AOS 9/30/2007- Disappointment

[Ida72]

I was just on the Mariner last week, and encountered a number of rude acts, one of which was a daily occurence as the culprit was on the same floor. (obnoxious and rude faces, rolling of eyes, etc.) I find it totally irrelevant to mention this persons race. I will mention my race though just to clarify a few points. I am hispanic (South American) and my husband is Puerto Rican. We will not cut in line, push, be obnoxiously loud, or display disruptive behaviour. I understand cultural diffrences as there are many just within the latin community. This has taught me to be flexible and opened minded towards other cultures, the previous messages made it a point to point to the ship being full of Puerto Ricans (You are departing from PR, right? Should be no surprise) but I believe the irritating part of the comments have been generalizing that all the passengers of Puerto Rican roots were rude. Speaking a language that is foreign to you is not rude, same way as if you visit France, for example, you will not be considered rude because you speak English. I want to reitarate that pushing, shoving, bullying etc, is rude in our Latin culture also. We find people of every race, color etc that may display this behaviour, it is not their race or culture maybe just the way they were raised. There is good and there is bad in every culture, including our American one. I am an American Citizen born and raised in this wonderful country, but I have been raised to also appreciate my wonderful latin heritage. Part of having manners is not generalizing a specific behaviour because of someones origins.

[Crockett]

I found out that our cruise on AOS on Jan 6/08 is a quinceaneras cruise by google-ing the ship name and date of cruise. I found an ad by a travel agent in Puerto Rico:

http://www.condadotravel.com/ct_detail_c.asp?offer_id=563

There are also quinceaneras on AOS on May 25, June 29, July 13, and July 27.

I have read a few reviews of cruises with quinceaneras and they range from 'hardly noticed them' to 'awful'.

Due to schedule and airline restictions, we kept our booking for Jan 6/08 on AOS but upgraded to a suite in case we needed to spend some time away from the crowd.

Pam

 

Sorry folks we had a Grand Suite on the 9-30 Adventure and had a lot of rude people sitting in the hall across from us very noisy in fact 8 people in a inside room taking shifts sleeping. We were very displeased at RCCL

[katiel53]

I just wanted to post a site that has info about quinces. The info on there has already been posted on here, but just in case it changes, here is the site myquinces.com.

 

I got this info from someone who is Puerto Rican a few months ago. He posted the site and also a lot of info about Puerto Ricans cruising. It was in response to people complaining about the people onboard being rude etc. He also pointed out that the Puerto Ricans "own Orlando" and that is also true.

[vermonter16]

DH and I cruise on the AOS in 2003. I have to agree that the food was not the level that I am used to on a cruise (yes, Windjammer was good but dining room left a lot to be desired). I completely understand what you are talking about when it came to "rudeness"... Also our CD was no where to be found. However, the wait staff in the dining room was beyond wonderful!!! I cruise out of PR only because of the destinations. I refuse to cruise out of Baltimore because I feel like I bring all of the rudeness of the DC area with me and the destinations aren't tempting enough (takes too long to get out of the bay).

[lephysteria]

Gee, we are cruising out of San Juan in March but on the Serenade. I sure hope there are no rude people on our cruise. When we cruised last on the Radiance to Hawaii I was almost plowed down by a little old lady with a cane who was trying to get to the midnight buffet. If the two guys in front of me hand't caught me, I would have ended up a$$ over buttercups on the stairs. She was downright rude and obnoxious.

 

Ann

 

OMG, I sailed with that little old lady! But on my cruise she was in a walker and mowed me down trying to get the the jello! :mad:

 

Oh and the Quincenera group .... oh dear .... yes they were out and about on our Liberty Cruise recently. They were mostly from Venezuela, and there were 500 young girls with their families, and there were so many of them on our trip that they came into the dining room and chanted for us :rolleyes:

Not everyone wanted to hear that, really .... !!!

 

To the OP, I am sorry your trip wasn't what you had hoped for.

On our AOS cruise we saw many locals as well, and while they weren't rude to us, they were very loud and obnoxious. And how do I know they were PR locals? Because they weren't speaking in English while yelling to their amigos on the other side of the ship! :rolleyes: And when they wandered down the hallways they sang "soy un puertorican" or something like that ...!

So yeah I'm gunna say the handfull of loud ones were not from Nebraska!

