Cruise Evaluations

[Sky Sweet]

I personally think the end of cruise evaluation forms should be revised for several reasons.

 

During a cruise passengers are told over and over again that anything less than a top rating will have consequences for those concerned, so many of us check the highest rating to insure no one is penalized for doing an acceptable job that is not excellent. Thus, the rating system becomes meaningless when excellent and average crew members receive the same ratings.

 

Instead, I would prefer to have a system where passengers can merely write comments praising anyone they think was exceptional, discuss what aspects of that cruise were special to them, and provide any constructive suggestions they might have to enhance one's overall cruise experience.

[Longboysfan]

The ratings I give are based on what I think not the request given.

I also mention a few people who impressed me on the trip.

I also write a short personal note to the Hotel manager going over the people who stood out for me on this cruise.

 

Do you think they read their ship mail - you bet they do.

 

If you also like a crew persons work for you. Write them a short note thanking them and leave it off at the front desk - they will get it.

[usha]

I agree with you. We always write in glowing comments about the "guilty":D parties who gave us outstanding service. I've also written less-than-glowing comments about one staff member who I really felt did not do a good job.:cool: This was on the first leg of a b/2/b. The next leg, he had been demoted. They do read those comments.

[Sky Sweet]

In my opinion, there are three distinct categories of crew members who do not really deserve to be rated excellent.

 

One pertains to those who do their job well but are not as good as the few who truly deserve to be rated excellent. I would not like to see this type of crew member penalized.

 

The second is for those who appear to be relatively new at their job, are still learning the ropes, but are obviously trying very hard to improve. Since everyone was a rookie at one time, I would hate to deprive such a person of having an opportunity to learn how to do the job better.

 

The third is for those with selective hearing who are unresponsive and have an attitude problem. While I normally don't like to do something that could put a person's livelihood at risk, I would not hesitate to give this type of person the rating he truly deserves.

[Desertbelle]

My ratings are always what I feel and I never feel pressured to give an excellent where excellent isn't due. I also mention exceptional people by name. I express my disappointments and suggestions for change.

[Drew B]

The thing that bothers me is that for the last couple of days of the cruise, all of the crew members (bartenders, waiters at open lunch and breakfast, etc.) were all over me, making sure that I remembered their name and how to spell it. Clearly, they were "sucking up" for a good mention on the comment card. It was unnecessary, as the service prior to that point was fantastic. The ingratiating manner at the end of the cruise actually brought my opinion DOWN a notch or two...

[UTCJCB]

What got me is the fact that I know a lot of people want to give a lot of praise and give individual praise at that. On my last on the Enchantment, i had 6 measley lines to do this. I sent an e-mail to RCCL about individuals who stood out and never got a response. This really worries me. I want those guys who busted their butts for me to get the recognition they deserve. For me, RCCL is slacking...I just hope Celebrity isn't like this!

[usha]

What got me is the fact that I know a lot of people want to give a lot of praise and give individual praise at that. On my last on the Enchantment, i had 6 measley lines to do this.

You can always attach more paper to your comment sheet, if necessary.:)

[AuntieStorm]

I have gone to Guest Relations on at least 3 of my cruises and asked for additional paper. Once I wrote and said everything I wanted to say, mentioning those who I thought were terriffic by name, etc., I took both papers back to Guest Relations and asked to borrow their stapler. I stapled both pages together and dropped the entire review into the box.

[UTCJCB]

You can always attach more paper to your comment sheet, if necessary.:)

 

 

Granted, I waited until debarkation to finish it, and I left my stationary and stapler at home (i have a travel size for my classes) due to the stapler probably being confiscated by the TSA, and the line that stretched around the centrum, it just wasn't happening. That's why I sent RCCL the e-mail. It has worked in the past, but I have had no response thus far. :confused:

[greeneg]

What I have always done is to write the evaluation exactly as my wife and I have seen it, letting the chips fall where they may. I almost always also write a letter to the Company, detailing specific issues and making it a point to single out those individuals who were exceptional and call that to Management's attention.

