Just for fun!

[Jim Avery]

Jim

"towels are TOOO long!!" ha ha ha

Happy to see your post!

MB

 

Hi Miss M.

Add too long towels to kids, smoking, and the dress code.:eek::D

J.

[Chairsin]

Well I always complain about being kicked off the ship at the end of my cruise:D

[Emperor Norton]

Seabourn related?

 

Dinner at a hosted table. On man in particular is having a great time speaking all about his yachting skills and experience at sea. The Captain asked him about something trivial and it turned out despite all the mans experience he didn't know port or starboard, or what it means to reef your main.

 

/I found it funny:o

[purpleally]

Aboard a Christmas/New Year's cruise 2 "ladies", seated at Capt. Geir-Arne's hosted New Year's Eve dinner table had over indulged in wine ~they staggered out the back door to smoke before deserts were served. When returning from the back staircase, one of the "ladies" strapless sequinned dress had slipped down almost to her waist:confused::confused::confused: (no bra) Imagine WHAT 2 body items were plainly sticking out for all in the dining room to see??

They, then staggered back to Capt. GA's table and plopped down......(I sure wish I had taken a picture of Geir-Arne's face!) We were at a nearby table and heard him say, "Ohhh my beeper just went off.....excuse me, I have to get up to the Bridge!" And out the back door he ran!! Dining room was totally silent......

After all these years I am still shaking my head!:eek:

Martita B

 

Oh my! THAT has got to be the winner!

[Martita B.]

Yes, the scene could have been in a movie!:confused: 'Poor Geir-Arne's eyes literally popped out upon their arrival back at his table:eek: Just a 'slight dress malfunction! One of my most memorable events on a Seabourn ship ~~

In the evenings the 2 couples would arrive in the Club....the gals all decked out in long Titanic type elegant sequinned or lace costumes ~one evening one of the "ladies" arrived wearing a black veiled, plummed fasinater! (*misspelled, I'm sure) Every night we'd all gather early in the Club, sit in one of the fish bowls (even the Bridge Boy's would come) and watch/wait for the fun to begin! Have you ever seen Miss A.'s eyes roll???? Or mine? ha ha ha

And Seabourn didn't charge us extra for this fantastic entertainment! :D

Martita B

[MARIANH]

Real or apocryphal, these vignettes seem to have an element of schadenfreude running through them (IMHO).

 

I am the last person to be against a bit of fun; but does anyone have any amusing anecdotes that are kind or show pity. Not trying to be a killjoy; but it would be nice to hear some uplifting stories to restore a bit of balance.

 

Schopenhauer had a thing or two to say on the subject. Good leisure reading for a cruise

[wripro]

Uplifting stories are typically not funny. And the title of this thread is "Just for Fun." You could start another thread called "Shedding a Tear!"

[Roxburgh]

Real or apocryphal, these vignettes seem to have an element of schadenfreude running through them (IMHO).

 

I am the last person to be against a bit of fun; but does anyone have any amusing anecdotes that are kind or show pity. Not trying to be a killjoy; but it would be nice to hear some uplifting stories to restore a bit of balance.

 

Schopenhauer had a thing or two to say on the subject. Good leisure reading for a cruise

 

Not really amusing but certainly uplifiting ..... how about Odyssey rescuing three fisherman from likely death thanks to the eagle eyed lookout:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1576471&highlight=odyssey+rescue

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=4753

[MARIANH]

Uplifting stories are typically not funny. And the title of this thread is "Just for Fun." You could start another thread called "Shedding a Tear!"

 

But is schadenfreude fun?

 

I think it is rather sad to take enjoyment from others misfortune, ignorance or unconventional behaviour. OK one can take comfort being a member of the "not one of us" herd; but remember until you have walked in the other persons shoes or worn that veiled fascinator you may not be aware of their demons. A bit of compassion and understanding goes a long way. Poking fun at the afflicted is too popular a spectator sport and I have no wish to join a losing team. And never forget - there but for the Grace of........... And holier than thou does not make one divine.

[Martita B.]

I have always had very few complaints aboard Seabourn ships but one cruise a woman would call for room service then answer her door completely nude! The sweet waiters, of course, did not want to deliver her food/drink orders ~the Ex Housekeeper told me about this passengers lack of respect toward the wait staff ~~I did complain to the Captain (needless to say he knew of the situation) as did other guests. He handled it!

