Common Scheduled Activity on a Cruise Ship That I Have No interest In participating I

[hotsauce126]

1 hour ago, RWolver672 said:

 

You remember correctly.  They are phasing them out.  They finally realized that the majority of people cruising on Carnival aren't interested in buying art.

 

I don't think people on any line are interested in being scammed into massively overpaying for art 

Edited April 9, 2019 by hotsauce126

[ProgRockCruiser]

Debarking.

 

Apparently scheduled for every cruise, and mandatory for almost everyone.  Yeesh.

[LuckyStar]

On 4/7/2019 at 11:10 PM, vicky3vicky said:

 There is so much to do on a Carnival Cruise. And there are so many activities that you can expect to see on every cruise.I love to try new things, but I don't care how much free champagne they give out, I have never had the slightest desire to attend any of the art auctions. I doubt I ever will. Are there any regularly scheduled activities on a cruise that you can't see yourself ever participating in?

Shopping lectures for the ports.  Boring. 

[Aplmac]

3 minutes ago, LuckyStar said:

Shopping lectures for the ports.  Boring. 

.

Hey, don't knock it - that's where I learned what a ten-table diamond is.

[LoungingMcCoy]

I'm not a gambler so I don't do the casino or bingo.  The shows also don't interest me.

 

We haven't done an art auction, but on our last cruise we did walk through the art gallery.  The guy that was working there was really pushy.  After reading this thread I can't imagine going to an auction where they're likely even more pushy! 

 

I'm not an aficionado, but I do enjoy looking at art. In the words of Mr. Burns from the Simpsons: "I don't know art but I know what I hate."  I saw a couple of prints that really caught my eye.  When I got home I did some research on the artist.  Apparently his works are pretty much only available on cruise ships.  I thought that was odd.

Edited April 9, 2019 by LoungingMcCoy

[Homosassa]

LOL - I am going way back (thirty - forty years) and on lines other than Carnival. Among the lines I cruised at that time was Chandris (now known as Celebrity), Sitmar (now Princess), NCL,  and Regency Cruises.

 

It used to be common to see a "Grandparents Brag Hour" where the passengers would gather to show pictures of their grandchildren and brag. I still would be interested in that one.

 

Another old time listing would be the "Knit and Natter" gathering. Ah, no.

[maldenmusic]

Pretty much anything with a sales pitch

[CheckersMidwest]

I went to the art auction on our first cruise. I wanted to do as much as possible that was offered & see what it was all about. It was the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. They would hold up a painting for sale......no one would bid......everyone clapped. Champaigne was nasty and did not receive any 'free' gift for attending. Never again.

[bdever]

Bingo

art auctions

game shows

trivia

karaoke

Anything involving the Lido deck pool 

[bumorgan]

The lifeboat drill but alas we must go.

[lottiegreen56]

Bingo (biggest rippoff at sea)

Trivia (too much and they repeat the questions every cruise)

Art Auctions

Spa

Anything not from the casino that is advertised via paper stuff in my room

[mom2tcdx2]

We learned to avoid all the sales seminars, art auctions, spa demos.  I also however don't really care for the game show style shows on the ships.  Don't go to the love or marriage show, not crazy about the Hasbro game show.  

[grandmarnnurse]

On 4/8/2019 at 7:21 AM, IPlayWithString said:

 "Walking in comfort" come to mind

 

I'll never really "walk in comfort"...not really. Fibromyalgia makes moving period kinda a PITA a lot of times.

 

And I've never been to an art auction...because I have zero interest in that and some of the art is (at least to me) not really all that great. I don't CARE who Peter Max is. I really don't. Until I saw some of his 'work' (is it really though? Or just copies?) on a cruise, I had no idea who he was. And some of that art (like those creepy owls I've seen on a couple of cruises) are downright scary.

 

Also never been to a hairy chest competition or a late night deck party (well..once. And I ended up burning the crap out of my mouth because when the tag said 'hot queso' I  thought it meant temperture wise. It meant temp wise AND spiciness wise. Ow.) because I'm usually in bed or at least quietly reading in my cabin by that time of night.

Same here, in relation to late night deck parties. We are usually in bed by the time they start. We keep saying we might try to make it, but never do. We are very early risers—absolutely never sleep beyond 7am in our lives—so usually in bed by 10, or stretching it, by 11! We will not go to art auctions either. As for Hairy chest contests, we might catch a glimpse if in the area, but never go out of our way to watch it. 

[RICKnVICK]

Art Auction, Spa services (just hard selling) tour talks and the crazy $20 watch sale on 1st sea day.  I have participated a couple of times and the pushing and shoving is ridiculous so I nixed that one as well lol

 

Happy Cruising everyone!

Vicki

[richfret]

HEY!  Leave my BINGO alone!  I look forward to the games and wish they had one every day of the cruise.  That's why they invented the Serenity Section.  If you don't want to play Bingo, just go to the Serenity Section and sleep. 

[auburn77]

I went to the art auction many years ago. There was not one Velvet Elvis or Dogs Playing Poker! I haven't been back.

I also avoid the photographers like the plague. They're everywhere. I'm dreading the time I'm one day in the shower and pull the curtain back. The photographer says smile!

