Undercover Boss Tonight - NCL CEO

[jebl]

I watched the show and thought the whole thing was contrived, as are most reality shows. They have about as much reality as a fairy tale.

 

As for the guest vs customer debate; a guest is invited into your home, establishment, etc and not asked to pay whereas a customer has paid for admittance.

 

Since I pay a hefty price to sail on any ship I am a customer. Same goes for shopping in stores. I am not there as a guest to visit and chat. I am there as a paying customer to shop for merchandise.

[cctimmom]

Did any of you notice the room he was staying in? I don't believe that was an average crew room, as was stated. It had a king bed and plenty of room to move around in. I really wished it was an average crew room.

 

ohmygosh, I was totally coming on here to say the same exact thing. If anyone's read Cruise Confidential you'd know that it was totally lame that they were giving the impression he was in crew quarters, but also, where was his room mate? Ha!

 

The ice rink was hysterical, but I appreciated him saying it would be gone immediately.

 

 

I personally enjoyed seeing some of the behind the scenes, especially in the kitchen, etc.

 

 

The one part about the whole show that I find to be a bit contrived is how each person that any of the CEO's work with seemingly immediately open up about something very personal, and then at the end of the show, the CEO rewards them with something based on that tidbit (last night was the vacation for the guy and his family... and then the donation for the charity based on the mother's death)... don't get me wrong... it's very charitable and generally will bring a tear to my eye, but it seems very contrived that someone would open up that quickly about something so personal (I'm also probably thinking more about the Johnny Rocket's ep where the guy confided that his daughter had been murdered, he then assault the alleged attacker and went to prison for it... all told as they sat on the boardwalk sharing their feelings.... that's usually a second day on the job convo, isn't it?)

 

I digress.... it was a very good show, although I'm not sure if it did NCL much justice because I wasn't that impressed (so I appreciate the positive commentary above).

[daisy-mae]

As for the guest vs customer debate; a guest is invited into your home, establishment, etc and not asked to pay whereas a customer has paid for admittance.

 

Since I pay a hefty price to sail on any ship I am a customer. Same goes for shopping in stores. I am not there as a guest to visit and chat. I am there as a paying customer to shop for merchandise.

 

 

Yes, anyone who pays is, ultimately, a customer. However, every profession has its own terminology to denote the paying public; lawyers have "clients", dentists have "patients", WalMart's "associates" (as opposed to "sales clerks") deal with "customers", and hotels have "guests".

 

All are euphemisms for the guy who is doing the paying, and professionals in each field are generally aware of the correct term to use. It stands to reason that the CEO of a large corporation would be well versed in the lingo, and the fact that he let slip the generic term "customer" leads one to wonder just how aware he is of the nature of the cruise ship business.

[Aquahound]

Did any of you notice the room he was staying in? I don't believe that was an average crew room, as was stated. It had a king bed and plenty of room to move around in. I really wished it was an average crew room.

 

I watched the show and thought the whole thing was contrived, as are most reality shows. They have about as much reality as a fairy tale.

 

Ever since the first couple of Undercover Boss shows were aired, I'm not sure how any of them can truly get away with it anymore. The camera crew should be a dead giveaway. And with Sheehan staying in a guest room, rather than a crew room led me to believe this isn't as anonymous as they lead you to believe.

 

And then three crewmembers from the Epic were flown all the way to Hawaii...in uniform...just to vote on the hiring of a new crewmember? Come on.

[rubrrick]

 

Jeff Hobson, the comedian/magician is getting rave reviews from folks who have seen his show. He was on vacation when we were on Epic but I was curious enough to check him out on the internet. He looks like a hoot and had me laughing out loud just watching his videos.

 

I enjoyed both ships immensely and I'm glad both lines offer a product that makes a cruise vacation one of the best vacations available to many people.

 

coffeebean, thanks for your unbiased comparison.

 

I would sail on the Epic to watch Jeff Hobson.........he is one of the funnest and best that I have seen. Sorry that you missed him. I'm sitting here chuckling just thinking about him!:D

 

Rick

[mjldvlks]

Nothing specifically critical about the NCL show, it was failry similar to the rest. I like the show, but I have always wondered what the low level employees REALLY think about a rookie who has a camera crew following him around. Every show they have a contrived story that two people are competing for one job -- now in the second season, you would think that cover story would have become fairly transparent.

