Off-Duty Crew in Passenger Bars

[RDC1]

There is a difference between staff and guest. Staff is there to take care of the guest. Many companies have rules that prevent staff and paying guest to mingle. Staff is not on vacation!

 

They are also provided with entertainment, bars, gyms, food etc. They have their own space equipped with everything they need. They also, signed a contract, and agreed to the life of a ship. They are not poor lonely souls. They live and work with over a thousand others. No need to feel sorry for them.

 

Actually some of the staff positions, have contacts, that indicate that they can access public, guest space. The specific venues that they can access is part of their contract.

 

This is usually described as deck privileges and are determined by rank and position. The majority of crew do not have access to public guest space.

Edited July 22, 2014 by RDC1

[golfadj]

smh.

Can't believe that someone would complain about this.

 

 

x10

 

Was hoping to run into you. We are going to Hawaii in December and reading thru your review. Thanks so much.

[Terre]

Doesn't bother me. They work hard and deserve a little time to let loose and enjoy their off time.

[LMaxwell]

Generally speaking it is going to be entertainment/activity staff or officers allowed to mix and mingle in PAX areas. I have met a bunch over the years, always enjoyed talking to them, and would never dream to complain about them. Sometimes the crew are the life of the party and get a venue to appear busier and draw more people in. As long as they are not "hogging" service or space, which seems well regulated by the cruise line, I have zero problem.

 

Years ago my brother spent quite a bit of time in the crew bar AND out drinking ashore with the crew. Good thing he was the ripe legal age of 16 :D

[CRUZBUDS]

Just curious, do most posters understand that the crew you see in passenger areas are not the marine crew, housekeeping, food & beverage, laundry ect? The crew that can use passenger areas, wth restrictions are officers, casino, cruise staff, shop staff, spa staff, entertainers. I probably missed some, but the majority of crew are not allowed in passenger areas, unless working.

 

I'm not complaining one way our the other, that's just the way it is, on all of the lines we've sailed. All staff are required to wear their name badges when in public areas.

 

The exception is special rewards. We had a busboy that was recognized for his excellent service. He, with others dinned that evening in a specialty restaurant with senior officers. He was thrilled and deserved it.

[LandlockedCruiser01]

This is normal among higher-ranking employees. When I was on the Imagination, I saw a group of staff members (red-and-blue polos) and a few officers (white dress shirts) hanging out there. They were dancing in their own cluster, like a circle jam. I briefly wondered if they were there to pack the place to keep it from looking empty, but then decided it was their night off, so I let them be. While not all staff are opposed to interacting with passengers, I didn't want to be that guy who bothers an employee on their personal time. I work in IT, so I have plenty of experience with that, and didn't want to inflict it on someone else.

 

Like others pointed out, it's their ship, and they should be able to enjoy it, even though they have to "work for it". Thinking that staff can't be in the passenger areas is like thinking teachers live in the school, as many young kids do.

Edited July 22, 2014 by LandlockedCruiser01

[MissCruiseAddict]

I never even really notice staff in passenger areas.

 

 

The only time I did it pissed me off. It was last year on the NKOTB cruise. The entertainment staff pretty much had the whole week off. There was no trivia games or anything like that you find on a normal cruise. So the entertainment staff would weasel their way into the events and stuff and take up the prime spots up front.

 

Some of the time this one girl, wearing her carnival badge, pushed her way through the crowd to get up close.

 

I paid good money for the cruise so it pissed me off. If she wanted to be at the parties she needed to stay towards the back

[mousey]

I too have no problem mingling with off-duty cruise people. What's the difference if a venue is a little crowded with staff or with passengers? Either way...it's crowded, so who cares!? People are people....just say'n.;) And, as other posters have mentioned...there are plenty of bars and dance venues. I've partied with cruise members several times and found them charming and fun.;)

[queenshellybean]

I will be taking my first cruise in September and I am telling you right now that I am just so excited to be going that I could care less what anyone else is doing!!! As long as it does not hurt me or others I don't care!! I don't understand how anyone can gripe and complain about something so trivial while they are on a cruise!! Did you complainers lose the pure joy and magic of cruising??? Who cares if a crew member has a drink in the guest area?! YOU ARE ON A CRUISE! Chill out and enjoy it!! If you are complaining about this you must be a miserable person.

