Are crew no longer required to speak English in public areas?

When We first sailed with SS on the Shadow in 2011 it was explained to us on our tour that crew were required to speak English only, even amongst themselves, in public areas where pax are around, including dining rooms, hallways, bar areas, etc. But the last two SS cruises we have been on this does not appear to be the case, e.g., there is loud and animated Tagalog discussion about this, that or the other all over the ship. Has the English only policy been rescinded, or is it just not being enforced?

I have lots of days/nights on SS from the days when they had only two ships, and I have never heard of such a policy. I have heard crew conversing in their home languages from the beginning.

Catlover54, it appears you are not enjoying your trip. Yes, the crew is supposed to speak English in public areas. I have never seen it enforced.

At the risk of appearing a leftie pinko-liberal - I cannot see any reason why staff cannot speak to each other in whatever language takes their fancy as long as they use English to English-speaking passengers. And that their conversational volume is restrained.

Are you freaking kidding me is this a joke or something telling someone what language to speak in And who really cares oh boy:eek:

English, whose English?

I think it's common in the industry for staff to be expected to use the standard ship's language while in passenger areas.

The Whisper/Shadow deck four guest laundry is behind a door that leads to crew areas (the crew stairwell is behind a curtain beside the laundry room door.)

On the back of the door leading into the main halls outside the guest cabins is a sign saying "Remember English only beyond this point." (Or something to that effect.)

So, yes it was a policy. Not on board now so can't say if it is still a policy.

I can't see a problem with staff communicating in their own language provided it is at a quiet level. This is especially the case if they were communicating about an issue or something that needed attention.

Wouldn't speaking in your mother tongue reduce any chance of confusion?

Surely staff are also allowed to communicate with non English as a native language guests in their own tongue e.g. French, Italian? etc

Your question is, to say the least, disturbing. The crew are what makes the Silver Sea product. After 100's of days, I can only recall one crew member that I made a suggestion to the Hotel Director about....simply, I asked that he smile more as he was a security officer and thus the first to see guests depart and return to the ship.

If the crew are prohibited from using their native tongue to communicate to each other, their ability to better meet guests expectations could be impacted.

Our favorite night on every cruise is the "crew parade" where the guests are given the opportunity to recognize the staff for the experience they have given the guests.

I can't see a problem with staff communicating in their own language provided it is at a quiet level. This is especially the case if they were communicating about an issue or something that needed attention.

Wouldn't speaking in your mother tongue reduce any chance of confusion?

Surely staff are also allowed to communicate with non English as a native language guests in their own tongue e.g. French, Italian? etc

(QUOTE)If the crew are prohibited from using their native tongue to communicate to each other, their ability to better meet guests expectations could be impacted.

Our favorite night on every cruise is the "crew parade" where the guests are given the opportunity to recognize the staff for the experience they have given the guests. (QUOTE) JackO

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I agree with you both wholeheartedly.

I thought Silversea was an Italian owned line. So why isn't the staff required to speak Italian in public areas?!!!!!

At the risk of appearing a leftie pinko-liberal - I cannot see any reason why staff cannot speak to each other in whatever language takes their fancy as long as they use English to English-speaking passengers. And that their conversational volume is restrained.

It could be considered rude. Are they making nasty comments about the passengers or is their conversation work related or are they going on about their favorite team and not doing their job?

I thought Silversea was an Italian owned line. So why isn't the staff required to speak Italian in public areas?!!!!!

Perhaps they are largely from the Philippines

I thought Silversea was an Italian owned line. So why isn't the staff required to speak Italian in public areas?!!!!!

I was kidding, people.

Thanks to all who attempted to answer the factual question of whether or not English only in public areas is a policy or not on SS. My question was not intended to address the practical pros and cons of such a policy ( which is a separate issue), nor as an invitation to generally expound on class warfare or an English "superiority" rant. My own first language was actually not English ( nor was it even my second language, it is my third) so I have no intrinsic bias favoring English per se unless there are good reasons for it ( though there may be good reasons for such a policy on a cruise line where most pax are English speakers, and where crew are international).

My question was actually answered directly today when I was on a fun galley tour on the Spirit and another passenger asked the French born executive chef directing the tour about whether or not staff speak English. He brisky replied that not only are staff expected to speak English, but there are signs for staff reminding them as they exit the kitchen that they are supposed to speak English only in public areas. He elaborated that some staff violate this policy and need "reminding" to adhere to it ( he illustrated his idea of a "reminder" by symbolically tapping on the back of his neck, like teachers or parents used to do with kids).

In sum, "English only" in pax areas does seem to be a policy, ( but there are frequent violators and from what I have seen, it is not strictly enforced). Pros/cons remain to be debated.

Personally, I think it's a silly policy. Why should the people from the Phillipines, or any country, be expected to converse with each other in English just so a passing passenger might understand what they are saying? If they are addressing the passenger I'm sure they'd have the common sense to use English.

The way I see it, the policy not only puts the passenger at ease, it puts all the wait staff at ease since they are not all from the Philippines. One of my favourites is from France, another, India. Therefore, if the information being passed along is work related, all can benefit from overhearing the conversation. If the conversation is not work related, then exactly what place does this conversation have in the dining room?

The English-only policy also means that the Maitre d' and officers know that the staff are working to the SS standards and not gossiping while they work.

Ashore, how many of us have been annoyed when we've walked into a shop or restaurant and felt like we were imposing on the staff since we are interrupting a conversation with our presence? (Maybe that doesn't happen in the high end shops that you all go to, but I can assure you this is something that happens at diners and lower end department and discount stores.) While I don't like to be fawned over or treated insincerely by staff, I also don't like to feel like I'm an inconvenience and disrupting their day when I ask a question or approach the checkout to pay for a purchase.

I'm assuming the policy is there because it is part of the luxury treatment of passengers. It is part of the package along with our garbage cans being emptied twice daily (really, that's excessive!), our rooms tidied twice a day (ditto), fresh towels twice a day (ditto in spades!), someone bringing us blankets when we get chilly by the pool (why can't we shift ourselves from the chair and get it ourselves?!), etc., etc.

Maybe it's just me but when i travel I enjoy hearing foreign languages even if I don't understand what' seeing said. If I needed to hear only English I'd stay home.

I thought you lived in the Palm Springs area.

And your point?

I think the staff are encouraged to speak English because otherwise a (paranoid) passenger may think they are speaking about them.

I think the staff are encouraged to speak English because otherwise a (paranoid) passenger may think they are speaking about them.

They can do that easily enough using English.

Onboard now, and I have only witnessed a couple of instances where the crew was not speaking English while in public places.

I do think the English only rule is a practical one though for a couple of reasons. As someone previously stated, members of the crew are from many different places, and having one uniform language that everyone can understand makes sense. If nothing else, it is good to be in the habit of communicating in English in case of emergency.