 

Edited to add: What Aquahound said. We must have been typing at the same time.

[BrianAlt]

The one part about the whole show that I find to be a bit contrived is how each person that any of the CEO's work with seemingly immediately open up about something very personal, and then at the end of the show, the CEO rewards them with something based on that tidbit

 

I do agree with you, but realize this, the person knows they are being recorded for a TV show and they are pre-screened. In that pre-screening process they probably ask for something personal about themselves that the person would be willing to share if chosen to be on the show. When chosen, they probably tell the person that they would like them to share that personal story. So when the "Undercover Boss" asks them a leading question, they know that is their cue to tell the personal story.

[sr5242]

Nothing specifically critical about the NCL show, it was failry similar to the rest. I like the show, but I have always wondered what the low level employees REALLY think about a rookie who has a camera crew following him around. Every show they have a contrived story that two people are competing for one job -- now in the second season, you would think that cover story would have become fairly transparent.

 

Edited to add: What Aquahound said. We must have been typing at the same time.

 

I agree. I stopped watching because it become apparent it was so fake and set up. Unless the workers live under a rock, they have to assume that someone being filmed "trying a job" is actually an undercover boss.

[foxesden1]

He never said it was a "crew" room he was in. He said average room. I assumed he ment inside cabin for guests. they said it was "not unlike" what the crew was in. (more like ship officer)

 

what I did notice, is that the cute blond girl who had been on the ship for less then 1 contract is now in the mgm. training program. and the lesbian waitress who wanted to get into mgt. *after 7 years of working with NCL is now SR. Waitress. Nothing about her working up the ranks.. with a higher goal.

 

T

[Debde]

I watched it too.

Seemed to me-passengers were enjoying themselves. Eating dinner,during activities, or just roaming about.

 

Don't understand cruise line bashing nor laughing at folks on another line. We should all be glad other lines exsist to compete with each other to get our business. Each of us will gravitate to what suits our needs. For many, it does not matter what company the cruise ship comes from, it's about having a good time.

 

I personaly thought the water slide looked like fun. Royals ice rink may be better but that slide is nothing compared to anything Royal offers.

 

He was not very comfortable around passengers nor his employees but that's not his job. His job is to offer good things at fair marlet price on his cruise line and try to keep emloyees happy. If he learnded something about those aspects-great for those who work and travel that cruise line!

[serene56]

I can't remember the entire conversation that the CEO was having with the Sports Deck woman but she made one comment that "This is why people don't want to come back to the Epic". I am not sure if she was referring to crew or passengers. Does anyone else recall that comment and what the gist of the conversation was?

 

 

it had something to do with the bunches of forms to fill out before doing the activities. She wanted them to be included with the cruise documents or in the cabins to fill out before they arrive.

 

Too many people back off when they see the number of pages that need to be filled.

 

-

I was kind of disappointed in this show. (first off- how many people here on the first day on the job tell your co workers your life story and talk about your mom dying etc. I know on my first day I am kinda reserved. Nothing was stated that she can take a cruise for her wedding-- did that mean she gotta show up for work that first night??

 

my question is what exactly is a senior waitress?? and how do you tell them apart in the dining room

 

Giving her a wedding onboard was lame- I mean what port will they be able to get married on a ship from that will make it legal??

[Aquahound]

what I did notice, is that the cute blond girl who had been on the ship for less then 1 contract is now in the mgm. training program. and the lesbian waitress who wanted to get into mgt. *after 7 years of working with NCL is now SR. Waitress. Nothing about her working up the ranks.. with a higher goal.

 

Not sure what you are insinuating here...the white guy on the Pride received no promotion, and the Activites guy on the Epic was only promoted one rank to Assistant Cruise Director. I very highly doubt there was any discrimination here.

[emdia43]

ohmygosh, I was totally coming on here to say the same exact thing. If anyone's read Cruise Confidential you'd know that it was totally lame that they were giving the impression he was in crew quarters, but also, where was his room mate? Ha!

 

The ice rink was hysterical, but I appreciated him saying it would be gone immediately.

 

 

I personally enjoyed seeing some of the behind the scenes, especially in the kitchen, etc.

