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Why do people romanticize cruise ship workers? While working on a cruise ship can involve long hours and time away from home, they're not akin to military personnel. They’re not serving a higher cause or sacrificing their lives in service to the passengers. They do it because it pays more than the average household income in their home countries, alongside other benefits like travel. You can’t get them off the ship if you tried.
Reflect on whether you really need this thing enough to make the effort to fix it worth it. Consider whether you’re being reasonable or petty. You’re on vacation. Try to find positivity to focus on instead of things to whinge about. If it’s truly an emergency or a disproportionately unfair or inappropriate situation you’ve been put in, that’s not been resolved, and the supervisor also isn’t resolving it, go to guest services. But if you’re on a reputable line and your first line of support doesn’t meet your demands, and then their supervisor doesn’t meet your demands either, consider that the problem might actually be you. Try googling whether your concern is truly a rare or unreasonable issue to be dealing with.. most likely, you’ll find that the majority of people don’t see the issue that you’re making out of it.
I only had two experiences in which I felt the need to call customer service. After checking into a room at a Hard Rock hotel (Moon Palace) in Domican Republic, where I called them to let them know that there was a small leak under my sink, and on a Carnival cruise, I called about a leaking gasket around a window of my balcony cabin letting a tiny stream of water leak in. On both calls I told them that I was not complaining at all, I just thought they should know so that they could fix it before their next guest might complain. Oddly enough, I got the exact same response from both. They were fixed at the very first time I was out of my room/cabin, a very nice bottle of wine, a lovely fruit basket and a card thanking me for letting them know about the situation. I was both surprised, and very pleased.
Complainers don’t take a break just cause they’re on vacation. If anything, they complain more because everything is different/more uncomfortable or unfamiliar than their own home/familiar routine Which is dumb because you’d think they would be aware of that, but.. complainers tend to lack insight/introspection. Complaining is the least intelligent way to communicate or tolerate discomfort.. and selfish. Just drag everyone else down with you instead of finding a way to rise up to other’s ability to find peace in any situation.
I was a flight attendant for a luxury airline for 7.5 years and I had to quit because of passengers. People became so rude and entitled and started demanding things that aren’t reality at 35 thousand feet. I wouldn’t go back to any sort of customer service job ever. I can only imagine what these cruise ship crews go through with obnoxious passengers
You missed one. A very important one. Guests who vehemently talk to other guests in front of cruise ship employees about the infamous "well, on such and such line, they do this or they don't do that". I cannot tell you how many times I have been at a bar and a guest converses with me about how they don't like the cruise because they don't do things like their preferred line. So I always end up asking "then why are you here"?? Number one, the employees don't want to hear that and secondly, other passengers don't want to hear that.
Well, sometimes a cruiseline does some particular things very well and not others. It's ok to compare and contrast and maybe other companies can adopt something another company does well
What, so a person can't off up their opinion, good or bad, in your presence and the presence of the crew. You sound like a right royal you know what. 😂
I agree, most are being rude jerks when they do this. If you dont like the cruise complain to the CS desk with specifics in a reasonable manner. Maybe that cruise line just isnt for you.
How do you know what employees want or don’t want to hear? I’m pretty sure they’re busy thinking about important things going on in their personal lives, last thing they care about is your cruise experience 😂
I recently returned from my tenth cruise and all I can ask is what is there to complain about on a cruise? Great food, fun and varied activities, posh shops, housekeeping, interesting parts of call… etc. Some people like to be miserable.
Having not been on a cruise yet but I would think you may get the Narcissistic personality disorder person and other belittlers knowing it all.If I did go on a cruise I would if I could ask the ships staff who would know better information,you are on a lovely holiday and it might be the first time,walkaway if someone is a little grumpy,maybe someone has upset them,I would not let it bother me.
I have only been on 4 cruises. On one of them they switched out one of the ports of call for another. Hey, I was just happy I could go on a cruise! Each cruise had exceptional crew members. I can't imagine why anyone would be crabby on a floating hotel with entertainment, food, drinks and a new place to see every day without having to pack and unpack. I can't wait to go on another one.
As an ex weatherman I got a kick out of your comment about paxs complaining about weather and missing ports due to weather. Back in the old days when I was a young Lt briefing AF SAC crews I would get complaints about the weather. I would tell them that I was in sales and not production so they needed to talk to production and I would point up. That would almost always shut them up.
@@mikezupancic2182 I did see a few folks ruin their careers over busted forecasts on important missions. When I was on the forecast team giving Gen Schwarzkopf the forecasts so he could pick the day to launch the ground war for the first Gulf war we joked about what our next job would be if it was wrong. Measuring snow depth at Thule Greenland was the most likely next assignment. Desert One ruined a few careers.
Recently had an excursion that was poorly done. I though the excursion folks should know about it. To my surprise I was refunded 1/2 the cost. I made sure I went to the desk to thank them for the refund and to show my appreciation. The smile on the crew members face was priceless. A little praise goes a long way!
