Cruise Curmudgeons of the World Unite

[anna08]

Just wanted to welcome new and additional Community Board curmudgeons!! We know you're out there....thread hits went up by 2000 yesterday! Wow!

And a quick refresher from the OP's original post...

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."

If you have just read this thread for the first time in it's entirety, I'm sure your head is spinning with grammar lessons and if you are like me, you're not really sure what the final correct solution to the great I/me debate was. Regardless if you hung in there to read 30 pages worth, you are probably addicted, and dying to go on a DCL cruise to see what we're talking about.

So, come join us, and give us your curmudgeony best! Now that we're here, it doesn't have to be just about cruising anymore.

 

[latinqt]

Hi. I've been lurking for awhile on this one. I love Disney. Just find this thread very funny. I thought I lost you guys.

 

[HollyTyler]

This is my curmudgeon rant this early Sunday morning.....

Disney, DCL, and/or captain of the ship cannot control the weather and cannot control docking at Castaway Cay if the winds are a blowin', the ship is going through threatening storms and/or hurricanes are headed to Castaway. We were on the Magic in September 2004 when Hurricane Jean interrupted our cruise. We had a beautiful Wednesday in St. Thomas. That evening, the waves started churning and the ship was rocking; people were hanging on to those brown bags as if they were beloved idols and those trying to walk looked like drunken sailors. Thursday morning, the seas were calmer. The captain was giving us frequent announcements about weather conditions in the Bahamas. Thursday afternoon, the captain announced that we would not be docking at Castaway Cay as Hurricane Jean was back in the Bahamas, and Jean's destination was the east coast of Florida. The captain announced that the Wonder was headed to Castway to pick up the CMs living on the island to get them out of harm's way. We heard this announcement while at the Cove Cafe sitting with 3-4 couples. One of the ladies stood up after hearing we weren't going to Castaway and gave a brilliant demonstration of an adult temper tantrum - crying, yelling that her vacation was ruined, their focus of the cruise was to go to Castaway, then she ran out of the Cove never to be seen again. Amazing! On Friday, the captain annouced that we would dock at Port Canaveral at approximately 10 p.m. that night. Buses would be waiting to take guests to the Swan and Dolphin Hotels, we were given complementary breakfast and complementary transportation to MCO, if needed. He also announced that all guests would receive 50% of their next DCL cruise. This aborted cruise must have caused a logistical nightmare at DCL/WDW, however, we thought DCL did its best to create the best case scenario for cruisers.

Again, self-centered adults, it's not all about you. Weather conditions can cause interruptions and changes to your cruise. You do not want to be on the beach at Castaway when a hurricane is in the area.

Ok, back to my Sunday routine - coffee and the newspaper.

Jan

What?!?! You mean Disney CAN'T control the weather?!?! No, that can't be right. LOL!

 

[HollyTyler]

Ian, I'm referring to the whipped cream in the cake. I haven't had any other variety - thankfully. You must be on the DCL baker's "list"!

Jan

Ian is on the special list for Curmudgeons.

 

[mmouse37]

I am glad you settling into your new home here......

I saw this posted on the cruise board and thought all you curmudgeons would enjoy it.....especially the first paragraph

I thought Disney was for kids - From Cruise Critic.

Wow! I had no idea that there is a counter culture of adults for whom Disney is their church. This group likes to camp out in front of the stores in sleeping bags awaiting limited edition pins and fight for T-shirts whenever they are strategically stocked in the stores. They also like to interrupt childrens programs to answer trivia questions intended for children and dress up in costumes and break out in Disney songs all the time. They treated the Characters like celebrities.

Wow. I was kind of disturbed by all of this.

We went on a family vacation with our two small children, but felt like complete outsiders by all of the obsessive adults on board without children.

The chldrens programs were pretty pathetic. The staff did not entertain the children at all and my children were really scared to go there after the first day. So this was not the relaxing vacation we were hoping for at all. Disney, do you really think you can let toddlers fend for themselves? It may be okay for 10 year olds, but you can't group 3 and 10 year olds together with minimal supervision and expect for it to go well. Pretty shocking for Disney.

The food was disgusting. I was so upset that I had to put such greasy, low quality food into my kids bellies for 7 days! Hard pancakes and waffles, greasy pizza, gross chicken fingers. Yuck! And the sodium in the food for adults was really noticable. I really did not feel well after eating this for so long. If you are health conscious, there just aren't any options for you. I was so relieved to get off the boat and find healthy food! I would pay so much extra for it too if it would just be an option!

