Past Celebrity Employee - Answering Your Questions

[Happy ks]

I'm surprised I just found it today, as I'm off work this week and have been spending way too much time here. I've actually read every post on this thread this am.

 

First off, it's been fun to read an insiders take on ship life. In my younger years it would have been fun to experience life as an employee of a cruise ship. You have been exceptionally tolerant of many here, knowing you could not possibly have information about every department onboard a ship. We always enjoy talking with crew and staff onboard the ships we have sailed. We have learned they enjoy talking of their homes and families and appreciate passengers having a bit of interest in them.

 

I don't really have any questions for you that have not already been answered. I've always pretty much felt that the staff, crew and officers are entitled to a little privacy regarding their life onboard and their personal income.

 

I just wanted to thank you for your time and wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

[mohendry]

For C 2 C

 

Thank you for the reply. Actually, we are in Conceirge Class... so I'll follow Former Cruise Employees advise and send a note along expressing our appreciation for all the extra pampering opportunities.

 

Also, attitude is equally important. I just want our service personnel to know we are going to take very good care of them. Likewise, they should make us equally happy.

 

Hasn't Former Cruise Employee provided us with a superb forum! Once again.... my thanks to this extraordinary poster.

 

Cyberhankster

 

Thank goodness, most of us Texans are not this pretentious. Most of us just want to have fun on a cruise - not have our a--es kissed.

[cyberhankster]

For Mohendry

 

You add nothing to the ongoing discussion. Would you kindly go back to the Carnival Board where you can have even more "fun!"

[TwoCruisers]

Actually, I thought mohendry said it very well. I found cyberhankster’s posts to be extremely pompous.

[dmarch@islc.net]

Still waiting on an answer to Newt's ?

[zurmoly]

Why would anyone send a note of thanks for CC extra's when you PAY the extra money for it?

[Jumbie]

To be polite and let people know that they're appreciated.

 

It's certainly nice to get a little bit of extra thanks. Yes, even if it is your job and you're being paid.

[C 2 C]

For those who have not cruised with Celebrity before... here is a quote from the Celebrity website:

 

Whatever your fancy, we're here to make it come true. Celebrity's famous personal service with a taste of luxury will make you feel like the only guest on board.

 

Setting the Standard

Maybe it's the fact that you're greeted by name. Perhaps it's because you merely mentioned a favorite dessert and it appears without your asking. As you cool off with chilled towels upon your return from a shore excursion, you just know something is different aboard Celebrity.

 

With one staff member for every two guests, Celebrity's personal service anticipates your every need. In your stateroom, outside by the pool, in the AquaSpa®, anywhere at all, at anytime, our onboard family goes the extra mile to ensure every aspect of your cruise is just the way you want it.

 

Combining traditional European hospitality and warm engaging service, Celebrity's service is consistently top-rated by such experts as Condé Nast Traveler.

[MortgageChick]

C2C hope what is in your post to be true. We will be on our first X cruise in 44 Days. After 3 cruises on HAL in the past 18 months, we were pleased with their service, but noted that it differed quite radically between ships. Looking for consisitency, good food and service for a fair price. We have 2 more X cruises booked after this one and hopefully will keep the bookings after our first X experience

[C 2 C]

There are always minor irritants on any cruise but I have found Celebrity to offer excellent service, food and shipboard activities that I have come to expect as the norm.

 

In the last 14 months...we have cruised on Princess (Regal, Island B2B and Sun B2B) as well as the Zenith B2B, Galaxy B2B and Infinity. The Island is a very nice ship but if given the choice in ships of the same class I would rate Celebrity higher in every category you wish to compare. Only if the price was lower than Celebrity would I take another Princess cruise. I'll sample HAL again in three weeks and see how their present offerings compare.

[ecslady]

Just another Celebrity lover following this thread wanting to say Thanks to cruiseemployee for starting it. :)

[Blizzard54]

I would also all my thanks to the OP.

 

We have been on many cruises and have had the opportuinity to chat with a number of the staff. I have found this thread to be quite interesting.

