I really wanted to love Carnival.

[cruizinisthebest]

For the record, I don't agree that a new cruiser should start with the biggest and newest either. Like you said, then there's nowhere to go but down in that scenario.

 

What I meant to say was that if the OP didn't like the Fantasy, the good news is that there's always room to go but up.

 

In general, NO I would not recommend a Fantasy class ship to a first time cruiser (although I actually have :o). BUT in all fairness, Fantasy class ships can be a good option for some people whose expectations are not as high, and who don't have much to compare her service, cuisine, and entertainment to. However, for someone like the OP, maybe a different ship or cruise line with more personal and better service may have been a better choice.

 

When I recommend ships or cruise lines to people who've never cruised before, I always ask them lots of questions before giving them my opinion. I actually told one of my good friends to sail on the Fascination for their honeymoon (even though I didn't enjoy it as much), but based on what they were looking for (something affordable, short distance, laid back and unpretentious, didn't care what the ship looked like, just happy with a beer and a burger by the pool), it seemed like the perfect fit (and it was! They had a wonderful time). On the other end of the spectrum, we took a family cruise last summer, which included some very demanding, used to nothing but the best, traveled the world in luxury, first time cruisers. For that cruise, I recommended to sail on Holland America to Alaska. They splurged on Signature Suites, dined at Le Cirque, booked the most expensive tours, and it was perfect for them! They loved it as well.

 

Different people, different choices.

 

Understood Tapi. Understood. ;)

[NCTribeFan]

As noted, I try to make my reviews very objective. That doesn't mean that I don't love the ship. And if I love the ship, I'm going to say so. Why should my saying that have any impact on anyone else?

 

Lots of people love Dream and I have no interest in even sailing her. Just not what I want.

 

I took a Cruise Virgin with me last September on Fantasy. By Day 2, while sitting out on the Serenity Deck, she started asking, "why haven't I done this before?" She sails her again on 5/6.

 

It's sort of like the "Balcony Snobs" who say "oh, I'll NEVER sail if I can't sail in a balcony cabin!" Do newbies think that if they don't spend the money for a balcony cabin they'll be miserable? I love nice (cheap) inside cabins. Yes, a balcony is nice. I'd personally rather sail twice in an inside than once in a balcony.

 

If people can't read posts and reviews without being duly influenced, I think that's a personal problem. We're here to give our thoughts. Some are more objective than others. Some are just trolls. Isn't it interesting how people who haven't sailed Carnival in years show up and find threads like this to jump on the Carnival-is-Awful bandwagon? :rolleyes:

 

No one is saying the OP didn't experience what she feels she experienced. Some of us are simply saying that we haven't experienced the same things after multiple sailings on the same ship.

 

But every sailing is different. Maybe she was unlucky enough to get a new steward and a new waitstaff. It happens. Most crew start out working in the crew quarters until they get a good grasp of the English language and show that they can handle working with the paying guests (I learned this during a Behind the Fun tour, so, no, I'm not making it up).

 

Once promoted, I'm sure that some workers find the transition a little more daunting than others. That doesn't mean they're unhappy, or unfriendly, or hate their jobs.

 

BTW, my waitstaff have been working together on the ship for years and they love their jobs and neither has any interest in moving to another ship. I've asked them both.

 

Oh, and as for the Silent Disembarkation, I think it's fantastic. When I did my B2B on Fantasy, the ship was empty by 9:20. Risa said that was the quickest they'd ever emptied her. A late disembarkation isn't Carnival's fault and certainly isn't the fault of anyone on the ship. And can happen at ANY port on any sailing.

[luvtrips]

We sailed on our 7th cruise on the Imagination in Feb. I know what you mean about the cleaning of the tables in the Lido. This was the first cruise that I've seen this happen, but they tables were left dirty. It was hard to find a place to sit for the dirty tables. I noticed that other things were dirty as well. The glass walls on the decks overlooking the atrium. The chairs on the Serenity deck. Several things looked very dirty. I didnt' see the constant cleaning up that was on the other ships.

That being said, our room steward and waiters were friendly and we enjoyed our short 4 day cruise. It just wasn't as wonderful as longer cruises have been.

We'll be on the Breeze next Feb, so I hope things are cleaner, and I'm sure they will be.

I say don't judge all Carnival cruises by this one.

