A small thing on my cruise that bothered me.

[MichelleP]

This may be a petty thing... but it bothered me. This was on our Fantasy cruise last weekend.

 

On the day at sea, we were wondering whether we should eat in the dining room or on the Lido deck for lunch. In order to make that choice, we wanted to see what would be on the dining room menu for lunch.

 

We went to the place outside the dining room where the menu was posted and checked it out. The dinner menu was posted, but where the lunch menu should have been (marked by a label above the menu that read "lunch") there was the breakfast menu.

 

There was no one around at the entrance to the dining room, so I went down to the purser's desk (which was right below the dining room entrance) and asked the purser if he could ask the dining room staff to put out the lunch menu.

 

He called the dining room and after a brief conversation told me, "He doesn't know why it wouldn't be there, but he is going to check."

 

I thanked him and walked up the atrium staircase to where Mark was waiting at the level of the dining room. We could clearly see the dining room entrance from where we were standing.

 

As we both watched, the maitre d' went outside the dining room, examined the menus, opened the glass case and placed the lunch menu in its position where the breakfast menu had been. Mark and I walked over to look at the lunch menu.

 

As we arrived at the entrance to the restaurant and began to look at the lunch menu, the maitre d' picked up a telephone that was outside the restaurant and called the purser's desk. "It was there. I don't know where they were looking, but yes, it was there the whole time," he said. Mark and I looked at each other in disbelief.

 

After he hung up, he basically ran off, and I was too startled to confront him about his lie. I went back to the purser's desk and talked to the same purser I had talked to and asked him the name of the maitre d' and told him what I had observed. He apologized.

 

I know this is a small thing, but the maitre d' was obviously just covering his rear by lying to make me look like an idiot. It really bothered me. I felt insulted by what he had said. The lunch menu was not there, and I am not so dumb that I wouldn't have seen it if it was. No cruise line employee should make a guest look stupid just to keep himself out of trouble.

 

Probably not worth writing Carnival about, but it put a bad taste in my mouth.

[MrPete]

The nice thing on the newer ships is that the menu's are on Funvision.

 

I would let your incident pass. He was CHA. We've all done it.

[Timmys_mom]

I can't disagree with you - it is never fair for someone to cover their backside at the expense of another.

 

However, it doesn't matter where you are vacationing, working or playing, there will always be someone who is incapable of accepting responsibility for their behavior or action (or inaction, as the case may be).

 

I think you were right to point out the employees behavior. Every supervisor needs to know what is really happening on their watch.

[woodman]

Your right to petty to coment on.

[GoinCruisin]

I'm not saying it was the right thing to do... and I agree, he was CHA, we've all done it before. It was a lunch menu... and it's not like your faces were plastered all over the ship as liars. He had no idea you were spying... he was just CHA. If that is the worst thing that happens on a cruise, consider yourself lucky ;)

[Perrys100]

I would have said someting!! I know it is a small thing. But there are no small things only small people. Always tell the truth!

 

I rarely take exception to another but.....I do not believe in not being honest. A CHA (cover his ass) is ok.....but the un-truth is not ok , ever...

 

I believe that if more people in this world stood up and said..YES that was entirely MY fault and Apologized there would be alot fewer hassels. I believe that everything runs on expectations and we all have the expectation of honesty.

 

So the next time...raise you hand, like in the NBA, and take the foul! By all means I'd have called the guy on his BS. If you work in the customer service, like on a cruise ship, YOU HAVE AN OBLIGATION to be straight forward and take the hit.

 

imho.

[GoinCruisin]

Perrys, she DID say something.

 

Only thing I can't believe is that the Maitre'D said this, right in front of you, while you were there listening... doesn't sound like a very smart person :rolleyes:

[TXParrothead]

I don't think that his actions were petty. I would have said something. Let me tell you why. If he is dishonest in this small thing what happens when something serious happens. Let's say someone has a food allergy and clearly ask about a menu item and their allegry. He says it doesn't have any peanuts and it does. The person can have some GRAVE issues.:mad:

[GoinCruisin]

double post

[cathyoo]

Perrys, she DID say something.