[Linxzy]

I always thought that those special events, like the Quinceañeros, are also published on the states too. Newspapers over here always show the special events the cruises are going to have. Maybe since its something cultural. :confused: I imagine that if it was a "Sweet 16" it would have been mentioned too.

 

 

 

 

*** A very polite puertorrican, that will go back to lurking :o

[buchie614]

We were on the AOS in July of this year. No complaints.3 adults and 2 teenagers, and they all had a fab time. Will be on again in Dec. doing the Aruba route, in July we did the Barbados route.

[1Buckeye Cruiser]

Oh - my - God :eek:

 

I can't believe you have said that! Did you attempt to speak Spanish to them, or if you don't speak the language does that make you rude and obnoxious just because you are not multilingual?!?!?

 

If you don't like people because they don't speak English why bother going to a foreign speaking country at all?

 

OMG :eek: First, this was an observation from him, the language they were speaking didn't make them rude, their actions did. Second, I don't see anything mentioned in his post that it was Spanish speaking people that he was talking about. What makes you assume this?

[billybob123]

For what it's worth, my wife and I were on a Quince cruise on AOS in June, with probably 25-30% of the passengers from PR. There was nothing I haven't experienced out there before. In fact, having the Puertoriequenos on the ship made it more fun than the cruises I've been on before.

 

It's amazing what you can experience when you are willing to let people who are a little different than you enjoy their time in the way they enjoy. It really made for a fun experience. The quince girls looked beautiful in their dresses, and them chanting in the dining room didn't bother me one bit!

 

It was even easier to try speaking to them. My Spanish sucks, but I always seemed to be able to communicate.

 

I dunno why everyone is so worried about Puerto Ricans on the cruises. It's such a beautiful island and the people are great. Maybe I'm used to passionate people at home with my friends and family, no one is afraid to let the world know what's going on?

 

"soy un puertorican"

 

It's "Jo soy Boricua"....and the reply "Parque tu la sepa".

[Snoozeman]

So do I (live in Manassas) and when I was on AoS the week before the OP I thought I was at home. The CD gave the breakdown of Nationalities on board. Over 2,900 from the US but that included over 800 from Puerto Rico. I can say that some were rude, some were loud. Others were polite. However, I could say the same thing about almost any cruise I have been on and it covers all nationalities. Overall, we didn't have a bad week and I don't think they catered to the hispanic population any more than normal. My only comment was that we seemed to notice a larger group than our previous time on AoS.

 

There were over 1700 from Puerto Rico on the OPs cruise. For what its worth.

[Leafpeeper]

Sorry about all the problems on your cruise. We had alot of problems on our Legend of the Seas cruise a couple years ago sailing from Hawaii to Ensenada. Everytime we turned around, something else was going wrong. The only good thing on that cruise was our cabin steward. I guess one bad cruise out of many is not a bad average.

 

I always book my caribbean cruises knowing there could be a problem with intoxicated people--hopefully not me. The more people drink the more obnoxious they become.

 

We once took a ferry from London to Amsterdam and had a ship full of young intoxicated Brits who were out of control. DH and I hid out in the movie theater to get away from them. DH told me they totally destroyed the men's room. On the way back to London, we had a Dutch crew with a totally different group of people. It was like night and day.

 

I totally understand how you feel. I get so excited about cruising and I am very easy going so when I get upset things have to be really bad--like the people smoking pot in the cabin next to ours. I didn't care until it got into our ventilation system and affected my breathing.

[Malena]

Hi all! I've been a lurker for a while but I felt I had to speak up after reading this thread. I'm a born and bred PRican girl. I've got my first cruise booked for November (AOS) so I'm a cruise virgin, but I've heard lots of stories about the behavior of fellow PRicans on the ships sailing out of San Juan and, frankly, I'm appalled by the OP's (and others') experience. I must say I do not agree with the PRican poster that said that it's just our culture and we paid the same as you. Rudeness and bullying is NOT our culture. Yes, people can be loud and boisterous (most Latin cultures are) but being rude is not synonymous with being Puerto Rican. There are SOME Puerto Ricans that are very rude and obnoxious (I should know, I live here in PR and encounter them from time to time :( ) but most of us are decent, hardworking people that were taught from an early age to behave well and to be considerate of others. I think that those of you who have mentioned the last-minute rates for the "locals" may have a point. Those cheap deals are taken up by low-income families that may not have had a very good upbringing or education. Based on my experience, some of those people (especially youths), just don't know how to behave. I know plenty of well-behaved people from PR that avoid those ships like the plague and choose to sail from other ports because of other PRicans' awful behavior. I know this is not a very politically correct argument, but this is what I've seen my whole life. I should clarify that I'm not a rich snob (not even close!! :p), I come from a well-educated, working-class family.