 

 

The one part about the whole show that I find to be a bit contrived is how each person that any of the CEO's work with seemingly immediately open up about something very personal, and then at the end of the show, the CEO rewards them with something based on that tidbit (last night was the vacation for the guy and his family... and then the donation for the charity based on the mother's death)... don't get me wrong... it's very charitable and generally will bring a tear to my eye, but it seems very contrived that someone would open up that quickly about something so personal (I'm also probably thinking more about the Johnny Rocket's ep where the guy confided that his daughter had been murdered, he then assault the alleged attacker and went to prison for it... all told as they sat on the boardwalk sharing their feelings.... that's usually a second day on the job convo, isn't it?)

 

I digress.... it was a very good show, although I'm not sure if it did NCL much justice because I wasn't that impressed (so I appreciate the positive commentary above).

 

 

Yes, that's why I stopped watching the show. Contrived is the right word for it.

How come they never encounter the disgruntled employee that we all know, the one that is just spinning his wheels till something better comes along, the one that can tell you all the scoop about everyone, and does, including the Manager.

On TV they always manage to work with the 'unsung hero' of the company. Puhleeze.

 

I see it as a commercial, disguised as a program.

[coordinator23]

It sounds like NCL is trying to upgrade their product. After my experiences on Pride of Aloha, I swore I would never cruise them again. If they had provided a good cruise, with decent service and food, they would have had a gold mine and been able to keep three ships going. When I found out they "recycled" the ship to go to the Bahamas, I knew that I would never sail this line again, for sure. Possibly, just possibly, NCL is more focused now on keeping their ships "up" (our air didn't work because the filth on the filter was thicker than the air filter, which they changed while we were there). There were constant repairs on the ship - needed to be proactive like RCI instead of reactive to prevent all of the problems. None of our cabins were clean when we went in. Many passengers went to Wal-Mart on our first stop for cleaning products. (I now pack lysol wipes, but haven't needed them on Princess or RCL) Sounds like this man might turn NCL around. Hope he can. Hope the focus continues on improving the product. As far as the ice skating rink on Epic, give me a break! What a joke. If they had gone with in-line skating it probably would have worked. They could have rolled out a floor over the sports court, or even used the sports court.

[BrianAlt]

Obviously the CEO of a major corporation would want his company shown in a good light and obviously (s)he's at least partly doing it for promotion.

 

But it's a TV SHOW!!!! :rolleyes:

[sushigirl]

What a dancing machine!

[brfan]

He never said it was a "crew" room he was in. He said average room. I assumed he ment inside cabin for guests. they said it was "not unlike" what the crew was in. (more like ship officer)

 

what I did notice, is that the cute blond girl who had been on the ship for less then 1 contract is now in the mgm. training program. and the lesbian waitress who wanted to get into mgt. *after 7 years of working with NCL is now SR. Waitress. Nothing about her working up the ranks.. with a higher goal.

 

T

 

From my understanding based on posts over at the NCL board, the majority of crew members on Epic have their own cabins, with every two cabins sharing a bathroom. However I have no idea if what he was staying was a crew cabin or a passenger cabin that was similar (eg. studio).

[Aquahound]

From my understanding based on posts over at the NCL board, the majority of crew members on Epic have their own cabins, with every two cabins sharing a bathroom. However I have no idea if what he was staying was a crew cabin or a passenger cabin that was similar (eg. studio).

 

When he entered the room, it appeared to be from a passenger hallway. The walls were finished and the floor was carpeted. It also did not appear to be a shared bathroom. I've never been on Epic, but I have seen a lot a crew quarters on a lot of ships, and they are never that plush. I am fairly certain it was a passenger stateroom.

 

However...I did notice a lack of personal items laying around. Makes me wonder if he even actually stayed in that room. Plus, DW says she thinks it was two different rooms. The second time they showed him in the room, it looked different than the first one.

[mom2two2]

Just have to chime in here and agree as I watched it last night. Totally phony. I said the same thing to DH "Doubt that is a regular crew cabin".

 

And yes, they obviously pre-screen "fave" employees. I highly doubt those who are labelled "trouble" maybe for standing up for employee rights etc would ever be featured. Yet these are probably the people who actually have something of value to contribute on how the company could be made better.

