How are you treated by staff as a solo female?

[VABeach]

I just answered a thread about tipping in specialty restaurants and I replied about my two opposite experiences which were in the same specialty restaurant on two different occasions, one was Jazz Brunch and the other was dinner in the same restaurant, Le Bistro. One meal for two, same additional price, totally different experiences. Brunch was terrible service and dinner was delightful. That server got an additional $20 bucks........the brunch server got nothing extra.

 

My thought, being female, is that some/most waiters have a preconceived idea that females don't tip as well as men and therefore they don't get the same service as, say a couple or a male. I'm very outgoing and make friends with my waiters and I usually get good service but I'm wondering if any of you females have experienced less than stellar service because of your gender and the wait staffs attitude towards females?????????????

 

Let me qualify that by saying that I usually get very good service from all of NCL staff. I've found most of them o be extremely friendly. That's one of the things I keep coming back for.:) The Butler service rocks also!!!!:D

 

I have only sailed solo on HAL and RCI, so I can only answer for them, but I will say that my experience has been that I get much better service (and unwanted attention) sailing solo. :rolleyes:

[caissonqueen]

I have only sailed solo on HAL and RCI, so I can only answer for them, but I will say that my experience has been that I get much better service (and unwanted attention) sailing solo. :rolleyes:

I have the same experience as VABeach. My first cruise with NCL will be in Feb. and in a penthouse aft suite. :D I will be sure to note any odd treatment. On my last cruise on the Voyager, I was getting tired from the cabin steward fawning over me and always commenting how I was a strong woman. :rolleyes: Sweet guy and it seemed a little over done. But he did get a huge tip from me in addition to the tip added at the end of the trip. ;) It does make it easier for people to remember me and my likes/dislikes on the trip. Better to sail alone than have a grumpy and complaining companion, like my ex-husband. :mad:

[jp2001]

I'm offended that, even if true (and I doubt it), AftLover posted such a comment that would reflect poorly on the staff and captain & find it totally inappropriate. A captain doesn't obtain his status with loose lips so unlikely that he would say such a thing. :rolleyes:

 

The only time I've been treated poorly by wait staff was at a land restaurant but have been treated poorly on a ship by other diners after I was seated at a table with 7 family members. One of the younger folk made the comment "that she doesn't belong with us" at which time her grandmother (who paid for the cruise) told her to hush and spoke to me the entire meal.:p

 

Maybe the grandson wasn't used to the concept of sharing tables on cruiseships (maybe his first trip and he thought they would get the table for their group only. If I was the Maitre D', I would not put a single person with 7 family members anyway). I'm sorry for his comment but it was probably not meant "against" you.

[AuntieBon]

Maybe the grandson wasn't used to the concept of sharing tables on cruiseships (maybe his first trip and he thought they would get the table for their group only. If I was the Maitre D', I would not put a single person with 7 family members anyway). I'm sorry for his comment but it was probably not meant "against" you.

 

Clearly the grandmother felt as I did but no matter. I enjoyed myself anyway and coming from a large family myself enjoyed myself.

[TheWog]

I am very happy to state that NCL trains their wait staff very well. Rudeness is not tolerated and they have plenty of spies around the dining room & specialty restaurants. When a gal dropped a plate on the way to the dining room, it was recovered by an Officer who showing out of the air, as it seemed. I have had the Food & Bev Director stop to inquire how service & food was. We enjoyed that.

 

Tips are last night, or in our case added to our bill last night. Then the OBCs credit that. May I also remind you to buy a deposit for your next cruise onboard, so you get a $100 OBC & the deposit is $250 for your next cruise. You can buy more than one if you might book more than one cruise, as we did last month. $250 deposit was for one & we paid $500 deposit for the other.

 

Enjoy NCL, who I find the best cruiseline out there in our book. And we have sailed 30 cruises on Carnival, Princess, Celebrity, RCCL Radisson 7 Seas & NCL. And a touch of humor that is reality. SEAGULL is a term of a female sailing solo that trails officers for a date. Some Officers as well of fellow sailers, take advantage of the free "hooker" and walk away at the end of the sailing leaving her getting off the ship to her flight home. My husband & I enjoyed this term & description from the Captain who happened to have a live onboard & we told him to call us to accompany him. What a show we watched & I felt for him & the rest of the great gentleman who worked so well with him.

 

Are you insinuating the OP is a "Seagull"? Not cool.

[CanadianTwosome]

Clearly the grandmother felt as I did but no matter. I enjoyed myself anyway and coming from a large family myself enjoyed myself.

 

I agree with JP. The child's comments were likely just a result of him realizing that there was an 'extra' person at the table.

 

As for being treated differently as a solo woman, there have been a few times that I've eaten alone with our daughter, or gone to the Blue Lagoon or one of the lounges by myself. I've never perceived any different treatment than I've gotten with my husband - or than he's gotten.

 

To those who think it doesn't happen, though, I can only guess that you've never felt it yourself. For those of us who are female, visible minorities, or that could be perceived as 'different' in any way, we know differently. I worked as a cashier while I was completing my first undergrad degree - in math/CS combined - and at least once per shift, a man would 'help' me give him his change. Did that make the man a bigot or a chauvanist? No, but it was evidence of his perception of women in general - that 'we' need help in basic math. An individual doesn't have to be a bigot to treat someone differently than they would someone else. All it takes is the belief that an entire group (females, males, ethnic groups, etc.) shares some similar trait. Sometimes that belief manifests so powerfully that the believer becomes prejudiced against the group; sometimes it just results in thinking you have to help someone make change (even though they work with cash, have an electronic till that shows change due, and are capable of remembering dozens of numerical codes :rolleyes:).

[cherylroslyn]

I just answered a thread about tipping in specialty restaurants and I replied about my two opposite experiences which were in the same specialty restaurant on two different occasions, one was Jazz Brunch and the other was dinner in the same restaurant, Le Bistro. One meal for two, same additional price, totally different experiences. Brunch was terrible service and dinner was delightful. That server got an additional $20 bucks........the brunch server got nothing extra.

 

My thought, being female, is that some/most waiters have a preconceived idea that females don't tip as well as men and therefore they don't get the same service as, say a couple or a male. I'm very outgoing and make friends with my waiters and I usually get good service but I'm wondering if any of you females have experienced less than stellar service because of your gender and the wait staffs attitude towards females?????????????

 

Let me qualify that by saying that I usually get very good service from all of NCL staff. I've found most of them o be extremely friendly. That's one of the things I keep coming back for.:) The Butler service rocks also!!!!:D

I just sailed the Norwegian Spirit in early September. I felt the service to me as a solo female diner was inpeccable. The Maite' D on the Spirit made me feel like a celebrity and all of the staff were constantly talking to me and making conversation and giving me tips as to the port.... I really appreciated all of their attention and I couldn't figure out why they were all being so nice to me.... but it felt great to be appreciated.

[VABeach]

Better to sail alone than have a grumpy and complaining companion, like my ex-husband. :mad:

 

Amen Sista'!!!

 

As a matter of fact, the three weeks I spent solo out to sea were three weeks following my divorce. ;)

 

I think I have logged a couple of MONTHS at sea since the big Freedom Day! :D

[CaptData]

I am a single/disabled female. Yes, sometimes I am treated different. ie they will sometimes think I am with another couple who have ordered drinks (usually when the guy orders both drinks). They will not ask me until I pipe up which I do. Other times there is no problem. I find this more with the Asian people more then any other or arab type person. In these countries women are not the ones that order things or speak to males first. I have learned over the years that I need to sometimes to break the ice and tell them that I am travelling by myslef. Then they remember to ask me just like all the others.