Fist Fight over Seats in the Showroom

[RickinNYC]

Saving a seat for one's spouse or partner is entirely different than saving several seats or an entire row for that matter.

[BillOh]

Saving an entire row is ridiculous.

 

If I ever had an inclination to save an entire row (I usually cruise with just my wife and only once added my sister and her husband) I certainly wouldn't make it the front row! (but like most of us, I have seen it done.) I'd be too self conscious of the evil looks I would get. It would stress me out and I go out of my way to relax on cruises.

 

If there ever was a place I expect it to start a fight is at the Love and Marriage show on Majesty. That ship gets a lot of repeat business and people desperately want those front seats so they can get the CD's attention and get picked.

[C Cruise Dude]

I almost forgot to mention this. We were on the Freedom of the Seas over Thanksgiving and one of the nights in the main show room there was a couple of people trying to save a whole row of seats. A lot of people commented to them that they can't do that but continued on to find other seats. A while before the show started a couple said to these people that they couldn't save seats and pushed past the man and sat down. A fist fit started and soon there were passengers and crew and security personal pulling the people apart. Can you believe people would actually come to blows over a seat in a show? Crazy.

 

This is disturbing. This is at least the second thread in the last couple months that I have seen on this board about fist fights in the theater. Carnival has a reputation of horrible behavior on their ships ( I have seen drunk passengers but they were polite) but I have never seen fist fights over seating (including NCL).

 

On one NCL cruise, some family had a section closed off with their family name on the seats. Apparently, NCL let them do this, I noticed that they were cheering for a performer on stage (relative maybe).

 

Security could put an end this behavior easily by being in the theater and shutting the practice down before conflicts between passengers occur.

[ssb]

On one of our TA's (Gal to Barc) trips in the last year or so

a fight broke out between a couple of people in middle of Atlantic

over what was the correct TRIVIA answer.

 

They were escorted off ship in next port (Maderia, Azores, or Canary???).

Im sure that made for an interesting ordeal for them to get home.

 

 

 

A good attitude is the difference between an ordeal and an adventure!

Patience is essential, attitude is everything.

Being happy does not mean that everything is perfect.

It means you have decided to look beyond the imperfections

of you’re expectations.

It is better to be happy than it is to be right .

[Cindy]

People never cease to amaze me. This kind of behavior could easily be stopped if the ship employees were empowered to do so. Unfortunately, they're often hesitant to say anything to a passenger for fear it will result in a complaint against them.

[wwcruisers]

On one of our TA's (Gal to Barc) trips in the last year or so

a fight broke out between a couple of people in middle of Atlantic

over what was the correct TRIVIA answer.

 

WOW -- Some people will do anything for a keychain! :eek::D;)

[KirkNC]

I almost forgot to mention this. We were on the Freedom of the Seas over Thanksgiving and one of the nights in the main show room there was a couple of people trying to save a whole row of seats. A lot of people commented to them that they can't do that but continued on to find other seats. A while before the show started a couple said to these people that they couldn't save seats and pushed past the man and sat down. A fist fit started and soon there were passengers and crew and security personal pulling the people apart. Can you believe people would actually come to blows over a seat in a show? Crazy.

 

Yikes, thats insane.

[Big_G]

I recall a few years back that RCI had crew dressed as characters just hanging out in the theater before the start of the show. They had microphones and were joking with passengers. If they caught you saving seats, they would identify you to the audience and embarrass you. We saw it on two cruises then never again. It seemed to be a good way to politely keep people honest.

[ssb]

Law of the Theater and Hockey Arena - At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle, always arrive last. They are the ones who will leave their seats several times to go for food, beer, or the toilet and who leave early before the end of the performance or the game is over. The folks in the aisle seats come early, never move once, have long gangly legs or big bellies, and stay to the bitter end of the performance. . The aisle people can be the very surly folk.

 

[Aquahound]

I recall a few years back that RCI had crew dressed as characters just hanging out in the theater before the start of the show. They had microphones and were joking with passengers. If they caught you saving seats, they would identify you to the audience and embarrass you. We saw it on two cruises then never again. It seemed to be a good way to politely keep people honest.

 

Those were the Kruze Komics and they were hilarious. Too bad they were eliminated.

