Cruise Curmudgeons of the World Unite

[ibouncetoo]

I hate it when people wear their cruise lanyards with the attitude that they've somehow accomplished something significant in their lives.

Hey, I can (barely) think of anything eles I've done ten times that has provided so much sense of, um, accomplisment.

.

 

[anna08]

I was away for a couple of days, but I'm happy to announce I gleefully opened this thread to read what I had missed - so not the sort of emotion we are promoting, huh?!

Thought of one more thing that makes me really grumpy.
THE SURVEY!!

I have this problem when I am given a task - I have to be thorough and complete, and I spend precious time the last night (after spending precious time packing) to fill out the darn survey. It's LONG. And if you're only on a 3 day, it takes up way too much time. For heavens sake, I could be taking a carpet tour, watching TV reruns or meeting a Disney expert in the Cove cafe instead!!

And the whole time I get these feelings of "oh no. If I say the food was less than excellent, will my servers get penalized. someone's family back in x country will suffer if I get a less than stellar piece of fish." Why are the servers responsible for some head chef's choice of fish/sauce/veggies? The head servers JOB is to oversee their underlings and I think THEY should do their evals.

On our last cruise, we by some miracle did not get a survey. Maybe they knew I was a curmudgeon before I did! That sneaky Disney company. I felt a minute of guilt, but I did not ask for one. We did leave good tips, however (gotta live by the t shirt mantra.)

 

[Meagan_4]

I get frustrated when people assume I'm immature because I cruise on Disney without children. I used to work for Disney and have come to associate it with quality and attention to detail. It only makes sense that I'd book a cruise through a company I trust.

 

[JoyaDelMar]

My first great DCL disappointment happened on our very first cruise. It was a 4-night on the Wonder.

I decided to go on the tour of the ship. I was rather excited as I was hoping to learn more about the framed Disney art and be afforded the opportunity to ask questions.

Silly me, silly me. I had confused this tour with a tour given by a the Chicago Architectural Foundation with a highly informed docent.

Our Disney docent was hardly decent.

It was a cast member from the overly perky cheerleader staff. I believe they are considered part of the entertainment? You know the same folks that herd you onto the buses for tours.

Anyway, I digress, I then followed her around with ship with the group where she spoke at great length about ... the carpeting. I kid you not, and I'm not exaggerating it was basically a tour of the carpeting on the Wonder.

- The manufacturing of the carpeting
- The pattern of the carpeting and what the pattern means based on the floor
- The meaning of the pattern of the carpeting
- The built in directional queues in the carpeting

She only deviated from this carpet-rich ship's tour when we were on the Promenade Deck and she addressed the paint and the seam between the forward and aft sections.

Not one mention of any of the artwork.

.

Haha!! I distinctly remember the same tour... and then proceeded to take a lot of photos of carpet... How incredibly memorable!

That being said, I later I went to Guest Services and asked if they had maybe some sort of guide to supplement the tour - something about the artwork on the ship. They looked at my quite confused and took down our room number in pretense that they would contact us.

Now... we never did get the art tour - but we did receive a slice of Disney Magic instead as they left two small arts prints (left over from a holiday cruise I think) in our cabin as a consolation prize!

 

[mugsy]

I suppose that I am a closet curmudgeon, since this thread has prompted me -- who loves all things Disney and DCL -- to rediscover those gripes and peeves I have hidden for all these years, such as:

- Fish extenders, gift exchanges, and scrapbooking -- don't get it, don't want it, and if I did it, I would probably do it imperfectly (by trying to wedge a scrapbook into a fish extender).

- Disney earworms -- they infect the ships in the hallways, in the restaurants, and in all public areas. I need "Total Recall"-like memory wipes to eradicate "Hakuna Matata" and its ilk after a cruise.

- The overuse of variations of this guy: and especially this guy: on the Disboards. Seriously, where does that banana think he is -- in the Exotic Rasul?

- More Disboards -- the constant reappearance of certain subjects again and again. For the record: I don't care if you do or don't take your kid out of school for a Caribbean cruise, but (in my opinion) doing so triggers tryannical reactions from certain educators and administrators; people who reserve (and thus hog) lounges next to a pool, rows of theater seats, and hammocks on Castaway Cay should be keelhauled on sea days, without a trial, and then forced to go on that rug tour everyone is talking about; and tipping cast members is not a competitive sport -- tip what you want, don't brag about it afterward, and don't attempt to shame those who tip less or more than you did.