We just had one on Holland-America that was poorly done and everyone on it was complaining. I politely complained to the shore excursions people and they weren't willing to do anything. Wasn't impressed
I always try to thank someone in person when they go the extra ..most people find it VERY easy to complain but rarely praise good work. It’s important (I feel) to let people know you noticed and appreciated what they’ve done!
That’s what we do too! I guess we are “soft” because we like our personal wipes, but at the same time, I know not to flush them so we put them in other little bags to dispose of properly and, like you said, so they don’t have to touch or see our gross stuff.
We were sailing out of Southampton a few years ago, for Norway. Overnight the ship turned back and we awoke to the white cliffs of Dover. Turned out there was a medical emergency that resulted in a death on board, so we missed our first cruise stop, Stavanger. We heard SO MANY passengers complain about that, and we just kept rolling our eyes; thankful that we were still alive to enjoy a day at sea AND we had a chance to view the gorgeous white cliffs from our cabin balcony. It was a glorious site!
@@rsvihlawould you want that for your family member? It would be OK to keep your family member in the morgue so that the other passengers could go on with the cruise. Yeah right🤦🏾♀️
We just came home from a cruise. I’m amazed at the staff. They honestly do everything possible to be kind and lovely. Can’t imagine being mean to any of them
I worked on ships for almost 10 years. All of those points are exactly right. The complaining about the weather and a miss port are two major ones for me. I worked in shore excursions at the time when we missed a port due to a hurricane. “That was the only reason we booked this cruise was to go to Jamaica”. We knew late afternoon we would miss the port and go to Key West instead. We had to get tours arranged, descriptions of tours, tickets created and sell in those few hours. This was in the 90’s so no email or video conferences. We had to fax info to tour operators and other ships that went up Key West to get things set up. It wasn’t good enough. So frustrating to keep saying over and over how sorry we were that we missed the port. “It was a hurricane folks we couldn’t go there” is what we wanted to say. The decision to miss a port is not made lightly. So much has to change from that one decision. Onboard and in port. Anyway that’s my 2 cents.
We just got off the NCL Escape today...during our cruise, we had water puddling on the floor of bathroom after showering. We told our cabin steward, James. He said he would let his supervisor know. As we were talking with James a supervisor was walking by and heard us. They checked it out and had a new sweep put under shower door by the time we got back to our cabin. Wonderful service. We had such a great time. Food and drinks were wonderful. Can't wait to cruise again on NCL.
As someone who worked in maintenance most of my life, I really get irritated when someone complains about a issue but have not brought it to anyone's attention. Likewise reading ship reviews and they take pictures or complain of issues, but never said a word. UGH!
From a passenger standpoint, I can see why this is common. Sure, there are people who complain that such and such should be fixed before we got on the ship or try to run the company's name in the ground. But at the same time, another passenger could think "they're already doing so much that I don't want to add a minor issue"
You have mentioned so many obvious and logical items it never ceases to amaze me that commonsense is not that ‘common’, and that politeness is a dying art 😔
Some of our luggage never got delivered to our stateroom. After calling guest services several times to inquire what to do and never getting any real answers, we asked our room steward. He told us exactly where to find it. The luggage had lost its tag (along with several other people's luggage). Sometimes you have ask the right people.
I recently bought air tags just before a cruise and it was nice to be able to track everything! Nothing was lost or delayed, but it was reassuring to see the luggage on the dock next to the ship, then at the other end of the ship, then in the section that our cabin was in! I didn't expect such detail, so it was fun.
That's another reason to get a few unusual decorative patches for your suitcases ( at least 1 for each side of each suitcase) so that if it's lost you can easily find them at the lost and found. (This helps at any and every type of lost and found, from airports, to cruises and public ones as well.)
I have been on several cruises. When I meet crew members, I make sure to be friendly and polite. They really appreciate it. Had one room steward cry towards the end of the cruise, because we treated him like a person and not a servant.
When it comes to what goes down toilets, I had a rule for the many years I lived on a rural sheep property here in Australia. We had a very dodgy septic system, so the rule was: “Apart from the toilet paper in the bathroom, you can put anything you like down the toilet, as long as you have eaten it first.”.
I just went on my first cruise about a month ago, and one thing that irritated me, and I'm sure irritated the staff, were people stopping in the middle of certain spots to take selfies. They would block staircases, doorways to restaurants, and even aisles to get to sears in the theater. It was as if they were the only people on the ship!
I was on a cruise to Mexico and this guy was very fair skined probably from somewhere in the Northern U.S. He didn't think to put sunscreen on and by day four without a sunscreen was so badly sunburnt that he needed medical attention. He was telling everyone on board that he was going to sue because nobody told him to wear sunscreen. I don't think a lawyer in the country would take that. If they did I hope a judge would throw it out.
You should probably go do a bit more research into that story. It's been proven many times that that poor woman was very much the victim in that case and was correct in suing them. @@jillharling
again…go do research before you comment instead of continuing to perpetuate myth about the case. The court case proved that the coffee was served at a temp that far exceeded safety standards and the woman suffered third degree burns that required akin grafts. And there was factual evidence that hundreds of people had filed complaints of injury due to the high temp and all were ignored.
