This was related to me by the manager of the small inn where we stay on the island of Bonaire, in the southern Caribbean. Shore diving is very popular, and almost everyone visiting overnight rents a small car or truck.
The island gets the occasional cruise ship, about 3 per week in the winter, but only 2 or three ships the entire month of September. Being a very small island, population 14000, it has limited resources to service the hoards of "pod people" who come ashore from the "white whales" that make port there.
My friend is working in the office of the inn, when a man comes in, family in tow, and says he wants to rent a car. She very politely informs him that they do not rent cars, but would be happy to rent them a room, or set them up to go scuba diving, the specialty of all the hotels on Bonaire. Confused the man leaves.
Minutes later her returns, irate, saying "I demand that you rent me a car!" - and once again my friend tells him that they aren't in that business, only renting rooms and scuba charters. The man is getting more and more angry.
He very loudly says " We are only here for one day, on the "Idiot of the Seas" cruise ship (or whichever it was), and you MUST rent me a car NOW!" As if that is going to help him on an island where most of the people and businesses resent the arrival of the cruise ships and their masses.
My poor friend, is now at her wits end tying to convince Mr Dummy that they don't rent cars, only rooms and scuba. she finally asks him "who told you that we rent cars?".
His reply "nobody told me that you rent cars. i can plainly see that you rent cars. Your parking lot of your Inn is full of rental cars! now rent me a car !"
"Uh sir... those rental cars are the cars that our guests have rented...." replies my friend. The jerk goes away very confused, and still does not believe that she actually does not have cars to rent!
And some people wonder why the vast majority of the locals want nothing to do with the cruise ships or their passengers!
A Stupid Cruise Ship Passenger trick !
-
hobie16
- Permanent Fixture
- Posts: 10546
- Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2004 4:45 pm
- Park: DLR
- Department: Fruity Drink Land
- Position: Mai Tai Face Plant
- Location: 717 Miles NNW Of DLR
Re: A Stupid Cruise Ship Passenger trick !
I'm gonna walk down the hill and try that at the Hyatt. If they won't rent me one the Sheraton might. :D:delsdad wrote: His reply "nobody told me that you rent cars. i can plainly see that you rent cars. Your parking lot of your Inn is full of rental cars! now rent me a car !"
Don't be fooled by appearances. In Hawaii, some of the most powerful people look like bums and stuntmen.
--- Matt King
Stay low and run in a zigzag pattern.
-
delsdad
- Practically Lives Here
- Posts: 1170
- Joined: Sun Feb 17, 2008 1:30 pm
- Park: Canadas Top
- Department: Concert Hall!
- Position: Making Lights Move!
- Location: The Great White North eh!
Re: A Stupid Cruise Ship Passenger trick !
The chains are much more likely to actually have a rental counter on site, than the small 9 room inn that I stay at. The timeshare resort way down the road has a hertz counter, but they wont rent to cruise passengers for some reason.hobie16 wrote:I'm gonna walk down the hill and try that at the Hyatt. If they won't rent me one the Sheraton might. :D:
