Why are some people so entitled?

[SciFiCruiser]

I was passing time this morning reading reviews of various cruises and came across several recent examples that had me shaking my head.

 

One couple was mad that the ship they were on would not refund them anything because they missed embarkation due to mechanical problems with the flight they were on. They were able to join the cruise at the 1st port but lost out on 2 or 3 days of the trip and their booze package and complained that in 30 years they had never received such poor treatment. I was shocked that such seasoned travelers would not have carried trip insurance such such things.

 

One gal was miffed that she could not sleep with her balcony door open because the AC would turn off. Seriously she wanted to air condition the entire ocean? Can you imagine how large her carbon footprint is?

 

Then another reviewer told the tale of couples traveling together where only 1 person wanted to get the booze package but was mad that everyone in the cabin needed it. A bartender was able to "get" him a sticker for a cut rate and received a bit tip. Not sure about you, but I'd call the bar tender a crook.

 

Probably (hopefully) isolated events, but it made me mad.

[Keith1010]

The reality is that people are people. I am sure that we all have some faults that someone can point to or that we all say something that makes very little sense to others.

 

I just chalk that up to that in life you won't like every person you meet or if you like them you won't agree with everything.

 

In many ways that is what makes us special.

 

Keith

[navybankerteacher]

You've cited just of the few of the extreme examples of narcissism - I've found that an extraordinary number of negative reviews reflect a high level of entitlement attitude.

[sherilyn70]

One couple was mad that the ship they were on would not refund them anything because they missed embarkation due to mechanical problems with the flight they were on. They were able to join the cruise at the 1st port but lost out on 2 or 3 days of the trip and their booze package and complained that in 30 years they had never received such poor treatment. I was shocked that such seasoned travelers would not have carried trip insurance such such things.

 

It depends on the context of this complaint. I would be a little miffed as well if they knew I missed the intial embarkation and they would not compromise a little bit in some way on something as expensive alcohol package, just as I would be if they charged for a missed reservation in a specialty restaurant. I would expect either an option to fully refund (cancel) the entire package or a pro-rated credit back. I don't think that's a matter of feeling self entitled but rather expecting to not have to pay something you obviously had no way to use.

[kcwingwalker]

I was passing time this morning reading reviews of various cruises and came across several recent examples that had me shaking my head.

 

One couple was mad that the ship they were on would not refund them anything because they missed embarkation due to mechanical problems with the flight they were on. They were able to join the cruise at the 1st port but lost out on 2 or 3 days of the trip and their booze package and complained that in 30 years they had never received such poor treatment. I was shocked that such seasoned travelers would not have carried trip insurance such such things.

 

One gal was miffed that she could not sleep with her balcony door open because the AC would turn off. Seriously she wanted to air condition the entire ocean? Can you imagine how large her carbon footprint is?

 

Then another reviewer told the tale of couples traveling together where only 1 person wanted to get the booze package but was mad that everyone in the cabin needed it. A bartender was able to "get" him a sticker for a cut rate and received a bit tip. Not sure about you, but I'd call the bar tender a crook.

 

Probably (hopefully) isolated events, but it made me mad.

 

The entitled ones are quick to complain and equally quick to "rat" on others if they perceive someone is getting a better deal. IMO they are likely to be the ones who remove gratuities.

 

For the one who claimed to get a cheap booze ticket, well maybe he did or perhaps was just telling a story to impress others. I wouldn't be impressed and would be concerned about the bartender's job. Unless it was the bartender's last cruise, I highly doubt he could be bribed.