We were bored a lot. There was hardly any live music. That was odd. The ship was eerily quiet.

Not our cup of tea I guess.

 

[iankh]

I am glad you settling into your new home here......

I saw this posted on the cruise board and thought all you curmudgeons would enjoy it.....especially the first paragraph

I thought Disney was for kids - From Cruise Critic.

Wow! I had no idea that there is a counter culture of adults for whom Disney is their church. This group likes to camp out in front of the stores in sleeping bags awaiting limited edition pins and fight for T-shirts whenever they are strategically stocked in the stores. They also like to interrupt childrens programs to answer trivia questions intended for children and dress up in costumes and break out in Disney songs all the time. They treated the Characters like celebrities.

Wow. I was kind of disturbed by all of this.

We went on a family vacation with our two small children, but felt like complete outsiders by all of the obsessive adults on board without children.

The chldrens programs were pretty pathetic. The staff did not entertain the children at all and my children were really scared to go there after the first day. So this was not the relaxing vacation we were hoping for at all. Disney, do you really think you can let toddlers fend for themselves? It may be okay for 10 year olds, but you can't group 3 and 10 year olds together with minimal supervision and expect for it to go well. Pretty shocking for Disney.

The food was disgusting. I was so upset that I had to put such greasy, low quality food into my kids bellies for 7 days! Hard pancakes and waffles, greasy pizza, gross chicken fingers. Yuck! And the sodium in the food for adults was really noticable. I really did not feel well after eating this for so long. If you are health conscious, there just aren't any options for you. I was so relieved to get off the boat and find healthy food! I would pay so much extra for it too if it would just be an option!

We were bored a lot. There was hardly any live music. That was odd. The ship was eerily quiet.

Not our cup of tea I guess.

You can't please everyone I suppose. What were they doing eating the greasy and hard pancakes anyway?

They must have been on a very special cruise if they had that many obsessive adults on board. I admit that there are often a few on board, but they must have encountered legions of them.

Notice they say nothing about the Sail Away Party, Pirate Party, flag parade and napkin twirling. So my their omission I can only assume that they LIKED it.

Any curmudgeon worth their salt (or in their case low sodium substitute) would have shunned these activities and loudly proclaimed it!







.

 

[iankh]

Just wanted to welcome new and additional Community Board curmudgeons!! We know you're out there....thread hits went up by 2000 yesterday! Wow!

And a quick refresher from the OP's original post...

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."

If you have just read this thread for the first time in it's entirety, I'm sure your head is spinning with grammar lessons and if you are like me, you're not really sure what the final correct solution to the great I/me debate was. Regardless if you hung in there to read 30 pages worth, you are probably addicted, and dying to go on a DCL cruise to see what we're talking about.

So, come join us, and give us your curmudgeony best! Now that we're here, it doesn't have to be just about cruising anymore.

Thank you for quoting this --- yes, I do not consider myself a grouch or cantankerous. I consider myself a connoisseur in pointing out the obvious.







.

 

[kamgen]

I saw this posted on the cruise board and thought all you curmudgeons would enjoy it.....especially the first paragraph

I thought Disney was for kids - From Cruise Critic.

Wow! I had no idea that there is a counter culture of adults for whom Disney is their church. This group likes to camp out in front of the stores in sleeping bags awaiting limited edition pins and fight for T-shirts whenever they are strategically stocked in the stores. They also like to interrupt childrens programs to answer trivia questions intended for children and dress up in costumes and break out in Disney songs all the time. They treated the Characters like celebrities.

Wow. I was kind of disturbed by all of this.

We went on a family vacation with our two small children, but felt like complete outsiders by all of the obsessive adults on board without children.

The chldrens programs were pretty pathetic. The staff did not entertain the children at all and my children were really scared to go there after the first day. So this was not the relaxing vacation we were hoping for at all. Disney, do you really think you can let toddlers fend for themselves? It may be okay for 10 year olds, but you can't group 3 and 10 year olds together with minimal supervision and expect for it to go well. Pretty shocking for Disney.

