Cruise Curmudgeons of the World Unite

[iankh]

I know, I think I've seen some passengers who are so excited they are asking why they can't get on the ship even before the previous passengers have disembarked and why they can't get into their staterooms before the staff even has a chance to clean them. Relax, you'll get on the ship and you'll have a clean stateroom in the afternoon.

I find such feelings quite realistic. There is always a strong chance that the front half of the ship will leave without the the back half or that they'll run out of food.

More important question, tell me about food.






.

 

[Mokat76]

I find such feeling quite realistic. There is always a strong chance that the front half of the ship will leave without the the back half or that they'll run out of food.

More important question, tell me about food.






.

Even more important, if my cabin is midship how can I be sure it will sail with the front half?

And if I get to the port the night before can I camp out to be first in line?

And how come those concierge people get preferential treatment? It's not fair (insert foot-stamping all-out adult tantrum here).

 

[Mokat76]

I'm all for saving a buck!

"...no way they will fall for making all those little girls who want to look like princesses look like ballerinas on crack."

Thank you. You have just given me my costume if I ever have to go back to Mickey's Halloween party. I took my nieces a few years back but never once thought of dressing up. They did, of course, as their respective princess du jour. I could kick myself for missing a golden opportunity!

 

[girl_barrie]

If you could please post a picture of your beloved familiar sitting in Palo on your next cruise, we curmudgeons would like to confirm that not only does he exist, but that he can score you reservations that you didn't get despite setting your alarm for midnight daily for a week prior to your paid in full date so that your body can acclimate to being awake and alert so you can deftly get to your bookmarked excursion/Palo page.

He got you the reservation by getting you into the terminal at 5am so that you could stand in line for 6 hours to get boarding group 2.

Please don't have your familiars curse me.

No worries at all! My familiar will put on his *Official* Captain's Outfit and magically guide my family past all terminal check-ins, right to the front of the line, and from there will directly whisk us (kids included - in our raggy jeans cut-offs)into Palo!!! to be served immediately - even though we show up 3 hours past our designated check-in time!!! Because he is after-all the Mouse who owns the company and drives the boat and, after-all, staggered check-in times are really just a suggestion!!!!!!! LOL!!!

Ok. I think it hysterical to think that people who are so obsessed over whether they can order 4 or 5 entrees at a meal and take and post a million pictures of their food would ever care to attend a lecture about health on a cruise ship. I can't post what I really think about a colonics lecture in the Cove cafe.

LOL!!!! True THAT!!! Although I must admit, I spent a bunch of time in the gym (...after abandoning, conscripting, YES - booting our precious only kid off to the Club where he was just SO miserable that we had to drag him out each day!), and that, combined with always taking the stairs and eating consistently pretty great food throughout the day made me lose 5 pounds during our cruise!!!! I had even thought to attend one of the "Healthy Lifestyles" lectures, but it conflicted with one of our snack times!!!

 

[ColoradoDisneyFreaks]

Although I must admit, I spent a bunch of time in the gym (...after abandoning, conscripting, YES - booting our precious only kid off to the Club where he was just SO miserable that we had to drag him out each day!), and that, combined with always taking the stairs and eating consistently pretty great food throughout the day made me lose 5 pounds during our cruise!!!! I had even thought to attend one of the "Healthy Lifestyles" lectures, but it conflicted with one of our snack times!!!

I must say, I hate you...

While we're on the subject of kids in the kids clubs (how's that for a segue?), how about those who ask if little Jimmy, who is 7, can go to Edge, because his older sister Joan (12) is there and they just can't stand to be apart?

What Stepford universe do these people come from? My kids can't wait to get away from each other, and if they were forced to be together, they'd make rabid howler monkeys look civilized with the constant bickering and sniping that they'd do to each other. Why would I wish that on some unsuspecting CM? Is there really a place where that many people's kids just love to be together all of the time (if they're not twins, then the question is a moot point, sorry, I'm catching up on past episodes of Big Bang Theory so have gotten a little Sheldon in my way of speaking/typing)?

 

[Cerberus9]

Would it be possible to organize a "Curmudgeons Only" cruise?