 

Maybe Shrek can start enforcing the seat saving rules. ;)

[goouchjac]

I almost forgot to mention this. We were on the Freedom of the Seas over Thanksgiving and one of the nights in the main show room there was a couple of people trying to save a whole row of seats. A lot of people commented to them that they can't do that but continued on to find other seats. A while before the show started a couple said to these people that they couldn't save seats and pushed past the man and sat down. A fist fit started and soon there were passengers and crew and security personal pulling the people apart. Can you believe people would actually come to blows over a seat in a show? Crazy.

 

I think the world is going crazy,,people have their priorities upside down,,a cruise is a vacation where we go to relax and enjoy,,not start fights over some seats:eek::eek::mad:

[goouchjac]

Times have changed...

 

 

"It's my vacation and I will do whatever I want!"

 

You are so right Trainman,,no courtesy or manners,,,it's a me,me,me, world.:(

[critterchick]

Is it the times that have changed or just the overall attitude of our "entitlement" generation.:confused:

 

It's the times - we see plenty of people in every generation behaving badly.

 

Sometimes I travel with extended family so there is a group of 6-8 of us. My mom is in a wheelchair and it's very hard to get seating together in the theater because of the limited number spaces available for wheelchair users. Most of the time we get to the theater at least 30 minutes before the show starts. If we want drinks and the bar waiters haven't started serving yet, one or two members of our party will go to the bar the bring back drinks for the others. I wouldn't save a whole row a seats, but I don't really see an issue with saving one or two seats in the middle of our group for the ones getting drinks or going to the restroom before the show starts.

 

I was with my husband a couple weeks ago on Liberty. Bar service was really slow in the theater. You practically had to jump up and down to get a waiter's attention. My husband decided to get a beer from the bar outside while I waited with our seats. The theater was not very crowded at the time. Another couple walked in and the man sat in the seat that my husband had been in. I told him that my husband had been sitting there but he said, "So?" I was a bit miffed since there were many other empty seats in the surrounding area but I know it is his right to take any unoccupied seat. I got up and moved to another seat.

 

I guess I fit into the rude cruiser bin. I don't see anything wrong with saving a seat or two for other members of a group, especially if the theater is not crowded, but saving more than a couple seats seems excessive to me. I understand this is a black & white issue so even saving one seat is not allowed. Unless there weren't any other available seats, I wouldn't sit in a seat that someone told me was saved.

 

I'm not going to fight anyone over a saved seat. However, if someone does plop down in a single seat in the middle of my group, I may make it a point to lean around and talk to the family member on the other side of them in hopes of making the person uncomfortable enough to move voluntarily.

 

I wouldn't put you in the rude bin except for your last paragraph. If you've told the person that the seat was taken by somebody who had to go to the loo or bar, and s/he is rude enough to sit anyway, talking through his/her head is unlikely to make him/her move. It would more likely escalate the unpleasantness, which would then affect everybody sitting around you.

 

Why don't you put your purse or a shawl on the empty chair to at least indicate that it's already taken? That's what we do (actually, I don't know what the husband does since he doesn't carry a purse or wear a shawl). Knock wood, we've never had a problem with somebody sitting in one of our seats.

[BecciBoo]

I personally do not understand the concept of sitting together in a row of seats...you cannot talk to each other, what's the point?:confused:

[Big_G]

I personally do not understand the concept of sitting together in a row of seats...you cannot talk to each other, what's the point?:confused:

 

Ditto. Unless of course they're buying my drinks.Then I'll sit where ever they want.:D

[ckz115]

Last year on the Liberty, My family went to sit in the theater and my 11 and year old had to use the bathroom and was gone for about 5 minutes. This very rude couple came to sit in his seat and I explained that my child ran to the bathroom and that one of the seats was his. The woman didnt care and sat down. I was appalled at this womans behavior. When my son came back he just stood there and looked at us, i thought that perhaps this woman would realize that a child should really be sitting with his family and would get up but she never did. We had to get up. The sad thing is that my son had to sit on my lap to watch a show. Perhaps I wouldnt have minded if he was 4, but 11 and not a slim kid..... oh well the manners of some people. The best part.... half way through the show they decided they didnt like it and left.