[Fitzget]

NOT true at all. I have been on the Victory and had absolutely dreadfully horrible main dining room waitstaff and have had great waitstaff on Imagination and and Ecstasy. I have had great bartenders and photo gallery staff on the Sensation and terrible guest service staff on the Liberty and Glory. It's not the size of the ship that determines how good the crew is. Like any other workplace, leadership makes a huge difference. I have talked with crewmembers on older ships and some of them have been with the company for years upon years and they actually prefer to bid trips on them instead of the bigger, newer ships. If management makes life and work on the ship for those people fun and fulfilling, the workers will be happier at their jobs. Believe me, I have worked under great leadership and terrible leadership over the years and the general attitude is passed down from the top. I don't know if crewmembers can bid contracts for certain ships based on seniority or what, or if it some other criteria. Maybe someone knows the answer to that.

 

Like I said, I haven't been on enough cruises to know for fact, but that has been my experience. My interaction with staff on the larger (newer) ships was a great deal better than those on the smaller, older ships. It could have also been because those smaller, older ships were 3 day "booze cruises" to Mexico, on which the passengers can be incredibly irritating to deal with. I have to say, I would NOT want to be part of a crew on a short booze cruise.

[sjn911]

Understood Tapi. Understood. ;)

Me too...a great asset here is Tapi.

[JUGGER]

back saturday from our cruise on the fantasy out of charleston. Good things 1st.

1. We liked the ship. Easy to find our way around.

2. We loved the comedy club.

3. Food was good. I have noticed a lot of people complain about the coffee on here, but i had no problem with it.

4. Drinks were good and no more expensive than some of the restaurants we eat at.

5. Met some nice fellow pax.

 

I sat here for 10 minutes trying to find something good to say. Sad. What we didn't like.

 

1. I keep hearing about the great service. Frankly i didn't see much of it. I realize they all have a lot to get done, but on the lido deck the tables didn't get cleaned very often. Same way in the buffet.

 

2. I still don't know our room stewards name. Didn't even see him until tuesday night after boarding monday and then he just said hi and walked away.

 

3. I keep seeing here how everyone calls you by name and how they are so friendly. I wore my sign and sail card on a lanyard all week. In the whole week, one person, (1) called me by name. I almost cried to find a friendly crew member.

 

4. Shorty the cruise director drove us batty with stupid stuff and when it was some thing important like debarking, they have a silent one. Really? Having us stand in the halls for an hour before we moved an inch was a bit much. It would be nice to have direction instead of listening to the cabin stewards. Her "chow for now" is what we now use to drive each other nuts.

 

5. A good third of the crew looked unhappy. Again, i realize they have a lot to do. And a third of them looked like they would rather be flogged than be there. You smile at them and they look at you like they don't know why you would do that.

 

Maybe, i listened to to many people tell me how wonderful it was and had my expectations too high. I don't know. I don't know that i really want to cruise again. But if i do, i can guarantee you it won't be out of charleston. What a freaking cluster that place is. If they are all like that, i know i won't cruise again.

 

While we were waiting to embark and people were leaving from the previous cruise, my daughter said something about how none of them looked happy. After we finally got out of the port we looked the same way.

 

So there you have it. Any questions just ask.

hi--this is from--irene and john--in florida---we have sailed on carnival---60 cruises and 2 more to go--and love every time---some people perhaps would not be happy in heaven-----travel with a positive attitude---and enjoy-----irene and john

[sjn911]

I am hoping based on the feedback from those onboard with you that you give cruising another try. I am so sorry it was disappointing.

 

interestingly, you just described our cruise on RC's Allure. My boys had a bunk in a family stateroom that was rarely made up day or evening, my daughter had the fold out couch and half the time the sheet was partially off. Not only did the waiter not get orders right, he told the various kids what they could not order and then brought the thing he told them to have even when they said no thank you. We were always always the last ones out of the dining room. The photographer treated us like idiots because we wanted a formal picture with all 17 of us in it. There are many more examples. However, we still had a lovely trip.

 

I have 2 short premium line cruises under my belt....the new special huge RCCL ones I sooo look forward to as the Cream of the mass market crop...

 

In all..the levels of "fancy" and service have changed as someone else said and the choice is huge out there but sorry that you like the OP had a service experience that stood out as not ok for you. What you describe would not be for me either.

 

I think/hope there must/will be a chance to move up and stand out with all the increase in berths out there as employees and all the options the cuiselines with passengers and employees have to make it a win/win out there.

