General Immersion Thread (merged)

[nikkicattrell]

Thanks. I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like to know the demographics. Very kind of you to offer to post. :)

 

Your original post said, "Actually at the last count a lot of the Barcelona's sailing's have been around 70% Spanish" I really don't believe that is factual for "a lot" of the sailings. What IS true on European sailings is that Late Seating is always booked up first -- not only because of the Europeans sailing on the ship who are used to dining later, but also because these cruises are very port intensive and a lot of the excursions get you back to the ship quite late, making it difficult to shower, dress, and get to the early seating on time.

 

Have a great cruise on the Voyager. :) And if you remember to post when you get back, I'd really like to know the demographics. Usually, the captain will give out those numbers during the Welcome party.

 

As I said, this was what I remembered - but I will be more than happy to let you know when I get back. :)

[whiteheather]

Realistically will there be that much difference in the food or the entertainment? I've travelled to the US and much of Europe and can't really say there was that much difference in the food in the States.I can see where an Asian immersion cruise for example may be a lot different.

Having also experienced the Epcot 'vision' of the UK I wonder if RCCI will please the UK passengers. I empathise with the folks who are worried about what the changes will mean for them though, it's a pity all this wasn't pointed out before people booked.

[Ray in NH]

and of course i'm going to respond since i'm the one that created the heat:)

 

i have always been the type of person that has said give me any voyager-class or any freedom-class ship and i would go anywhere and not care about the destination or whatever.

 

well, the "whatever" has just hit the fan when it comes to this immersion thing. 14 days is a long time to spend on a ship, not long enough for most of us, of course, but long enough for me to give this some thought.

 

here's what the problem is: i have no idea what rccl's idea is of a "british" immersion. in fact, british people probably don't have an idea of what this is either. all i was told was that the food, entertainment and even the shopping on board would be altered to suit the specific tastes of the british.

 

rccl told me that i would DEFINITELY notice a difference. in fact, the difference has got to be dramatic for the cruise line to pick up a phone and call me. i'm sure they probably called every single person on the cruise without a UK passport. If the ship holds 4,000 something and the ship is 80% british booked, my math tells me they called at least 800 people for my sailing. they probably called at least 800 for every single british sailing. that's a lot of people to call. in plain english, i certainly don't think that i would have received a phone call (how important am i?)UNLESS there is a MAJOR difference on the ship.

 

the biggest problem with this is that there are not enough reviews posted for me to make any sort of judgment as to whether or not this immersion thing would suit my ENTIRE FAMILY, not just ME.

 

look, this is why there is chocolate and vanilla in this world. not every cruise is for every person. our family would not be happy on this cruise. maybe another family would go and jump for joy. we have way too much money invested into this going on the ship with a big question mark on our minds. i have no intention of sitting on a plane for 11 hours, going to london for three days prior and then getting on a ship not knowing how rccl defines british immersion.

 

just my 2 cents.

 

Gee,

 

We have two cruises booked out of the UK, one each in August and September and haven't heard a word about "immersion" except here on this thread (there may also be other threads). No one has called us -- maybe they know I like surprises :rolleyes: ? RCI has not issued any Press Releases concerning this "New" type of cruising, as of this afternoon, according to the Corporate website. I find it difficult to believe they would close down the specialty dining venues and give up that additional revenue.

 

Ray in NH

[The Big Booper]

I swear' date=' I didn't realize there were so many people who lived in such small boxes! Poor Americans....we think we rule the world and it's seas.... We've yet to accept the fact that we share the planet with several billions of people who have the same right and access to vacations and cruises as we do.

 

Many of us are so unbelievably intolerant and so fearful of those different from ourselves.

 

How very sad.[/quote']

 

and

 

Well said. This whole topic is making Americans out to be incredible rubes. Let's see, we book a cruise sailing from Southampton on a ship whose home port is Southampton and, oh my, we might have to endure British food and, oh no, English comics. What I want to know is what is British food? Last time I was in England seemed the cuisine was very similar to the States, meat and potatos.

