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CREW allowed in Lounges??????


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I would like someone's take on this:

A friend told me she preferred smaller ships because of the following reason:

Some of the things I didn't like about the Freedom class was at night the crew took over the Pharoh's Palace. (That was a major problem for us because you couldn't dance before unless you wanted to dance with children. The kids are banned as of 8:00pm but the crew showed up about 10:00 and the whole atmosphere changed.)

 

I am almost certain that crew members (except for officers) are not allowed to mingle with passengers, i.e. use facilities such as lounges for passengers as they have paid for the use of these facilites. Does anybody remember the rules in this situation. If her story is true, I wouldn't complained immediately. Not that I'm a snob, but those facilites should be for paid passengers only. Crew have their own entertainment facilities below, I have seen them on the Travel shows. And the fact that she couldn't enjoy her time on Freedom because of crew taking space in a lounge that she and her family should've had is unacceptable. ?????:confused:

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I would like someone's take on this:

 

A friend told me she preferred smaller ships because of the following reason:

Some of the things I didn't like about the Freedom class was at night the crew took over the Pharoh's Palace. (That was a major problem for us because you couldn't dance before unless you wanted to dance with children. The kids are banned as of 8:00pm but the crew showed up about 10:00 and the whole atmosphere changed.)

 

I am almost certain that crew members (except for officers) are not allowed to mingle with passengers, i.e. use facilities such as lounges for passengers as they have paid for the use of these facilites. Does anybody remember the rules in this situation. If her story is true, I wouldn't complained immediately. Not that I'm a snob, but those facilites should be for paid passengers only. Crew have their own entertainment facilities below, I have seen them on the Travel shows. And the fact that she couldn't enjoy her time on Freedom because of crew taking space in a lounge that she and her family should've had is unacceptable. ?????:confused:

 

this was our first ship actually that I did notice crew "among us" . The one night it was 2 crew members with their name tags on holding hands walking and talking like they were on personal time. The other night there was a uniformed male and a casual dress female dining at Johnny Rockets.

maybe they've recently changed something. the only reason I remembered was I was thinking if their loved ones worked there, were on board vacationing, or if they were dating passengers.

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I know they are not supposed to be able to fraternize with passengers/ go to passengers rooms or vice versa because that has been discussed on these boards. Just wondering about them hogging the dance lounge....might be a question for crown and anchor. If it were me and our friends and we went to dance and the lounge were full of crew members, I would go to the service desk. It's not a class thing....its a principal thing. Imagine if you wanted a pool lounger and they were all taken by crew members...no I don't think so! When we were at Fins&Flippers in Roatan last year, we had to leave early because of the influx of crew members from two ships there. It got really overcrowded at the pool and we could no longer get service for our drinks. If you wanted a drink, you had to go stand in the crowd (most Europeans don't do ques well) and yell for your order. So we just left and went back to Voyager. Can't imagine this on the ship too.

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Actually, Freedom is the only RCCL ship where I've had this happen. I believe it was a combination of the CD staff and the entertainers. They were rude and acted like they were rock stars. They actually told one of my friends she should be honored because they were going to let her buy them drinks! She declined. This was the one cruise where I avoided the club for the week.

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We just returned from the EOS and for the first time I could remember the crew members were hanging out at the club! I actually told my DW that RCCL must have changed policy and allowed crew members to be visable to the guest. They all had badges on but the ladies were HOT dressed and the men were looking like they were out on the town! They result.....more dancing in the club! The only question I had was the video I watched on the RCCL ships discribed the crew had their own party area?

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Actually, Freedom is the only RCCL ship where I've had this happen. I believe it was a combination of the CD staff and the entertainers. They were rude and acted like they were rock stars. They actually told one of my friends she should be honored because they were going to let her buy them drinks! She declined. This was the one cruise where I avoided the club for the week.

 

I hope someone from RCI read this reply your made on this board. If you had to leave a lounge due to rude cruise employees, this should be a wake up call for the cruise line. They are loosing money due to their employees running off paying customers. There went their drink sells. Take notice RCI, this is not good guest service and you will lose money on selling drinks!!!

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I hope someone from RCI read this reply your made on this board. If you had to leave a lounge due to rude cruise employees, this should be a wake up call for the cruise line. They are loosing money due to their employees running off paying customers. There went their drink sells. Take notice RCI, this is not good guest service and you will lose money on selling drinks!!!

