Amsterdam world cruise crew members blog

[calisota]

Do you get to get off in Bora Bora?

We will be on the Ryndam with you on 1-23-08 in Bora Bora.

 

Virgil

 

Yep, that's one of the ones I can get off and I definitely will be after a hellish 8 sea days across the pacific.

 

Greg

[kakalina]

FYI , It is not listed but:

Bora Bora, Moorea, Nuku Hiva are tender ports.

 

 

Virgil

[RuthC]

FYI , It is not listed but:

Bora Bora, Moorea, Nuku Hiva are tender ports.

You just reminded me of tendering in Nuka Hiva. By 10:00 AM the wait for a tender to shore was very, very long indeed. Not because so many people were still trying to get to shore---but because so many were already coming back! :eek:

There's not a lot to do on Nuka Hiva.

[George W. Bush]

Kind of weird to read your posts and see that there are actual, 3 dimensional people working on cruise ships. Next time I'm onboard I think I'll surprise some random crew member with a $20 tip for something reall small.

[kakalina]

Yep, that's one of the ones I can get off and I definitely will be after a hellish 8 sea days across the pacific.

 

Greg

There is a great place to snorkel or just enjoy the sun. The hotel Bora Bora is just a 15min ride on Le' Truck from the ship. There is no charge to use their chairs or umbrellas. There is a lovely reef right off the beach with tons of tropical fish. It is $3 USD for the ride each way. :)

[Steamboatin]

Look forward to your posts.

 

Have cruised on the Amsterdam twice. Last time was just before last year's world cruise. I asked our waiter when he was alone if he would be working the world cruise.

 

His answer surprised me but made sense.

 

He said that he worked the world cruise once. He said for 3 months he was stuck with a table from Hell. They were very demanding and tipped extremely poor.

 

Since for the wait staff their tips from a world cruise equals about 1/3 of their annual tips a bad tipping table can be extremely significant on their annual income.

 

He said after that first bad experience he now plans his contract to now not to be available for the world cruise and his income has since been much better.

 

What are you hearing about staff not wanting to work the world cruise because of being stuck for 3 months with "bad" passengers?

[itwinkle3]

Greg, thanks for sharing your World Cruise with us. Have a fabulous time and keep smiling. We sure will be reading your posts.

[SDHALFAN]

Look forward to your posts.

 

Have cruised on the Amsterdam twice. Last time was just before last year's world cruise. I asked our waiter when he was alone if he would be working the world cruise.

 

His answer surprised me but made sense.

 

He said that he worked the world cruise once. He said for 3 months he was stuck with a table from Hell. They were very demanding and tipped extremely poor.

 

Since for the wait staff their tips from a world cruise equals about 1/3 of their annual tips a bad tipping table can be extremely significant on their annual income.

 

He said after that first bad experience he now plans his contract to now not to be available for the world cruise and his income has since been much better.

 

What are you hearing about staff not wanting to work the world cruise because of being stuck for 3 months with "bad" passengers?

 

 

Haven't you posted this before? It sounds very familiar.

 

I was on the first half of last year's GWV (2007). Only for 49 days, but I became friends with a lot of the crew members (crew, not officers, but rather Dining Room, Lido and Cabin stewards) and many of them had already signed on for this year's GWV (2008) and there were even a few of them who were hoping that a future contract would be on the ms Rotterdam because they hoped to do her 2009 GWV.

 

Certainly there is going to be at least one "table from Hell" (actually I did experience one man having a conniption fit although the rest of his table seemed very satisfied with their service) but the vast majority of the GWV passengers are repeat passengers and are easy-going and willing to go with the flow. There is a certain ambience about a GWV. As I said before there are so many repeat passengers (many with about a gazillion days sailing with HAL) and they just go with the flow, relax and enjoy every moment of their cruise experience, and tip accordingly.

 

I am so sorry that the waiter you spoke to had a bad experience but the ones I talked to were very happy and looking forward to doing another World Cruise.

 

Valerie:)

[NapTown Jim]

Greg, I've bookmarked your blog. Great stuff! I look forward to whatever photos you can share of the ship. We'll be on the Amsterdam in September, but I suppose you'll be long gone by then. Keep it coming, I always like to see what the crew life is like.

[the2ofus]

Greg, I've enjoyed reading your blog and have bookmarked it so I won't miss future installments. You have a wonderful way of involving the reader in the moment and the ambiance. Keep up the great work.

