Pride of America, some realities

[chengkp75]

As a former NCL senior engineering officer, having worked on the Pride of Aloha from 2004-08, and keeping the hope of a US flag cruise industry alive, I watch these boards for reviews of NCL's only remaining US flag ship, and it bothers me.

 

Yes, the same complaints are noted that we had back when the project started in 2004, the staff constantly complain to the guests about overwork, and under pay, they aren't as service oriented at the international crew, and just aren't friendly. I get that, and I'm not going to excuse that, it should have gotten better by now.

 

What I want to do is to point out some of the differences between the Pride of America, and EVERY OTHER deep water cruise ship in the world, and what makes those differences.

 

As a US flag vessel, US federal law (not Hawaiian labor laws as I saw mentioned in one review), require that all crew members be either US citizens, or have a "green card".

 

I just read a review today where the reviewer had talked to hotel staff, and was appalled that they were making less than $8/hour, but then stated that the crew was definitely less cordial or helpful than the international staff. I worked with the international staff on the Sky before the reflagging, and I can tell you that I had journeymen ship fitters whose OVERTIME rates were $10/hour. Some jobs paid less than $2/hour. That is one reason the cost of the cruise is so high, and why NCL cannot raise their rates, since they are competing with crews on other lines that make 30% of their wage. If they paid a "fair" US wage, no one would buy the tickets.

 

On internationally crewed ships, only the deck and engine departments are credentialled mariners. Howeve, the USCG requires that all crew who are assigned an emergency station (like all the hotel staff that you see at the muster drill, that is their emergency station) must have a Merchant Mariners Credential, and a TWIC (Transport Workers Identification Card). These cost the employee several hundred dollars to get, and require a full background check. It also requires safety training at USCG certified training centers, and by the time a new employee is ready to walk up the gangway the first time, he/she has cost NCL over $8000.

 

On internationally crewed ships, the staff and crew sign a contract with the company for employment, usually 10 months long. During the time of that contract, if they decide to quit, they cannot just walk off the ship and get a plane back to the Phillipines or wherever. US crew, since the ship is always in US ports, can quit at any time, and the company then needs to find a credentialled, available replacement crewmember.

 

That is tough, as there is no pool of credentialled US cruise ship staff just waiting around for a job, unlike in the Phillipines, where one call to a staffing agency can have an experienced cabin steward on a flight the next day. You can't keep extra crew onboard, as there is no cabin space for them, and no lifeboat space either.

 

Yes, as one reviewer stated, most crew cabins are smaller than the infamously small NCL guest cabins, and there are 3-4 crew in that room, for a full contract. (US hotel staff contracts are normally 4 months on, 1 month off). But that is typical of all cruise ships. However, most of the US crew have never had to share a room before, and it causes some discontent.

 

Getting away from the staff and crew, fuel and food costs for the Pride of America are significantly greater than other ships cruising the Hawaiian islands. Why? Because those other ships always call at a West Coast port, where fuel and food are less expensive than that which is transported to the islands. Fuel costs are in the quarter of a million dollars a week range, and I know that we would load 6-8 tractor-trailers of food every week.

 

Even things like the Christmas trees and Poinsettias on the Christmas cruise had to be flown in.

 

Again, I'm not trying to be a "cheerleader" for NCL, just hoping that people will take their "support local" philosophy with them when they cruise, and understand why things are not the same on the PoA.

 

I'd love to hear comments about the PoA experience from some of you, and it may help, as I know that management reviews these boards as well.

 

My hope is that NCL can make the PoA into a uniquely American cruising experience, one that is both enjoyable and showcases the best that America has to offer.

[RetiredArmyCruiser]

My wife and I took a cruise on the Pride of America in November 2007 and docked right by us in Honolulu was the Pride of Aloha. We also were with the Pride of Aloha in Maui when they were tendering to Lahaina while we were docked in Kahului. When we saw the 10-day itinerary that the Pride of Aloha was on, we wished we had booked her rather than the Pride of America.