 

Sadly, it probably made them money. The time I didn't spend in the lounge was spent in the casino! :eek:

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Actually, Freedom is the only RCCL ship where I've had this happen. I believe it was a combination of the CD staff and the entertainers. They were rude and acted like they were rock stars. They actually told one of my friends she should be honored because they were going to let her buy them drinks! She declined. This was the one cruise where I avoided the club for the week.

 

We had a similar experience on Jewel of the Seas last summer in the Vortex lounge - we're not snobs by any means but considering we were the paying customers it started to get very tired when the bartenders would always serve the crew first even if you had been waiting longer. What we found even worse was the fact that they reserved tables for the crew to sit at so they were unavailable for passengers - When we asked if it was possible to reserve tables for us the answer was no.... It certainly didn't ruin our cruise but it seemed like a very funny way to do business! I understand that the crew work very hard and need to let their hair down but RC need to make sure that their paying customers get taken care of first and foremost.

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We have seen crew in the lounges at night on almost every cruise. They usually sit in the back and pretty much keep to themselves. They usually show up around 11pm-midnight. We have never felt like they took over or noticed any decline in service when they were in the room. Usually it is senior crew members and the CD staff. Sometimes the singers and dancers.

 

I would be pretty upset if they took over a lounge or if bar service got slower.

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Sadly, it probably made them money. The time I didn't spend in the lounge was spent in the casino! :eek:

 

I wish you had of said it cost them lots of money, the time you wasn't in the lounge, you spent winning $$$$ in the casino.

Well, wish me luck on our upcoming Freedom Cruise - my casino adventures.

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The entertainments/gym/spa staff have different contracts to many members of crew and are allowed to use the facilities to a much greater extent and also get longer days off in port.

 

There was a review of Explorer early this year which mentioned that the nightclub was taken over by crew and the style of music changed, forcing many of the guest off the dance floor as it wasn't to their taste.

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I would like someone's take on this:

 

A friend told me she preferred smaller ships because of the following reason:

Some of the things I didn't like about the Freedom class was at night the crew took over the Pharoh's Palace. (That was a major problem for us because you couldn't dance before unless you wanted to dance with children. The kids are banned as of 8:00pm but the crew showed up about 10:00 and the whole atmosphere changed.)

 

I am almost certain that crew members (except for officers) are not allowed to mingle with passengers, i.e. use facilities such as lounges for passengers as they have paid for the use of these facilites. Does anybody remember the rules in this situation. If her story is true, I wouldn't complained immediately. Not that I'm a snob, but those facilites should be for paid passengers only. Crew have their own entertainment facilities below, I have seen them on the Travel shows. And the fact that she couldn't enjoy her time on Freedom because of crew taking space in a lounge that she and her family should've had is unacceptable. ?????:confused:

 

I met with several crew members in the lounges and danced with the dancers from one of the shows on my Freedom cruise a couple years ago. It was a blast! I have no problem sharing space with them.

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We noticed quite a few of them in the lounges most nights, it didnt bother me one bit but quite a few passengers were having to stand to see the entertainment because the crew were taking up a lot of seats, they were drinking quite a lot too including some of the officers, I did wonder if they sail the ship under the influence of alcohol.

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I know they are not supposed to be able to fraternize with passengers/ go to passengers rooms or vice versa because that has been discussed on these boards. Just wondering about them hogging the dance lounge....might be a question for crown and anchor. If it were me and our friends and we went to dance and the lounge were full of crew members, I would go to the service desk. It's not a class thing....its a principal thing. Imagine if you wanted a pool lounger and they were all taken by crew members...no I don't think so! When we were at Fins&Flippers in Roatan last year, we had to leave early because of the influx of crew members from two ships there. It got really overcrowded at the pool and we could no longer get service for our drinks. If you wanted a drink, you had to go stand in the crowd (most Europeans don't do ques well) and yell for your order. So we just left and went back to Voyager. Can't imagine this on the ship too.

 

Personally I think this is a matter of preference. I don't think twice of walking into a packed club, excorting my girl through a crowd of people onto the crowded dance floor and having a good time. It's also natural for me in those situations to make my presence known to the bartender to get drinks.

 

I don't see the crew any differently than the other guests. In fact, I prefer meat market clubs rather than empty dancefloors. But again, that's my personal preference.

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The entertainments/gym/spa staff have different contracts to many members of crew and are allowed to use the facilities to a much greater extent and also get longer days off in port.

 

There was a review of Explorer early this year which mentioned that the nightclub was taken over by crew and the style of music changed, forcing many of the guest off the dance floor as it wasn't to their taste.

 

Interesting...what was the music before and after? Inquiring minds...