 

Thanks OP for your comments truly...take what fits from everything offered here and leave the rest..just like figuring out if cruising and what line and ship on that line... is for you and I will say it again..bring in customer service you have a keen eye on what to expect and what is or is not tolerable day to day, this makes you a good critic for what is ok and realistic at many levels of service i am sure and when it adds up enough to keep overlooking it ...well it does not add to your vacation or new experience to say the least...Sarah

Edited April 22, 2014 by sjn911

[Isasprings]

Back Saturday from our cruise on the Fantasy out of Charleston. Good things 1st.

1. We liked the ship. Easy to find our way around.

2. We LOVED the comedy club.

3. Food was good. I have noticed a lot of people complain about the coffee on here, but I had no problem with it.

4. Drinks were good and no more expensive than some of the restaurants we eat at.

5. Met some nice fellow pax.

 

I sat here for 10 minutes trying to find something good to say. Sad. What we didn't like.

 

1. I keep hearing about the great service. Frankly I didn't see much of it. I realize they all have a lot to get done, but on the Lido deck the tables didn't get cleaned very often. Same way in the buffet.

 

2. I still don't know our room stewards name. Didn't even see him until Tuesday night after boarding Monday and then he just said hi and walked away.

 

3. I keep seeing here how everyone calls you by name and how they are so friendly. I wore my sign and sail card on a lanyard all week. In the whole week, one person, (1) called me by name. I almost cried to find a friendly crew member.

 

4. Shorty the Cruise director drove us batty with stupid stuff and when it was some thing important like Debarking, they have a silent one. Really? Having us stand in the halls for an hour before we moved an inch was a bit much. It would be nice to have direction instead of listening to the cabin stewards. Her "Chow for now" is what we now use to drive each other nuts.

 

5. A good third of the crew looked unhappy. Again, I realize they have a lot to do. And a third of them looked like they would rather be flogged than be there. You smile at them and they look at you like they don't know why you would do that.

 

Maybe, I listened to to many people tell me how wonderful it was and had my expectations too high. I don't know. I don't know that I really want to cruise again. But if I do, I can guarantee you it won't be out of Charleston. What a freaking cluster that place is. If they are all like that, I know I won't cruise again.

 

While we were waiting to embark and people were leaving from the previous cruise, my daughter said something about how none of them looked happy. After we finally got out of the port we looked the same way.

 

So there you have it. Any questions just ask.

Maybe if you try another port or another cruise line but don't give up on cruising:)

[Disconnections]

We did find some of the workers on Princess to be a little on the rude and grumpy side. That did not ruin the cruise for us but it did leave feeling as if something was lacking with that cruise.

 

We are just off the Ruby today and we experienced the same as you. The difference between our Ruby sailing in January and our Ruby sailing this month was like night and day. Maybe it was the short cruise on a holiday weekend. Perhaps it was a change in management or even a change in the onboard demographic. It really felt like we were back on a Carnival ship and it was a highly disappointing cruise.

[Rock712]

I truly see this situation both ways ...

On the one had I really don't care if our stewards or waiters call me by name or even know my name What I care about is the service they provide. I don't need them to be friendly , but I would like them to be pleasant. They are there to do a job , and all I need for an enjoyable vacation is for them to do that job.

 

Having said that , what the employee's need to remember is that they are in a service industry. The passengers are paying to be there , and it's part of their job to make sure that the passengers are having an enjoyable experience. A nice smile and pleasant attitude goes a long way in getting that done. Everyones human , everyone has bad days , but when it's showtime it's time to put on a good face and make it happen !!

 

Last but not least , and I don't get the impression from the original poster that he or she did this in any way , but it always amazes me how some people treat the staff not as employee's of the ship , but some sort of indentured servant whose whole existence is based on catering to their every need. Be nice to people and you might be surprised what you get in return.

[Warm Breezes]

We are just off the Ruby today and we experienced the same as you. The difference between our Ruby sailing in January and our Ruby sailing this month was like night and day. Maybe it was the short cruise on a holiday weekend. Perhaps it was a change in management or even a change in the onboard demographic. It really felt like we were back on a Carnival ship and it was a highly disappointing cruise.

