Fellow cruisers: do/do not courtesies to your shipmates

[Davechipp74]

how about people who bring their bratty children

:mad:

[Missywantstotravel]

But, but, my children aren't bratty! :D. I don't know why everyone thinks this. Lol

[Seago2]

how about people who bring their bratty children

:mad:

 

Why have I never seen "bratty" children on a cruise?

[Cruisin' Chick]

how about people who bring their bratty children

:mad:

 

How about those who bring their curmudgeon selves?

[oncruisecontrol]

But, I've always wondered...is it better to grab a cookie or roll type item, with your hands, (not touching others), or touching tongs that 300 people have already touched? Things that make you go....hmmmmmm

 

The problem is that while YOU will take care to not touch the other cookies or rolls with your fingers, many other people will not be as careful. They will scour through the lot with their bare hands looking for their perfect roll or pastry. And, these will be the same people who do a marginal job of washing their hands. So, the presence of tongs at least presents a deterrent to most (not all) people from a bare-hands, grab-n-go free-for-all. It is clear to me that the fewer bare hands that touch food items, the less chance there is for the spreading of food-borne illness. If infected hands touch the tongs, I can wash my hands before touching my food. If infected hands touch the food, well....it is not possible to wash the food after the fact. It is also clear to me that you can never be sure whether or not food has been infected by unclean hands, but we can mitigate the risk by providing tongs for people to use. The majority of people will use them.

[ducklite]

how about people who bring their bratty children

:mad:

 

Generally "bratty" children are the result of self-absorbed parents. Children don't try to be "bratty." They misbehave because it's the only way they know how to get their parents attention. Yes, sometimes children can be noisy and disruptive. Good parents will either redirect that child or remove them to a place where they won't bother others. Often all they need is a simple reminder to use indoor voices. Don't blame the child, blame the parent.

[Beachdude]

The problem is that while YOU will take care to not touch the other cookies or rolls with your fingers, many other people will not be as careful. .......... It is also clear to me that you can never be sure whether or not food has been infected by unclean hands, but we can mitigate the risk by providing tongs for people to use. The majority of people will use them.

 

But isn't the majority of people using the tongs the bigger problem? My work requires me to deal with odds. If a cookie is touched twice because it will eventually be taken for consumption and the tongs are touch 200 times because they are permanent to the food station, which has the greater odds of being touched by infected hands?

 

The safest way to distribute food is for a person wearing gloves to distribute each passenger their selection. But sadly in a time when cruise lines are making cuts, we are left to playing the odds.

 

Burt

[ducklite]

But isn't the majority of people using the tongs the bigger problem? My work requires me to deal with odds. If a cookie is touched twice because it will eventually be taken for consumption and the tongs are touch 200 times because they are permanent to the food station, which has the greater odds of being touched by infected hands?

 

The safest way to distribute food is for a person wearing gloves to distribute each passenger their selection. But sadly in a time when cruise lines are making cuts, we are left to playing the odds.

 

Burt

 

The best odds are to not eat at the buffet...

[gators70]

But isn't the majority of people using the tongs the bigger problem? My work requires me to deal with odds. If a cookie is touched twice because it will eventually be taken for consumption and the tongs are touch 200 times because they are permanent to the food station, which has the greater odds of being touched by infected hands?

 

The safest way to distribute food is for a person wearing gloves to distribute each passenger their selection. But sadly in a time when cruise lines are making cuts, we are left to playing the odds.

 

Burt

 

 

I think we should all wear Haz Mat suits.....except formal nights, of course.

[Davechipp74]

Generally "bratty" children are the result of self-absorbed parents. Children don't try to be "bratty." They misbehave because it's the only way they know how to get their parents attention. Yes, sometimes children can be noisy and disruptive. Good parents will either redirect that child or remove them to a place where they won't bother others. Often all they need is a simple reminder to use indoor voices. Don't blame the child, blame the parent.

 

that an interesting point. i for one dont have or want kids (well my step-daughter is 17 and about to leave for collage so that dont count) but more times than i care to remember young kids (2-7) have always appeared misbehaved to me, in hind sight, i guess it would be more correct to blame the parents, because their kids are just awful

[Seago2]

Generally "bratty" children are the result of self-absorbed parents. Children don't try to be "bratty." They misbehave because it's the only way they know how to get their parents attention. Yes, sometimes children can be noisy and disruptive. Good parents will either redirect that child or remove them to a place where they won't bother others. Often all they need is a simple reminder to use indoor voices. Don't blame the child, blame the parent.

 

Also, on cruises, they can be very tired, sunburned, off their normal schedule, spoiled a bit by grandparents- and my own personal wild card- in the presence of COUSINS. Oh we were BAD when we got together. Great times :p

[debbs0723]

Sometimes even great kids with good parents can have an off day. These off days typically happen in very public places and on vacation when they are tired and their parents are surrounded by extremely judgemental people who have never had one of these days themselves. :rolleyes:

[room010]

The funny part is that the people who judge often HAVE had bad days with their kids but somehow seem to forget what it's like when other people's kids play up.

 

Having said that a lot of kids never hear the word "No" mores the pity.

[ducklite]

Sometimes even great kids with good parents can have an off day. These off days typically happen in very public places and on vacation when they are tired and their parents are surrounded by extremely judgemental people who have never had one of these days themselves. :rolleyes:

 

That's true, even the best kids act up sometimes. The difference is that good parents remove them as quickly as possible to a place where they won't disturb others while bad parents will ignore them and order another Bloody Mary.