 

I have always ( at least so far) gotten either a phone call or an appropriate response responding to issues that I have raised and detailing proposed changes where necessary. I know that this sort of comment does get back to the ship and to the individuals concerned for a fact: when we were on the Mercury this past Winter, we had the same Maitre D' that we had had on the Constellation a year before. He recognised us and told us that our Waiter, who had been unfairly involved in a complaint from another guest had been informed that we had come to his defense ( appropriately, what had happened was by no means the waiter's fault) and that the Waiter was now in training as a supervisor on another ship.

 

So write letters, they do read them and they appear to pay some attention to what you say.

[NorCalCruiseGuy]

I personally think the end of cruise evaluation forms should be revised for several reasons.

 

During a cruise passengers are told over and over again that anything less than a top rating will have consequences for those concerned, so many of us check the highest rating to insure no one is penalized for doing an acceptable job that is not excellent.

 

.

 

Just who is it that is telling you this over and over again? I've never heard this. That said, why would you NOT want there to be consequences for someone not doing an excellent job? I would definitely want there to be consequences of someone not doing an excellent job-- retraining for a start.

If you want your cruise experience to be excellent, those providing the service need to be excellent. It starts with the individuals. Please then don't complain about your cruise experience if you are unwilling to provide an honest, accurate evaluation of those providing the service.

[Squirrel's Mom]

ThIs has actually turned into a "cruise tradition" for us. When the comment card arrives we sit out on the veranda and go thru each question. We discuss why I might feel something is very good where he would consider it excellent. He might feel the naturalist was very good and I found him inaccessible.

 

It actually is an enjoyable tradition. Then I go back and write comments. And very often volumes of them -- filling up every little bit of white space available.

 

On our last cruise to Alaska in August however we had such exceptional service that I wrote a regular snail mail letter to Dan Hanrahan asking that their records reflect our comments. We received a very nice call from X that thanked us and assured us that would happen.

 

What I have an issue with is the email survey we have received the last couple of cruises. It asks "how well did (fill in the blank) meet your EXPECTATIOnS. I have a real problem with ever saying that X did anything that "exceeded" my expectations because I have fairly high standards for X. However, someone who is newer to X or is comparing their experience to another line might respond entirely differently.

 

If they want to exceed my expectations, that is a substantial bar. If they want to meet them, they usually do. Occasionally they do fail in some small respect or another but so far (knock on wood) the product is good. (Else we'd be shopping as we were when we found X in the first place!!).

[DaveFr]

Just who is it that is telling you this over and over again? I've never heard this. That said, why would you NOT want there to be consequences for someone not doing an excellent job? I would definitely want there to be consequences of someone not doing an excellent job-- retraining for a start.

If you want your cruise experience to be excellent, those providing the service need to be excellent. It starts with the individuals. Please then don't complain about your cruise experience if you are unwilling to provide an honest, accurate evaluation of those providing the service.

On our first cruise, our waiter began to make a plea for an excellent rating, telling us that anything less than an excellent rating was a black mark against him. Midway through his plea, I informed him that I had planned to give him an excellent rating before hearing his plea and that if he continued, he would snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

 

If everyone is rated as excellent, the rating becomes meaningless. To me, the highest rating (excellent for Celebrity) should be reserved for those who go well above and beyond normal competence and should be given sparingly. A person who does his or her job competently should not be penalized because he or she didn't get the highest rating. JMHO

[Drew B]

On our first cruise, our waiter began to make a plea for an excellent rating, telling us that anything less than an excellent rating was a black mark against him. Midway through his plea, I informed him that I had planned to give him an excellent rating before hearing his plea and that if he continued, he would snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

 

 

That's what I'm talking about. I find it incredibly gauche for crew to talk to us about how we will be "rating" them. I find it very uncomfortable. I don't know if it's their fault or the fault of the system for putting such pressure on them to always receive outstanding ratings...

[sasset]

Everytime I greet our waiter or room steward and ask the usual 'How are you today?' they always reply 'excellent'. I guess they try to start us on the 'excellent' mindset from the beginning.

