Do you enjoy hallway banter?

[Aussie Cruisers]

Okay, I am a bit of a talker.... I would talk under water with a mouth full of marbles... I could talk under wet cement. You get my drift?

 

So I was thinking back to my last cruise and my DW and I are very friendly sorts of people (and we milked our Aussie accents on the Caribbean cruise to the max too :cool: ). You Yanks love it!!! So, how much hallway banter is good, how much is too little, how much is too much? Is there an obligation to talk more to your neighbours across the hall and in adjacent cabins than others?

 

A few times when passing people they and we would say "G'day" or "Hello" they were acting like...... STRANGER DANGER.... it was so funny. Most times they were like "Howdy! Beautiful day isn't it" and it was great to be friendly! In the end we enjoyed a little game guessing if people were friendly or ready to run to the nearest stairway. Oh, small things amuse small minds don't they? :D

 

Let me know what your experiences are, good and bad!

 

Mark.

[MEcruzr]

Mark... I come from a place where you say hello to everyone you see. Even when driving, you're expected to WAVE to the other drivers (all of them) and anyone walking on the road. If you don't, you must be "from away". It's actually how I met my husband... I kept saying hello to him, even though I didn't know him. He finally stopped me one day and asked WHY I kept saying hello when we didn't know each other. The rest is history! So I'm like you on a cruise ship... if we pass in a hallway, I'm going to look you in the eye and say something. If I'm on an elevator, a bus or standing in line with you, I'm going to start a conversation. There are times when people don't know quite how to take it. They might be warily polite or they might be downright rude. Most seem pleasantly surprised when a stranger strikes up a conversation or simply acknowledges them with a warm greeting.

 

Hope to pass you in a hallway some day!

MECruzr

[Aussie Cruisers]

WEll, this is the first time we cross paths.

 

It is funny, DW and I are currently living in the outback of Australia and when driving on the dirt roads, you 'wave' by raising a finger (not the RUDE one) from the wheel. It is very Aussie..... but so hard to see sometimes. Also, when you hit bitumen the wave stops. DW and I feel there should be a sign that says 'waving starts/stops now" to help us waving and not getting one back - we feel like geese!

 

Funny - we also have a game.... once my wife went crazy with her wave - both arms waving frantically - the driver's face in the other car was priceless...... mastercard moment. :p

 

M.

[Pontius Navigator]

Stranger Danger

 

Weirdo Magnet

 

The latter is my wife's expression when her 'new best friend' that she has never met before heaves into sight.:) Know what I mean?

 

Yeah, we chat. Ever been in the tongue biting area though? Just about to say something and just manage to avoid putting foot in mouth?

 

One cruise, comparing successes, failures etc, and little old lady, travelling alone and last minute booker, said how she had paid over $16000 when we had paid less than $7000 for two oooooooooo. Fortunately our lift arrived :)

 

Or when we got in the elevator(lift) on the last cruise and the doors kept re-opening. There was some 'banter' which we were just about to join in like "how about we all breathe in" when one of the women (about 25) said to this other woman slim and about 35, "if you got your fat **** off the alarm button" . We said, "we'll walk" and go out.

 

Yup, it carries a risk.

[Aussie Cruisers]

PN - that is so funny coz the buttons are recessed..... I would be like... yeah I have a lump of hard fat at the right height that pressed the button... only kidding.

 

I would have probably been gob-smacked and then said "It was me" just to make the skinny lady feel supported. :( Poor thing....

 

You could then act a few sandwiches short of a picnic by saying.... "I use the powers of my mind" and then the elevator would have not been so full. ;)

[Pontius Navigator]

Mark... I come from a place where you say hello to everyone you see. . . WAVE to the other . . . walking on the road.

 

I used to cycle to and from work, slow and liesurely, nod to other cyclists and regular walkers (never know when you might need help).

 

Every day, same time, I would pass this chap walking to or from the post office. Smile, nod, NADA. "Miserable git."

 

Then he started coming in the pub I use Monday nights. Smile, nod, NADA.

 

Guess what, he was a miserable git.

[Pontius Navigator]

the elevator would have not been so full. ;)

 

Elevator Danger

 

We were staggered by the number of people using the elevator to go down ONE deck.

 

Talking to this couple about our observation.

 

"Oh I can't manage stairs. I need to use the elevator"

 

Oops.

 

'Nother en passant chat.

 

To break up the monotony of 8 times round the deck for one mile we go down from deck 11 to deck 3 down a passage way and back up the next flight. As we go up we pass a slight American lady also climbing the stairs.

 

"I'm with two elderly relatives and just have to get some exercise"

 

Yes we agreed, it certainly helps to get the heart rate up at which she stops, collapses on the bannister, gasps, "y e s, oh I c a n ' t b r e a t h e" as she tries to catch a breath.

 

Ooops again, we are twice her age :)

[CatServants]

Okay, I am a bit of a talker.... I would talk under water with a mouth full of marbles... I could talk under wet cement. You get my drift?