[jsfromsc]

I've never seen this. But it makes me ashamed when people act this way. It wouldn't bother me in the least to see the crew enjoying the lounges. They get very little time off. They may as well enjoy themselves as long as they're not loud and obnoxious, as many cruisers can be, or hitting on the guests.

[QTPie68]

I suspect that they have to wear name tags to identify themselves at all times. Even an off duty crew person still would be back on duty immediately if an major emergency situation were to arise and would need to be able to be identified by passengers.

[tbbtravels]

Would not bother me.

[luvtheships]

You know that people complain about everything. Read some of the tipping threads about how they consider these people servants etc...

 

Now we have to feel guilty? They are servants

 

 

They clean your room

They serve your food

 

They do not do this for free

 

They are not forced to do this

 

Last I noticed they are not in chains and the pax do not beat up on them

 

They are servants and are paid to be such.

 

 

 

They can choose to take these jobs or not

 

If they are not respected or a pax abuses them they can lodge a complaint

 

Please note that my above comment does not say anything about the crew in bars but rather comments on why the quoted poster has an issue with the word servant

 

If it is semantics well then just call them cabin crew or wait staff

 

But they still are serving you

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Edited July 22, 2014 by luvtheships

[luvtheships]

No issue with this at all.

 

One cruise we were in a Club and the Hotel Manager came up to us and asked if we wouldn't mind moving as he was having a night out with his deserving employees of the month and he needed the space to accommodate them. We said no problem, no worries. For the rest of the night our bar tab was taking care off.

 

Many times we have been in the disco late at night with staff (nametags evident) and no issues. They were always discrete and professional.

 

The fact that you essentially were paid to move just shows that you were considered the priority not the employees/ crew

 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that

In a hospital the patient is the priority

In a bar or restaurant the guest not the employees are the priority

 

Paying guest equal priority.

 

Now lets debate that as we apparantly should feel guilty about the servers and the job they accepted.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[sparks1093]

The fact that you essentially were paid to move just shows that you were considered the priority not the employees/ crew

 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that

In a hospital the patient is the priority

In a bar or restaurant the guest not the employees are the priority

 

Paying guest equal priority.

 

Now lets debate that as we apparantly should feel guilty about the servers and the job they accepted.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

As many have said it's not about feeling guilty about them- it's about seeing them as human beings and not looking down on them.

[sc4125]

I suspect that they have to wear name tags to identify themselves at all times. Even an off duty crew person still would be back on duty immediately if an major emergency situation were to arise and would need to be able to be identified by passengers.

 

 

This practice just shows how things have changed. When I worked onboard those many years ago, they didn't want us wearing anything that showed we worked onboard (unless an officer - then they wanted you to flaunt that). Maybe we took that Fun Ship thing a little too literally and they didn't want passengers to know who we were. I know from talking to a few of the casino and entertainment staff that things have changed drastically & they're not allowed the freedom we had BUT - remember these were much smaller ships with much fewer passengers & crew members onboard.

 

Like I said, we had a blast (for those of you who remember these days, the only places girls could work was casino, gift shops, and entertainment staff - no girl waiters, cabin stewards, etc - so the few of us onboard could get away with quite a bit), and I'm sure that for the most part the crewmembers onboard now are also having a blast - just a different kind of fun.

 

After being an officer on the Rhapsody & experiencing the officer/staff bar, I think I would have liked that better than being limited to passenger areas. Much easier to get to know the other officers, if you know what I mean!! I actually left the Rhapsody when I got pregnant with my daughter - the Chief Purser and I were together for many years (lol).

[PaulMedik]

John Heald posted a question today about a complaint from a guest regarding crew in the passenger bars. Do people really have a problem with this? Why?

