[QuickTidal]

Had an amazing honeymoon cruise in the Mediterranean. Saw Barcelona, France (Monaco, Monte Carlo, and Nice), Italy (Tuscany, Rome, Solarno, Pompeii, and Venice), Greece (Santorini, Athens, and Mykonos), Turkey (Ephesus), and Croatia (Dubrovnik).

Top 10 Things I learned on the ship:

1. Out of shape People will fill multiple plates at the buffet...but will ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs...and then grease up and go lay in the sun by the pool. It was shiver-inducing to watch since it seemed so slovenly.

2. Brits & Aussie's will apologize profusely if they mistake Canadians for Americans.

3. WiFi on a ship at sea is done VIA a Satellite link and is paid for by the minute (or package of minutes)...and it will take you at LEAST 15 minutes to check your email...and you will leave the internet lounge in a furious state having wasted so many minutes.

4. About 15% of people realize that with all the free food and alcohol and treats they are consuming that they ought to not only take the stairs up and down floors...but should get into the gym facilities at least a few times over the two weeks...the other 85% will remain oblivious and herd into elevators struggling to breathe.

5. Cruise Director's are irritatingly condescending, but they imagine they are funny.

6. Italian's, when speaking English, add "eh" (in a Non-Canadian way) to the end of most questions.

7. Having a balcony is a lovely perk, especially one on the Port side...but is a double edged sword when you habituate next to a (admittedly lovely) older Aussie couple who nonetheless wake at 5AM every morning to say things like "Crikey! Look at that weather!" in loud voices to one another...which permeated the sliding door and into our stateroom.

8. The Mediterranean is as vibrantly blue as everyone always says it is. To a degree I cannot properly describe. It was like a painting.

9. The housekeeping staff are ALWAYS the most amazing staff you will meet on any given cruise and I'm convinced they aren't paid enough for their toil. WE loved ours and tipped them well as a result.

10. In the alcove of the main buffet area where the fountain drinks are all located, more than ten people over the course of the cruise would pour themselves a cup of something (apple juice, iced tea, lemonade, water...whatever) and instead of vacating the area to go sit down would stand directly in front of the machine, tiup their head back and slowly guzzle the drink before moving on...

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 16 June 2014 - 05:15 PM

[worry]

#FatShaming #CruiseDirectorShaming #NoTriggerWarning #Problematic

[Abyss]

#NotAllCruisers

[worry]

Did you look at the actual honey moon on your honeymoon btw? Seems kinda fortuitous timing.

[QuickTidal]

upworthywort, on 16 June 2014 - 08:04 PM, said:

#FatShaming #CruiseDirectorShaming #NoTriggerWarning #Problematic

It's totally their life to live how they wish....but I still noticed it, so it made the list.

Though I'll take the blame if people are offended by what I mentioned. Apologies, it was an observation on my part, but perhaps not something to focus on. I was most worried about health in that vein with what I saw, but that's not really my business I realize.

And the cruise director was a douchebag and deserves all the shaming I send his way.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 17 June 2014 - 12:22 AM

[QuickTidal]

upworthywort, on 16 June 2014 - 08:16 PM, said:

Did you look at the actual honey moon on your honeymoon btw? Seems kinda fortuitous timing.

We didn't see it, but it was on the night when we had dealt with a disgruntled waiter in Venice...soooooo yes?

LOL

[worry]

Italian eateries are known for their "you're at home" atmospheres. Watch one newlywed turn this stereotype on its head...

[QuickTidal]

upworthywort, on 16 June 2014 - 09:51 PM, said:

Italian eateries are known for their "you're at home" atmospheres. Watch one newlywed turn this stereotype on its head...

We had ordered a bottle of wine and that was it...and after he'd cracked it and poured it, he DEMANDED we order at least one entre a piece...and said we should have know that was how they operated...we were astonished that a restauranteur thought he could dicate what we ordered in his establishment.

I was PISSED at the tourist trappery of it.

[Morgoth]

Italian service is almost as bad as that of Austria, and I would imagine Venice to be the worst of the lot, though I have never been to the city myself.

[Gothos]

Ewww, Venice. I can already smell the stench of a city drowned in its own refuse

[QuickTidal]

Matt Smith has been announced as coming to Fan Expo.

I'm going to meet Matt Smith!

OMG, so very excited.

[Ukjent]

Who?

[worry]

The answer may surprise you!

[Ukjent]

Haha, He was asking for it.

[Illuyankas]

This is a lot funnier than anything from a site that catalogues firearms in movies and games has any right to be

Quote

The USAS-12 jams in much the same way as the SPAS, so a gigantic explosion has been added to this image to make up for any disappointment.