 

Ours wasn't holiday weekend so that couldn't have been it. We had the hostess at the Anytime dining room literally "roll her eyes" at us both times we went because we wanted a table for 2 and not share a larger table. We had no desire to go back after the second time. Then there was the guard at the buffet making sure you entered and exited the correct way without any drinks in your hands....The bacon police on CCL had nothing on these ladies. Never a friendly reminder...just barking orders and giving you the "mom" look. I won't even begin on how hard it was to get a glass of OJ to take back to our room in the morning from the buffet without having waiters act like you were majorly inconveniencing them:rolleyes:. We had a great room steward though....but I don't recall him ever calling us by name.

Edited April 22, 2014 by Warm Breezes

[jimbo5544]

Back Saturday from our cruise on the Fantasy out of Charleston. Good things 1st.

1. We liked the ship. Easy to find our way around.

2. We LOVED the comedy club.

3. Food was good. I have noticed a lot of people complain about the coffee on here, but I had no problem with it.

4. Drinks were good and no more expensive than some of the restaurants we eat at.

5. Met some nice fellow pax.

 

I sat here for 10 minutes trying to find something good to say. Sad. What we didn't like.

 

1. I keep hearing about the great service. Frankly I didn't see much of it. I realize they all have a lot to get done, but on the Lido deck the tables didn't get cleaned very often. Same way in the buffet.

 

2. I still don't know our room stewards name. Didn't even see him until Tuesday night after boarding Monday and then he just said hi and walked away.

 

3. I keep seeing here how everyone calls you by name and how they are so friendly. I wore my sign and sail card on a lanyard all week. In the whole week, one person, (1) called me by name. I almost cried to find a friendly crew member.

 

4. Shorty the Cruise director drove us batty with stupid stuff and when it was some thing important like Debarking, they have a silent one. Really? Having us stand in the halls for an hour before we moved an inch was a bit much. It would be nice to have direction instead of listening to the cabin stewards. Her "Chow for now" is what we now use to drive each other nuts.

 

5. A good third of the crew looked unhappy. Again, I realize they have a lot to do. And a third of them looked like they would rather be flogged than be there. You smile at them and they look at you like they don't know why you would do that.

 

Maybe, I listened to to many people tell me how wonderful it was and had my expectations too high. I don't know. I don't know that I really want to cruise again. But if I do, I can guarantee you it won't be out of Charleston. What a freaking cluster that place is. If they are all like that, I know I won't cruise again.

 

While we were waiting to embark and people were leaving from the previous cruise, my daughter said something about how none of them looked happy. After we finally got out of the port we looked the same way.

 

So there you have it. Any questions just ask.

While I am not doubting you, there is head scratching materila in your post. In our 29 cruises, I could not combine all the non happy people to come up with a third, yet you had it on one crusie. Interesting.

[Beachdude]

Wow Jimbo, you cruise Carnival a lot. You must really like them a lot.

 

Burt

[kristinp36]

A couple thoughts....I have cruised Carnival, Royal C & Holland.

 

I find the service to be similar on all 3 lines. Some cruises have been better then others with some of our worst service on RC & Hal.

 

Each line and every individual cruise will have its own tone. There are lots of things happening behind the scenes that could impact how employees are filling on that particular sailing...,extra duties, drills, passenger interactions, etc. We have family that works on the ship and things are dramatically different from one week to the next.

 

Sailing a different line May or may not make a difference for the OP.

 

We always go in with a positive attitude and laugh about stupid things. We are enjoying our vacation!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[Need-a-vacation]

I haven't cruised much and never on Carnival. The first 2 was before the spread of "anytime dining" and we had the traditional assigned seating. In both cases, we definitely received much more attentive service in the dining room. The 2nd cruise was with a group of 8 so we had the whole table and the waiter, assistant, and maitre d all knew us and they definitely went the extra mile to be helpful, particularly for my grandfather in his scooter. The waiter and his assistant all knew who wanted water and who wanted tea by the 2nd night and who wanted after dinner coffee. We have pictures of the group with these people and they definitely enhanced the experience.

 

The last 2 cruises we have had their variation on anytime dining and it definitely changed the overall atmosphere of the meals. Because it was always different servers, there was no personal connection. In exchange, we got the convenience of eating when we wanted, a more casual dining experience, and not being assigned to a table group that may or may not be a good fit for us. So while I wasn't disappointed by the impersonal service, the dining experiences were definitely less memorable overall. But I would still choose anytime dining unless I was traveling with a group and we wanted to have a dinner appointment.