[wwcruisers]

Cruise reviews are an interesting topic. But, why let them make you mad? :confused:

Some people just complain about everything. :rolleyes: I don't give those reviews much weight. The worst cruise I ever took had its bright points -- so if the reviewer has absolutely nothing good to say, it really says more about them, than their cruise. (BTW -- I also don't put much stock in the "cheerleeder: my cruise-line can do no wrong" type of reviews. ;))

[SantaFeFan]

It depends on the context of this complaint. I would be a little miffed as well if they knew I missed the intial embarkation and they would not compromise a little bit in some way on something as expensive alcohol package, just as I would be if they charged for a missed reservation in a specialty restaurant. I would expect either an option to fully refund (cancel) the entire package or a pro-rated credit back. I don't think that's a matter of feeling self entitled but rather expecting to not have to pay something you obviously had no way to use.

 

Why should the cruise line loose revenue because you missed your flight? How in the world is that any of the cruise line's responsibility? If you missed your cruise because the plane broke down, go to the airline for the compensation. Or better yet - look in a mirror and ask the person you see in there: "Why did you not buy travel insurance to cover such losses, or schedule an earlier flight just in case this might happen?"

 

Using your logic of getting a refund for what you didn't use even though it wasn't the cruise line's fault, if the cruise lines gave out such refunds, then no one would have to ever worry about losing money for missing the ship, or even missing the entire cruise. Let the cruise line pay for it. :rolleyes:

[iahawkize]

If you read any of John Healds Blogs you see it ALL the time. People wanting refund because it rained, because the show in the main showroom was too loud ( they were in the front row) The comedy club comic was too raunchy ( at the well publicised "adults only" late show). I could go on. Don't get me started. deck chair hogs and saving seats at shows. Kids on the Adults only serenity deck, pushing all the buttons in the elevator. screaming babies at shows. "You can't fix stupid!" as Jeff Foxworthy says.

[sherilyn70]

Why should the cruise line loose revenue because you missed your flight? How in the world is that any of the cruise line's responsibility? If you missed your cruise because the plane broke down, go to the airline for the compensation. Or better yet - look in a mirror and ask the person you see in there: "Why did you not buy travel insurance to cover such losses, or schedule an earlier flight just in case this might happen?"

 

While they are not obligated to do this, it is common courtesy and good customer service to do so in this situation. If you know the person couldn't use it then it's a bit silly to charge them for it when they obviously did not drink anything and no real losses occured on the cruiselines part, this was an optional expense. The same would hold true for excursions. They should have been given the option to cancel it 100% if they had wanted to (maybe they needed to request it as soon as they knew they weren't making it, but they had bigger concerns to think about that that exact moment I'm sure). It would be different if they had asked for compensation for their room or dining room costs to be refunded or pro-rated, that is expected revenue when you book a cruise and not an opt out item.

[slidergirl]

You want to experience entitlement? Go work in a high-end hotel! Not a day goes by that I don't get some guest who thinks they deserve more than what they paid for or is unhappy with something that others rave about. I never thought about saying or doing some of the things these people do. I'm pretty good now at telling that someone is going to nitpick at everything at an attempt to get freebies, extra points, or even money back. Didn't get a balcony like your friends? Well, did you book a room with a balcony??? Pissed that you have to pay a resort fee?? Well, did you read the site where we have a resort fee??? Upset that you don't get free coffee??? Well, where did you see that we offered free coffee?? You want to cancel a reservation within the no-cancel window because your son/daughter/dog/cat has a game and you want to get your money back??? You're Platinum and want me to boot another guest from a suite because you want a suite upgrade that is BASED ON AVAILABILITY AT TIME OF CHECK-IN???

 

No wonder I go home and drink...

[Cruising Golfer]

How about don't buy your drink package until you board???:confused:

[Elaine5715]

It is the result of social practices where all results and experiences should be "equal" regardless of the participant's effort. There are winners and losers in the real world. No ties. Yet when folks are rewarded for their failure to perform and are then equalized with those who do plan and perform by complaining, this is the result.

Shortcut-folks are not held accountable for their own behavior.

