Does the crew aboard princess eat well also???

[jeromep]

With all this talk about onboard policies and where staff and crew can and cannot eat, I couldn't help but wonder why this book hasn't been mentioned?

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0981843611/ref=oh_o02_s00_i01_details

[highheel girl]

We were on the Emerald in January/February with our daughter who is one of the Production Singers, and she could eat anywhere that we could. She was free to walk into the Anytime Dining room and request a table just like she was a passenger. She could eat at the Horizon Court whenever she wanted, and was also allowed to eat at the specialty restaurants, paying the same fees as everyone else. The dancers, however, needed to apply ahead of time to eat in the MDR, but could eat at Horizon Court or Specialty Dining.

 

The regular crew can only eat in the crew DR. ;)

[centralcalicruzer]

The regular crew can only eat in the crew DR. ;)

 

Yes, I knew that, and of course the original OP did say "crew", but others had commented on the difference between crew, staff and officers and entertainers, so I was just adding to that information. The production singers are actually considered "guest entertainers" and even have to leave the ship for several hours every turn around day in FLL and have a blue card that looks just like the first time cruisers' cards. The dancers are considered a lower level officer and have slightly less privileges than the singers. They have to wear a name tag while they are out and about on the ship, even when not working, and are only allowed in the MDR with advance request, while the singers do not have name tags and can eat anywhere on the ship that a guest eats.

[JulieRose]

I don't think so...

 

Warning!! Foul language used in this video.

 

[hansi]

Hi All

 

As one of very few pasengers every to be invited into visit the crew mess

 

they eat well, they eat the type of food they want Princess goes to great lengths to ensure they get the food they are used to

 

From my point of view it would appear most of the crew eat about a ton rice a week.

 

The officers have a different selection, but you can find them sitting with the crew as well.

 

From my vists the area was very neat and tidy, spottless like any kitchen on a Princess ship,

 

but what was nice was the crew all smiled and waved on seeing a passenger in their area.

 

yours Shogun

 

 

They do a mean curry too Shogun:p

[Shogun]

Hi Hansi

 

a mean curry is an under statement, it is so hot your eyes start to water

 

when you are still 100 feet from the pot.

 

 

yours Shogun

[simbasmom]

Hi All

 

As one of very few pasengers every to be invited into visit the crew mess

 

they eat well, they eat the type of food they want Princess goes to great lengths to ensure they get the food they are used to

 

From my point of view it would appear most of the crew eat about a ton rice a week.

 

The officers have a different selection, but you can find them sitting with the crew as well.

 

From my vists the area was very neat and tidy, spottless like any kitchen on a Princess ship,

 

but what was nice was the crew all smiled and waved on seeing a passenger in their area.

 

yours Shogun

 

Wow! How did you get to go to the crew mess? Our son's staff on Princess and he told me that passengers are not supposed to be in crew areas (Shhh;)) Yes, they do get a lot of rice, and that's probably why staff from US, England, etc. that don't eat a lot of rice tend to go to the Horizon Court. However, when a ship's on code red, the staff isn't supposed to be in passenger areas unless working there. So no trips to the Horizon Court!

[Kamloops50]

dry salt biscuit a tot of rum and 40 lashes :eek: that's what keeps them working

 

Very Funny :confused::confused::confused::confused::confused:

[Shogun]

Hi simbasmom

 

You need to be invited by senior member of crew to have a below decks private tour, like Captain showing you his ship, but unless you are a friend of the captain then it will not happen, been lucky got to know a few well and use such were happy to show me off limits areas. Have visited ships to be greeted by the captain and like wise when leaving have the captain come down to the gangway to say good bye, my fellow passengers are often shocked to see captain on the gangway. Just so happens my friend is a cruise ship captain.

 

yours shogun

[Reader0108598]

To clear up the guessing going on here.

 

There's three "types" of crew on board:

 

Officers, which includes obviously the Bridge Officers, the Engineering Officers, the Doctors and Nurses, the Hotel Management (also the Front Desk staff) and the Social (Cruise) Staff up to the Cruise Director. All of these, with exception of the Cruise Staff, wear stripes denoting their rank. They can either eat in the dedicated Officer's Mess, the Horizon Court or the Specialty Restaurants (and they do PAY the cover charge & drinks). If space is available they can also eat in the "regular' restaurants, this needs always be confirmed with the Maitre D', though. When eating in passenger areas consideration is to be given and passengers always come first.