 

Only thing I can't believe is that the Maitre'D said this, right in front of you, while you were there listening... doesn't sound like a very smart person :rolleyes:

 

My impression is that the Maitre'D did not know they were the ones who complained in the first place. Or maybe I can't believe anyone could be that unsmart.

[Perrys100]

I do see where she did say something. I would have said it to him :)

[Decali]

A minor piss off I'm sure but hey, it ain't cancer. The guy probably needs the job more than you needed to know what was for lunch. Just let it go.

[cruisinfanatic]

This may be a petty thing... but it bothered me. This was on our Fantasy cruise last weekend.

 

On the day at sea, we were wondering whether we should eat in the dining room or on the Lido deck for lunch. In order to make that choice, we wanted to see what would be on the dining room menu for lunch.

 

We went to the place outside the dining room where the menu was posted and checked it out. The dinner menu was posted, but where the lunch menu should have been (marked by a label above the menu that read "lunch") there was the breakfast menu.

 

There was no one around at the entrance to the dining room, so I went down to the purser's desk (which was right below the dining room entrance) and asked the purser if he could ask the dining room staff to put out the lunch menu.

 

He called the dining room and after a brief conversation told me, "He doesn't know why it wouldn't be there, but he is going to check."

 

I thanked him and walked up the atrium staircase to where Mark was waiting at the level of the dining room. We could clearly see the dining room entrance from where we were standing.

 

As we both watched, the maitre d' went outside the dining room, examined the menus, opened the glass case and placed the lunch menu in its position where the breakfast menu had been. Mark and I walked over to look at the lunch menu.

 

As we arrived at the entrance to the restaurant and began to look at the lunch menu, the maitre d' picked up a telephone that was outside the restaurant and called the purser's desk. "It was there. I don't know where they were looking, but yes, it was there the whole time," he said. Mark and I looked at each other in disbelief.

 

After he hung up, he basically ran off, and I was too startled to confront him about his lie. I went back to the purser's desk and talked to the same purser I had talked to and asked him the name of the maitre d' and told him what I had observed. He apologized.

 

I know this is a small thing, but the maitre d' was obviously just covering his rear by lying to make me look like an idiot. It really bothered me. I felt insulted by what he had said. The lunch menu was not there, and I am not so dumb that I wouldn't have seen it if it was. No cruise line employee should make a guest look stupid just to keep himself out of trouble.

 

Probably not worth writing Carnival about, but it put a bad taste in my mouth.

I think my wife and I would have laughed it off and gone to eat. After so many cruises, we've got better things to do than look for problems. I'm sure that the maitre d' will be more careful in the future.

[satburn]

meh... welcome to the human race.

 

I would have just had a laugh at his expense, and if the opportunity presented itself, make some coy remark in front of him about it. Otherwise, have another beer. :D

[MSSQRL]

Not only would I have said something then and there, I probably would have written Carnival. I agree, it is a small thing. But, generally if a person will lie about something as insignificant as a lunch menu, they will lie about things that are very significant. Therefore, it is more than just your feelings. As another poster said, this time it was a lunch menu, what will it be next time? Someone's life perhaps?:eek:

[futaba951]

I would have thrown him overboard and demanded a free cruise. I bet that would have taught him not to lie. :D

[GoinCruisin]

Wow! I guess I am going straight to hell, determined to kill someone!! Can't believe there are people out there that have not had to tell a small little non-truth to CTA in the workplace before, in their entire lives. What a great group of people :p I'll admit, running a business, every so often, sometimes I have said something to cover my tail, something very small... but that in no way means that I would do anything that would put someone's life in jeopardy.

 

But yeah, I guess the Maitre'D could pull a major lie, tell someone there are no window seats available :p Oh the horror!!!!!

