Selling water tijuana style on the ship

[MTJSR]

This was posted on the Royal Olympia Cruise Line board ( I assume on accident)

 

Swanmimi writes:

Just returned from our first cruise. The Caribbean Princess is a beauty. So big--i was amazed that bottled water was being hawked as we were eating breakfast and at the lunch buffet. it sure took the elegance out of the cruise. i could not believe they were trying to get $3 for a bottle of water when it can be bought for $1 on the islands we visited. I was put off by all the "QVC" type hype everywhere. I did not go on a cruise to shop!!! I wonder if other people have this same gripe and should I send my thoughts to Princess or is it just a waste of time?

Thanks...

 

I too thought the Tijuana style selling in the Horizon Court was pretty low class, so my questions is, Would you rather see a booth or counter set up near the exits for this kind of purchase or is street vendor selling ok with you on a cruise?

[Times Prince]

This was posted on the Royal Olympia Cruise Line board ( I assume on accident)

 

Swanmimi writes:

Just returned from our first cruise. The Caribbean Princess is a beauty. So big--i was amazed that bottled water was being hawked as we were eating breakfast and at the lunch buffet. it sure took the elegance out of the cruise. i could not believe they were trying to get $3 for a bottle of water when it can be bought for $1 on the islands we visited. I was put off by all the "QVC" type hype everywhere. I did not go on a cruise to shop!!! I wonder if other people have this same gripe and should I send my thoughts to Princess or is it just a waste of time?

Thanks...

 

I too thought the Tijuana style selling in the Horizon Court was pretty low class, so my questions is, Would you rather see a booth or counter set up near the exits for this kind of purchase or is street vendor selling ok with you on a cruise?

I wish the original poster had posted on this board.

 

Water is sold at a table near the ship exit for every cruise I've ever been on.

 

Selling drinks (water, soda, wine) from a cart is a service to the customer so they need not leave their table to purchase a drink. Personally I find the water from the taps in the Horizon Court to be just fine, but I am not bothered by offers for bottled water. Some people actually prefer the stuff.

 

I believe voicing this gripe to Princess is a waste of time.

[Toto2Kansas]

This is just the way they sell drinks, it has been this way for a very long time. If they stopped, they would have those complaining they had to actually get up and go purchase it and lost their seat in the buffet while they were gone.

 

I agree, it won't do a bit of good to alert Princess to your disatisfaction on this, it might give the office staff that opens the letter a good giggle though. ;)

[skellis]

In my 29 prior Princess cruises I have never seen a Tia Juana style hawking of water in any dining venue. In the Horizon court, the attendants offer various non-copmlimentary beverages but do it pretty discreetly. Having lived in San Diego in my youth I have gone to Tia Juana frequently and know what hawking is, and your description is a bit offensive to me. I know many employees in food service on the various ships, and they try very hard not to be pushy. There are exceptions but they are rare.

 

The selling of water in the Horizon court (but never in the regular dining rooms) by having them on the carts is a convenience to the passengers, you don't have to buy it, but some of us like to get a cold bottle of water before we go into a port, and not have to worry about its purity (particularly in some of the poorer countries). Also, I no longer drag my water bottle along in my suitcase because it takes up too much space, and weight and would prefer to buy a bottle on the ship and refill it as the ship's water is very good.

[Doug R.]

I hardly consider the low key manner in which the server pushes the cart around the buffet and politely asks if you wish to purchase water "Tijuana-Style Hawking." Can you say hyperbole? :rolleyes: Although I take my own bottled water on excursions, I consider this to be a convenience, albeit overpriced, for those leaving the ship.

 

A lot of people enjoy shopping on the ship, if you don't the answer is simple, stay out of the atrium on decks 6 and 7.

 

The elegance of cruising went out the window when people decided that dress codes were suggestions rather than guidelines to be followed since it was "their vacation".

