Teknodude

55 minutes ago, micruiser2002 said:

And the employee also has the option to quit.  I am not sure exactly what you expect them to do?  If they completely shut down and then go bankrupt then what happens to the employees?  I am not on either side but I also understand that right now things are very difficult for everyone.  

They do. And they are. I know of half a dozen on Symphony this week. 
 

maybe the use of Bankrupt is a bit emotive and I should rephrase. 
would - top down restructuring be more constructive a term? 
 

My point (again) is the side of the employee. 
Miami HQ is treating the on board crew terribly. And they can’t bare much more. 
 

they want HQ to listen to their concerns. Accept a time out and reset is needed to get the operation back to what it should be, because right now the crew on board are struggling to maintain any sort of service whatsoever. 

9 minutes ago, xpcdoojk said:

Because like it is really easy to be suddenly without a job thousands of miles from home with a company that can’t afford to fly me home because they are out of business.  I am sure in Virginia for working people that would be an awesome day!  Because it will all just instantly go back in business as something new.  

 

Blasting is easy for those who spout stuff that doesn’t affect them in anyway but makes them feel like it is someone else’s fault/problem.

 

We are teetering on the edge, and it is just a joke.  Something funny to say.  

 

Kind of sad….

The initial argument has been lost slightly. 
 

No one wants RCI to go out of business or crew to lose jobs. 
But RCI arent helping their crew right now.
 

The written warning offenses for crew on symphony now are stuff like being in an area of the ship - even crew area -  not in your authorized work zone. Out. Sitting at a crew restaurant table with a crew member not in your immediate work team. Out.

deviating from your designated pattern of - Cabin - work zone - canteen - cabin - work zone - canteen - cabin. And repeat. For weeks. No rec areas. No bar. Nothing. You get a warning. 
 

and you wonder why crew morale behind the scenes is rock bottom. 
 

The crew aren’t asking for RCI to be shut down. No one ever said that. 
They want time to reset. Get full compliment of crew on. Give guests what they deserve. 
 

But RCI corporate just won’t listen to them and their concerns. This has been brewing for weeks. None of the crew on board are surprised what just happened from what I can tell. 

6 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

If some of these members don't think  your opinions go inline with theirs , they will blast you. Be prepared, if they think they are right and you are wrong.

Thanks Jimbo 

it’s an Internet forum. So I totally expect the usual crank “you won the internet” tropes with every other point of view under the sun.

And when it comes to my partners welfare as an officer on Symphony, my shoulders are so so bigger and can withstand any childish “blast” from keyboard warriors on here. 
 

I’m entitled to air my grievances at the way RCI is running its business as a sole profit machine at the expense of crew welfare (my partner is on board symphony and struggling right now), I will say it and talk about it until the end of time. Or he gets off that disastrously run ***** show of a cruise ship. 

The crew have been calling for a time out / reset for weeks because they are struggling to cope. 
 

Why have RCI HQ in Miami been so ignorant to this for so long? 

3 minutes ago, RoyalC said:

Bankrupt will just mean debt "reorganization" in this case- will still keep sailing like United kept flying.

I agree. It’s not like RCI would disappear. Like UAL, or AA restructured, fixed themselves etc. 

i think the point of such a situation is new management would be drafted in by the financial institutions banks creditors etc with a view that a fresh pair of eyes on the situation might help turn it around, refocus the business. 
 

But I think talk of RCI bankruptcy is premature. I have no idea what their cash balances or lines of credit are right now. 
 

1 minute ago, xpcdoojk said:

So, in your opinion the life of the crew will get better when RCI goes bankrupt?

 

That might be the dumbest thought ever posted on CC… congratulations you won the internet!

I don’t think I wrote the life of the crew would get better if RCI go bankrupt. If you disagree, can you quote me back. I don’t mind being disproved. 

RCI is a business which in the way they are currently operating is failing their employees. 
 

