Are Brits Harder to Please Than Yanks?

[TOSailors]

Kettles/coffee makers..If there is one thing that demonstrates the difference in culture is the kettles in the room. When I am checking tripadvisor for hotel rooms I read the 'terrible' ratings first. More often than not the review mentions the lack of a kettle in the room. (its not as if the bathroom lacked a toilet or something)

We have over 30 cruises and hundreds of different hotels stays and not once have we used the coffee maker.

And while I'm at it:

Iced tea... just not right to have cold tea

Fried eggs on everything

Beans for breakfast

BBC or Nancy Grace

Soccer.. a sport used with only legs and head, come on pick up the ball

 

Feel free to add to the list

[joge107]

as a "Brit" although i prefer being called English, this nonsense about Brits not tipping is just that nonsense, i think what we resent is being told we HAVE to tip and the amount we HAVE to tip,and i am always astounded when we are still expected to tip for rude or bad service why? although i would always compalin if something was not right as soon as possible and give people the chance to put it right , i always leave the proper amount due and when my family were young spent years as a waitress relying on tips and made a good living at it and in those days there was no minimum wage, i have noticed on trip adviser it is normally the Americans who have huge expectations of hotel rooms especially when visiting Europe normally the rooms are to small which of course is because the buildings are older than 10 minutes, and an obsession with coffee makers? (been spending way to much time on the Vegas forum) and just for the record i have pre paid gratuities upfront but if someone went out their way to do something extra for me i would tip further, i enjoy visiting the USA for their customer service and do think we could learn a lot from it .......

 

debs

Stiff the crew and they stiff you. Period!

[2SeaWithMe]

OK so strictly speaking I'm neither, but I'm closer to beign a Brit than an American, and feel the need to defend my lot (I'm first gen Aussie, with one English parent and 3 English grandparents). People underestimate the cultural difference between the two countries - resulting in the same thing being good to one group and offensive to the other. Since X is an American line, those things are mostly going to please the Americans and upset the English. Pleasant, festive atmosphere to an American is liable to be loud, unceasing noise to a Pom. Everyone I know who has worked hospitality in Europe has said that Americans routinely complain at how small the portion are, which makes me suspect that a key part of what makes a good meal for them is that it is a generous meal. Brits (and most Europeans) tend to prefer a smaller meal, and may object to the waste of massive portions. I know I and most people I know prefer service that is quiet and unobtrusive. I hate having to make small talk with a hairdresser and really value the one I've found who doesn't mind if I read a magazine while she works. Likewise with waiters, I'm always polite to them, but I'd rather have a conversation with my table companions - friends or family who I actually know (may be different on a cruise where it's the same person every day for a week or two, but I haven't experienced that yet). Whereas most posters here seem to really value chatting and making friends with their service staff. It's not a big difference between American friendly and English intrusive, so not surprising it sometimes goes the wrong way. One thing where X seems to have really pleased the English - and me - is the addition of a kettle in the state rooms. I've seen lots of Brits write about how much they appreciate this change. I hate not having a kettle - to the point that my family bought a small kettle in Europe when travelling there because it made living away from home that much homelier. I've never once seen an american say this was something they wanted.

 

 

I'm an American and I would agree with everything you said. I also think I must be more English in my own tastes, lol.

[4774Papa]

Kettles/coffee makers..If there is one thing that demonstrates the difference in culture is the kettles in the room. When I am checking tripadvisor for hotel rooms I read the 'terrible' ratings first. More often than not the review mentions the lack of a kettle in the room. (its not as if the bathroom lacked a toilet or something)

We have over 30 cruises and hundreds of different hotels stays and not once have we used the coffee maker.

And while I'm at it:

Iced tea... just not right to have cold tea

Fried eggs on everything

Beans for breakfast

BBC or Nancy Grace

Soccer.. a sport used with only legs and head, come on pick up the ball

 

Feel free to add to the list

Canadians or Brits may think iced tea is silly, but if you lived in South Georgia, you would not agree.

