Flatbush Flyer Posted November 15, 2018 #1 Share Posted November 15, 2018 (edited) I just filled out a mid-cruise comment card and, as I have often done on prior O cruises, I left room at the bottom for my pet peeve: The crew name badges are basically unreadable. The combination of minimal size, gray background color and small font style/size often requires one to lean in way too far in order to begin deciphering a crew member's name and country of origin. And I have yet to meet a fellow passenger on any O cruise who disagrees with me. (In fact, many crew agree as well) Though there will be some initial expense in redesign and replacement, easier-to-read name badges would definitely be beneficial to passenger/crew interaction. Perhaps something more along the lines of the unobtrusive Disneyland "cast member" badges, which are clearly readable from a few feet away, would work. (Not necessarily the same but definitely large enough to use better/bigger fonts on lighter contrasting background). And given the new project to redecorate all the Oceania ships, now would be the perfect time to redesign/introduce the new badges. Maybe even invite Oceania Club members to submit designs (contest for a future cruise credit or SBC? 👀) If you happen to agree with me, please add a "readable name badges" recommendation to your comment cards and in personal conversations with the cruise directors/GMs/et al. Your thoughts? Edited November 15, 2018 by Flatbush Flyer 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jo-b Posted November 15, 2018 #2 Share Posted November 15, 2018 Must agree, especially for the age of their clientele. My OH particularly finds it embarrassing trying to read the name badges of the female staff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnoelj Posted November 15, 2018 #3 Share Posted November 15, 2018 (edited) Not only the name badges are not unreadable, I found out the name of the staff on the name badge does not necessarily have to be his/her real name. On one cruise, I had an issue with a junior catering staff . Let's just say his name was "A". After approaching different people on the ship, I found out that "A" (i.e. the name as stated on his badge) was not even his real or official name! (It could just be his "pet" name , so only his friends on board would know it. Management may not be able to find that name on their list.). My suggestion to Oceania management is not just redesign the staff name badge, but to make it compulsory that the name the staff puts on his/her name badge is the name he/she used when applying for the position. Don't you think that is reasonable? Edited November 15, 2018 by Gnoelj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted November 15, 2018 #4 Share Posted November 15, 2018 2 hours ago, Gnoelj said: Not only the name badges are not unreadable, I found out the name of the staff on the name badge does not necessarily have to be his/her real name. On one cruise, I had an issue with a junior catering staff . Let's just say his name was "A". After approaching different people on the ship, I found out that "A" (i.e. the name as stated on his badge) was not even his real or official name! (It could just be his "pet" name , so only his friends on board would know it. Management may not be able to find that name on their list.). Was this on Oceania ? On some line they give the crew Anglicied names ...easier for the pax to remember/pronounce 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted November 15, 2018 #5 Share Posted November 15, 2018 I would agree they need better badges but NOT as gaudy as the Disney type something maybe slightly larger or the colour change would even help I usually just ask them if I cannot read their names without my glasses Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ORV Posted November 15, 2018 #6 Share Posted November 15, 2018 3 hours ago, jo-b said: Must agree, especially for the age of their clientele. My OH particularly finds it embarrassing trying to read the name badges of the female staff! I had this problem on an airplane the other day. I put my glasses on to read the name tag of a female attendant, and commented that she had an interesting name, her comment was something like, "you think so". She was pretty cold the rest of the flight and didn't happen to have anything I asked for. Concerning the name tags, they could be a little larger, but I'm not interested in joining a crusade to get them larger. To me there's more important things, like having more drink servers at lunch and dinner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted November 15, 2018 #7 Share Posted November 15, 2018 18 minutes ago, ORV said: To me there's more important things, like having more drink servers at lunch and dinner. +1, this is typically our number one complaint. The process needs to be streamlined. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare pinotlover Posted November 15, 2018 #8 Share Posted November 15, 2018 Many Asians go by Americanized names when working with English guests. Li or Rose are a lot easier to say or remember than their real names! I’d be careful broaching that tradition! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted November 15, 2018 #9 Share Posted November 15, 2018 I really wonder why some people continue to cruise with Oceania when the food is too bland the name tags are too small the drinks are too small the wine is not good they miss most ports with no warning or compensation the Captains in some people's opinions are not qualified the top staff do not talk to passengers they do the same itineraries the menus are the same ..until they change things then they are not good because pax want the same old things the entertainment is not good the shows are too late dinner is too late ..need to start at 4pm according to some & the list goes on seems there is no happy pax on Oceania Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare pinotlover Posted November 15, 2018 #10 Share Posted November 15, 2018 I can't imagine why the Cheerleaders become so upset when other posters make recommendations on where improvements can be made! I guess we all see various mysteries in Life! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted November 15, 2018 #11 Share Posted November 15, 2018 10 minutes ago, pinotlover said: I can't imagine why the Cheerleaders become so upset when other posters make recommendations on where improvements can be made! I am not a cheerleader I do know Oceania is not perfect but do not continually whine about their faults Just because people do not have the same views or opinions as you does not make them a cheerleader What is the opposite of a cheerleader ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted November 15, 2018 #12 Share Posted November 15, 2018 6 minutes ago, LHT28 said: What is the opposite of a cheerleader ? A curmudgeon. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
floridatravelersforlife Posted November 15, 2018 #13 Share Posted November 15, 2018 Hey how about equal treatment of women 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted November 15, 2018 #14 Share Posted November 15, 2018 13 minutes ago, floridatravelersforlife said: Hey how about equal treatment of women Where on earth did you get a photo of Stans' mother? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babysteps Posted November 15, 2018 #15 Share Posted November 15, 2018 My DH calls CC "Cruise Complaint" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
golfguyhhi Posted November 15, 2018 #16 Share Posted November 15, 2018 F. Flyer, 'If you happen to agree with me, please add a "readable name badges" recommendation to your comment cards and in personal conversations with the cruise directors/GMs/et al.' Ever since our 3rd cruise I have made this very comment in every mid-cruise and end-of-cruise comment card. I like to be able to call the people taking care of me by name, but I don't like to have to ask them. I like the look of surprise and pleasure they show when I say their names, especially when I can say thank you in their language because I have read their home country name on their badge. Sometimes, though, it takes a lot of peering and squinting to be able to get both the name and country while I am either being served, or waiting while the person in front of me (at the buffet) is asking for something or being served. Other than that, I guess you'd have to put me firmly in the "Cheerleader" camp, as my wife and I love Oceania, have 8 cruises booked, and are planning our 20th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingofcool1947 Posted November 15, 2018 #17 Share Posted November 15, 2018 (edited) 9 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said: I just filled out a mid-cruise comment card and, as I have often done on prior O cruises, I left room at the bottom for my pet peeve: The crew name badges are basically unreadable. The combination of minimal size, gray background color and small font style/size often requires one to lean in way too far in order to begin deciphering a crew member's name and country of origin. And I have yet to meet a fellow passenger on any O cruise who disagrees with me. (In fact, many crew agree as well) Though there will be some initial expense in redesign and replacement, easier-to-read name badges would definitely be beneficial to passenger/crew interaction. Perhaps something more along the lines of the unobtrusive Disneyland "cast member" badges, which are clearly readable from a few feet away, would work. (Not necessarily the same but definitely large enough to use better/bigger fonts on lighter contrasting background). And given the new project to redecorate all the Oceania ships, now would be the perfect time to redesign/introduce the new badges. Maybe even invite Oceania Club members to submit designs (contest for a future cruise credit or SBC? 👀) If you happen to agree with me, please add a "readable name badges" recommendation to your comment cards and in personal conversations with the cruise directors/GMs/et al. Your thoughts? Maybe just increase the strength of your reading glasses? Or would you be willing to pay more for your cruise if Oceania changed the size and design of the badges? Edited November 15, 2018 by Kingofcool1947 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingofcool1947 Posted November 15, 2018 #18 Share Posted November 15, 2018 (edited) 2 hours ago, LHT28 said: I really wonder why some people continue to cruise with Oceania when the food is too bland the name tags are too small the drinks are too small the wine is not good they miss most ports with no warning or compensation the Captains in some people's opinions are not qualified the top staff do not talk to passengers they do the same itineraries the menus are the same ..until they change things then they are not good because pax want the same old things the entertainment is not good the shows are too late dinner is too late ..need to start at 4pm according to some & the list goes on seems there is no happy pax on Oceania There will always be whiners on every cruise. Edited November 15, 2018 by Kingofcool1947 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jancruz Posted November 15, 2018 #19 Share Posted November 15, 2018 9 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said: I just filled out a mid-cruise comment card and, as I have often done on prior O cruises, I left room at the bottom for my pet peeve: The crew name badges are basically unreadable. The combination of minimal size, gray background color and small font style/size often requires one to lean in way too far in order to begin deciphering a crew member's name and country of origin. And I have yet to meet a fellow passenger on any O cruise who disagrees with me. (In fact, many crew agree as well) Though there will be some initial expense in redesign and replacement, easier-to-read name badges would definitely be beneficial to passenger/crew interaction. Perhaps something more along the lines of the unobtrusive Disneyland "cast member" badges, which are clearly readable from a few feet away, would work. (Not necessarily the same but definitely large enough to use better/bigger fonts on lighter contrasting background). And given the new project to redecorate all the Oceania ships, now would be the perfect time to redesign/introduce the new badges. Maybe even invite Oceania Club members to submit designs (contest for a future cruise credit or SBC? 👀) If you happen to agree with me, please add a "readable name badges" recommendation to your comment cards and in personal conversations with the cruise directors/GMs/et al. Your thoughts? I dont like the above..but I will talk to the person..who is in charge Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatbush Flyer Posted November 15, 2018 Author #20 Share Posted November 15, 2018 (edited) 24 minutes ago, jancruz1 said: I dont like the above..but I will talk to the person..who is in charge Jan I don't like the Disney one either- just using an example of "readable" I'm betting, with the new interior design project they could find something better -perhaps incorporating the "O" logo as the shape of the badge. But, even if it's just another rectangle, the font size needs to be bigger and the background color needs to be a contrast. BTW, this is not so much a bitchin' comment as it is a reality check. Most geezers (and many not-so-geezery folks) really can't read the names. What better way to increase the crew/passenger interaction??? Edited November 15, 2018 by Flatbush Flyer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jancruz Posted November 15, 2018 #21 Share Posted November 15, 2018 26 minutes ago, jancruz1 said: I dont like the above..but I will talk to the person..who is in charge Jan OK..He really likes the idea and change may be made shortly...forget writing on comment card.. Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatbush Flyer Posted November 15, 2018 Author #22 Share Posted November 15, 2018 3 hours ago, LHT28 said: I really wonder why some people continue to cruise with Oceania when the food is too bland the name tags are too small the drinks are too small the wine is not good they miss most ports with no warning or compensation the Captains in some people's opinions are not qualified the top staff do not talk to passengers they do the same itineraries the menus are the same ..until they change things then they are not good because pax want the same old things the entertainment is not good the shows are too late dinner is too late ..need to start at 4pm according to some & the list goes on seems there is no happy pax on Oceania Now that you put it in that summary fashion, I can see why, with all the complaints, Oceania "sucks." So, excuse me while I go and book two more Oceania cruises!😎😎 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ORV Posted November 15, 2018 #23 Share Posted November 15, 2018 6 minutes ago, jancruz1 said: OK..He really likes the idea and change may be made shortly...forget writing on comment card.. Jan Are you new here? You only have 4 posts. Welcome to Cruise Critic. We just got into Charleston. No Poogan's Porch tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatbush Flyer Posted November 15, 2018 Author #24 Share Posted November 15, 2018 3 hours ago, LHT28 said: What is the opposite of a cheerleader ? Opposite of a "cheerleader?" That would be an English major. 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted November 15, 2018 #25 Share Posted November 15, 2018 55 minutes ago, ORV said: Are you new here? You only have 4 posts. Welcome to Cruise Critic. I wondered what happened She must have forgotten her user name when the new format came out 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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