Search

Travellers reveal the strangest things they've ever seen on a cruise

Travellers have revealed the most bizarre things they’ve ever seen on a cruise on a popular internet forum. From stumbling upon inappropriately dressed passengers to family who wore their life jackets for the entire trip, commentators on Cruise Critic’s forum didn’t fail to deliver when answering: “What's the strangest thing you've ever seen on a cruise?” 1. “Maybe not so strange but we were a little surprised one morning when a family came to breakfast in their PJs. Didn't bother us, after all, it's their vacation and we thought it was kinda cute.” 2. “I ended up on a cruise with a group of Goths on a convention. They came fully equipped with their own Evil faery (the DJ). Some (heck most) of the costumes were very different. There was one guy with his teeth filed down, wore dragon wings, and contacts in the shape of snake eyes. One good thing, we never had a problem getting a chair in the sun by the pool. They had a couple of events that were open to everyone. It was my sister's first and last cruise. I guess it was too much for her!” 3. “Getting off the ship in Tobago, observed a man leaving proudly wearing his tighty whiteys and nothing else.” 4. “I was on my balcony watching some dolphins. I noticed my neighbour, who was also our dinner tablemate, was also leaning on the rail watching the dolphins. I started to say hello then realised that he wasn't wearing anything. I was much more embarrassed than he was. At dinner, his wife said that she told him not to go out on the balcony undressed.” 5. “I stuffed my pair of jeans with towels, shoved them under the bed and put my shoes at the bottom, to make it look like a person was under there. Our cabin steward, his assistant, and their manager were the best we’ve ever had. It did scare them, at first, what I left them but we all got a great laugh out of it.” 6. “A crew member was cleaning the drink station in one of the buffet dining rooms late in the evening (around 10pm). He did this by standing on top of the counter and using his shoe and a rag to wipe the counter. I definitely reported that to corporate.” 7. “I saw a dad dipping his diaper clad kiddo in and out of the hot tub like a tea bag.” 8. “'We saw a group of four who wore their life jackets everywhere. This went on for at least several days, possibly the entire cruise. We wondered if they slept in them as well.” 9. “Our two-year-old granddaughters were walking around the stores in their PJs just before bed. A woman, who was slightly drunk, says, ‘I thought I was seeing double when one twin ran through another!’ We still laugh over that one.” What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever seen on a cruise? Share your experience with us in the comments below. Related links: <a href="/travel/cruising/2016/06/how-i-discovered-the-10-rules-of-cruising/">How I discovered the 10 rules of cruising</a> <a href="/travel/cruising/2016/06/just-how-much-does-each-day-on-a-cruise-cost/">Just how much does each day on a cruise cost</a> <a href="/travel/cruising/2016/06/things-not-to-pack-on-a-cruise/">5 things NOT to pack on a cruise</a>

Travel Trouble

Prince Charles meets Greta Thunberg before addressing World Economic Forum

Donald Trump might not have wanted to meet Greta Thunberg but the future King of England was thrilled to meet Time Magazine’s Person of the Year. Prince Charles, an environmental campaigner himself, looked overjoyed to meet the teen activist at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Clarence House shared two photos on their social media page, showing the pair shaking hands and beaming at the cameras. As the media gathered around them, Thunberg said to the Prince of Wales: “I guess you’re very used to this.” “Very true, it’s taken me years to get used to this,” said Charles, to which Thunberg replied: “I am still not used to this.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B7oByWLAgYf/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B7oByWLAgYf/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">The Prince of Wales meets environmental activist @GretaThunberg at @worldeconomicforum 2020. #wef</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/clarencehouse/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Clarence House</a> (@clarencehouse) on Jan 22, 2020 at 6:33am PST </div> </blockquote> The photos seem to have been taken backstage before the Prince of Wales spoke to a room full of political leaders from around the world, including Trump. Prince Charles gave the keynote speech at the 50th Anniversary of the World Economic Forum and officially launched his Sustainable Markets Council. The project aims “to work towards a more inclusive, equitable and green market for all.” In his speech, the royal said: “We are in the midst of a crisis that is now, I hope, well understood. Global warming, climate change, and the devastating loss of biodiversity are the greatest threats humanity has ever faced – and one largely of our own creation. “I have dedicated much of my life to the restoration of harmony between humanity, nature and the environment, and to the encouragement of corporate social and environmental responsibility. “Quite frankly, it has been a bit of an uphill struggle. But, now, it is time to take it to the next level.”

