"This might be YOUR vacation, but it's MY life"

[the mistral wind]

Unfortunately for a 9 out of 10 to be 'bad' is a ridiculous system.

 

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That's so funny. How true

[MoniMommy]

I was not able to read all 42 pages of posts. However, I have noticed that whenever anyone suggests removing the prepaid gratuities (even if they intend to tip in cash) that are accused of being miserly or worse than the devil himself. Based on my research the tips are used by the cruise line to fund salaries. The gratuity is not a tip but revenue that the cruise line uses to pay out salary to certain staff members (not officers or entertainers). A few people removing tips will likely not impact a crew person's salary. However, a bad survey WILL impact their life and possibly their salary. I know based on what few have told me that their shifts are tied to surveys. So a crew member with good surveys may work one or two shifts while a crew member with poor reviews will work all shifts. Bonuses can also be tied to surveys. Thus, if a crewman has worked hard I will put all 5s for everything even if the food wasn't that great (but I am easy to please) and put in the comments what I thought about the food. I feel that stiffing the crew on a survey is the same or worse than stiffing them on a tip.

[Cuizer2]

I was not able to read all 42 pages of posts. However, I have noticed that whenever anyone suggests removing the prepaid gratuities (even if they intend to tip in cash) that are accused of being miserly or worse than the devil himself. Based on my research the tips are used by the cruise line to fund salaries. The gratuity is not a tip but revenue that the cruise line uses to pay out salary to certain staff members (not officers or entertainers). A few people removing tips will likely not impact a crew person's salary. However, a bad survey WILL impact their life and possibly their salary. I know based on what few have told me that their shifts are tied to surveys. So a crew member with good surveys may work one or two shifts while a crew member with poor reviews will work all shifts. Bonuses can also be tied to surveys. Thus, if a crewman has worked hard I will put all 5s for everything even if the food wasn't that great (but I am easy to please) and put in the comments what I thought about the food. I feel that stiffing the crew on a survey is the same or worse than stiffing them on a tip.

 

Nobody is suggesting that a low rating should be given to someone who does a good job. The issue is whether a high rating should be given to someone who does not do a good job. I for one will not give someone who does a subpar job a high rating. I also believe that an eight and nine (out of ten) are good scores.

 

I took a lifeguard class and a water safety class in college. Pass and you get a Red Cross certificate. I asked the teacher if everyone who passes gets an "A"? He said no.

[Milwaukee Eight]

I was not able to read all 42 pages of posts. However, I have noticed that whenever anyone suggests removing the prepaid gratuities (even if they intend to tip in cash) that are accused of being miserly or worse than the devil himself. Based on my research the tips are used by the cruise line to fund salaries. The gratuity is not a tip but revenue that the cruise line uses to pay out salary to certain staff members (not officers or entertainers). A few people removing tips will likely not impact a crew person's salary. However, a bad survey WILL impact their life and possibly their salary. I know based on what few have told me that their shifts are tied to surveys. So a crew member with good surveys may work one or two shifts while a crew member with poor reviews will work all shifts. Bonuses can also be tied to surveys. Thus, if a crewman has worked hard I will put all 5s for everything even if the food wasn't that great (but I am easy to please) and put in the comments what I thought about the food. I feel that stiffing the crew on a survey is the same or worse than stiffing them on a tip.

 

 

 

Haven't seen a 1-5 or 5-1 survey in some time. What survey are you referring too?

 

 

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[Globehoppers]

Had the "hard sell" for perfect ratings once from a Cruise Director at a Meet & Mingle. "Rate the ship/cruise line all top on CC..."

 

Concerning the wait staff, please treat them as equal humans. Many American's don't - the "ugly American" syndrome from the 1950s and 60s is alive a well on cruise ships. Most of the staff are working their way out of difficult economic situations back home at the same time dealing with a large variety of people from different cultures. Tipping extra for attentive service helps. Excellent rating for service help. If there is a food complaint, take it directly to the managers and to RCI in Miami. A personal note tot eh president of RCI with a picture helps.

[Cuizer2]

A personal note to the president of RCI with a picture helps.

 

How can you tell bad tasting food from good tasting food in a picture? How can you tell cold food that should be hot, from food at the correct temperature in a picture? How can you tell if the food is too spicy from a picture?

[bUU]

On one of your previous posts here (not going back to find it), you stated as fact that Royal has plenty of people waiting in the wings for jobs.