Rant over -- FOR NOW.

 

[LindaBabe]

We are DVC members too. This last cruise I felt like I was being hounded by DVC. I lost track of the number of phone messages they kept leaving for us.

I started to have nightmares about it. It was as if I was being pursued by some maniacally smiling, candy-scented aunt who who was chasing after me trying to pinch my chubby cheeks.

Exactly - Badgered was how I felt. Next cruise, I'm going to the DVC desk first day and TELL them to take my name off the call list.

OK, OK, I know that many adults consider themselves Disney fanatics. I'm sure they are lovely people, but I just don't get the adults (OK, women) that walk around the ship all day carrying a Disney stuffed toy, mostly Mickey. They have them at the pool, at shows, on excursions, at dinner, everywhere. I know some even go to Build-A-Bear to buy their Mickey appropriate clothes for any occasion--tuxedos, swimwear, raincoats, etc.

It kinda freaks me out...

Rant over (for now)...

I suppose my black bear, Dimples, resembles that remark. But ask her if she cares. She doesn't.

Ok, I understand we're supposed to be dancing on deck with the CMs, then go to a cooking demonstration, followed by a break with a slushy tropical concoction while we watch a movie on Ariel Vision. But what about just chillin' in the stateroom and watching TV?

Well, as pointed out by wonderful Platinum member we shared time with, the "Big Bang" channel had five 22-minute segments of her favorite program. It's the same with all the other TV shows with their own channels: five shows. That was fine when the Wonder was making three- and four-day Bahamas runs, but we were on the 15-day Trans-Panama cruise.

Now Wonder is making week-long Alaska runs, and in a couple of months they'll be spending 7 days cruising Mexico. These standard cruises need more videos. And Mrs. Curmudgeon and I will be taking a three-week Hawaii cruise.

Will DCL please spool up more videos? Can the techies find some way to get news feeds at sea? I'm tired of watching the same CNN featurette videos playing every hour. The ships have satellite downlinks in those gigantic beach balls. The antennas are aimed automatically by the ship's gyroscopic navigation system. CNN, Disney/ABC and many other international networks have satellite feed horns broadcasting to huge sections of open ocean and coastline.

They could even use the 40-year-old technology of mailing new or updated videos to ports of call. But someone in the communications department has to make it happen.

Just grumbling.

AMEN! (I was on that cruise too.)

In legend, a familiar or familiar spirit is a supernatural being that helps and supports a witch or magician. Traditionally, a familiar is an animal.

The stereotypical familiar in Western culture is the black cat. Because black cats are strongly associated with witchcraft, there are a number of superstitions regarding them. A black cat crossing ones path is said to be a portent of doom, for example. A familiar may be nearly any animal, however. Other common forms for a familiar to take are a dog, an owl, and a toad.

Or, in this case, a Disney stuffed toy.

OR a girly girl black bear?

Absolutely loving this thread!

We are platinum members and always wear the lanyards (hey, we've earned it) and i hate it when you first board the ship, and right after they announce your family, a CM come up and begins to explain what to do; where lunch is, when you can get in your room, where to make any dining changes, etc. I want to hold my lanyard in his face and say "more than 10 cruises, I know how this works now..."

when they see your platinum lanyard, they should just say "welcome back" and leave me alone

YES! Hopefully some of them are reading this thread!

I suppose that I am a closet curmudgeon, since this thread has prompted me -- who loves all things Disney and DCL -- to rediscover those gripes and peeves I have hidden for all these years, such as:

- Fish extenders, gift exchanges, and scrapbooking -- don't get it, don't want it, and if I did it, I would probably do it imperfectly (by trying to wedge a scrapbook into a fish extender).

- Disney earworms -- they infect the ships in the hallways, in the restaurants, and in all public areas. I need "Total Recall"-like memory wipes to eradicate "Hakuna Matata" and its ilk after a cruise.