 

Back on task, though. I never really took into account the costs of doing business 100% of the time in Hawaii. Having taken many vacations on Oahu and paying upwards of $5 per gallon for gas, $4.50 for a gallon of milk, etc. it is easy to just absorb a little more in your vacation budget when it just your family there for a week. But when you multiply those food costs by 2000 passengers and 1000 crew, I can see how those costs would multiply quickly and fuel - holy cow - I never really thought about it, but thanks for bringing it to light.

 

We found the crew to be very fun on the ship. They were not as deferential to the passengers as on other ships we have been on. The crew members we encountered were very approachable, talkative, and friendly. In fact, most of the young crew members reminded me of my own kid who was in high school a the time. It was kind of fun to talk about their home town, the college they were going to, and the kind of work they were doing on the ship. Maybe they didn't have the "polish" of the crew on the Gem (our latest cruise), but in a locale like Hawaii, we loved the casual nature of the crew.

 

We found the Pride of America to be unique with perhaps the greatest itinerary available, IMHO. We had the trip of a lifetime and it introduced us back into cruising. Thanks for sharing some of the obstacles faced by NCLA as they chart these US waters. It is very interesting to note.

[frediver]

Maybe not the best place to ask this question but

I sure would like to ask the BoD:

 

Why was the decision made to sail a US Flagged ship only

in the Hawaiian Islands and not to include a Mainland Port?

As I understand the economics of Cruise Travel more money

is made when passengers are on-board, including a Mainland port

would also allow access to less expensive fuel and provisions.

Would the expense of extra 4 sea days out weight the potential

money saved, who knows.

Would it be less expensive to take on passengers in Long Beach

or Oahu, for the passengers you bet, would it out-weight the extra

4 sea days???

To the original topic of operating expense.

Are the US crew members paid min. wage AND tips

or were they combining pay and tip% to arrive at the

$8.00hr. figure? Also how does room/board/medical

factor into the overall pay?

Edited February 27, 2013 by frediver

[Sauer-kraut]

chengkp

Thank you for posting this! I think it will keep the perspective of what American wages and Hawaiian foodstuffs cost in relation to the cost of a very interesting cruise. As well as the cost of the Coast Guard training certificates for crew members.

 

I have not done a HI itinerary, but my parents have and it was a 15-day out of the Port of Los Angeles (basically a trans-Pacific with Hawaii thrown in). I asked how it was and they enjoyed and then I asked what islands they did, I can't remember now which ones they said, and there was no overnight stay anywhere. I think NCLA has a great product, and wish that people would realize that the U.S. Flagged vessel is a different product from the ones that are flagged in the Bahamas.

 

Again, I'm not trying to be a "cheerleader" for NCL, just hoping that people will take their "support local" philosophy with them when they cruise, and understand why things are not the same on the PoA.

Your comment about support locally is very well put! T

[marym933]

I have been to Hawaii three times. Two were land based and one was the POA. If I ever have the good fortune to go to Hawaii again, it will definitely be on the POA!

 

I've read the poor posts, too. I found none of the negativity that I read. The crew was awesome, the buffet the best I have eaten.

 

POA is an absolutely wonderful way to see Hawaii. Go to sleep, wake up on a different island. Sailing by the NaPali coast is worth every penny.

 

I attended a Meet and Greet on the POA. Captain Buzz was the best!

[fabby50]

Regarding the subject of cruising from the mainland versus cruising an American flagged ship, just around the islands, for us, the NCL product is the winner by a landslide.

 

Both my husband and I work full time and taking the extra days off is not a option right now. I have looked at the other cruise lines island time schedule, and none spends as much time in the islands, no overnights that I could find. For price comparison, the 10 to 12 day trips I was looking at were pretty comparable to the NCL trip (I never pay full price for any cruise, I always book during a sale of some sort).

 

My husband and I went on the Pride of Hawaii when that ship was in the water. We had a marvelous time - it was our first trip to Hawaii and we went on a great shore excursion every day (tubing, scuba, hiking, biking, etc.), coming back to the ship, exhausted, but took advantage of all the different restaurants. It was a great introduction to the islands and we went back and spent a week on Kauai based on the experience. We loved the crew - had great conversations with more than just the "yes sir, no sir" sometimes experienced with a crew who's first language is not English. It was great. When we were standing in line to leave the ship, the four people in front of us appeared to have taken a completely different trip than us. They didn't have a good word to say, apparently had a horrible time, were fed terrible food and "would never cruise NCL again". I guess different strokes for different folks.

