Captain and staff shared Lido with passengers on Ryndam

[gonnago]

Our group commented on how nice it was to see the Captain, Officers and staff eating right along side of us in the Lido for breakfast and lunch.

On the second Formal Night, the cruise director, Steve joined our table for dinner. When I commented to him about how nice it was to see these people daily, he said that wasn't standard on other cruiselines as the officers and staff had their own messes. He had only been with HAL for 6 months after a six-year stint with either Princess or RC (I can't remember).

This small thing left a huge positive impression with the passengers on the Ryndam.

"Thanks to all for your help & advice. Our May 28th cruise was much better for it!"

[hotspur]

This kind of thing sends a much better signal to passengers than private dining rooms and lounges for suite passengers.

[ryansmemom]

http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gifThanks for the memory. Seeing the Senior Staff and Senior Officers including the Captain dining in the Lido has always been one of the special experiences of HAL. From our first HAL cruise on the Westerdam in 1995 on we have always mingled with the most senior officers in the Lido.

The midnight buffet was the place to meet the officers and the entertainers and sit down to chat. Before the Lido was used as an alernate dining venue for passengers, it was the dinner dining room for staff and officers. I'm not sure, but it still may be on some ships. Last November we saw the Captain dining in the Lido at lunch time every day.

In my humble opinion, this is just another example of HAL's greatest asset. It's employees. The most senior staff and officers are out and about and accessable. We often see them in the lounges, in the Lido or just walking about and they are just delightful to talk with. They are very interesting people with literally a world of experience.

Linda

Thanks for listening

[ekerr19]

We often see officers in the Lido for breakfast and lunch. We have had one or two ask to join us for lunch.

Normally, one side of the Lido is reserved in the evening for staff dinner.

I agree wholeheartedly that it is nice to see them out and about mingling, if time permits.

Another great place to meet and talk with staff & officers is the Crow's Nest after 11:00 pm.

On our Noordam Christmas & New Year's cruise, the Captain was in the Horn Pipe Club almost every evening meeting and dancing with fellow pax, same with the Hotel Manager (we introduced his daughter to a young man who was a friend of ours). We had a great time!

Noordam 1984
Veendam 1999
Amsterdam 2000
Noordam 2001
Statendam 2001
Noordam 2002
Zuiderdam 2003
Maasdam 2004.
Noordam 2004

[gonnago]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Another great place to meet and talk with staff & officers is the Crow's Nest after 11:00 pm.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I believe that during our May 28th cruise on Ryndam, the CD and his staff were the only ones in the Crow's Nest late at night. But that was nice too, and that group was energetic after having a long, long day. They were appreciated.

"Thanks to all for your help & advice. Our May 28th cruise was much better for it!"

[SeaDays]

It's funny that an older HAL review complained that the CREW took up space in the PASSENGERS' dining area!

I think it's great that they're there, and applaud you for being one of the "half-full" (rather than "half-empty") thinkers on this board.

[Globaliser]

I've always liked this on HAL. It's great for building relationships between passengers and "the ship" - and the more that the officers and staff can build some sort of relationship, however temporary, with their current complement of passengers, the better everyone will feel about their cruise. In the case of one HAL cruise, this worked so well that 7 years later I'm still good friends with the CD and one of the cruise staff - and this would never have come about if they hadn't been visible and amenable to people stopping off to say hi as they passed by at lunchtime etc.

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Jewel of the Seas 1-3 May 2004 - see my review here (http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?q=Y&s=927093444&a=tpc&m=904107102&f=069097554), and my photos here (http://community.webshots.com/album/140741580OdzpCX).