Do you want to chit-chat with your stewards

[Orcrone]

One common thread I keep hearing is that there has been a reduction in staffing. Dinner may not take any longer. However, because of this the DR and cabin stewards (though mainly the DR stewards) don't have the time to stop and talk like they used to.

I don't have a frame of reference as I took my first HAL cruise a month ago. I do have to admit that the stewards on my Carnival cruise last year did seem to have a lot more time to be personable.

I'm wondering, does that matter to everyone? Would you prefer that there was more staff (and perhaps a higher fare) to allow them to chit-chat, or are you just fine without that, as long as the service is good?

Personally, I enjoyed that relationship that was developed, even if it's forgotten the day you leave as a new one gets cultivated with the next set of passengers.

[Giorgi-one]

I have always enjoyed talking to the dining room staff and finding out where they are from, etc. When we took our daughters on cruises (they were in their late teens) we got really great attention from the waiters. My daughters actually wrote to some of them for a while.

That said, it would not ruin my cruise if the waiters did not have time to chat. But there is a big difference between being "comfortably" busy and being served like an assembly line or a cheap banquet, which was the situation on the Zuiderdam last July when we sailed.

[ekerr19]

We enjoy chatting with and getting to know the crew - on the other hand, if it hampers service levels, I can survive without the chit-chat...

[peaches from georgia]

...... But there is a big difference between being "comfortably" busy and being served like an assembly line or a cheap banquet, which was the situation on the Zuiderdam last July when we sailed.
Which was also the situation on the Oosterdam last December.

[RuthC]

I can do without a great deal of "chit-chat", but I do like to exchange a wee bit of greetings.

I certainly like it when the table steward has the time to answer a few questions about the selections, or make a recommendation based on his knowledge of what I like.
I also like it when I am recognized from a previous cruise and greeted warmly. When the stewards don't have a bit of time to get to know me they can't remember me, either. Nor I them. :(

[Vicar]

When it comes to the stewards on a cruise, the waiters on in a land based restaurant or anyone else who serves me or waits onme, I expect them to treat me professionally and respectfully (granted I treat them the same way). It is an added bonus if they are pleasent and engage in chit chat, or stop to tell a joke or do a magic trick for my child. But if it impedes the efficiency of service, than as long as the server is still pleasent and courteous, than the additional repartee is not essential.

[Orcrone]

When the stewards don't have a bit of time to get to know me they can't remember me, either. Nor I them. :( Our daughters still talk about our DR steward from the Inspiration last April. However, there were a few times that I would say (or hear someone else say) "is that our steward?" several days into the cruise.

Those counting the beans don't seem to realize that there is a big difference between eating dinner and dining.

[Orcrone]

When it comes to the stewards on a cruise, the waiters on in a land based restaurant or anyone else who serves me or waits onme, I expect them to treat me professionally and respectfully (granted I treat them the same way). It is an added bonus if they are pleasent and engage in chit chat, or stop to tell a joke or do a magic trick for my child. But if it impedes the efficiency of service, than as long as the server is still pleasent and courteous, than the additional repartee is not essential.Hey Vicar, haven't see you in a while. How's married life?:)

I guess my thought is not that a personable steward should preclude good service. It's more whether people would prefer increasing the staff levels to allow the personable service, while not hindering the actual service.

[obriendan]

We have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know our dining room and cabin stewards. This is especially important on longer cruises. Its a pleasure to get to know them as human beings and to learn about their background and their families. It adds something to the cruise experience and has been one of the things that makes HAL special.

[bepsf]

I think it's fascinating getting to know the staff - whether they be in the bars, restaurants or serving as cabin stewards.

If HAL wants differentiate themselves by treating passengers as "guests" rather than "customers", they need to staff up for it...

[Randyk47]

I'd agree that there's a difference between chit-chatting and service. Certainly we've always enjoyed getting to know a little about our wait staff but it doesn't have to be a full family history with pictures. On our last cruise they weren't around even enough to know their names. I miss them at least taking the time to learn some of our preferences and certainly remember when they'd recommend a particular dish or comment on a particular dish. We had to leave the table on our last cruise several times to find somebody to get drinks...even water served. There has to be some middle ground between being serviced like I'm at a "rubber chicken banquet" and private dinner in an expensive restruarant.