 

Regards

[DaveFr]

Everytime I greet our waiter or room steward and ask the usual 'How are you today?' they always reply 'excellent'. I guess they try to start us on the 'excellent' mindset from the beginning.

 

Regards

LOL :D

[larronry]

Our waiter in 2004 on the Century had just go so above and beyond in my opinion that I had decided that I had wanted to write to corporate. He didn't make sure I knew how to spell his name I asked him and told him why. He told me that they do read those letters and let them know so I can only assume they go somewhere.

 

I know after joining this board I plan on bringing stationary with me because it is easier to write while you are still on the ship then once you leave. I did write the letter, but I realized that I had forgotten something I had wanted to say.

 

I think this trip I'll get the spelling of everyone's name on day one so that they don't have to hound me on the last two days. LOL I do hope I have no complaints.

[hajekfam]

Everytime I greet our waiter or room steward and ask the usual 'How are you today?' they always reply 'excellent'. I guess they try to start us on the 'excellent' mindset from the beginning.

 

Regards

 

The "X-cellent" response stems from the days when Chandris owned the line. The emphasis was on the "X". It is a standard answer from Celebrity staff - just another way of using the "X" brand identity.

[sasset]

Makes sense, except that I first noticed it on the Crown Princess in 2001, before I had ever been on Celebrity.

 

Regards

[sasset]

Makes sense, except that I first noticied it on the Crown Princess in 2001, before I had ever been on Celebrity.

 

Regards

[Gocruzin]

Just off the Infinity on Sunday. Too bad I couldn't even get an evaluation form out of them. The cabin steward never put one in our room (probably because he didn't do a very good job). Then on Sunday morning I went down to guest relations and asked for one. The man assisting me assured me that my cabin steward had put one in my room and that I either missplaced it or overlooked it. After insisting that my DH and I looked everywhere he said he would get my cabin steward to give me one. It never arrived. Lucky for the cabin steward and his assistant because in my five cruises they were probably the worst we had. They were very friendly though.

[elena7seas]

I personally think the end of cruise evaluation forms should be revised for several reasons.

 

During a cruise passengers are told over and over again that anything less than a top rating will have consequences for those concerned, so many of us check the highest rating to insure no one is penalized for doing an acceptable job that is not excellent. Thus, the rating system becomes meaningless when excellent and average crew members receive the same ratings.

 

Instead, I would prefer to have a system where passengers can merely write comments praising anyone they think was exceptional, discuss what aspects of that cruise were special to them, and provide any constructive suggestions they might have to enhance one's overall cruise experience.

 

I have not been told the above over and over again. As a fact, I only heard this one time, from John Howell, I believe, on the Summit. And IMHO, he tended to hyperbole in most things. I have never had any Celebrity staff member indicate anything inappropriate in this area.

 

DH and I try to answer the questionnaire as honestly as we can. We mark "excellent" when we feel that is the truest response.

[sasset]

I have not been told the above over and over again. As a fact, I only heard this one time, from John Howell, I believe, on the Summit. And IMHO, he tended to hyperbole in most things. I have never had any Celebrity staff member indicate anything inappropriate in this area.

 

DH and I try to answer the questionnaire as honestly as we can. We mark "excellent" when we feel that is the truest response.

 

On each of our last four Celebrity cruises, during the final disembarkation briefing held in the Celebrity Theatre on the last day and hosted by the Cruise Director the 'nothing less than excellent' issue was repeated many times. Nick Weir and Simon Weir were the ones that I remember being the pushiest on this...holding a form up and pointing to the to it saying that anything other than excellent was deemed unsatisfactory by the company.

 

Regards

[Pontius Navigator]

I named names, no problems. One was the cruise director, another the hotel manager and finally a pool butler. They deserved everything they were due.

 

True the CD worked his socks off to produce a sows ear from a silk purse but he should have been honest with us instead of letting rumour abound.

 

The hotel manager for failing to respond to complaints about dirty deck spaces.

 

The pool butler for both selective vision and selective hearing viz the dirty deck spaces and the time spent oggling the girls.

 

Also named the Ice Cream Parlour Maid who did a tireless job but who did not feature on the comments form.