You like us! You Really Like us!!!

edited February 2013 in JoCo Cruise
Was just standing in line at MCO with a member of RCI staff who could not stop talking about how we were the funnest group he has ever had on the ship and was quite envious that he could not get into the entertainment.

Looks like we will be welcomed back next year :)

Comments

  • A couple of RCI managers were sitting next to me in the last row of the Arcadia during the final show.
  • That's nice to hear. I suspect we as a group tip well, too. 
  • That's really nice to hear. 
  • In MCO, we ended up seated next to someone who was vending jewelery or something on the ship, and he stated that the staff (himself included) all seemed to really like our group. His only complaint was that he was planning to do some sort of gem seminar but we'd booked every venue, but it was no biggie. :)
  • Ran into a couple of crew at the Starbucks in the Four Points Sheraton in Cocoa Beach after disembarkation. They both said they had a great time just working around us.  One worked in the theater and was quite happy that he got to see all the shows.
  • We ate breakfast on disembarkation day with a couple who were posted on the "top cruisers" board. They have over 600 cruise nights. They said this was one of the quietest cruises they'd ever been on. There were never any issues with their neighbours, except for the ice shows, their events were less crowded, and the people watching was great. They asked when the group would cruise again so they could book during that time too.
  • I think "we want to be on a boat with you guys next time" is an even bigger compliment than "we want to join you guys next time", since the former can only mean they like us as people.
  • My experience of the Snorks was entirely positive. I had more than one or two conversations with people who were curious or interested or just nosey enough to ask what was happening. No one had a bad word to say to me. I did however overhear a few comments here and there (not all directed at us) that made me feel a little sad but there is always going to be a complainy element. I know not everyone in our group carried themselves with decorum 100% of the time, it's human nature I suppose, but I think in the final reckoning we did well and came across well.

    Everyone deserves a pat on the back for it.
  • We ran into a contingent of Irish snorks while waiting for the elevator the first or second day.  They were talking and joking among themselves, then one asked us the reason for our badges.  Before we could reply, one said very clearly "Dementia" and everyone froze for a second before cracking up.  She said she was responding to a separate conversation, but in any case it was a very fun moment with snorks.
  • @GroovyFrood ;They asked when the group would cruise again so they could book during that time too.

    That is the BEST compliment we could possibly get! Someone on FB said they're saying good things about us on the cruise critic forums, too. This makes me very happy.
  • My wife and I ran into a contingent of British Snorks several times. They were curious about our group -- especially the fezzes! We  had fun with them on two different excursions, and then random sort of cutting-up when we'd bump into each other on the boat. 


  • An Irish lady came into the pub during Sir Wheaton's AMA, and kept trying to ask who it was, but it was so noisy in the promenade that it was mostly various of us shouting back and forth:  "WIL WHEATON!" "WHAT?" "WIL WHEATON!" "WHAT WEEDIN?" "WIL WHEATON!" then she just nodded her head and left...I presume just giving up.

  • Had a group of Scottish Snorks stop me and ask why so many people were wearing kilts. They were lovely people.
  • Aside from what I would assume are typical "weirdo"-type comments, the most negative thing I heard was that there were so many of us doing other stuff that they couldn't drum up enough poker players. :P
  • Oh that reminds me, on Fez night I did have a gentleman stop me on the promenade presuming I was some sort of Freemason. I guess because my fez had gears on it? I was confused because I was not aware of any such connection to Freemasonry. (I've been asked if I was a shriner before because of the fez, but not a Freemason.) And the gentleman was clearly confused that I didn't know what he was talking about at first. Still, the interaction was amiable on both sides, albeit mildly befuddled. (The best kind of befuddled.)

  • @mikesphar Shriners are freemasons. They're one of the highest levels of freemasonry.
  • Perhaps next year the a cappella group should sing 'I'm a Mason Now' and don fezzes just before the chorus.
  • edited February 2013
    @BassBone  Aha! I did not know that (obviously).

    But they don't use gears as symbolism, do they? I thought the symbolism was more hammers and mortar type stuff.

    @Angelastic ; I heartily endorse this plan.


