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

Wow -- what ship am I on? I thought I was on the Silver Spirit. What you all describe couldn't be farther from accurate in describing our experience with the current crew. They are all delightful and polite. We make it a point to learn their names and they in turn know ours and our drink and food preferences. Some are new to Silversea and still need to move up the learning curve. Others are veterans and very good at their jobs. Regardless of nationality, the crew is superb.

There are no inconsistencies in this thread.

Most organisations who are serious and measure how what they offer meets with their customers expectations will set themselves a target of (say) meeting or exceeding 95% of their customers expectations. This allows therefore for around 5% of your customers saying that "what you did" failed to meet "my" expectations. The important thing is to set realistic expectations that you can meet and then simply meet or exceed them. Do not make promises you do not genuinely intend to keep.

You should therefore expect to see the vast majority of people expressing an opinion to be positive. People who do not share the same opinion as any individual are not "wrong". They either/and/or had a different set of expectations that were not met and had an experience that was different from what they expected. For example, they could have sat at the same table and ate the same meal as others who were delighted, but they were not. This does not mean some people were right others wrong or that they had "a different meal".

The majority of people do not "make stuff up".

Improving customer satisfaction is rarely done for altruistic or philanthropic reasons or because ethically "it is the right thing to do". It is and only ever normally done or should be done when it makes "good business sense" to do so.

All of the evidence seems to point to that Silversea is on a trajectory that is intended to increase volume and reducing overhead. It follows that new customers will arrive all smiley faced and optimistic and happy with a different set of expectations and satisfaction thresholds and a few early adopters or recent adopters will defect but the majority will stay and be content. That is called strategy. That is what SS wants and that is what they appear to be successful in achieving.

Jeff

There may be no connection between this thread and the all-inclusive cruises which Silversea appear to be trying, but I cannot help but note that several reporters recently have mentioned their cruises being only about half full. This cannot be good news for Silversea, or probably really for those who like the line.

There may be no connection between this thread and the all-inclusive cruises which Silversea appear to be trying, but I cannot help but note that several reporters recently have mentioned their cruises being only about half full. This cannot be good news for Silversea, or probably really for those who like the line.

I read your post to mean that you have understandably deduced that the change may have caused the reduced sales. In fact it may be the other way around and lower projected occupancy rates may have caused SS to make the changes we see announced for future cruises. It would seem to be too early for the recent changes to have caused low overall sales for current cruises, but it might have been a factor causing SS to attempt to increase sales for future cruises by appearing more all inclusive and superficially "better value". Whether it works or not is to be seen.

The connection with this thread is simply it seems just further evidence of disconnection with some of SS's existing customers.

I sure hope there is a disconnection between the posters in this thread and the majority of passengers on Silversea.

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?

Unless they are laughing and pointing, who cares? AND they don't know who speaks what language and might understand them if they're being rude, so I'm sure they're pretty cautious about that.

Floridian & OctoberKat: On SS, I've found that an extremely small percentage of passengers have even heard of, let alone read, the CC boards so don't worry.

On the other hand, on my first cruise, I arrived having read complaints about the decrease in luxury experience (this was 2007) and the first dinner half of the table complained bitterly about how bad the service/food was despite not being on CC. The other lovely couple took us aside after and said that they hoped the whiners wouldn't affect our appreciation of what we were about to experience. We enjoyed that cruise greatly and since we had never experienced luxury before, were wowed.

Since then, cutbacks have continued and now I find myself in the whiner category although I try not to whine when on board with newbies. The product is still amazing, with some caveats (one of which is the aging of the fit and finish but you'll be blown away by how clean things are, the staff work hard at that.)

Jeff may be right, they may be shifting their product placement and we are not shifting our expectations. The per diem for my cruises has remained almost static for the past 7 years (I'm not cruising SS this year) so obviously, something had to change. Some changes don't bother me (we don't drink alcohol so the quality of what is included doesn't affect us) but other changes do (we don't take overview tours so don't want to pay for them and I see no indication that the new Med clients are getting a credit towards the more detailed tours given that they've already 'paid' for tours as part of their fare.)

They have the right to shift their product's target market and we have the right to shift our cruise lines. There are other luxury lines to try and so I'm off to do that next week. In my case I'm going to see if I'm happy to trade cabin size and small group of passengers for a number of activities that excite me (guest choir and book club, for example.)

