Disembarkation Talk

[Krazy Kruizers]

Do you go to the disembarkation talk?

[Atomica]

On our latest cruise we didn't. I always have up to then, but I felt that we knew the speech well enough to do without it. And indeed we did!

 

Now, I would go if I was on a different line, or maybe sailing from a port I'd never disembarked from, but I don't think we'll go to it when we return to Alaska next September.

[SnorkelBear]

No. They play it over and over on TV before disembarkation.

[kryos]

Yes, my cabinmate and I both went on my last cruise. The reason? Not because I need any info about how to disembark, but rather because they did the crew farewell at the end of the talk ... "Love in Any Language" ... and I like to take pictures at that.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[hammybee]

Only once in all the sails. Being told to rate the cruise as a "9" was a hard sell.

[newmexicoNita]

We probably did the first 10 or 15 cruises; now, not on your life. We have too much else we want to do the last day or so. If we feel we need a refresher we can watch on the TV. In the "good ole days" they used to have drawings for prizes and do lots of fun things, the same with the shopping port talks, now it seems like they are just plain boring. NMnnita

[newmexicoNita]

We probably did the first 10 or 15 cruises; now, not on your life. We have too much else we want to do the last day or so. If we feel we need a refresher we can watch on the TV. In the "good ole days" they used to have drawings for prizes and do lots of fun things, the same with the shopping port talks, now it seems like they are just plain boring. NMnnita

[Copper10-8]

Yes, same reason as Rita, to see the crew farewell and listen to "Love in any language" In addition, at times they play the "Sea Quest" game just ahead of the talk Wouldn't want to miss a chance to see pax taking out their dentures, their bras, shoes, well-earned money, belts, credit cards, stripping down to their underwear, cruise staff guys chasing and carrying in unsuspecting bar waiters on their backs, man boobs, etc. to name a few :D Crazy game!

[whogo]

Never again. It is much easier to read the info at leisure. I agree with Hammybee, "Being told to rate the cruise as a "9" was a hard sell."

[cruisequeen10]

Always.

[tomc]

I never felt we were being asked to rate everything as a "9," but that we should not subtract from our initial score (a 9, or whatever) because of one bad incident in the cruise. Also, they take an "8" or lower as a deficiency and want us to explain it in the comments section so they can fix it.

 

This has alway been my impression.

[dakrewser]

We mostly skip them, but did hang around for it after Sea Quest on our last cruise. But, then, Peter Daems was our CD and he could make reading the phone book interesting :)

[RuthC]

For the first time ever I missed it on the Voyage of the Spammed. :( Over-slept, or something, and had to choose between the talk and breakfast. Breakfast won. :rolleyes:

I was very sorry that I didn't get to see the unveiling of Mr/Ms Zaandam right before, and the presentation of staff/crew and singing of Love In Any Language right after. :( :( The song is never the same when you watch it on TV. In person it fills me with the warm and fuzzys. :)

As for the information in the talk itself? Don't need it; the info's all in the package delivered to the cabin.

[jhannah]

I think I've been two times. The second time was specifically to hear the crew sing. Otherwise, I just watch it in the cabin.

[hammybee]

I never felt we were being asked to rate everything as a "9," but that we should not subtract from our initial score (a 9, or whatever) because of one bad incident in the cruise. Also, they take an "8" or lower as a deficiency and want us to explain it in the comments section so they can fix it.

 

This has alway been my impression.

 

Tom, this was more than a feeling. Passengers were told to rate it a 9 if we enjoyed the cruise. We did and then subtracted half for the CD. Guess he took a bullet for the cruise that day. :)

 

And the stuff about lower than an 8 is HALpatootie, another attempt to scew the numbers. I love HAL and have never had a bad cruise but really dislike the number game they play.

[jhannah]

Tom, this was more than a feeling. Passengers were told to rate it a 9 if we enjoyed the cruise.

I agree. It wasn't altogether direct, but the emphasis was certainly on selecting nines, and that anything else reflected badly on the crew.

 

And the stuff about lower than an 8 is HALpatootie.

I agree again.

[Tricia724]

I usually watch it on the tube while I'm packing my clothes. I figure how many times do I need to hear the same old story about the guy who packed all his clothes and didn't have anything to wear off the ship....:rolleyes:

 

They did do something at the disembarkation talk on Veendam that I have never seen happen....although this was a longer cruise than I have ever taken before. They served a glass of champagne to everyone attending the meeting (who wanted it.) Of course, since I was watching it on the TV several hours later, I missed out. :(

 

Nice touch, though.

[LemonZest]

We don't. We have both cruised enough to not need reminders about putting luggage out or not packing one's traveling clothes etc. By the thirteenth or fourteenth day we're tired of the same old jokes from the CD, and I dislike anything sentimental, including the crew song.

 

We have watched the HAL one on the television. I found the strong emphasis on rating everything a nine very off-putting. It definitely left a bad impression at the end of the cruise. I almost never rate anything all full points and don't like being told I must do so. While we really do enjoy HAL, which is evidenced by our number of repeat voyages, it is not perfection, and giving all full points makes the survey useless, if it's honestly intended to point out areas that could be improved upon.

 

LZ

[gizmo]

I never go to the talks.

 

I think the "number game" should be changed. I would prefer to see 1-5.

[ger_77]

We haven't gone for a number of years, but this last time in October, decided to check out "Sea Quest" and stay for the disembarkation talk. I thought I was going to choke, I was laughing so hard during "Sea Quest" - it was truly worth watching.

 

During the disembarkation talk, I didn't feel we were being pressured to mark 9's on our evaluations. I love the singing of "Love In Any Language" - it always makes me feel sad that we're leaving such a fine group of people.

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

[tomc]

I had gotten to know the HM on my previous (not this last) cruise and walked into his office while he was going through the comment sheets. I was surprised that he was reading them; he said he sure does and that they are treated very seriously.

 

I do wish we could rate each act individually, as some are better than others and some (at least in the past) were not that hot.

[Randyk47]

First 2 cruises only.....very first Carnival cruise and then the follow-on HAL cruise the next year and never since. Quite frankly the process, with minor changes, is pretty much the same and watching it on TV gives us enough information. Willing or not we've managed to get off the ship without too much trouble even without attending the talk. :) We've also stopped going to the port briefs and catch those on the TV if we've not been to the port before. Of course, my impression is those have turned into sales pitches for the "guaranteed" stores and any port information is thrown in as an aside rather than major point.