There was an inference that shutting down cruising is not an option. 
My counter is that it is an option. If my business can fail due to pandemic pressure, what is so special about RCI that it should be allowed to remain in operation whilst giving guests poor service and the crew are working in intolerable conditions. 
 

let’s try and keep the discussion sensible and civil. I have a point of view. You have one. Let’s discuss. 
 

But tiresome old insults like - you won the internet just doesn’t achieve much. 

5 minutes ago, micruiser2002 said:

So then what happens if they completely shut down again?  Does everyone still get full pay?  Without being able to operate and generate income they will not be able to continue to pay their employees.  Unfortunately it has been a very difficult 2 years for a lot of people.

 

What happens to my business when I don’t have enough customers buying my product to pay my bills. I fire people. The state helps by letting me furlough staff. 
If that isn’t enough, I have to close down. Shut up shop. 

I pay corporation tax in the USA so luckily I do receive some federal state aid. 
 

why should any business be better or more worthy than mine? Especially ones who incorporate in Liberia to avoid taxation.
 

Business is business. If you can’t afford to operate. Go bankrupt. Let someone else come in have a go.  

1 minute ago, Jimbo said:

Sorry to hear that. Richard Fain was a people person, who was really fond of his employees. I can imagine he wasn't happy where things were going.

I wrote it up on another thread about Symphony, but the way crew are expected to live now is nothing short of a tin pot regime. My partner says staff are quitting as quick as going down with covid. 
 

My partner says - we can’t be expected to live day in day out for months like this. Crew are just losing the will. And that translates to bad guest experiences which no one wants. Especially the crew. 

4 hours ago, Jimbo said:

What's the morale like onboard? Crew and Passengers? Does it feel like another cruise is upcoming or do things feel like things onboard are about ready to be shut down?

Crew morale on the floor. 
They have been calling for a temporary shut down reset for weeks. 
 

RCI HQ Miami totally could not care less for crew welfare. Only interested in their bottom line. Management up have zero interest in the welfare of their employees at sea. Just get money onto that bottom line. Hence the disaster they face now. 

My source - my other half. An officer on Symphony right now. 

57 minutes ago, CalTexCruiser said:

 

Thanks for your behind the scenes insight.  I think the timeout is definitely the right call.

 

What I find interesting is that RCI seems to be significantly harder hit than the related company Celebrity.  I wonder if the protocols for crew are different between RCI and Celebrity.

 

Although Celebrity has experienced positive cases among their crew, they are not seeing the huge numbers that are on RCI ships.

As a personal opinion - RCI seemed intent on packing its ships - especially premium cruises Xmas new year full of high priced guests to basically recoup some of their disastrous bottom line.
And let’s see what we can get away with. Keep filling the ships more and more until basically capacity. 
 

and it’s come back to proper bite them hard on the ass. 
 

the crew have been calling for this reset for weeks and weeks. And HQ in Miami just would not listen to them. 
 

it’s all on HQ in Miami. Vent your anger at them. 

I’ll reiterate this about the crew.
 

The crew are working under very difficult personal circumstances.

 
All crew social areas shut. 
Crew must go from work station to their cabin. Only detour is canteen to eat

. 
You can only eat alone or with someone from your immediate work environment - same office / team etc. 

Any co mingling or rule breaking will be met with immediate removal from the vessel. 
 

It’s tough for the crew too. Just remember they are working in trying circumstances - which hasn’t lent itself to giving guests a positive experience. 
 

hence why I think the reset was necessary.

48 minutes ago, RFerrington said:

If you cannot answer this question I completely understand.  Are the crew coming down with COVID multiple times (more than once) ?

I don’t know the answer. My other half had covid during the first wave a year ago. 
He is tested multiple times. Negative. (He is triple vax) 

48 minutes ago, RoyalC said:

Any report on the range of symptoms they are experiencing? Are they testing for variants?

I can again only quote my other half but he said that omicron was detected amongst the crew. His words. Not official. 

Just chiming in again.

 
From a crew perspective, many of crew were hating the current situation - such as the horrible Xmas cruise experience etc. 

Not being able to provide the experience guests expect was totally wrecking morale on board for crew and a lot were calling on RCI to call a time out. 
 