Not sure who eats beans for breakfast?

I don't watch BBC or Nancy Grace.

Soccer is exciting, but American Football is much more of a fight on the field. Rugby is a real game as well.

 

 

Not sure that I can add to your list.

[TMLAalum]

If "Cruise from Hell" is a ridiculously nitpicky review of the Eclipse, read "Ryanair/Holiday Camp.."!

[dkjretired]

Canadians or Brits may think iced tea is silly, but if you lived in South Georgia, you would not agree.

Not sure who eats beans for breakfast?

I don't watch BBC or Nancy Grace.

Soccer is exciting, but American Football is much more of a fight on the field. Rugby is a real game as well.

 

 

Not sure that I can add to your list.

 

Agree about the iced tea, do not drink soda due to Diabetes and even being originally from NJ in the summer, iced tea is great as it gets hot and humid there also. Brits eat beans for Breakfast, I had a British buffet for breakfast in London, talk about culture shock.

[Lois R]

Canadians or Brits may think iced tea is silly, but if you lived in South Georgia, you would not agree.

Not sure who eats beans for breakfast?

I don't watch BBC or Nancy Grace.

Soccer is exciting, but American Football is much more of a fight on the field. Rugby is a real game as well.

 

 

Not sure that I can add to your list.

 

You know we LOVE our iced tea:D:):D...guess many folks do not

know but "Sweet Tea" is "The wine of the south";)

[Orator]

You know we LOVE our iced tea:D:):D...guess many folks do not

know but "Sweet Tea" is "The wine of the south";)

 

Ever have it served in a Mason jar?

[Lois R]

Ever have it served in a Mason jar?

 

Depends on where I am having my BBQ:D:);)

[4774Papa]

Agree about the iced tea, do not drink soda due to Diabetes and even being originally from NJ in the summer, iced tea is great as it gets hot and humid there also. Brits eat beans for Breakfast, I had a British buffet for breakfast in London, talk about culture shock.

I remember my last time in London and the breakfast included cold dry toast and sausages that reminded me of bad hot dogs.

Still, I liked British beer and fish and chips.

[texancruzer]

Brits just love to moan a lot. That's why I prefer to sail with a variety of nationalities aboard.

 

The pain of being charged in dollars I can live with instead of being on a ship full of Brits!

 

When we sailed on the "Indy" out of Southampton two years ago I was embarrassed to be associated with some fellow passengers when we docked around the Med'

 

 

Thats ok...... we have encountered fellow Americans who we were totally ashamed of. Couldnt believe their behavior :eek:

 

I am a G.R.I.T.S. (girl raised in the south) so I have had iced tea in a mason jar...... brownie in a jar (in a mason jar) and a few other items served in a mason jar. Seems to be the thing to do in the South ;)

[pspercy]

My son works as a Bar Manager in a 4 star (not 5 star) hotel. A spirit and mixer costs in $ around $7 there, it is the going rate in hotels

 

At least onboard you get a decent shot, not the micro-drop UK measure !

Used to be 1/6 gill, less than an ounce, I doubt it's grown over the years since :(

[excitedofharpenden]

You know we LOVE our iced tea:D:):D...guess many folks do not

know but "Sweet Tea" is "The wine of the south";)

Lois I love my Arnold Palmer iced tea now. Easy to make onboard ship with their delicious lemonade. Grits too. Had that years ago in NC and loved it. Guess I'm just a closet Yank:)

 

Phil

[ladylemondrop]

At least onboard you get a decent shot, not the micro-drop UK measure !

Used to be 1/6 gill, less than an ounce, I doubt it's grown over the years since :(

 

They are now measuring the shots on board - sorry!