 

We are booked again this May for the Pride of America and I am really looking forward to the trip. Is it a bit pricy - yep, it is, but to us, we feel we're getting our money's worth.

[NayRN]

Just saw the Studios being offered......I'm doing the happy dance cuz now I can afford to go!! Wish there were more than four....guess I'll need to book early!! :D

[kslmp]

Maybe not the best place to ask this question but

I sure would like to ask the BoD:

 

Why was the decision made to sail a US Flagged ship only

in the Hawaiian Islands and not to include a Mainland Port?

As I understand the economics of Cruise Travel more money

is made when passengers are on-board, including a Mainland port

would also allow access to less expensive fuel and provisions.

Would the expense of extra 4 sea days out weight the potential

money saved, who knows.

Would it be less expensive to take on passengers in Long Beach

or Oahu, for the passengers you bet, would it out-weight the extra

4 sea days???

To the original topic of operating expense.

Are the US crew members paid min. wage AND tips

or were they combining pay and tip% to arrive at the

$8.00hr. figure? Also how does room/board/medical

factor into the overall pay?

 

I for one am glad they do not go across to the mainland. One of the major reasons I picked this cruise is that specific purpose. Multiple sea days in a row are a waste of my time. This cruise fills a niche and I think that probably almost every cruise on the POA becomes sold out before they set sail. I know I am not going for another 30+ days but my cruise is sold out. So as far as I am concerned, I hope NCL/NCLA never changes this itinerary.

[mcmomny]

We loved our POA experience, we felt the crew were friendly and having young adults at home I knew that these young American adults wanted to see smiles and have conversation when addressed!

Our young American adults were not raised to serve people they were raised to be served! I am just as much at fault as the rest of us as my children are spoiled and feel entitled

But we made every attempt to stop and talk with the crew members and every time we did they responded very well and seemed to really appriecate us taking the time to show them some kindness instead of barking requests and in return they remembered us when they saw us next!

We did see many guest not be nice or resepctful to the employees, but we often see this when we travel. Guest feel that because they paid big money for their trip they have the right to be demanding and often rude!

 

We just came back from the Dominican where we heard so many people complain that the help didn't understand English! Really, they didn't understand English, go figure they have very little education in the third world country they live in and yet people visiting this country expect them to be fluent in English!

 

So, let me get off my soap box about how employees are treated poorly by guests and customers (I have worked in the Quick Service Iindustry for 35 years and boy can I tell you stories of how bad customers treat people!) and say we loved the POA and want to sail on her again but it was sad when we were conversing with these young kids that they all told us that they signed up for 3 months and were counting down the days to leave. Not sure how that can be fixed but I can tell you that money is not the number one reason employees leave their job.

 

The number one emloyees leave their is because of lack of respect, no one telling them thank you for a job well done.

 

So I'm not sure what kind of reward or recognition program NCL has for employees, but maybe it needs to be revamped. Maybe instead of a big sign on package have a bonus program per compliment and a bonus to resign for extended stay?

 

This resort I was just at in Punta Cana the employees handed us business cards with their names on it saying that if I posted a review on trip Advisor and mention their name they will get a bonus! Let me tell you these kids tried very hard to please us everyday!

 

Just an idea, motivate your employees to do a better job!

[chengkp75]

Maybe not the best place to ask this question but

I sure would like to ask the BoD:

 

Why was the decision made to sail a US Flagged ship only

in the Hawaiian Islands and not to include a Mainland Port?

As I understand the economics of Cruise Travel more money

is made when passengers are on-board, including a Mainland port

would also allow access to less expensive fuel and provisions.

Would the expense of extra 4 sea days out weight the potential

money saved, who knows.

Would it be less expensive to take on passengers in Long Beach

or Oahu, for the passengers you bet, would it out-weight the extra

4 sea days???

To the original topic of operating expense.

Are the US crew members paid min. wage AND tips

or were they combining pay and tip% to arrive at the

$8.00hr. figure? Also how does room/board/medical

factor into the overall pay?