The food was disgusting. I was so upset that I had to put such greasy, low quality food into my kids bellies for 7 days! Hard pancakes and waffles, greasy pizza, gross chicken fingers. Yuck! And the sodium in the food for adults was really noticable. I really did not feel well after eating this for so long. If you are health conscious, there just aren't any options for you. I was so relieved to get off the boat and find healthy food! I would pay so much extra for it too if it would just be an option!

We were bored a lot. There was hardly any live music. That was odd. The ship was eerily quiet.

Not our cup of tea I guess.

WOW.....what cruise were they on?? I mean,after 11 cruises and my eyes usually fogged by all the things I love about DCL, I still know for a fact none of this happened on my cruises.... I have my "curmudgeon" list and all my fabulous pet peeves about cruises and cruisers, but these things don't make sense to me.

 

[dylan'smom]

You can't please everyone I suppose. What were they doing eating the greasy and hard pancakes anyway?

They must have been on a very special cruise if they had that many obsessive adults on board.......

That's what I was wondering! Does anyone really eat those hard ole' things???

Have you *tried* the syrup?? (Actually we received a lovely sample bottle of some great *real* maple syrup from a Canadian fellow cruiser, so sampled the french toast with it...but the hockey pucks?)

And it must be said that many, many MANY cruise lines offer similar fare in a buffet line...which I pretty much avoid at all costs - pixie dust, or no.


As for throwing all the kids in there together, what's that about anyway?? Disney used to do that so well, employing separate groups & age appropriateness... are they all in a big bundle now? Sounds like something i will be blaming the *entitled* parents for...save that for another rant...


.

 

[anna08]

I am glad you settling into your new home here......

I saw this posted on the cruise board and thought all you curmudgeons would enjoy it.....especially the first paragraph

I thought Disney was for kids - From Cruise Critic.

Wow! I had no idea that there is a counter culture of adults for whom Disney is their church. This group likes to camp out in front of the stores in sleeping bags awaiting limited edition pins and fight for T-shirts whenever they are strategically stocked in the stores. They also like to interrupt childrens programs to answer trivia questions intended for children and dress up in costumes and break out in Disney songs all the time. They treated the Characters like celebrities.

Wow. I was kind of disturbed by all of this.

We went on a family vacation with our two small children, but felt like complete outsiders by all of the obsessive adults on board without children.

The chldrens programs were pretty pathetic. The staff did not entertain the children at all and my children were really scared to go there after the first day. So this was not the relaxing vacation we were hoping for at all. Disney, do you really think you can let toddlers fend for themselves? It may be okay for 10 year olds, but you can't group 3 and 10 year olds together with minimal supervision and expect for it to go well. Pretty shocking for Disney.

The food was disgusting. I was so upset that I had to put such greasy, low quality food into my kids bellies for 7 days! Hard pancakes and waffles, greasy pizza, gross chicken fingers. Yuck! And the sodium in the food for adults was really noticable. I really did not feel well after eating this for so long. If you are health conscious, there just aren't any options for you. I was so relieved to get off the boat and find healthy food! I would pay so much extra for it too if it would just be an option!

We were bored a lot. There was hardly any live music. That was odd. The ship was eerily quiet.

Not our cup of tea I guess.

Seeing as it's Sunday morning, I guess you could say Disboards is my church and I'm sitting in the curmudgeon congregation.

I've never seen parents rivaling kids for CM attention as I drop my kids off, make sure they use the coolest handwashers in the world (on the Dream,) and then run as quickly as I can to dinner at Palo.

There's healthy food galore on the ships, and in Cabanas, there's never any line in front of the fruit, salad, nuts, oatmeal, cucumber etc... stations. There's even asparagus at breakfast!! The only problem with the food available is our general lack of willpower not to try everything. I'd be happy to cruise with them and be their private nutritionist/nanny and keep their kids away from self-serve ice cream and pizza for a large fee. Anyone who is caught cheating will be forced to swim laps in the Donald pool or run the stairs from deck 1-10.

About the live music, on our one adults-only DCL trip, I found it painful to watch how everyone ignored the singing duo at the pool. I'm not a sing-a-long kinda gal, but it must be so self-defeating to sing the same songs over and over to a completely disconnected crowd. Doesn't everyone prefer the DJ to the cheesy wedding band? Now, that said, I just saw U2 in concert 2 wks ago and it was AMAZING. If they could get them on the ship...
I think I would get into a reggae band too.