 

I should mention, though, that I have encountered awful people from all over the world (as I'm sure every one of you has). In France I was repeatedly shoved aside on the Metro station by rude Parisians trying to get on the trains ahead of me. In London I witnessed drunk youths harrassing and hurling horrible insults to passersby. At the Disney parks in Orlando me and my family were subjected to xenophobic comments by some Americans sitting right beside us who evidently thought we didn't understand English just because we spoke Spanish among ourselves :rolleyes:. My point is that rude people come in every color and nationality, and it's not fair to say that a whole country is made up of rude people because "it's their culture". I've met my share of obnoxious Americans and Europeans, but I wouldn't dream of saying that Americans or Brits in general are rude and that "it's a cultural thing".

 

Sorry for the rambling post! :o If any of you guys will be sailing on the AOS on Nov. 25, and see 2 nice and polite PR ladies traveling by themselves (me and my mom) and looking horrified at fellow pax's rude behavior :eek: , that may be us!! :D

[kevdds]

I've been interested in this thread since it began, because I was on this same cruise with my family. Our thoughts were nearly identical to the OP's.

 

The first night out my 12 year-old son was playing golf, and another kid (my son said he spoke Spanish) picked up my son's golfball and threw it overboard! Can you imagine how he must have felt standing there? The others laughed at him and he had to just walk away.

 

Another time my kids were heading toward the elevator, and some "local" kids were already in, and closed it before my kids could get in, laughing at them through the glass doors.

 

I can't tell you how many times my wife and I would be cut in front of, or pushed out of the way by someone, and we would just laugh to each other and say, "Well, they're obviously the only person on board!"

 

One of the things that hasn't been mentioned yet, but irritated me most, happened twice in the dining room. It's kind of hard to describe, but I'll do my best. On certain occasions, a head waiter (or someone else in management) would make an announcement after our meal to wish us all well, and such. All very professional and respectful, in English. Then he would turn the microphone over to the Spanish translator, who would then yell something to the Latinos, whipping them into frenzied yelling. Then, he would yell something in Spanish obviously akin to, "I can't hear you!" and they would all yell even louder. He would follow with leading them in the PR rah-rah-type cheer. (I have no idea what they were saying, but I heard it more than once on the cruise) Of course I can only speak for myself, but it was almost like RCCL was saying they were more important, or special, than me and the other English-speaking guests...we were second class...only the Latinos were there to have fun. It seemed so belittling, almost...racist, for lack of a better term.

 

The bottom line, though, is that I had a great cruise. Not because of the people on board, but because of what my family and I made of it. I've been on every continent and crossed every time zone, so I know something about "cultural differences." I'm certainly not uncomfortable in culturally different circumstances, and I appreciate what Malena just wrote. But I would probably never sail out of PR again.

[lucky99]

Hi all! I've been a lurker for a while but I felt I had to speak up after reading this thread. I'm a born and bred PRican girl. I've got my first cruise booked for November (AOS) so I'm a cruise virgin, but I've heard lots of stories about the behavior of fellow PRicans on the ships sailing out of San Juan and, frankly, I'm appalled by the OP's (and others') experience. I must say I do not agree with the PRican poster that said that it's just our culture and we paid the same as you. Rudeness and bullying is NOT our culture. Yes, people can be loud and boisterous (most Latin cultures are) but being rude is not synonymous with being Puerto Rican. There are SOME Puerto Ricans that are very rude and obnoxious (I should know, I live here in PR and encounter them from time to time :( ) but most of us are decent, hardworking people that were taught from an early age to behave well and to be considerate of others. I think that those of you who have mentioned the last-minute rates for the "locals" may have a point. Those cheap deals are taken up by low-income families that may not have had a very good upbringing or education. Based on my experience, some of those people (especially youths), just don't know how to behave. I know plenty of well-behaved people from PR that avoid those ships like the plague and choose to sail from other ports because of other PRicans' awful behavior. I know this is not a very politically correct argument, but this is what I've seen my whole life. I should clarify that I'm not a rich snob (not even close!! :p), I come from a well-educated, working-class family.