- The overuse of variations of this guy: and especially this guy: on the Disboards. Seriously, where does that banana think he is -- in the Exotic Rasul? - More Disboards -- the constant reappearance of certain subjects again and again. For the record: I don't care if you do or don't take your kid out of school for a Caribbean cruise, but (in my opinion) doing so triggers tryannical reactions from certain educators and administrators; people who reserve (and thus hog) lounges next to a pool, rows of theater seats, and hammocks on Castaway Cay should be keelhauled on sea days, without a trial, and then forced to go on that rug tour everyone is talking about; and tipping cast members is not a competitive sport -- tip what you want, don't brag about it afterward, and don't attempt to shame those who tip less or more than you did.

Rant over -- FOR NOW.

 

[JD&LYD]

Hilarious thread, but much needed.
Concerning the Sail Away party, Pirate Night Party, or any other Party where the perky CM's "DANCE". Ever notice its not a Dance? Its a 45 min workout with personnal trainers that make Biggest Loser's Bob and Jillian look like amateurs. "Go left, Go right, Dig a hol, raise the Sail, pul the anchor, " bring the fat guy a resperator" . How bout do your own thing to the next two numbers?

My nickels worth...

 

[GrumpyGoat]

OK, so what is a Curmudgeon?

Here what the International Society of Curmudgeons has to say:

"The dictionary tells us that a curmudgeon is a "a bad-tempered, difficult, cantankerous person." Synonyms for the word include: grouch, crank, bear, sourpuss, crosspatch. But, as is often the case, the dictionary on its own doesn't really bring out the living beauty of the true curmudgeon.

Curmudgeons are different from your basic grumps, grouches, or complainers in subtle ways. "Cantankerous" means to be peevish, hard to get along with and generally grumpy. But that's not quite a curmudgeon, regardless of what the dictionary says. (The dictionary ought to be changed anyway, and go back to the way it used to be!)

A curmudgeon often has a black sense of humor. They don't just complain about things, they do it with flair, style, panache, satire, and a sardonic view of life! That's what makes them memorable. They also, deep down (very deep down), believe that by saying something about it, life will change. Saying even more about it will hopefully make life change faster and sooner."

I have read that there are two types of people in the world, Pollyanna's and Curmudgeons. Examples of curmudgeons are your Mr. Wilson from Dennis the Menace or W.C Fields.

I'm definitely a curmudgeon.

I love going on Disney Cruises. We are Gold Castaway Club members and have another 4 cruises booked, but I have to admit that there are many aspects that I see others so jolly about that just leaves me flat.

So perhaps I should go first the problem is, where to start? As professional curmudgeon this is very, very tough because the playing field is so very large.

OK, I'll start with something fairly innocuous - the server flag parade, napkin twirling, and marching around to the strains of It's A Small World. It makes me want to cringe with embarrassment. The over the top perky sweetness makes me wonder if they are offering optional insulin injections on the menu. I think of the servers having to do that cruise after cruise.

Consequently I give them a big tip. I see the tip more as battle pay.

OK! So, my fellow Curmudgeons out there (I know you exist), share your thoughts and feelings. Don't let yourself be bullied by the Pollyanna's!

Rejoice in your curmudgeonry!

My wife convinced (read conned...) me into going on the Wonder cruise from Vancouver to LA this fall. One of the reasons I agreed to come on this at all was because we're taking the train to Vancouver from our home in San Diego. This will be our first Disney cruise and she's jumped headlong into the whole experience, even to the point of conning (there's that word again) me into making a fish extender as she doesn't know how to sew and I do.

The one thing I've discovered reading this thread is that IT"S WORSE THAN I THOUGHT!!! If the things described in this thread are what we have to go through, I may go back to drinking...

And another thing... I can't for the life of me understand what the fuss about pirate night is all about.

I like the fireworks bit but it's all the forced fun that leads up to it that gives me stiff pain.

Can't we just skip the hysterically happy crew and go right to eating cake and watching fireworks?

Arggg... I've had enough of the pirate thing. After crewing on a tall ship for four years and then all the movies (although I like Johnny Depp) I've about had it with pirates...

Thanks for the funny thread! I, too, cringe when food servers parade to music. I dislike the necessary handshake and butt kissing conversation nightly from the head servers. And I REALLY dislike (gasp) the family name announcement when we board the ship!!! I know that is practically a reason to be thrown off the DCL disboards, but I just had to throw my wee complaint in ...