The food in the Officer's Mess is the passenger menu (no lobster or crab legs and other high cost items or items in high demand) plus a buffet.

 

Staff, which includes the Photographers, Spa Personnel, Shop Staff, Musicians, Dancers (the managers of these areas are considered Officers) and Petty Officers such as the Housekeeping Supervisors, Security Staff, the Deck Petty Officers (the guys you see around in dark blue) and others on supervisor level.

They can eat in a dedicated staff mess (buffet), use the Horizon Court or the specialty restaurants (they pay, too) and, if the Maitre D' approves, the regular restaurants.

 

Crew which is pretty much all the rest. Like your waiter or cabin steward, for example. They can eat in the crew mess (buffet) and nowhere else. If they have, for example, a special occasion to celebrate they can request to be granted access to the specialty restaurants for a night. They also have to pay the cover charge & drinks. They cannot use the Horizon Court.

 

Staff & Crew cannot use the Officer's Mess whereas Officers can make use of the Staff or Crew Mess (doesn't happen too often)

 

Now if the food is good... First, the crew (in this case all of the above) is on board for a long time. Each ship runs a so called menu cycle which is set up for an itinerary. Thus the menu & buffet repeats itself every seven, ten or fourteen days... Meaning you'll find the same food on any given Tuesday for six, seven months straight. It might be "good" but it'll drive you nuts after a while.

The food in the Crew Mess is geared towards the majority of nationalities, which is generally Indian and Filipino. Lots of rice... Needless to say that this can cause problems for the "lucky" few that don't belong to these nationalities and are used to different diets.

And no, the buffets are not always good. Why do you think you see the Spa girls, dancers, musicians and so on in the Horizon Court so often?

All mess rooms are served by a galley (kitchen) dedicated to these rooms only. The menu items for the Officer's Mess come from the regular galley serving the dining rooms.

Staff & Crew cannot order from the passenger menu. And they cannot enter the main galley to get something... If you're not a cook you have NO business in the galley!

 

To come back to the original question: Yes, the crew is well fed. But sometimes it's literally fed up with it, too. ;)

 

Thank you patopato1944 for a very informative post!:D

[Bill B]

I got to know an English bartender on the Sapphire guite well (no comments please... LOL) and asked him what the crew food was like. He checked there was no one else around, leaned forward and whispered candidly "It's (explicative deleted) horrible... rice, rice and more (explicative deleted) rice. There's very little meat. It's nothing like what you get as a passenger."

[Kamloops50]

Alot depends on where the crew members grew up on. If in the US or EUROPEAN countries , they used to more meat than rice.

[Bowlersbus]

Ha Ha this whole thread cracks me up.

 

My daughter is on the Ruby and being 1 of the only 2 American girls on the ship - says the food is decent - she gets tired of all the "groumet" stuff!

 

When we go to visit her at the port - its Ihop for greasy hash browns....and we ALWAYS take a sack of McDonald's cheeseburgers back.

 

Being an American kid she doesn't think twice about cultural differences. So the beginning of January when we took them Girl Scout cookies - it was like tossing food into a fish tank. OMG - they were in love. Needless to say we shipped a mixed box down the next week.

 

The latest is Peeps! She's like the Pied Piper - I laugh at the requests we get when we go to see her.

 

It is going to be interesting with the crossing in 12 days.

 

 

[crusinbanjo]

dry salt biscuit a tot of rum and 40 lashes :eek: that's what keeps them working

 

 

Ha ha, that is really funny. From what I have seen, they get pretty good grub, and it is geared to the different tastes of different nationalities. They live in tight spaces, but the crew areas are well maintained and quite comfortable.... ....not luxury by any means but clean and comfortable. Let's face it, if they were not treated well, they would not be smiling for very long..... ....and don't know about anybody else, but I have not seen many crew members who were not genuinely pleased to be on board. :):)

[centralcalicruzer]

Ha Ha this whole thread cracks me up.