[Orcrone]

Randy,

Rubber chicken banquet????

[Randyk47]

Just a term for those awful dinners one gets when they go to conferences, conventions, large meetings, etc., that include an organized dinner. Usually means 600+ people are getting fed all at once and often the main course is chicken and not very well done.....thus the "rubber chicken banquet" comment.

[Orcrone]

Thanks Randy. Never heard that one before. Unfortunately, I know too well what you're referring to.:eek:

[SHayesShip]

As the choices of dining have become more varied my personal decision about "chatting" has changed.
When I first started cruising it was all about getting that "personal service" from the staff that got to "know you".
For me this has become less important and my priorities have changed. I expect good quality service as in a good shoreside restaurant.
My priorities have become more choice in food selection in a nice setting with good service.
I just got off the Diamond Princess this last Saturday. I chose Personal Choice dining and had 4 different dining rooms plus the buffet area and other "fast food" type areas to choose from. The service was excellent in all four dining rooms and we got to choose from two different menus each night.

I did not feel like a "number' and did get to ask a few questions here or there as I chose. I was very comfortable with this type of arrangement and look forward to it in the future.

Steve Hayes

[HeatherInFlorida]

I wish I could find words to describe the subtle difference between cruiselines with regard to this subject.

We had a DR steward on the Millennium last year who was amazing. His name was Peri, less than half my age, and I fell in love;) . He was so personable without being overbearing. He was warm and happy and tireless. Every night he would tell us what he recommended. If I had any doubt about my choice he would say "I will bring both ... you try". We had a vegan at our table and he went to the ends of the earth to get her the food she desired and she was extremely nice, but very demanding.

Peri would always ask each of us if we enjoyed our dish and if we didn't he would bring something else. Yet we weren't constantly "aware" of him, but somehow he was always "there". He knew what I liked within 2 days and if there was no chocolate on the menu, he would "find" something. I loved him and I begged him to come home with us.:)

On the Oosterdam a few weeks ago, our stewards were very sweet. I cannot fault them. Yet there was nothing personal about it. I was thrilled that they remembered our iced tea every night, but that was as personal as it got. They were tired, they were rushed and it was evident.

The 2 experiences were night and day and personally I preferred the first. But that's just me.

[dakrewser]

I want good service, not a new friend.

I appreciate a personable, knowledgeable steward as much as I appreciate a personable, knowledgeable waiter - or any other service person, for that matter.

"Order takers" belong in places where they always ask "do you want fries with that?"

Chatty servers - and patrons who demand their servers be chatty - drive me up the wall just as do supermarket checkout clerks who insist on commenting on the products you purchase.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Well, I have mixed feeling here. I have always enjoyed getting to know our Dining room Stewart. We would always joke with them and ask them about family back home. On the Oosterdam in May we did get some what friendly with our Dining Room Stewart but service was slow and we only got the chance to talk before and after dinner but he did try to suggest entrees. On the Ryndam this was the first time we had no chance to really talk or get friendly with our Dining Room Stewart but we had a some what lively table with lots of table conversation. But our Dining Room Stewart was very effecient and he was there when we needed him. Many of you may remember an old thread about eating Lobsters. Well, it is no secret that my husband who normally does not over eat really enjoys Lobster and each cruise we have taken he tries to beat his previous record of how many lobster he can consume on that night. We have always told our tablemates in advance as well as our Dining Room Stewart and they always play it up and make it lots of fun. This last time was no different, we were unsure because the days leading up to the last formal night we had not had the chance to be that friendly with our server. To our surprise he really got into it and made sure that Tom broke his record from the Oosterdam, actually the Zuiderdam because he fell short on the Oosterdam. Both our server and his assistant really wanted to make sure he broke his record. It really made for a fun night. BTW in preparation for doing this Tom does not eat much that day and when ordered for dinner that night he has no appetizer, soup, salad or any other side dish. Just the lobster. Oh yes for those who want to know "Just how many lobsters did Tom eat?" He made it to 10, he would of had 11 but I snagged one off his plate:D
Oh yes speaking of tablemates we had a very different group that one would say was not that matched up but we had a wonderful time. We had one couple both in their early 80's, another couple newly weds of 20 months but also in their early 80's then another couple that I believe were early 60's and Tom and I early 50's

OK, back to the thread this time it seemed to work well that there was no "chit-chat" and service was the best it had ever been. As far as Guest Room Stewarts we were amazed and thrilled. This was by far the very best Room Stewart we have ever had. Not only was he extremely friendly but was there when ever we needed him. The only thing I don't know is if he was that way because he was extremely good at what he did or that because we were in a suite he was required to be that good.