International Travel

Mum stirs heated debate online after asking if she should shave her 6-year-old’s legs

A mum has sparked an intense debate online after asking a controversial question on a parenting forum. The mum, who goes by the username TellerTuesday4Eva, posted on <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.mumsnet.com/" target="_blank">Mumsnet</a> about whether she should shave her six-year-old daughter’s body hair. “A big part of me knows this is ridiculous, but there’s another part that wants [my daughter] to make her own choices,” she wrote. “She has and always has had very hairy legs and a hairy lower back. I presumed it was baby down, and would go away in time, but it hasn’t, and it’s gone darker as she’s gotten older.” The concerned mother mentioned that the body hair is affecting her daughter’s self-esteem as she notices other young girls her age are not dealing with the same issue. The poster did say that she has had conversations with her child about how all bodies are made differently but worries that the message isn’t coming across to her daughter. “In the summer she became aware of it,” she wrote. “She asked me if there was a way to get rid of the hair, we talked about it and everyone’s bodies being different. “Since she’s gone back to school she’s mentioned it again quite a few times. I have to point out here that nobody else has mentioned it, classmates etc. It’s [my daughter] herself that has the issue … she’s now getting upset about swimming and not wanting to go because she says when her legs get wet it looks worse. The hair’s quite long so when it gets wet and lays flat she is right in what she’s saying.” She asked for users on the site to offer their advice if they were in her situation. Surprisingly, she received an overwhelming amount of support, with many parents reacting positively to her daughter’s concern. “I was a very hairy child (well still am quite) and I desperately wanted to shave but my mum wouldn’t let me. I did it myself when I was 13 without my parents – with a cheap Bic razor! I think helping her is better than refusing and then her doing it herself,” wrote one user. “I would help her remove the hair. It’s really embarrassing being the first hairy girl and just because her peers haven’t noticed yet, doesn’t mean they won’t. She’s not comfortable with the hair on her legs, and given most women choose to remove theirs, she’s not expressing a controversial opinion that is likely to change when she gets older,” added another. “If when she’s a teen she decides to hell with it, she’d rather be hairy all over, the hair will grow back. It’s not an irreversible decision or something she’ll grow out of.” After sifting through all the advice that was given, the mum took to the forum to update everyone on how she spoke to her daughter and they both decided that removing the hair was the best way to go. “Thank you all so much for your replies. I was well prepared to get flamed, but overwhelmed with how supportive you’ve all been,” she wrote. “We’ve talked about it at length tonight and decided that we’ll try a mitt first to see what the outcome is.” Do you think the mum is making the right decision? Let us know in the comments below.

Body

Newly single mum divides the internet over changing her baby's surname

Most people generally have their future children’s name thought of before the test of time. And once a couple find out they are pregnant, that’s one of the main topics of discussion to make sure both parties agree with what the child will go by for the rest of their life. But that’s just the first name – what about the baby’s surname? A mother looking for advice turned to parenting forum <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3371050-to-want-daughter-to-change-name?pg=1" target="_blank">Mumsnet</a>, asking whether she should change her one-year-old baby’s surname – and it has the internet divided. Posting on the forum, the confused mother wrote, “I’m just about to get divorced and my 1yr DD [darling daughter] has his surname,” she wrote. The woman went on to clarify that she will be changing her surname back to her maiden name and doesn’t want her daughter to carry a different name due to the father’s choice of walking out on them because they’re “too much hassle". “He said to me he finds being a dad stressful and he wants to focus on himself,” she continued. She said she knows that he won’t be fond of the decision, and she is aware that she will need his permission to have it changed. She has asked the internet if it would be unreasonable to change both hers and her daughter's to a double-barrelled surname, combining both his and her names. “I know its just semantics, but I always dreamed of having a child and I love being a mum and I don’t see why I have to lose our family name connection because I married the wrong man.” Her post gathered mixed responses as some people felt it wasn’t important to have matching names, suggesting the woman simply keep her married name to match her daughter. “What’s in a name?” asked another, who said she should ask her dad’s permission, but then “if he says no then that’s that isn’t it? It won’t really affect her life so don’t let this upset you too much.” A few wise posters advised the mother to focus on the future: “If you were to marry again in the future would you take your new spouse’s name? Would any of the children of that marriage take your ‘maiden’ name or their father’s name. Your dd [darling daughter] could turn out to be the only one with your ‘family name connection’.” They then went on to suggest that the mum just leave it as it is for now and allow her daughter to make her own decision in the future. Others mentioned that the father, who is no longer in the picture, shouldn’t have a say in what their child is called. “If he’s really said he wants out because he wants ‘Me Time’ and you’ll be the main carer of DD [darling daughter] then yeah why shouldn’t she have your last name?” replied one person. Another user questioned as to why he would “really give a sh*t what her name is” if he didn’t want to be a dad. “Just tell him you’d like her to have the same surname as you and to sign here please.” And one poster responded bluntly, writing, “I would change it. Why does your name trump his? Because he cannot be bothered to be part of your family so why should he have the family name. “Just because he’s the biological father didn’t mean he’s the proper dad. You and your dd [darling daughter] will have a bright future without this deadweight. Sorry he turned out to be such an arse.” Do you think the newly single mum should change her child's surname to her own? Let us know in the comments below.