 

Sorry that you cruise was ruined by this. Hopefully you were not the person who complained a while back about there not being enough servers around to take your drink order. :eek:

[paul929207]

We were on the Ocean Princess in May & June. Each port day there was someone outside the buffet with a table selling water. Same as you got to the gangway heading off. Neither person was hawking the water. They were there and if you wanted a bottle, you stopped and bought it. Otherwise you walked by and they left you alone

[Iamcruzin]

Just returned from our first cruise. The Caribbean Princess is a beauty. So big--i was amazed that bottled water was being hawked

I have been on the Caribbean Princess 4 times. I have never experienced this. Yes, I can see the water for sale but I have never even been asked to buy it. Maybe I should complain:rolleyes:.

as we were eating breakfast and at the lunch buffet. it sure took the elegance out of the cruise. i could not believe they were trying to get $3 for a bottle of water when it can be bought for $1 on the islands we visited. I was put off by all the "QVC" type hype everywhere. I did not go on a cruise to shop!!! Better not sail on Royal Caribbean. It's a mall at sea.I wonder if other people have this same gripe This is the first complaint I have heard of. and should I send my thoughts to Princess or is it just a waste of time? Waste of time.

Thanks...

[sempronialou]

I don't consider Horizon Court high class dining in the first place. The place reminds me of a cafeteria (I slip and often call it the cafeteria). If you want a higher class experience, eat in the dining room for breakfast/lunch/dinner. It really didn't bother me to have them sell water while dining upstairs. They politely asked if I wanted to buy any and I politely said no. They just move on. Don't forget that a cruise ship is a business no matter what cruise line you take, and they are in the business to make a profit. They will find something to sell to you to make more money.

 

I'd rather not see any booth at the exits as it would cause obstruction if a line does build up. It's best to keep things flowing which is why I think the carts are better. They come right up to your table. You don't have to get up if you decided you do want a bottle of water.

[katisdale]

This is almost as silly as the person who thought all the ambiance was gone from cruising since he found some melon that still had it rind attached. So hard to use your knife to cut the rind. So hard to say "no thank you" to the water "hawker".

[BalconyGal]

If I am not interested in what they are selling I just ignore it. It doesn't bother me in the least. Now all the paper they waste is another story...:rolleyes:

[Cruisin' Chick]

On my first cruise in 1994, I saw tables with bottled water for sale were placed near the gangway on port days. If you weren't interested, you didn't buy. I imagined that many people looked at it as a convenience so they wouldn't be running around looking for a drink to buy (it was a Mexican Riviera cruise so it made sense).

 

On my last cruise, when that beverage court came around in the Horizon, and if you said "no thanks," the server would place a "no beverage service requested" sign, or something to that effect, on the table. That way, you wouldn't be asked again when the next server came by. But I can certainly see how many passengers would see it as a convenience.

[MTJSR]

I have to laugh a bit.....I guess!. When I posted another members misplaced mini review, I knew the comments would be negative, but for someone to indicated they are offended by using the term "Tijuana style" is a head scratcher. Hawking means to Vend or Peddle. I can't count the number of times I have had ice cream carts roll up to me in Mexico selling stuff. Why in the world would that term be offensive? :eek: I agreed with the original poster in a way because while on the Golden, we had carts rolling thru the Horizon court selling water. I had to pause for a moment when I saw that and wasn't totally sure it bothered me completely, but it just looked out of place and a bit tacky. So my question was just whether or not it bothered others.

[Times Prince]

I agreed with the original poster in a way because while on the Golden, we had carts rolling thru the Horizon court selling water. I had to pause for a moment when I saw that and wasn't totally sure it bothered me completely, but it just looked out of place and a bit tacky. So my question was just whether or not it bothered others.

And your answer is "No it doesn't bother others"

[Doug R.]

If I am not interested in what they are selling I just ignore it. It doesn't bother me in the least. Now all the paper they waste is another story...:rolleyes:

 

They cut down considerably on the avalance of paper that you used to get in your mailbox on board. This last cruise it was generally restricted to a half page advertising insert in the Patters and the useless Port Shopping Guide:rolleyes:. (Yeah I know its useful but I didn't bring my parrot on the cruise :D)

[3LittleBirds]

The OP just presented his point of view. Not sure why some feel obligated to belittle him/her.:confused: He asked a question of what people thought about the subject of another post, a simple response would have done fine.

 

Like others here, I don't have any issue with the way the water is sold. No one is pushy, and if I'm asked at all, I'm only asked politely once, and then left alone. In the review that the OP quoted, the person was a first time cruiser. I can somewhat understand a first timer feeling like everything is a sell. On their next cruise, they will better know what they are and aren't interested in and then they won't notice so many things being sold because they will just walk by like others have said.

[Woobstr112G]

Not that big of a deal to me.