 

Actually, adding a West Coast embark would add 8 days to the cruise, as are offered by the other lines with their foreign flag ships. Since the ships were only "at sea" about 60 hours a week, and still burned about $250k in fuel, 8 sea days at full speed would multiply that fuel consumption by a factor of 6. Onboard revenues would not make this up, even with cheaper West Coast fuel. The other lines offer 14-15 day cruises from the West Coast, but again, their crew cost is so much less, they can afford the fuel cost. Doubling the high price of the PoA cruise to cover the 14 day West Coast cruise would price them out of the picture completely. Doing a Honolulu embark/West Coast debark would probably cost more for the pax as the airfares would be "3 point fares", not round trips. The other attraction that the foreign flag ships have is the much lower airfares to the West Coast embark than flying to Hawaii.

 

As to the room/board/medical question, both US crew and foreign crew are provided "3 hots and a cot" and free medical, while onboard.

 

There were times in the past when the "daily service charge" was not given to the staff (one of NCL's dumber ideas), but that service charge is divided between all of the service staff (cabin stewards, concierge, butler, bartenders, waiters, asst waiters, etc, and therefore does not go very far. The gratuity was a big factor for the foreign crew, as it was a much larger portion of their pay, but it doesn't amount to much in the US wage structure. I don't know if the pay is minimum wage or not, as it is determined by union contract, but I do know that galley utilities could make more money flipping burgers at McD's.

 

Also, the international crew is paid a flat daily rate for their contract. Under US law, every hour after 8 in a day is overtime, and the hotel staff generally works 10 hour days, so their base wage is depressed to cover the higher overtime rate.

 

The main reason that NCL retired two of their ships from the Hawaiian trade was price competition from the foreign flag ships. As one poster noted, the price of a foreign flag 14 day cruise from the West Coast is similar to what NCL charges for their 7 day. The first ships to offer the 14 day cruises outflanked the Passenger Services Act of 1938 by stopping in Ensenada at midnite on the last night of the cruise. No passengers were allowed off the ship, the ship was there only to clear her paperwork as a "foreign port" to allow them to carry passengers between US ports. That was blocked by NCL in court, and the lines now have to advertise a Mexican port and actually have it as a port for passengers.

[chengkp75]

We loved our POA experience, we felt the crew were friendly and having young adults at home I knew that these young American adults wanted to see smiles and have conversation when addressed!

Our young American adults were not raised to serve people they were raised to be served! I am just as much at fault as the rest of us as my children are spoiled and feel entitled

But we made every attempt to stop and talk with the crew members and every time we did they responded very well and seemed to really appriecate us taking the time to show them some kindness instead of barking requests and in return they remembered us when they saw us next!

We did see many guest not be nice or resepctful to the employees, but we often see this when we travel. Guest feel that because they paid big money for their trip they have the right to be demanding and often rude!

 

We just came back from the Dominican where we heard so many people complain that the help didn't understand English! Really, they didn't understand English, go figure they have very little education in the third world country they live in and yet people visiting this country expect them to be fluent in English!

 

So, let me get off my soap box about how employees are treated poorly by guests and customers (I have worked in the Quick Service Iindustry for 35 years and boy can I tell you stories of how bad customers treat people!) and say we loved the POA and want to sail on her again but it was sad when we were conversing with these young kids that they all told us that they signed up for 3 months and were counting down the days to leave. Not sure how that can be fixed but I can tell you that money is not the number one reason employees leave their job.

 

The number one emloyees leave their is because of lack of respect, no one telling them thank you for a job well done.

 

So I'm not sure what kind of reward or recognition program NCL has for employees, but maybe it needs to be revamped. Maybe instead of a big sign on package have a bonus program per compliment and a bonus to resign for extended stay?

 

This resort I was just at in Punta Cana the employees handed us business cards with their names on it saying that if I posted a review on trip Advisor and mention their name they will get a bonus! Let me tell you these kids tried very hard to please us everyday!

 

Just an idea, motivate your employees to do a better job!

 

Thanks to all for the positive comments. I really thought I'd get hammered here. Well said about the American kids feeling entitled. I see that every day, even with the best of families.

