Jump to content

Treatment of staff by guests


garycd
 Share

Recommended Posts

There's a saying: "treat others like you would like to be treated."

 

It amazes when I see cruise passengers (guests, if you prefer) treat cruise servers or other staff as if they were mechanical robots, not acknowledging them, not saying please or thank you, or some equivalent display of civility, but treating them as if they are a different class of people than themselves. I find that much of the enjoyment of a cruise is getting to know and interacting with the staff. It's worth the time when passing an employee scrubbing away at the stairs or the deck, to learn a bit about where they are from, how long they have worked on the particular ship, etc. A cruise is so much more fun when you know the staff by their names and get to greet them when you see them each time.

 

Many of these crew members have left their family to take a position on a ship in order to support that family, ensure proper care for their elderly family members, or ensure a better education for their children. If if they have taken a position for the adventure of working on a ship, they are still away from their family, friends and the village, town or city they grew up in. They really don't need or deserve rude treatment from "entitled" passengers. Seems to me, since we are the fortunate ones able to take cruises, that we should be at our very best when interacting with the people working on the ships.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We just returned from our 1st cruise. We were shocked how people treated servers etc.....

 

Treat others the way you want to be treated is our motto!

 

At the windjammer one afternoon they were doing a cook a wok meal. Myself personally I like to try new things. So I engaged the cook and asked if he ate that particular dish and said yes it’s his favorite.. Perfect! So I asked if he would make me his favorite combination for me. The smile on his face said it all.... what was sooooo shocking is the guests around me all thought I was nuts, stating I was going to get something horrible and disgusting..... I just kept talking to the cook and soon the amazing aroma started to come from the hot pan..... Now these same people said ohhh I want what he is having.... The cook looked at them and said “I forget”and just gave me a big smile and darn did I have an amazing lunch....

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We just returned from our 1st cruise. We were shocked how people treated servers etc.....

 

Treat others the way you want to be treated is our motto!

 

At the windjammer one afternoon they were doing a cook a wok meal. Myself personally I like to try new things. So I engaged the cook and asked if he ate that particular dish and said yes it’s his favorite.. Perfect! So I asked if he would make me his favorite combination for me. The smile on his face said it all.... what was sooooo shocking is the guests around me all thought I was nuts, stating I was going to get something horrible and disgusting..... I just kept talking to the cook and soon the amazing aroma started to come from the hot pan..... Now these same people said ohhh I want what he is having.... The cook looked at them and said “I forget”and just gave me a big smile and darn did I have an amazing lunch....

 

Weedwhacker2,

 

What a great story! So allegorical!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

We alway have a great time with the staff on cruise ships. People just need to be polite and treat them with respect. A smile, some kind words and not taking advantage of them is all it takes to make your experience memorable. It doesn't matter if they are a room steward, a server, a maintenance person or a bar tender. Just be nice and they will bend over backwards to be nice back.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always treat others with the same respect and courtesy I would expect myself.

 

On our last cruise we got word that the wifes Grandmother had passed away suddenly. We were unable to make a call home from our room for some reason so we went to guest services for assistance. The girl who was helping us was fantastic and took the wife and I to the back office for some privacy and made an outside call for us - even they had difficulty making the call but they managed. She brought my wife a glass of water and a box of tissues as she was quite upset. After the call she sat down with us and made sure we were both OK and made sure we had her direct line number that if we needed any assistance, wanted to call home she would arrange it all for her. She also said if we needed to just talk she was available anytime we wanted.

 

We found out we didn't need to leave the cruise early as the funeral was not until we were back home.

 

The next day after the shock had worn off a bit the wife and I got talking about just how some fellow cruisers were treating the staff especially some of the demands we overheard while we were at Guest Services. So we decided to buy the girl who helped us some chocolates and biscuits from the shop and wrote a thank you letter telling her thank your for her assistance and how much we appreciated and we left the package at Guest Services.

 

It was later on in the day we bumped into our girl who ran over gave the wife a huge hug and thanked her. She was actually in tears that we had taken the trouble to do that for her and she was really appreciative of our gesture and letter thanking her. Every time we saw her the rest of the cruise it was always the same, She would run over and gave the wife a huge hug and another 10 min chat. The other guests must have started to wondered how on earth we were on such good terms with Guest Services.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chanman76,

 

Thank you for sharing your experience.

It sometimes think that cruise lines facilitate situations that almost encourage abuse by guests or the cruise lines themselves.

 

I remember a cruise we were on where at our first dinner, we were a party of 6 and seated in a round booth. It was difficult for the assistant server to reach everywhere on the table as you could only approach from one side.

