ScubesDad

59 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

Why sell premium tea when teabags are free?

 

why sell espresso when coffee is free?

 

I think we all  know the answer.

Exactly.

You can get cofbfee at any restaurant, gas station and convenience store, how does Starbucks stay in business.

21 hours ago, canderson said:

See post #315.  If YOU know where to find the dunny, you're ahead of most Canadians.

A number of years ago, we had a table in the MDR with us the Canadians, a couple from the UK, and a couple from the US. We spent most of dinner translating comments by either couple for the other as neither understood some of the more colloquial phrases they were using.

I always make sure I know where the dunny is, as it is no longer outside. Also,

I have the wisdom if I happen to be watching an Aussie Football game, no to ask

Someone which team they root for, as root has a much more risqué meaning.

Catch you later.

1 hour ago, awinkl said:

Sleazebags??? Just because tipping is a Custom preferred by Americans (and Canadians?) why do Passengers from other Cultures HAVE TO adopt these practices? Cruise Lines should pay a decent wage to ANY/ALL of their Employees, then they would not have to depend on Tips!! 

Tips should be reserved for people who give me EXTRA GOOD SERVICE, - and should not just be applied (and expected) automatically.

Just extrapolate the Automatic Gratuities of $ 15.00 charged per Passenger on a fully booked Ship of 3 - 5000 Passengers? It's a hefty sum that Cruise Lines receive to subsidize their Operations. And where is the incentive of Staff, to provide (very) good Service on a fully-booked Cruise, when they already know, that they will receive their share anyway?

I think the vast majority of cruisers would agree with you that the staff should be paid a living wage. Regrettably  that is not the system in place, so we must adapt to the custom and practice in place. Yes the cruise lines  should just hide the cost in the fee and it is all sorted. 

The incentive to provide good (exceptional) service is pride in their work. The same as similar workers in a system similar to Australia  where people are paid a living wage...what is the incentive to provide good service?

10 minutes ago, zitsky said:

 

I guess when we go to your country we should not bother learning your language and should not follow any of your customs?

You are aware they do speak English in Australia.

Bacon 101

So we can all know what we are having for breakfast

https://justcook.butcherbox.com/all-the-different-types-of-bacon-from-canadian-bacon-to-coconut-bacon/

Much ado about nothing. If you like the idea you opt in. If you don't,  then do nothing.

5 hours ago, bEwAbG said:

 

I agree that passengers should treat the staff well as they have a very difficult job and part of treating them well is showing respect to them as people first.  However, isn't the "feeling of worth" the responsibility of the employer and its management?

I'm  not sure that concept falls within the management style of many of the line managers on Celebrity.

I went back and reread this thread this morning, and have an observation.  As far as I can determine there is a cultural divide on this topic. For the most part Americans are of the opinion cash is king and the only form of reward required.  Those from other countries, Canada and UK, are a bit more inclined to acknowledge the human side of the relationship and provide small gifts of chocolate and treats. (Let me be clear that in no way shape or form is re-gifting fruit cakes, coffee mugs or bringing miscellaneous stuff from your home town suitable, ever!)

Having been both an employee and a supervising manager it is necessary to move beyond the basic needs level of an individual to encourage a feeling of worth.  My reference for this is Maslow's hierarchy of needs. For most of the people working in the service roles on the ships they are doing it to provide for the basic needs of their family: food, shelter safety and security, and cold hard cash is what they are after. However, once they are confident they have reached that level where security has been attained, they respond better to a feeling of belonging/friendship. While we are never going to be friends with the employees on a ship, we can certainly be friendly and recognize them on a human level. I think back to when I was working and one of my managers in the later stages of my career often thought outside the box on how to motivate and reward us.  We were all well paid professionals well beyond the basic needs level, and while money does motivate, when you "know" it is going to happen you often lose focus...he gave us our birthday off as a bonus. I guess he could have paid us our per diem, but he probably would have been fired, and the day off meant more than money to us.

So the people who provide the treats, and as long as this is not in lieu of cash, but in addition to, are just rewarding a different psychological need of people.

There is no right or wrong approach, do what you think is proper, just don't remove the grats.