 

So I was thinking back to my last cruise and my DW and I are very friendly sorts of people (and we milked our Aussie accents on the Caribbean cruise to the max too :cool: ). You Yanks love it!!! So, how much hallway banter is good, how much is too little, how much is too much? Is there an obligation to talk more to your neighbours across the hall and in adjacent cabins than others?

 

A few times when passing people they and we would say "G'day" or "Hello" they were acting like...... STRANGER DANGER.... it was so funny. Most times they were like "Howdy! Beautiful day isn't it" and it was great to be friendly! In the end we enjoyed a little game guessing if people were friendly or ready to run to the nearest stairway. Oh, small things amuse small minds don't they? :D

 

Let me know what your experiences are, good and bad!

 

Mark.

 

 

Mark - There's a reason they call us "LOUD AMERICANS"!!!:D:D Friendly, talkative, extroverted, effusive, pushy, that's us...or is that just me?;) Oh, and us "Yanks" famous love of accents? YOU GOT IT MATE!!!:D See you in the hallway!

 

Happy cruising!

 

Denise

[operafan]

I remember back to our first Med cruise when most people on board weren't from the USA and we'd say hello to everyone in the hallways not knowing quite what the response would be. We got quite used to people just nodding or replying with an accent etc. One afternoon we got in an elevator with a Chinese family and nodded hello. They nodded back. 2 seconds later the guy turns to his wife and says "Push number 4 would ya" in a New York accent and we almost couldn't contain ourselves......

[Muushka]

A little (ok, a lot) off topic, but an elevator comment.

 

If you happen to see a couple on an elevator, with the man not being all that slim just going up or down just one floor, please be kind. He had an Achilles tendon injury and stairs are difficult for him! Prior to this injury, we would never use the elevator for less than 4 flights! (Or if my knees were acting up)

 

PS we always say hello to people in halls and elevators. And if someone starts a conversation, we are happy to talk!

[ILoveScotland]

WEll, this is the first time we cross paths.

 

It is funny, DW and I are currently living in the outback of Australia and when driving on the dirt roads, you 'wave' by raising a finger (not the RUDE one) from the wheel. It is very Aussie..... but so hard to see sometimes. Also, when you hit bitumen the wave stops. DW and I feel there should be a sign that says 'waving starts/stops now" to help us waving and not getting one back - we feel like geese!

 

Funny - we also have a game.... once my wife went crazy with her wave - both arms waving frantically - the driver's face in the other car was priceless...... mastercard moment. :p

 

M.

 

 

Mark, I grew up in an area of the Southern US (not the part where I now live) where each person had their own distinctive finger or maybe two fingers to wave--but not the rude one as you put it.

 

And yes I tend to say hello to people especially in the little town where I live.

 

But I also have watched many an eye glaze over when DH hasn't known when to stop telling his life story to that person in a shop or hallway of a ship or whatever. He's a sweetie, but he just doesn't read body language.

[jmb4534]

Mark,

 

DH and I would greet you and talk to you in the hall or elevator!! I also like to acknowledge people and greet them any time I see them. In fact, I feel sorry for those who don't have time for the little niceties of life. They must be very unhappy inside, or painfully shy. If I ever meet you on a cruise, I will surely say "hello" and smile ! In fact we will be in your wonderul area of the world in January on the Mercury and I can't wait to hear the lovely "Aussie" accents. The Aussies can hear my South Louisiana Cajun accent!

[peanutter]

Oh, I just love hearing accents (happen to have one myself :D ) and dialects. As we as a people become more "international," I guess they will start to fade a bit - they have somewhat in a few places down our way.

 

We do love to wave and speak, but realize that there are some cultures where it is not as "acceptable." I've even had to take a class at work (healthcare) on recognizing and respecting other types of folks that live here. I still speak, I just may not run up and hug them right away!;)

[TeaBag]

Great thread and a nice laugh for a Monday morning! Yes, we will talk to you too. We walk the dog every day and say hello to everyone we pass. some don't acknowledge it, others stop and talk to us. It's not as if we're strangers in this area, we have walked the dog every day, rain or shine, for over 5 years, so people do know us. I guess sometimes people are just disinclined to talk, but it feels strange not to get at least a hello.

 

We too, will be down in your area starting in less than 70 days....yippee:D

 

Reminds me of Crocodile Dundee in New York saying G'day to everyone he met and no one answering him !!!!!

[kitty9]

I had neighbors on one cruise on Summit that liked to hold a "summit" every night in front of my cabin door. And, I assume they must have had some hearing loss because they talked very loud. And this was after midnight. Don't know why they couldn't go in their cabin to chat with friends, but they chose to stop in front of my door and visit. Felt a little voyeuristic having to listen to their conversations.

 

As for the elevator issue, I had polio as a child and can't walk stairs without great difficulty, so I do ride the elevator one floor. But you would not believe the nasty comments I've had to endure from people. I'm in my 50's, but I'm fortunate to have good genes and look younger, so people assume that I'm just lazy and ride the lift. You cannot assume anything when people get on the elevator. They could, like me, have exercise induced asthma, COPD or any of a number of invisible disabilities. So, give people the benefit when they get on board your elevator for just a one floor ride. Besides, it could be you some day.

