What happens to the Star's Crew?

[cactusrose]

I've read everything I can on these boards about peoples experience and I have a lot of empathy for those who lost everything in the fire including one family's father. But I'm also thinking about the damage done to the crew, especially the ones that rely on their tips for a living. Does anyone know if these people will be compensated in some manner. My guess is that once they are in Germany, they may be redeployed to other ships or forced to take their vacations. Does anyone know how this might be handled?

[D4]

I've been worried about the crew, too. It is clear that the crew did a fabulous job at minimizing the injuries and loss of life in a fire that could have been catastrophic. Princess (and all of us cruisers) should be indebted to them and treat them right.

 

And when you consider post traumatic stress, that affects the passengers AND the crew. Especially the crew members that risked their own lives to fight the fire.

[Degen23]

I'm curious about the crew also. We were on the Star in early March and had an excellent impression of the crew. Considering how well the crew did handling the fire it would seem to make sense to keep them together if possible.

[chasetf]

In World War II, after a submarine survived a very traumatic experience such as a horrendous depth charging over a period of days, the common practice at the end of the patrol was to split the crew up. The reason for this was anyone joining that crew in the future would never be accepted as an equal because they hadn’t gone through "the experience".

I am not suggesting this should happen to the Star crew by any mean, but each and every one of them will have a “combat story” to tell. “I was on the Star when…….”

[cactusrose]

In World War II, after a submarine survived a very traumatic experience such as a horrendous depth charging over a period of days, the common practice at the end of the patrol was to split the crew up. The reason for this was anyone joining that crew in the future would never be accepted as an equal because they hadn’t gone through "the experience".

 

I am not suggesting this should happen to the Star crew by any mean, but each and every one of them will have a “combat story” to tell. “I was on the Star when…….”

 

I never thought about that, but I'm sure it could happen. I know I've been on both sides of that phenomenon but probably on a much smaller scale.

[amyr]

I think a couple of people posted that the crew were being sent home, even while the ship was still in Jamaica. I was very saddened to hear this, as this means a total loss of income until they can either get another contract or rejoin the Star. For their sakes, I hope she really is ready to go on May 15.

 

It was fairly painless for us to rebook something on April 30 - just a few hours on the phone is all it took. They're the ones who are really suffering here. Such a shame.

[cruisingcrew123]

Hello,

 

The people that are between 4-6 weeks away from the end of their contract will go home a bit early. As far as i'm aware they are trying to tranship the other people before the ship leaves for Germany because most of the other ships are that side of the waters now, still on there Carribbean runs, there are people coming and going from ships all the time so hopefully they will be able to get them all places. Most of the people who are finsihing there contracts early will probably be glad to go home, they've probably been on there from anything between 8-11 months already. They'll probably be glad to see there family :)

[amyr]

Oh, I hope you're right that most are either near the end of their contracts or will sign on elsewhere. :)

 

Also, if the ship really is ready to go on May 15, that will be better than the months and months of lost work that it could have been.

[Coolmama_1]

I was wondering the same thing. I hope that those who are about to go home get to and those who need to work are reassigned. 6 weeks is a long time without wages for some people!

[DeltaOne]

Does anyone know how this might be handled?

One of the first posters (cjskids?) mentioned the crew was already being sent home. Obviously, not all the crew. Probably most of them though.

[metrowon]

We finished our cruise this past fall on the Disnry Magic. The next port of call was Virginia Beach fot it's bi- annual drydock inspection and interior re-furbisment. It was a two week process, that crew members told us, work would start full swing when the last person left the ship. The majority of the crew members were to remain on board, and assist in the work to be done. I can almost positively assure you, that as you read this there are 900 + crew persons working around the clock, starting clean-up, demolition, and various other tasks. The Princess line may decide to just go ahead and do an complete interior makeover it this time. More than likely the ship left Jamica, with consultants and engineers on board to see what has to be done. There were also shipwrights flown in to start their work. When the Star arrives in Bremerhaven, I'm nearly certain that at least 85% of the materials needed will be staged at the dock. They will also probably take on 400-500 workers who will stay on board, while they work 12 hour shifts. Metrowon

[PescadoAmarillo]

A great question, cactusrose, and very like you to wonder about it. I think it is safe to assume that, regardless of whether they are sent home or remain on the ship, the tips income that many of them enjoyed (even if it was from the tips pool, and not a direct, over and above tip) is gone until the Star is back in service. Certainly not a loss of income that many of them are able to endure.

[sunshine426]

I was on the Star, and talked to many crew members. Mostly thanking them for their outstanding efforts. I did hear from quite a few that they were worried about being paid for this cruise (tips) and did not knowwhere they would be going next.

Some of the wait staff indicated they might be out of work:(

One young lady overhearing a few of us chatting in theintenet cafe, said that many crew members were being sent home without pay... (This is speculation, and I can not substatiate it as I have no idea if she was a crew member or not.

I did check on whether or not auto tips would remain in place Thursday night and they said yes. We did get a copy of our ship board acct at that time and auto tips were on.

We tracked down our favorite waiter and head waiter to give an additional tip. Our diningroom was closed on Friday night so they were working in the Horizon Court and back deck area.

[Tresa]

I guess if the crew is simply out of work or sent home without pay I'm wondering what the terms of their contract is? It would seem to me that surely they are somehow protected in the contract. I mean that seems reasonable. I know that many of the crew members are from different countries and the contracts vary in numerous ways but it's not like they said... "Well, I'm outta here at the next port"

 

You think the contract is primarily to protect the ship lines so the crew members don't bail on them?

