This may be wrong but....

[hunt182644]

So evidently days of hardtack, salt pork, and a ration of rum for the crew is a thing of the past.;)

[tillydog]

A friend of mine works on a RCCI ship, ship life and the food for the crew cant be that bad as he's been working on ships for a while now and keeps going back after having his holiday!!

He's doing what he loves, gets paid for it and gets accomodation. Ok he's not a 'hospitality' crew member, but it still amounts to the same thing, he's a crew member and lives in the crew area and is hardly 'starving'.

[iheartbda]

A friend of mine works on a RCCI ship, ship life and the food for the crew cant be that bad as he's been working on ships for a while now and keeps going back after having his holiday!!

He's doing what he loves, gets paid for it and gets accomodation. Ok he's not a 'hospitality' crew member, but it still amounts to the same thing, he's a crew member and lives in the crew area and is hardly 'starving'.

I don't think anyone is saying the crew is starving.....figuratively of course.;) People are debating what they get to eat. Maybe your friend doesn't really care about food as long as it's something to satisfy his hunger.

[runnerandme]

I just think it is wrong to tempt or encourage an employee to break the rules of his/her contract and thus risk losing a job over a hamburger or a MDR meal.

 

 

If it is forbidden, it should not be done. It is not a harmless act of kindness. It can cause heartache if a job is lost.

 

If someone wants to give a "poor" crew member food, buy something onshore and bring it back to them. Or better yet give the person some money to eat out next time they go ashore.

[Merion_Mom]

I just think it is wrong to tempt or encourage an employee to break the rules of his/her contract and thus risk losing a job over a hamburger or a MDR meal.

 

 

If it is forbidden, it should not be done. It is not a harmless act of kindness. It can cause heartache if a job is lost.

 

If someone wants to give a "poor" crew member food, buy something onshore and bring it back to them. Or better yet give the person some money to eat out next time they go ashore.

 

You say potayto, I say potahtoe.

 

<shrug>

[iheartbda]

You say potayto, I say potahtoe.

 

<shrug>

Watch it MM, the fries and hamburger police are going to be on the lookout for you.:D

[FTLCruiseGal]

Wouldn't it just plain suck if the attendant got disciplined or even fired for accepting food from a passenger? I can't imagine it would be acceptable to his or her boss.

 

I just think it is wrong to tempt or encourage an employee to break the rules of his/her contract and thus risk losing a job over a hamburger or a MDR meal.

 

 

If it is forbidden, it should not be done. It is not a harmless act of kindness. It can cause heartache if a job is lost.

 

If someone wants to give a "poor" crew member food, buy something onshore and bring it back to them. Or better yet give the person some money to eat out next time they go ashore.

 

I totally agree with both of you. I am sure that there are rules and regulations in regard to this that the OP did not consider. I work in hotels. If one of our employees takes food from a guestroom, they are terminated immediately. Yes, it has happened. Happened with left-over food a guest left behind, as well as food missing from the mini-bar.

 

So, before anyone does this, please consider the consequences. You won't have to worry about giving this person a meal as a gesture to say thank you on your next cruise, but that person may have to worry about trying to find a new job and where their next meal will come from.

[lady_cruiser]

We always ask our cabin stewarts if they would us to order them a hamburger/fries, pizza, sandwich, etc. Most of the time we will get a "yes, please." And, sometime we will be told "thank you" but it isn't necessary. But we always ask first and respect their wishes.

[Ocean Boy]

Wouldn't it just plain suck if the attendant got disciplined or even fired for accepting food from a passenger? I can't imagine it would be acceptable to his or her boss.

 

And considering the number of times I have been in the cabin and walked in on by the cabin attendent I don't think it would be too far fetched to think that they could be walked in on by their supervisors just as easily.

[ryano]

I just think it is wrong to tempt or encourage an employee to break the rules of his/her contract and thus risk losing a job over a hamburger or a MDR meal.

 

 

If it is forbidden, it should not be done. It is not a harmless act of kindness. It can cause heartache if a job is lost.

 

If someone wants to give a "poor" crew member food, buy something onshore and bring it back to them. Or better yet give the person some money to eat out next time they go ashore.

 

How do we know that its forbidden? I dont know about you but I have never read a crew members contract. Just because some of them arent allowed to eat in windjammer or the MDR in no way means they are not allowed to accept food from passengers :confused:

 

Honestly, I have never thought of offering food to a crew member but I see it being no different than bringing them something to eat from shore as you suggested or giving them money. Its nothing more than a token of appreciation IMO.

 

Now with that said, if it IS forbidden, I would hate to know I got one of them fired for something as innocent as offering them a cheeseburger for sure.

[CI66774]

I would never think to give a crew member food. I've talked to many crew members and they say they get great food in the crew restaurant/cafeteria areas. I would only give them money - the don't need our food.

[sailingawaysoon]

i am skipping most of the posts to give you my experience.

 

After all, my experience couldn't have been posted yet, so i can't possibly be repeating someone else's post. ;)

 

the basic crew does not get a nice, varied diet. I don't care to say any more about that.

 

I talked with our cabin steward on one specific cruise when he was cleaning the cabin as i was on my way to the wj.

 

I asked if he wanted anything.

 

His eyes lit up. Then he glanced around, as though someone could hear him. He told me that they are absolutely forbidden to eat food from the wj or mdr. (and that he would not ask me to bring him anything)

 

so i said, "fries"? And he nodded enthusiastically. I said, "hamburger?" and his head almost came loose from his body.