I would pay significantly extra for that.

 

[ThePhantomsGirl]

Well, you'd probably all not wear jeans or shorts to dinner, not call it a boat, not dress your kids like a ballerina on crack, try for proper grammar...but you WOULD make fun of each other.

 

[anna08]

Would it be possible to organize a "Curmudgeons Only" cruise?

I would pay significantly extra for that.

They wouldn't have to hire a comedian - someone could just go up onstage and read our thread from start to finish.

Let's also have our own levels of Castaway Curmudgeon Club.....someone with a brain that's funnier than mine can work on this. Valbob? Iankh?

 

[Makayna]

Well, you'd probably all not wear jeans or shorts to dinner, not call it a boat, not dress your kids like a ballerina on crack, try for proper grammar...but you WOULD make fun of each other.

And don't forget not EVER letting your kids even step a toenail into Quiet Cove and pronouncing Cay as Key (as it should be ), and making sure that your non-potty trained kids don't even come within 25 yards of any of the pools. But all in all, I think dinner conversations with a ship full of "curmudgeons" would be rather dull, and possibly even painful.

 

[ThePhantomsGirl]

Wonder how much they'd charge for my familiar?

 

[CherylSue]

My dear DD who is 14 just can't handle the long trip from the room to the drink station. Her tender teenage feet can't handle the trip. Do they rent strollers on the ship for teenagers?

 

[Makayna]

I'm 34 years old... can I still get ribbons tied into my hair so I can look like the 5 year olds on the ship?

 

[jdb in AZ]

My dear DD who is 14 just can't handle the long trip from the room to the drink station. Her tender teenage feet can't handle the trip. Do they rent strollers on the ship for teenagers?

hmmm. She probubbly couldn't fit her long coltish legs into a stroller, and doesn't like people to push her around; but she's too young to legally rent an ECV (aka go carts for old farts.) I know! Get her a Segway!

 

[ThePhantomsGirl]

I'm 34 years old... can I still get ribbons tied into my hair so I can look like the 5 year olds on the ship?

You can do that - but unless you stick glitter and a ton of hairspray, AND dress like a ...well...I am not going to say it lest I get flamed.... - you won't look like that....

 

[CherylSue]

hmmm. She probubbly couldn't fit her long coltish legs into a stroller, and doesn't like people to push her around; but she's too young to legally rent an ECV (aka go carts for old farts.) I know! Get her a Segway!

A Segway is a great idea! That way she can roll into the elevator and take up all the room while she rapidly pushes the "close elevator doors" button to make sure the elderly lady with the walker can't make it in time. Then she can ride the elevator up and down the ship just to insure no one else can use it.

 

[girl_barrie]

But all in all, I think dinner conversations with a ship full of "curmudgeons" would be rather dull, and possibly even painful.

From reading back through the thread, I don't think so. It seems that there are a bunch of great, truly considerate people here with a true talent for biting wit and a mastery of sarcasm!!(And grammar...) Which is pretty remarkable to express in an online forum!!!

Way to go Curmudgeons!!!!

Excuse me... I think that I just spewed a little Pixie Dust....

 

[GrumpyGoat]

Ok, time to join the curmudgeons. I can't stand Shutters photogs taking photos at dinner.

My mouth is full of food, there is half-eaten food on the table, but I need to stop and huddle with my family for a photo?

Oh, and can you move your drink 10cm to the left, and hide the macerated cow?

And when you are sharing a table with another family, you have to explain which kids belong with which parents and then get out of your seat to go stand behind them?

I don't want to remember the way my kids eat.

I've been a photographer for over 40 years. I HATE being on the other side of the camera as it is. If they come around during dinner, they will certainly learn the meaning of the word "curmudgeon..."

Oh I forgot to mention. One time, I went to sit in a lounge chair and was told by a grown woman that I couldn't sit there because her Minnie Mouse doll was using the chair.

Not sure if that should be filed under inappropriate familiar or chair hogging but it should definitely be cross referenced with CREEPY.

These people that do this "familiar" thing have issues way deeper than anything related to Disney and DCL... I've seen them in everyday life and it's truly scary.