[Teeara]

How about people who are finished eating lingering in the buffet when it is crowded while others are walking around looking for a place to sit. There are plenty of places to sit and visit.

 

Oh, that drove me freaking insane on our Alaska cruise! The place was packed with people sitting at their empty tables chitter chattering while others with trays of food couldn't find a place to sit. We had an interior cabin and were forced to go there the first day. Second day we went to one of the lounges. AAAARGH!!!!

 

If you have finished dining in the buffet, PLEASE take your conversation and coffee mugs somewhere else so people who are about to dine have a place to sit and eat in peace (and comfort).

[Teeara]

Changing the time of the lounger crawl to 4:16 am.

 

:rolleyes:

 

 

Oh my gosh. A new CC event onboard ship! What a hoot. :D

[Teeara]

In the hall:

People in the hall outside YOUR door who talk loudly.

You're always going to hear things periodically.

But, the ones that talk at the top of their lungs, laugh loudly and scream....especially late at night or early in the morning....standing outside your door. Please be considerate.

 

Yet another reason to continue getting a far aft cabin. Sure, the walk is a lot longer, but it's also a whole lot quieter outside our door!

[Teeara]

I think we should all wear Haz Mat suits.....except formal nights, of course.

 

Add a bow tie and voila! Haz Mat Formalwear! ;):D

[Mary Ellen]

But isn't the majority of people using the tongs the bigger problem? My work requires me to deal with odds. If a cookie is touched twice because it will eventually be taken for consumption and the tongs are touch 200 times because they are permanent to the food station, which has the greater odds of being touched by infected hands?

 

The safest way to distribute food is for a person wearing gloves to distribute each passenger their selection. But sadly in a time when cruise lines are making cuts, we are left to playing the odds.

 

Burt

I can wash my hands after using tongs. I'm not about to wash a cookie that some thoughtless person touched. :rolleyes:

[momofmeg]

I can wash my hands after using tongs. I'm not about to wash a cookie that some thoughtless person touched. :rolleyes:

 

I get sick so easily I do exactly that. I bring handwipes with me. That is another reason I have a little purse I wear around my neck to hold my card, meds, and wipes.

 

When at home, hubby and I never go to buffets to eat anymore. I do not mind cafeterias though, where the server handles the food for you. of course I do prefer the better restaurants but those places are good for a quick lunch when on the road traveling.

[MermaidWatcher]

On our cruise to Alaska, there were quite a few people who would get window seats at breakfast and then sit there the entire day for the scenic cruising. It was very cold outside, but there were plenty of empty window seats in other areas of the ship. I guess they liked staying close to the food. It was frustrating when you had to walk around the buffet area several times trying to find a table and you see several groups at the same tables for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We ended up getting tableware and going out to sit by the Lido Pool because we couldn't find a table in the dining area.

 

I believe that is about the most disourteous, selfish one I've heard. Do believe I would have had to do some serious complaiing to the staff, no matter how far up the ladder it took.

[jamscckmc]

People who save seats in the theaters. I'm not talking about 1 seat for a spouse. I'm talking about a row of seats for a group that half the time doesn't show up. I try and get to the theater 15mins early but still walk around the whole theater . I'll see seats on the other side only to get there and be told they are saved just as the announcement saving of seats not allowed comes on. The worst is the ice show on RC.

[ldubs]

On our last cruise, I thought everyone was very polite and well mannered, except for 2 incidents.

 

One afternoon, we ate lunch in the buffet. We got there a little early, so the crowds hadn't quite hit yet. 2 tables over was a 10 top and a large family came in and they were very happy to find a table where they could all sit together. They also had several children. They set their stuff down, jackets on the chairs, bags on the chairs and table, drinks and stuff like sunglasses and books on the table, and they took the kids to get food. The "empty" table was clearly taken,no ambiguity. Then this older couple came up and just shoved the stuff over out of 2 of the places, sat down and started eating. As the family came back to find the squatters at their table, several of them confronted the couple. The couple just shrugged it off and kept eating. The dining room was crowded enough it was very unlikely this family would be able to find another table big enough that they could all eat together, not to mention they now had their hands full of dinner plates and had to try to find other tables and move their stuff and their kids. The dining room was not so crowded that one couple couldn't easily find another table.

 

The other incident was as we were leaving the lounge after watching one of the games. You know how everyone gets up and leaves at once so it's very crowded. Suddenly my heel was run over by a man in a wheelchair behind me, literally just plowing into my calves from behind. I don't even know where he came from. I stepped aside trying to be polite. He just put his control in the forward position and kept going, running into everyone in front of us. I guess he thought he had the right to run everyone down even though they couldn't even see him coming.

 

That couple probably has a post in this thread about how they dealt with rude people who left stuff spread around an unoccupied 10-top.

[NoobCruise]

That couple probably has a post in this thread about how they dealt with rude people who left stuff spread around an unoccupied 10-top.

 

Probably lol

[momofmeg]

That couple probably has a post in this thread about how they dealt with rude people who left stuff spread around an unoccupied 10-top.

 

That would have been fixed easily if one person of the 10 stayed at the table and when the others came back-then go get their food-that is what my husband and I do. I agree with you the party of 10 were the rude ones. That is the proper way in my mind-one stay with the table, and when the others return, then get your food.

 

As far as the group staying all day at the tables in Alaska-I would have found that boring to stay in the same place all day. We would go out side and watch at the front of the ship where the views were much better and when we got too cold, go inside and drink a hot chocolate or coffee, warm up and then return outside to the front of the ship. We pretty much did the same thing for the Panama canal too-except we would go inside grab an ice tea and cool down a bit and then go back to the front of the ship.