When you have a problem Ask crew member 1st before going to guest service If the problem is resolved PLEASE NOTE and name the ones who solved the issue in the post cruise survey
Someone once asked how Disneyland stays free of litter with only 2 people employed to pick litter up. The answer is every employee is part of guest services and picking up litter is part of their duties.
My wife and I just got off of the Carnival Glory out of New Orleans. While there were problems on the ship, some beyond anyone's control, I have to say that this entire crew was the nicest we have ever encountered after several similar sailings. Most were just genuinely nice folks. Even the band that played just about every night in the lobby was made up of two Brazilians on guitar and drums, an Australian male singer, a British female singer, a keyboardist from Ohio, and a bass player from Ukraine. My wife and I talked with these folks every single night, often between sets when they needed a rest, yet they were as warm and cordial as they could possibly be. They remembered our names, where we were from, and even my wife's favorite of their songs. Aside from their friendliness, they were tremendously talented - and we come from near Memphis where we have seen lots of talented musicians. Every single night they ignited the dance floor with their energy and warmness. For the first time ever, my wife and I offered them a small tip, which they more than earned. While they were our favorite amenity on the cruise, it is only fair to say that every single person from the crew that we encountered always offered a "good morning", "have a nice day", or similar greeting, all along with a smile. I only wish that the behavior of some of the other guests was as cordial. On our first night, before we even cleared the Mississippi river, the couple across the hall from us got into an actual fight where blows were apparently exchanged, screaming and hollering at 3:00 in the AM. Thankfully, they were actually escorted off of the ship by a small boat. Security was fantastic though as, once they arrived, there was literally zero noise while these folks were removed and their belongings packed up.
Sailing out of New Orleans on carnival on our third cruise with them is what convinced us to never sail with them again. There was a group of people in multiple cabins around us who behaved badly the whole 7 days. Screaming in the hallways, spitting on the decks below, and partying in and between cabins to all hours were just some of the things we had to deal with. Carnival staff did make numerous visits after multiple complaints from the impacted people, but ultimately it did not result in a change in behaviour.
My brother is a professional musician and he worked on cruises for several years. He said that they actually had a lot of free time so he got to meet people - he's very gregarious so he enjoyed that opportunity.
We’ve never complained about the employees on the cruise ship because we’ve heard that one waiter couldn’t work for two weeks when someone complained instead of talking to him. I felt really bad for him. I know they are human and working hard to support their family back home.
Jingas the sacrifices of leaving their families for almost a year says it all. Even leaving their new born baby and was still nursing I was told by one crew member. That is a sacrifice if you're wanting to create a great life for your families. Everyone has choices - either suffer or sacrifice. I appreciated the crew members who shared their stories with us. Really wanted to know where their crew parties were and when 😂. Got along better with the crew than guests.
@@jesaminetehuia9098 Sorry but leaving a newborn baby who is still nursing for a year is not a healthy start to life- physically or emotionally-for the wee one. It breaks my heart. And don't say that's the only job they could get.
I’ve been binging your guides. I’m on the spectrum so some things that seem obvious aren’t obvious to me and I don’t want to be rude to crew on my first cruise next year.
I was in the USN. The reason why there is a difference in civilian and ship TP is the ship TP breaks down easier so when they empty the the black water tanks there is no issues with the valves and pipes backing up.
I was very very disappointed that our recent cruise to Bermuda, with that being the only port of call, was changed up due to the weather and we had to go to Nassau and Freeport, where we have been multiple times. But I would never bother Guest Services with that. I had to be happy that I was on a cruise and get over myself. Some people can’t be happy with anything.
@@mikezupancic2182that’s nonsense. When there’s a hurricane, ship doesn’t have many choices where to go and certainly can’t be going wherever. There’s a back up scheduled and that’s it. It would be a ridiculous thing to complain about, because weather can’t be controlled. There’s always a big chance of itinerary change in hurricane season. It is what it is.
@Martina1192 it's far from nonsense. The cruise lines have many places they can go to, but will choose the cheapest to get to. If enough complain, perhaps the cruise line will listen and choose an alternate port not affected.