I do like the smileys here tho'

If they start playing "It's a Small World" at dinner I'm going to stuff my napkin in my ears...

And there's waaaayyy too many smilies available...

Ah, but you can have fun with the family name announcement.

On past cruises we have been announced as:

- Sonny and Cher
- the Von Trapp Family
- The Adams Family

I wonder how they'd like it if we called ourselves... Well, I better not say, some might not think it funny.

I am not quite sure if this makes me a curmudgeon, though I do share many of the sentiments expressed here.

I will share one on this board, however ... the Magic, Wonder, Dream, and Fanstasy are SHIPS, not BOATS.

I am not quite sure why that bothers me so much, but I will immediately pass over a thread with the word BOAT in the title. Rather like nails on a chalkboard to me.

Did you know the pilots that fly off aircraft carriers still call it "the boat?"

I'm glad to see I'm not alone in my Curmudgeonry. I love Disney Cruises.However I find alot of things just plain cheesy. The way the announcer says our name when we come on the ship is embarrasing. The sail away party...cheesy. Pirate Night Party....cheesy. I don't care who the cruise director is, I'snt he really just an announcer?. I really don't care about meeting the captain. Good to see I'm not the only one

The only reason I'd like to meet the Captain is to get a tour of the bridge. I'm a former Navy navigator and would like to see what it's like on a cruise ship.

Now that you mention it, I've never quite understand the whole pillow case thing either. I can understand (sort of) getting the character to sign an autograph face to face, but not the whole back room pillow case deal.

I have visions of some crew member, sitting in a t-shirt, smoking a stogie and taking swigs from a whiskey bottle sitting there signing, "(heart) Snow White."

*snort*

My issues are with the parents who think that just because we are on a cruise ship and they are contained, and they can just completely leave their little angels alone.
I watched numerous parents leave their kids at the family pool telling them that Mommy & Daddy were going over to the adult pool and that they should come and get them if the needed them.
And then two minutes later the little angels would turn into devils because nobody was around and then made the pool un enjoyable for the rest of us.
That's my complaint.

One of the reasons I even agreed to go on this cruise in the first place is that there are places other than our stateroom I can go to get away from the kids...

OK, OK, I know that many adults consider themselves Disney fanatics. I'm sure they are lovely people, but I just don't get the adults (OK, women) that walk around the ship all day carrying a Disney stuffed toy, mostly Mickey. They have them at the pool, at shows, on excursions, at dinner, everywhere. I know some even go to Build-A-Bear to buy their Mickey appropriate clothes for any occasion--tuxedos, swimwear, raincoats, etc.

It kinda freaks me out...

Rant over (for now)...

My wife is the Disney fan in the family and she's not that bad. Yet...

For example ....

But I was so hoping to meet you at a Curmudgeons meeting on a future cruise!! We can meet in an obscure location during the sail away party (after all getting announced as "the Curmudgeon family") and we can make matching tees to wear to dinner with jean shorts that say "Don't do the Dance" or "I tip well, please don't beg" or some other cleverer phrase that you curmudgeons can come up with.

Please continue to make me laugh!

"Curmudgeon Family..." I like that.

My Curmudgeon is on this site with people who do not have the common sense to use the search function (it is really bad), or scroll thru 2/3 pages to find the answer to their question, or Google it.
Repetitive posts about obvious often asked questions.

You have the ability to log onto this site, so no excuse to search for the question without starting a new thread!

(me trying to be helpful without screaming!)

Also... not being able to use TINY URLS. My last post would have been one from:

AKA: Let me Google that for you!

Ex Techie

I've not spent a lot of time on these boards, but I want to know what's with all the stuff in the signatures? I hang out on forums related to photography, trains, planes and amateur radio and nobody in any of those forums clutters up their signatures with that much garbage.

I get frustrated when people assume I'm immature because I cruise on Disney without children. I used to work for Disney and have come to associate it with quality and attention to detail. It only makes sense that I'd book a cruise through a company I trust.

I will have to agree with this. We are annual passholders at the Disneyland Resort and it is by far one of the best theme parks in Southern California. I've been to others and they fall short, some to the point of being downright horrible.