Happy sailing~

MB

[Lefty Bob]

Who or what did he handle?

:eek:

LB

[Martita B.]

Bob

Ha ha ha YOU are soooo funny!

Hope it's cooled down a 'lit in Dallas......the weather in West Texas has been much cooler/nicer this week~no 104's lately :eek:

Happy Sailing

MB

[elocin1203]

Not a complaint but my husband and I were at a hosted table one night by the ships physician and we were asked by another guest how we afforded to be on the cruise as we were so young (31 and 34 at the time) Um...yeah! Wish I could have had a good response back but I was speechless!

[FKGirl]

Not a complaint but my husband and I were at a hosted table one night by the ships physician and we were asked by another guest how we afforded to be on the cruise as we were so young (31 and 34 at the time) Um...yeah! Wish I could have had a good response back but I was speechless!

 

"We have a lot of territory for our drug operation - we have run many drug lords out of town, actually..."

 

I would like to say that I can't believe someone asked that... but, sadly, I can.

[Lefty Bob]

Martita. Still hot.:mad:

 

LB

[jenidallas]

Not a complaint but my husband and I were at a hosted table one night by the ships physician and we were asked by another guest how we afforded to be on the cruise as we were so young (31 and 34 at the time) Um...yeah! Wish I could have had a good response back but I was speechless!

 

I would have probably said "presumably the same way you did" but I am sadly not surprised by the question either. I had a couple of "so what do you do that allows you to be here with us" questions myself on this last one. Guilty of being an unaccompanied (younger) female, I guess. ;)

[wripro]

"None of your business" would be my reply.

[hoosier74]

Or you could use Miss Manners response to rude questions..."why is it that you want to know?"

 

I haven't personally heard anything as outrageous as the ones here but I did read somewhere that a young couple on vacation at a beach hotel demanded their money back because they had no idea there would be fish in the ocean.

[divsec]

I didn't complain, I couldn't as I was having trouble breathing at the time, but my banana boat ride on odyssey last September didn't go well. Banana boat capsized, inevitably, me too big to haul out and onto banana boat, too big to haul out into safety boat. I was towed back holding onto a line. All was well till the crew decided to accelerate, at which time I converted from surfboard to deep running torpedo. Finally back on board, having revitalising beverage (s) chatted with chief safety officer, coincidentally on board, who complained he would now have to rewrite the safety manual. Charming gentleman genuinely pleased to have witnessed the incident.

[freddie]

But is schadenfreude fun?

 

I think it is rather sad to take enjoyment from others misfortune, ignorance or unconventional behaviour. OK one can take comfort being a member of the "not one of us" herd; but remember until you have walked in the other persons shoes or worn that veiled fascinator you may not be aware of their demons. A bit of compassion and understanding goes a long way. Poking fun at the afflicted is too popular a spectator sport and I have no wish to join a losing team. And never forget - there but for the Grace of........... And holier than thou does not make one divine.

 

The Oxford English Dictionary defines "schadenfreude" as "the malicious enjoyment of another's misfortunes". I would respectfully suggest that anecdotes regarding silly or unreasonable complaints on cruise ships do not fall within that definition.

 

If a passenger is so rude, clueless, insensitive, self-involved (you add your favorite negative adjective) as to harass a defenseless bartender with such nonsense as the length of bath towels, then I am not interested in that passenger's demons. Rude people are not "afflicted". How many of us would make a statement such as, "There but for the Grace of Dog, would I go in a mode of rudeness and egocentrism."?

 

In any rude event, is laughing at the quirks of people making preposterous complaints malicious, yet frequently imitating the linguistic quirks of the British working classes (thereby suggesting a superiority to them) entirely benign?

 

Considering your obvious ease with complex language, I will assume that your last sentence was intended to be supremely ironical. ;)

 

Keep the funny anecdotes coming!!

[MARIANH]

The Oxford English Dictionary defines "schadenfreude" as "the malicious enjoyment of another's misfortunes". I would respectfully suggest that anecdotes regarding silly or unreasonable complaints on cruise ships do not fall within that definition.

 

If a passenger is so rude, clueless, insensitive, self-involved (you add your favorite negative adjective) as to harass a defenseless bartender with such nonsense as the length of bath towels, then I am not interested in that passenger's demons. Rude people are not "afflicted". How many of us would make a statement such as, "There but for the Grace of Dog, would I go in a mode of rudeness and egocentrism."?