@@mikezupancic2182Sorry, but that's complete nonsense. You probably have cruised less than a handful of times, if that. Cruise ship itineraries are scheduled a year or two in advance, especially in popular ports where there can be multiple cruise ships at the same time. If a port has 2 piers, it cant accommodate more than 2 ships, obviously. If there is bad weather, a ship can't just show up at any random port. It's a foreign country, and they have to get permission from the port authority. It's not like at home where you can stop at any random store or gas station, and no one would bother you. Those unplanned port stops are determined in advance during hurricane season as a backup plan. Also, it has to be within a reasonable distance to keep the cruise on schedule and be able to return to port on time. I don't know what you mean by a cheap port. All ports have fees and taxes, and you're paying for them regardless. In a weather related emergency, it's the nearest available port, as mentioned above. That's how it works. A few years ago, we were on a transatlantic cruise from Miami to multiple stops in Europe. We went from Miami to NYC and then Bermuda. There was a bad storm in the area, and the captain bypassed Bermuda for our safety. As a bonus, we were able to stop in Madeira instead. Since it was March, the port wasn't busy and crew was able to make the stop. It was a beautiful place and we were very pleased to be able to visit, instead of gaining an extra sea day. It worked out to our advantage. I would rather have the captain avoid rough weather and miss a stop, then having to travel through a storm and be sick. That's not a pleasant vacation, and it's an expensive way to experience seasickness.😬
Stood behind a woman complaining that there was no fresh milk on the ship just long life. I asked her if she would like me to go up to the pool deck and milk the cow for her! The crew member gave me the biggest smile!
Definitely never had any reason to complain about any of my cruises. Some things changed, got cancelled and the fog socked us in for the entire way to NZ from Aus. People were complaining left, right and centre about everything. I didn’t give them the time of day except to say that I hadn’t seen any of it as an issue and that the fog made it really exciting and mysterious and very calm. People can be awful. One of the best tips I learnt from watching cruise tube was that your cruise is what YOU make it. If you want to spend your entire holiday complaining and being dissatisfied- go ahead. I’m happy with a quiet corner to read, plenty of food and the open sea.
I was on the Ruby Princess about 5 years ago. One of my traveling companions took it upon herself to barate a crew member for following and enforcing a 'no food items in a particular lounge' rule. Seeing this happen, I made sure that both the crew member, and her supervisor know that my traveling companion was out of line, that the team member had every right to enforce the rule, and that she was even more professional and kind then I would have been in her position. I hope she went on to become a supervisor herself.
People who’ve owned a boat themselves (or have/had a friend or relative who does/did) understand about “marine toilet paper”, which is specifically made to break down much quicker than the kind in your home. If you aren’t familiar with the concept, I recommend learning, because it’s the same concept on cruise ships.
Never brought my own TP... Never gave it much thought. But it's good to know there's a reason, and that the reason isn't 'Royal Caribbean is being cheep' with its aversion to Charmin Ultra.
Not just your recreational boating....campers have the same issue! Any portable potty situation needs to use the bio degradable tissue that decomposes easily. Perhaps they should include using the commode on board as part of the muster drill! LOL!
The weather... My wife was about 2 years beyond her prognosis (lung cancer) and was wheelchair-bound, so we were kind of in a hurry to complete her bucket list. We were on a European cruise, visiting all of the countries in her lineage, when we arrived in Scotland. The second to the last one in her DNA. And it was raining sideways. With hail. Strong winds. Near-freezing temperature. She was so disappointed. But, since she would never have an opportunity again to set foot on Scottish soil, we decided to go for it. I briefly told the handicap helpers at the exit of our situation, told them we'd only be down there for a moment before coming back on, and apologized because it was going to basically be wasted effort on their part. They just grinned, said "Let's do it!" and carried her wheelchair (with her in it) down the ramp, then waited under a shelter while I pushed her chair across the pier. We reached the end, I helped her out of her chair, she "Set foot on Scottish soil" and I rushed her back to the waiting attendants. They carried her back up, congratulated her on achieving this goal, and I slipped them all the Euros that we had originally set aside for the Scotland stop. I don't know about other cruise lines, but the Princess crew members are beyond excellent when it comes to passenger satisfaction!
Love the weather comment! After I retired, I worked for a Major US Airline in a small southern resort airport. We did everything from checking in passengers to loading the luggage on the ramp. In a year, I can't count the times I was cussed at because a flight was cancelled due to a thunderstorm. I will tell you, be nice to those people. It can mean the difference between being put in a first class seat you didn't pay for and waiting a day or two to get out. There are things they don't have to do for you but can for reasonable people.
Just returned from a cruise on Celebrity Solstice. There was a passenger who believe it was ok to leave her scooter out in the hall. My daughter also used a scooter and when we were going to the dining room, this women's scooter was in the hall and blocking the hallway so my daughter could not go through. When I moved the scooter out of the way, the woman came out the door and said no one had a problem with her leaving the scooter in the hallway. I'm sure the staff did not like the scooter in the hallway as cleaning carts would not be able to get through.
It’s a safety hazard to impede any hallway or exit. Thus, on all cruise ships I’ve been on, the crew will move any scooter or wheelchair away from that area.
I also use a scooter and I can't believe anyone would not see an issue with leaving it in the hallway....if they need more room they should have booked a larger cabin or ask that the small table be removed to make more room for storing the scooter.
When people tell me "No one has complained" I usually tell them I am someone and I am complaining. I think they do it just to keep anyone from documenting a problem. That sounds like a legitimate safety problem to me. How would they even get it in a cabin? Would it - the floor ledge, etc, work?
