What is the silliest complaint you've heard on vacation?

[cruzinchris]

This is not really "silly," but I'm reminded of a passenger complaint every time someone comments about the size of stateroom showers.

 

DH and I were at the Purser's desk on one of our cruises and overheard the rantings of a "big and tall" woman regarding her inability to fit in the shower in her stateroom. She insisted that the cruiseline was obligated to accommodate her with a larger shower or a bathtub. This was her first cruise, and she had no idea that the shower would be so small.

 

The woman was told politely and repeatedly that there were no large showers or bathtubs available as the ship was full. They told her that, yes, she could have booked a suite or other stateroom category with a bathtub, but these were few in number and cost more than her stateroom.

 

Our business at the Purser's desk was finished before the woman reached any sort of resolution with the staff. We did see this woman a few times during the weeklong cruise, and she always looked nice, so she must have made do under the circumstances.

Chris

[Krasdude]

Someone else posted this but it is classic ...

 

"Overheard a pax reboarding the ship after a ruins tour. "What a rip off, they're all man-made." I wanted to turn around and give him a, "Well DUH" but he was angry enough to hit me.:D"

[waterrats]

I love the one about the ship moving. I guess this person would also complain about the plane moving.

Also the one person that didn't think to bring a coat while cruising Alaska and the Icebergs.

I was on an extended cruise (extra 2 nights) last year. There were many people that were complaining that the cruise was extended. Amazing. We could of had a ligitimate reason to complain as my parents were watching our kids and they needed to leave on Friday because they were sailing out of NY on Saturday to Bermuda. Well they left the kids with my sister-in-law. We try to cover all the bases just in case. You never know what will come up. We loved the extra two days and never complained once.

[cruzbabe]

What a fun thread!!!:D

[Dreamer333]

I was on an extended cruise (extra 2 nights) last year. There were many people that were complaining that the cruise was extended....We loved the extra two days and never complained once.

 

I'm with you...

I'd be CHEERING if my cruise was extended an extra two days!! :D

[10X]

A couple of years ago on this board a guy was ranting about how he'd never cruise Princess again. His reasons? No music was playing when he boarded and the room steward failed to make funny shaped animals with his towels. I think these are good reasons for him never to cruise again.

[Pam in CA]

the room steward failed to make funny shaped animals with his towels.

I hated the towel animals on my two RCI cruises and resented the fact that my steward was going through my closet, drawers and personal possessions looking for something "cute" to put on the towel. Ugh! I felt violated. It wouldn't ruin my cruise but if I sail RCI again, I'll make it very clear "no towel animals" unless they want to be reported.

[katisdale]

My favorite "strange" story was in 1999. We took the old Crown on a partial Panama canal transit. The ship left FLL late the first night as monsoon type rains hit and they made the decision to delay loading the luggage and supplies until the rain let up a little. It was after 10PM when we pulled out and there was no poolside sail away since it was raining so heavily. The next AM we went to breakfast at the buffet and a couple happened to sit next to us when we were about half finished. Boy the wife was furious. She was on a surprise anniversary trip and thought the ship would stay in Florida for the full 10 days. She was really loud and tearful with her husband because he had "ruined" their anniversary. She wanted to shop shop shop but was on this boat instead. We saw them a few other times (so glad they were not at our dinner table) and she never looked happy.

[naplesam]

........the room steward failed to make funny shaped animals with his towels. I think these are good reasons for him never to cruise again.

 

At least never to cruise on Princess! Thank goodness!