 

[TDC Nala]

Looks to me like the Cruise Critic reviewer was of the impression that EVERYTHING that happens on a Disney cruise is for children, and there are going to be absolutely no adults allowed on board who aren't accompanied by children. They do schedule adult trivia games and have adult areas, you know. Sorry the entire ship wasn't kiddie nirvana 24/7.

The ships also have the best chicken fingers...labeling them "gross" makes sense only if you don't like chicken fingers in any form, I think. And "hardly any live music" when they have a band that plays every single night, plus the piano bar and the singers at Promenade?

The pancakes do suck, though.

 

[iankh]

That's what I was wondering! Does anyone really eat those hard ole' things???

Have you *tried* the syrup?? (Actually we received a lovely sample bottle of some great *real* maple syrup from a Canadian fellow cruiser, so sampled the french toast with it...but the hockey pucks?)

And it must be said that many, many MANY cruise lines offer similar fare in a buffet line...which I pretty much avoid at all costs - pixie dust, or no.


As for throwing all the kids in there together, what's that about anyway?? Disney used to do that so well, employing separate groups & age appropriateness... are they all in a big bundle now? Sounds like something i will be blaming the *entitled* parents for...save that for another rant...


.

I did the buffet a few times, but now we prefer the table service breakfast.

I must have had the syrup, but I'm afraid I'm a real syrup snob. I'm at the point now that if I'm having syrup I want the real thing.

The kids thing ... I too thought that they split the kids up into age appropriate groups and had structured play activities for them. Or, it could be that I hallucinated hearing that.





.

 

[iankh]

That's what I was wondering! Does anyone really eat those hard ole' things???


.

And another thing, while I'm on a roll, on what planet are pancakes that are held warm on a buffet line ever anything other than hard, crusty and dried out.

I did not just fall off the pumpkin truck and I've certainly been to more buffets than on a Disney ship and rarely is anything that is held like that for any period of time very fresh?






.

 

[GrumpyGoat]

I am glad you settling into your new home here......

I saw this posted on the cruise board and thought all you curmudgeons would enjoy it.....especially the first paragraph

I thought Disney was for kids - From Cruise Critic.

Wow! I had no idea that there is a counter culture of adults for whom Disney is their church. This group likes to camp out in front of the stores in sleeping bags awaiting limited edition pins and fight for T-shirts whenever they are strategically stocked in the stores. They also like to interrupt childrens programs to answer trivia questions intended for children and dress up in costumes and break out in Disney songs all the time. They treated the Characters like celebrities.

Wow. I was kind of disturbed by all of this.

We went on a family vacation with our two small children, but felt like complete outsiders by all of the obsessive adults on board without children.

The chldrens programs were pretty pathetic. The staff did not entertain the children at all and my children were really scared to go there after the first day. So this was not the relaxing vacation we were hoping for at all. Disney, do you really think you can let toddlers fend for themselves? It may be okay for 10 year olds, but you can't group 3 and 10 year olds together with minimal supervision and expect for it to go well. Pretty shocking for Disney.

The food was disgusting. I was so upset that I had to put such greasy, low quality food into my kids bellies for 7 days! Hard pancakes and waffles, greasy pizza, gross chicken fingers. Yuck! And the sodium in the food for adults was really noticable. I really did not feel well after eating this for so long. If you are health conscious, there just aren't any options for you. I was so relieved to get off the boat and find healthy food! I would pay so much extra for it too if it would just be an option!

We were bored a lot. There was hardly any live music. That was odd. The ship was eerily quiet.

Not our cup of tea I guess.

There are some people that are impossible to please. Give them a bundle of money and reserve the entire ship for them alone and they'd find something to complain about...

 

[SueTGGR]

I have been lurking for about a week, now and time to jump in. I had to warn all of you to NOT think that the mickey waffles are even similar to those found in the parks. My 11 yr old was so disappointed at the gross flavor they had on our cruise last January. I am also a waffle lover and I tried them (I like mine with or without syrup) and they had a funky flavor to them that couldn't be hidden. You would think that they would have used the same recipe.

BTW, I am not a grammar fanatic and apologize if I made a mistake but I do get bothered by the lack of spell check on any boards. Sorry if I did not use proper grammar.

God, I love the smiles! That was just to annoy some of you.

Take a deep breath and smile everyone...it isn't all about you, all the time. Keep this thread going, I love all the banter.