[MommytoAsquared]

On 4/8/2019 at 4:59 PM, vicky3vicky said:

The Spa! I will never go to the spa again. I went on a cruise about 6 years ago to celebrate being done with chemotherapy. Some of my friends pitched together and purchased a spa treatment to celebrate. Chemotherapy [not to mention the slash and burn] had negatively impacted my self esteem, but, I had reached a place where I was comfortable again with my face and body. Right before the cruise I had even gotten a facial dermabrassion, a manicure, and a pedicure which made me feel even better. 

 

Until I got my spa treatments. Some type of facial and something else. It was okay until the end, when she started pointing out all of my physical flaws [some even I hadn't known I have] and how I needed more treatments and pricey products. I remember bursting out crying, running back to my cabin, and into the bathroom. I looked at my reflection and said "Yeah,you're not in denial, you're looking pretty good now, for a 300 year old lizard!" 

 

My husband wanted to lodge a complaint, but I wanted to just pretend it had never happened. I have no interest in the Art Auctions, but I actively avoid the spa. Believe it or not, I am not a vain person, but the timing was way off.

 

 

So sorry - My mother had a similar experience.  She spent most of her treatment time holding back tears.  I don't understand why they think making you feel bad about yourself will make you buy their product.

[bdever]

13 hours ago, richfret said:

HEY!  Leave my BINGO alone!  I look forward to the games and wish they had one every day of the cruise.  That's why they invented the Serenity Section.  If you don't want to play Bingo, just go to the Serenity Section and sleep. 

Yes! Thanks for saying it Rich!!! On point! I’ll be in Serenity all day while you get your Bingo on. Better odds for you and more room for me in Serenity. 

[Djptcp]

Karaoke - 99% of the people I've heard on 48 cruises are horrible! I don't stop to listen, but sometimes the venue is close to where I am doing something. They must really drink a lot to get up there and embarrass themselves like that.

Bingo - really, really slow and boring. I spend most of the time the casino is open in the casino and receive lots of free and very discounted offers from them.

Photographers - if I want our picture taken, I'll go to one of the set venues and get it done. Stop bothering me at dinner.

[dmdiver]

I'll have to agree with you about the dinner photographers.  I'd rather they didn't bother me during dinner.  We usually have photos taken at the various backgrounds & usually at port.  Any family portrait you see hanging in our house is from a cruise.  We will typically scan & keep the digital copy stored on the computer & backup drive.  We usually buy the welcome aboard photo & sometimes the others - just depends on how they turn out.  

[ProgRockCruiser]

2 hours ago, Djptcp said:

Karaoke - 99% of the people I've heard on 48 cruises are horrible! I don't stop to listen, but sometimes the venue is close to where I am doing something. They must really drink a lot to get up there and embarrass themselves like that.

 

Well, yeah - many people are quite shy about singing in public, so they need alcohol to get brave - thye want to try it, it looks so fun, but they need just one more shot of tequila!  Others are just bad singers, regardless of alcohol consumption.  And some folks don't need the alcohol but happen to be more inebriated than they think and sing off key, even if they can sing well sober.

 

I am a bit of #3 - I'm in a band, so singing in front of crowds not only doesn't scare me, I love it!  And I can drink a fair bit and still sing (heck, it is practically a requirement in some of the bars we play).  But if I just left the Alchemy Bar at 11pm, chances are I'm not totally sober...

 

That's really the whole point of karaoke though, right?  Otherwise it turns into American Idol and everyone is trying too hard, getting serious and overly competitive.

 

 

2 hours ago, Djptcp said:

Bingo - really, really slow and boring. I spend most of the time the casino is open in the casino and receive lots of free and very discounted offers from them.

 

Neither bingo nor the casino interest me, but I do appreciate that other folks do like it, and if Carnival profits from it, I guess that helps my overall costs?

 

2 hours ago, Djptcp said:

Photographers - if I want our picture taken, I'll go to one of the set venues and get it done. Stop bothering me at dinner.

 

I'm 50/50 on random photographers - sometimes I like the spontaneity of dinner/lido photos (though most of them look awful and I don't purchase anyway), other times I'm like: "meh, not right now".  But they are pretty good at moving along if you don't look interested.

 

[momof3cruisers]

Hairy chest,   Art sales, store "sales", seminars, port shopping talks.

 

Basically, anything you get a flyer for in your room.

Edited April 10, 2019 by momof3cruisers

[SandiLynn]

1 hour ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

 

 #3 - I'm in a band, so singing in front of crowds not only doesn't scare me, I love it!  And I can drink a fair bit and still sing (heck, it is practically a requirement in some of the bars we play).  But if I just left the Alchemy Bar at 11pm, chances are I'm not totally sober...

 

That's really the whole point of karaoke though, right?  Otherwise it turns into American Idol and everyone is trying too hard, getting serious and overly competitive.

 

My DH is also in a band and loves to go to karaoke. We will be cruising with one of his band mate and his wife. It's so fun watching them play around and not take it seriously. 

[MommytoAsquared]

On 4/9/2019 at 3:18 PM, bumorgan said:

The lifeboat drill but alas we must go.

 

Post of the day!

[MommytoAsquared]

Agree on the karaoke - especially when it's kid after kid after kid.  I have been to enough recitals.  I don't need another on my vacation.  Now, I'm ducking for cover as everyone who loves the cute kids singing come out!