Mistaken Identity

Am wondering if anyone has ever 'experienced' the crew areas on Cunards ships. I was mistaken for being part of the entertainment and invited to the crew bar. Had a fantastic night and met great friends but then they discovered, (someone sniched) I was a passenger and was sent back upstairs. Was asked or should I say 'interogated' several times throughout the holiday who invited me but that's something I took the 5th on! :p

So why did you accept? I would not have done so. Crew areas are their own space to relax and not have to go into "service" mode. But that's just me.

I was also once mistaken for a member of the crew, on QM2...

On a formal night, mid-Atlantic, after a superb dinner, I was enjoying a great evening. I walked across the Commodore Club, feeling very pleased to be on board this great Cunard liner, I'm sure I was wearing the biggest smile. As I passed the bar (with that incredible illuminated model of the ship behind it) an extremely elderly male passenger slid off a bar-stool, turned to me and said "I'll have another scotch and soda, be quick about it, and go clear that table over there so I can sit down" :( .

So why did you accept? I would not have done so. Crew areas are their own space to relax and not have to go into "service" mode. But that's just me.

Lets just say there was some romance involved and I was the one providing the service! But that's just me ;)

It must not have been worthy of "White Star Service" if the thanks was the crew bar and not some posher place.:p

It must not have been worthy of "White Star Service" if the thanks was the crew bar and not some posher place.:p

Ha Ha, ;););)

Lets just say there was some romance involved and I was the one providing the service! But that's just me ;)

I wouldn't advertise this overmuch, you could find yourself standing on the quayside watching the ship sail away.

David.

It must not have been worthy of "White Star Service" if the thanks was the crew bar and not some posher place.:p

LMAO :p:p:p

I would say that if "he...she" didn't take the time to know you well enough to know that you were a passenger......I would have myself "checked". :D

I was also once mistaken for a member of the crew, on QM2...

 

On a formal night, mid-Atlantic, after a superb dinner, I was enjoying a great evening. I walked across the Commodore Club, feeling very pleased to be on board this great Cunard liner, I'm sure I was wearing the biggest smile. As I passed the bar (with that incredible illuminated model of the ship behind it) an extremely elderly male passenger slid off a bar-stool, turned to me and said "I'll have another scotch and soda, be quick about it, and go clear that table over there so I can sit down" :( .

Back in 2012 on QV, during our overnight stop in Istanbul, I was heading up to Nine Deck to take some night shots of the city. I was wearing a Cunard branded polo shirt and carrying my camera on its tripod. A lady got into the lift on deck 7 looked me over and said "My, you have such a wonderful job!". I thought "how does she know I'm a database administrator" but she went on and said "I would love to be a photographer on a cruise ship" !!!

J

Back in 2012 on QV, during our overnight stop in Istanbul, I was heading up to Nine Deck to take some night shots of the city. I was wearing a Cunard branded polo shirt and carrying my camera on its tripod. A lady got into the lift on deck 7 looked me over and said "My, you have such a wonderful job!". I thought "how does she know I'm a database administrator" but she went on and said "I would love to be a photographer on a cruise ship" !!! J

Your story above (Cunard branded polo shirt) reminded me (thank you) of the only other time I've come across anything similar (sort of). This was in Barbados (QM2).

"Hideous of the Seas" or somesuch ship was also in port that day. I was wearing a polo shirt with a red circular "CUNARD LINE FIRST CLASS" embroidered badge on the chest. I stopped in the centre of Bridgetown and got chatting to three ladies (who told me they were on the other ship). One pointed at the badge and asked "Do they make you wear those on Cunard if you're in first class?" !!! :(

:) Brilliant! HeHe.

 

Your story above (Cunard branded polo shirt) reminded me (thank you) of the only other time I've come across anything similar (sort of). This was in Barbados (QM2).

"Hideous of the Seas" or somesuch ship was also in port that day. I was wearing a polo shirt with a red circular "CUNARD LINE FIRST CLASS" embroidered badge on the chest. I stopped in the centre of Bridgetown and got chatting to three ladies (who told me they were on the other ship). One pointed at the badge and asked "Do they make you wear those on Cunard if you're in first class?" !!! :(

ROFL!!!

I sincerely hope you answered in the affirmative - no point in bursting their bubble!.