On 8/8/2021 at 1:22 PM, Jim_Iain said:

We were on a cruise in South America and they had a weight limitation and the tour had a warning of lots of walking and uneven surfaces, but  some did not abide an no one was checked.

 

To make a long story short,   a rather portly woman fell on the trail in a slippery area and couldn't get up.   The whole tour had to wait about 1 1/2 hours while they called for assistance and it took 5 men to get her back to the bus.   Needless to say she was not the most popular person on the tour as we had to miss two stops on our tour.

We had a very similar experience about 12-14 years ago on a trek through a rain forest.  The excursion had several warnings, and one individual had some health issues which restricted how fast we could proceed.  Needless to say they became quite unpopular.

55 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

It would appear to be very much a US thing, it is certainly not a big issue here and the only time I have ever heard it discussed is in relation to cruising. All staff get a minimum wage and so tipping is a personal choice and usually restricted to waiting staff, we generally don’t tip bartenders for example. It is also a lot less than in the US, here 10% (or thereabouts) is seen as a perfectly acceptable tip. 

 

When in Rome I do as the Romans do so the standard ship board gratuities are and always have been paid in full. We also leave a bit extra in cash at the end of a cruise for good service and the service is generally good. I have never known if the extra I leave for the staff is good, bad or indifferent when compared to the levels given by those across the pond but I don’t stress over it. 

 

I do find it jarring to see some people flamboyantly dropping bank notes at a bar or discussing in minute detail what they are leaving as additional tips but each to their own culture and it is very much a minority pastime.

A few years ago our daughter was working in the UK, so we spent a few summers visiting with her and traveling, predominately in England and Ireland. As you say the tipping is less predominant, and at a much lower level. However, we did notice is some of the "nicer" restaurants and hotel dining rooms, a service charge did appear on the bill, and it was usually in the 10% range.

7 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

I have never had a "bad" butler, always always go over the top for anything requested.  I do also tend to use their services quite a bit but they also always are very generously tipped ($$).  They really work so hard.

We have never had a bad one either, just one who was annoying.   He would consistently  show up at our door to deliver/drop off something...dry cleaning/laundry, marketing propaganda, etc...shortly after 5 pm. Finally had to "request" he not knock on our door between between 5 and 7 pm.  Everything was always in our room by mid afternoon thereafter.  Usually at that time we were relaxing before dinner or trying to get ready to go out for a drink. Other than that he was fantastic.

1 hour ago, Mkripke said:

Hello

 

Is there a good place on the ship to enjoy a cigar?

There are several good places, but regrettably you will be limited to one location which is the dedicated cigar smoking area. There will be at least one other location which will be cigarette only.  On the s class it has been Sunset Bar port side. On the M class I believe it is in the region of the pool bar. We have not sailed on E class so no idea. The specific location will be listed in Celebrity Today.

Prior to my retirement 9 years ago my employer implemented a totally random questionnaire to our clients based on our documented contact.  This was probably around 2008.  The benchmark was a top box score. Regrettably very few clients will provide a top box score, as many feel no one is perfect. It took about 15-18 months for the client facing personnel to convince the powers that be that a rating of 8, 9 or 10 is a top box and they should be focusing on ratings of less than that.  Common sense prevailed and that was what they did.

We have noticed over the past few years the increasing number of on board personnel who mention the need for a top rating.  We always reply that we are seasoned cruisers and provided they complete their duties to the best of their ability they have nothing to worry about. They truly are under the hammer if they receive anything less than top box marks.

If i can't think of anything they could have done to improve on what they did they get a 10.  If I have identified something which I would like changed and they follow through, a 10.   We never know what they face in a day, I know I wouldn't want their job.

3 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Agree. According to some I don't have taste buds. 😁 We always tell whoever is keeping our wine glasses full what wine (white or red) we want to drink that evening not what would be their recommendation. 🍷

If i figure out that the sommelier is more sommelier than wine waiter I will tell them my preferences for wine types (red) and let them surprise me...I have discovered some great wines that I would not normally consider.  As far a whites I am not a fan and stick close to a pinot grigio.

It is a good thing we are all different or it would be a very boring world.