[NoobCruise]

Why should the cruise line loose revenue because you missed your flight? How in the world is that any of the cruise line's responsibility? If you missed your cruise because the plane broke down, go to the airline for the compensation. Or better yet - look in a mirror and ask the person you see in there: "Why did you not buy travel insurance to cover such losses, or schedule an earlier flight just in case this might happen?"

 

Using your logic of getting a refund for what you didn't use even though it wasn't the cruise line's fault, if the cruise lines gave out such refunds, then no one would have to ever worry about losing money for missing the ship, or even missing the entire cruise. Let the cruise line pay for it. :rolleyes:

 

I agree 100%. The cruise line had absolutely no culpability in this and therefore no responsibility to refund a cent. In the future, fly a day early and buy trip insurance.

[sail7seas]

I agree 100%. The cruise line had absolutely no culpability in this and therefore no responsibility to refund a cent. In the future, fly a day early and buy trip insurance.

 

 

 

I also agree. It was not cruise line's fault you boarded late, why should they bear any responsibility or suffer any loss?

 

They are in business to make money. It isn't a question of common courtesy, it is business... just dollars and cents.

 

 

 

[Laurie S.]

 

I also agree. It was not cruise line's fault you boarded late, why should they bear any responsibility or suffer any loss?

 

They are in business to make money. It isn't a question of common courtesy, it is business... just dollars and cents.

 

 

 

 

I also agree, the cruiseline owes them nothing for their stupidity.

[navybankerteacher]

While they are not obligated to do this, it is common courtesy and good customer service to do so in this situation. If you know the person couldn't use it then it's a bit silly to charge them for it when they obviously did not drink anything and no real losses occured on the cruiselines part, this was an optional expense. The same would hold true for excursions. They should have been given the option to cancel it 100% if they had wanted to (maybe they needed to request it as soon as they knew they weren't making it, but they had bigger concerns to think about that that exact moment I'm sure). It would be different if they had asked for compensation for their room or dining room costs to be refunded or pro-rated, that is expected revenue when you book a cruise and not an opt out item.

 

A logical extension of this rationale would be to urge partial refunds to purchasers of drink packages who passed out early in the day, every day, and were unable to fully utilize their unlimited drinks packages.

[CaroleSS]

You want to experience entitlement? Go work in a high-end hotel!

 

Ha! My folks live near a snooty neighborhood where rich folk come to retire. Their neighbor works as a cashier in the local grocery store. She has some great stories about all the wives of these rich ex-CEOs.....things like one lady who wanted to push to the front of the line. "Do you know who my husband is??"....."no, and I don't care, but do you know who MY husband is??" She just laughs at how pompous they are!

 

There is a difference between being a big fish in a small pond and being a big fish in the ocean......at least some of us realize we are small fishies and the ocean is pretty big.

[idamae3218]

I read a review on NCL BA yesterday. The OP complained her cabin had TOO MUCH STORAGE. What? I've read about the crowds during the summer, the smoke near the casino, but too much storage? Reason: she forgot her jewelry in one of the hundreds of drawers. Complainers will find something to complain about, even when there is really nothing wrong.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Forums mobile app

[kcwingwalker]

I read a review on NCL BA yesterday. The OP complained her cabin had TOO MUCH STORAGE. What? I've read about the crowds during the summer, the smoke near the casino, but too much storage? Reason: she forgot her jewelry in one of the hundreds of drawers. Complainers will find something to complain about, even when there is really nothing wrong.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Forums mobile app

 

OMG! That's a good one. I thought everyone knew you completely checked your cabin for personal items at least once. I always check the cabin after everything is packed up and then again when it's time to leave the cabin.

 

How could anyone be to blame except for the OP? I do feel sorry when people leave items behind, but not when they blame it on someone else.

[OCruisers]

The entitled ones are quick to complain and equally quick to "rat" on others if they perceive someone is getting a better deal. IMO they are likely to be the ones who remove gratuities.

