]

Mark my words, this will turn out to be a crisis for RCCL. I was a huge fan of this cruise line! I retired early, Alice and I took 2 cruises last year and planed to do 2 this year and in the years to come do at least 3 cruises or more per yr. Should our June, immersion cruise not be to our liking, I.E.

 

1) English not spoken by ship staff

2) Excursions in a forging laungage

3) Food totally forging

3) Smoking area expanded

4) Entertainment in forging language

5) Euros as on board currency

7) Meal times drastically different

Then we will find other cruising vendors to give our money too!!

 

5) The UK is still on the pound Sterling, even if that is the currency what difference would that make. In Europe you will still need to use the currency of the country you are in. IE you mostly can't use dollars in most countries, with exception for the Caribbean. The cruiseline will happily still take your USA issued credit card.

 

4) Well, if 80% of the people speak English, why would you expect the entertainment to speak a forging language (can't criticize spelling even if it is wrong three times in a post). Most of the cabin stewards and dining room stewards already speak another language as their primary language.

 

Why all the panic? You might find that you actually enjoy experiencing a different culture. Keep a positive frame of mind and then afterwards you don't like the product or experience, move on to another choice. Isn't life great?:rolleyes:

 

jc

[Ephraim]

So have I, although Im looking forward to the black pudding, toad in the hole, bubble and squeak and spotted dick, as for Cockney you might need to learn some words before your accent, like,

 

I will dog and bone you without the trouble and strife nearby, catch up at the boozer with a whistle and flute dont be two and eight and make sure you have a pony with you,so that we can head up west:D

 

You do realize that on a forum, the normal response to that would be to simply switch to l337.

 

¡t m@k€s ¡t m0®€ d¡₣₣¡cult t0 ®℮@∂, ¡n sp¡t€ 0f β€¡ng €nt¡r€l¥ шr¡tt€n ¡n €ngl¡sh.

[ddean52]

You do realize that on a forum, the normal response to that would be to simply switch to L.

 

¡t m@k€s ¡t m0®€ d¡₣₣¡cult t0 ®℮@∂, ¡n sp¡t€ 0f β€¡ng €nt¡r€l¥ шr¡tt€n ¡n €ngl¡sh.

 

Oh boy! Let me get out the English Dictionary:)

[editor@cruisecritic]

Hi. Just a heads up to let you know that I've talked with Lisa Bauer, hotel operations chief for Royal Caribbean, and am waiting on info she's sending over -- then we'll post our update. Sorry for the delay...just waiting on Royal Caribbean to send over the key stuff that will make it all make sense.

 

Stay tuned; look for it first thing tomorrow, I'm guessing.

 

And the line's executives are quite aware it's an issue....

 

Best,

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn Spencer Brown

Editor in Chief

Cruise Critic

[I LOVE SUITES]

You do realize that on a forum, the normal response to that would be to simply switch to l337.

 

¡t m@k€s ¡t m0®€ d¡₣₣¡cult t0 ®℮@∂, ¡n sp¡t€ 0f β€¡ng €nt¡r€l¥ шr¡tt€n ¡n €ngl¡sh.

 

 

nice reply, but did you understand the cockney slang? :D

[BILL-WI]

Hi. Just a heads up to let you know that I've talked with Lisa Bauer, hotel operations chief for Royal Caribbean, and am waiting on info she's sending over -- then we'll post our update. Sorry for the delay...just waiting on Royal Caribbean to send over the key stuff that will make it all make sense.

 

Stay tuned; look for it first thing tomorrow, I'm guessing.

 

And the line's executives are quite aware it's an issue....

 

Best,

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn Spencer Brown

Editor in Chief

Cruise Critic

 

 

Thank you Carolyn!:)

 

BILL

[kidless]

For those of you upset about your already booked and paid for cruises being changed to immersion cruises have you contacted the Better Business Bureau. If you have not gotten a satisfactory answer from RCCI it seems the next step to take. There seems to be a few of you upset about it and I would guess to say that RCCI would be quicker to respond to you via the BBB..

 

It is very simple to do just go to their website and fill out the form on line. Just a thought...............:D

[ddean52]

Hi. Just a heads up to let you know that I've talked with Lisa Bauer, hotel operations chief for Royal Caribbean, and am waiting on info she's sending over -- then we'll post our update. Sorry for the delay...just waiting on Royal Caribbean to send over the key stuff that will make it all make sense.

 

Stay tuned; look for it first thing tomorrow, I'm guessing.

 

And the line's executives are quite aware it's an issue....

 

Best,

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn Spencer Brown

Editor in Chief

Cruise Critic

 

Carolyn,

I thank you on behalf of all of us who may or may not be effected, and on behalf of those of us who's pre-cruise experience has already been effected. :D :)