Does anyone else feel bad for some of the workers?

[MissDiva1]

I'm not going to read all the posts.

I couldn't agree with you more.

Imagine how these people feel about Americans...and what they tell their friends & relatives at home..........

 

We have always had great relationships while on board with the crew so I would imagine they tell their friends and realtives the same thing;) However I'm sure they don't think kindly of "rude people".

[MsTabbyKats]

We have always had great relationships while on board with the crew so I would imagine they tell their friends and realtives the same thing;)

 

I have great relationships with the crew too.....

 

But, people (the crew) remember the bad (nasty demanding passengers)...and complain about them.

 

Just look at Cruise Critic. The most popular threads are the ones where people complain....and whine......etc

[Room Service!]

I, too, used to be a bartender but I stayed sober and wise... ;-)

 

Haha! Funny! :)

[BlueJacketsFan1]

My wife and I have talked about how hard a lot of the cruise ship staff work. We will talk to people and they think wow, what a great job to have. Then you tell them all the things they do and the hours they put in. The hard work and great service are a couple of reasons why we have always given our service staff extra tips.

[Kudos2Fly]

No I don't feel sorry for them. Personally I don't think everyone is perfect, because probably I have been rude from time to time. Also I have worked in retail for a few years too. :eek: For me it has always been a certain thing that was going on at the time.. Like dealing with government red tape..... :mad:

 

But normally like most people, I treat people the way they should be treated with respect. I would NEVER Demand a waiter to run and get me a knife or fork that "I" forgot.... :eek:

 

I think the people on the ships do work hard. I have had a few talks with them and they are wonderful people no different then any of us. Just working to support their lives. Besides probably only about 20% are rude and most are not... That's why when I look at "reviews" if the positive reviews are 80% and higher then that's good enough for me... ;)

[JOESACRUISER]

There are bad apples working everywhere no matter what you do for a living !. But i must say i have observed people giving cruise workers a hard time for no reason!. I have even come to the aid of a worker who was being abused verbally and I made the other passenger feel like crap after i got done with him needless to say the worker was very thankfull and i think i said what he wanted to say lol. Give these people some respect !. I bet alot of the complainers could not do their job !.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

I feel bad for the mothers with kids back home..

[marym933]

I was strolling Channelside Drive in Tampa on Sunday when the Legend was in port. I rounded a corner. There on the sidewalk huddled in a corner up against a building were about 20 men with Carnival badges. There were sitting or squatting on the sidewalk furiously using there iphones and laptop computers. I guess this was the location of the best free wifi in the area.

 

As I passed them, I felt sorry that they had to resort to this to communicate with their families back home. It seems like the cruiselines should offer them better.

[dredawg]

There are two types of employees on cruise lines. Young, single men or women who want to work on a ship, love being able to go to ports when not working (which is not often as they rotate many workers) doing a job they like and getting paid for it. I don't feel sorry for these types...I'd love to work on a cruise ship and yes even deal with those rude people. I myself work in customer service and thankfully understand the flaw is with the rude customers and not within myself. I let them rant and then smile and tell them to have a good day. For the ones who have had to make the tough choice to leave their homes,children, husbands, wives or parents for 6 months at a time in able to send money home to support and care for them... I don't feel sorry for them, I feel sorry that they're in a position that makes this job an option. Not being able to financially care for your family would be a horrible feeling for anyone so I'm sure they are glad for the opportunity to work(and work hard). I make sure when cruising to take some time to talk to my room attendant or server about his/her family, where they're from ect. For a week they are going above and beyond to make my kids feel special (bring them their fav dessert when it's not on the menu, have some jokes at dinner, say hi to them by name when they see them in the buffet lines and leave extra chocolates in the room for my son who loves them) so I will extend them the same courtesy and let them tell stories and share pieces of their children's lives with me...Hopefully it makes the absence just a little easier.

[Raven Days]

To be honest...No. They chose to do that job, just like I chose to do mine. I will say that they work harder then I do. I respect anyone who can do that job and still keep a smile on their faces and deal with the crap day to day. I know it must be hard. But I dont feel sorry for them, and I dont think they would want anyone to.

