Which member of the Crew is most important to your enjoyment on a cruise

[Sea King]

If you had to select 1 person (or category of crew) who is most important to your overall enjoyment on board, who would it be?

 

Would it be the Captain, Hotel Manager, Culinary Operations Manager, Dining Room Services Manager, Dining Room Steward, Wine Steward, Cabin Steward, Bartender, Guest Relations Manager, Concierge, Casino staff or any other person?

 

Or would be it be more than one.

 

We've all sailed on cruises that were a "9" and some that were "less than a 9".

 

Who in your opinion usually makes the major difference on your cruise.

 

For me, it's the dining room steward and staff.

[v702]

That's easy...the cabin steward. I'm pretty particular about things being clean and I'm not going to enjoy a cruise if the cabin isn't. They also can help with many other things that make a good cruise geat.

[sail7seas]

IMO, this a GREAT but tough question.

 

I'm a little torn but would have to say the Captain and Hotel Manager in about equal balance are the most important people in providing our full enjoyment on our cruises.

 

They set the pace; set the standard; care for the crew; train the crew; know who has a personal situation and needs a little TLC at a given time.

 

It all starts from the top.

 

A Captain and Hotel Manager are critical to a happy crew. A happy crew is critical to happy guests.

 

The happy dining stewards, cabin stewards and bartenders are certainly directly the people who see to our immediate enjoyment and pleasure. With unfriendly, sullen bartenders, our enjoyment of Ocean Bar/Crows Nest etc is definitely diminished. Without a smiling/eager dining steward, who is going to happily bring me my veggies, how can I enjoy dinner? And Cabin Steward........CRITICAL to my happiness aboard a ship.

 

JMHO.......

[Lynne Myrna]

I think the cabin steward. We had one (on another line) who didn't keep the room up....& this was on a very popular ship, needless to say we were not happy campers.

[Elizabeth Kimberly]

I have yet to cruise but I would say the cabin steward. Like a previous poster mentioned, the cleanliness of my room is pretty important to me. Who wants to return to a dirty room at the end of the day? Plus if a cabin steward makes me a towel animal I'll be the happiest person on the ship. :)

[sab490]

I would say the Captain. I have heard it said the the personality of the crew of a ship reflects the personality of the Captain. This has been very true on several of our cruises. Two which come to mind are Sven Petersen of RCCL who we had the pleasure to sail with on Majesty and Voyager, and John Scott on Noordam. Both were extremely visable, gracious and accessible and their crews were very much the same. By the same token, we found the captain of the QM2 to be rather stuffy and aloof and the crew followed suit.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I have to agree with sail, but unless you have numerous cruises under you belt you may not have noticed or felt why I say this. In our first few cruises we thought it was important to have great Dining Room Stewards and Wine Stewards and while yes, that is very important to us over all it is a trickle down effect. If you have a great Captain and Hotel Manager that get along great together as a team there is just a great vibe through out the ship and every crew member can feel it.I have been on ships where they have a new Hotel Manager or Captain and a few years ago changed Captains and Hotel Manager during mid cruise. You can feel the change in atmosphere immediately. I will say that on our cruise last week when the Captain and Hotel Manager had to leave mid week for HAL's Senior Management Conference there was no change, the crew remained extremely upbeat, and were outstanding. But I can also say that those that were left in charge are also outstanding and well liked by the crew.While I hated to see the Captain and H/M leave on Wednesday it is a compliment to them that when they leave those they have under them are as outstanding as they are.

[Sundagger]

If you had to select 1 person (or category of crew) who is most important to your overall enjoyment. ... For me, it's the dining room steward and staff.

I concur on this selection. I haven't had a bad cabin steward, and my needs there are minimal, so he would have to be very poor to affect my enjoyment of the cruise.

 

I *always* expect the captain and HM to be excellent, so I'm not naming those positions. My opinion on that could change in the future if I encountered a "less than HAL standard" crew.

 

I really enjoy being pampered at meals (living alone and having to fix my own all the time), so the dining room staff is key for me. The ship's budget for food obviously can't equal that of a very good shore restaurant, so where they can shine is in the service provided. I've been fortunate on my cruises to have had quality staff from the maitre d' to the wine steward to the section manager (they seem to have various titles) and everyone in between. One reason I cruise on HAL is that I expect to be pleased with the service, since that is what their marketing says sets them apart. I wouldn't be surprised to be disappointed at some time in the future, but I think the chances of that are lower on HAL.

[frchteaze]

This definitely is a hard choice, because usually the people who have the most influence on the cruise are the ones we don't see often (captain and Hotel manager). But I have to vote for the dining room stewards. I'm not that picky about the rooms, and don't usually require anything extra or special, but I like to get experimental (at least for me) at dinner, and having a good steward seems to make a big difference when I decide I really love X and want more or I hated Y and want to try Z instead. I still get a big grin on my face every time I think of my last server on the Mercury saying "yes, madam; (pronounced ma domme) anything you wish madam." Now that's a vacation!

[sail7seas]

...... saying "yes, madam; (pronounced ma domme) anything you wish madam." Now that's a vacation!

 

 

:D Love it!!!! Great!