 

I also expect that in the traditional dining room setting, people are more likely to complain if they are receiving inadequate service since they got that service for the whole cruise from the same person, and lousy servers get rotated out. I think people are less likely to notice or be offended by less pampered service when it's a different server every time.

 

Another change between the 2nd and 3rd cruise was the transition from cash tips in envelopes to pooled tips on the account. Perhaps this does change the dynamic of how the staff interacts with customers?

 

I think there is a difference between genuinely deficient service and degrees of quality that still meet the minimum expectations but vary in the wow factor. Beds made is the basic expectation, towel animals is the step up. But I wouldn't consider it poor service if I never got a towel animal.

[CallmeGee55]

Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy your cruise. I have been on the Fantasy three times, I didn't notice any difference in the crew ( as far as them seeming unhappy). We had awesome waiters in the main dining room as well as our waiters in the main lounge. Never had a room steward not call us by our first name, our waiters have always called us by our first name. Not sure who the CD is on the Fantasy now but if it's Risa, she isn't my favorite. I do hope you give Carnival another try. Going on my 7th soon and I can't wait to book my 8th.

[paradiscroozin]

I'm going on my 4th cruise in June and didn't even know the crew were supposed to know your name and use it. There were other times I met the person that cleaned my room after the first day, as long as it was cleaned, I didn't really care if I saw them or not.

 

Maybe I have low standards, but I didn't realize that getting to know the crew was part of my vacation. They are there to make a living and help out when needed, not to make people feel like movie stars and be recognized at every chance.

 

As long as they are polite, whether speaking or just smiling, I am happy.

 

These crews work long hours and always seem to be on the go or busy. I don't expect them to bend over backwards to me by calling me by name when I don't even take the time to remember theirs.

 

It's a shame that this could be something that can affect how you enjoyed your vacation.

[AmberTeka]

I don't like for people who don't know me to call me by my first name. Am I the only one on this board who does not?

 

And I have worked all of my life. I babysat for spending money as a teen, I worked the entire time I was in college, I graduated early and started teaching at age 20 , and then taught school for decades. I am not Miss Debutante grown older.

 

My steward's job is to keep our cabin clean. He does not need to know my name, and I don't need to see him every day. We have two requests when we board. Clean out the fridge and put diet cokes in...and a sharps box as my husband is mildly diabetic. ( He controls it with strict diet and exercise and one pill a day) I give him $20. We have no more special requests. I have never had less than a perfect cabin steward on Carnival. We always tip more when we leave.

 

It makes me feel bad to think they have to know my name, & every one else's name in the cabins they are responsible for on the ship, & to call us all by our first name, when many hardly speak English. It is almost demeaning.

When I was working. That would have been just more work. I sure did not grin like I was wildly happy all the years I worked, and I liked every job I ever had. One summer I did inventory work in a Car Dealership and I liked that job! I had a job holding the phone for a business owner, who did not like to talk, he just wanted someone on the other end of the phone. He might say something and he wanted someone there to hear it. BEST job I ever had.

 

Am I the only one who feels this way?

Edited April 23, 2014 by AmberTeka

[jimbo5544]

Wow Jimbo, you cruise Carnival a lot. You must really like them a lot.

 

Burt

I do....on both counts.

[Havingfun2010]

I'm going on my 4th cruise in June and didn't even know the crew were supposed to know your name and use it. There were other times I met the person that cleaned my room after the first day, as long as it was cleaned, I didn't really care if I saw them or not.

 

Maybe I have low standards, but I didn't realize that getting to know the crew was part of my vacation. They are there to make a living and help out when needed, not to make people feel like movie stars and be recognized at every chance.

 

As long as they are polite, whether speaking or just smiling, I am happy.

 

These crews work long hours and always seem to be on the go or busy. I don't expect them to bend over backwards to me by calling me by name when I don't even take the time to remember theirs.

 

It's a shame that this could be something that can affect how you enjoyed your vacation.

 

One of the rules of good customer service in the service industry is to know your customer. Does not matter how many hours a person works, but rather how well they make the customer welcome. Greeting by name, holding doors, being friendly etc all make a customer welcome. Walk into coffee shop, and the barista asks if you want the usual and knows it. Sure, they don't know my name, but they get the coffee right each time. Makes me want to come back. Same think with local quick eat restaurants, and the waitress/order taker knows and/or asks, if I will have >>>>> today. All high end hotels, will address you by name. It does affect on how I enjoy my vacation, knowing that those I paid their salary and tips, are taking the time to be polite, and giving the proper address to me in the hallway. That is customer service. It is what I would expect in any vacation, or service industry. I expect my waitress/waiter to address me by name, once they discover my name, whether it was on the reservation, or on my credit card.