 

My daughter is on the Ruby and being 1 of the only 2 American girls on the ship - says the food is decent - she gets tired of all the "groumet" stuff!

 

When we go to visit her at the port - its Ihop for greasy hash browns....and we ALWAYS take a sack of McDonald's cheeseburgers back.

 

Being an American kid she doesn't think twice about cultural differences. So the beginning of January when we took them Girl Scout cookies - it was like tossing food into a fish tank. OMG - they were in love. Needless to say we shipped a mixed box down the next week.

 

The latest is Peeps! She's like the Pied Piper - I laugh at the requests we get when we go to see her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is going to be interesting with the crossing in 12 days.

 

 

 

 

Bowlersbus - is your daughter one of the singers? My stepdaughter finishes her contract on the Emerald on the 16th and then will be joining the Ruby in July - I imagine that is when your daughter's contract will be ending? Have you gotten to cruise with her? How lucky that you live in Florida and can see her when she is in port!

[Dorset Cruiser]

A friend of ours did a contract on Sea Princess a few years ago. He said that the food in the crew canteen was appalling but luckily, as he worked in retail, he could eat in Horizon Court. Don't think he could use the dining rooms though.

[Di Princess]

http://www.amazon.com/Ship-Brains-Cruise-Confidential-ebook/dp/B0052THI4A

 

Ship for Brains (Cruise Confidential)

Cruise Confidential: A Hit Below the Waterline: Where the Crew Lives, Eats, Wars, and Parties. One Crazy Year Working on Cruise Ships (Travelers' Tales)

by: Brian David Bruns

 

In his bestselling debut tell-all Cruise Confidential, cruise ship insider Brian David Bruns revealed why he was the only American in Carnival Cruise Lines history to complete a full eight-month contract in their restaurants. Returning with his award-winning wit and delightfully candid narrative voice, Brian brings us the first and only expose of art auctioneering on the mighty liners, where the tenet of ‘what happens at sea, stays at sea’ has always been observed—until now. Ship For Brains takes on cruise ship art auctioneers, a society brimming with odd personalities drawn to the stress and isolation that invariably lead to alcohol and a Hell-may-care attitude. Willingly giving up home and family in favor of high-paced, crushing sales goals demanded while port-hopping from nation to nation, art auctioneers are undermined by the lash of tyrannical ship officers, unforgiving gallery managers, hyena-like trainers, and a skeptical public. The burn-out rate is phenomenal—but when it works, you are king of the world. Brian’s true-life struggle turns both harrowing and hilarious when goaded by the lecherous but mighty auctioneer Bill Shatner, and he must navigate sexy dancers and their all-to-intimate cliques, the slapstick schemes of his mentors, and the seduction of success, all while staying true to his girl and himself. We are transported from the Caribbean to the Pacific and Costa Rica to Transylvania as our likable guide vividly describes his many misadventures, triumphs, flirtations, and, above all, his amusing and astute insights into human nature. Ship For Brains is a first-class ticket to high seas satire.

 

In Cruise Confidential, Brian David Bruns spills the dirt — or in this case, the dirty water — on those romantic, fun-filled vacations at sea. His hilarious chronicle of the year he spent working for Carnival Cruise Lines takes readers down into the areas where the crew works and lives, leaving readers gasping with laughter as they’re assaulted nonstop with events that range from the absurd to the utterly bizarre. Stewards fighting over food. Cutlery allowances and other nonsensical rules. What the crew calls those onboard (no, it’s not “passengers”). And of course, the sex. An abundance of ready, willing, and able bodies eager for action on a vessel replete with nooks and crannies leads to love in some mighty strange, and seemingly impossible, places. Breezy, entertaining, and informative, Cruise Confidential is essential reading for those planning a cruise or for anyone who just needs a good laugh.