 

So you two would have no objections on cruising the Rhapsody where Chinese is the language of the menus, entertainment, announcements, guided tours, etc. and where everybody is smoking all over the ship. And where even the stuff in the stores is geared towards the Chinese.

 

And based on what I see everyday in Fort Lee, NJ and Flushing NY, where Asians make up 90+ of the population, everybody will nod politely to you, smile and then ignore you because you are not part of their ethnic group. We have friends who moved to a Cliffside Park high rise with 95% Asian population. After 3 years this is all they get and they have TRIED to make friends only to be ignored after the opening polite smile and nod.

 

So please don't lecture us as if we are all rubes and you are the enlightened ones.

[cruisenfever]

We just sailed from Valparaiso, Chile to Santos, Brazil. The vast majority of people on that sailing were American, never met anyone from Chile. Not sure that your sarcasm holds a lot of credance. When we sailed Jewel in 2006 out of Harwich, there were quite a number of Brits onboard, but again the overwhelming majority were American. I would expect that there would be significant numbers of American passengers on most cruises, unless I was informed by RCI that they were catering to a specific market. If RCI is serious about immersion cruises, I think that it is a good thing that they are upfront about it. Unfortunately they appear to have introduced it without any prior warning at booking time.

The cruise after Valparaiso-Santos was Santos to Lisbon and English speaking passengers, that included anyone that wasn't Brazilian or Portuguese, numbered just over 300. Needless to say many things were catered to that majority, including the shows. Portuguese language comedians just don't seem to be as funny, to me, as English speaking ones. The Brazilian Elvis impersonator was funny, not good, but entertaining.

The cruise was certainly not an experience I would like to repeat.

I'll back up jbond's recap of the cruise from Valparaiso to Santos as we were on the same cruise. Lots of Americans, Canadians, Australians, Germans............very few pax from Chile or Argentina or Brazil for that matter.

 

I will also back up his recap of the cruise from Santos to Lisbon as again we were on the same cruise. We have nothing against the people of Brazil, we met some lovely people that told everyone that were from Argentina because they could not believe the behavior of their fellow countrymen.

[cruisePRN]

For me it's not about the local food, I'd like that. There will always be an alternative on the menu. BUT don't seat me with people that don't speak English because that will ruin my dinner. It's about the language and the currancy. I only speak English and I only have my hard earned US dollars to spend.

[Ray in NH]

After just doing a 14 day TA on Splendour with 1500 Brazilian pax and having to eat Portuguese food for 14 days..............I would not do it again. I mean, I like black beans and rice.........but almost every day??

 

Entertainment was in Portuguese, photographs printed in Portuguese, announcements were made in English (for the 450 English speaking pax on board), Portuguese and German.

 

Patti,

Surely you jest. There were many entree choices, besides black beans and rice, and they were not even available every night, unless by special request. Most of the menus were the same tired menus we've seen for the last few years (I really wish they would re-vamp them), with a couple of local dishes available each night. I actually enjoyed some of the Brazilian dishes, and if one wasn't what I hoped for, getting something familiar to replace it was not a problem. What I am reading about for the Asian immersion cruise it may be something very different, if indeed that is what will transpire. Has anyone seen any announcement from an official at RCI, beyond a reservation specialist?

Only a few of the shows were primarily Portuguese, and they were clearly identified in the Cruise Compass as such. If you wanted the photo captions in English they would do them at no extra charge, though it usually took until the next day to get them.

Ray in NH

[flames]

I have to read more about this Immersion cruising, I do not like what I hear about it:( I hope they don't do it with all the ships.

 

Carol:)

[abridalmaven]

I swear' date=' I didn't realize there were so many people who lived in such small boxes! Poor Americans....we think we rule the world and it's seas.... We've yet to accept the fact that we share the planet with several billions of people who have the same right and access to vacations and cruises as we do.