I don't even flush the so-called flushable wipes at home - I use diaper bags and put them in the garbage - let alone on a ship. Our ship didn't have any wipes for sale in the onboard shop (because they didn't trust passengers not to flush them, lol) but there were plenty of the bags available to dispose of the ones I had in the bathroom trash.
Interesting list! A few more things that crew hate passengers doing include: doing any thing to your room that creates more work for them, such as using tape to attach door decorations, leaving your clothes all over your room where the room attendant cannot clean your room, and leaving the do not disturb sign on the door and being disappointed when your room was not cleaned (they will not go in your room when the sign is on the door). Regarding complaints, we only complain about the big issues such as the room not cooling, loss of water, or toilets not working. Being nice and calm will get better results. Most times letting your room attendant know about the issue will solve the issue, but we have had a few times when we had to elevate the problem to the supervisor level for resolution.
Amen! We always try to leave our room in a tidy manner. I even try to make the bed, although I can't do it as well as our stewards - LOL! I try to look at everything from their point of view. I've seen how some other passengers leave their cabins - OMG! Such a mess!! I just live in a different world I guess.
For the opposite extreme on toilet paper, while not on a cruise, I remember visiting places on a trip where the toilet paper was so hard I wrote letters home on it.
We were recently on the Enchanted Princess in a full suite. We did report a couple bathroom issues (shower very slow drainage, sink pop didn’t work and burned out bulbs)…everything was immediately repaired while we were at dinner.
On a recent cruise on Rotterdam. This one was confirmed by our Cabin Steward. They DO NOT WANT passengers to put their dirty dishes out in the passageway! Besides looking unappetizing, it is a safety concern. Going to breakfast in the dining room, we had to pass a cabin that regularly put our their dirty dishes in the hallway. Anyone who uses a walker would have to get by this mess. I asked our cabin steward about this and he said that people should leave their dirty dishes in their cabin and they would remove them when they cleaned the cabin. This is a gross practice and should be stopped!
Then this really truly needs to be put on a sign everywhere. It’s something that people do in hotels, so I suppose they think why not in a cruise ship. If they’re ignorant about it, it’s not helpful to anyone, there should be plenty of information telling them.
In 17 cruises I have missed 14 ports due to weather or medical emergencies. It is just part of cruising. If the port is the important thing, just go there and book a hotel.
I do go on cruises for specific ports but I understand why they get changed and would never complain! Although you should get port fees and taxes refunded!
We just cruised with Norwegian and absolutely loved it, we found the staff very helpful and friendly pleasant. Coming back to our state we noticed 2 girls who were working in the concession stand in the airport and immediately made an observation, these 2 girls were waiting on customers while talking on their cellphones or eating their own personal food right in front of the customers, it made me think about how much we American workers could take a lesson on work ethic from the foreign workers on these cruise ships. Just an observation.
I just came back from our first cruise (we were well prepared, thank you Ilana!) but i felt sea sick on the first night and my youngest son was tired so him and I went to our cabin earlier. Even tho i was really dizzy and sea sick, i always had a smile and a thank you/good night comment to every crew member we encounter, as they were all so amazing and caring!
A West Indies cruise end of 2019 and one we’re doing next month were chosen by my husband. He’s a recreational diver and I go along for the cruise. On our first Alaska cruise we had very rough weather but it was fun. The captain announced that being outside during the storm was off limits and anyone caught outside would be confined to their cabin and put off at the next port. Ship gratuities are shared with crew wide, with the exception of bar personnel This is a very good video
I'll add another. Every so often a guest will want to pal around with crew. Crew members are so nice that sometimes a passenger will think they are developing a friendship and want to buy them a drink ashore. Heard one guy that wanted to go to the crew bar to buy a crew member a drink. I think this is totally inappropriate. These people work hard, they deserve a break from us. I have even voiced that opinion when it seemed a guest was getting a bit pushy and the crew member was trying to be polite but was obviously uncomfortable. It's a job folks, and whenever they're with guests, they're working!
I think there's a level of interest one can, and maybe even should (appropriately) show in crew members, for those who are willing to share a bit. I always inquire about our cabin steward's impression of their job, how long they've been with the line, about their home nation, stuff like that. What you describe however takes things too far I think. It's good for the crew for guests to show a level of enthusiasm that they consider the staff to be a part of the experience in the best of ways, too far to try to force them into your experience in ways that are inappropriate. You'd never go up to a cashier at Walmart who happened to help you get a bag of dog food, and offer to buy them a drink for helping you.
I don't know if all cruise companies have no drinking policy for staff, but I was on UnCruise last year and a guest offered to buy a drink for a staff member after his shift was over, but he politely told her that he would get fired if he drank at all during the cruise.
I do a little straightening up before the room steward comes. This up coming cruise is my 4th cruise alone so my room really doesn't get too messy. I still tip 5$/day for my room steward. I just don't want to look like a slob.