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Crew are allowed in the lounges. I was told from someone on the CD staff that they could have coctails after 6:00 PM, even though they still had something on their schedule later in the evening. One staff member hung out with us for most of the day in coco cay.....and drank those coco loco's. The ships rules are very strict about their behavior. They can't hang out with a wild crowd. They should be remaining "low keyed".

I know sometimes they are required to show up in the club and dance. I think they believe it gets the crowd going. But I guess if people are more offended by them being there, it should be expressed to the CD or Guest Relations.

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Interesting...what was the music before and after? Inquiring minds...

 

Well I can't remember exactly - but I think the stuff they were playing before suited the reviewer (70s/80s disco type stuff) and the stuff the crew like was (obviously) more up to date (maybe hip hop style stuff). Her complaint was that the guests were having a good time enjoying the music but once the crew arrived the type of music they played appealed only to the crew and the guests started to leave

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..........I did wonder if they sail the ship under the influence of alcohol.

 

 

Rest assured this is not and never would be the case, even The Captain when dining with guests never consumes any alcohol, he is on duty, and responsible for the ship. Yes some contracted staff have access to certain lounges, these are usually Cruise Director and staff, contracted shop or entertainers, or spa staff.

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Personally I think this is a matter of preference. I don't think twice of walking into a packed club, excorting my girl through a crowd of people onto the crowded dance floor and having a good time. It's also natural for me in those situations to make my presence known to the bartender to get drinks.

I don't see the crew any differently than the other guests. In fact, I prefer meat market clubs rather than empty dancefloors. But again, that's my personal preference.

 

Just a comment that the crew are not "other guests." They are employees of the cruise line and as such should always be aware of the passengers. If the crew comes crowding in and pushes out the paying passengers, then that's a problem. If the crew comes in an mingles and has fun without detracting from the experience of the paying passengers, then fantastic.

 

OTOH, we like busy dance floors, but don't care for "meat market" clubs. I'd be willing to bet that a high percentage of passengers prefer "busy, but not overcrowded" to "have to shove my way past and through hordes of people just to get into the place."

 

I don't think it's unreasonable for passengers to expect that they will be able to have access to the public passenger areas and not be crowded out by the crew.

 

beachchick

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I absolutely agree, beachchick. A few crew members wouldn't bother me, but if it got to the stage where there weren't enough chairs etc. for paying passengers then I'd find that really annoying.

 

And "meat market" places where I have to shove my way anywhere.....eurgh - can't think of anything worse! :D :eek:

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The crew needs to use crew areas. Crew members are on-board to provide the services RC hired them to do. I'm reading more all the time about passengers being assaulted, robbed, treated rude and nobody wanting to provided answers when questions are asked. RC needs to keep their crew as professional as they can. The appearance of crew members in lounges is wrong. Try getting to see or talk to the senior staff or captain.

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Crew are not allowed in bars and lounges, they are not even allowed "above Decks" unless they are working. Staff are allowed in lounges, bars etc. They must wear they name badges at all times and should be inconspicuos(sp)

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I would like someone's take on this:

 

A friend told me she preferred smaller ships because of the following reason:

Some of the things I didn't like about the Freedom class was at night the crew took over the Pharoh's Palace. (That was a major problem for us because you couldn't dance before unless you wanted to dance with children. The kids are banned as of 8:00pm but the crew showed up about 10:00 and the whole atmosphere changed.)

 

I am almost certain that crew members (except for officers) are not allowed to mingle with passengers, i.e. use facilities such as lounges for passengers as they have paid for the use of these facilites. Does anybody remember the rules in this situation. If her story is true, I wouldn't complained immediately. Not that I'm a snob, but those facilites should be for paid passengers only. Crew have their own entertainment facilities below, I have seen them on the Travel shows. And the fact that she couldn't enjoy her time on Freedom because of crew taking space in a lounge that she and her family should've had is unacceptable. ?????:confused:

 

:cool:While on Med cruise, we caught last tender to ship out of Venice. Waiting with us were 8-10 crew (and shop employees). Since we ran out of our cafe in a hurry, we were carrying two bottles of wine. We had a 1/2 hour wait and shared our wine. We met great people from the ship, and partyied with them at various lounges on the ship for the duration. Why would you worry about crew members? That ship is big enough for everyone, with multiple lounges. They are stuck on that ship, working many long hours, and deserve time to have a good time when not working. The crew added to our voyage with their many stories. Lighten up landlubber:cool:JACK IS SAILING AGAIN

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