Passengers Behaving Badly on P&O's Ventura

[LauraS]

Cruise Critic has just posted the following news:

Passengers Behaving Badly on P&O's Ventura

Read the entire news article...

[m steve]

and had soccer matches there so the unruly Brits would feel at home with drunken behavior and fights. They wouldn't try it on Cunard or they would be in the brig before they could down their next Guiness.

[yarlenna]

It is time for cruise lines to set some real "rules" and then enforce them. If we pay our money for a cruise then the line must have the guts to be sure that all of us have the the cruise we paid for.

[Aplmac]

Your article brought up the matter
of discounting being a factor in attracting a passenger of less-than-desirable class.
This happens, it's no secret.

A good friend of mine -an experienced lady cruiser- was booked on the New Year's Eve Carnival Victory cruise
boarding at Barbados along with a few dozen others permitted to board at Barbados.

From what she related to me, I ascertained that the first half of their cruise
(New Year's Eve,that very Wed. night they boarded -and the trip up to Puerto Rico) was okay
but when the vast majority of Puerto Rican-boarded passengers changed, on the following Sunday night
they were replaced by far too many discounted (PR)passengers who proved to be a rowdy crowd
during the second half of my friend's week on board
i.e. Puerto Rico ..back to Barbados, where she disembarked!

Her comment was that she'd never do that cruise again!

This is a lady accustomed to a slightly better class of cruise on Royal Caribbean and Princess, in her past:
she did the New Year's Eve thing on Carnival Victory, because it was New Year's Eve
and a whole bunch of her family went along for the once-in-a-lifetime experience
of welcoming in the New Year, while on the high seas.

No doubt 2009 will be the year of the discount cruise
and so we should all be aware of this unfortunate circumstance
affecting the quantity and quality of our ship-mates.

Just a word of caution to the wise..

[TTFromSommersTown]

Originally Posted by m steve

and had soccer matches there so the unruly Brits would feel at home with drunken behavior and fights. They wouldn't try it on Cunard or they would be in the brig before they could down their next Guiness.

I am sure that we have all seen unrully Americans, Canadian and Australians etc., so your comments are totally uncalled for, the vast majoity of English do not carry on in the way described and any way Guiness is an Irish drink.

[colmil]

This is yet another example of the scum of this world doing exactly as they want without any controls.

At the first sign of trouble, they should hsve been told in no uncertain manner that bad behaviour would not be tolerated.

It appears from radio and newspapers that the officers simply said that it was a family holiday cruise and they couldn't do anything about it! Totally pathetic!!

Well, P & O, you've really made complete fools of yourselves and I certainly will not bother you with my custom.

Fancy being stuck with a £350m white elephant?

They could always advertise their cruises as 'exclusively for chavs' I'm sure they will soon fill the ship up!

[gweduck]

I found this article interesting. I also found the comment from P&O that no one complained to the corporate office interesting. When on board, I make complaints to the on-board staff. If they don't respond, it sends a message about the cruise line. It is obvious that a lot of ships don't enforce the rules about saving pool chairs, smoking and other bad behavior. It's almost pointless to make these complaints to the home office after you have returned. You already have an opinion of the cruise line and thier policies.
I blame the cruise lines for not enforcing thier own rules. If you leave a towel, bag or book on a chair for hours knowing that your stuff won't be touched, why wouldn't you do it? The on-board staff need to enforce the rules.
The ratio of staff to passenger has also been reduced over the years.
Also, some of the ships have gotten so big, it is almost impossible to control the passengers.

[Aplmac]

Originally Posted by gweduck

I also found the comment from P&O
..that no one complained to the corporate office interesting. ===> They're English
When on board, I make complaints to the on-board staff. ===> You're American

The English mentality is not one of complaining in order to better customer service.
It's not the done thing.
Stiff Upper Lip and all that,what?

It's a psychological holdover from the immediate-post-war days, when times were very hard in Britain
and complaining would've done no good anyway.

Things are quite different now of course
but that old 'Stick It Through' mentality remains with the Brits.

Americans complain -and get results! Good for you.