We've entertained the idea of other cruise lines, but the number of publicized adverse incidents has kept us away. Why is it the US Navy can stuff 6000 sailors on an aircraft carrier for a seven month deployment and everyone returns healthy, yet the cruise lines (Disney excepted) depart with less passengers and end up returning to port with half having contracted some foul ailment like Legionnaire's Disease, or worse, e-coli?

Disney has always had the reputation for a quality product and though it might be a bit cheesy in places, it still beats the other guys...

 

[iankh]

- More Disboards -- the constant reappearance of certain subjects again and again. For the record: I don't care if you do or don't take your kid out of school for a Caribbean cruise, but (in my opinion) doing so triggers tryannical reactions from certain educators and administrators; people who reserve (and thus hog) lounges next to a pool, rows of theater seats, and hammocks on Castaway Cay should be keelhauled on sea days, without a trial, and then forced to go on that rug tour everyone is talking about; and tipping cast members is not a competitive sport -- tip what you want, don't brag about it afterward, and don't attempt to shame those who tip less or more than you did.

Rant over -- FOR NOW.

Well if you put the beast back to bed, it's woken up at our house. I wasn't going to mention postings, but there is one posting title that is enough to send me over the edge ... "Tell me about ..."

I don't know what it is about the "Tell me about" is like a red flag to a bull. I think because it is just so vague and open ended.

I do try to help posters, but only if the subject line has a level of specificity, such as, "Living with ambulatory issues, have questions about getting around the ship" instead of "Tell me about the stairs," or "I have food allergies and have questions about specific needs," and not "Tell me about the food."

Not that I believe that anyone needs to stop asking vague questions on my behalf. I still continue to call friends and vent.

 

[SA53]

- The overuse of variations of this guy: and especially this guy: on the Disboards. Seriously, where does that banana think he is -- in the Exotic Rasul?

.

This is the best thing I have ever read on these boards

K in SA

 

[iankh]

Exactly - Badgered was how I felt. Next cruise, I'm going to the DVC desk first day and TELL them to take my name off the call list.

For us it was this last cruise on the Wonder in April. It didn't used to be that way. I mean they used to put a magnet on the door and sometimes a gift in the room, but not the of phone messages nearly every single day!

It was annoying enough that I noticed it this time.

 

[ibouncetoo]

Not that I believe that anyone needs to stop asking vague questions on my behalf. I still continue to call friends and vent.

.

 

[smootenloopers]

My Curmudgeon is on this site with people who do not have the common sense to use the search function (it is really bad), or scroll thru 2/3 pages to find the answer to their question, or Google it. Repetitive posts about obvious often asked questions.

Golly, I so love every other thread on the forum being a form of "I'm a new cruiser, tell me everything I need to know." Really, shall I chew their food for them too?

 

[CherylSue]

Hilarious thread, but much needed.
Concerning the Sail Away party, Pirate Night Party, or any other Party where the perky CM's "DANCE". Ever notice its not a Dance? Its a 45 min workout with personnal trainers that make Biggest Loser's Bob and Jillian look like amateurs. "Go left, Go right, Dig a hol, raise the Sail, pul the anchor, " bring the fat guy a resperator" . How bout do your own thing to the next two numbers?

My nickels worth...

LOL! That was a much needed laugh! I always thought the same thing!

 

[sambycat]

Golly, I so love every other thread on the forum being a form of "I'm a new cruiser, tell me everything I need to know." Really, shall I chew their food for them too?

Thank GOD!!! I thought I was the only one!!!!

 

[Cerberus9]

Towel animals:

They're cute, they're clever, and the first one was a pleasant surprise. However, our children considered breaking them apart to be on par with murdering a cherished pet, so by the end of our cruise, our family of four was sharing a tiny cabin with a puppy, a mouse, a flower, a dinosaur, a monkey, and some sort of lobster thing.


Baby Strollers:

In what alternate universe of narcissistic self-entitlement is it considered acceptable to push a Combi Sport Twin Stroller through the narrow, crowded passageways of a ship and expect people to part as if your child was some king or emperor being driven in his golden chariot???