 

I've only seen obvious crew in passenger bars a handful of times in 10 cruises with carnival, and I can't say it's ever bothered me at all.

 

Crew can only have a drink or two anyway (even when off duty they are required to remain legally sober in case of emergency) so how much can they really affect service?

 

 

gtalum,

 

Over the years I have noticed more crew members in 'passenger' venues, but it might be that they have always been there and I simply never noticed? Doubtful, but that could be the case.

 

Regardless, I have no issue whatsoever with crew mingling with the guests regardless of their titles. I have had some interesting conversations over the years with various crew members and frankly the cruises would be less interesting without those interactions.

 

If I were given an option of speaking with someone from a nearby state who was on vacation vs a crew member from any country, I would opt for the crew member; I know why the vacationer is there, but the crew member would have more things to talk about other than the ship etc. Also what better source can you go to about ports than a crew member?

 

In regards to people who take issue with crew members being in 'passenger' areas, they need to keep in mind that they are on vacation and quit meddling into other people's lives. Crew members don't just work on the ships, they live there.

[All4fun&fun4all]

We had anytime dining on one of our cruises and Andrew and I were seated at a table with 3 members of the entertainment staff and one of their friends. We made it a point not to talk "shop" but spent time getting to hear about their families and let them lead the conversation.

 

I had an opportunity, as a favor, to be escorted down to the crew bar on my last cruise. It is sooooooo very small. I can see why some staff members would want to have a cocktail or two in a larger venue. I have no problems with that.

[golfadj]

gtalum,

 

Over the years I have noticed more crew members in 'passenger' venues, but it might be that they have always been there and I simply never noticed? Doubtful, but that could be the case.

 

Regardless, I have no issue whatsoever with crew mingling with the guests regardless of their titles. I have had some interesting conversations over the years with various crew members and frankly the cruises would be less interesting without those interactions.

 

If I were given an option of speaking with someone from a nearby state who was on vacation vs a crew member from any country, I would opt for the crew member; I know why the vacationer is there, but the crew member would have more things to talk about other than the ship etc. Also what better source can you go to about ports than a crew member?

 

In regards to people who take issue with crew members being in 'passenger' areas, they need to keep in mind that they are on vacation and quit meddling into other people's lives. Crew members don't just work on the ships, they live there.

 

Like

[silvercrikhix]

Have no issue with crew in passenger venues. Except:

The only issue I would have is that many of these venues are too small the way it is and I do not think they should take seats at these venues when paying passengers can't get a seat themselves!

[mlrm]

We have hung out with crew in bars on the ship and in port. Had a blast.

[TPFKAH]

John Heald posted a question today about a complaint from a guest regarding crew in the passenger bars. Do people really have a problem with this? Why?

 

I've only seen obvious crew in passenger bars a handful of times in 10 cruises with carnival, and I can't say it's ever bothered me at all.

 

Crew can only have a drink or two anyway (even when off duty they are required to remain legally sober in case of emergency) so how much can they really affect service?

 

I find it kind of hypocritical, cause you won't find them in the higher ranking bars or areas, cause they're not allowed. In fact, depending on their status, they can't even all eat together.

 

There are places assigned for them, and they should probably be using them.

 

But like others, I can't remember once not being able to sit because an employee was occupying passenger space.

[clackey]

Would love to party with some of the crew. They seem like a lot of fun!

 

We had the dancers in the lounge after hours on a couple of cruises. They put on quite a show. Why anyone would object is beyond me.

[golfadj]

Have no issue with crew in passenger venues. Except:

The only issue I would have is that many of these venues are too small the way it is and I do not think they should take seats at these venues when paying passengers can't get a seat themselves!

 

According to Carnival rules they are supposed to give up their seat to passengers

[loubetti]

Just adding my "I have absolutely no problem with this" opinion to the list. Frankly, there are times I prefer socializing with the crew than some passengers! Very narrow minded is someone who has an issue with this.

:cool: