Ennzo Posted October 31, 2019 #1 Share Posted October 31, 2019 Hello everyone I have been working for NCL as a part of Bar Staff for 5 years, I will try to answer all of your questions to the best of my knowledge, it doesnt have to be related to bar operations only. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarreyFamCruzin Posted November 1, 2019 #2 Share Posted November 1, 2019 What really happens to cash tips given to you by guests? Do you get to keep it or does it go in a pool? Do cash tippers get better service? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomservo Posted November 1, 2019 #3 Share Posted November 1, 2019 Awesome thread, thanks so much for taking the time to answer questions! How did you cut people off? Ever have to get security involved? Craziest bartending story? How do you become a Haven bartender? Some people like to give a big tip at the beginning of the cruise, some wait until the end. What have you seen and what do you prefer? Favorite drink to make? To drink? Favorite craft cocktail? Did you have other work responsibilities besides bartending? Ever work with Clarence the Chocolate Cowboy? Thats plenty for now, I’m sure I’ll come up with more, but let me give others a chance 😅 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastpitchdad Posted November 1, 2019 #4 Share Posted November 1, 2019 Has free drinks for most cruisers made thing for you better or worse? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motegi Posted November 1, 2019 #5 Share Posted November 1, 2019 Are there any special suggestions for cruisers when ordering drinks at the bar? What can a cruiser do to make the bartender happy and keep the drinks flowing? Along those lines is there anything that cruisers should avoid doing when ordering at the bar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ennzo Posted November 1, 2019 Author #6 Share Posted November 1, 2019 4 hours ago, FarreyFamCruzin said: What really happens to cash tips given to you by guests? Do you get to keep it or does it go in a pool? Do cash tippers get better service? Cash tips are ours to keep it goes directly to our pockets, some bars/bartenders split tips but that depends on idividuals. Sometimes cash tip can be a faster service, there are moneygrabing bartenders that will run from acros the other side of the bar if they see a dollar.Ultimately its your interaction with us that will get u better service, just be nice 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ennzo Posted November 1, 2019 Author #7 Share Posted November 1, 2019 4 hours ago, tomservo said: Awesome thread, thanks so much for taking the time to answer questions! How did you cut people off? Ever have to get security involved? Craziest bartending story? How do you become a Haven bartender? Some people like to give a big tip at the beginning of the cruise, some wait until the end. What have you seen and what do you prefer? Favorite drink to make? To drink? Favorite craft cocktail? Did you have other work responsibilities besides bartending? Ever work with Clarence the Chocolate Cowboy? Thats plenty for now, I’m sure I’ll come up with more, but let me give others a chance 😅 Hello its my pleasure to answer and keep them coming😄 Cuting people off is a tricky bussines you never know how that person will react, for super wasted people that come to my venue already in that condition i always called my supervisors/security and notified them before doing anything. For people that i served for some time and i saw are on the good road to get wasted i had a routine, i would start talking about the port that we had next day, excursions, food, stuff to see/do then i told them too bad you will have bad memmories of it, food will make you vomit, thats when they would figure it out and in majority of cases stop drinking, most of them stoped by tomorow to say thank you. Good bartenders who know their way around people are usualy working in Haven. Tiping amount, time is completely up to you, i would suggest finding a bar/staff to your taste and tip after you are satisfied with the people that are working there. I have recived big tips on the first day of the cruise only to never see that guest again, they find some place they enjoy more or some other reason My Fav drink is Smoked Old Fashion(check Haven if the barteder is good they will make it) As a Bartender my dutties were only rellated to bar operations, my first contract i was a Bar-Waiter there i had washy washy and liquor colection at the gangway. I havent met Clarence, but i have heard stories of him mostly from guests. Wow i hope this isnt too much text😆 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ennzo Posted November 1, 2019 Author #8 Share Posted November 1, 2019 5 hours ago, fastpitchdad said: Has free drinks for most cruisers made thing for you better or worse? Much worse in any case u can imagine. Most bars werent designed to suport the amount of guests they are reciving. We are earning less.Slower service becouse we canot make drinks fast enough, drinks got more complicated over the years with the incresing popularity of craft coctails, sometimes we dont have enough glasses its a maddnes atm. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ennzo Posted November 1, 2019 Author #9 Share Posted November 1, 2019 3 hours ago, Motegi said: Are there any special suggestions for cruisers when ordering drinks at the bar? What can a cruiser do to make the bartender happy and keep the drinks flowing? Along those lines is there anything that cruisers should avoid doing when ordering at the bar? For the first 2 its just be nice, stay for a chat if its not bussy you will usualy get best info on anything ship related from us. If its bussy, there is a long line, please understand that we are working as fast as we can, sometimes its phisicaly imposible to make drinks fast enough, if you are impatient and you are in a hurry to get somewhere try looking for some other bar there is usualy one less than 3 minutes walking 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rsavtechcruise Posted November 1, 2019 #10 Share Posted November 1, 2019 Do all of mandatory DSC end up in the staffs hands or ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomservo Posted November 1, 2019 #11 Share Posted November 1, 2019 Favorite NCL ship you've worked on? Favorite bar you've worked in on NCL? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GA Dave Posted November 1, 2019 #12 Share Posted November 1, 2019 I do not really have a question, I just wanted to say that every bartender I met on our last cruise was outstanding. I was a bartender at a large convention hotel during college and I never could have handled what I saw the bartenders doing on the Getaway. In particular, the Haven bartenders we had were incredible. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarlChilders Posted November 1, 2019 #13 Share Posted November 1, 2019 8 minutes ago, GA Dave said: I do not really have a question, I just wanted to say that every bartender I met on our last cruise was outstanding. I was a bartender at a large convention hotel during college and I never could have handled what I saw the bartenders doing on the Getaway. In particular, the Haven bartenders we had were incredible. I echo what Dave said. With scant few exceptions we have found the bartenders to be talented, pleasant and seeming to take pleasure in making our cruise enjoyable, despite being often quite busy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ziggyuk Posted November 1, 2019 #14 Share Posted November 1, 2019 2 hours ago, Rsavtechcruise said: Do all of mandatory DSC end up in the staffs hands or ? @Ennzo Thats the big one everyone always argues about. Does everyone really really share the pot? Does it form part of the basic wage so not really getting more unless pot is above the basic wage? If a cruiser opts out of the DSC and pays in cash instead, do staff (like steward) really have to turn in the cash? I'm sure there are more but DSC/Tipping arguments break out all time here, some hard facts would be great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ennzo Posted November 1, 2019 Author #15 Share Posted November 1, 2019 17 minutes ago, ziggyuk said: @Ennzo Thats the big one everyone always argues about. Does everyone really really share the pot? Does it form part of the basic wage so not really getting more unless pot is above the basic wage? If a cruiser opts out of the DSC and pays in cash instead, do staff (like steward) really have to turn in the cash? I'm sure there are more but DSC/Tipping arguments break out all time here, some hard facts would be great. DSC always ends up in the staff's hands, NCL doesnt pay us salary you do, DSC is our salary, how it works is everything gets pulled and distributed evenly among hotel workers(galley,housekeeping, restaurant, bar etc). If you choose to withdraw your DSC and give cash to your steward or anyone else you may do so, that cash will be only for that person he/she doesnt have to report to anyone how much cash she got or from who. Example you want to tip me cash, that cash is only mine, nobody has the right to take it away from me not even the captain. Hope i menaged to explain it well enough, english is not my first language😄 2 hours ago, tomservo said: Favorite NCL ship you've worked on? Favorite bar you've worked in on NCL? I have done all my 5 contracts on Epic, my 4th contract i joined Bliss but had to go home after 3 weeks in due to some family issues, and was resceduled to Epic on my way back. Favorite bar Maltings, Atrium Bar and Spice H2O. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweetnspicy Posted November 1, 2019 #16 Share Posted November 1, 2019 Are you still working? I’ll be on the Epic in January! What’s the best tip you have gotten? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ziggyuk Posted November 1, 2019 #17 Share Posted November 1, 2019 4 minutes ago, Ennzo said: DSC always ends up in the staff's hands, NCL doesnt pay us salary you do, DSC is our salary, how it works is everything gets pulled and distributed evenly among hotel workers(galley,housekeeping, restaurant, bar etc). If you choose to withdraw your DSC and give cash to your steward or anyone else you may do so, that cash will be only for that person he/she doesnt have to report to anyone how much cash she got or from who. Example you want to tip me cash, that cash is only mine, nobody has the right to take it away from me not even the captain. Hope i menaged to explain it well enough, english is not my first language😄 I have done all my 5 contracts on Epic, my 4th contract i joined Bliss but had to go home after 3 weeks in due to some family issues, and was resceduled to Epic on my way back. Favorite bar Maltings, Atrium Bar and Spice H2O. Thank you so much that's really helpful to clear up some of the myths. I would like to think the DSC is not just wages and sometimes it exceeds wages to make a nice bonus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcipjr Posted November 1, 2019 #18 Share Posted November 1, 2019 10 minutes ago, Ennzo said: DSC always ends up in the staff's hands, NCL doesnt pay us salary you do, DSC is our salary, how it works is everything gets pulled and distributed evenly among hotel workers(galley,housekeeping, restaurant, bar etc). If you choose to withdraw your DSC and give cash to your steward or anyone else you may do so, that cash will be only for that person he/she doesnt have to report to anyone how much cash she got or from who. Example you want to tip me cash, that cash is only mine, nobody has the right to take it away from me not even the captain. Hope i menaged to explain it well enough, english is not my first language😄 Great explanation. I'm glad that's how it works! Hopefully that will settle the ongoing debate here on CC. ...nah, who am I kidding. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ennzo Posted November 1, 2019 Author #19 Share Posted November 1, 2019 54 minutes ago, Sweetnspicy said: Are you still working? I’ll be on the Epic in January! What’s the best tip you have gotten? I'm no longer working for NCL. Enjoy the Epic its an amazing ship! Best tip was a watch, i'm watch aficionado and i had a guest with who i've spent hours talking about watches(it was a slow cruise), on disembarcation day he comes to my bar takes a watch from his wrist hands it over to me and says "For you collection kiddo", i'm still wearing that watch every day. 17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweetnspicy Posted November 1, 2019 #20 Share Posted November 1, 2019 Just now, Ennzo said: I'm no longer working for NCL. Enjoy the Epic its an amazing ship! Best tip was a watch, i'm watch aficionado and i had a guest with who i've spent hours talking about watches(it was a slow cruise), on disembarcation day he comes to my bar takes a watch from his wrist hands it over to me and says "For you collection kiddo", i'm still wearing that watch every day. That is so great! Thanks for answering! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThxMomnDad Posted November 1, 2019 #21 Share Posted November 1, 2019 I just have to add that I was on the Escape 2 weeks ago and spent a lot of time at the Spice H2O bar. That bar was always pretty crowded and those bartenders worked their tails off! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare graphicguy Posted November 1, 2019 #22 Share Posted November 1, 2019 Thanks for chiming in here Ennzo. Shame you no longer work at NCL. I would have made it a point to come visit you. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasgirl29 Posted November 1, 2019 #23 Share Posted November 1, 2019 Have you cruised as a passenger? If so, having been the other side of the bar, how has it affected your experience? (PS -- my first NCL cruise will be on the Epic TA next fall, looking forward to it!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdvmd Posted November 1, 2019 #24 Share Posted November 1, 2019 Great thread! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemycruisetoo Posted November 1, 2019 #25 Share Posted November 1, 2019 What about the 20% gratuity we pay on the drink and meal packages. How do they divide those? I always feel that staff doesn’t get it so I always tip with each drink and at Specialty restaurants. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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