For those of you who have read Cruise Confidential

[pe4all]

I also just finished reading the book. It was great "summer reading", and I looked forward to picking it up each afternoon. Very enlightening, especially when I can relate to a ship Brian worked on (Fantasy). We are also very "low maintanence", though we sometimes order more than one appetizer. I will say - in 7 cruises, we have never had a "bad" room steward or dining room server. I don't care how hiddenly drunk they may be - they still performed their "duties" well. We cruise again in Feb., and I will be sure to watch a bit more carefully as they serve or clean our cabins - just to see if they had a fun night or not- LOL!

[Livin4Real]

Guess I'll have to check it out

[scgamecock]

That was a great read. When is the sequel coming out?

[BaseballMomof4]

I read and thoroughly enjoyed the book and am hoping for a sequel (did you hear that Bryan?) :D

 

I was fascinated by the views of Americans and can see where it would be very easy to believe these misconceptions of wealth and prosperity.

 

My family and I try to always "ask once". In other words, when the server takes our order and brings our food - we rarely ask anything further of that course (if we want to try more than one appetizer, we ask when ordering - not after our app's have already been served). And we have always received wonderful service in the MDR on Carnival with only one notable exception (I had ordered a birthday cake as a surprise for my DH and our waiter forgot and kept insisting over and over and over again that my DH order the baked alaska even though I kept saying no over and over again and he even served the baked alaska and I then had to spoil the surprise and remind him of the birthday cake).

 

We tip what we can at the end of the cruise, but I try to direct my money to those who actually served me as opposed to the Maitre D who is basically an overseer IMO.

 

Anyway, loved the book and am hoping for more!!

[missabbi]

That was my reaction as well. It started out being interesting but I got bogged down by the guy's ego.

 

I agree. I couldn't even finish the last chapter. I was very disappointed.

[spleenstomper]

Hummm... going to see if I can find the book today!

[amethyst08]

I just ordered a copy. Can't wait to read it. :D

[mdaviswv]

Bought this book from the recommendations on this thread. Just finished tonight. Really enjoyed it. Have always been curious what goes on behind the scenes and Brian did a good job of describing it. Believe it or not, it was really a lot like I expected. Will try to contact Brian and tell him it was a job well done.

 

Now I'm just thirsty for more though...if anyone knows of any other books along this line please let me know. I've seen a few other cruise related books mentioned here, but so far nothing that really strikes me. If anyone has any hidden gems to reveal I'd appreciate it.

[wanderlust402]

On my last cruise which was on Princess, The waiter kind of gave me dirty looks when I ordered two appetizers or two desserts. He did take away from some of my pleasure at the meal. However, the headwaiter was always around our table and he was great. He actually brought us extra stuff without asking.

 

Is it possible to remove auto-tips and provide detailed instructions in a tip envelope... Headwaiter Name1 was superb, Waiter Name2 was good, and Waiter Name3 was inconsiderate, demeaning and rude. The tips in this envelope are to be shared among the waitstaff excluding Name3.

[pe4all]

While possible, why don't you just personally hand the tips to those you think deserve it? Do it at the last, or next to last meal. Save the comments for the comment card all guests get at the end of the cruise.

[tea4ular]

All the hub-bub made me grab a copy of the book from the library today. So far it's an "easy" read and I can relate to much of the antics, having grown up in the hospitality industry and working at "household named" hotels in my teens and twenties.

 

Seeing that author Bruns is working on a sequel, specifically related to working doing the art auctions....I hope he was NOT (I know he wasn't!) one of the 2 jerks working in the art gallery on NCL's ship in May 2008 NYC to Bermuda...as my D and I were walking around it, enjoying the art, these 2 jerks came in and never even looked around just kept talking...one said to the other, "I can't wait for the auction, so we can screw these people." The other just laughed and laughed. Until D & I walked around the corner and then saw us.

 

Jerks.

 

:cool:

[Chacooe]

Bought this book from the recommendations on this thread. Just finished tonight. Really enjoyed it. Have always been curious what goes on behind the scenes and Brian did a good job of describing it. Believe it or not, it was really a lot like I expected. Will try to contact Brian and tell him it was a job well done.

 

Now I'm just thirsty for more though...if anyone knows of any other books along this line please let me know. I've seen a few other cruise related books mentioned here, but so far nothing that really strikes me. If anyone has any hidden gems to reveal I'd appreciate it.

 

I just got another behind the scenes book called "Permanent Passenger" by Michael Berman. I have ordered both of the books off of EBay where they are the cheapest.

[5waldos]

I would love to see the same type of book written by a cabin steward. Maybe someone from NCL since they have an all American staff, in Hawaii.

 

but it is likely that an all American staff does NOT experience life on board in the same way that a staff primarily from Thailand or the PI does.

[Chacooe]

While possible, why don't you just personally hand the tips to those you think deserve it? Do it at the last, or next to last meal. Save the comments for the comment card all guests get at the end of the cruise.

 

I bring some Thank You cards with me and on the last night in the dining room I give each of my waiters an envelope with an extra tip in it. If they did an excellent job, I give them each $30.00 (like remembering my name, what I liked to drink etc), if they did a good job then I gave them each $15.00. I have never had any bad waiters so I can't say what I would do in that case. I do have to say that when I was on the Pride, one of the waiters (Ramone) that I had in the MDR I would also see in the buffet area (since they have to work there to) well he told me the first day that he would be working in the buffet area for lunchtime and that if I needed anything to just ask (I think is was because I used a walker and he knew how hard it was for me). Well I went into the buffet on our first sea day, and I was surprised that there he was and he came over and told me that he would carry my tray, and to just pick out what I wanted and he would take care of it. He asked me if I would like for him to got get me a Sprite and I told him yes. Well on my last night of the cruise, I gave him a tip of $75.00 because he was so much of a help to me that whole week. I only wish I could have given him more because that is how much it meant to me. Even the nights when I went to the dining room, he would have all of the normal things that we asked for already waiting for us. This young man worked hard and he really earned it.

[5waldos]

on vacation you can sleep for two months straight.

 

Well- true if you are a college student. But many if not most of the people who work on ships have families they are supporting. When they go home they have a family to deal with. And that often means catching up with fixing the house and dealing with the day to day stuff. I knew many similar workers when I lived in 3rd world countries. They leave home and family because even with the low wages (and it was my understanding that they did receive a salary, although it is very small- about $50 a month) these wages are huge compared with the opportunities at home. 10 years ago paying a domestic helper $50 a month was twice what she could make at home as a teacher.

[mdaviswv]

I just got another behind the scenes book called "Permanent Passenger" by Michael Berman. I have ordered both of the books off of EBay where they are the cheapest.

 

I have started Permanent Passenger already...lets see, to put it nicely, so far I'm quite disappointed. :) Will post more after I finish it, but lets just say its not even remotely in the same class as Cruise Confidential.

[ccruisequeen]

Bought this book from the recommendations on this thread. Just finished tonight. Really enjoyed it. Have always been curious what goes on behind the scenes and Brian did a good job of describing it. Believe it or not, it was really a lot like I expected. Will try to contact Brian and tell him it was a job well done.

 

Now I'm just thirsty for more though...if anyone knows of any other books along this line please let me know. I've seen a few other cruise related books mentioned here, but so far nothing that really strikes me. If anyone has any hidden gems to reveal I'd appreciate it.

Brian is on Facebook, if you want to get in touch with him- he also posts here

[David-n-Rita]

We loved the book, it was very good and really gave you a perspective of the crew. Alot of these "kids" come from poor nations and for them it is a job opportunity and many send money back home. We are not high demand people as we are nurses and could identify with some of the problems of "serving the public" You would find very similar problems/personality conflicts/unreasonable superiors/lazy workers etc in any profession that provides service to the public. Just like anywhere else, there are people who make the policies that never set foot on a cruise and have no idea about the implications of what they want their employees to do. On the same token, everyone has experienced the lazy employee who gets all the credit and the exceptional hard working employee who never seems to be in the right place at the right time to recieve the praise and credit they deserve. We are Platium cruisers who have pretty much seen it all over the years in the way of poor behavior on the part of employees as well as passengers and we really must say, we have seen worse from the passengers. The crew does put up with alot and there are some very unreasonable passengers who make demands and are never satisfied. We go to relax and the book helped us think of the crew as the hard working people they are under some not so nice working conditions. Americans as a group do have an air of entitlement and on every cruise we manage to see a crew memeber reduced to tears as someone berates them because of something that is out of their control. All in all, the book made us "better passengers" making it easier for the crew to give us the service and fun the they strive to provide.

[5waldos]

Would it be better pre-cruise reading or on board reading?

[Poppy01]

Sounds like a good book to read. Must check out Ebay to see if I can buy it here in the UK as it looks like it is sold only in the US and not here in the UK.:)

[golfadj]

DW and I both really enjoyed the book.

 

Did give us a new appreciation of just how hard the crew works.

 

I will order a couple of appetizers or main dishes (sometimes) for dinner as I am encouraged to do it and like to try new dishes.

 

We will get to dinner on time and do not make a change in anything unless for some reason do not like the main course.

 

They go in the kitchen and what is the big deal if they get an extra appetizer at the same time they are getting a dozen others.

 

We will always treat the crew with respect and enjoy speaking to them and learning more about life on a ship.

[5waldos]

Gave me a new appreciation of how hard the crew parties!

 

But I am really curious- Brian- did you marry her? I gather from the tickler at the back of the book there was lots of ups and downs, but did you at least get to spend some settled time with her? Or did you find that absence and the chase made the heart grown much fonder?

 

Note to self: If you are going to order more than one of a course- order them all at the same time. Do NOT, half way through dinner, decide that a second shrimp cocktail would be just the thing.

 

That to me was the major take away lesson. And I guess also when the room steward looks sick- he probably is hung over. Oh well.....

[Cambrensis]

I haven't read it nor have I read "Hotel Confidential" or "Airline Confidential" or "Hospital Confidential" or "Daycare Confidential". I can only think of two kinds of requests - reasonable and unreasonable. I will continue to make reasonable ones.

Great post! And I concur!

[bgcruiser]

I haven't read this book yet but after reading this thread I am a bit confused concerning meal ordering in the MDR.

 

My DH and I enjoy the cruising experience including the "fine" dining aspect of it. Being foodies we always order the "5 course" meal. Appetizer, soup, salad, entree and desert.

 

Now to my horror I read that this is wrong. I would be considered a triple appetizer orderer, yikes! How thoughtless. Oh and since the head waiter also plays sommelier we've caused even more back log for him by buying that bottle of wine.

 

I already know the staff on cruise ships work very hard for low pay whether its salary or tips. We have always recieved great and sometimes excellent service. We always remove the prepaid tips and fill envelopes wth cash to distribute to our stewards and wait staff at the end of the cruise. And very often we also tip everyone a little something up front to assure we have a good week.

 

What exactly does the term "service industry" mean?

[jenelizab]

Couldn't finish the book.. that guy was too full of himself..

 

 

I know, right?!! I could hardly stand it. Especially when he started saying how he couldn't even talk to Americans about anything because he doesn't watch TV and the books he reads are too highbrow for them. Give me a break. I bet he got beat up a lot in junior high school.