Tipping the Maitre d - now known as Director of Restaurant Operations

[1emerald1]

I've had Nicola too, the first time was on a cruise with my 24 yr old daughter and her friend.  He did stop by our table every night to chat with the girls, and even had the nerve to tell me that American mothers were too controlling with their daughters!  I was insulted and told him that was not the case, I got the girls their own room, we all did our own thing during the day but met up for dinner and evening entertainment, and when we went ashore!  But after being on 30 cruises and witnessing what used to occur, I did keep my eyes open after that comment.

[Steelers36]

I am thinking Nicola will have a leave between now and Fall, so will he be back to same ship?  I think he likes doing some Europe, so who knows.  Just WAG here.

[caribill]

On 1/10/2022 at 2:53 PM, Bwana Tom said:

Unfortunately they limit you to about six comments and my wife and I always seem to have more people we would like to provide good comments on.

 

Since you and your wife each get a survey to fill out, you can double the number of crew members you praise by each one of you mentioning different crew members.

[mellon1]

9 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

I am thinking Nicola will have a leave between now and Fall, so will he be back to same ship?  I think he likes doing some Europe, so who knows.  Just WAG here.

When did he board?  We were hoping he would be doing Caribbean Princess in 2023 Jan and Feb.  I wonder if they will be keeping them onboard longer than normal with all the covid.  

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, mellon1 said:

When did he board?  We were hoping he would be doing Caribbean Princess in 2023 Jan and Feb.  I wonder if they will be keeping them onboard longer than normal with all the covid.  

IDK, but I presume when the Regal started operations with passengers.

[rj59]

The Princess green-coaters are amazing, able to manage dining room flow and assign tables using their minds, not a computer. They definitely keep the servers in line too, and I'd be afraid of them too, since they  often are big, burly Serbians. The online survey is the best way to get them recognition, since it goes higher than just a ship comment card and it's easier to compile feedback for crew and facilities, and for corporate to resolve issues and give rewards. I also make a point of learning language basics for Serbian if I get a Serbian green-coater helping me get a distanced table or some other excellent service. I saw a few Latino and Caribbean greencoats on Majestic, and I really appreciate the diversity of a Princess dining room, by nationality and gender, instead of the uniformity of male Indonesians on HAL. 

 

I've done a couple of Royal cruises since coming back, and I really hate the servers begging openly for a 10-rating on surveys, and the maitre'd getting in my face at every meal, also begging for a 10 rating, and subtly begging for an extra tip, which makes me even more uncomfortable with omicron since the Royal dining room staff wear cloth masks, not KN95. 

[mellon1]

12 hours ago, rj59 said:

The Princess green-coaters are amazing, able to manage dining room flow and assign tables using their minds, not a computer. They definitely keep the servers in line too, and I'd be afraid of them too, since they  often are big, burly Serbians. The online survey is the best way to get them recognition, since it goes higher than just a ship comment card and it's easier to compile feedback for crew and facilities, and for corporate to resolve issues and give rewards. I also make a point of learning language basics for Serbian if I get a Serbian green-coater helping me get a distanced table or some other excellent service. I saw a few Latino and Caribbean greencoats on Majestic, and I really appreciate the diversity of a Princess dining room, by nationality and gender, instead of the uniformity of male Indonesians on HAL. 

 

I've done a couple of Royal cruises since coming back, and I really hate the servers begging openly for a 10-rating on surveys, and the maitre'd getting in my face at every meal, also begging for a 10 rating, and subtly begging for an extra tip, which makes me even more uncomfortable with omicron since the Royal dining room staff wear cloth masks, not KN95. 

Good to read your post and see that the head waiters are not relying on the computer for seating arrangements.  One of our issues with cruising, as my husband had head/neck cancer and much damage done to throat and we ask for a table in the corner away from everyone so he doesn't get sick at dinner, usually did traditional, late, which we prefer.  Have no idea how things will work.  After 30+ years of traveling and knowing what to expect, we now are not knowing.  He usually stays out of the population we call it and is on the balcony in the shade reading his book and watching the ocean listening the the waves.  We also cruised RCCL for years, it was our first cruise.  I know what you mean about the 10 rating.  They were excellent though.  Some of those burly Romanians are just teddy bears, FYI!  LOL

[PrincessLuver]

14 hours ago, rj59 said:

The Princess green-coaters are amazing, able to manage dining room flow and assign tables using their minds, not a computer. They definitely keep the servers in line too, and I'd be afraid of them too, since they  often are big, burly Serbians. The online survey is the best way to get them recognition, since it goes higher than just a ship comment card and it's easier to compile feedback for crew and facilities, and for corporate to resolve issues and give rewards. I also make a point of learning language basics for Serbian if I get a Serbian green-coater helping me get a distanced table or some other excellent service. I saw a few Latino and Caribbean greencoats on Majestic, and I really appreciate the diversity of a Princess dining room, by nationality and gender, instead of the uniformity of male Indonesians on HAL. 

 

I've done a couple of Royal cruises since coming back, and I really hate the servers begging openly for a 10-rating on surveys, and the maitre'd getting in my face at every meal, also begging for a 10 rating, and subtly begging for an extra tip, which makes me even more uncomfortable with omicron since the Royal dining room staff wear cloth masks, not KN95. 

 

Our experience was everything was handled by hand held electronic devices on our last cruise.  As for the nationality of maitre d's I think it has a lot to do with what part of the world you sail in on Princess.....never seen the wait staff get out of line so not sure what you are talking about or staff begging for scores of 10 on surveys....always interesting to see the maitre d's standing around in the buffet in the mornings and not looking so important as people on here make them out to be......

[MustangGT]

On 1/15/2022 at 4:14 AM, caribill said:

 

Since you and your wife each get a survey to fill out, you can double the number of crew members you praise by each one of you mentioning different crew members.

That’s what we do but since you are only allowed 5 per survey I just used one of the comment boxes to list the other 15 or so who were on my list.  This cruise had an amazing crew and I know it’s hard on them because with the low number of passengers, they were not getting a lot in tips or commendations.

[caribill]

16 hours ago, rj59 said:

 

 

I've done a couple of Royal cruises since coming back, and I really hate the servers begging openly for a 10-rating on surveys, and the maitre'd getting in my face at every meal, also begging for a 10 rating, and subtly begging for an extra tip, which makes me even more uncomfortable with omicron since the Royal dining room staff wear cloth masks, not KN95. 

 

At least pre-pandemic there was just as much begging on Princess for dining room post-cruise good ratings as you describe on RCI.

o Waitstaff near the end of the cruise

o Cooking demo show

[MustangGT]

Just off the Regal on January 14th and there was no begging for 10s on the survey.  Survey was not even mentioned at the Cooking demo.