[tfrcal]

Last year on the Liberty, My family went to sit in the theater and my 11 and year old had to use the bathroom and was gone for about 5 minutes. This very rude couple came to sit in his seat and I explained that my child ran to the bathroom and that one of the seats was his. The woman didnt care and sat down. I was appalled at this womans behavior. When my son came back he just stood there and looked at us, i thought that perhaps this woman would realize that a child should really be sitting with his family and would get up but she never did. We had to get up. The sad thing is that my son had to sit on my lap to watch a show. Perhaps I wouldnt have minded if he was 4, but 11 and not a slim kid..... oh well the manners of some people. The best part.... half way through the show they decided they didnt like it and left.

 

I would have sat on HER lap LOL, what a rude person.

[Retired LEO]

The cruise lines encourage audience participation so what's better than a good fight. :D

[Phillies14]

Just read another thread a few days ago about seat saving and fist fights in the entertainment venues on RRCL ships. We have seen issues on past cruises and are anticipating similar issues the coming week on Allure as it is sailing full and entertainment has been filled for 2 weeks now.

 

Is there some reason they cannot issue tickets for assigned seats on these ships? You could be issued a seat when you pre-book and if you don't show, they can still have the 'stand by' line. It seems it would just make things so much less stressful when trying to get a seat. You wouldn't have to show up 45 minutes early to get into a show and find a good seat.

 

Am I missing some obvious reason RCCL won't assign seats to their shows or are they missing a solution to a problem?

RC is not "missing" something at all. How would you like to have an "assigned seat" that you didn't like the view or the area??? Really quite simple, enforce the no saving seat policy...common sense....K.O. near Philly:rolleyes:

[Mom33]

I have never understood why anyone would agree to be the saver of seats for a large group and waste their time and sanity to do it. Why should your family and friends be off enjoying themselves and doing their own thing, while your trying to save a bunch of seats for them. Groups should be considerate of their members and all show up together or split up and fend for themselves.

[Agutaya]

I was with my husband a couple weeks ago on Liberty. Bar service was really slow in the theater. You practically had to jump up and down to get a waiter's attention. My husband decided to get a beer from the bar outside while I waited with our seats. The theater was not very crowded at the time. Another couple walked in and the man sat in the seat that my husband had been in. I told him that my husband had been sitting there but he said, "So?" I was a bit miffed since there were many other empty seats in the surrounding area but I know it is his right to take any unoccupied seat. I got up and moved to another seat.

 

I guess I fit into the rude cruiser bin. I don't see anything wrong with saving a seat or two for other members of a group, especially if the theater is not crowded, but saving more than a couple seats seems excessive to me.

 

The thing that annoys me most is when people save a whole bunch of seats....

I think most of us have no problem with a wife saving a seat for a husband, or whatever....

 

Saving a seat for one's spouse or partner is entirely different than saving several seats or an entire row for that matter.

 

I agree with those above. DH has saved a seat for me while I ran to the cabin to get a shawl. If someone really wanted that seat he would have moved. No sense fighting over a seat. Saving a whole row of seats is just asking for trouble, IMHO.

[How'sBartCruisin'?]

I almost forgot to mention this. We were on the Freedom of the Seas over Thanksgiving and one of the nights in the main show room there was a couple of people trying to save a whole row of seats. A lot of people commented to them that they can't do that but continued on to find other seats. A while before the show started a couple said to these people that they couldn't save seats and pushed past the man and sat down. A fist fit started and soon there were passengers and crew and security personal pulling the people apart. Can you believe people would actually come to blows over a seat in a show? Crazy.

 

Point at them and laugh.

 

Afterwards, they should be asked to walk the plank, because morons don't belong on vacations with normal people.

[sr5242]

I think a lot depends on the approach people take. For example, on jewel of the seas my mother and I were in pool chairs with empty seats to either side of us. An older couple came by and wanted to sit together. We had our faces in our books and didn't even notice them. So instead of saying, "excuse me, could you scooch over so we can sit together?", the woman jams her finger into my side and waves her hand toward the empty chair. This physical assault p&$$Ed me off so bad I dug my heels in and refused to move. Petty yes, but I'd be darned to give a chair to woman who did that to me.

[Retired LEO]

If I ever got into a fight over someone saving seats it would definately be one sided. Once that idiot threw a punch and connected he'd be escorted out by security and taken off the ship at the next port.

[CRUIS4ME]

This is all about manners, common sense, and treating people like you would want to be treated. Saving a row of seats is beyond common sense. The cruise ships need to enforce their rules - no children in adult pool; adult only activities; and seat saving to name a few. And customers need to respect the rules and one another.