[LEESRE]

My sons girlfriend is a Purser on board Star, and she says that alot of personnel have been sent home. At present others are working 6 hours on and then 4 hours off.

The contracts that some of these people work under you would not believe. I am sure people on land based jobs would not tolerate such a deal.

They deserve everything they earn and more. It is about time that the cruise lines stopped this working for tips lark and paid them a decent wage.

Why carn't cruise fares be increased.

[Tresa]

Here in the States I guess most of us would negotiate a contract until the cows come home until it met our specifications. I guess I should think of the word "contract" in a much looser fashion than I normally would when thinking of the crew members and cruise lines arrangement.

 

I hope everything works out for the crew members and they are offered jobs on other ships or to remain on the Star and work in clean up. I am sure some would rather stay and help with the clean up than go back home without pay.

[sultan_sfo]

Great Thread Cactusrose!

 

It was nice of sunshine426 to remember the crew. I wonder in all the chaos, how many lost their "extra" tips above auto tipping. We were on the Dawn Princess on the last cruise before drydock. Although the drydock had been scheduled 3 months earlier due to one of the engine failure, only the senior waiters, stewards, could arrange their "vacation" during the 2 weeks of drydock. On the last 2 days of our cruise we wondered why our steward seemed so sad. So we asked her. She said although she would be on board during the drydock, they would be getting about $50 per week with no tips. So we also gave more than our normal extra. Princess staffing office will have a real workload getting all the crew contracts rearranged/Sultan

 

 

We tracked down our favorite waiter and head waiter to give an additional tip. Our diningroom was closed on Friday night so they were working in the Horizon Court and back deck area.

[cactusrose]

I'm really hoping most of the people get redeployed, but as so many have said a lot of them have already been sent home. I'm sure the deck hands and other behind the scean personnel will continue to draw their regular pay if still on-board but those people that we see daily (waiters, assistant waiters, cabin stewards) and some of the people that we don't see but make our cruises great, totally rely on their tips. I know that our waiters for instance only get $31 a month (no that is not a typo). So their contract basically says they get $1 per day plus room and board. And most of them have families at home that they are supporting. The tip system that is in place provides them with a reasonable living and, if asked, they will tell you that they would rather have this system then convert to a salary system. Let's hope they have tucked something away for emergencies.

[TexEm]

cactusrose--if the waiters/cabin stewards only get $31 per month salary, how much do they get on an average 7 day cruise from the automatic tips? Wow, that's an amazing figure, $31. I've been on 2 Princess cruises, 1 HAL, 1 NCL and 1 RCI, and all the stewards and waiters worked all the time, it seemed. Do all the cruiselines pay so poorly?

[cactusrose]

cactusrose--if the waiters/cabin stewards only get $31 per month salary, how much do they get on an average 7 day cruise from the automatic tips? Wow, that's an amazing figure, $31. I've been on 2 Princess cruises, 1 HAL, 1 NCL and 1 RCI, and all the stewards and waiters worked all the time, it seemed. Do all the cruiselines pay so poorly?

 

TexEm. . . I'm not sure what they get from auto-tipping. Let's just take the following hypothetical scenario and see what happens. Let's

say a waiter serves 25 people a day and they all leave the auto-tipping in place. I believe with Princess the waiter and assistant waiter get about $6 per passenger per day combined. This amount is pooled and shared with the head waiter, bussers, dishwashers and cooks, etc. So let's say the waiter and assistant waiter end up with half and it's shared 2/3, 1/3. So that $2 per day X 25 passengers X 7 days, or $350 a week. So, I think they can make between $1,400 and $2,000 per month. Sounds like pretty good wages considering they get their room and board. But most of them are supporting families at home. They are also working 12 to 14 hours days seven days a week with virtually no days off. It's no wonder they love port days. :) Whatever they make, they earn every penny. Except the very expensive cruise lines where tips are included, like Crystal, I believe they all pay the same.

[Captkf]

Hope most of the crew gets some vacation leave while the ship is being repaired. We are booked on the Star in January. We will leave the auto tip on and continue to give something extra to the crew members who always makes our Princess cruises special. Maybe give a little more this time.

[saltysam]

Considering the value of the ship the crew saved, not to mention possible lives as well, I would hope they are given some type of bonus for their effort. Even the captain praised his crew after the incident was over. Lets hope Princess acknowledges this in a gratuitous way. Although they are trained to respond to these type of situations, the bottom line is they are hired on as staff, then trained to handle fires at sea; not as fire fighters first, working as waiters, stewards and other service personnel second. They performed in a manor that was heroic and put themselves in harms way. They should be compensated accordingly. IMHO

[flamomo]

I emailed the blogger who has been writing about Princess and asked if he could find out what happens to the crew and staff in the event a ship cannot sail after an event such as the fire on the Star.

He replied that he will do some research about what is happening with the folks from the Star, and try to find out about their wages, etc. He will then post here or in his blog.

[Terri102066]

I was on the star last week when it was on fire and I just wanted to say the staff was wonderfull. These people worked from the wee hours of the morning untill late the next night.

 

I asked our room person what this fire meant to him and he said that he would be going back home. I don't know if this was for everyone or just some. I know we made a special effort to find him to give him a large tip, because like many more employees, they worked hard to keep us safe and comfortable, during the whole ordeal. We tipped everyone extra, because they needed this money. I hope everyone else did the same, when you live from tips this mean the world to you.

 

Terri

[cactusrose]

flamomo. . . that was a great idea. I read that blog also and find it very interesting and entertaining.

 

Terri102066. . . that was extremely generous. I've read nothing but good things about how the crew handled themselves. I've sailed on the Star four times and love that ship. Let's hope others were as generous as you.