feeling like a peasant

[Tamara]

We were on the Navigation deck. On the same deck is a lounge with coffee, snacks, TV, etc. reserved for people in deluxe verandah suites. Being the simple paupers that we are, we weren't occupying such a palatial space. One morning, room service delivered our coffee and it was cold. I took the pot and went up the hall to this lounge, thinking that they would replace the cold coffee with hot coffee. Wrong. The exchange went something like this:

"This lounge is reserved for people in deluxe verandah suites".

"I don't want to come into the lounge, I just would like some hot coffee as the steward has given me cold coffee."

"This lounge is reserved for people in deluxe verandah suites".

"I promise not to cross the threshold of your very special lounge, but, through no fault of my own, I have received cold coffee. Maybe could you fill the pot with hot coffee and pass it to me in the hallway?"

"No".

[Dan]

What a bunch of boneheads. Which line was this on? I would have let the hotel manager know what a slap in the face this was.

[Tamara]

Dan, thanks for the support! It was on HAL, just a couple of weeks ago.

I understand the whole exclusiveness thing with the special lounge and all. If I were a deluxe verandah suite passenger, maybe I wouldn't want the hoi polloi in my lounge either. Fair enough. I was only after a #$% hot pot of coffee, though! I felt like I was travelling in steerage and tugging my forelock whilst asking for it!

I did write up the incident in the cruise evaluation that we were given.

[Lisa63]

Good for you, Tamara! :smiley: Nobody should be treated the way you were -- after all, you also paid good money for your cruise.

Before we left for QE2 last year, I was astounded by the number of people who told me that they would never go on a ship with a class system. However, on QE2, it was barely noticeable. I hear more stories about class distinctions on mainstream lines, such as the experience you described.

I'd also suggest writing a letter to the cruise line.

[sailingrose]

Always one of my complaints about Princess and HAL was the the suite passengers get treated like gold and the rest of us are peasants. It reminded me of Titanic. LOL

It doesn't bother me as much anymore but I haven't sailed either line in a while.