[NCTribeFan]

I haven't found the service or attitudes to be any better on larger, newer ships than on some of the Fantasy-class ship sailings I've been on.

 

Every sailing is different, even on the same ship. And if you happen to sail when there's just been a changeover in crew, things simply may not go as smoothly because people are still learning that ship's system. I've done the exact same cruise on the same ship not so very far apart and had very different experiences. So, I don't "expect" anything other than to have pretty darn good food and service in the MDR (tried YTD once and really didn't enjoy it). I expect my cabin to be cleaned. I expect crew and staff to be pleasant but not fawning. I think those are reasonable expectations.

 

But some ships just seem to have a better vibe than others, and I attribute that to the upper management. I normally don't care who the CD is and usually only remember them if they're loud, annoying and intrusive. I don't think the CD's job is to be Head Comedian. Just like the other staff and crew, their job is to keep things running smoothly. This is why I liked Risa and now that she's gone, I don't know how, or if, the vibe on Fantasy will change. But over the past few years, I've thought she had a very good vibe.

 

I loved Miracle and was told by a couple of crew members that getting a spot working on her was very difficult (my last time on her was Dec 2009). I thought Glory had a good vibe both times I sailed her. I thought everyone on Conquest seemed happy.

 

I didn't get these Good Vibes on some of the others.

[cruizinisthebest]

I don't like for people who don't know me to call me by my first name. Am I the only one on this board who does not?

 

 

Am I the only one who feels this way?

 

No you're not. It really truly does not matter to me. Just have good manners and be polite. I'm not offended either way.

 

Also, politeness works both ways. I've seen people treated with good customer service yet barely say thank you. Can't bother to say hello back to the workers, not very nice towards their fellow passengers either. Everything is me, me, me. Can't be bothered with that. I don't need anyone I'm cruising with or whose working on the cruise to stroke me. Just be polite and try to wear a smile sometimes. These people have thousands of guests to attend to. And every 4, 5, 7 days it's a new set of folks. Personally addressing me by name is not even on my list of things to care about. Whether they do or don't certainly isn't the definitive mark of good customer service in my view. Do your specified job well is. Even if you mess up, chances are I will understand. Just apologize and fix it. Life is short. I'm not about to spend my vacation frettin' over not being called by name.

[Linerguy]

When we first started cruising with our children, we told them point-blank that the people who work on the ship are NOT slaves, they are hard-working people with families who deserve respect and courtesy. From day one their mother and I have taught them to ALWAYS say "please", "thank you", "excuse me", and, most importantly, "I apologize".

 

While I understand that some people are just sour pusses, I honestly believe that what you get is based on what you give. I'm not saying the OP was rude to the crew or gave them a hard time,...perhaps it was someone in management. Tough to say.

 

I've seen several members of the crew get raked over the carpet by passengers, and most of the time it was for the dumbest reasons. I suppose that could take a toll on just about anybody.

[jimbo5544]

When we first started cruising with our children, we told them point-blank that the people who work on the ship are NOT slaves, they are hard-working people with families who deserve respect and courtesy. From day one their mother and I have taught them to ALWAYS say "please", "thank you", "excuse me", and, most importantly, "I apologize".

 

While I understand that some people are just sour pusses, I honestly believe that what you get is based on what you give. I'm not saying the OP was rude to the crew or gave them a hard time,...perhaps it was someone in management. Tough to say.

 

I've seen several members of the crew get raked over the carpet by passengers, and most of the time it was for the dumbest reasons. I suppose that could take a toll on just about anybody.

Hey, everybody has a bad day. A third of the ship (in an industry which is known for their employees going out of their way to be friendly) is hard to fathom (nautical term...pun intended).;)

[Linerguy]

Hey, everybody has a bad day. A third of the ship (in an industry which is known for their employees going out of their way to be friendly) is hard to fathom (nautical term...pun intended).;)

 

Love the nautical reference. Waiting for the opportunity to use "athwartship" and "tumblehome" – it'll happen one day!