 

I should mention, though, that I have encountered awful people from all over the world (as I'm sure every one of you has). In France I was repeatedly shoved aside on the Metro station by rude Parisians trying to get on the trains ahead of me. In London I witnessed drunk youths harrassing and hurling horrible insults to passersby. At the Disney parks in Orlando me and my family were subjected to xenophobic comments by some Americans sitting right beside us who evidently thought we didn't understand English just because we spoke Spanish among ourselves :rolleyes:. My point is that rude people come in every color and nationality, and it's not fair to say that a whole country is made up of rude people because "it's their culture". I've met my share of obnoxious Americans and Europeans, but I wouldn't dream of saying that Americans or Brits in general are rude and that "it's a cultural thing".

 

Sorry for the rambling post! :o If any of you guys will be sailing on the AOS on Nov. 25, and see 2 nice and polite PR ladies traveling by themselves (me and my mom) and looking horrified at fellow pax's rude behavior :eek: , that may be us!! :D

 

 

You are correct in every way. There are obnoxious people in every culture. I had a very dear friend, we car pooled together until I moved away, who is PR and she and I were great friends. She was very sweet and a lovely person. Nothing like what the OP encountered on their cruise. Another good friend of mine was born in Juaraz, Mexico. Both latin and both very nice ladies. The person responding to me didn't look at the behavior part of it. I don't care who is cruising with me as long as they know to behave like SOCIETY wants. The type of behavior she spoke about was absolutely wrong no matter what culture the people came from. Thank you for your post.

[Bakincakes]

I too would like to thank Malena for her post.

 

It has become taboo, in America, to criticize persons of certain races for behavior that was described by the OP. We are basically supposed to accept that behavior as cultural and one is categorized as a racist if they speak up. It is refreshing that a poster came forward who recognizes that members of her country can misbehave, just as the OP described, for the reasons that she listed.

 

Hopefully PAX are now aware of some of the ramifications of sailing the AOS from San Juan...I still say that pax should be forewarned of any large groups sailing on RCI ships, regardless of their race or country of origin, or affiliation. Pax pay for the privledge of enjoying ALL public areas on board and should be told if certain areas will be off limits in order to cater to large groups.

[Snoozeman]

Hi all! I've been a lurker for a while but I felt I had to speak up after reading this thread. I'm a born and bred PRican girl. I've got my first cruise booked for November (AOS) so I'm a cruise virgin, but I've heard lots of stories about the behavior of fellow PRicans on the ships sailing out of San Juan and, frankly, I'm appalled by the OP's (and others') experience. I must say I do not agree with the PRican poster that said that it's just our culture and we paid the same as you. Rudeness and bullying is NOT our culture. Yes, people can be loud and boisterous (most Latin cultures are) but being rude is not synonymous with being Puerto Rican. There are SOME Puerto Ricans that are very rude and obnoxious (I should know, I live here in PR and encounter them from time to time :( ) but most of us are decent, hardworking people that were taught from an early age to behave well and to be considerate of others. I think that those of you who have mentioned the last-minute rates for the "locals" may have a point. Those cheap deals are taken up by low-income families that may not have had a very good upbringing or education. Based on my experience, some of those people (especially youths), just don't know how to behave. I know plenty of well-behaved people from PR that avoid those ships like the plague and choose to sail from other ports because of other PRicans' awful behavior. I know this is not a very politically correct argument, but this is what I've seen my whole life. I should clarify that I'm not a rich snob (not even close!! :p), I come from a well-educated, working-class family.

 

I should mention, though, that I have encountered awful people from all over the world (as I'm sure every one of you has). In France I was repeatedly shoved aside on the Metro station by rude Parisians trying to get on the trains ahead of me. In London I witnessed drunk youths harrassing and hurling horrible insults to passersby. At the Disney parks in Orlando me and my family were subjected to xenophobic comments by some Americans sitting right beside us who evidently thought we didn't understand English just because we spoke Spanish among ourselves :rolleyes:. My point is that rude people come in every color and nationality, and it's not fair to say that a whole country is made up of rude people because "it's their culture". I've met my share of obnoxious Americans and Europeans, but I wouldn't dream of saying that Americans or Brits in general are rude and that "it's a cultural thing".