Life is always about trade-offs. The more you experience things in life, the more you'll figure out which items are 'lines in the sand' for you. We love two sinks in the bathroom, for instance. Not a line in the sand for us but something I look at each time I look at a new cruise line.

So look forward to your cruise, quickly identify the glass-half-full people and hang around with them, and make notes about what pleases you the most. Question your fellow travelers about their experiences traveling the world and use their first-hand accounts, keeping your personal preferences in mind, and start adding to your bucket list.

The biggest issue I have with SS passengers is they keep telling me about things that I want to experience for myself. That first cruise was supposed to be a one-off. Instead, this upcoming cruise will finish off a goal we made for ourselves to cruise around the world! So luxury travel can be expensive, not because of the initial trip, but because of all the other trips you start planning after talking to fellow travelers!

Love your post Kate and completely agree.

Thank you Kate. I have suspected as much and experienced similar on another line and cc. We decided to book a different line for its unique itinerary.

Unless they are laughing and pointing, who cares? AND they don't know who speaks what language and might understand them if they're being rude, so I'm sure they're pretty cautious about that.

The paranoid passenger(s). Also as they're not following the rules they agreed to follow from the cruise line I'd guess their managers/officers.

The Crew Manifest of Silver Explorer for a voyage in mid-2013 recorded that:

* of the Waiters and Bar Staff, 16/20 were from the Philippines; and

* in the Galley, 15/19 were from the Philippines.

Of the whole Crew of 117 (and this number includes the Expedition Leaders, the Captain and the other Officers and the Spa Staff and the like) 67 were from the Philippines.

The Crew Manifest of Silver Explorer for a voyage in mid-2013 recorded that:

 

* of the Waiters and Bar Staff, 16/20 were from the Philippines; and

 

* in the Galley, 15/19 were from the Philippines.

 

Of the whole Crew of 117 (and this number includes the Expedition Leaders, the Captain and the other Officers and the Spa Staff and the like) 67 were from the Philippines.

This is in aid of ... what?

I like to write about these things: it takes my mind off what I should be doing.

Octoberkat, although most others will have joined the dots, let me do some of your thinking for you; and do so by way of an example.

On my last Explorer voyage, the Expedition Team were a delight; the Captain was jolly; the room was superb and the weather God-given etc. The food was half-execrable.

(I started bringing from the Buffet particularly unlovely bits back and say to my wife: Try this. After the first go, she’d have no more of it and so I stopped. Anyway, it wasn’t appropriate behaviour.)

But, to make it worse for me and, seemingly, some others, right from the get-go and every day the Chef stood out the front during nearly all of the lunch-hour and some of the evening meal in the crisply upright, self-qualifying Chef’s hat and sporting a big smile as if to say: "Anytime you want to come up and talk to me and thank me, be my guest." Yuk!

Well, it took me a few days to figure out that I was quite wrong: the Chef wasn’t "saying" that at all. What the Chef was trying to "say" was: I was brought on board so Silversea can write up my Training/Experience and the excellence I’ll be bringing to your dining so you can feel wonderful about what you’ll be getting; but now, standing here, I’m letting you know there’s a Union back there over which I’ve learnt I have no control; and I may as well stand out here, as be in the galley, for all the good it does, and what you have to eat right now is far from what I could make, if allowed, and so please don’t blame me.

(Again, like the French maitre ‘d, I had to feel sorry for the Chef!)

And, OctKat, let me give you a specific example.

Adobo is a wonderful Filipino dish; indeed, it is their national dish. No other country, as far as I know, has a similar way of cooking chicken, or pork etc. I’ve had it a couple of time in the Philippines: in their restaurants and also on planes, and have sometimes made it myself. I’m even assured that each household delights in having its own version!

One night on the Explorer, the Assistant-Head Chef came to the table during dinner and, for the sake of bon homme, I extolled Chicken Adobo, to smiles all around, and whereupon asked if he could, in chicken, do his country’s national dish for me. I can still remember his initial hesitation; followed up with: "Of course". At Lunch the next day, I was told to expect it next Lunchtime. And, yes, Octokat, you’ve guessed it, even without me asking, this went on for a few days.