Jane

[jtl513]

Keep that ship in good shape during the GWV, please, as we'll be on the very next voyage, from Ft. Lauderdale to Los Angeles!!

[Steamboatin]

Haven't you posted this before? It sounds very familiar.

 

I was on the first half of last year's GWV (2007). Only for 49 days, but I became friends with a lot of the crew members (crew, not officers, but rather Dining Room, Lido and Cabin stewards) and many of them had already signed on for this year's GWV (2008) and there were even a few of them who were hoping that a future contract would be on the ms Rotterdam because they hoped to do her 2009 GWV.

 

Certainly there is going to be at least one "table from Hell" (actually I did experience one man having a conniption fit although the rest of his table seemed very satisfied with their service) but the vast majority of the GWV passengers are repeat passengers and are easy-going and willing to go with the flow. There is a certain ambience about a GWV. As I said before there are so many repeat passengers (many with about a gazillion days sailing with HAL) and they just go with the flow, relax and enjoy every moment of their cruise experience, and tip accordingly.

 

I am so sorry that the waiter you spoke to had a bad experience but the ones I talked to were very happy and looking forward to doing another World Cruise.

 

Valerie:)

 

Yes I have and you are the first to give me an excellent and knowledgeable response.

 

Was hoping to see what another staff member thought of this potential problem.

 

Thanks

[calisota]

Kind of weird to read your posts and see that there are actual, 3 dimensional people working on cruise ships. Next time I'm onboard I think I'll surprise some random crew member with a $20 tip for something reall small.

 

Think of yourself as one of a new breed of RAT...Random Act of Tipping. :)

 

Greg

[calisota]

Look forward to your posts.

 

Have cruised on the Amsterdam twice. Last time was just before last year's world cruise. I asked our waiter when he was alone if he would be working the world cruise.

 

His answer surprised me but made sense.

 

He said that he worked the world cruise once. He said for 3 months he was stuck with a table from Hell. They were very demanding and tipped extremely poor.

 

Since for the wait staff their tips from a world cruise equals about 1/3 of their annual tips a bad tipping table can be extremely significant on their annual income.

 

He said after that first bad experience he now plans his contract to now not to be available for the world cruise and his income has since been much better.

 

What are you hearing about staff not wanting to work the world cruise because of being stuck for 3 months with "bad" passengers?

 

I don't know what the crew in the dining rooms and such places think, I'll try and ask a couple when I get the opportunity.

 

As for the casino, everyone is saying how quiet it is going to be, to the extent that they have known the cashier to close the cage and sit and play cards with the dealers at the tables because no one comes in for hours at a time. This will certainly affect the dealers income because most of theirs comes from tips. It won't have quite as much affect on me as a cashier because very few people tip the cashiers as a rule anyway (6c total for the last 5 days to be split among 4 of us).

 

From what I have been told a large percentage of people doing world cruises could almost be considered professional cruisers. As this is the 50th anniversary there is a certain cachet about being on it and I guess they all know exactly how it all works.

 

Greg

[WeLoveCruising]

Look forward to your posts.

 

Have cruised on the Amsterdam twice. Last time was just before last year's world cruise. I asked our waiter when he was alone if he would be working the world cruise.

 

His answer surprised me but made sense.

 

He said that he worked the world cruise once. He said for 3 months he was stuck with a table from Hell. They were very demanding and tipped extremely poor.

 

Since for the wait staff their tips from a world cruise equals about 1/3 of their annual tips a bad tipping table can be extremely significant on their annual income.

 

He said after that first bad experience he now plans his contract to now not to be available for the world cruise and his income has since been much better.

 

What are you hearing about staff not wanting to work the world cruise because of being stuck for 3 months with "bad" passengers?

 

I've heard the same thing...also a wine steward I'm pretty friendly with once told me that the bar staff doesnt like being assigned to the world cruise because the passengers are more "settled in" than on vacation, they dont drink every night as much as passengers on shorter "pack it all in" types of cruises. He told me that the Hotel Manager can hand select some crew for the cruise, and he usually gets chosen but doesnt like it.

[RedmondCruiser]

Greg, Really do enjoy your blog and look forward to your commentary on the world cruise. I note that you eat in the local eaterys - I do myself and have never caught a bug but I do know many people who have -- so be careful. The only thing that I do avoid are street vendors. A good friend, who is very well traveled and goes to areas off the beaten trail said that he always looks in the kitchen and makes his decision about staying based on what he sees.