Sometimes I may pick an itinerary over other itineraries just because there is one port I do want to visit. For example, on one of my cruises, I picked a longer 10-day itinerary over some shorter seven-day itineraries because I wanted to visit St. Kitts. Of course, even if we'd had to skip St. Kitts (we didn't), it still would have been a wonderful vacation. On the flip side of the coin, I've done itineraries where there was a port of call where I'd wonder, "Why would anyone want to go there?" Yet, when we got there, I found it was a really wonderful place to go. I've since decided that cruises don't go places that have nothing to offer the passengers. So, enjoy all ports of call, including (or excluding, if the ship has to miss) the one you really wanted to see.
Completely disagree about salary/tipping questions for staff. On my first cruise I learned that the cruise ship doesn’t distribute tips put written on as check the same way I would distribute cash. That seems intuitive, but have found out how service charges work more because of asking different levels of staff (officers and line staff) so I can accommodate appropriately if I choose
Another thing I saw is ppl leaving discarded food on the floor outside their cabin without at least trying to cover it up with a napkin or something. Looks sloppy. As well as glasses of liquid?? Couldn't one just pour that out?? Geez...js
A lot of new and semi-new cruisers liken a cruise ship to a floating hotel. Guests in a hotel do leave room service trays and dishes outside their rooms. Perhaps that’s the underlying thought.
Just off the RC Allure out of Galveston. What we noticed is passengers leave their dishes in the elevators! So sad to see the disrespect to the ship, crew and other passengers. 😢
One thing we did was not bring to anyone's attention the fact that the refrigerator didn't work. We didn't use it so it didn't seem like a big problem. However, we did an injustice to the people who had our cabin next.
I worked at a hotel/water park combo where you got to go to the water park for free as a bonus with your hotel stay. One of the worst complaints we had was making people leave the water park an hour before close because of a major lightning storm. ~ Sorry but we didn't want a headline to read 8 dead at water park from lightning electrocution.
I am wondering if disgruntled passengers complain to guest services hoping to get "rewarded" by getting perks from the cruise line just to apease them.
I just returned from a New England/Canada cruise on Princess & experienced such rude & unhappy passengers. I have never had that experience before so we went out of our way to be extra nice & show our appreciation & thanks even more to the staff because we saw what they were having to endure. Kindness gets you so much further. The staff is there to help enhance our vacation & help solve real issues & not to be treated rudely. #thegoldenrule
"Kindness gets you so much further" - so true!!! Even if we have a complaint or need something correct, there's always a way to ask for it in a nice manner. Really goes a long way whether on a cruise or elsewhere. And a smile costs us nothing but is priceless to others! 😃
People don’t realise that when you ‘sign-up’ for a cruise that you sign up to a contract and that once you step on board you relinquish the laws and rights you may in your home country (whilst onboard) and that you are obliged to follow ‘ship rules’ enforced at the Captain’s discretion.
One thing that puts me on the Bad Passenger list is what I've done with room service. Mr. Heald has discussed this on his FB page. Apparently, people who get room service are supposed to put their leftovers out near their cabin after they're done eating. I've never done this as this presents several problems elsewhere. I usually leave them in the room and have my cabin steward deal with them when they do their next service - which I've heard they don't like, but I judge it the best of several bad options.
I think different cruise lines have preferred policies for the room service trays. Some prefer they be put out, some prefer they don’t. Best bet is to ask the server who delivered to your room, or your room steward.
It's hard for wheel chairs to get through a hallway cluttered with dishes and trays so I leave mine inside also. I hadn't considered this until I was coming down a corridor with a poor lady in a wheelchair who couldn't get to her room because someone's dishes had fallen and blocked her path.
Complaining about the weather seems to happen more than you think. I was imon a cruise that had a serious itinerary change duevto hurricanes in the Gulf. Passengers complained constantly to anyone who would listen. Some even thought they should get refunds fir the cruise. Guess they never read the details in their cruise contract. Yes the crew members want to know of problems so they can rectify them if possible. Just do it in a polite manner & have found in most cases the issue is resolved. Happy cruising Ilana
We actually had a fantastic excursion in a port that was a substitute port of call on a cruise with a major itinerary change. So sometimes they can be blessing along with being a safety necessity.
Grab some extra produce bags while you’re at the grocery store I line the trash receptacle in the bathroom with it to put my used wipes in! They’re great for a lot of things, put your shoes in them before you put in the suitcase, wet bathing suits
My good friend works on the bridge of NCL and he tells me when people come up to him and ask if he could ask the captain if they could go faster to get to the port earlier.
I liked what Disney Magic did even though flying to get to our cruise and catching a bus. It was an amazing experience but Disney Magic blocked the entrance to our rooms until it was a certain time and it gave them time to get done with their responsibilities and it did make our experience amazing and they didn’t feel rushed and they were actually ready for us. Disney Magic your team is amazing and wonderful.
I enjoyed your video! My wife and I cruise annually, and if there are simple ways to be more courteous, we're all for it. I understand that many employees, including non-U.S. citizens, may face challenges. In the U.S., most states have enacted laws protecting employees discussing pay. Being a service worker is tough, and open discussions about income are crucial for change.