One night, after my evening meal of Salmon etc was served, a plate of cubed chicken in a dark sauce was put down alongside. I was a stranger to its appearance. After my initial tasting, only one other volunteered; and, on seeing her response, no-one else would. But, as that ‘volunteer’ said: "It’s not their fault, they’re not trained chefs, he simply didn’t know how, his mother always made it. In the Galley, they cook by the numbers". Whatever that last bit means.

So, Ockikat, I can only say: Why not try Adobo, in chicken/pork whatever, next time on board and it might put it all in context for you.

Close to amusing but no cigar, thankee nonetheless. Rest assured I shall my own go in November.

Does anyone else find the casual racism in this thread quite shocking?

Does anyone else find the casual racism in this thread quite shocking?

Read closer, there has been resistance.

Read closer, there has been resistance.

It's not universal, I agree, but pervasive nonetheless.

To my knowledge, and someone correct me if I am wrong, Philippine is not a race, it is a nationality. The race is Asian. But bias is wrong no matter at what it is directed.

To my knowledge, and someone correct me if I am wrong, Philippine is not a race, it is a nationality. The race is Asian. But bias is wrong no matter at what it is directed.

The US Census Bureau define people from the Philippines as a minority ethnic group. Whatever that means. In fact they are Autranesian as defined by the Haplogroup O1 (Y-DNA) genetic marker.

Whatever, the basic principle of defining an individual by their character rather than their ascribed ethnic, racial or national group remains lost on some.

Does anyone else find the casual racism in this thread quite shocking?

Yes, I do, Jeremy. And one of the big reasons we continue to sail Silversea is our love for the Philippinos among the other nationalities on the crew. On a recent cruise, we had a group of eight passengers who arranged to have an authentic Philippine meal cooked for us. They were delighted and created a magnificent meal we shall never forget. And it was authentic. And the bar staff, wait staff, butlers, housekeeping, and other Philippino crew we have met over many years have been wonderful!

So, to each his own. If one doesn't like it, there are other cruise lines.

Dieter

Thank you, Dieter, for your post. We totally agree. This is one of the best crew's with whom we have ever sailed. Now that the ship is about half full, we know that what was great will only get even better.

...On a recent cruise, we had a group of eight passengers who arranged to have an authentic Philippine meal cooked for us. They were delighted and created a magnificent meal we shall never forget. And it was authentic...

It was a wonderful meal made more special by the obvious pride shown by the Philippino staff. Maybe we shall all be able to get together and do it again some time...?

So, there are competent Head Chefs, and some not so competent. This can apply to any nationality, of course.

Yes, I do, Jeremy. And one of the big reasons we continue to sail Silversea is our love for the Philippinos among the other nationalities on the crew. On a recent cruise, we had a group of eight passengers who arranged to have an authentic Philippine meal cooked for us. They were delighted and created a magnificent meal we shall never forget. And it was authentic. And the bar staff, wait staff, butlers, housekeeping, and other Philippino crew we have met over many years have been wonderful!

 

So, to each his own. If one doesn't like it, there are other cruise lines.

 

Dieter

We had a similar experience Wellseasoned. On a 2012 British Isles cruise on Silver Whisper, our party of 4 was served a delicious Indian meal in our cabin prepared especially for us. It was an absolute delight! The food was spectacular, the service impeccable and the attention to detail was amazing. Our continued interest in Silversea is because of their staff not in spite of them!

I am not sure the racism or ethnocentrism or outright prejudice was subtle or casual.

It's offensive and harmful.

I found myself reading this thread and trying to determine exactly what the issue was, at least initially.

If it really was a question that inquired as to the use of English aboard by the crew, the responses have taken it very far afield from the query.

If the rule and a condition of employment is that English be spoken in front of the PAX, then that is the rule. The crew should abide by it. I don't necessarily agree with it, nor do I think that English is the lingua Franca, but apparently management of this business, Silversea, has determined that English is to be spoken when interacting with PAX.

I can't tell you how many times I have heard the crew members interacting with PAX and speaking other languages, such as German, Spanish, Italian, Swedish, Flemish, etc. these were conversations between PAX and CM. Should the PAX demand that the conversation be held in English, even if it isn't their primary language?

Are those CM violating the rule? Should the CM tell the PAX they can not speak to them other than in ENglish?

This thread took a turn for the worse.

I agree we have the freedom to express our opinions, but let's be honest about what some of them "smack" of.