On a QE cruise down to the Canaries in 2011 I was wearing a sweat shirt with an enormous "Queen Mary 2" logo emblazoned across the front. I got in the lift (again burdened with my camera and sundry lenses), and a gentleman got in on the next deck, looked me over and said "I have bad news for you". I said, "Oh dear - what's the bad news?" to which he replied "You're on the wrong ship!"

M

... On a QE cruise down to the Canaries in 2011 I was wearing a sweat shirt with an enormous "Queen Mary 2" logo emblazoned across the front. I got in the lift (again burdened with my camera and sundry lenses), and a gentleman got in on the next deck, looked me over and said "I have bad news for you". I said, "Oh dear - what's the bad news?" to which he replied "You're on the wrong ship!"

I wouldn't advertise this overmuch, you could find yourself standing on the quayside watching the ship sail away.

 

David.

Not on Cunard. ha ha:eek:

In my experience the best times and most fun in life are to be had going to places you aren't supposed to go and doing things you aren't supposed to do.

For male crew members that means the dancer's cabins :D

Then you get old and everything seems like a huge risk :cool:

Either be young or act young - I salute your fun in the crew bar ;)

If I'm remembering correctly, every time I've been on QM2, the Captains Welcome Aboard Message given over the tannoy includes something to the effect of "passengers are not to visit crew areas even if invited". I don't think it would be much fun finding out what the punishment is for disobeying this directive, and I imagine the consequences for a crew member violating this rule could be even more unpleasant.

I've read reports of passengers being confined to their cabin and disembarked at the next port for various offenses. Are they banned from future cruises, I wonder?

I was on a B2B on the QE2 in 1982. My stewardess on the first leg, a lovely young English lady, was a cocktail waitress on the second leg. On the second leg, she and her friend invited me to the crew bar. We had a great evening together. There didn't seem to be any issue about passengers being there, as there were several there who were obviously not crew and had been invited.

I've been mistaken for a crew member more than 10 times on cruises - 7 of which occurred on one QM2 outage alone!

I was instructed to fill an old lady's glass as she wanted water. I was asked what time the ship would dock in New York by one man in a lift and I said I had no idea. He grumbled about the staff being useless. His wife said she didn't think I was crew because she'd seen me at dinner. He apologised. I also got complimented twice as an alleged crew member - I wore a black shirt one day and was told the lights at the shows were great. I was also asked why I wasn't wearing my uniform by one lady who'd convinced herself I was a low level officer!

On a Princess cruise a Chinese looking lady clicked her fingers at me and demanded I tell her where the restaurant was. I told her it was two decks down and she wanted to be taken there, telling me it was my job. When I said to her I wasnt crew she called me a liar. I started laughing and she got angrier. I was also curtly told that I shouldn't be up in passenger areas by one of the hotel staff! I flashed my cruise card and I got many apologies.

I guess it doesn't help that I'm 29 and travelling alone.

Still, it makes for great stories when I come home!

Wow, Austcruiser, that really has been mistaken identity. All of the problems but none of the perks!

It shows you the expectations that people have. One of the Dance Hosts (American of Filipino extraction) once told me of walking through the dining room in his dinner jacket and being asked to top up glasses of water. He thought it was a great joke and did so. I thought it was sad that those passengers didn't look past the colour of his skin and jacket.

Many years ago when I saw in my mid thrities on a HAL cruise I saw mistaken as the young male entertainer from one of evening shows. The show featured a man who played the spoons with his daughter who played a fiddle and son who play the accordion(most thought the show was just plain awful). Anyway the next morning while riding a very crowded tender an elderly lady leaned across the seats and pats my knee smiling as she says in quite a loud voice "you were just wonderful last night". At that same moment several people near buy caught this part of the conversation, I tried to explain I wasn't the entertainer who played the accordion but everyone around me was giggling because the poor lady didn't understand what she had said. My partner got a great laugh at this. I just turned red.

I was on a B2B on the QE2 in 1982. My stewardess on the first leg, a lovely young English lady, was a cocktail waitress on the second leg. On the second leg, she and her friend invited me to the crew bar. We had a great evening together. There didn't seem to be any issue about passengers being there, as there were several there who were obviously not crew and had been invited.

The world has changed a lot since 1982. Not only is there the issue of crew privacy, but also of security. A passenger with malicious intent, who can enter crew areas, can cause some real harm.