 

Many of us are so unbelievably intolerant and so fearful of those different from ourselves.

 

How very sad.[/quote']

 

My thoughts exactly!

And then they wonder why were are labelled the "Ugly American".:eek:

[TahoeBob]

most British people think American's live off nothing but burgers, fries and pizza, which is hardly healthy and I'm sure is completely wrong. ;)

Burgers, fries and pizza. You have 3 of the 4 food groups covered. Toss in a cold beer and you have all 4, I'm set.;)

[Jeka]

and

 

 

 

So you two would have no objections on cruising the Rhapsody where Chinese is the language of the menus, entertainment, announcements, guided tours, etc. and where everybody is smoking all over the ship. And where even the stuff in the stores is geared towards the Chinese.

 

And based on what I see everyday in Fort Lee, NJ and Flushing NY, where Asians make up 90+ of the population, everybody will nod politely to you, smile and then ignore you because you are not part of their ethnic group. We have friends who moved to a Cliffside Park high rise with 95% Asian population. After 3 years this is all they get and they have TRIED to make friends only to be ignored after the opening polite smile and nod.

 

So please don't lecture us as if we are all rubes and you are the enlightened ones.

 

My thoughts exactly!

And then they wonder why were are labelled the "Ugly American".:eek:

 

Barbara, need I say more.;)

[Cruising89143]

 

 

Cruise lines have written in their contract many things... but I don't remember that the contracts guarantee that you will be eating American food, served in American English and pay in American dollars.

 

As I said before, I want a list of these cruises, because frankly they are more interesting to me. I'd even consider paying more if I knew that a cruise leaving from Barcelona was offering Spanish food and Spanish produce. Or a cruise from Greece with Greek food and produce. Argentinian beef on a cruise in South America. Damn... I have to find out more about these immersion cruises!

 

If you want to vacation in a compound.... may I suggest Jamaica. I want to really see and enjoy the culture of another country when I go there.

 

Royal Caribbean is a cruise line that is based right here in the good ole USA. They have for many years catered to mostly a US passenger base even with ports outside of the US. Most Americans book RCI due to the fact that they know that the on board experience is going to cater to mostly Americans. If it's not then the cruise line needs to make it clear. Just like P&O and Fred Olsen cater to the Brits. The new cruise line CDF that RCI just started will cater to the French and it is made very clear. No one says that they want a vacation in a compound so quit trying to put words in our mouth.:rolleyes:

[TahoeBob]

My thoughts exactly!

And then they wonder why were are labelled the "Ugly American".:eek:

 

some time ago A friend of my wife told me that she did not like Mexico. This was only one week after I got back from my first cruise to Mexico. I asked her why she did not like Mexico, her reply was "to many people speak Spanish there"

Ugly Americans are all over the place

[SeaSeaCritic]

:(

and

 

 

 

So you two would have no objections on cruising the Rhapsody where Chinese is the language of the menus, entertainment, announcements, guided tours, etc. and where everybody is smoking all over the ship. And where even the stuff in the stores is geared towards the Chinese.

 

And based on what I see everyday in Fort Lee, NJ and Flushing NY, where Asians make up 90+ of the population, everybody will nod politely to you, smile and then ignore you because you are not part of their ethnic group. We have friends who moved to a Cliffside Park high rise with 95% Asian population. After 3 years this is all they get and they have TRIED to make friends only to be ignored after the opening polite smile and nod.

 

So please don't lecture us as if we are all rubes and you are the enlightened ones.

 

Wow!!!!!! So you are taking a cruise in Asia and the majority of passengers are Asian and the ship should cater to one of the minority groups of passengers, Americans. Wow!!! :(

 

By the way, as of the 2000 census, Fort Lee's population was 63% white and 32% Asian, not anywhere near 90% Asian.:confused:

 

To be honest with you, your post is offensive to Asian Americans.

