pearls of the aegean-just returned.

[cse]

just returned from a fantastic cruise on celebration again.

I must make a comment on the Greek staff and don't know if any of you agree with me but the sooner they get rid of these waiters the better,they do not carry out their duties and are not half as pleasant as the Phillipino staff.The one waiter outside Liberties was definately not happy in his job,i don't think he smiled all the week.

Apart from that little moan nothing could be faulted,Dave and his team Paul,Josh and Jenny in Liberties did a fantastic job and should be commended for their tireless effort in entertaining everyone.

As we were on deck 2 this time i did feel rather a lot of vibration but after a couple of brandy's it did not bother me or stop me sleeping.

I do hope all the Phillipino staff are back for next year.

[Scarey Mary]

Couldn't agree with you more about the Greek staff. We were on Celebration 15th May and this was our first experience of Greek waiters and all I can say is bring back the Philipino staff. The ones we accounted all seemed miserable and def. not happy especially the older guy who waited on outside the Lido. My hubby drinks Strongow Cider, when he ordered we said it would be interesting to see what arrived. It was a SNOWBALL hubbies face was a picture. He then could not see that it was wrong so being all inc. just left it and got another after trying umpteen times to explain to very surly waiter it was wrong. We would'nt mind but he had been serving him most of the week.

[mtt]

They may loose some of the Philipino staff to other ships, due to the greek staff contracts, one of the waitresses we met is going to another cruise line and she'd been on the celebration since 2005

[kruzseeka]

I think it's absolutely tragic! It's the Filipino staff who have made Celebration what it is - and many of them have been there since 2005. This situation has destroyed the normal rotation of their regular staff - so who knows whether some of them will ever be back - even if the Greek staff go when Celebration leaves Corfu at the end of this summer season? I do hope Thomson are doing their best to ensure many of their loyal, hard-working and fantastic Filipino can be re-employed from October.

 

P.S. Pleased you enjoyed your cruise though, cse - like you we thought it was superb (putting the deficiencies with the new staff to one side!)

[john_l]

I think it's absolutely tragic! It's the Filipino staff who have made Celebration what it is - and many of them have been there since 2005. This situation has destroyed the normal rotation of their regular staff - so who knows whether some of them will ever be back - even if the Greek staff go when Celebration leaves Corfu at the end of this summer season? I do hope Thomson are doing their best to ensure many of their loyal, hard-working and fantastic Filipino can be re-employed from October.

 

P.S. Pleased you enjoyed your cruise though, cse - like you we thought it was superb (putting the deficiencies with the new staff to one side!)

 

 

The Filipino staff are just the best in the world, my young daughter still remembers the name of each of them who have served us from each of our previous cruises. They also remember us each year when we return.

 

Thomson had the whole formula right, and as the saying goes, "if it ain't broke, dont try and fix it."

 

I agree with you, I think it's absolutely tragic to have changed this. Lets hope it is just temporary .

[vwgolf]

I don't understand how the Greek authorities can insist that Thomson's use Greek staff. Surely this goes against EU employment laws? That said, I recall that on the Emerald three years ago, most of the waiters were eastern European and I don't think we had any problems with them.

[davecttr]

I would have thought it was against EU employment law as well but everyone seems to ignore laws if they don't like them.

 

Maybe the greek crew members are miserable because they did not want to be there!. OK people says the government, we got these jobs so why no volunteers!

 

hopefully the filipino crew will be back from october.

[MrMojoRisin]

It would be very sad indeed if the Filipino staff were not re-employed. On our cruise on the Celebration in April they were all fantastic - efficient and friendly. We are booked for the Egypt/Jordan/Suez Canal/Crete/Greece/Turkey cruise next April/May and it would certainly be a blow if they were not there.

From what I understand, the staff work something like 10 months on and then have 2 months off, so hopefully Thomson would have factored that in when arranging the new itineraries. (But I do know that one of the waitresses who served us on the deck above the Lido had, in April, only just got back from her break back home).

All the staff I spoke to did, however, say that they were very well looked after by Thomson - so that gives some hope.

[kruzseeka]

It would be very sad indeed if the Filipino staff were not re-employed. On our cruise on the Celebration in April they were all fantastic - efficient and friendly. We are booked for the Egypt/Jordan/Suez Canal/Crete/Greece/Turkey cruise next April/May and it would certainly be a blow if they were not there.

From what I understand, the staff work something like 10 months on and then have 2 months off, so hopefully Thomson would have factored that in when arranging the new itineraries. (But I do know that one of the waitresses who served us on the deck above the Lido had, in April, only just got back from her break back home).

All the staff I spoke to did, however, say that they were very well looked after by Thomson - so that gives some hope.

 

The problem has arisen because Celebration has a base port for this season in Greece - and has been subjected to laws which the Greek authorities can seemingly apply (how come?). I think probably when Thomson sited the Celebration in Corfu for the season, this complication wasn't known - or at least taken seriously.