4 hours ago, jlowe420 said:

The ship had so much spoiled wine it was quite a disappointment.  They also pretended like you are drunk or dont know what vinegar tastes like when you complain.  I had to on one occasion go up to the retreat to get a fresh glass of wine and bring it down to the casino and ask the bartender to smell both of them side by side.  I would have expected higher quality - never once have I had a bad bottle of wine on NCL, but I get it... they are trying to use up the stock they sat on for a year.

They also had expired "past the best by date" juices and cocktail mixes out on the retreat bar right in plain view of the guests.  They really need to put those into other containers so it's not as obvious they are using up old stuff.

I am not shocked that your received a bad glass of wine, it happens periodically for a number of reasons.

I am shocked that once you indicated the wine was bad, that it wasn't immediately replaced and you received disbelief and attitude instead. 

29 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Much better detail in this post compared to your first post and the misleading title to the thread. 

 

Far from a wine snob myself. I've drank some "Two Buck Chuck" wines purchased from Trader Joes I liked. I just returned from the liquor store where I purchased a case of 1.5 liter bottles of Woodbridge Sauvignon Blanc I like. 🍷

Wine does not have to be expensive to be good.  Also, one individual may love a specific wine and someone may not, it all depends on your palate.

If we host a family dinner there will be 2 or 3 bottles of very good wine on the table, but once their taste buds have been numbed we switch out the very good to good, or maybe a good everyday table wine. (don't tell them)

52 minutes ago, KKB said:

Looks like something to add to comment cards!

Would it not seem reasonable to expect the individuals in charge of line management/crowd control to already have this knowledge and implement such a system.

3 hours ago, Pickels said:

RE: Also, I guess we all paid for lunch...so lets all get there early so we can have it.

Please!

As the original poster of this comment RE: we all paid for lunch       It was meant to be sarcasm, because we all know there will be a shortage of food on the ship.

15 hours ago, jg51 said:

.

Hello, "Pickels."

We can think of one valid answer to your questions (and there may be other answers).

 

Suppose someone could not avoid being assigned an embarkation time of 3:00 PM (assigned at booking or online check-in?).  

 

Suppose that this person is able to reach the dock at about Noon -- and therefore gets placed, by security, at the front of an "early-bird queue" -- willing to wait until 3:00, if necessary.

 

Suppose that she is hopeful to board sooner (because of a medical need [diabetes?] to have a good lunch -- or simply because she paid for lunch as part of her fare).

 

Suppose all the guests with 12:30 boarding times are able to enter by 12:50.  Should some of the early-birds be allowed to enter?  According to what we have read on one or two threads, Celebrity will allow our lady to enter, even though it is not yet even 1:00.

 

We think that this is reasonable.  It will help the 3:00 lady (and others like her) who are desiring lunch, or perhaps even in physical need of it.  Getting some early-birds aboard will also help the ("on-time") 3:00 people to board more quickly, later in the afternoon.

.

Really.  We can all think of why we should be the exception.

As a diabetic, I plan my actions around my schedule.  If I had a 3:00 pm boarding time, I would plan to go have lunch somewhere, enjoy myself and arrive at a more suitable time. When traveling I also have a supply of suitable snacks and water in the event of a delay.  I am sure I wouldn't leave my personal health in limbo on the hopes that by some fluke of nature I would get to board early.

Also, I guess we all paid for lunch...so lets all get there early so we can have it.

I would argue and support an early entry system that doesn't reward how early you arrive before your scheduled time, but one that moves to the next scheduled time slot.  So if at 12:50 there are no more 12:30 - 1:00 arrivals waiting then start on the 1:00 - 1:30 group, and just pass any late arrivals straight through.

We can't all be first.  I do not doubt that there are true situations where medical conditions require accommodation, no problem; take the initiative and make adjustments before hand.

9 minutes ago, Oxo said:

Why do we always have a DRESS code threads and never PANTS code threads? 

HAPPY CRUISING!

Because those on the east side of the big pond and those on the west side of the big pond will be talking about two different things......

It is good to see things are getting back to normal.

I really don't care what other people wear, as long as they respect what I am wearing. To be clear I will adhere to the suggested dress code, and most likely will be dressed significantly "chicer" than the minimum. We normally travel for a month at a time with a cruise placed in the middle of that time frame. Depending on how much travel is involved, and what activities/events we have planned,  I may dress at the top end with a suit/tux, maybe a jacket & tie, or a pair of dockers and a polo shirt.  As long as I get the good housekeeping seal of approval before I seal my suitcase I am good.