 

So, i came back with a plate of fries and a hamburger. I left the cabin. When i came back, it was all gone.

 

We repeated this a few times.

 

He smiled a lot.

like like like

[lov2sun]

I'm just curious what the meal consisted of? :D

[tanelicus]

I'm just curious what the meal consisted of? :D

 

A starch, vegetable and protein. ;)

[sf2]

Just to qualify this - I've been working on ships since 2001. NCL and RCCL.

 

Yes - I've been on ships where the 'mess food' consisted of 'random floating meat' floating in broth with wilted greens and cheese slices wrapped in plastic was a meal. And also where MDR food was consistently available upon request. Surprisingly enough, the 'newer' ships used to be less responsive to the crew. but now that 'crew satisfaction' has shown up on many of the shipboard management officers bonus ratings, overall, food for the crew has been getting better.

 

AFAIK, again, being a crewmember . . . RCCL ships have a 'late night' meal where any unordered food from the MDR comes down to the crew mess. Over the past 5-7 years I can honestly say I've seen hamburgers and fries available and 'both' sides (i.e. crew and staff) of the mess . . . usually on a weekly basis for lunch and dinner. If anyone gets excited about it - it's because its out of its normal time . . .

 

And just remember - on a ship, the menu doesn't vary too much. I used to work at a corporate place where the cafeteria menu was pretty much standard. TacoTuesday, tuna fish salad daily, etc. Same for a ship.

 

I'm personally excited to get OFF the ship for something even remotely different for lunch. I'll skip dinner :D

 

Personally waiting for my favorite Cozumel place in a couple of months when I go back. . . .you people stay away :D:D:D:D

 

PS - Crew mess side, Caribbean Chicken soup with big dumplings? You only WISH they served it in the WJ !!!!!

[CruisesOnMyMind]

Just to qualify this - I've been working on ships since 2001. NCL and RCCL.

 

Personally waiting for my favorite Cozumel place in a couple of months when I go back. . . .you people stay away :D:D:D:D

 

 

Would that happen to be Chinese Food in Cozumel:D:p

[sf2]

Would that happen to be Chinese Food in Cozumel:D:p

 

ummm . . nope :D Goin' native on this one . . .

[hueyjudy]

I too always cringe when someone describes the "lovely little gift" they gave to their stewards and waiters on a cruise. Ugh! Unless it's accompanied by a nice tip, forget it. BUT, providing dinner to your room steward is, without question, the most bizarre thing I've ever heard of. I can't imagine what would make you think of this. I don't approve or disapprove, like or dislike, I just think you should get credit for a VERY creative mind. Like others, I do wonder where the steward ate the meal after you gave it to him/her.

[OzKruser]

A little off topic, We always tip but on our last Radiance cruise we gave our waiter and cabin steward a bottle of wine each as we had purchased a wine package and did not drink all the bottles and did not want to fly home with them. They were appreciative. We asked the head waiter if it was allowed and also gave him a bottle for the great table service we received.

It helped us out and went to someone deserving. Anyone else done this ?

[C Cruise Dude]

I did it anyways (just a couple times). Putting it on here, so others may consider doing it as well of course using good discretion and reason. If you flame me it's ok, because I am comfortable with it. If the cruise line reads this, I may or may not be making this up. I would deny it as fiction. :)

 

Things many cruisers know: 1) crew members even though they are fed well from a nutritional standpoint, don't enjoy the same quality of food as the passengers. 2) Passengers can order meals to go from the MDR.

 

So you might have figured it out. We took a brand new meal to our room steward, who will go nameless for obvious reasons. Of course it was done with his consent, and was appreciated.

 

We didn't treat it as though we were helping out a person from a lower rung of society. Just a dude enjoying a better quality meal.

 

Maybe others have done this, and others may consider doing.

 

They are usually very busy, I'm surprised that he or she can take the time to sit down and eat. It would seem like you are just making their job more difficult as they may feel obligated to cooperate with you (yeah I know you said with their consent but some folks have a hard time saying no even if that is the response that they prefer). If they are consenting freely, whatever.

[cruzincurt]

I think there are some nosey busybodies that worry about how much money they make, how the tips are divided, what they eat, and so on. Just respect them for who they are and what they do. And for crying out loud, they are stewards not stewarts.:rolleyes:

 

Being polite we might ask about where their home is and their family but that's as far as we go. Just as we might do in meeting someone in a business or social encounter. I've never had a steward ask about where we are from, what we do for a living or how much money we make.

[temple1]

I think there are some nosey busybodies that worry about how much money they make, how the tips are divided, what they eat, and so on. Just respect them for who they are and what they do. And for crying out loud, they are stewards not stewarts.:rolleyes:

 

Being polite we might ask about where their home is and their family but that's as far as we go. Just as we might do in meeting someone in a business or social encounter. I've never had a steward ask about where we are from, what we do for a living or how much money we make.

 

Thank you for summing this and other similar topics so well.

 

Where is the like button when we need it?

[Ocean Boy]

I think there are some nosey busybodies that worry about how much money they make, how the tips are divided, what they eat, and so on. Just respect them for who they are and what they do. And for crying out loud, they are stewards not stewarts.:rolleyes:

 

Being polite we might ask about where their home is and their family but that's as far as we go. Just as we might do in meeting someone in a business or social encounter. I've never had a steward ask about where we are from, what we do for a living or how much money we make.

 

Thank you for summing this and other similar topics so well.

 

Where is the like button when we need it?

 

I'm on board with this one too.

[jakenashleysmom]

yes! that says it all. :)