Technology

Wife tells of horror dealing with “controlling” mother-in-law

A mother has taken to forum <a href="https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3227647-to-not-want-my-MIL-to-join-us-on-holiday?pg=1" target="_blank">Mumsnet</a> to tell of her “controlling” mother-in-law – who wakes her up if she think she is sleeping in too long and tells her what to wear. The mum asked the mother’s forum if others thought she was being unreasonable for wanting her husband to ban his mum for going on holiday with them. She wrote: “Holiday booked for myself, my DH (darling husband) and our DC (dear child). “It’s our first holiday in almost three years, we are not well off and have saved for this week-long holiday in the sun. My in-laws on the other hand [are] well-off [and] go abroad two or three times a year. “So we told my MIL (mother-in-law) that we are going away and she has decided that she may want to come with us.” <img width="436" height="299" src="http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/fe290b36857a919b4f17f4057140c714?width=650" alt="Is this the most controlling mother-in-law ever? Picture: Mumsnet" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> The angry mum then went on to list the ways her mum-in-law has interfered, including making them cancel their plans to hang out with her instead. “I know she will be ringing everyday to ask us to come to where she is staying,” she said. “She doesn’t like to eat out, doesn’t see the point in sitting on a beach, she hates when I wear clothes that show any skin (terrified of damage to skin from sun and also thinks I dress inappropriately) so I’ll have to cover up in the heat to make her shut up,” she wrote. “We’ve been on holiday with her before and I couldn’t even decide what time to wake up! she had to tell us what was too late or too early!” She questioned: “Am I being a b**ch for wanting my DH to politely tell her not to come?”

Mind

Why this mum’s photo of her messy house caused an uproar

Do you ever see something online and think to yourself, “What compelled that person to share such a thing on the internet?” Well, that’s what thousands of forum users were left wondering after a mum shared a picture of her living room, asking if it was “a mess by your standards”. <img width="500" height="375" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7816473/large-624774-f011a019-d54b-4a1e-a0ae-60ec7e5ee732_500x375.jpg" alt="Large -624774-f 011a 019-d 54b -4a 1e -a 0ae -60ec 7e 5ee 732" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> “This is my living room. Now matter how much I tidy it, it always seems to end up at this point,” <a href="https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3192047-Is-my-living-room-a-mess-by-your-standards?messages=100&pg=1" target="_blank">Mumsnet user WildFeralLife wrote</a>. “To me, it’s neither tidy nor messy. Similar to the rest of my house really! For some reason I can never get a totally spotless house! Ever!” Well, the response to her question was a resounding “yes”, and some people certainly didn’t hold back. “It’s a tip, and I say that as a disorganised person,” one forum user wrote, with another saying they “couldn’t relax” in such a messy room. Another took issue with the jacket hanging on the door, saying, “It’s giving me anxiety.” However, there were a few people out of the 522 commenters that stood up for WildFeralLife. One woman shared a photo of her own messy living room to cheer WildFeralLife up. <img width="425" height="315" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7816474/large-973940-clutter.jpg" alt="Large -973940-clutter" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> “It’s not a tip,” another woman said. “Anyway, I’m slightly creeped out by houses that look like a show home all the time. I like houses to be lived in, especially if there are children and pets there.” But the negative comments clearly got to WildFeralLife, who shared a follow-up image of the room all tidied up, adding that she “was a bit offended” at the backlash. <img width="500" height="375" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7816475/large-750235-ea26111d-f51d-4601-844f-0ce522d7d681_500x375.jpg" alt="Large -750235-ea 26111d -f 51d -4601-844f -0ce 522d 7d 681" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> It sure does look better, but we’re not sure what this woman was expecting. If you’re going to ask people on the internet for their opinions, you’d better prepare yourself to be inundated!