I’ve always stayed in suites and have never dropped my bags off in our room. We literally just walk around with them! I figured since the doors to the cabin room hallways are closed no one can go past them.
Enjoyed your comments, I love cruising, due to leave on Brilliance Of The Seas in about 2 weeks for Melbourne, Adelaide. One I would disagree with is, going to cabin early, not to unpack or cabins not being ready, but need to place insulin in fridge, but Ive never had any major issues.😊
Dont take towels or items off the cleaning carts. Because the carts can only hold so much they have just resupply rooms. if you take everything they have to go back and get some more. Which in turn makes it longer to get to all the cabins
In most places in Greece, it's common to NOT throw toilet paper in the toilet. The pipes can't even handle toilet paper. There are signs everywhere, even in some hotels. There are trash cans with plastic liners located next to the toilets.
My two cents - common courtesy goes a long way with crew and with other passengers. It bothered me when I noticed people "crowding" around to buy shore excursions (when many have the option to select those while booking). In most cases, there is a limit to how many can go on the excursion and I imagine that booking those in advance would be better than for a crew member trying to explain that the excursion is full. Also remember that many of the crew are from countries that the cruiser is from and their might be a language barrier. It never hurts to ask a question and have the answer repeated until the guest understands. My biggest pet peeve was seeing people at the buffet lines grabbing food (generally children) with their hands rather than the tongs. If someone has a difficult time serving themselves, ask for help from a crew member.
The one cruise I have done post-COVID, at the buffet they didn't let us serve ourselves. Instead, we pointed to what we wanted and a crew member served us. Maybe that is something good that did come out of COVID.
I did three post-covid sailings and only HAL served the passengers in the Lido Market (buffet). RCL and NCL had guests serving themselves as pre-covid.@@JohnFleming-b6g
It's not that simple to always assume excursions weren't booked in advance or the people in line are first time cruisers. You have absolutely no way of knowing why they are in line. On our last cruise, we booked excursions well in advance. A day before the cruise, one of the excursions was canceled, and since it was less than 24 hours before embarkation, we couldn't make any online changes. Of course, we were at the excursion desk asap, since that was what the email advised us to do once we were on board. It was a long cruise and there were multiple stops. Once we were able to speak with a rep, we found out there were changes to 2 other excursions, and those were related to port arrival changes. In the end, it worked out, and we were able to rebook excursions. So please don't assume it's the passengers that are always at fault. Tour companies make changes all the time and the excursion desk has to scramble to fix the problem. At that point, you can't just go online and fix it, but only choice is to go to the desk and have the situation resolved.
Flushable wipes can be a plumbing problem on shore too. I treat them like (I assume) certain hygrine products are treated: wrapped up and put into the waste basket. It does not matter if the package claims that they are "flushable". Socks are "flushable" but should not be flushed.
I have worked for an airline for 25 years. I can tell you that people can be absolutely nasty! Rude, selfish, self absorbed and just plain clueless. Rules apply to everyone else and not them. Retirement can’t come soon enough.
I guess the rationale behind the weather complaint is that they feel the ship should be able to go around a storm. While not realizing that a single storm could be several hundred miles across.
Stupidity is not just on cruises. I worked at a 4 season/ski resort in Va and had people ask some of the dumbest questions imaginable: “what time do you let the deer out to feed so my kids can watch.” “I want to go skiing on the 4th of July weekend, what do you mean there’s no snow, don’t you make your own snow? I have a free ski lift pass.”
Well in California this year, like a few other heavy snow years, the ski season was extended through the July 4th weekend! I guess an avid skier could also go to South America or New Zealand in July.
@@scvcebc Wow! I hadn’t heard that ski resorts had made it to July 4th this year. I’ve skied Memorial Day a few times, but Independence Day would have been and unbelievable “first”.
We have cruised more than thirty years, mostly once every year. The toilet paper issue was new, so thank you. We have had only one cruise where shore excursions were terrible and it was on our preferred cruise line. This was probably 15 years ago. Two shore excursions on the same cruise were unacceptable with one being dangerous. The dangerous one was when we went on a kayak excursion where the kayaks were unsafe. One of ours sank! We cut the excursion short and went back to the ship. The other was an expensive “off-road” excursion. Off-road meant lousy seating in the back of a pickup truck. Off-road meant driving on the shoulder of a paved road and visiting the island’s dump, which was actually on the unpaved entrance road to the dump. The shore excursion desk attendants were indifferent to our complaints. I think they refunded half the costs of each. We thought that both should have been a total refund, especially the kayak one. Further, we thought that they should make sure the unsafe kayak provider should be removed from the cruise line’s list. Both our complaints were refused. Next step was a letter to the ship’s captain. Further, the end of cruise survey got a long complaint regarding both issues. We got significant attention and a major refund. So, if someone has a legitimate complaint and the crew is indifferent to it, go up the ladder to the captain and the cruise line’s home office. That was the only time we resorted to this tactic in the thirty two years of excellent cruising.