 

Like I said, not condoning what he did... but I'd say some people are getting just a little dramatic. People lie to cover their butts... if it is something as minor as a lunch menu, I can't see why people would just assume they would lie about something that could threaten ones life. You people watch too many soap operas :p

[cubdaddy]

So, why leave us hanging? Where did you eat lunch and what did you have?:D

 

Don't sweat the small stuff!:)

[glrounds]

"When you're wrong, admit it and admit it emphatically" . . .Dale Carnegie :rolleyes:

[seaturtletattoo]

Yeah, it would have irritated me. As a supervisor, I catch people covering their butts all the time. I am sure most of the time I don't catch them.

 

He had probably done it before and had never gotten caught. People do that...and you have probably done it in your life sometime. We all have ;)

[b8tzm]

This may be a petty thing... but it bothered me. This was on our Fantasy cruise last weekend.

 

On the day at sea, we were wondering whether we should eat in the dining room or on the Lido deck for lunch. In order to make that choice, we wanted to see what would be on the dining room menu for lunch.

 

We went to the place outside the dining room where the menu was posted and checked it out. The dinner menu was posted, but where the lunch menu should have been (marked by a label above the menu that read "lunch") there was the breakfast menu.

 

There was no one around at the entrance to the dining room, so I went down to the purser's desk (which was right below the dining room entrance) and asked the purser if he could ask the dining room staff to put out the lunch menu.

 

He called the dining room and after a brief conversation told me, "He doesn't know why it wouldn't be there, but he is going to check."

 

I thanked him and walked up the atrium staircase to where Mark was waiting at the level of the dining room. We could clearly see the dining room entrance from where we were standing.

 

As we both watched, the maitre d' went outside the dining room, examined the menus, opened the glass case and placed the lunch menu in its position where the breakfast menu had been. Mark and I walked over to look at the lunch menu.

 

As we arrived at the entrance to the restaurant and began to look at the lunch menu, the maitre d' picked up a telephone that was outside the restaurant and called the purser's desk. "It was there. I don't know where they were looking, but yes, it was there the whole time," he said. Mark and I looked at each other in disbelief.

 

After he hung up, he basically ran off, and I was too startled to confront him about his lie. I went back to the purser's desk and talked to the same purser I had talked to and asked him the name of the maitre d' and told him what I had observed. He apologized.

 

I know this is a small thing, but the maitre d' was obviously just covering his rear by lying to make me look like an idiot. It really bothered me. I felt insulted by what he had said. The lunch menu was not there, and I am not so dumb that I wouldn't have seen it if it was. No cruise line employee should make a guest look stupid just to keep himself out of trouble.

 

Probably not worth writing Carnival about, but it put a bad taste in my mouth.

 

Maybe the guy was already on double secret probation and him & the purser didn't know who complained so it was easier to tell "the little white lie" I also would have been kind of mad yet also amused. The customer is always right etc etc anyway, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit to telling a fib or two over the years to cover my behind. Anyway hopeit didn't bother you for long :)

[serene56]

Do the older ships not have funvision?

 

If the menu was not posted outside could you have walked in and got seated--took a look at the menu then decide to stay or not.

 

Sorry but it seemed to be an awful lot of running around while on vacation

[laura2161]

Do the older ships not have funvision?

 

Nope. :)

[sea_u_onboard]

I guess my question would be - Why would the maitred' even call the purser back? Just change the menu - why lie?

 

To be quite honest the person at the purser desk probably cared less which menu was there.

[GoinCruisin]

I guess my question would be - Why would the maitred' even call the purser back? Just change the menu - why lie?

 

To be quite honest the person at the purser desk probably cared less which menu was there.

 

I was thinking the same thing... perhaps he was talking about something else? I can't imagine them (the purser and maitre'd) making a big issue out of it with several phone calls... change the menu and move on. Guess we'll never know who the MD was actually talking to ... I'm assuming nobody heard the MD say "hello Purser??" :p