[Tsundoku]

QuickTidal, on 16 June 2014 - 05:14 PM, said:

1. Out of shape people will fill multiple plates at the buffet...but will ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs...

You needed to go on a cruise to learn that one? Where do you live again?

Quote

2. Brits & Aussies will apologise profusely if they mistake Canadians for Americans.

No, we apologise profusely if we mistake you for USAnians. You already ARE Americans. #pedanticbear



Glad you had a good time though.

This post has been edited by Sombra: 18 June 2014 - 08:40 AM

[QuickTidal]

Sombra, on 18 June 2014 - 08:39 AM, said:

QuickTidal, on 16 June 2014 - 05:14 PM, said:

1. Out of shape people will fill multiple plates at the buffet...but will ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs...

You needed to go on a cruise to learn that one? Where do you live again?

Actually Canada is not TOO bad for this one...at least enough that gathering 2800 people on a boat made it stand out way more than it might at home...but you are probably right.

Quote

No, we apologise profusely if we mistake you for USAnians. You already ARE Americans. #pedanticbear



Glad you had a good time though.

Ha, noted. And thanks.

I forgot to mention #11 ion the list:

11. Young American guys really CAN be what they call "DudeBros"....I shit you not the wife and I sat by three of them one day in the buffet and they proceeded to have a conversation that consisted of "dudes" and "bros" in a Californian accent for 10 minutes. It was difficult to listen to. What happened to English?

[Tiste Simeon]

QuickTidal, on 18 June 2014 - 10:08 AM, said:

What happened to English?

I once got asked, when working in the States, to speak in "some England talk" I replied that I was speaking in the language to which the guy replied "no, not English, the language you guys speak in England! "
After patiently explaining that ENGLISH came from ENGLAND, he screwed up his face & said "Oh. What language do we speak here then?"

God bless America!

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 16 June 2014 - 09:37 PM, said:

...
And the cruise director was a douchebag and deserves all the shaming I send his way.

Story! STORY!!!

Morgoth, on 17 June 2014 - 07:28 AM, said:

Italian service is almost as bad as that of Austria, and I would imagine Venice to be the worst of the lot, though I have never been to the city myself.

My experience having been there twice for multiple weeks is generally the opposite. I found the Italians to be friendly, welcoming, and patient if we had to navigate some language issues. There were the odd exceptions, but hardly more than i've experienced anywhere else. Maybe i just have a travel horseshoe th', i got great service even in France.
Austria too actually, tho to be fair i was eating exclusively in biergartens and pretty hammered the whole time.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 18 June 2014 - 02:21 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 16 June 2014 - 09:37 PM, said:

...
And the cruise director was a douchebag and deserves all the shaming I send his way.

Story! STORY!!!

Let's see. First off, on the first night out the "entertainment" was a mishmash of what they would be providing for entertainment each night for the next two weeks, and every time he introduced an act he did it in a condescending manner. Like "Here is Miss Singer from New Zealand"...singer sings...*we clap*....Cruise Director Douche: "There she goes. Isn't she cute?" He proceeded to belittle each and every act in a physical way. The male broadway-ish singer was super buff and latin...and instead of commenting how good a singer he was, he made some random comment about how the older female cruise patrons would attend the show he was in to get their "motors running"...or some such.

Second. The Mrs. and I attended the mind-reader/magician and sat in the back row. I began to whisper how he did all the tricks to her (it was a pretty lame show and guessable tricks) and Cruise Director Douche all of the sudden is beside me and nudges me to ask "How's he doing?" about the act. I said "He's alright." Not wanting to disparage the act as not the best...his response was "I can't see him, that pole is in the way. Hahahaha!" and then he wandered off. I have to assume he was drunk?

He did other stuff over the course of the cruise that irritated us, but mostly it was his blatant condescension.

Abyss, on 18 June 2014 - 02:21 PM, said:

Morgoth, on 17 June 2014 - 07:28 AM, said:

Italian service is almost as bad as that of Austria, and I would imagine Venice to be the worst of the lot, though I have never been to the city myself.

My experience having been there twice for multiple weeks is generally the opposite. I found the Italians to be friendly, welcoming, and patient if we had to navigate some language issues. There were the odd exceptions, but hardly more than i've experienced anywhere else. Maybe i just have a travel horseshoe th', i got great service even in France.
Austria too actually, tho to be fair i was eating exclusively in biergartens and pretty hammered the whole time.

Totally. This was an anomaly in our time in multiple ports in Italy. We were all over that country and nearly every single Italian we met were lovely, gracious, and kind-hearted people. The Venetian waiter/restaurant was an anomaly of the highest order...