 

Sorry for the rambling post! :o If any of you guys will be sailing on the AOS on Nov. 25, and see 2 nice and polite PR ladies traveling by themselves (me and my mom) and looking horrified at fellow pax's rude behavior :eek: , that may be us!! :D

 

Well said Malena and you are correct in assuming that the majority of the rude and obnoxious on board were younger and probably under educated. But many were adults who should have known better. And yes there were many well mannered on board as well that I am sure were appalled at what they saw as you and your mother would have been. Thanks for your post.

[standby 06.30]

Hi all! I've been a lurker for a while but I felt I had to speak up after reading this thread. I'm a born and bred PRican girl. I've got my first cruise booked for November (AOS) so I'm a cruise virgin, but I've heard lots of stories about the behavior of fellow PRicans on the ships sailing out of San Juan and, frankly, I'm appalled by the OP's (and others') experience. I must say I do not agree with the PRican poster that said that it's just our culture and we paid the same as you. Rudeness and bullying is NOT our culture. Yes, people can be loud and boisterous (most Latin cultures are) but being rude is not synonymous with being Puerto Rican. There are SOME Puerto Ricans that are very rude and obnoxious (I should know, I live here in PR and encounter them from time to time :( ) but most of us are decent, hardworking people that were taught from an early age to behave well and to be considerate of others. I think that those of you who have mentioned the last-minute rates for the "locals" may have a point. Those cheap deals are taken up by low-income families that may not have had a very good upbringing or education. Based on my experience, some of those people (especially youths), just don't know how to behave. I know plenty of well-behaved people from PR that avoid those ships like the plague and choose to sail from other ports because of other PRicans' awful behavior. I know this is not a very politically correct argument, but this is what I've seen my whole life. I should clarify that I'm not a rich snob (not even close!! :p), I come from a well-educated, working-class family.

 

I should mention, though, that I have encountered awful people from all over the world (as I'm sure every one of you has). In France I was repeatedly shoved aside on the Metro station by rude Parisians trying to get on the trains ahead of me. In London I witnessed drunk youths harrassing and hurling horrible insults to passersby. At the Disney parks in Orlando me and my family were subjected to xenophobic comments by some Americans sitting right beside us who evidently thought we didn't understand English just because we spoke Spanish among ourselves :rolleyes:. My point is that rude people come in every color and nationality, and it's not fair to say that a whole country is made up of rude people because "it's their culture". I've met my share of obnoxious Americans and Europeans, but I wouldn't dream of saying that Americans or Brits in general are rude and that "it's a cultural thing".

 

Sorry for the rambling post! :o If any of you guys will be sailing on the AOS on Nov. 25, and see 2 nice and polite PR ladies traveling by themselves (me and my mom) and looking horrified at fellow pax's rude behavior :eek: , that may be us!! :D

Very Good Post, your mother must be proud of you, to you and the other people who had valid comments about a certain type of Brit who when they drink turn into rampaging beasts, may I say to you I am sorry, I am not going to give them any dignity by saying it happens all over the world, they are just drunken British Thugs, and with the $ against the £ being so weak you may have English hooligans in the Carrib next year. regards

[hayesktrm]

Ok, so here's the deal...I had a AOS booked for next year and a few months ago (after seeing some things here) decided to move it to the Mariner, even though it was a bit more expensive. If I am going to pay over $5,000 for a vacation, I want to do everything I can to make sure we have a great time. If that means we don't cruise out of PR because we've heard that some passengers are rude, that's my business. Thank you OP for letting people know this so they can make an educated choice. I have many friends from different cultures (Indian, Hispanic, PR, Chinese, Japanese, etc.) and they are my friends because they are nice people and definitely not rude. I don't care where you are from, but if you're rude in my eyes, I don't want to cruise with you. This being said, yes, I have experienced rude people on the 6 cruises I have taken, but luckily they were few and far between. For those people who get upset because we don't want to cruise out of PR, don't get too upset because it will bring the price down for you if people don't want to cruise out of there. You go and have a great time, and let the rest of us go on a cruise where we are more comfortable.