[rickcop44]

agree. i am sure the crew expects some every cruise. i just can't understand why people want to be that way. to me it's so much easier to be nice, gets you alot further in life.

 

Sadly, what you say is true. There are many people cruising who feel entitled; that they're on vacation and the crew's sole duty is to take care of THEM and cater to their every need. No bacon? Bring more! Cabin too cold? Call maintenance! I will admit that there have been times when I've wanted to say something to a deck worker, etc. because I was unhappy with something, but after a few cruises, I realized some of these people have been onboard for months with no time off and working 16 hour days for pauper's pay. I can understand why there might be an occasional slip up. Cut 'em some slack, folks, they work their tails off.

[larkz]

Part of the allure of cruising is that you're taken care of like a small child. You're provided food and shelter, you can play all day long, and the world is centered around you and your needs.

 

Unfortunately, this attracts a number of spoiled, snotty people who scream and bully, and who have the emotional maturity of (badly raised) four-year-olds. You spot these people on every cruise. They intuitively pick on those crew members who are most vulnerable.

[repo-cruiser]

It amazes me how rude some people are to the workers, especially the wait and food service workers. They work their tales off and you see them everywhere morning, noon, night. The on top of it have to deal with some extremely rude people who feel entitled to act like asses and get angry when the smallest thing goes wrong or there is no bacon left for them to scoff down their daily 2 pound intake.

I feel sorry for some of the crew and also feel sorry for some of the passengers. I have seen rude passengers but also have seen plenty of rude crew to the passengers. It goes both ways. I feel bad for the crew of the 5 pounds of salad and shrimp coctail is not there. Talk about needing a a cleansing. By the way salad is not as good for you as you think. ;)

[artmc]

On my first cruise (Carnival Inspiration - 2004) the cruise director suggested that if we were really impressed with our servers/stewards etc., we should say so on the comment cards. He said that copies of these are given to them, and it's quite common for staff to post them on the walls of their living areas. (Does the word "room" apply?)

 

Yes, their cruise jobs are probably more lucrative and have better working conditions than almost anything they could get at home. And yes, most of us have done some service job where we have been abused by customers. However, when our day is done, we get to go home to our families; they don't.

 

The least we can do is be civil. I like the suggestion that if we see someone being abused by a customer, go up and offer moral support.

 

Arthur C.

[theneals4]

i'm a bit confounded. these individuals chose this profession, can quit any time, and we are supposed to feel bad for them.

 

i guess no, not for them, sewer workers, or even teachers. i am still thinking before someone hires you, you apply for that job. and when you choose to move on, you quit, and look for another one.

 

 

Yeah, cause this day in age looking for a Job, is SOOOO easy [Rolls Eyes]

 

I guess you forgot where a lot of these people come from. They dont have the luxury of the things that we Americans do.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Sadly, what you say is true. There are many people cruising who feel entitled; that they're on vacation and the crew's sole duty is to take care of THEM and cater to their every need. No bacon? Bring more! Cabin too cold? Call maintenance! I will admit that there have been times when I've wanted to say something to a deck worker, etc. because I was unhappy with something, but after a few cruises, I realized some of these people have been onboard for months with no time off and working 16 hour days for pauper's pay. I can understand why there might be an occasional slip up. Cut 'em some slack, folks, they work their tails off.

 

I am a bit confused by this part of your statement.

 

If i am understanding you correctly if your room is too cold you shouldn't call maintenance, so I guess in essence you are saying just deal with it?

 

I thought that was whatmaintenance was for?

 

My cruise a couple of weeks ago our room was very hot. To the point that we slept without even a sheet on and still woke up covered in sweat.

 

We called maintenance twice. Are you said I am one of those people who feel entitled? Or somehow I am a bad person for wanting my room a decent temperature?

 

Oh yeah I feel very sad when i think about what these people go through. The long hours, no weekends off, and the saddest part is that they sacrifice not being with their families so that their families can live well.

 

I ask for very little while i am on a cruise and don't demand anything.