  • edited February 2013
    The most common Masonic symbol is the square and compass (or divider), sometimes containing the letter "G". You'll also see a lot of swords, stars, and crescents (which date back to the Knights Templar) and the spooky "all-seeing eye" (which appears on the back of the US dollar bill). No gears, as far as I know. That's a steampunk thing.

    The meanings of Masonic symbols used to be shrouded in secrecy, but nowadays -- especially with the rise of the Internet and the proliferation of cell phone cameras and recording devices -- it's hard for any fraternal or religious group to keep secrets. (Even secret Mormon temple rituals -- some of which were derived from Masonic rites by founder Joseph Smith -- have been recorded and posted.) You can find plenty of information about all of this on the Net.
  • We had breakfast near a family of Snorks on the morning of our shore leave on St. Thomas.  They have family that live on the island and recommended that we go to Emerald Bay as it is a quieter beach and they would be there.  They had a daughter close to ours in age, and said they'd have lots of toys and such.

    While the cab ride over was about twice what he estimated, it was a quiet and beautiful beach, they very generously shared water, toys, and beers, and the main guy we talked to proposed to his girlfriend that afternoon while we were there!  Crazy moment to share with strangers, but also awesome.

    We met another family (kudos to breakfast at Windjammer for Snork connections) who we bumped into several times that were super fun to chat with.  They loved the game show nights on the cruise so much, it made me almost consider missing an evening show.

    We hope to keep in touch at least a little with both these families and were really glad to see that being decent people builds a lot of bridges.
  • while @eclipse and i were shopping in the jewelry store onboard, one of the employees there told us he'd heard Wil Wheaton was onboard and was just dying to meet him, childhood hero, etc. we told him Wil could often be found in the pub, and several times later we saw the employee wistfully looking into the pub as he walked past...i hope he got to meet Wil at some point :)
  • One of my favorite moments was with a few mini-snorks. We got on an elevator and two girls about twelve were sitting in it, just riding up it up and down. They said they came with fifteen family members for a birthday and asked why we came and with how many. Her jaw nearly hit the floor when we told her it was to just hang out with 600 of our friends!
  • The reason so many people knew Wil was onboard was because the Cruise Director announced it to the ENTIRE SHIP during one of his overloud morning video things (I believe it was Thursday). Seriously uncool.
  • Yikes. Very uncool.
  • Once upon a time, I worked in a luxury resort, and asking a famous person for his or her autograph on property was a fireable offense, even if you were not in uniform. They would tell us (confidentially) in our morning lineups when notable people were on the property so we would not be taken aback.

    In other words, WHAT. THE. HELL.
  • I think that's pretty standard, at least in most places where famous people go. You want them to come, you need to make sure they're comfortable. 

    In a weird turnabout, though, I have a friend who's a high-end waiter here at a very tony steakhouse. Sydney Pollack came in, alone, over the course of several weeks late in his life (the unstated fact here was almost certainly that he was being treated at MD Anderson), and the owners/manager put my friend on Pollack every time he came in precisely because he's a giant film buff. M. ended up with some memorabilia, but as gifts, not because he asked. 
  • I admit I was not a fan of the cruise director just because of the Too-Damn-Loud Video Screen, but now I think he needs to be demoted cruise director of a freighter
  • Also, I had a paper accepted for publication while we were out.  My mother, who was also on the cruise, tried to give me a shout out on the morning show (she was proud...). Between the cruise director and his cameraman they apparently couldn't manage to sound out "Immunology".  I agree.  Freighter him. :)
  • Apparently he was Canadian. I'm sorry. Though he does not speak for us!
  • I actually heard him talk about Wil on his morning show- I think I was flipping channels trying to get to the map/front camera channel. I missed the first part, but I think he was answering a "viewer" question. I told my friends about it at breakfast that day, and none of us could believe that he had done that. It was the height of unprofessionalism.