I truly believe people continue to preach about tuxes being required because they believe if they say it enough people will believe it.  I have enough self confidence in my selection that I fail to care what other people may or may not think.

Advice I once received when I started working, It is extremely difficult to be over dressed for an event, and be remembered; however, it is exceptionally easy to be under dressed and remembered. 

On 6/11/2021 at 9:21 AM, TeeRick said:

Yes sometimes people are funny and rude too.  But it can happen anywhere on the ship.  This instance you reported here is an example.  But of what?  An Elitist attitude of one suite passenger to another?  Or just rudeness?  I still have not seen this elitism as a general trend in MC/The Retreat.  In my experience anyway.  But situations do happen.  I was asked once to move my seat in the theatre by somebody who usually sits there.  I had no idea if they were in a suite or in an Inside cabin.  I moved and just chalked it up to rudeness.

If we called it boorish, it then covers all the categories of poor social skills.

On 5/23/2021 at 9:18 AM, TeeRick said:

Very broad over simplification and negative sterotype.  In my experience sailing suites, most passengers are just enjoying their vacation even if they paid a lot more.  I have rarely run into any kind of Elitist attitude.  

Up until a few years ago, i would have agreed with you. We were sailing on an S class which has the long bench seat on the back wall. If we are back on board the ship at a reasonable time, about 4 or 4:30 i will grab my book and head to Michaels Club for a before, before dinner drink. DW uses that time to enjoy alone time. This particular  cruise I had been in MC a few afternoons already, enough that the bartender would point to a bottle and give me a thumbs up, the appropriate reply is a nod of the head.  i usually have an e reader, however, this time it was a real book, so i was sitting at one end of the seating under a light. A short while after i arrived a small group entered ond one of the ladies walked up and without excusing herself just said "we usually sit there",  i give a puzzled look, and say "excuse me", I am told they have a group of friends who meet before dinner and they usually sit there.  Bigger puzzled look, but by now the bartender is on his way over, and very smoothly and professionally escorts them to the other end.  Sometimes, people are funny.

On 5/26/2021 at 3:40 PM, Tony UK said:

Maybe issues like people feeling the need to reserve tables etc demonstrates the need to change to something new. We stopped going when we witnessed such excess, getting servers to deliver mulltiple rounds of drinks at once, tables full of glasses, people drinking to excess very quickly, people asking for whole trays of canapes for their group, and leaving most of them.

It spoiled what we had previously felt was a really nice friendly event.

Time for a change!

 

I understand and agree with your sentiments.  our ahah moment happened many years ago. I cannot remember what ship, however I know it was an M class.  The HH was held in Michaels Club and it was just after they introduced the beverage packages and still had true premium beverages available. Unfortunately I prefer to drink quality rather quantity. Regrettably the evening before I had spent a significant amount of time in Michaels making a significant dent in a bottle of Midleton Very Rare.  When we walked in the bartender gave me an ear to ear grin and waved.  We found a seat and the waiter came over for our order.  My DW order her wine and I asked the waiter to see if the fine gentleman behind the bar had anything left in the fine bottle of Irish from last night, and handed our cards over. When he returned he had a very generous pour in my glass. Regrettably the fellow at the next  seat for some reason took exception and started to discuss it rather loudly with his spouse. There were several, 6 or so empty glasses on the table and i think the waiters had stopped serving them.  the bartender had to come over and explain that I had purchased my drink and it was not a complimentary item.  After that cruise we have only attended a few HH since. We have had the premium beverage package since inception, although the selection of true premium liquors has declined significantly.

We have cruised with X  in sky suites for several years.  We have always felt we have received good value, and excellent service. However, over the past few years the prices have increased to the point where they are truly in the luxury price range, and regrettably they can't compete at that price with product.  for example we were looking at a cruise for Jan 2023 and discovery a Celebrity and a Silversea virtually the
same itinerary except X was 12 days and S was 14.  The cost PPPN was C$15 higher with Silversea.....and they included economy airfare,  which would be about $3,500 PP.  Not a difficult decision to make