[Suze17]

This may not be silly but it was certainly obnoxious complaining-once after muster we were waiting on the Promenade Deck as the crowd slowly made it's way back inside. There was a holdup at the door-an elderly couple was stuggling to get in-the gentleman was having trouble with a walker. The couple just in front of us were making rude comments and pressuring the couple to get through the door-as if the couple at the door were holding everyone up on purpose! Luckily this kind of rudeness is an exception and not the rule.-Sue

[Pam in CA]

My favorite "strange" story was in 1999. We took the old Crown on a partial Panama canal transit. The ship left FLL late the first night as monsoon type rains hit and they made the decision to delay loading the luggage and supplies until the rain let up a little. It was after 10PM when we pulled out and there was no poolside sail away since it was raining so heavily. The next AM we went to breakfast at the buffet and a couple happened to sit next to us when we were about half finished. Boy the wife was furious. She was on a surprise anniversary trip and thought the ship would stay in Florida for the full 10 days. She was really loud and tearful with her husband because he had "ruined" their anniversary. She wanted to shop shop shop but was on this boat instead. We saw them a few other times (so glad they were not at our dinner table) and she never looked happy.

Makes you wonder whether they're still together.

[calikak]

We had a woman at our table complain about the fact that on smart casual night on an Alaska cruise (including the first night's dinner), people were wearing tennis shoes in the dining room. She said that she would probably never sail Princess again because they allowed tennis shoes to be worn on smart casual night.

[Host CJSKIDS]

Both of these happened on the Tahitian.

 

1. This gentleman(?) ordered a cobb salad(well we all know that the items of the cobb salad are displayed on top of the salad and not tossed) Well he kept going on about how they don't know how to make a cobb salad and that they should have tossed it, and that so and so in Chicago knows how to make a cobb salad). We made sure we didn't sit near him again.

 

2. The last night was a little old lady(she was just getting on and we were leaving after dinner). I believe she was from Australia and went on about how far a walk she had from her room to the diningroom. The tahitian isn't very big. Would love to see her on the Mega ships.

 

 

The orginal version of the cobb salad is actually diced very finely and then should be tossed at the table when it's delivered!

[karfest]

My favorite was the lady who complained that there were too many Mexicans on the beach. We were in Acapulco at the time. :eek:

[whale-watcher]

Last January on the Dawn Princess some other passengers on the same shore excursion as ours showed up more than 30 minutes before the indicated meeting time, and then complained that they had been waiting "more than half an hour" and demanded that the tour operator "get this show on the road!" I had to restrain my DW to prevent her from assaulting him!

That same cruise featured a woman complaining very loudly in Horizon Court that no smoked salmon was present on the buffet that day -- never mind that there at least three other smoked fish selections including smoked trout and smoked mahi-mahi, as well as dozens of other choices...you would think her entire vacation was ruined beyond repair the way she was carrying on.

[monk888]

My favorite was the lady who complained that there were too many Mexicans on the beach. We were in Acapulco at the time. :eek:

 

OK. I've read every one of these posts, and find them hilarious. I've found some a bit hard to swallow, but on this one, I've got to ask, is this a joke or did this really happen?

[Pam in CA]

OK. I've read every one of these posts, and find them hilarious. I've found some a bit hard to swallow, but on this one, I've got to ask, is this a joke or did this really happen?

I have no doubts that these stories are true. We were in Rome several years ago and went to a local restaurant recommended by the hotel concierge. It wasn't fancy but the food was fabulous. Halfway through dinner, a relative of mine who shall remain nameless asked the waitress for some hot pepper. The waitress brought regular pepper and my relative said, "I don't think she speaks English!" Well, doh!

[baileyboy]

Two women were vacationing in the Catskills, and having lunch. The first woman says, "The food here is just terrible!" And the second says, "Yes, and such small portions!"

 

Some people are never happy...

 

fun thread, y'all.

[MichTraveler]

My favorite complaint has occurred on all 3 Alaska cruises. On the bus transfer from the port to Anchorage, the bus driver always says to be on the look-out for Moose and such. Each time, some couple would say "sure, they said we would see wildlife on the ship, but nothing -- what a gip -- we were cheated, etc". And all three times, someone would respond, "Well, you do need to get out of the cabin or look out the window". And all three times it started a full-bus coversation reviewing the wonderful wildlife sightings on that cruise. Well, they should post the wildlife sighting schedule in the Patters!

[Rusty]

The classic: Why can't the MIDNIGHT buffet start at 11PM?