I never said anyone "had" anyone "waiting". What I wrote was, "Maybe there are literally thousands of people vying for each of these jobs". This is what I've learned from former cruise line employees from these countries (Philippines, Indonesia, Croatia, etc.) who have shared their experiences online regarding applying for and working on cruise ships. They talk about the agencies they work for, how desirable these jobs are where they're from, how competitive the positions are. The size of the available labor pool in these countries is also a common topic in industry articles. And occasionally you'll get a cruise line manager to admit it. And it really isn't surprising: As rough these jobs are, they are superlatively lucrative jobs for folks from these countries. That's why the cruise line has so many people vying for jobs that pay so little by comparison to US standards.

 

Bella says you shouldn't be so pompous. ��

Maybe you shouldn't be so over-sensitive that you're seeing affronts that simply do not exist, and maybe you shouldn't be so immaturely insulting, either. If you cannot avoid stooping to personal attacks, derisive evasion, and trying to browbeat perspectives you don't like away, then please do like others have suggested and ignore me.

[John&LaLa]

Maybe you shouldn't be so over-sensitive that you're seeing affronts that simply do not exist, and maybe you shouldn't be so immaturely insulting, either. If you cannot avoid stooping to personal attacks, derisive evasion, and trying to browbeat perspectives you don't like away, then please do like others have suggested and ignore me.

 

I have never ignored anyone, and interestingly enough, one person that I should have ignored has turned into a good friend. Go figure. with all your talk of being sensitive, I am shocked that you can't concede that the surveys are not worth the bandwidth they take up. That is all.

[bUU]

with all your talk of being sensitive, I am shocked that you can't concede that the surveys are not worth the bandwidth they take up.

Correct me if I'm wrong (I'm sure you will) but it appears to me that you're saying that if I don't agree with your opinion then I am therefore incorrect.

 

It must be nice to be able to believe that no one ever legitimately disagrees with you.

[ladybugpug]

Lumping service with food quality is ludicrous. One has very little to do with the other. I have sailed RCI only once and that was back in December on the Oasis. Our service in the MDR was outstanding. Our waitstaff made the experience. We came back each night for them. The food was just ok. I don't think I was overly impressed with many of the dishes. We got the survey sales pitch our last evening. It was stressed to us to please give only the highest rating as that is how they keep their jobs. I was a bit taken aback by the mention of the survey. I'm surprised RCI wants them to do that. It's like they want false results for some reason by guilting the passengers into only the highest marks. I don't even remember if I did the survey.

[Milwaukee Eight]

I never said anyone "had" anyone "waiting". What I wrote was, "Maybe there are literally thousands of people vying for each of these jobs". This is what I've learned from former cruise line employees from these countries (Philippines, Indonesia, Croatia, etc.) who have shared their experiences online regarding applying for and working on cruise ships. They talk about the agencies they work for, how desirable these jobs are where they're from, how competitive the positions are. The size of the available labor pool in these countries is also a common topic in industry articles. And occasionally you'll get a cruise line manager to admit it. And it really isn't surprising: As rough these jobs are, they are superlatively lucrative jobs for folks from these countries. That's why the cruise line has so many people vying for jobs that pay so little by comparison to US standards.

 

Maybe you shouldn't be so over-sensitive that you're seeing affronts that simply do not exist, and maybe you shouldn't be so immaturely insulting, either. If you cannot avoid stooping to personal attacks, derisive evasion, and trying to browbeat perspectives you don't like away, then please do like others have suggested and ignore me.

 

 

 

So because you read it on social media (MSM) makes it fact. I believe these people onboard the ship, who have responsibility for all restaurants and bars, including the staff/crew, over social media. On Serenade, a large group of us were told that the Restaurant/Bars had openings for nearly 50 people and found it difficult to find people willing to work in those positions. This includes cooks, wait staff, bartenders, and so on. Other Restaurant/Beverage mgrs have told us the same story. Look at Royals site, they have lots of openings. Pages worth.

 

 

 

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[richstowe]

It isn't that hard to "find people" . The tough part is finding pleasant , skilled , English speaking people who will work for tips for very long hours in a difficult environment where your employer treats you like a consumable supply . In an setting where your employer is always trying to eliminate service positions to replace them with revenue producing positions .

 

So it is not that hard to "find people" , you just have to lower your requirements . (n)

[bUU]

So because you read it on social media (MSM) makes it fact.

So you heard it from a manager on a cruise ship makes it fact.

 

No.

 

Neither.