[Krazy Kruizers]

I definitely feel that the captain and hotel manager set the pace for the crew. You can always tell when crew members like and respond to the captain and hotel manger. They are always smiling (more so than usual) and dashing around trying to make your cruise an enjoyable one. We have been on cruises where it was obcious that there was little rapport between the captain and HM as the crew "Just did their jobs" -- no going out of their way for anything.

[localady]

Gotta agree with Sails, Laffn, and KK that the tone of the ship is indeed set by the HM and Captain. :D I have been on happy ships, and ships were the crew is just doing their job.....you can truly tell a "happy ship" and each time there has been a very well thought of HM and Captain who were well liked by the crew!

[USNDiver]

Hands down the Bartender(s)

 

A good martini can make up for almost anything:D .

 

Cheers,

 

Dave

[ciaobella]

I think the cabin steward is important as are the waiters. However, I've been on cruises where I never saw the Hotel Manager and the Captain was only at his reception. I think the Cruise Director and his staff are far more visible - they can keep the momentum going or NOT! If they are a fun, personable group, they seem to me to be the "glue" that makes for a wonderful time. They help set the tone in many different ways - greeting you as you board, asking how the excursions were, leading all kinds of fun ways for folks who are perfect strangers to interact and become friends, and wishing you a safe journey as you leave. They deserve kudos, too!

[rkacruiser]

I also agree that a good relationship between the Captain and the Hotel Manager has a positive trickle-down effect on the crew. Another good combination is the Captain and Cruise Director. On the 2002 Asia Pacific cruise, there was a very special chemistry between Captain Harris and CD Gary Walker that helped to make that cruise special for passengers and crew.

 

For me, getting to know the bartenders has become important in my enjoyment of a cruise. Every one of them whom I have gotten to know have been very interesting people with whom to chat. I have learned much from them about their country, their life at home, and what goes on aboard the ship. Plus, they will make me a good drink, too!

[kryos]

Hands down ... the chefs.

 

Sorry, but I live with my dad and my meals are pretty blahhhhh. We either go out to a local diner or Denny's type place, or dad cooks Eyetalian ... simple stuff, spaghetti, ravolis, etc. When I cruise, it's my chance to have varied meals, served to me in elegance. While I don't gorge myself on a cruise, I do like to enjoy a good meal. So, the chefs and their talents in the kitchen are of prime importance to me.

 

Now, that is not to say my cabin steward, or the cruise director, or the captain is not important ... they are vital to a good cruise. But to me the chefs make or break my cruise far more than those other people ever could.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Spender Nui]

WOW ... this is interesting. Sounds like the Republicans vs the Democrats. Just speculation but I think I can almost tell how everyone votes.

[sail7seas]

;) You're forgetting about the undeclared. :D You know...the ones that used to be called Independents.

[hammybee]

I am going for the bottom -up approach. I think the captains on most of the HAL ships change so frequently, I am not sure of their influence on the crew and staff.

 

The Hotel Manager is a critical position and I view it as a partnership. A top notch staff can make a mediocre Hotel Manager look good and a good Hotel Manager with a problematic staff has a lot of problems to solve. And sometimes people in positions like this, wheather at sea or in corporate America, like to save the day.

 

At the end of the day, a ship is like a city and all that really matters is if your garbage is picked up, the snow removed and the streets, alleyways and parks are kept clean. My vote goes for the Cabin Steward who can make or break an experience for me.

[Tricia724]

;) You're forgetting about the undeclared. :D You know...the ones that used to be called Independents.

 

OR.....as one of our illustrious leaders once called us.....the "Silent Majority."

[senator6]

While the Captain & Hotel Manager certainly set the tone, I have found, however, that on many cruises someone else can make a huge difference such as the person at the front desk when you have a problem or the Guest Relations Manager. That said consistently the most important are the Dining Room & Cabin Stewards.

[mariner]

For me, they're a team. One doesn't set the tone. They all must. They're all important to making my cruise wonderful.

[seaisme]

For me, they're a team. One doesn't set the tone. They all must. They're all important to making my cruise wonderful.

agree...if everyone doesn't meet the "standard" then anyone can upset the experience. And it's all about the experience. Embarking goes smoothly, your cabin is well maintained, the dining staff are attentive and present, bar staff remember your favorite drink and name, front office staff are polite and helpful, gift shop staff are helpful and not pushy, ship arrives/leaves when scheduled (Captain), and your luggage is in your cabin at 1:00! On one of our cruises, the front desk folks were down right ugly/rude and nearly ruined the entire cruise for us...so it only takes one person to upset the "apple cart".

[seadancer]

I would say its the whole pkg also. We just returned from a carnival cruise that was a very reduced price gift from our retiring cruise agent of 20yrs.

They truly were the best crew we had ever met but the customers were the rudest most backwoods idiots i've met in years. They almost ruined the cruise for us.

oh well we've said our Hail the dam ships and plan to be back on HAL soon to wash away the vile filth:rolleyes:

[Spender Nui]

;) You're forgetting about the undeclared. :D You know...the ones that used to be called Independents.

 

 

Yes, but there are so few of us left.