 

[iankh]

I have a question for folks ... Is it me or does it seem like DCL is not the best at proactively communicating with guests?

I ask because when I went on a Mexican Rivera cruise in April, I found out quite by accident that the itinerary had changed. I found out on one of the cruise threads here. I had tea at Palo booked for what had now turned into a port day. I expect that I would hear from DCL that they were moving our Palo tea booking to another day, that had previously been a port day and now sea day.

I never heard anything from DCL at all. I had to literally chase them for an answer.

In fact, about 2 weeks before the cruise when my documents arrived, it showed the now defunct itinerary with our high tea reservation still on what was now a port day.

I'm not an operational wizard, but I would think that 12 weeks is enough time to get these sorts of things right.

Even if the documents are printed, they could have at least put a slip of paper in with them, hot pink perhaps, alerting us to the change.

Should I have called DCL and given them the location of their nearest Kinkos? Maybe they're not familiar with the services that Kinkos offers?

When I got on the ship guest services still thought that our high tea was on a port day. I asked them about it. They were very pleasant. Gave me the day of our tea, still the port day.

I asked the smiling person if Palo has high tea on port days, and they responded that they didn't. I then asked, how could I then have tea on a port day. There was a look of, "this does not compute," in their eyes and I thought their head was going to explode.

Same thing with a whale watching excursion we booked. No tickets. The person at the excursion desk had no idea what I was talking about and had to go find a manager. Then came back 15 minute later and told me that the excursion was cancelled because the season was over.

Again, maybe they should have contacted Kinkos. A slip of paper left with the excursion tickets on some neon paper with, "Dear Guest, we are sorry to advise you that your excursion has been cancelled. Please see our staff at our excursion desk who will help you book an exciting alternate excursion. We apologize for any inconvenience."

How hard could that have been? I mean, they seem to print tickets and get them to the right cabins.

I really didn't have any problems with the changes. Things change, but what I object to is why was it incumbent on me, the guest having to chase down so much information.

I say this because of the brouhaha that going on on the cruise board regarding enforcement of the check-in times. This is a move that is practical and makes perfect, perfect sense to me and will avoid overcrowding. But why on earth not send out an email to those booked to alert them to the change in the practices?

Again, maybe I should put DCL in touch with Kinkos, a notice printed on some nice jolly fuchsia paper and stuffed in with the cruise documents could have sorted everything out.

Could DCL just be that gosh darn inept at proactive communications?







.

 

[stevenpensacola]

I'm pretty sure that just lurking on this thread will get you points...I'm sure some snowflake has turned us all in by now.

Probably the first time I've read a 30 page thread from front to back in one sitting...but I'm stuck on the can (colonoscopy prep) so I had nothing else to do.

I agree with the comments about the cruise directors...they're not performing brain surgery...all I see is them giving rah rah speeches, along with a little info. It's not like they come to my room, oops, cabin, and personally help me plan every moment of my day.

Folks who like to work up how many dis cruises they've been on in every conversation...and who think anyone gives a rodents' patootie about what color cc member they are...you're just being obnoxious and pretentious...and quit putting all that junk on your door!

And quit saying' that something is to die for...and don't let your teenage daughters take photos of themselves making the heart shape with their hands...while making the duck face.

A few years ago, I wrote a little story which you fellow curmudgeons will probably enjoy...it's already closed...but can still be viewed here

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1746673

Well I better close for now as I have some business to attend to.

I'm really a nice guy.

 

[anna08]

Probably the first time I've read a 30 page thread from front to back in one sitting...but I'm stuck on the can (colonoscopy prep) so I had nothing else to do.

Lovely image I have of you stevenpensacola
Is that pixie dust flavored Golytely or regular Nescafe?

ps... you're still not allowed to fish of the side of the magical boat, but I won't tell anyone if you want to try from your veranda

wishing you a speedy and easy procedure tomorrow

 

[anna08]

OMG I just became a Dis veteran! Thanks to this thread!

 

[stevenpensacola]

Lovely image I have of you stevenpensacola
Is that pixie dust flavored Golytely or regular Nescafe?

ps... you're still not allowed to fish of the side of the magical boat, but I won't tell anyone if you want to try from your veranda

wishing you a speedy and easy procedure tomorrow

MiraLax and orange Gatorade...64 gallons...I mean ounces.