 

From what we were told, Thomson were being forced to take on Greek staff - possibly despite Thomson's stance (which presumably would be try to retain their Filipino staff). Some of the new Greek staff were clearly out of their depth, not happy or making much of a contribution (we saw a couple hanging over the staircase keeping out of the way when they should have been lining up helping passengers embark - a Filipino engineer challenged them and told them they shouldn't be there!). Our waiter told us three of them had resigned (within a week of joining the ship) because they thought the hours were too long!

 

It's the Filipinos who take their leave in the next few months who are in trouble - their jobs may have been taken by Greeks when it's time to come back. They won't be able to wait for months until October to re-join Celebration after their leave comes to an end, so will have to go elsewhere for employment.

 

I don't think for a minute that Thomson will retain staff which has effectively been forced on them after they leave Corfu, but for many of the regular crew, the damage will have already be done - they will have had to take work on other ships.

 

It's just to be hoped that in time, many will find their way back again - but for the crew who seem to function so well as a team (and like a family) it is very sad. My heart goes out to them.

[MrMojoRisin]

I was perhaps optimistic in thinking that Thomson would have known about this issue in advance. I doubt it can be an EU regulation as the ships are foreign registered. It must have been some pressure put on by Greek unions.

 

What you say about the staff feeling like a family is absolutely right. The dining room waiters and bar staff I spoke to said exactly that.

[davecttr]

I notice that Celebrations home port is now Valetta which is in Malta? In which case it is registered in the EU? maybe this is a cause of the 'problem'

[Flopsy]

I remember the Greek in the Lido- that was George.His face did look pretty miserable but I used to chat to him and he could smile! He never got my drinks wrong- but speed was not one of his qualities! His face seemed to say 'my feet are killing me' -I remember having a face like that many years ago when I had a Saturday job which entailed being on my feet all day.

 

The other Greeks we spoke to were Papa and Dimitrious in Hemingways.Papa was a brilliant worker, on the go all the time, but he was counting down to retirement next year.Dimitrious was the new bar manager and was obviously learning the ropes! He was actually a really willing worker and told us he was previously a hairdresser in Athens.They had 6 month contracts so they will finish in October.I must confess that I love the Fillipinos (especially Jerome and Dan in the Lido) and the Greeks.

 

I couldn't find any info about this 'legislation' requiring a proportion of staff to be Greek when cruising in Greek territory.Did anybody else or is it all 'word of mouth' info?

 

Flopsy

[biffybear]

Are the greek waiters in all the restaurants? I was looking forward to the waiters singing during the meals. We go on the Celebration on the 26th June.

[kruzseeka]

Are the greek waiters in all the restaurants? I was looking forward to the waiters singing during the meals. We go on the Celebration on the 26th June.

 

 

Yes, I think there some spread through the ship and in all departments. To be fair, they represent quite a small proportion (at least that was the case mid-May - but more seemed to come on board each week!!:eek:). The ambience of the Meridian was still very much dominated by the Filipino waiters. They sang on the last night of each week's cruise (not 'showtime' every night like the Destiny - that is something else!) and it is quite emotional. Don't miss the crew show though - that is unbelievably good.

[cosytoes]

The thing is - do Thomson actually own the ships or are they leased? If so perhaps the owner can say where they want the staff from. just a thought.

[davecttr]

Thomsons ships are all chartered which explains why there are differences in the detail of the package. There is more than one 'owner' as well.

 

Island Escape is owned by TUI which is Thomsons parent company.

[kruzseeka]

From what I was told on board by a senior officer, Destiny, Spirit, Calypso and last season also the Emerald are leased from Louis Lines (Greek company) who also provide all the services on board so they employ (from agencies) the waiting, housekeeping staff and crew. Thomson just sell the cabin space and Louis manage the bars, excursions etc and get the profits from these. (On Destiny earlier this year our trip tickets clearly had 'Louis Manangement' printed on them). As these ships are basically Greek owned and already have quite a lot of Greek sailors (often the Captain too) I wonder whether this is why problems have been avoided in the past with 'Thomson' ships being based in Greek waters. (Emerald was ok last year in Corfu and Spirit has been based there next year - to get around the problems?)

 

Thomson leases Celebration on different terms. (Not sure from whom - memory letting me down here - but perhaps its HAL). They lease the ship with no staffing so Thomson (again through agencies) crew the ship - officers, engineers, restaurant, housekeeping etc. This means Thomson has control over who is employed on the ship - whereas for the other ships Louis Lines is the employer. (Sounds as though Island Escape is not leased at all so that should be totally under Thomson's control.)

 

No doubt as part of the lease arrangements with Louis Lines, Thomson can dictate elements of the provision on board to fit in with their 'product' features - but it is being managed for them rather than by them - except on Celebration. This includes staff recruitment.

 

I hope that's why they've based Celebration in Turkey next summer to get round the 'Greek' employment issues and they can get back to something like normal and get all the wonderful crew back!