 

Bill

[kanitter]

You know someone is really being a pia when a 5 yr old calls them on it. We were on the Sun last Oct. sitting in the buffet area. This older woman apparently wanted more coffee. There was a worker at the table next to her giving the people some items they had asked for. The older woman grabbed her cane and poked the worker in the back and pretty much just yelled at him that she wanted more coffee so go get it. I thought I was going to die laughing tho when a little boy who had apparently been watching walked right up to her and said "You should go to bed with no dessert cause you are not nice." After he said that I swear you could hear a pin drop for a few minutes. I loved it. Like they say, "Out of the mouths of babes".

[cruisecrazy1234]

i remember a few years ago we were flying into miami and our plane was delayed so we missed our connecting flight in philly.So we go to the customer service desk to wait in line for a new flight with everyone else . after about 90 min of waiting it was our turn . we politely asked the woman at the desk if she could get us on a flight to miami as we were to board a cruise by 4 pm. she said i'm sorry we have no more flights for miami today. to make a long story shorter . they put us up in a hotel in philly that night flew us 1st class to jamacia the next morning to wait for our ship and paid for everything while we were there. the wonderful lady at the desk said to us "you two are the first people not to come up here screaming at me . thank you " oh and it was our honeymoon cruise:D

[deborahjo]

I do not feel sorry for these workers. They applied for a job and were hired. They knew up front what the job intaled. How different is this from a person in our military who signed up for service and are now sitting overseas?

[Cruzaholic41]

It amazes me how rude some people are to the workers, especially the wait and food service workers. They work their tales off and you see them everywhere morning, noon, night. The on top of it have to deal with some extremely rude people who feel entitled to act like asses and get angry when the smallest thing goes wrong or there is no bacon left for them to scoff down their daily 2 pound intake.

 

Customer service workers all over the World have to deal with idiots, just like cruise ship staff. I don't feel any worse for them than I do a waitress at Denny's who has to put up with the same crap.

[rickcop44]

I am a bit confused by this part of your statement.

 

If i am understanding you correctly if your room is too cold you shouldn't call maintenance, so I guess in essence you are saying just deal with it?

 

I thought that was whatmaintenance was for?

 

My cruise a couple of weeks ago our room was very hot. To the point that we slept without even a sheet on and still woke up covered in sweat.

 

We called maintenance twice. Are you said I am one of those people who feel entitled? Or somehow I am a bad person for wanting my room a decent temperature?

 

Oh yeah I feel very sad when i think about what these people go through. The long hours, no weekends off, and the saddest part is that they sacrifice not being with their families so that their families can live well.

 

I ask for very little while i am on a cruise and don't demand anything.

 

Bill

 

It was merely an example of the kinds of things people do and say when they feel entitled. In this specific case, my response would have been to simply turn the thermostat down but because the person feels special and entitled, they'd call maintenance instead. It was not meant to include those who have genuine maintenance issues, which yours was. I've had maintenance issues myself on cruises. Perhaps my post wasn't clearly framed. It was intended only for people who think they're special and want to be waited on hand and foot.

[LemurCat]

Do I feel bad for them? NO.

 

Do I intend to treat them like human beings with respect and dignity? YES.

[5waldos]

You know someone is really being a pia when a 5 yr old calls them on it. We were on the Sun last Oct. sitting in the buffet area. This older woman apparently wanted more coffee. There was a worker at the table next to her giving the people some items they had asked for. The older woman grabbed her cane and poked the worker in the back and pretty much just yelled at him that she wanted more coffee so go get it. I thought I was going to die laughing tho when a little boy who had apparently been watching walked right up to her and said "You should go to bed with no dessert cause you are not nice." After he said that I swear you could hear a pin drop for a few minutes. I loved it. Like they say, "Out of the mouths of babes".

 

Very funny but also terrible manners from a child who should not be scolding an adult. Even if she deserved it. If my child had done that I would have been mortified.

[5waldos]

It was intended only for people who think they're special and want to be waited on hand and foot.

 

But isn't that a good part of what cruise lines are selling? And no, I am not particularly demanding on board and treat all people with respect.

[maggie cruises]

Very funny but also terrible manners from a child who should not be scolding an adult. Even if she deserved it. If my child had done that I would have been mortified.

 

I agree with you on this one