TOTALLY CREEPY!

Disney is missing a great revenue opportunity by not charging full cruise fare for 'familiars,' after all, they take up lounge chairs, go to dinner, go on excursions, wait in line for character meets & greets, go to shows, etc. I'm going to have to call DCL and suggest that these stowaways pay up!

I like that idea...

Ok, since you brought up a nice segway for me (at least I think it should be "me" haha), I have to be a total fun spoiler for what must be millions of people everywhere and bring up my curmudgeony thought for the day....

Can anyone tell me what in the Hades Disney was thinking when they came up with the look for all the little girls to be made up as 'princesses' in the Bibbidity Bobbity boutiques??? They look like walking macrame spider plants sprinkled with glitter on top of their heads. It is purely awful. Downright disgusting. And soooo many people pay to do that to their girls!! Can anyone point out a princess in any Disney production who looks remotely like an exotic dancer (ok, maybe Jasmine,) and why would Disney do that to little girl?

And to relate it to cruising, I have to say partial/half head hair braids that are done on DCL are not cute on most of the girls that get them. Sorry to be such a curmudgeon, but it makes me shudder to see them and the horrific sunburn that they get on their scalp thereafter.

Thanks. Now I feel better.

The entire Disney organization, not just DCL, are masters at marketing to the kiddies, which in turn gets the parents to spend boatloads of money. The Princess Faire shop at Disneyland is a perfect example. Every time we go there we see the little girls dressed up as their favorite princess. I wonder how many of those horribly expensive outfits are never worn again?

Another masterful merchandising idea is pin trading. What a concept! Get everyone interested in trading and collecting pins and then sell them everywhere at inflated prices. I hope the executive that thought that one up got a huge bonus...

1. Yes, they do have presentations about various health issues and treatments. In my opinion, that is not a bad thing, but having them at the Cove Cafe IS a bit weird!

2. I don't think that you are pathetic in any way, but midwesterners, definitely. Out here in CA it is something that can and does come up in fairly normal conversation. Weird? Yes. Commonplace among the wheat-grass set? Yup!

I don't know what part of California you come from but that's not something that's discussed in my circle of friends and I've lived here for 48 years... But then again, I'm not part of the wheat grass set. I'm not a cow... Why should I eat grass?

Would it be possible to organize a "Curmudgeons Only" cruise?

I would pay significantly extra for that.

YES! YES! I want to go!!!

Maybe we could convince DCL to put a "Curmudgeon Club" on each of the ships...

 

[dahuffy]

through the whole thread

Does the Tag Fairy still exist?? They could have a field day here!!!!

 

[jdb in AZ]

Would it be possible to organize a "Curmudgeons Only" cruise?

I would pay significantly extra for that.

It would have to be a very cusstomized itinerary -- no stops at Nassau. If it's in Alaska, they'd have to allow more time in the ports, especially Victoria. Hawaii would have to include more time at Maui, Kaui, and do a night-time sail past the volcanoes. Italian cruises would have to include Venice.

And there would be no "debarking" of "debarkment" allowed, only disembarking! The cruise director would have to keep the PA announcements to an absolute minimum. Unless the ship is sinking, step away from the microphone and nobuddy gets hurt!

And the characters would have to include lots of ornery villains -- we have so much in common!

 

[ThePhantomsGirl]

But all in all, I think dinner conversations with a ship full of "curmudgeons" would be rather dull, and possibly even painful.

Dull, maybe not as I associate dull with nothing going on. But painful? Probably most likely as although some of the posts are hysterically funny, just as many are as "entitled" as the very people they make fun of. Depends on which side of "entitlement" you are on I guess.

One would have to find their own groups of people who conformed with their ideas of what is and is not acceptable.

I say again - I've found many of the posts on here very funny. I've found just as many that are thinly veiled, if at all veiled, insults and down right mean-spirited. There's a fine line between humor and being mean.

Because this thread covers such a wide range of topics - we'll all agree on some things - and not on others.

As I said once before - I tend to think in terms of things as to whether what anyone does impinges on others, and I mean truly impinges on others - not just their sense of what they think.