[Mark_K]

Ok, so here's the deal...I had a AOS booked for next year and a few months ago (after seeing some things here) decided to move it to the Mariner, even though it was a bit more expensive. If I am going to pay over $5,000 for a vacation, I want to do everything I can to make sure we have a great time. If that means we don't cruise out of PR because we've heard that some passengers are rude, that's my business. Thank you OP for letting people know this so they can make an educated choice. I have many friends from different cultures (Indian, Hispanic, PR, Chinese, Japanese, etc.) and they are my friends because they are nice people and definitely not rude. I don't care where you are from, but if you're rude in my eyes, I don't want to cruise with you. This being said, yes, I have experienced rude people on the 6 cruises I have taken, but luckily they were few and far between. For those people who get upset because we don't want to cruise out of PR, don't get too upset because it will bring the price down for you if people don't want to cruise out of there. You go and have a great time, and let the rest of us go on a cruise where we are more comfortable.

If only it were that simple. You could be sailing Mariner in order to be certain of avoiding a Quinceañeros cruise on Adventure, and end up with hundreds of Hairy Homosexuals, or Swingers, or Amway Salesmen, or Christian Conservatives, or ....., on your Mariner sailing - generally taking over the ship, getting exclusive use of venues, being pushy, rude, etc.

 

Being part of a group sailing gives people a sense of entitlement that they don't have when sailing as individuals. This is true regardless of the group/nationality, and knowing whether there will be a large group on your cruise is not easy to find out.

[Bakincakes]

If only it were that simple. You could be sailing Mariner in order to be certain of avoiding a Quinceañeros cruise, and end up with hundreds of Hairy Homosexuals, or Swingers, or Amway Salesmen, or Christian Conseratives, or ....., on your Mariner sailing generally taking over the ship, getting exclusive use of venues, being pushy, etc.

 

True...the only recourse you have is to check online sites that list group cruises and check your sailing. Even then you might not know if that particular group hasn't registered on one of those sites.

 

You can also check the roll call on this site and see who is posting and what group they belong to.

 

As said before RCI refuses to divulge if a group has booked your cruise. You might not find out until you board and you are refused entry to a public area because it is closed for an event for a group.

[hayesktrm]

True, but if I knew for a fact that this port had a reputation for this, why wouldn't I change if it made me and my family more comfortable. Also, our last cruise (Alaska) we had a large religious group on board (they looked like Menonites, but weren't) and they were very nice. Very polite and they didn't cut in line. I'm not against groups on board, but I would expect that they be polite.

[Linxzy]

Hi all! I've been a lurker for a while but I felt I had to speak up after reading this thread. I'm a born and bred PRican girl. I've got my first cruise booked for November (AOS) so I'm a cruise virgin, but I've heard lots of stories about the behavior of fellow PRicans on the ships sailing out of San Juan and, frankly, I'm appalled by the OP's (and others') experience. I must say I do not agree with the PRican poster that said that it's just our culture and we paid the same as you. Rudeness and bullying is NOT our culture. Yes, people can be loud and boisterous (most Latin cultures are) but being rude is not synonymous with being Puerto Rican. There are SOME Puerto Ricans that are very rude and obnoxious (I should know, I live here in PR and encounter them from time to time :( ) but most of us are decent, hardworking people that were taught from an early age to behave well and to be considerate of others. I think that those of you who have mentioned the last-minute rates for the "locals" may have a point. Those cheap deals are taken up by low-income families that may not have had a very good upbringing or education. Based on my experience, some of those people (especially youths), just don't know how to behave. I know plenty of well-behaved people from PR that avoid those ships like the plague and choose to sail from other ports because of other PRicans' awful behavior. I know this is not a very politically correct argument, but this is what I've seen my whole life. I should clarify that I'm not a rich snob (not even close!! :p), I come from a well-educated, working-class family.

 

I should mention, though, that I have encountered awful people from all over the world (as I'm sure every one of you has). In France I was repeatedly shoved aside on the Metro station by rude Parisians trying to get on the trains ahead of me. In London I witnessed drunk youths harrassing and hurling horrible insults to passersby. At the Disney parks in Orlando me and my family were subjected to xenophobic comments by some Americans sitting right beside us who evidently thought we didn't understand English just because we spoke Spanish among ourselves :rolleyes:. My point is that rude people come in every color and nationality, and it's not fair to say that a whole country is made up of rude people because "it's their culture". I've met my share of obnoxious Americans and Europeans, but I wouldn't dream of saying that Americans or Brits in general are rude and that "it's a cultural thing".