 

But I do trust someone who no longer works for the company, corroborated by industry magazine articles, more than I trust someone who does work for the company.

 

You are welcome to be convinced by different information but not to claim that the information you rely on is the only information that is valid.

 

I believe these people onboard the ship, who have responsibility for all restaurants and bars, including the staff/crew, over social media.

And I think that's naive.

 

We'll have to agree to disagree.

 

Personally that is exactly the impression I get from your posts. It is my impression that you believe that you are right and anyone who disagrees with you is wrong.

I think you just don't like what I post. You want an unrebutted soapbox for what you believe is true. As you can see above, I readily grant that other people are entitled to their perspective. What you seem to not like is that I expect the same consideration from you than you expect from me. But I'm willing to be proven wrong: Show me two posts in the last two weeks where you said what I said, above, that you were willing to agree to disagree with someone who posted a perspective as different from yours as my perspective in this thread is different from Milwaukee Eight's.

 

But heck, let's give you a chance. Go back to the post that I was replying to an explain how, "I am shocked that you can't concede..." is not someone saying that if I don't agree with their opinion then I am therefore incorrect. Let's see how much intellectual integrity you're willing to afford to this ridiculous meta-discussion.

Edited July 7, 2017 by bUU

[Biker19]

[bUU]

Indeed, and how do you know that people are working too hard to try to avoid admitting that they're unwilling to agree to disagree? Instead of actually agreeing to disagree when that is offered by someone (like me), they post personal attacks and force the thread into discussing the discussion instead of the topic.

[FloridaGram]

It is the same way on Carnival too and probably other cruise lines. It is so annoying that you are badgered about this and the way they do it. But I guess it will never change because I know a lot of people complain about it.

[John&LaLa]

I didn't get the memo that today is post whore Saturday.

True post whoring occurs on roll calls. [emoji6]

 

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[Biker19]

True post whoring occurs on roll calls. [emoji6]

The participation rate seems to be going down on those.

[JimAOk1945]

OOPS I thought this was a thread about surveys. Anyway here's my thoughts. I don't know whether my participation matters to the cruiseline or the crew but I complete one after each cruise and give an honest answer every time. Personally I don't like being asked to give top marks. But I will if the service we receive merits it.

 

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[Cmoore19]

I don't understand why they leave the survey to the cruisers but then tell them to put 5s..... that defeats the purpose of a survey. If you want me to take a survey... then let me take the survey and rate what I want. I know that sounds kinda harsh but its a little weird when someone tells you to take a survey on your opinion and then tells you what your opinion should be... Maybe its just me..

[John&LaLa]

I don't understand why they leave the survey to the cruisers but then tell them to put 5s..... that defeats the purpose of a survey. If you want me to take a survey... then let me take the survey and rate what I want. I know that sounds kinda harsh but its a little weird when someone tells you to take a survey on your opinion and then tells you what your opinion should be... Maybe its just me..

It's a scale of 1-10. [emoji6]

 

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[JimAOk1945]

I don't understand why they leave the survey to the cruisers but then tell them to put 5s..... that defeats the purpose of a survey. If you want me to take a survey... then let me take the survey and rate what I want. I know that sounds kinda harsh but its a little weird when someone tells you to take a survey on your opinion and then tells you what your opinion should be... Maybe its just me..

I agree with you. It really diminishes the happy feeling I had been experiencing when they come up to us and start talking about the survey and trying to persuade us to give high marks. I start thinking that all the fine service was only a bribe ! [emoji34]

 

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[grapau27]

I agree with you. It really diminishes the happy feeling I had been experiencing when they come up to us and start talking about the survey and trying to persuade us to give high marks. I start thinking that all the fine service was only a bribe ! [emoji34]

 

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Unfortunately most of the time it is not a genuine likeness for you just a means to an end.

 

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[JimAOk1945]

Unfortunately most of the time it is not a genuine likeness for you just a means to an end.

 

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Yes!!! That's my thought as well. I've learned to take it all in stride now that we have a few cruises under the belt, but it would be great if the wonderful service we receive was simply done because it's the right thing to do.

 

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[richstowe]

Yes!!! That's my thought as well. I've learned to take it all in stride now that we have a few cruises under the belt, but it would be great if the wonderful service we receive was simply done because it's the right thing to do.

 

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Frankly who cares and why ? If they are pleasant and efficient then I don't care if their smiles are genuine . They work long hours under tough condition thousand of miles and months from home . And all for tips !

I respect them and the work they do .It would be obnoxious to expect any more .