Another thing: I know little Kynydy gets tuckered out quickly, but pushing a 5-year old in a stroller is creepy. Really creepy.

 

[CherylSue]

My DH found some sick enjoyment in scheduling a wake up call for every morning of our cruise since the phone was on MY side. On the final morning I was ready to murder that Mouse and his oh-so-cheerful "Woooo-Hoooo Wake up! We have so much to do today! Hee Hee Hee Hee"

*Wishing there was a smiley with a knife and an evil smile*

 

[Brian Noble]

My better half owns "sea trips". I own "land trips". So, as I don't venture down to the DCL board, I had NO IDEA this thread existed until I was pointed in this direction.

This is just one more reason why I am thrilled to have married up.

I have not yet cruised with Mickey---my first is this August to Alaska. But there are still a few things that like-minded curmudgeons might appreciate.

At the top of the list: the threads with titles like "Not Magical!" that go on to describe how the Cast Member who welcomed them through the turnstiles on their first day did not smile quite as brightly as the Cast Members used to, setting the entire family up for a day's worth of disappointment, from slightly too much ice in the lunch beverages right on up to a missing audio effect in the third scene of Splash Mountain.

A close second: It is not "vacay". It is vacation. It is not "brekkie". It is breakfast. It is not a "ressie". It is a reservation. I understand that pixie dust addiction makes people do strange things, but even so one should be able to type a sentence without having to freebase it.

"Has anyone ever stayed at POP Century?" Yes. It's a large hotel, and is often full. I think one can conclude that someone has stayed there. Once. Maybe.

And, finally, a reminder. Mickey is in business to separate us from our cheese. As a result, prices sometimes rise. Mobilizing a flash mob to protest the 25 cent increase in Mickeybar cost is possibly not the best use of one's time.

what's with all the stuff in the signatures?

You can turn off signature display---click on "User CP" in the upper left corner. Click on Edit Options on the left hand side. Scroll down to the Thread Display Options section, and un-click the checkbox. Turning off signatures is the second best feature of DISboards---right behind the Ignore List.

 

[iankh]

My better half owns "sea trips". I own "land trips". So, as I don't venture down to the DCL board, I had NO IDEA this thread existed until I was pointed in this direction.

This is just one more reason why I am thrilled to have married up.

I have not yet cruised with Mickey---my first is this August to Alaska. But there are still a few things that like-minded curmudgeons might appreciate.

At the top of the list: the threads with titles like "Not Magical!" that go on to describe how the Cast Member who welcomed them through the turnstiles on their first day did not smile quite as brightly as the Cast Members used to, setting the entire family up for a day's worth of disappointment, from slightly too much ice in the lunch beverages right on up to a missing audio effect in the third scene of Splash Mountain.

A close second: It is not "vacay". It is vacation. It is not "brekkie". It is breakfast. It is not a "ressie". It is a reservation. I understand that pixie dust addiction makes people do strange things, but even so one should be able to type a sentence without having to freebase it.

"Has anyone ever stayed at POP Century?" Yes. It's a large hotel, and is often full. I think one can conclude that someone has stayed there. Once. Maybe.

And, finally, a reminder. Mickey is in business to separate us from our cheese. As a result, prices sometimes rise. Mobilizing a flash mob to protest the 25 cent increase in Mickeybar cost is possibly not the best use of one's time.


You can turn off signature display---click on "User CP" in the upper left corner. Click on Edit Options on the left hand side. Scroll down to the Thread Display Options section, and un-click the checkbox. Turning off signatures is the second best feature of DISboards---right behind the Ignore List.

I applaud your use of real English and have often felt many of the same things you cite in your posting.

So, you're new to cruising with Disney? Don't forget to open a thread entitled, "Tell me about the ocean."

 

[dylan'smom]

....
You can turn off signature display---click on "User CP" in the upper left corner. Click on Edit Options on the left hand side. Scroll down to the Thread Display Options section, and un-click the checkbox. Turning off signatures is the second best feature of DISboards---right behind the Ignore List.

Can't thank you enough for this one....how did I miss it all these years?
Oh, who cares?! I have it now! No more scrolling through pages and pages of the same gigantic signature over & over, simply for a message containing a word or a or a


<--- gratitude emoticon required here!


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