[rubrrick]

What cruise are you on that Euros instead of US$s are being used. That would be a total rip off and I'm shocked RCI would no anything this sleazy. Shame on them!!!!!!

 

I posted this on another thread. Thought you might be interested.

 

I think one could say that we were on a British immersion cruise in '05 on the Legend of the Seas.

 

She had just come out of drydock in Portugal, where they had changed out everything that had anything to do with US dollars and replaced them with GBP. The casino only took GBP. The drink of the day was 5.95 GBP which equated to almost $11.00 US YIKES!!:eek:

 

We were one of 60 American couples, everyone else being from Ireland, Scotland and England.

 

Was that not an immersion cruise???

 

Oh, and we almost had a mutiny onboard. The captain was Nik Antalis...a super guy, and along with the hotel director had a meeting with a group of Brits to get things sorted out.

 

You see........the Brits were never told that everything onboard was to be in GBP. They all had already exchanged their pounds for US dollars.......as always in the past that is how RCCL operated in the UK. Now they were losing money by having to exchange it back to Pounds Sterling.

 

By day 4, the Brits had received a discount and an apology from the line. We dumb Americans were given nothing.

 

Immersion cruising..........I may have to rethink this, knowing how we were treated by RCCL.........the UK way.

 

BTW......shortly thereafter, they changed everything back to US dollars. Their little experiment had really backfired on them.

 

Rick

[kitty9]

It would be cost prohibitive for RCI to convert the on board currency depending on where the ship is sailing. They cannot possibly convert the slot machines in the casino for the bill and coin readers to handle different currencies. It would also be expensive to change their computer software to reflect currency changes. I would say that currency would remain the same unless one of their ships is positioned permanently in Europe.

[Gixer]

This whole immersion thing is really starting to grind my gears. For all those people who think folks are cancelling their trips because they are afraid of other cultures and so on are way off the mark. The whole point of this is the fact that if people wanted total immersion they would have booked with a line that is Native to that country e.g P & O for the Brits.

 

People booked their cruises with RCCL for a reason - they like their product, they like what the ship has to offer by way of food and entertainment, has anybody even stopped to ask the Chinese if they want this immersion style cruising? If they did I am sure they would have booked with a line that caters for them and their needs, but they picked RCCL and all it has to offer in its wonderful 'American'ness, did anyone stop to think maybe they want American style cruising too and thats why they booked RCCL! I know as a Brit I do not want British style cruising, otherwise I would have booked it, I dont understand why that point is so hard for people to grasp.

 

Sheesh, people work hard and save hard for their much earned trips, they want to know what they are getting, that their children wont feel isolated in the clubs because nobody can speak their language, to be able to understand the entertainment and dinner conversations, to know they wont have a tour canceled because of no English speaking guides, most of all they just want to relax, have fun and enjoy their cruise, which is why they picked RCCL in the first place. If they want adventure then they would book adventure.

[house7]

Royal Caribbean is a cruise line that is based right here in the good ole USA. They have for many years catered to mostly a US passenger base even with ports outside of the US. Most Americans book RCI due to the fact that they know that the on board experience is going to cater to mostly Americans. If it's not then the cruise line needs to make it clear. Just like P&O and Fred Olsen cater to the Brits. The new cruise line CDF that RCI just started will cater to the French and it is made very clear. No one says that they want a vacation in a compound so quit trying to put words in our mouth.:rolleyes:

 

Due the economy everywhere I think RCI needs to cater to more than just americans. I travel RCI not because it is based in the USA but because I want a great vacation. The staff on board is not mostly Americans in fact they are the minority. As for the food, I love all the choices but miss the REAL maple syrup when I'm on board. (don't even get me started on real bear:D ). I would be upset too if I was told the cruise I booked was now serving only British (or other) food if there were no other choices. Although I would probably be eating DEEP FRIED PIZZA and DEEP FRIED MARS BARS 24/7. Miss those for sure:D . RCI is like everyother company out there just trying to expand their client base to ensure a profit. Now if they started making the bahamas cruises imersion that wasn't american then yeah they are crazy but ones out of britain that is smart business.

