How Do Stewards Remember Our Names?

[Saphire]

Just one of the many amazing things on our cruise. Review to follow, but...how do they?

[PathfinderEss]

That's an excellent question, I have no idea how they do it. Heck I can't remember someone's name I met 5 hours ago. Don't they amaze you, they do me, that's for sure.:D:D:D

Edited March 29, 2015 by PathfinderEss

[RBB]

Its pretty amazing. We did a long cruise on Prinsendam in 2012 & another about a year later. On the first day on board we were greeted by name by several of the staff. Imagine how many other passengers they had met in between!

[SilvertoGold]

Only one crew member (DRM) has ever, and I mean ever, remembered our names.

 

They know us, which cruise they last saw us on, always that my DH speaks some Bahasa, but never names.

 

It amazes me that they do remember some names, though!!

[Crew News]

Just one of the many amazing things on our cruise. Review to follow, but...how do they?

 

I am certain that your Room Stewards have a list with names for all of their support passengers. Some of us who wear our room key on a lanyard allowing the ship's crew to call us by name.

 

Remembering names is a good start to earning a monetary tip from the greeted passenger.

Edited March 29, 2015 by Crew News

[whogo]

They work at it. They may have access to our security photos as a learning aid. It is pretty amazing when you consider that we all look alike.

[PatsyAnne]

They are definitely professional.

[sail7seas]

Some stewards tell us they make alliterations such as 'bald bob'.....

Some told us they remember those who were really nice to them and were fun to have aboard and they remember those who were nasty, hard to please and didn't tip etc. Some of the average, in the middle folks, sometimes takes them a bit of effort to recall but very often in short order, a memory pops back in their heads. :)

 

[OCruisers]

It's a part of their job to remember our names .... so they do. ;)

LuLu

[canadianbear]

I also am amazed at how they remember our names-always. I find it very impressive. I can see it easier when on a longer cruise but even when we've done a week cruise they have always called us by name. Love HAL staff!

[dockman]

Many years ago i was a bellboy at a fancy resort. I would always call people by their names which nearly always resulted in nice tips...How did you know my name was frequent question.....

 

my answer" it's right here on your luggage tag mr johnson...."

 

when you work for tips you learn quickly the tricks....

 

biggest tip i ever got (this was 1971) was from Bebe Rebozo....tricky dicks ole cuban semi mafia buddy...Bebe gave me a twenty dollar bill which was a LOT in those days....he told me it was BECAUSE i called him by his name.....Mr Rebozo

[Vict0riann]

It may be that they are even hired because they have good facial memory, do you think? They do go through a training course, there are probably classes in it!

[Lizzie68]

Service industry workers all see to be very good at remembering names, I find, especially in hotels and resorts.

[sail7seas]

I recall so many times through our cruises when we were amazed a steward or other crew remembered us by name. Not only name but something particular about us that would shock us they would remember. I learned when they said we met on such and such a ship, around what date, I always think very carefully before correcting them. They are almost always right. :)

 

[Blue Mudshark]

There are quite a few techniques, include various mnemonic techniques, and keeping written records. But the motivation is clear: it's a major source of income. A strong incentive.

[sail7seas]

There are quite a few techniques, include various mnemonic techniques, and keeping written records. But the motivation is clear: it's a major source of income. A strong incentive.

 

I've sometimes speculated they have a notebook/computer record and they look over manifests before we board to see if they recognize any names. :) Who knows and to me it really doesn't matter. What I care is a friendly hello, a smile and nice service.

 

[Scrapnana]

On my last cruise I bumped into the MDR server I had on my previous cruise (8 months earlier) and he greeted me by name. I was amazed. I also lost my key card and when I saw my stewardess in the hall she knew exactly which cabin I was in (and I had only seen her twice before). Wish I could remember people like that!

[ducklite]

You know how you get your photo taken when you get on board? Each steward gets a sheet with the name and photo of each guest in their area. They are also told if the guest is a repeat cruiser, VIP, or has complained about something in the past.

 

On small ships the entire passenger manifest with names and photos is circulated among crew, and each crew member is required to remember at least 10 guests names the first day and 10 more each additional day.

[ellieanne]

I know being slightly different helps. This last cruise I brought my teddy bears with me -- I have one green one and one brown one. The green bear was memorable and even when the bar staff saw me in other venues, without my bear, they greeted me by name and asked about my bear.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I don't know how they remember our names, but it is amazing.

Wish I was able to do that.

[Topsham]

I know a bar waiter named Erwin on board the Saga ships. Have known him perhaps ten years. Every time I see him.... and might be, say ten times a days I will call never by his name. I might smile and say, " Morning George." Then Earl will reply with... "George?" I'll come back with, "George Washington!". Two hours I say, "Hey George." He comes back, "George?" I'll say, "George Bush!" This goes all the time. Next day.... a new name, "Morning Bill." Then he says "Bill?" "Bill Clinton!"

 

It is just our little joke of course. Not as easy as you think. You try to come up with a dozen new names every day. Not so easy!

 

 

Last February on board EURODAM I saw a waiter in Pinnacle Bar

by the name of Dexter. Know him at least 15 years. As soon as I saw him I said, "Hello Dexter. How are you doing?" Only problem is that I have not seen him on board any of recent cruises. Stumped. Could not remember seeing him on ANY Holland America ship! Then he smiled and I got it... he is new with EURODAM.... but has been on SAGA ROSE and SAGA RUBY since 1998!

[Caribbean Chris]

There was a legendary, multilingual cruise director named Danny Leone, who had many talents. One was that he would remember passengers' names even years later.

 

Of course, ships were much smaller in the 1960s, 70s, 80s. Still, he was remarkable.

[Homosassa]

And let's not forget the amazing Hunky Dory in the buffet that remembers all the guest's names, or at least it seems that way.

 

The first time I walked into the buffet for breakfast, he greeted me by name but it was not my name. When I looked blankly at him, he repeated the name. I then said no, he had me confused with someone else.

 

He actually became upset and asked if I had not been in the buffet late the night before for a late evening snack. When I said no, he again asked if I wasn't there with my husband, Jon.

 

That cleared up the mystery. He had me confused with my sister who was also on the cruise.

 

After that, he knew my name (and also put the correct husband with me).

[Hlitner]

It is not always names that they remember. On one HAL cruise our room steward popped-in on the first day to introduce himself, immediately recognized us from another cruise and quickly said he remembered us because we ate late (true) and always wanted our ice bucket full. On the Prinsendam we once walked into the Crows Nest on a first day and a bar waiter walked over to our table and asked if we wanted our "usual." He also remembered our cabin number (from a cruise more then a year prior) but not our name.

 

Hank

[sun~]

It isn't hard to remember peoples's names. Yep, it is work, most folks are too lazy to actually pay attention and remember names. The stewards have the list of cabins/names and they start with that, most will work to remember the names/faces. When you are personally addressed, you probably will tip more. You will also treat the crew better if it is personal. So there is incentive to do that bit of work to remember people.

 

Think of it like going to a big party and remembering people's names. As was mentioned, you may do tricks like "bald Bob" or the purple hat lady (my MIL, everyone remembers her!). It just takes a bit of work.

 

The most impressive memory for names was my JHS principal, Mr. Lilly, he apparently spent time in the summer to memorize every single students name, from school photos from our various elementary schools. This was really impressive since there was 1000 students. I got caught running done the hall in grade 7. He bellowed out "no running in the halls Sheila xxxxx!" It stopped my dead in my tracks. It was the first time I had ever seen him! Now that's a memory!