[Dance2Nite]

Greg,

I have read your blog from back to front and just posted on your November 19th (???) entry telling of your 6 month itinerary. My wife and I will be on the May 16th Alaska r/t out of Seattle (first time to Alaska and first time on the Amsterdam) that would seem to include you. We look forward to following along on your adventure. We will be certain to stop by the cage (although we don't frequest the casinos) and say hello. There really are other things to do while on board ship, IMHO, than surrender my hard earned money to the one-armed bandits.

 

I really like your writing style - giving us a sense of the local way of life. Keep up the good posts and new discoveries about the Amsterdam.

[calisota]

Greg,

I have read your blog from back to front and just posted on your November 19th (???) entry telling of your 6 month itinerary. My wife and I will be on the May 16th Alaska r/t out of Seattle (first time to Alaska and first time on the Amsterdam) that would seem to include you. We look forward to following along on your adventure. We will be certain to stop by the cage (although we don't frequest the casinos) and say hello. There really are other things to do while on board ship, IMHO, than surrender my hard earned money to the one-armed bandits.

 

I really like your writing style - giving us a sense of the local way of life. Keep up the good posts and new discoveries about the Amsterdam.

 

Thanks for the kind words Ray, it's always a buzz knowing that someone is reading, let alone enjoying what I write. I am not due to get off the Amsterdam until the middle of June so I should still be there to say hello as you pass through the casino. I doubt you'll have any trouble finding plenty of things to do on board, the daily program is always full of interesting things and I'm looking forward to the scenery in Alaska.

 

Greg

[Dance2Nite]

Thanks for the kind words Ray, it's always a buzz knowing that someone is reading, let alone enjoying what I write. I am not due to get off the Amsterdam until the middle of June so I should still be there to say hello as you pass through the casino. I doubt you'll have any trouble finding plenty of things to do on board, the daily program is always full of interesting things and I'm looking forward to the scenery in Alaska.

 

Greg

 

This will be our 4th HAL cruise and first to Alaska. There is nearly too much to do while on board. Did someone say "bored"? No way! Ditto on looking forward to seeing amazing sights. I hope you get the opportunity to hit some of the ports during our week together.

 

I have an uncle that emigrated to NZ in 1951 and married a local. I have met one of my two cousins who came to the US for a while, but have never met my aunt or other cousin. One of these days we are going to take that trip - maybe a retirement present in less than three years!

 

We will continue to follow you closely on the blog. How did you set that in motion, anyway?

[Sage]

Greg,

 

I have so enjoyed reading your blog and look forward to each new entry. Thank you for posting so that we may see yet a different perspective of the World Cruise.

[jocal]

Hello Greg.

I am the guy who spoke with you on the ship during the last cruise. From England. Just wanted to say it was a pleasure meeting you and yes I did have a nice result finally on the 5 dollar machine!! Enjoy the world cruise.

[btobey]

Greg, can you post another link to your blog? For some reason, the original one you posted didn't work for me.

 

We will be joining you on Amsterdam shortly after the world cruise; we sail April 27th for the canal crossing.

[calisota]

Greg, can you post another link to your blog? For some reason, the original one you posted didn't work for me.

 

We will be joining you on Amsterdam shortly after the world cruise; we sail April 27th for the canal crossing.

 

The address is correct, it just seems that the company I use to host the site is having a problem at the moment. I just logged on to check the site for comments and couldn't access it myself. In fact none of my sites (and I have a few) hosted with the same company are working. Even the company's own site is down so it must be a big failure.

 

I can only apologise to anyone trying to access the blog and hope that it will be back soon. I'm in the middle of writing another post of what it's like to be in Panama City at midnight.

 

Greg

[btobey]

Thanks Greg--at least it's not just me.

 

Btw, is it true that Amsterdam is going to have a big turnover of major staff the very day I'm sailing (April 27th)? If so, how do you think that will affect things?

[calisota]

Thanks Greg--at least it's not just me.

 

Btw, is it true that Amsterdam is going to have a big turnover of major staff the very day I'm sailing (April 27th)? If so, how do you think that will affect things?

 

I don't know anything about a turnover of staff although i guess it's possible given that they are probably trying to keep everyone together for the world cruise which would mean a lot of people ending contracts immediately after.

 

I'm going to say that a whole bunch of new crew would mean a reenergised experience.

 

Greg