[Cruising89143]

Due the economy everywhere I think RCI needs to cater to more than just americans. I travel RCI not because it is based in the USA but because I want a great vacation. The staff on board is not mostly Americans in fact they are the minority. As for the food, I love all the choices but miss the REAL maple syrup when I'm on board. (don't even get me started on real bear:D ). I would be upset too if I was told the cruise I booked was now serving only British (or other) food if there were no other choices. Although I would probably be eating DEEP FRIED PIZZA and DEEP FRIED MARS BARS 24/7. Miss those for sure:D . RCI is like everyother company out there just trying to expand their client base to ensure a profit. Now if they started making the bahamas cruises imersion that wasn't american then yeah they are crazy but ones out of britain that is smart business.

 

Again many of us know that RCI has ventured out to more ports outside of the US but if they plan to change the on board atmosphere for the locals then they need to make that clear to everyone. Until recently we have not heard of anything like this being done. Now all of a sudden it seems that RCI changing to take care of the locals. I have no problem with that but let everyone know well ahead of time.

 

One has to wonder if we are going to see more of these if airfare gets out of hand. You could see a lot less Americans on board and more locals from the European markets on board.

[house7]

Again many of us know that RCI has ventured out to more ports outside of the US but if they plan to change the on board atmosphere for the locals then they need to make that clear to everyone. Until recently we have not heard of anything like this being done. Now all of a sudden it seems that RCI changing to take care of the locals. I have no problem with that but let everyone know well ahead of time.

 

What is well ahead of time? What is letting everyone know? From what some posters are saying they got phone calls. I know I got a phone call when they needed to put a ship I was booked on in dry dock and wanted to change my cruise sailing date. They even gave me OBC and a better cabin. Not sure if they are doing that with these imersion cruises but it doesn't hurt to ask.

[CruzinCruzan]

Gixer:

 

I couldn't have said it better....this has nothing to do with insults, xenophobia or prejudice...it just has to do with choices...comfort...stress levels and the specific vacation that you signed up for!!!!

 

This has nothing to do with political correctness...RCI changed their product and neglected to tell us at the time of booking...

[cruisenfever]

I guess now the tables are turned........if we chose to do a cruise over in Asia we will be the ones who need the interpreter. Food is a no brainer as long as they don't serve baby birds and monkey brains!

[cruisenfever]

Patti,

Surely you jest. There were many entree choices, besides black beans and rice, and they were not even available every night, unless by special request. Most of the menus were the same tired menus we've seen for the last few years (I really wish they would re-vamp them), with a couple of local dishes available each night. I actually enjoyed some of the Brazilian dishes, and if one wasn't what I hoped for, getting something familiar to replace it was not a problem. What I am reading about for the Asian immersion cruise it may be something very different, if indeed that is what will transpire. Has anyone seen any announcement from an official at RCI, beyond a reservation specialist?

 

Only a few of the shows were primarily Portuguese, and they were clearly identified in the Cruise Compass as such. If you wanted the photo captions in English they would do them at no extra charge, though it usually took until the next day to get them.

 

Ray in NH

I should have said that black beans and rice were served daily in the WJ along with other various unknown dishes. The one that really got my attention was the baby octopus salad.............and those little suckers were in there with all their little tentacles attached!!:eek:

 

Yes, Jim and I both like change..............but this was a little over the top when it came to lunch and the Solarium Cafe didn't offer a very good variety..............except for those wonderful crepes. And we were not impressed with the DR for lunch as some days service was very slow.

 

Dinner was good........but not as good as the cruise before this one.