 

One of the reasons I left NCL was that I didn't feel that they were doing their homework right as far as personnel was concerned. The day I interviewed with the Head of HR in Miami, the first thing he told me was that the company didn't have a clue about dealing with US maritime labor. Many of the senior deck and engine officers worked hard during the ramp up on the Pride of Aloha to try to pass on our cumulative experience, but it went unheard. NCL at the time was adamant that there would not be an International fleet and a US fleet, but that everything had to be done the same way in both fleets. Given the widely divergent nature of the labor cultures, that wasn't going to work. As I said in the OP, I would hope that they could learn to embrace the American culture and adapt it to a unique and acceptable service standard.

[Cubechick]

Actually our cruise aboard the America remains one of favorite cruises. The fantastic crew had a large part in our enjoyment. If we lived on the west coast we'd go back in a heartbeat.

[Marika]

Thank you for this posting. We are booked on POA in December, our first Hawaii trip and we're really looking forward to it. I love the POA itinerary that's why we are taking this cruise, if we had to cross from the mainland we would instead do an island hopping trip.

 

We all know how expensive Hawaii is but not everyone considers the cost to NCL when they are stocking the ship on the islands and employing Americans.

 

Based on the reviews, what concerns me is the cleanliness of the ship or more specifically, the stateroom. There is no reason why it should be an issue; I rarely, if ever, have complained about a hotel room on land. I'm not demanding but if my room isn't cleaned to my liking, I will complain. As to bad attitude, we see that everywhere, we're just not used to seeing it on a cruise ship; respect is something different.

 

I have cruised NCL once before and loved everything about it! The food was on par if not better than Celebrity, Disney and Holland. I've read a lot of contradicting reviews about the food on POA, I guess we'll find out.

 

Anyway, I'll continue to read the posts - with a grain of salt.

[BuddyP]

We loved our week on POA last May. We loved it so much we are going again this May, this time with friends. The crew was wonderful, and it was a distinct pleasure to not struggle with staff poor English. We saw no problems with "lazy kids", the young people worked their tails off. We had fun in the speciality restaurants and enjoyed the shows. Actually I would have loved a sea day in the middle of the cruise just to rest! As far as the cost, there is nothing cheap in Hawaii. If you want cheap go to the Caribbean. We're happy to pay the same for 7 days on POA as for 15 days from the West Coast. We spend 3 or 4 days in Waikiki before the cruise and that is a far better use of our time than 10 sea days. I can't think of a better way to taste 4 of Hawaii's islands than the POA. Thank you NCL for keeping this wonderful ship and crew on this wonderful itinerary!

[DevCruise]

The POA remains our favorite cruise so far. The crew went above and beyond on that cruise and to us has so far set the standard. We only had a balcony on the POA and felt like we were better treated by the staff there than in our Penthouse Suite on the Sky. The crew also seemed more energetic and the food was better.

[sparks1093]

They were not as deferential to the passengers as on other ships we have been on.

 

I suspect that, more than anything, results in more negative comments regarding the crew than anything else.

[cruzn single]

We have done both NCL through the islands on POH, and have also done Holland America 15 day from San Diego. NCL wins hands down! We enjoyed Pride of Hawaii and didn't have any great expectations. Obviously we were very pleasantly surprised by POH,

 

That being said, I was astounded to read requirements that NCL has to adhere to. Hooray for NCL for keeping an American flagged ship in American waters.

[bonvoyagie]

My DW and I took the Pride of America back in the spring of 2006 and had a wonderful time - we found the crew to be friendly and eager to please. We found it refreshing to be able to relate to the crew members when they talked about home.

 

This was also the cruise when I discovered Cruise Critics (after booking) and probably would have had serious doubts had I believed all the negative things I read here.

 

I also did not see how NCL was going to be able to keep all three ships after the novelity wore off.

 

The only place where we had any complaints was in the MDR both the service and food was not up to what we had experienced a few years earlier on the Sky. That said we LOVED the Cadillac Diner and ate most all of our breakfast and dinners there. That said on our most recent cruise on the Pearl the MDR was fantastic and the Blue Lagoon was sub par.