 

Mr. Bruns has twice won the Book of the Year award at the BookExpo America. His first book, Cruise Confidential—by the only American in the history of Carnival Cruise Lines to endure a full contract in the ships’ restaurants—was lauded by the Travel Channel, the Today Show, and numerous publications, such as the San Francisco Chronicle, the Chicago Sun-Times, and others. Brian is a citizen of the world, traveling to nearly 50 nations. As an amateur art historian, he has delivered lectures to thousands aboard cruise ships. As an amateur adventurer, he has zip-lined over jungles in Costa Rica, parlayed with snake charmers in Morocco, entered the Pyramids of Giza, consulted the Oracle of Delphi, anted up in the Casino of Monte Carlo, and visited Dracula’s house on Halloween night. Indeed, he has frequently summered in the Dracula’s hometown in Transylvania.

[Love.II.Cruise]

I got to know an English bartender on the Sapphire guite well (no comments please... LOL) and asked him what the crew food was like. He checked there was no one else around, leaned forward and whispered candidly "It's (explicative deleted) horrible... rice, rice and more (explicative deleted) rice. There's very little meat. It's nothing like what you get as a passenger."

 

Funny! We got to know a Mexican bartender on our last Island Princess Partial Canal cruise that basically said the same thing. But he said he was missing his Mexican food. He said they catered to the most ethic bunch on the cruise. We shared a mexican buffet plate in front of him and he was drooling. I know a lot about Mexican food, and this was good, but not great. He would have gone for this since it would be better than nothing. We offered to sneak him a plate, but he said he would be in trouble for that.

 

It just goes to show you that different people feel differently about food, including passengers, not to mention crew.

[simbasmom]

Ha Ha this whole thread cracks me up.

 

My daughter is on the Ruby and being 1 of the only 2 American girls on the ship - says the food is decent - she gets tired of all the "groumet" stuff!

 

When we go to visit her at the port - its Ihop for greasy hash browns....and we ALWAYS take a sack of McDonald's cheeseburgers back.

 

Being an American kid she doesn't think twice about cultural differences. So the beginning of January when we took them Girl Scout cookies - it was like tossing food into a fish tank. OMG - they were in love. Needless to say we shipped a mixed box down the next week.

 

The latest is Peeps! She's like the Pied Piper - I laugh at the requests we get when we go to see her.

 

It is going to be interesting with the crossing in 12 days.

 

 

 

LOL, our son is still laughing about that one. But he said what about Dr Pepper? The CD on his last ship looked all over Australia and New Zealand for that. centralcalicruzer, looks like our kids will just miss each other. Our son joins the Emerald June 1.

[pablo222]

Ha Ha this whole thread cracks me up.

 

My daughter is on the Ruby and being 1 of the only 2 American girls on the ship - says the food is decent - she gets tired of all the "groumet" stuff!

 

Is she a dancer? ...anyone with deck privlidges can escape

the constant onslaught of rice!

 

Bring something like home-made brownies to the ship, and you

will be trampled. One friend wanted twinkies.

 

I think it's all about what you can't get while you are onboard.

[hansi]

I was once asked if the crew eat the same food as the passengers?:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

 

I said I thought no, they have their own meals!:D:D

[spingal]

I just met the daughter of one of my girlfriends today here in San Diego. She is on the Star Princess. I asked her about the food and she said it is TERRIBLE!! :eek: Lots of carbs, hot dogs, etc. She tries to eat in Horizon Court when possible and ashore when she has the day off.

 

I was disappointed to hear how bad it is!

[Loonbeam]

I think its just like the way users on here see food, its all about expectations. We were talking with our steward on the Island and this came up and he raved about the crew food. Hint, he was Filipino. We were also talking to a dancer, who thanked the stars she could eat in the MDR and buffet. And one indian lady who complained everything was so BLAND..

 

The crew mess tends to cater to the dominant ethnic group, in many cases Filipino on Princess, so that some of the other groups may find the choices less than stellar.

 

I'm reminded of the video after the Splendor fire, where John Heald was asking the crew what they were looking forward to and there was a great cry of 'RICE'!

 

I just met the daughter of one of my girlfriends today here in San Diego. She is on the Star Princess. I asked her about the food and she said it is TERRIBLE!! :eek: Lots of carbs, hot dogs, etc. She tries to eat in Horizon Court when possible and ashore when she has the day off.

 

I was disappointed to hear how bad it is!

[cruiselvr1]

This reminds me of a question a newbie cruiser once asked of a Captain:

 

Does the crew eat their meals on the ship?

:D

Thanks for good laugh