[Cruising89143]

What is well ahead of time? What is letting everyone know? From what some posters are saying they got phone calls. I know I got a phone call when they needed to put a ship I was booked on in dry dock and wanted to change my cruise sailing date. They even gave me OBC and a better cabin. Not sure if they are doing that with these imersion cruises but it doesn't hurt to ask.

 

They should do it at the time of booking. Many people buy their air as soon as the airlines release the bookings. People need to know before.

[Ephraim]

My husband and I said the same thing last night!! I even went to the RCL website but as far as I could see they aren't identified any differently. The only one I might find a bit much is Asia but ... then It would be quite interesting to discover what "Asian Language" is since everywhere we went they spoke a different language!!

 

However I too would like to know more about this (of course I would like to know it before I booked .. I do sympathize with people on that point!!)

 

Well, hopefully we will meet on one of them, then! I assume they will pick the language of the most foreign passengers based on where the ship leaves from.

 

For me it's not about the local food, I'd like that. There will always be an alternative on the menu. BUT don't seat me with people that don't speak English because that will ruin my dinner. It's about the language and the currancy. I only speak English and I only have my hard earned US dollars to spend.

 

I assume as they do now, they will carefully try to put people together based on language and culture. Because I'm Canadian, I often end up at a table with Brits, which suits me just fine. As for the currency, it isn't a major deal for me. I assume that the prices will be similar, just in their local currency. I only have my had earned Canadian dollars to spend. I just don't expect that the rest of the world will use my currency. What do you do in foreign ports? Pay in US dollars? Sorry, but I use the local currency when I'm in a foreign country, I never expect them to take Canadian dollars.

 

Royal Caribbean is a cruise line that is based right here in the good ole USA. They have for many years catered to mostly a US passenger base even with ports outside of the US. Most Americans book RCI due to the fact that they know that the on board experience is going to cater to mostly Americans. If it's not then the cruise line needs to make it clear. Just like P&O and Fred Olsen cater to the Brits. The new cruise line CDF that RCI just started will cater to the French and it is made very clear. No one says that they want a vacation in a compound so quit trying to put words in our mouth.:rolleyes:

 

Royal Caribbean is an International cruise line with offices around the world. Their clientèle come from many backgrounds. They don't only sell tickets to Americans. Do you think that only Americans are allowed to fly on American Airlines? When they fly into Montreal the announcements are made in English and French. When I flew on Air Canada to Santiago and Buenos Aires, the announcements were made in Spanish as well. The reality is that American passengers are actually less financially viable today then foreign passengers. Between the reluctance to pay high air fares as they spiral out of control because of the price of oil. The fact that there is a recession in the US and less people are travelling. And the reality that they can charge more to a European for the same berth, the reality is that RCL needs to fill the ship the most profitable.

 

I carefully did not point to ANYONE in particular, but clearly there were man xenophobic messages in this thread. I'm not the only one who noticed it, I'm just the person who had the guts to call a spade a spade. I've carefully never pointed out anyone, nore have I suggested that it was anyone in particular. On the other hand, clearly going on an American ship, eating American food, speaking American English and wanting everything to be American is xenophobic. If I am on a cruise in South America, I want to experience South America and I understand that I might be in the minority.

 

Further, when I am on a South America cruise and the dinner menu is decided in an office in the US and their South American dinner has "Mexican ceviche" on the menu, you have to wonder what they were thinking. And the "landfall" dinner for Valpariso, Chile included Tom Young Turkey, which is about as South American as Perogi.

 

Can we attempt to discuss this without the xenophobia. I sympathize with those who booked a cruise and then found out that it wasn't what it was supposed to be. On the other hand the cruise line made no promises in regards to language and food, other than there was going to be language spoken and food served. I've been on a cruise out of Spain where they had a completely different set of activities in Spanish, including Spanish trivia. I thought it was great and very apt, being that the cruise left from Barcelona. I was expecting the ship prices to be in Euros on the ship because it was jus plain ODD to be spending dollars in Europe, at least as far as I was concerned. I was actually surprised when it wasn't.