Too American for British Tastes?

[babs135]

I love the idea of these cruises, but having had a quick look at a brochure am now wondering if they would be too American. (Hope you know what I mean).

 

Would we find any 'foreigners' aboard? One reason we like ocean cruising is the chance to meet people from all over the world.

[LDVinNC]

The passengers are mostly American - of a certain age, shall we say. North, sometimes far north, of 50 years old. We did have a young Russian couple down the deck from us on one of our cruises.

 

If you want to see "small town" America, take the trip. Food is great, rolling on the river is fun, and we have met lovely people. It is an American experience and I am glad that it is.

[Calliope]

I love the idea of these cruises, but having had a quick look at a brochure am now wondering if they would be too American. (Hope you know what I mean).

 

Would we find any 'foreigners' aboard? One reason we like ocean cruising is the chance to meet people from all over the world.

 

I love the idea of traveling on the Str. WAVERLY, the last ocean going paddlewheel steamboat and flies the red ensign, but I'm now wondering if riding her would be too British. You know what I mean?

[babs135]

I love the idea of traveling on the Str. WAVERLY, the last ocean going paddlewheel steamboat and flies the red ensign, but I'm now wondering if riding her would be too British. You know what I mean?

 

I hope you don't think I was having a go about Americans, because I wasn't. We are, afterall, two nations divided by a common language:) The main point I was trying to make is that we are different, we don't all laugh at the same things, find pathos in the same situations, etc, etc. We have friends who live in Florida and sometimes I have no idea what they are talking about ie sidewalks/pavements, trunk/boot of car; you get my drift.

 

With that in mind, that is why I asked the question. Americans are excellent at the shmaltzy things (absolutely nothing wrong with that), but it can sometimes be laid on a bit thickly. Here in the UK we almost certainly have faults that grate on Americans. I just wondered how it worked on these river cruises.

 

BTW if everyone speaks with a deep South accent then I've had it - definitely can't understand a word :D

[biker1972]

I enjoy Fasinating Aida, especially songs like "Cheap Flights". I will be on a trip on the AQ later this year so I will find out if the whole operation is too much of the deep South for a Northerner like me who has eclectic tastes. But I am sure that I will still have fun. Until you venture out of a protective cocoon, you cannot really spread your wings.

[babs135]

I enjoy Fasinating Aida, especially songs like "Cheap Flights". I will be on a trip on the AQ later this year so I will find out if the whole operation is too much of the deep South for a Northerner like me who has eclectic tastes. But I am sure that I will still have fun. Until you venture out of a protective cocoon, you cannot really spread your wings.

 

Couldn't agree more. That's why we like cruising; we've met people from all over the world; all who share the same love of cruising. We've sailed with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity so know how 'American' ships operate I just wondered how different it would be on a river cruise.

[goose30]

I find that London is a bit to British for most Americans!

[LDVinNC]

Schmaltzy? I'd like some examples, please. I am an American who lived in London for a year and get back as often as I can, so I love most things British. However, I love my own country more and I simply have no idea what you mean.

[Calliope]

Couldn't agree more. That's why we like cruising; we've met people from all over the world; all who share the same love of cruising. We've sailed with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity so know how 'American' ships operate I just wondered how different it would be on a river cruise.

 

Really, why did you ask if steamboatin' would be too American when you seem to have all of the answers already? Royal Caribbean and Celebrity are no more "American" ships than Cunard is now British. Maritime historian John Maxtone-Graham described modern day lines like the above as, "International Acceptable" and certainly not American.

 

You are afraid of not being able to understand someone from the Deep South. I would not worry about that because you would be just as likely to hear a New England accent, New York accent, Mid-west accent, New Orleans accent and all of the variations of the above as one from the south while onboard. I can understand that phobia. I was on the QE2 in 1980 dining in Tables of the World and at my table there was an East German whom barely spoke English and wore white undershirts to dinner, Vince was an elderly gentleman from Dallas, Texas, if I remember correctly, and John from Manchester, England that I could barely understand due to his thick Manchester accent. Now thirty four years later I still remember that table and everyone's name except the sullen German. I relish all of those memories.

 

To be honest, I think that you probably would not enjoy the truly American adventure that riding on a paddlewheel steamboat would be. I get the feeling you're much too set in your ideas about this great country of mine and experiencing heartland America the way it actually is might be too unsettling for one with such preconceived notions.

[Folk Singer]

I love the idea of traveling on the Str. WAVERLY, the last ocean going paddlewheel steamboat and flies the red ensign, but I'm now wondering if riding her would be too British. You know what I mean?

 

 

Too funny. and maybe too right.

[Folk Singer]

I find that London is a bit to British for most Americans!

 

 

no kidding. :eek::eek: I wonder why that might be.;)

[Rosethorn40]

I love the idea of these cruises, but having had a quick look at a brochure am now wondering if they would be too American. (Hope you know what I mean).

 

Would we find any 'foreigners' aboard? One reason we like ocean cruising is the chance to meet people from all over the world.

 

I think it's a fair question. OP is wondering if they would feel out of place, or that it would be too different.

 

Years ago we took a 14-day Caribbean cruise out of Fort Lauderdale that we found after the fact was marketed very heavily in Great Briton and 80% or so of the passengers were British. I felt everything was geared towards British taste; food, entertainment, and the cruise director (Who was English) made some comments that made him seem anti-American. I didn't enjoy it that much.

 

So, to answer your question OP, maybe skip the 4th of July cruise, but most of the others I think you will enjoy. On my one and only AQ cruise there were a few passengers from overseas; a few from Asia, and a couple from Europe (Can't remember which country), as well as a couple of Canadians. Everyone got along just fine. Food tended to be regional in style, but hey, if I can eat haggis in Scotland I'm sure you can try grits. Being that the boat only carries about 450 passengers =/- most people are very friendly and you won't lack for conversation. Also, we found that the majority of our fellow passengers were well traveled, so you can probably find something to converse about besides the weather.

[steamboats]

BTW if everyone speaks with a deep South accent then I've had it - definitely can't understand a word :D

 

Don´t worry, if I do understand them you will too - and I´m German :D! I´ve been on 11 cruises on the Mississippi river system and hope to return soon...

 

Yes, it´s pretty much American and of course - as a German - some things are a bit too much for me but I do pay my respect (looking back on our history we do not honor our flag or troops like the Americans do, but of course I do respect this). Actually I do like that American stuff.

 

BTW on our recent Oasis TA there was the Q&A sessíon with the captain. A Brit asked a question, everyone in the theatre didn´t have a clue what he was talking about because no one (even the Brits) did understand a word due to his heavy accent. :D

 

steamboats