 

Almost classic: Why are there two sides to the ship?(port/star.)

 

Not classic: How do the entertainers get on board?

[Baxter]

I have no doubts that these stories are true. We were in Rome several years ago and went to a local restaurant recommended by the hotel concierge. It wasn't fancy but the food was fabulous. Halfway through dinner, a relative of mine who shall remain nameless asked the waitress for some hot pepper. The waitress brought regular pepper and my relative said, "I don't think she speaks English!" Well, doh!

 

We have had several similar experiences at various all-inclusives. It never fails -- someone always states that they'll never come back to ______ because they don't even try to speak English!

[susancruzs]

One of my favorites was a lady complaining about all the sea days! We were on a transatlantic from Miami up to New York then on to France and England. Did she not research her cruise??? Not too many islands between New York and France! She was serious, at first I thought she was complaining about not enough daytime activities but no she wanted to get off. I felt like saying ok, get off if you want!!!

 

Susie

[jimneycrkit]

I have heard all the usual complaints on ships. I just shake my head. I have lived in tourists areas before and I am convinced people just loose their sense when on vacation.

 

When I was living in Carmel Ca as a youngster and teenager, people would complain that is was cold in the summer. Its Northen Ca not Southern and it is foggy all summer. People would stop me on the street and actually ask me which way the ocean was. Now mind you Ocean Ave is the main drag and it is on a hill. I would look at them and just point uphill and laugh as they started to walk uphill toward the Ocean, People would also ask me what the name of the lake at the bottom of the hill was. I would just say Pacific and they would mutter to themselves, Pacific Lake, Pacific Lake as they walked. We lived in a cute house right on Ocean Ave and people would knock on our door often hourly to ask to use our bathroom. Our they would walk up on our patio and take a picture of our oak tree. How rude.

 

When I lived on Maui I was a hotel manager for the Hyatt Regency. Normal daily complaints were that there were fish in the ocean and they couldn't swim, they would want their money back. There was coral in the ocean and they couldn't swim even though we had a sign on our beach indicating this. The beach didn't look like the brochure because the water was not as blue. Hello its raining outside and the clouds make the ocean grey. They would want their money back. How come the Palm trees did not have coconuts on them. Hmnn could be they were Palm trees. Its too windy to sit on the beach. They would want their money back. The sand was not black, why not. Note not all beaches in Hawaii are black. They would want their money back. They didn't like the saltwater, when I would tell them that we had 3 swimming pools right next to the water, they would complain they didn't want to walk that far. They wanted their money back. I could on but you see a pattern here. Some people will complain about anything or are just too stupid and shouldn't travel.

[maucat]

Last year on Golden Princess in Venice, even before we embarked a couple were complaining loudly at the pre cruise hotel that they demanded a room overlooking St Marks Square. The concierge tried to explain that there were no rooms in the hotel which overlooked St Marks. They showed him the Princess brochure which had a photograph of St Marks Square and then said they would sue Princess for misleading and fraudulent photos. They were next heard complaining when they embarked the ship that their embarkation was delayed because of a very high tide in Venice which had prevented the water taxi going under the canal bridges to collect them from their hotel. They were asking for a reduction as they said their cruise was delayed and as they were very hungry they had had to buy lunch back at the hotel and no they didn't wish to go to the 24 hour buffet as they were now too full.

[btrojanoski]

We were on a Princess 5 day cruise tour in China before a 15 day Regal Princess Bejing to Bangkok cruise in 2000.

 

Our bus stopped at a “rest stop” where everyone who needed to, could use the washrooms.

 

The washrooms had stalls with no doors and only a hole in the floor that a person had to squat over to do their business. These are the standard facilities in rural China.

 

Back on the bus one lady announced that she was going to complain to Princess that it was Princess’s fault that the Chinese didn’t have regular American toilets and she wanted a complete refund of her cruise tour for the embarrassment of having to use the facilities.

 

I laughed so hard that I cried.