Art

Passengers share their worst ever travel experiences

Air travel is more accessible and efficient than it has ever been. But that doesn't mean we can't have a good whinge about it from time to time. Because for all its benefits, sometimes air travel is genuinely unbearable. A Reddit thread asked the question: "What's the worst experience you've had at an airport or on an airplane?" For fellow frequent fliers, this is schadenfreude at its finest. Here are some of the highlights. Goose strike One Reddit user was onboard British Airways Flight 95 from Heathrow, London to Montreal, Canada in 1998 when it hit a flock of more than 100 geese - one of the worst bird strikes ever recorded. "We lost three engines immediately and all four engines were on fire," the user wrote. "I had a great view as I was sitting in the emergency exit on the left hand side. "There were alarms going off, flight attendants rushing through the cabin preparing everyone for what was about to go down (no pun intended)! The pilot came on the audio system and you could hear the fear or stress in his voice, 'Please take out your safety cards and get into crash position and listen carefully to your attendants, we are going to try and bring us in'." Fortunately, the plane landed safely, and no one was injured. Toilet troubles One passenger experienced a sudden onset of severe food poisoning just as their plane was about to take off. "The flight was backing away from the terminal when I got out of my seat and rushed to the toilet. The attendant tried to stop me, but when I said 'I'm going to be very sick', he kindly let me through," they wrote. "Then the vomit came a'rushing. Some moments later I opened my eyes to realize I was on the floor and had passed out. It took me a second or two to realise I was still on the airplane and not sure how long I was out." The passenger said they managed to tidy themselves up and make it back to their seat. However, the worst was yet to come - as they sat down, an unfortunate bout of diarrhoea took over. At this point, the plane headed back to the terminal, where paramedics were called. Sickly seatmate And another one from the foul files. A passenger was on a short flight from Michigan to Florida in the US when the man sitting next to them warned he "sometimes gets sick from flying". "I fell asleep and woke up to him projectile vomiting all over me. I was in the window seat and it went all up the walls of the plane and entire plane smelled putrid." <img width="500" height="250" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/22085/shutterstock_134936747-1-_500x250.jpg" alt="travel experiences"/> False alarm You never want to see your pilot act in a way that can be perceived as anything less than calm - but another user witnessed an extreme example. "All of a sudden the pilot raced out of the cockpit, stopped at the row in front of me, and started frantically demanding they get out of their seats because he needed to get a better view of the plane wing," they wrote. "Once the row has gotten up, he kneels over and looks from the window seat out for about a minute. He thanks them, turns around, and goes back to the cockpit. "People are confused and asking what's going on and no one knows. Maybe 30 minutes later he finally announces on the speaker that everything is fine with the plane and there was some erroneous warning light that had come on." Major delays One passenger had to spend 30 hours in Istanbul Airport after their Turkish Airlines flight was seven hours late, causing them to miss their connection. "No hotel, food or even drinks were provided," the user wrote. "After three months of harassing them on all social media channels I could find, they refunded the ticket plus expenses ultimately." Another passenger had to sit on the tarmac at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel for three hours after all of the Hasidic Jews refused to sit next to women. "Spent the whole time playing musical chairs to appease them," the user wrote. What’s the worst thing that ever happened to you while you were on holidays? Do you have any travel stories you’d like to share? Please let us know in the comments below. First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a>. Related links: <a href="/travel/travel-tips/2016/03/teen-saves-flying-sheffield-to-essex-via-germany/" target="_blank">Teen saves money by flying from Sheffield to Essex via Germany</a> <a href="/travel/travel-tips/2016/05/controversial-idea-to-shorten-airport-queues/">Controversial idea to shorten airport queues</a> <a href="/travel/travel-tips/2016/05/5-ways-to-avoid-being-stuck-in-the-middle-seat/">5 ways to avoid the middle seat on planes</a>

Travel Tips

Over 60

News

Shop

Catalogues

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

Property

Information

Keep up to date