[Julie Jean]

Kettles/coffee makers..If there is one thing that demonstrates the difference in culture is the kettles in the room. When I am checking tripadvisor for hotel rooms I read the 'terrible' ratings first. More often than not the review mentions the lack of a kettle in the room. (its not as if the bathroom lacked a toilet or something)

We have over 30 cruises and hundreds of different hotels stays and not once have we used the coffee maker.

And while I'm at it:

Iced tea... just not right to have cold tea

Fried eggs on everything

Beans for breakfast

BBC or Nancy Grace

Soccer.. a sport used with only legs and head, come on pick up the ball

 

Feel free to add to the list

 

Love this

- I only discovered the genius of Nancy Grace whilst on a Celebrity cruise!;)

 

I absolutely agree with Phil that the reason I keep cruising with Celebrity is that it doesn't feel 'too British'. Will be on Eclipse in September so am hoping there won't be too many whingers!!

[Lois R]

Lois I love my Arnold Palmer iced tea now. Easy to make onboard ship with their delicious lemonade. Grits too. Had that years ago in NC and loved it. Guess I'm just a closet Yank:)

 

Phil

 

Hi Phil,:)..I am not a usually a grits gal but I do LOVE shrimp'n' grits:D

I know you are a not a seafood person;). As for Arnold Palmer?

Yes, that is good as well.

OOPS....we have gotten totally off topic:eek:

[4774Papa]

Thats ok...... we have encountered fellow Americans who we were totally ashamed of. Couldnt believe their behavior :eek:

 

I am a G.R.I.T.S. (girl raised in the south) so I have had iced tea in a mason jar...... brownie in a jar (in a mason jar) and a few other items served in a mason jar. Seems to be the thing to do in the South ;)

How about the white lightening in the mason jar?

[packedandready]

Sometimes I think "directness" is interpreted as "rudeness".

[dkjretired]

Ever have it served in a Mason jar?

 

Yes, there is some chain restaurant that does that, can't think of which one. I suppose we could all take in a few Long Island Iced Teas.

[phoenix_dream]

Wanted to put in my two cents - as an American I also think drink prices are too high on the cruise ships. Yes, they may match what one would find at the more upscale restaurants, but I can also find pitchers of beer for $4.00 at the middle-class digs. Would like to see Celebrity try to price match a middle ground, not the higher ground.

 

I do not particularly like automatic tips, but they can always be adjusted. One thing everyone needs to keep in mind is that the structure of the tipping policy is based in support of the fact that the cruise ship staff gets paid primarily (not exclusively) in tips. In almost all cases, they work their you-know-whats off to please you and even with tips make less than any of us in most cases. If the tipping policy were to change so they were paid higher salaries, then consequently the price of the cruise would rise as well. As long as one knows ahead of time what to expect, one should not be complaining about the policy if the decision was made to book the cruise.

[spursdebs]

Stiff the crew and they stiff you. Period!

 

read what i said properly but just in case you can't understand

 

I ALWAYS TIP PROPERLY!!!!

 

and if you had read what i wrote you would have seen i have already PAID upfront for gratuities PERIOD!!

[bhughey]

If "Cruise from Hell" is a ridiculously nitpicky review of the Eclipse, read "Ryanair/Holiday Camp.."!

 

I read that! Some people are only happy being miserable.

[Orator]

I read that! Some people are only happy being miserable.

 

I wish that all those who need to be miserable would follow through on their threats to not cruise. Would make for a better time for those who love cruising and meeting postive people. Unfortunately, some complain and return to only complain again.

[shoreham01]

A smile and a happy 'hello' to all the staff goes a long way. Miserable people get miserable service.

[jjl64]

If "Cruise from Hell" is a ridiculously nitpicky review of the Eclipse, read "Ryanair/Holiday Camp.."!

 

Wow. I just read both of these reviews and can only assume that these people would not be satisfied anywhere. Crabby and rude people are everywhere, I'm not sure it matters where they are from. My wife and I have been on many cruises and the 2 nicest couples we have ever met were both from England.