 

John

[cpayne]

Another question to add to the list:

 

What type of training do they provide you prior to your employment? Once employed do they provide any type of ongoing training or is it all on the job experience?

 

Thanks for all your answers!

[smoothdancer]

Regarding CyberHanster need for special service....

 

Perhaps I am missing something here, but I just do not see the problem.

 

I also stay in a suite everytime I cruise. For me, this special accomdiation, and yes the special service that goes along with it is very much a part of the cruise experience..... I certainly will not be able to cruise as often as others, as my vacation bill will be much higher, but I pick to vacation less often in trade for the cruise expereince of my choice....SO

 

Even thought I have never felt a need to encourage extra service by an upfront tip, what harm has Cyber done??? He is paying for this extra service to get a desired result, and the employees serving him are getting extra in thier pocket. To me this is a win win situation. This is not pretentious behavior, but simply getting the service that he desires to make his vacation enjoyable. And if he wants this extra service to truly feel special this week, why is that viewed as poumpus???(SP) I would further venture to say, that this extra service in no way will take away from the service the other cruisers receive.

 

He has also asked for a tactful way to request this service... This is good

[C 2 C]

Re: extra pampering issue. The fact that my wife and I are booked into a Conceirge Class stateroom on the Penthouse Deck of the Century should indicate we are seeking the highest level of service. I want to send the signal to our head waiter and main cabin attendant that we are not afraid to tip....and tip well... for truly outstanding service.

 

Our two adult children will be joining us at a table for four. I want our head waiter to feel he or she is serving the most important table on the Century. When we get to "lobster night"....I want my head waiter to have extra lobsters lined up. When I say I want my filet mignon medium rare....I want to be "wowed."

 

Similarly, with our head stateroom attendant.....I want he or she motivated to pull out all the stops. I've seen too many threads saying the canapes aren't worth it....instead should I request they arrange to bring us escargot or shrimp cocktails prior to the evening meal?

 

In short.....what can I do to motivate the staff to really pour on the service? I want our staff to know we are going to take good care of them.

 

Now that you mention it....I've written notes to staff on other cruiselines...and they really paid attention.

 

I like your suggestion that my note contain the importance of this cruise to our family. Now....how much money do you think I should enclose to get everyone excited?

Would you recommend one note for the main cabin attendant and one note for the head waiter?

 

Some of us just jumped to the conclusion that a past passenger of the Seabourne line who has written notes and practices the art of "heavy tipping" shouldn't have to ask if tipping well would lead to better service and still better food on a ship known for excellent service and excellent food......without signing up for the Celebrity Century Roll Call where he can mix with other cruise critics... :confused:

[Ma Bell]

A little extra attention on the cruise boards perhaps.:)

[halos]

I've been reading this thread and I feel I finally need to butt in about the tipping and cyberhanksters need and desire for special attention.

As a once 'tipped' wage earner, I have to say that I gave every one of my clients good attention and always great service...but the ones who tipped me better were treated slightly better BECAUSE I felt I had to treat them better. When someone goes out of their way for you...you tend to go out of your way for them. So although I may have treated this person equal to all others the first time I did their hair (I was a hairdresser)...if they gave me a tip that was above and beyond the average, I always made sure to do something above and beyond for them the next time they came for an appointment. ...I gave excellent service because that's what I always did...but the client gave me more tip in appreciation for my excellent service...so I in return gave them something extra the next time I saw them.

(in my case it would be making sure they didn't have to wait...or giving them cosmetic/hair samples...making sure that I was being courteous and extra polite and happy that day no matter what my mood, etc.) So, I look at it either way...as the giver of the tip or the giver of the service...it is one hand washing the other.

It is human nature to be nicer to those who treat you well. I not only found myself going above and beyond for good tippers, but also for those who came in cheerful and were friendly and courteous to me. Not that everyone didn't have a bad day once in a while, but some people are just miserable all the time and those people were washed, cut and out the door quickly. Who wants to be around that negative energy for longer than need be??? Anyway, this is just my take on cyberhanksters question and posts. I do think that if you do tip a Celebrity employee (or any cruise employe) extra, up front...they will most likely go out of their way for you...this doesn't mean that they don't do an excellent job for all the other passengers...but if you stand out in any way...tipping bigger or just being nicer to them than the average passenger (some passengers must be hell to deal with :eek: ) I'm sure you'll get better service....it's the old "you attract more bees with honey" thing.