[Love2CruiseMore]

My family cruised the POA in June/July 2010. We booked the cruise before I found CC. After having found CC I really began to wonder if we had made a mistake!!! Some one mentioned how Americans tend to have entitled attitudes, it goes both ways, crew and passengers alike can fall into this category! Thankfully we did not cancel our trip! I LOVED the POA!!! For the most part the crew members we encountered were wonderful, helpful and friendly...unfortunately our room attendant was not one of them! She even went so far as to indicated that we needed to give her an additional tip as the daily service charge went into a general account and was then split up. But she was truly the only sour person that we encountered...we decided that she was in need of a vacation herself or a career change! The ship is beautiful and it was clean and there was plenty to do, we only traveled from the west coast, but the itinerary was so intensive that we found ourselves falling asleep at 9pm! I would take this trip again in a heart beat! Thanks to this cruise we feel in love with the Big Island and have vacationed there the past two summers! This was our first experience with NCL, my DH and I are booked on the Dawn in 9 days, I hope the Dawn is as wonderful as the Pride!

[namaste1223]

Here's another affirmation of the wonderful experience we had on our POA cruise in 2011! In addition to the room steward, wait staff, etc., that everyone has contact with, we also met some of the plumbers, laborers, etc., as we had a problem with a leak in our bathroom. Every one of the crew went out of their way to be courteous, friendly and helpful. Honestly, we saw no difference between our interactions with the all-American crew and the international crew on other NCL ships. We always greeted them with a smile and treated them with respect and the same was returned back to us. If we ever have the chance to return to the POA we wouldn't hesitate even for a minute! (On the other hand, if our only option was to cruise from the mainland, we'd probably opt for a land vacation to one or two islands to avoid spending so much vacation time on sea days...)

[AZKEN2MUCH]

I say hurray for NCL for keeping an American flag ship in the inventory. It can't be easy (as shared by prior posts). expensive? perhaps but not if you consider the VALUE of this itinerary. We are booked on Jan 18, 2014 and cannot wait! Spending a few days prior and another after to just enjoy the total effect. Friends and family gathering and NO passport required for those who do not travel internationally. Aloha and Mahalo to NCL~

[gelo7]

Thanks, for sharing your thoughts.

[mcarbone2001]

My Husband and I cruised on the Pride of Hawaii, A U.S. flag cruise ship. I enjoyed the trip . Hawaii was just beautiful. I found the ship staff to be condesending, not very helpful. They just did not make us feel special in anyway. It was like they hated their jobs. The itinerary was just great. We enjoyed our trip in Hawaii. We did not enjoy the crusing part. We have been on eight NCL cruises. This was the one we did not like. Yes the staff works hard and puts in lots of hour. Thats the way it is on all ships.

As a former NCL senior engineering officer, having worked on the Pride of Aloha from 2004-08, and keeping the hope of a US flag cruise industry alive, I watch these boards for reviews of NCL's only remaining US flag ship, and it bothers me.

 

Yes, the same complaints are noted that we had back when the project started in 2004, the staff constantly complain to the guests about overwork, and under pay, they aren't as service oriented at the international crew, and just aren't friendly. I get that, and I'm not going to excuse that, it should have gotten better by now.

 

What I want to do is to point out some of the differences between the Pride of America, and EVERY OTHER deep water cruise ship in the world, and what makes those differences.

 

As a US flag vessel, US federal law (not Hawaiian labor laws as I saw mentioned in one review), require that all crew members be either US citizens, or have a "green card".

 

I just read a review today where the reviewer had talked to hotel staff, and was appalled that they were making less than $8/hour, but then stated that the crew was definitely less cordial or helpful than the international staff. I worked with the international staff on the Sky before the reflagging, and I can tell you that I had journeymen ship fitters whose OVERTIME rates were $10/hour. Some jobs paid less than $2/hour. That is one reason the cost of the cruise is so high, and why NCL cannot raise their rates, since they are competing with crews on other lines that make 30% of their wage. If they paid a "fair" US wage, no one would buy the tickets.