[Aussie Cruisers]

To be honest, our last cruise DW and I didn't use the lifts that much. However, I don't mind if people use the for short 'visits' so long as the person at the buttons is kind enough to ask "What floor do you want?"

 

I am so glad to hear that people are coming down here for the Aust/NZ trips. We are booked for the Milli in 09. We are really excited about it. While we have been to so many places, we have yet to visit NZ. There are so many of them over here! So, while in the Oz ports, we will enjoy the empty ships. In the NZ ports, we will be bustling with everyone else!

 

Anyway, if you are ever in our hallway, drop by for a chat and a drink!

 

:) M:)

[Jimsgirl]

I had neighbors on one cruise on Summit that liked to hold a "summit" every night in front of my cabin door. And, I assume they must have had some hearing loss because they talked very loud. And this was after midnight. Don't know why they couldn't go in their cabin to chat with friends, but they chose to stop in front of my door and visit. Felt a little voyeuristic having to listen to their conversations.

 

As for the elevator issue, I had polio as a child and can't walk stairs without great difficulty, so I do ride the elevator one floor. But you would not believe the nasty comments I've had to endure from people. I'm in my 50's, but I'm fortunate to have good genes and look younger, so people assume that I'm just lazy and ride the lift. You cannot assume anything when people get on the elevator. They could, like me, have exercise induced asthma, COPD or any of a number of invisible disabilities. So, give people the benefit when they get on board your elevator for just a one floor ride. Besides, it could be you some day.

 

I am friendly and like to greet people during the day or early evening .

 

However I am with you Kitty9, I do so hate the loud "see ya tomorrow at breakfast, save us seats," followed by LOUD LAUGHTER , all this outside my cabin ( and every one else in that local )at midnight or later.

 

Also like you I had polio, (I always wear long dresses or pants to hide my legs), add on arthritis in knees, hips and shoulders, plus a heart problem, and this "lazy" person also uses the elevators not the stairs. I can walk short distances around the ship, where I can rest on the way, but I have to request a wheelchair for airports,embarkation and disembarkation. For same reason I seldom go ashore unless there is a very short gangway and a bus waiting.

[warmwinds]

I used to moan at those who rode the elevator one floor, too, but I now have heel spurs (similar to Muushka's Achilles problem) - I'm managing with my new shoe inserts, etc, but stairs are still a problem, so I'll be the moanie on my next cruise instead of the moaner.

[leoandhugh]

Although we consider ourselves friendly and do stop to chat and say hello, we try to remember when it comes to "hallway" chats, that there are passengers in adjacent cabins who may not welcome listening to us. So, we try to keep the greetings to a minimum in hallways. But even more annoying can be those passengers who take 15 minutes to say "goodnight" after obviously having had a few drinks - loud and lengthy!:)

[Fogfog]

Interesting thread.

 

We are friendly and polite and I would feel rude to not acknowledge someone I was passing in the hall or getting onto an elevator with etc etc.

 

My inlaws had a ranch and when you drove the roads nearby--a one finger wave from the steering wheel is for someone you don't know but acknowledge...two fingers and acquaintance etc..up to a full wave for your buds..etc

 

Funny-because while in school in the deep south many years ago-I noticed that they did that too.

 

Also--my DH always offers to help people with photos

--you know -when someone is not going to be in the group or family shot since they are taking the pic--We always offer to take the pics for them...

 

Being neighborly and kind--thats how we are and what we model to our teen boys.

 

Driving in and out of the neighborhood--I wave to everyone in my area whether I know them or not. By and large I think people appreciate being acknowledged that they exist..kwim

 

Stranger danger--absolutely we are careful and teach that too--but it looks different--

[Pontius Navigator]

Kitty9, thanks you for that. Quite right, I admit we do judge by looks and assume laziness when it might be something else.

[wizard-of-roz]

When we travel it's with an entourage....we have a service dog and sometimes my DH uses his wheelchair and then there's me.....we take up, at least 1/4 of the elevator and we are invariably stepping on someone's toes.....You should see the looks we get....sometimes, I just avoid other people's faces and their glares and stares!!! :(

I like to strike-up conversations with strangers...but, some people are just not receptive to my group!:confused:

 

What to do??????

[MEcruzr]

Stare back at them and make quiet little comments to your dog... "No bite, gooooood dog... no bite." ;) Bet you get the elevator to yourselves at the next stop.

 

Now I'm going to be looking for a lady with a dog and her husband in a wheelchair so I can SMILE at her!

 

Stacy

[FinelyCruising]

I love hallway banter and I love elevator banter. In all our cruises I have never gotten the feeling other cruisers did not want to share in the excitement and friendliness of the cruise while on board no matter what walk of life.

 

Shame on you who suggest this kind of interaction is limited to or based on a cover.

 

To those who insist a fracture exists each and every time, maybe my smile invites more friendliness than yours does. :)

[MEcruzr]

"Shame on you who suggest this kind of interaction is limited to or based on a cover."

 

Huh?