PS...I do want to add that if the person tipping me was arrogant or miserable, it wouldn't matter how much cash they put in my hand...they wouldn't get the extra treatment...so all of you out there with big pockets should also wear big smiles. :D

[C 2 C]

Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity...and I'm not sure about the universe.

- Albert Einstein

 

or as Robert Heinlein wrote:

 

Never underestimate the power of human stupidity.

Source: Lazarus Long in Time Enough for Love :cool:

[C 2 C]

[smoothdancer]

c2..

 

Pardon me for being a bit slow here today....

 

So what you are saying is that in general you have no objection to requesting extra service, and tipping well for it.... But you were offended that Cyber is announcing on the board his intention to tip well????

[HeatherInFlorida]

C2C, you must post this joke over on the thread called "Cruise Travel Magazine-HAL-Tipping" ... it is so appropriate for that thread!!!

[C 2 C]

c2..

 

Pardon me for being a bit slow here today....

 

So what you are saying is that in general you have no objection to requesting extra service, and tipping well for it.... But you were offended that Cyber is announcing on the board his intention to tip well????

 

Slow... its a long holiday weekend .. or is it the cold that makes everything slower..

 

 

Cloned Cruise Directors STOLEN Jokes

 

If you've ever cruised, you'll recognize these jokes, or if you just going, listen for them!

 

The first time you see your cabin, you say, "What could be smaller than this?" Then you open the bathroom door!

 

"The pool must be ocean water. Look at the size of the waves."

 

The Letterman Top Ten list was adapted by comics for ship jokes, then stolen by cruise directors and now is used by all of them as the top ten dumb questions asked by passengers.

 

# "Will this elevator take me to the front of the ship?"

# "Do these stairs go up or down?"

# "How far are we above sea level?"

# "Does the crew sleep on board?" (No, we tow them in the life boats.) "

# "Do the ship generate it's own electricity?" (No, we pull an extension cord from Miami.)

# To photographers: "If the photos aren't marked, how do we know which ones are ours?"

# "Is the water in the toilet fresh water or sea water?" (I don't know, I haven't tasted it.)

# "What do you do with the ice carvings after they've melted?"

# "Is there music in the Disco?"

# "What time is the Midnight Buffet?"

[C 2 C]

c2..

So what you are saying is that in general you have no objection to requesting extra service, and tipping well for it.... But you were offended that Cyber is announcing on the board his intention to tip well????

 

c2.. as in See too or Sea too or see two??:confused:

 

C 2 C as in Sea to Sea :rolleyes:

 

In general.. once I pay my fare, I expect the service as advertised... I will pay tips for service... because it is expected by people in low paying jobs...

I refuse to bribe people so that they will treat me better than my fellow passengers... it is corrupt and undemocratic.. people who believe in graft automatically think that money will buy them more happiness than the rest of the proletariat.... :eek: (was that a nasty communist word?)

[HeatherInFlorida]

I agree wholeheartedly with C2C!!! The whole idea of a gratuity, or tip, is for services rendered above and beyond expectation or necessity and it is rendered following such service, not given prior to. When you pay for your cruise, or any other form of travel or entertainment, you expect a certain level of service. If someone goes beyond that, which I believe most cabin stewards, etc., do, then you tip them accordingly.

 

But I'll agree that people have been bribing for additional favors for years. There's the old "greasing the palm" of the Maitre d' in a restaurant to get a better table. But it is bribery nonetheless.

 

Personally, it disgusts me. But I really don't care what anyone else does and if it makes them happy, fine. But it is certainly no guaranty of a higher level of service and I hope there will be no complaining if they don't get what they expected after the fact.

[Nancyquilts]

You forgot - "Why do they call it a cabin?"

Oh, of course, it's short for "cabinet".