 

Sorry for the rambling post! :o If any of you guys will be sailing on the AOS on Nov. 25, and see 2 nice and polite PR ladies traveling by themselves (me and my mom) and looking horrified at fellow pax's rude behavior :eek: , that may be us!! :D

 

 

Thanks Malena for posting this... same opinion as you.

[teajak]

If only it were that simple. You could be sailing Mariner in order to be certain of avoiding a Quinceañeros cruise on Adventure, and end up with hundreds of Hairy Homosexuals, or Swingers, or Amway Salesmen, or Christian Conservatives, or ....., on your Mariner sailing - generally taking over the ship, getting exclusive use of venues, being pushy, rude, etc.

 

Being part of a group sailing gives people a sense of entitlement that they don't have when sailing as individuals. This is true regardless of the group/nationality, and knowing whether there will be a large group on your cruise is not easy to find out.

Mark, you are right and I totally agree with you. Not only on RCI, other cruise lines book large groups and refuse to tell the public. Really makes me mad.

[CP3o]

Yeah, I don't think you are prejudice to decide to cruise away from groups that have a rowdy reputation. I like rowdy 8-12 year old boys and I LOVE mine and keep our house very welcoming to them such that the we are the hangout for all the neighbor kids. BUT, I choose to avoid a particular week in Orlando (Pop Warner) or at least stay at a resort where they don't reside b/c I feel their rowdiness may affect my enjoyment of my vacation. (Pop Warner is a bunch of young football players and cheerleaders and I'm sure they are mostly wonderful but they have a reputation for some rowdiness and chanting at all hours.)

[paggerscorvette]

Hi all! I've been a lurker for a while but I felt I had to speak up after reading this thread. I'm a born and bred PRican girl. I've got my first cruise booked for November (AOS) so I'm a cruise virgin, but I've heard lots of stories about the behavior of fellow PRicans on the ships sailing out of San Juan and, frankly, I'm appalled by the OP's (and others') experience. I must say I do not agree with the PRican poster that said that it's just our culture and we paid the same as you. Rudeness and bullying is NOT our culture. Yes, people can be loud and boisterous (most Latin cultures are) but being rude is not synonymous with being Puerto Rican. There are SOME Puerto Ricans that are very rude and obnoxious (I should know, I live here in PR and encounter them from time to time :( ) but most of us are decent, hardworking people that were taught from an early age to behave well and to be considerate of others. I think that those of you who have mentioned the last-minute rates for the "locals" may have a point. Those cheap deals are taken up by low-income families that may not have had a very good upbringing or education. Based on my experience, some of those people (especially youths), just don't know how to behave. I know plenty of well-behaved people from PR that avoid those ships like the plague and choose to sail from other ports because of other PRicans' awful behavior. I know this is not a very politically correct argument, but this is what I've seen my whole life. I should clarify that I'm not a rich snob (not even close!! :p), I come from a well-educated, working-class family.

 

I should mention, though, that I have encountered awful people from all over the world (as I'm sure every one of you has). In France I was repeatedly shoved aside on the Metro station by rude Parisians trying to get on the trains ahead of me. In London I witnessed drunk youths harrassing and hurling horrible insults to passersby. At the Disney parks in Orlando me and my family were subjected to xenophobic comments by some Americans sitting right beside us who evidently thought we didn't understand English just because we spoke Spanish among ourselves :rolleyes:. My point is that rude people come in every color and nationality, and it's not fair to say that a whole country is made up of rude people because "it's their culture". I've met my share of obnoxious Americans and Europeans, but I wouldn't dream of saying that Americans or Brits in general are rude and that "it's a cultural thing".

 

Sorry for the rambling post! :o If any of you guys will be sailing on the AOS on Nov. 25, and see 2 nice and polite PR ladies traveling by themselves (me and my mom) and looking horrified at fellow pax's rude behavior :eek: , that may be us!! :D

 

I agree with your post. We never encountered any of these "problems" when we were on the AOS. The two men from Utah were the rudest we have ever seen. Also, our newest best friends that we met on the AOS are from San Juan. You would not find a nicer couple, Hi to Danny and Noemi.

Gene and Patty