We decided in order to help her, we would collect and stack the dirty dishes at the end of the meal in order to make things easier for her. When she returned to collect the dishes, she became upset and said we would get her in trouble with her superiors as it implied she couldn't do her job.

We did make sure her superiors new we thought she was wonderful and very good at her job, but felt sad she had to fear being given assistance.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
... Every time we saw her the rest of the cruise it was always the same, She would run over and gave the wife a huge hug and another 10 min chat. The other guests must have started to wondered how on earth we were on such good terms with Guest Services.

 

Thanks for sharing!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I love meeting the cruise staff, they are always so interesting. I still remember a young man named Vherr that we met on Freedom of the Seas. We kind of adopted each other and would meet in the Windjammer after the evening show. Soon he was getting our table ready for us and anticipating that we'd be there. Sweet guy. And another on Carnival Victory named Inyoman. He was on the upper deck of the Lido Buffet and we'd see him at breakfast and lunch every day and have a chat. There's nothing like getting to know the crew. Good people!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some may think that guest treat staff (crew) of the Cruise Ships poorly and it does happen sometimes. It is also true that the treatment overall by guest is much better than they would have in their home countries. I live in the Philippines, which percent wise is one of the largest providers of cruise staff. I can tell you from first hand knowledge, the treatment even by the worse passengers is better than the average treatment here.

 

For every person working on a ship now many more that would take their jobs, without question. Many of my fellow Americans are trying to have American standards in place which is just not the case and will never happen. Very few crew members will not renew a contract once finished because these are great jobs even with passengers who are less than nice.

 

If more Americans spent time outside of the United States and outside of tourist areas and saw how many real people live and work it would change the way people think. We (US/ Western Citizens) take as normal and require are luxuries in other parts of the world.

 

Just today I saw a sign in 7/11 here looking for staff. It said wanted, single female 18 to 23, College Degree, Attractive, Unmarried. To apply for a job that will pay equal to about US$6.50 a day for a 10 plus work hours. If they break or damage anything the worker pays for it. If I go into a restaurant order food and send it back, the waitstaff is charged for it.

 

Most low level workers here are hired on three month contracts, so they can work with no benefits. So while you may think workers have it hard dealing with rude or demanding passengers, I say it is much better than working at home.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

I've been blessed to have traveled a lot by land and sea to a lot of countries. There are common bonds among us all. We love our families. We worry about finances. We fear about things,etc. If you are a pax or a ship employee, no one is better than the other.

I always make an effort to get to know those who attend me. Most people like to share their stories with you and you can feel that common bond.

Those that treat others disrespectfully, have their own issues that their need to face and address.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been blessed to have traveled a lot by land and sea to a lot of countries. There are common bonds among us all. We love our families.......

Those that treat others disrespectfully, have their own issues that their need to face and address.

 

The one I see treating crew and guest disrespectfully is the cruise lines. The lines over work and overpay the crew, they don't care about the crew only profit. Then they play on the guest to rip more money from them. Why is the crew underpaid because the lines set it up this way, the lines should be paying them more if underpaid, not turning to the guest.

 

But the crew is only underpaid by Western Standards, by Third World Standards, the place most crew come from they are overpaid. Should they be paid by First World Standards because they work on ships charging first World prices or paid by Third World Standards because it is a free and open market? I do not see it as my position as a guest to change the World, I change and control my World. On the worst day a guest can never treat staff as bad as the cruise lines do.

 

If you want to see how people are treated improve start with getting the cruise lines to change the way they do business.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The one I see treating crew and guest disrespectfully is the cruise lines. The lines over work and overpay the crew, they don't care about the crew only profit. Then they play on the guest to rip more money from them. Why is the crew underpaid because the lines set it up this way, the lines should be paying them more if underpaid, not turning to the guest.

 

But the crew is only underpaid by Western Standards, by Third World Standards, the place most crew come from they are overpaid. Should they be paid by First World Standards because they work on ships charging first World prices or paid by Third World Standards because it is a free and open market? I do not see it as my position as a guest to change the World, I change and control my World. On the worst day a guest can never treat staff as bad as the cruise lines do.

 

If you want to see how people are treated improve start with getting the cruise lines to change the way they do business.

I agree. I spoke to a Romanian crew member who had a wife and kids at home. It was a cache 22 issue for him. He worked to death for money to send back to his family. There weren't any jobs in Romanua to pay enough to support a family, so he ended up as slave labor in a ship. I could see the despair in his eyes.