    I realize that cruise directors are supposed to be upbeat, cheerful, and, to a point, annoying, but I think that this guy took it above and beyond, and is probably my least favorite of any of the cruises I've been on. I'll third the call to send him to a freighter.
  • If crew/staff are aware of the presence of a celebrity on board, word can spread around pretty fast. I think the week before JCCC1 management had said that we'd be expecting "some sort of Cruise Crazy group" or words to that effect. I looked it up online briefly and saw Wil Wheaton would be on board and Rifftrax as well. They were the only names I recognized in a glance and so I brought in DVDs to be signed (a MST3K DVD and Stand By Me). 

    I recognized Kevin Murphy who was (SURPRISE!) so very gracious and chatted with me for a few minutes and signed the DVD. Despite him telling me Bill Corbett was not too far behind him, I didn't see him. I did NOT recognize Wil (hadn't seen him on Big Bang Theory and didn't know he was rocking a beard), but I had the DVD out of my bag on display and HE stopped dead in his tracks and did a double take. He signed while commenting what a freaky sensation it was to be walking along and seeing a picture of his roughly 13-year-old self looking back at him from the cover. 

    I then went home after the shift, looked it up again and thought, "wow that looks like fun" and hopefully awaited a sequel to JCCC1! And the rest is maritime history, or something like that.
  • @harpo787 That is an awesome story!
  • @harpo787 Am I to gather that you work for HAL in some capacity?
  • To be clear: It is awesome and expected for crew to be aware of famous people at a place, so as to not be taken aback/thrown off/etc.

    It is not awesome and expected for the crew to announce that in a video played to the entire guest contingent of the ship on their TVs and a big-assed screen by the pool. (Unless Wil knew about it and consented to it.)
  • Hmm. I don't see it as uncool that he mentioned Wil was on the ship (though I will defer to Wil's opinion). It's not like a private resort or restaurant where a celebrity might go to relax therefore it would need to be kept quiet. Wil's (and the other Famous People's) presence had been publicly announced on the Internet well in advance on the official site and, I'm sure, in many of our Facebook and Twitter posts. And it's not like we kept quiet on the boat about who was there for entertainment. 

    In other words, thousands of people already knew where Wil was. Of the 1400 or so Snorks, I imagine most of them neither know nor care who Wil is (no offense, Wil...). If they did, they'd be more likely to be Sea Monkeys.  It's not like Drew was providing hourly updates as to where to find Wil.

    Now if Wil and family were there on their own just to vacation, that would be different...
  • Going by the capacity of the boat, there were probably about twice that many snorks, plus 1360 crew.
  • I don't see it as uncool that he mentioned Wil was on the ship 

    Uncool or not, generally speaking doing what the cruise director did without express permission of the guest (ie Wheaton) is, as villicious noted, usually a firing offense at any hotel, restaurant, resort, etc. 

    And should be.
  • @chetman -- Is it still a firing offense if the celeb is at the resort as official entertainment?
  • …and could he be considered to be at the resort for official entertainment when he was only at the resort as official entertainment for a group of 700 to whom his presence had already been announced?
  • I think that unless the cruise line is paying for someone to be on board, it is inappropriate to announce that person's presence without their explicit permission.  As far as RCCI is concerned, the JCCC performers are paying customers and not employees.  The announcement was a violation of a paying customer's privacy.  The fact that a lot of people on board already knew he was there doesn't change that.
  • Andy, I'd assume not, but none of the JoCo entertainers were onboard as "official RCI attractions." 
  • Yeah, you're right.
  • Hadn't thought it all the way through. The announcer was basically saying -- There's a famous person on board! You can't see him when he's performing, so bother him on his own time!
  • Double occupancy on FoS-class ships is 3634 pax plus almost 1500 crew. I haven't confirmed total passenger count yet, but I've heard it was pushing 4000 (max capacity is 4200 and change). We were, including performers/performer's families, about 700 of that number.

    The problem with announcing to everyone onboard that there is a Famous Person aboard who is not part of the official entertainment is that now the Famous Person has very limited options as far as getting away from people who are demanding a piece of Famous Person. It's not like they can relocate to a different place to avoid: they're on a ship in a very closed environment. Remember, the important part of the phrase "Famous Person" is "Person".
  • They said at dinner one night that there were about 4200 people onboard... Jeeze.
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