[ekerr19]

Our D/R steward on the Noordam made recommendations to me because I asked... I felt like he did not want to be too instrusive with the rest of the table, though most (but not all) of us went out of our way to treat him as someone other than just the "order taker".

We had one couple who rarely paid attention when asked if they were ready to order and treated him as part of the furnishings rather than an individual; on that note, I think it's difficult for a steward to anticpate how each person is going to react and they will often wait for interaction to be initiated by the pax before opening up a bit.

We have only had what I consider to be "poor" D/R service on one cruise, that was on the Zui. We waited 20 minutes for menus (and we weren't late) and the service was excrutiatingly S-L-O-W. Once I mentioned it to the Maitre d' it improved dramatically. In fact, the Maitre d' became our steward. :)

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have always loved to "chit-chat" with our dining room stewards. It's such a pleasure to get to know them, where they come from, and all about their familes.

We love to "chit-chat" with the bar staff as well.

We still get quite a few e-mails from many of the staff that we have gotten to know over the years.

BUT - we have noticed that times are changing and the crew do no have the time to chat anymore - such a shame. This was one of the reasons why so many people have loved HAL - the friendliness of the crew.

[ruthiegirl]

It's wonderful to meet other people however good service should be a priority over getting to know the details of someones life. That being said, a warm smile and a few minutes of honest interest in another human being goes a long way to appreciating what we share on this planet.

[iluvcruzin]

When I saw the title of this post, immediately I thought about the mystery steward Marc had on the Maasdam. What day was it before you actually met him Marc?

We chatted a bit with our cabin steward as well as the dining room waiter. In all honesty, it's been a month since we sailed and I can't remember either one's name. However, there were a few more memorable characters like Frederick the Yum-Yum man/employee of the month/stock car racing fan that greeted us throughout the cruise. With Kelly on board we met lots of the staff as it was unusual to have young people on a sailing. We talked to the cruise activities staff often and I can remember most of their names - Theresa, Jamie, Peter Murray and Morgan. I saw these people the most. Will I remember them in a year from now? I doubt it.

[Orcrone]

When I saw the title of this post, immediately I thought about the mystery steward Marc had on the Maasdam. What day was it before you actually met him Marc?Maureen,

That was actually the cabin steward. He never came over and introduced himself. I was sure I had seen him, just because I saw many stewards in the hallway, but didn't know which one was ours. It wasn't until about the seventh day (out of 10) that we met him. And that was because we went for an early breakfast and took the occupied sign off the door. He then came to clean the cabin after we returned. If not for that I would have never known who he was.

[CDRMark]

This a much deeper question than it first appears. The answer is apparently yes, and no. I always 'pass the time' with wait staff, bartenders, housekeeping, etc. But have never wanted to establish a 'relationship' (and indeed, what is a 'relationship'?). The difference here is the cruise experience. One is in closer quarters for an extended time with people that one would merely acknowledge in a different setting (hotel/resort). It is good manners to want to get to know someone that one spends a greater amount of time with. It is bad form to do so to such an extent that it disrupts their work, or takes them away from others who also need their services. Fine line. On my recent trip neither my cabin steward nor the waitstaff ever addressed me or DW by name, while we knew theirs. I did not feel slighted in the least. Good thoughtful question Marc. I daresay it also depends on ones past experiences.

Cheers
MarkB

[Bookish Angel]

Those wonderful, hardworking and nearly always friendly folks are serving me, therefore my sense of equality makes me want to know something about them, see how their day is going, etc. Sometimes, the crewpersons seem VERY surprised that their passengers speak with them. I have seen hundreds of people who never even say hello to service people and in general treat service folks as though they were invisible or somehow beneath them!

[RaffinOrganGrinders]

Getting to know your steward is as important as getting to know your server or bartender. After the initial conversation, discussion of likes and such, I have been amazed that each encounter reinforced that first meeting, with a smile and occasional early tip through the cruise.

Funny thing, no matter where we were on the Westerdam on our 17-day cruise we were greeting by name, last drinks remembered, and even an every evening guess as to what type of coffee I would have after dinner. Had something different each night with the server coming up with a surprise on our last evening. ;)

[tankerjo2]

We have always enjoyed a friendly exchange between staff and ourselves at dinner and throughout all of HAL's ships. We have never dripped and drooled over our waiters or servers acting like we wanted to adopt them or they were some long lost friends but we have treated them the way we would like to be treated, with appreciation and respect for a job well done. We are leaving in several days for our Ryndam cruise and I hate to think that the level of service may be anything less than we received 2 years ago when we sailed the Ryndam down to Mexico or that which my wife and her sister recieved on their HAL Alaskan cruise last year. After cruising HAL on a number of occasions since 92 this is going to be a make or break cruise for us when it comes to HAL....we will arrive with a smile on our faces but if HAL does not deliver as in the past were moving on to other options and I say that with a heavy heart as HAL's level of service both friendly and gracious has always been what has brought us back again and again.

[michmike]

Whether you feel the give and take or "chit chat" with staff is necessary, I think the important thing to understand for most of us is that the situation we are seeing of late is a marked CHANGE from what we have experienced in the past. And of course none of us like change.

The truth of the matter is that on our first 2 cruises w/ HAL(Veendam 2000 and Maasdam 2001) we had at least 3 or 4 staff who stood out as memorable and very special due to the levels of service they provided, either in the dining room, casino or lounges.

We would see our dining room stewards working the lido in the morning and they would go out of their way to come over and say "good morning". The bar staff knew whether you wanted the sesame stick mix or the mixed nuts. They knew your drink order and would ask if you wanted the same as the nite before. They were AT your table in the bars almost before you sat down and yet at the same time never came across as pushy.

Our first 2 cruises there was always a steel drum band out by the pool for sailaways and often at lunch or during the afternoon. .

You felt pampered and very much a guest.

That simply has not been the case on our last 2 cruises on HAL (jan 04 on Zaandam and last month on Volendam). Whether it is staff cuts, the new tipping policy (although that wasn't yet in effect in january) or what, but our overall impression of our cruise experience on HAL was markedly different on the past 2 trips. Night and Day? No... but certainly a step backward. Enough so that we're talking about taking another look at Celebrity where we first cruised.

Cabin stewards have all been pretty good.. Some more personable than others but all did a good job of taking care of our cabin. But only one staff member who stood out on Zaandam and and just one on Volendam (one of the asst cruise director staff, Heather).

I said in another post that our cruise director told us in disembarkation talk on Volendam that 950 of 1400 aboard were repeaters. With loyalty like that, I don't know why the folks in charge want to tamper. Haven't heard anyone on the boards of late who thinks that much of the changes other than new bedding have been positiver ones.

Just a cautionary tale, but back in college days I worked at a local tavern that did a good lunch biz... had a group of 6 utility workers that came in 3-4 times a week for lunch. Owner decided that they were using too many crackers in their chili and implemented a policy of 2 pks per bowl and extras would be 5 cents a pack. Guess where those guys no longer ate lunch?

If what you are doing is workin.. leave it be!!!

[Cruiseoften]

Seems to me there's a very fine line here - a waiter looking after 6 (our preferred size) 8 or, at a real pinch, 10 seat table has little time for chit chat - with probably six different items for each course I personally don't expect (or really want) him to be chatty. That does not mean to say he can't or shouldn't make recommendations, of interest to all I'd think. When it comes to coffee and dessert, I believe he has a bit of leeway and then should be able to chat a bit with each diner re family, where he comes from etc.

We choose not to dine Free Style on any ship - we can and frequently do that at home.

[Vicar]

Orcrone,

Hey been doing good ,
haven't been around too much lately between moving and then working to pay for the move *LOL* Of course getting ready for the Holidays doesn't help either

Not married yet, just engaged, but it feels pretty close *LOL*


How have you been doing? Just looking at the posts trying to catch up, i see you recently came back from a cruise, hope you had a great time.

Take care