 

In any rude event, is laughing at the quirks of people making preposterous complaints malicious, yet frequently imitating the linguistic quirks of the British working classes (thereby suggesting a superiority to them) entirely benign?

 

Considering your obvious ease with complex language, I will assume that your last sentence was intended to be supremely ironical. ;)

 

Keep the funny anecdotes coming!!

 

Oh dear. I did try; but clearly my linguistic limitations have let me down again.

 

Yes, laughing at people's quirks ( failings?) may be fun to some and engender a comfortiing feeling of superiority but not to me. Fascination with fascinators and mocking ladies dress(and undress ) sense seems cruel rather than convivial.

 

Anyhow, enough. I have a nautical anecdote that perhaps encapsulates different perspectives and perceptions of fun- please see below.

 

But before that, just to note that the mock cockney argot used in other posts needs to be read in the context of the British TV programme "Only Fools and Horses". Not available in the States, I guess.

 

Oh, and by the way, I thought you guys across the Pond did not get irony.

 

 

So, picture the scene. Legend visiting delightful ports In South of France.

Single lady (Mrs X) of mature years was to visit son for lunch ashore. Ship to depart 5pm. 5pm comes with call over PA could suite .... please call pursers office and on and on with increasing desperation. No Mrs X. So ship sails without her. Five minutes out we spot a pilot boat coming hell for leather from the shore. Ship slows down. Pilot pulls alongside. Crew throw net down side of ship. Said mature lady climbs aboard with difficulty but commendable determination . Assembled passengers cheer and clap mockingly. Lady furious at this reception disappears to cabin not to reappear for two days.

 

Now, is this funny ? Well clearly yes for some passengers. We're any sympathetic- yes a few ( there but for the Grace of ...). Was the lady amused? Certainly not she was mortified.

 

Schadenfreude?

[lincslady]

Yes, MarianH, I agree that it was meant to be a thread about ridiculous complaints, not people of whom we did not approve, and there have been some good ones. However, I can enjoy schadenfreude when it is about people who do complain about ridiculous things - and get their comeuppance. It is a lucky person who can instantly think up a really suitable cutting reply to them; I am always 5 or 10 minutes too late!

[Martita B.]

freddie

You'll laugh & enjoy this true story ~! Not a complaint, however.

One morning I was sitting on my stool (far right by the lemons, limes and soft drinks) minding my own "bid'ness" and a fellow sits down right beside me and said, "how 'ya enjoying this cruise?" We were on a TA Crossing.....not a cruise ~~I replied, "Oh I'm having a wonderful time..." Then he said, "what do you do back in Texas?" I didn't know this man....in fact had never even seen him on the ship ~~his question, I thought, wasn't appropriate so I just looked him straight in the eyes and said..."well, back at the ranch, I mostly like to crawl way back underneath the porch and drink paint thinner!" He replied , under his breath, "oh!" ~climbed down and walked off :D

After sailing Seabourn for 13 years, yes.....I have a few true stories!:eek:

Happy weekend

Martita B

[Jim Avery]

freddie

You'll laugh & enjoy this true story ~! Not a complaint, however.

One morning I was sitting on my stool (far right by the lemons, limes and soft drinks) minding my own "bid'ness" and a fellow sits down right beside me and said, "how 'ya enjoying this cruise?" We were on a TA Crossing.....not a cruise ~~I replied, "Oh I'm having a wonderful time..." Then he said, "what do you do back in Texas?" I didn't know this man....in fact had never even seen him on the ship ~~his question, I thought, wasn't appropriate so I just looked him straight in the eyes and said..."well, back at the ranch, I mostly like to crawl way back underneath the porch and drink paint thinner!" He replied , under his breath, "oh!" ~climbed down and walked off :D

After sailing Seabourn for 13 years, yes.....I have a few true stories!:eek:

Happy weekend

Martita B

 

Miss M, that paint thinner sounds pretty good. Over here in AZ we call it Tequila.:eek::D

[seabournaddict]

It obviously must mean something different in certain parts of the World, but someone asking me what I did for a living, I don't find offensive at all! I am interested in what other people do or have done, are going or have been etc etc. If you don't ask any of those sort of questions, what on earth do you converse about? The weather? What people have done in their lives is what makes them interesting....or not!