Some pax add to this sad situation by treating the crew badly. These poor crew members need our love, support and a kind word of appreciation. I always give my cabin steward and dining staff an extra cash gratuity at the end of the crew.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On my last cruise, there was a disaster going on in our waiters country. I asked if his family was okay and he nearly cried that someone cared enough to ask. It takes so little to just remember: the staff are people just like us. Love these stories, please keep them coming.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...

As I see it. I treat all staff and crew with the same respect that I give to the Captain.

Deck crews, staff, servers, bartenders and the cabin attendant who cleans our toilet twice a day. They all go out of their way to provide me with a perfect cruise. I tip for great service as it happens. Many times just a dollar or two goes a long way. And they seem to always remember me. ;)

 

Many times I make more friends on board. More than meeting other cruisers. It's not just the tip either. Just a good morning, afternoon or evening goes a long way. Learning the name of a server, bartender, waiter, deck person and calling them by name brings a smile to their face.

 

They always call me Mister. Well, I know that they are required to do that however, they wear a name tag with their first name. Mister was my Father. I let them know, when we are alone and nobody is within earshot, I prefer that just call me by my first name. Sorta shakes them up a bit but, many times it works. :cool:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

I agree. We have been on a few cruises where I have been appalled by the treatment of the staff. Every cruise we have been on, the staff has bent over backwards to give us the moon. As a guest on the cruise, I am not better than any of the staff. I work for a living too. We all do. We should not act entitled, and we should treat the staff with the respect they deserve. After all, if it wasn't for their dedication to us, there wouldn't be a cruise for us to be on!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, angie7911922 said:

... As a guest on the cruise, I am not better than any of the staff. I work for a living too. We all do. We should not act entitled, and we should treat the staff with the respect they deserve. After all, if it wasn't for their dedication to us, there wouldn't be a cruise for us to be on!

Sorry but as guests we have paid for services. We have got to a position in life  that we can afford to take cruises. On these cruises, the job of the crew is to serve the guest and make the cruise better. They do this because they are paid and we as guest should get the services we have paid for. 

 

They are not dedicated to the guests they are dedicated to the payments they get. And if they don't want to do the job as required for every crew member who wants to leave a hundred  are waiting to replace them. If they could get better jobs they would but the simple fact is in the capitalist system they are at the bottom. Welcome to life.

 

The cruise lines only see the crew as a asset to be used until time to replace. They do not respect the crews or care about them so why should the paying guests somehow be held to a higher standard?  Guest are free to view any way they feel is correct.  Without guests they are the ones who would not have a job. Many other vacations guests can take if they want.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...
On 1/2/2019 at 5:04 PM, Expat Cruise said:

Sorry but as guests we have paid for services. We have got to a position in life  that we can afford to take cruises. On these cruises, the job of the crew is to serve the guest and make the cruise better. They do this because they are paid and we as guest should get the services we have paid for. 

 

They are not dedicated to the guests they are dedicated to the payments they get. And if they don't want to do the job as required for every crew member who wants to leave a hundred  are waiting to replace them. If they could get better jobs they would but the simple fact is in the capitalist system they are at the bottom. Welcome to life.

 

The cruise lines only see the crew as a asset to be used until time to replace. They do not respect the crews or care about them so why should the paying guests somehow be held to a higher standard?  Guest are free to view any way they feel is correct.  Without guests they are the ones who would not have a job. Many other vacations guests can take if they want. 

 

"Why should the paying guests somehow be held to a higher standard?" Maybe because we believe that we answer to a higher authority than a cruise line and treat others equitably, whatever their perceived status. The question isn't about the crew doing their job; it's about our own behavior.

Magandang gabi po.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, peacefulOR said:

 

"Why should the paying guests somehow be held to a higher standard?" Maybe because we believe that we answer to a higher authority than a cruise line and treat others equitably, whatever their perceived status. The question isn't about the crew doing their job; it's about our own behavior.

Magandang gabi po.

Sorry our job to fix the World. As already stated we have paid for the cruise, with our own money. What we do with that money and how we spend it is up to us. If others want to give away money go ahead and do so, it is your money. But put your hand in our cookie jar and you will not have a hand. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

The staff can make or break a cruise.  The vast majority give 100% if not more.  If they are enjoying their job, we will enjoy the cruise more.  

I am in awe of their hard work and positive attitude.  The only time we ever complained about the staff was when one of the officers reprimanded a bartender (in the suite guests’ lounge) in front of us.  I’m not sure what she had done wrong, but you never reprimand staff in front of guests. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...