 

Bob

[paul929207]

I have been on 18 Princess cruises and I cannot remember ever having someone walking thru the buffet selling water. I am not saying it didn't happen, obviously OP has seen it, but I haven't.

[Doug R.]

The OP just presented his point of view. Not sure why some feel obligated to belittle him/her.:confused: He asked a question of what people thought about the subject of another post, a simple response would have done fine.

 

Like others here, I don't have any issue with the way the water is sold. No one is pushy, and if I'm asked at all, I'm only asked politely once, and then left alone. In the review that the OP quoted, the person was a first time cruiser. I can somewhat understand a first timer feeling like everything is a sell. On their next cruise, they will better know what they are and aren't interested in and then they won't notice so many things being sold because they will just walk by like others have said.

 

My comments were not directed at the OP but at the person quoted whose reaction to the selling of water was so inappropriately extreme. I would bet the other posters were the same. We are getting extremely sensitive to criticism here to the extent that simply disagreeing constitutes a hate crime in some posters minds. If you can't tolerate disagreement you don't need to post in a public forum.

[cb at sea]

Bring a refillable bottle, fill at night and place in fridge...in the morning, carry it off the ship with you...cost...$0!

[MTJSR]

The OP just presented his point of view. Not sure why some feel obligated to belittle him/her.:confused: He asked a question of what people thought about the subject of another post, a simple response would have done fine.

 

Thank you and well put...but,

 

I knew the attitudes would come out and in fact, I encourage it. A good slap fight never hurt anyone:D This board is a pretty opinionated-Princess loving group of which I am a member. I like everyone else here sails Princess for a reason. As a card carrying member, I still can be bothered by changes I see that take away what I liked about Princess. In my "Live from" blog from the Golden, I commented on the constant selling onboard. Like one responder said "well just walk by or don't stop" which is what I do. It won't ruin my trip and I wouldn't let it. But watching a vacation atmosphere, in which I paid 2 thousand dollars to enjoy, being turned into a street level selling environment may get a comment. Since Princess sells itself as a notch above Carnival, maybe it should look and operate that way too.

[seamanfs]

I have only seen them walking by in the Horizon Court in the am right before we were to dock selling water for taking on shore. Never while at sea.

[Katie333]

The OP just presented his point of view. Not sure why some feel obligated to belittle him/her.:confused: He asked a question of what people thought about the subject of another post, a simple response would have done fine.

 

Like others here, I don't have any issue with the way the water is sold. No one is pushy, and if I'm asked at all, I'm only asked politely once, and then left alone. In the review that the OP quoted, the person was a first time cruiser. I can somewhat understand a first timer feeling like everything is a sell. On their next cruise, they will better know what they are and aren't interested in and then they won't notice so many things being sold because they will just walk by like others have said.

 

Agree with you completely. I think many first time cruisers have some sort of Love Boat style reference ;) for cruising and think that the many ongoing solicitations to buy things are out of place.

 

Even after 9 cruises I sometimes find the sales pitches a bit annoying, but I accept them as part of the reason why I can afford to cruise. I've never had anyone be openly rude or pushy when offering me water or anything else.

[kooljamming]

If I am not interested in what they are selling I just ignore it. It doesn't bother me in the least. Now all the paper they waste is another story...:rolleyes:

 

In most cases I agree with this while in PORTS. However I felt a bit bothered by the sales pitch to buy wine in the MDR. It was a hard core pitch that left me feeling the difference between the vendors in ports and the staff was the setting. Princess is selling a luxurious and Complete Escape, so on my first Princess cruise I was not ready for someone hawing wine in the MDR, especially the way they did. I said NO several times!

 

To the OP: Th first time I was bothered but now I accept, staff selling wine or locals selling weed, hey everyone is trying to make a living:p:D

[MTJSR]

 

To the OP: Th first time I was bothered but now I accept, staff selling wine or locals selling weed, hey everyone is trying to make a living:p:D

:D Maybe that's next, the weed cart.....anything to make a buck

[kooljamming]

:D Maybe that's next, the weed cart.....anything to make a buck

 

If the weed cart was offered by a multiple million dollar corporation and not poor locals, then it will be more acceptable. Tacky at worst, annoying at best, to be on a 'luxury' cruise and have the workers act as if they were vendors in ports. Where is the Escape?

 

Weed aside, I am delighted to see the tolerance level of some cruisers has jumped a notch or two...love it;):D