 

On internationally crewed ships, only the deck and engine departments are credentialled mariners. Howeve, the USCG requires that all crew who are assigned an emergency station (like all the hotel staff that you see at the muster drill, that is their emergency station) must have a Merchant Mariners Credential, and a TWIC (Transport Workers Identification Card). These cost the employee several hundred dollars to get, and require a full background check. It also requires safety training at USCG certified training centers, and by the time a new employee is ready to walk up the gangway the first time, he/she has cost NCL over $8000.

 

On internationally crewed ships, the staff and crew sign a contract with the company for employment, usually 10 months long. During the time of that contract, if they decide to quit, they cannot just walk off the ship and get a plane back to the Phillipines or wherever. US crew, since the ship is always in US ports, can quit at any time, and the company then needs to find a credentialled, available replacement crewmember.

 

That is tough, as there is no pool of credentialled US cruise ship staff just waiting around for a job, unlike in the Phillipines, where one call to a staffing agency can have an experienced cabin steward on a flight the next day. You can't keep extra crew onboard, as there is no cabin space for them, and no lifeboat space either.

 

Yes, as one reviewer stated, most crew cabins are smaller than the infamously small NCL guest cabins, and there are 3-4 crew in that room, for a full contract. (US hotel staff contracts are normally 4 months on, 1 month off). But that is typical of all cruise ships. However, most of the US crew have never had to share a room before, and it causes some discontent.

 

Getting away from the staff and crew, fuel and food costs for the Pride of America are significantly greater than other ships cruising the Hawaiian islands. Why? Because those other ships always call at a West Coast port, where fuel and food are less expensive than that which is transported to the islands. Fuel costs are in the quarter of a million dollars a week range, and I know that we would load 6-8 tractor-trailers of food every week.

 

Even things like the Christmas trees and Poinsettias on the Christmas cruise had to be flown in.

 

Again, I'm not trying to be a "cheerleader" for NCL, just hoping that people will take their "support local" philosophy with them when they cruise, and understand why things are not the same on the PoA.

 

I'd love to hear comments about the PoA experience from some of you, and it may help, as I know that management reviews these boards as well.

 

My hope is that NCL can make the PoA into a uniquely American cruising experience, one that is both enjoyable and showcases the best that America has to offer.

[chengkp75]

My Husband and I cruised on the Pride of Hawaii, A U.S. flag cruise ship. I enjoyed the trip . Hawaii was just beautiful. I found the ship staff to be condesending, not very helpful. They just did not make us feel special in anyway. It was like they hated their jobs. The itinerary was just great. We enjoyed our trip in Hawaii. We did not enjoy the crusing part. We have been on eight NCL cruises. This was the one we did not like. Yes the staff works hard and puts in lots of hour. Thats the way it is on all ships.

 

Unfortunately, your's is one of the common complaints that I've heard over the years. Again, while not condoning the poor attitude of some crew in the past, I will say that you only need to go to your local restaurant to find American's attitude towards guest service. It is a long, expensive and hard process finding those who care.

 

As I found mentioned in another thread here at CC, where a nursing student was asking about jobs on the cruise ships, her comment was "who wouldn't love to be cruising every day?" This is some of the misconception that we found with the American crew. They thought they were going on vacation on the Love Boat. Most international crew have never taken a cruise, and have never thought about one, as they couldn't afford it, but Americans make up the largest demographic of cruisers, and the new hires would think they were there to drink mimosas and work on their tans.

 

Yes, both international and US crews work hard. Conditions are similar across both fleets. However, the very low pay (by our standards) that the international crew earn is really a pretty middle class income in their home countries, while the US crews are working for far less than most of their contemporaries shoreside, and are stuck away from home for 4 months.

 

As one poster noted, the Americans need to be treated with respect (think of your own kids in the same job) more than the international crew, and their attitude will improve along with their job performance.

[namaste1223]

As one poster noted, the Americans need to be treated with respect (think of your own kids in the same job) more than the international crew, and their attitude will improve along with their job performance.

 

I would hope that anyone lucky enough to have the means to take a cruise would realize that most people deserve to be treated with respect, regardless of what their jobs are or whether they are American or not ... ;) But I do agree with you: Americans' attitudes may sometimes be a reflection of how they are treated by others, whereas some of the international crew would possibly not let how they are treated affect how they treat others, especially passengers that they're hired to serve. As you rightly said, it's partially a cultural thing...