ETA - and his "disguise" stunk. It was no wonder he was recognised.

[mjldvlks]

Just have to chime in here and agree as I watched it last night. Totally phony. I said the same thing to DH "Doubt that is a regular crew cabin".

 

And yes, they obviously pre-screen "fave" employees. I highly doubt those who are labelled "trouble" maybe for standing up for employee rights etc would ever be featured. Yet these are probably the people who actually have something of value to contribute on how the company could be made better.

ETA - and his "disguise" stunk. It was no wonder he was recognised.

I personally like the show despite its being contrived. And there have been some less than stellar employees. Last season, there was an employee that the "undercover boss" would have fired, but due to the show and all sent to retraining [or something similar] instead. May have been the one about the amusement park company.

[Ocean Boy]

Ever since the first couple of Undercover Boss shows were aired, I'm not sure how any of them can truly get away with it anymore. The camera crew should be a dead giveaway. And with Sheehan staying in a guest room, rather than a crew room led me to believe this isn't as anonymous as they lead you to believe.

 

And then three crewmembers from the Epic were flown all the way to Hawaii...in uniform...just to vote on the hiring of a new crewmember? Come on.

 

That was crazy. And you might think that a CEO with any business savy would have flown one employee from Haiwaii to the East coast instead of three emplyees out to Hawaii.:p

[DCwom]

When he entered the room, it appeared to be from a passenger hallway. The walls were finished and the floor was carpeted. It also did not appear to be a shared bathroom. I've never been on Epic, but I have seen a lot a crew quarters on a lot of ships, and they are never that plush. I am fairly certain it was a passenger stateroom.

 

However...I did notice a lack of personal items laying around. Makes me wonder if he even actually stayed in that room. Plus, DW says she thinks it was two different rooms. The second time they showed him in the room, it looked different than the first one.

 

Warning I have no idea so I'm talking out my a** (like a lot of folks:rolleyes:). I've wondered where "short term" crew stay (performers, specialised maintance folks, etc) who are on the ship for one or two nights then get off at the next port. Perhpas there are "visitor crew" quarters that are not shared? This would be a logical place for him to stay.

[sissymaryuk]

Not sure what you are insinuating here...the white guy on the Pride received no promotion, and the Activites guy on the Epic was only promoted one rank to Assistant Cruise Director. I very highly doubt there was any discrimination here.

I assume the sports staff was American. Sylvia the waitress was not. Automatic advantage there because of the difficulty of getting work permits. I imagine the sport's staff is also a college graduate, which is why they offered her such a position.

Staff and Crew (in the positions he was doing) normally don't live in anything like as plush a cabin. Although I actually had a (brand new, ship had just gone through revitalisation, although they didn't revitalise crew areas at all) passenger cabin on Empress for most of my contract there. Funnily enough, just after I moved in, one of the senior Housekeepers came round and removed items (cushions etc) and said "you can't be living in somewhere so nice, so we're taking things away!" The downside was Ocean Phone didn't work , and we couldn't get the crew channels. Never had a cabin anywhere near as plush on the other ships in the crew areas, and I was one of the lucky ones, in that my job meant that I always got my own cabin. Sometimes when they have extra crew onboard (handovers etc) they will get a passenger cabin if they have no space in the crew quarters. The extra cabins they have in crew quarters are called "Riding Cabins" (after the Riding Crew that usually occupy them). They normally are bunk bed cabins.

If the show isn't totally contrived, I could see why they wouldn't put him in crew areas, as it's far more likely he'd be recognised. As one of the other posters said Adam Goldstein would be very unlikely to get away with this on Royal! Miami (generic term crew use for shoreside management) would usually come on the ship at least once a year (for a crew pep rally). I've met the guy a few times, and I wasn't important at all.

[sharktums]

The only interesting/good part of the show was with Silvia. She seemed hilarious, fun, smart, and really with it. Totally put him and the other employees in their places. I was pretty mad when all she got was a slight promotion and a wedding on the ship where she works!?!?

[wolfganghowell]

As someone who works in "the business", can I just say that reality television is an oxymoron? If ANY of you believe anything on "reality" tv is "real", well.....I really wish I could show you some of those non disclosure and "give me your first born child" contracts that all participants have to sign. :rolleyes: