Who's the Yum Yum Man?

[sodell]

I booked a quickie cruise only a few days ago. I read a few things about the yum yum man, but he's still a mystery to me. Sounds like he walks around the dining room with sweet treats. Can someone explain please.
Thanks

btw... maybe the mods can add an icon of a smiley licking it's chomps.

[spcl4cs_gal]

He's the guy you meet when you exit the Vista Diningroom...he's handing out mints and ginger as a afterdinner treat...not like anyone needs it. :)

[Krazy Kruizers]

There are 2 of them - one for each dining level.

They look like the old Phillip Morris men from years ago.

They also go from deck to deck ringing the dinner gong to remind people that dinner is being served.

[RuthC]

The "walking around the dining room with sweets" part is at breakfast. In addition to his nightly duties the yum-yum man serves "yummy" breakfast pastries.

[RevNeal]

Here is a Yum-Yum Man. He made sure everyone knew he was the REAL "Mohammed Ali"

http://www.revneal.org/masmall.jpg

Back a few months ago (July 14th, actually) our own dear General lknick posted the following about the history of the uniform:

The uniform of the yum-yum man derives from the loader in a gun team of the Royal Artillery during the Napoleonic era. The flat round hat is so he can get out of the recoil way fast. Other military headgear was plumed or helmited.

The loader was also the gun teams runner, ie obtaining ammunition from the caissons which were parked behind the gun battery. Because of this, the uniform was adopted for messengers in military clubs and then in hotels where the messenger was called first a ‘caller’ for it was he who paged guests and then a bell-boy. The bell-boy role migrated to steam ships.

Phillip Morris adopted the bell-boy uniform as “Johnny” was a caller and said "c-a-ll fo-o-o-r Phil-lip mo-r-r-r-is".

To this day, those "cute little red and gold colors" are the colors of the Royal Artillery.

And now you know more than you ever did about yum-yum man.

Yes, indeed ... that is MORE than we ever wanted to know about the Uniform!!!!! :)

I hope lknick is ok. He lives in Fort Myers Florida.

[obriendan]

We have had the same Yum Yum man, Raymond, on three of our six HAL cruises. Without a doubt, he is the most charming of all the wait staff we have encountered. On our second HAL cruise, he remembered both of our names! Whenever he would see me without my wife, he would say "Where's your honey?". On our recent QM2 cruise we were discussing the service staff of cruise lines with another couple. They mentioned that there was a particular Yum Yum man that they remembered and it was Raymond. Here is a picture of Raymond, the Yum Yum man, on the Ryndam's Jan 4-21, 2002 South America-Antarctica cruise (He is in his less formal attire):


http://boards.cruisecritic.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=931&stc=1

[Krazy Kruizers]

WOW!!

We have been on 23 HAL cruises on different ships and never saw the same Yum Yum man twice.

[BorderLady]

I hope lknick is ok. He lives in Fort Myers Florida.
RevNeal, Lknick is fine. He is currently in the UK where has been asked to be a visiting lecturer at The Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst.

Although I am sure he appreciates your concern, I wouldn’t expect to hear from him again on this board.

[bryanwal]

My wife thought she wouldn't partake of the Yum Yum Guy's offerings but the seas were a little rough one night on our recent Alaska cruise on the Oosterdam so she took a piece of candied ginger. Ginger is reputed to have a stomach calming effect and it worked like a charm. All her queasiness disappeared in short order. We think the Yum Yum Guy serves a valuable purpose!