 

For the one who claimed to get a cheap booze ticket, well maybe he did or perhaps was just telling a story to impress others. I wouldn't be impressed and would be concerned about the bartender's job. Unless it was the bartender's last cruise, I highly doubt he could be bribed.

 

Agree with your reply!

 

LuLu

~~~~~

[TC1957]

 

I also agree. It was not cruise line's fault you boarded late, why should they bear any responsibility or suffer any loss?

 

They are in business to make money. It isn't a question of common courtesy, it is business... just dollars and cents.

 

 

 

 

OK...I'm going to play devil's advocate here. I understand it's not the cruise line's fault they missed part of the cruise and that the line is in the business of making money. That said, if does not cost them a dime to refund a pro-rata portion of the drink package. In fact, their gross margin sky-rockets when they don't because they did not incur any cost for the drinks that were not consumed. The human labor is not incremental...the servers and bartenders are going to be there if they serve 1 drink or 10,000 drinks during the cruise.

 

Sometimes good customer relations is doing the right thing to make a someone happy. Obviously they had a customer who's vacation was already going into the dumpster. So the cruise line customer service people had a few options;

 

1) Do nothing to try to improve the disposition of a customer and run the risk of losing them in the future.

2) Refund 28.5% of the drink package and make your customer happy...possibly winning them for years to come and maybe motivating them to spend that money elsewhere on the ship.

 

I heard a great line somewhere and I apologize for not being able to give proper credit; "I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was going to blame you."

 

That applies here...

[CaroleSS]

TC1957 has a great point.

 

On Celebrity you can buy the beverage package up to 3 days before the end of the cruise. So, let these folk fall into that category. Refunding them the days they did not get to use the package buys them a TON of PR and good will.

 

BUT, I do think that the OP used these as examples of self-entitlement, not really as topics for discussion. Unfortunately "gimme gimme gimme" or "me me me" is all too prevalent in our society. Too many care about themselves more than the 'whole'. They DEMAND that others kowtow to their demands or they make a scene (even if the situation is self imposed).

 

A better question is: what can we do to turn the tide back to a society where we help one another? For the most part these boards are quite altruistic. I don't expect anything in return for helping someone else...Why can't our society be the same?

[sherilyn70]

A logical extension of this rationale would be to urge partial refunds to purchasers of drink packages who passed out early in the day, every day, and were unable to fully utilize their unlimited drinks packages.

 

That's a might big jump there.

a) we don't know what cruise line this was about

b) you don't know if they used the cruise lines flight options

 

There is a big difference between someone being stupid and passing out and someone missing a flight that was protected by cruise air or carnival's flight policies. It is not their fault and they are not "stupid" if their flight was delayed, despite what a lot of superior attitudes on cruise critic about people that don't fly in the day before think.

[JustCruiseMe]

I agree with TC. It wasn't the cruise line's fault but it will garner much more loyalty if they try to help them out just a little. Do they have to? No. Would it be the nice thing to do? Yes.

 

Was a restaurant last weekend (Redlobster). Two people, service was terrible, why? Not sure. Did server forget to turn in order? Was kitchen under staffed as she said? I don't know. Everyone around us had been served (even those who came in after) and some were finishing up and we still hadn't been served. I asked the server how much longer because this was not right. Anyway long story short, server sent mgr, we never asked for mgr. Mgr comped 1 dinner. Told her it wasn't necessary but she insisted but then DH never ever got the last thing he ordered so I felt better about it. Server got 20% based on all dinners. We will go back again and hope for the best.

[ookpik]

That's a might big jump there.

a) we don't know what cruise line this was about

b) you don't know if they used the cruise lines flight options

 

There is a big difference between someone being stupid and passing out and someone missing a flight that was protected by cruise air or carnival's flight policies. It is not their fault and they are not "stupid" if their flight was delayed, despite what a lot of superior attitudes on cruise critic about people that don't fly in the day before think.

 

I agree

Sherrilyn,haven't seen you posting for a long time.

Hope you are feeling better!