Crew were going down with covid, venues shutting, crew themselves living under draconian rules leading to crew morale plummeting, and the existing situation just couldn’t continue. 
 

I’m sure there are hundreds of disappointed customers out there, but RCI literally tried to run too quickly before they could walk, and have found out the hard way that right now it just wasn’t working with packed ships, and lack of crew.  
 

I’m in no way a RCI apologist - just totally support my partner who is suffering from the way these cruises have been run recently, and I think a time out was necessary so the company can regroup and get their ***** and protocols together and run (no pun intended) a tighter ship. 
 

Just my thoughts from someone indirectly affected by having a partner working on board Symphony. 

32 minutes ago, Starry Eyes said:

Are you willing to share your other half’s department?  I’m wondering if cancellations might be due to shortage of Bridge officers or a shortage of Engineers necessary for safe ship operations (and perhaps another Bridge or Engineering officer might be positioned to know such info…or not).

Thanks for passing the info along

admin. 

As far as I know from an update from other half just now, Symphony is cancelled for 21 days. 
 

if I get other updates I’ll feed back. 

but try not to shoot me - just feeding back from an officer on board Symphony right now. 

8 minutes ago, leono1 said:

Captain had supposedly announced it according to a person on FB whose onboard now.....

Correct. My other half just confirmed the captain just announced it on board 

13 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

People on here are going to grill you now, you better have good sources.  It's a tough crowd here and this appears to be a Debbie Downy News........and people on here can't handle that.

I’m fine. I am reporting what my other half who is an officer in meetings on Symphony right now is feeding back to me. 
 

if people would rather these boards didn’t contain rumour gossip and wild speculation these boards would be very quiet indeed. 
 

i don’t like sharing bad news. But thought the board would be interested in a first hand account from the ship. 

5 minutes ago, PatMunits said:

At this time it's just an unsubstantiated rumor because RCL stock price hasn't moved down, there are no blurbs on Twitter, or newsfeeds. However, given the fact that NCL cancelled seven of its sailings within past 24 hours the door has opened for RCCL to initiate its own cancellations.

I would say my other half as an officer on the ship is a good source but obviously not one I can  directly quote. Nothing official yet. 

10 minutes ago, HicksRA said:

Is that reality or rumor?? 

He texting me now. Officers getting briefing in the next hour 

let you all know soon as I do 

My other half is an officer on Symphony and he just said Symphony sailings cancelled for 3 weeks. I assume from next voyage 

Regarding the flow rider i ask my friend who is an instructor on Adventure now. 
He just text me back. 
 

He said - Only advanced riders can do stand up surfing as they are less likely to interact and have contact with an instructor. 

On 5/19/2021 at 6:16 PM, pstone1 said:

News said they received the J&J single shot!

Confirmed - I have a friend on Adventure - he got his J&J shot yesterday.  

Explorer just left Port Canaveral - watching on the port webcam as it went past Adventure.....  

Hi BasandSyb, 

just to update you on what I wrote - the form filling is only for crew, so don’t expect that.  Sorry for the mis-info.  My friend thought I was asking for a crew member on board. 

If you come across a lovely Canadian pilot called Todd, say hi.  He’s traveling solo, and is lots of fun. 

Take care, and fling any questions you have my way, I’ll try and get them answered by my friend at the port. 

Best - N. 

Hi - sorry this answer isn’t as full as I would like, but I texted a few people I know who work for Royal Caribbean, and this is what they told me.  As long as symptom free, you should be able to get off the ship, and will be encouraged to go straight to the airport for your flight outta here.  

There is nowhere to stay, as all hotels are shut down in Miami-Dade county. 

He said if protocols are followed, you will sign a form declaring that you are well, and then just debark and get in to a cab to the airport and that’s as far as the cruise line’s responsibility.  

Anything after that is dependent upon the entry requirements of your home country you are flying to. 

Sorry not that helpful, but it is what my friend who works there told me.  

If you have any other questions, just reply and I’ll ask him as he seems pretty clued up as to what is going on.