It's ironic that you say mention a problem as the flip side is we write a review mid cruise because really what's the use afterwards. We've been told that we've given a few crew worry as they've been called to the office thinking they're in trouble only to be praised for the excellent care they've given us. We've also learned that this praise can lead to a time off shift which they prize over tips!
I just got off the Allure of the Seas and was dumb founded how rude so many people are to crew members. I could not believe it since these people work so very hard.
I have to admit on my last cruise I thought the next time I'll bring my own toilet paper. I live where septic tanks are the norm, I should have known better. Thanks for bringing that up. One thing I had a concern about was asking the room attendant not to clean my cabin on sea days. I travel solo, have enough towels for a couple days and am pretty tidy. I didn't know if she would get in trouble if she missed a day or so. I know they probably do double the work now and if that allowed her to have a little less work to do I'm all for it.
I travel solo and if I want the room cleaning service skipped, I just keep the "do not disturb" sign up. On sea days, I like to sleep in especially as I do early morning excursions on many port days.
@@mikezupancic2182 The toilet paper thing is NOT nonsense. We have an older house and even at our house we have to use single ply toilet paper. Double ply can definitely clog toilets and plumbing systems. Plus the cruise lines are trying to be environmentally friendly, single ply just breaks down better for the environment. Please heed what Ilana says and use what is given to you.
@gaykelly3382 it is complete 100% NONSENSE. Any TP can clog if you put too much down. If your older house clogs it's because you have a line blockage, guaranteed. The 100 year old house I lived in had issues. Then we found out a pipe had collapsed and needed to be dug up.
When I was a server (not on a ship though), I HATED when people would tell you everything was fine and then complain later about their meal either to a manager or on a review. I tried to be as on top of my guests needs as possible but it's still really frustrating when I could have done something for you and you didn't communicate with me.
My daughter, who’s been on hundreds of cruises, is taking me on my very first cruise in December!!!! I’ve been binge watching your videos!!! Thank you.
Regarding port changes: during Covid Celebrity advertised Key West and Greand Cayman as two of the 3 ports of call. They advertised these ports up until 2 weeks before the cruise. Grand Cayman had been closed for a year and had announced they wouldn't open for months. Key West was going through their one ship a day and again Celebrity knew months in advance that they wouldn't be stopping there. Celebrity annouced to passenger 2 weeks before the cruise that those two ports would be replaced by Costa Maya. (no refund of port fees was given) I dont mind port changes but i do mind false advertising when the cruise line knows well in advance.
We just got off the MSC Meraviglia, which sailed Canada & New England. Due to the track of Tropical Storm Phillippe, we had to skip Saint John and Halifax, add an extra sea day, and stop in Corner Brook (not on the itinerary) instead. We also got three extra hours in Boston, which was nice. You wouldn't believe how many people I heard complaining about the change. Um, you'd rather sail through a tropical storm so you can get to those two ports? Not me! It turned out Halifax port was closed due to the storm the day we were to dock anyway. I was just happy to be on a cruise and still have other ports to go to.
I can understand not complaining when a ship's itinerary changes. However, I booked a cruise to go to the Panama Canal, and have been reading how so many have been turned away. I called the line I'm booked on, and they tell me that it's still scheduled to go through the canal. I've been keeping a close eye on any changes, but trust me, I WILL be very upset if we're turned away from going through the canal at the last minute. It's the entire reason I booked this cruise, it says that it's a "Panama Canal" cruise, and I would simply have changed to a different cruise if we weren't allowed to pass through.
I took a Panama Canal Cruise with full transit a few years back (actually, we were one of the last ships to go through the old passage) and I never once considered that we might not get to go through. I would have been so disappointed if that had happened. I hope you have a great cruise and really enjoy the transit through the Canal.
Yikes, we're booked on a Panama Canal cruise in December. I had heard there was an issue with the low waters but didn't know the cruises were being turned away. When are you booked to go?
@@nancyenjay7966 January 14th throu the 26th. On Holland America. I'm on a FB group for them, and many have been turned away. Actually, they seem to allow the ones traveling through to the west coast, while disallowing the ones going back to their original debarking city, and the one I'm on goes from Ft. Lauderdale back to Ft. Lauderdale.
@@slbenter Thank you so much for replying. That's exactly our route - half transit from Ft. Lauderdale. I'll have to find that FB group and follow along. Thanks again, good luck with your trip!
I work maintenance in a hotel and I can tell you that everything you said that are bad on cruises are bad in the hotel industry. And the wipes that say are flushable, aren't...
The only one that my wife and I are guilty of is the not bringing up a problem or complaint. We don’t mention it in surveys or on social media or anything like that. No one will ever know about it and we will continue to cruise on that line but when we do bring something up it is usually important and we are always very kind and polite to all crew when there is an issue.
I am the same. It has to be something pretty significant for me to bring up. I'm on vacation. Can't be inset. And no, I would never post it on social media or share in my post cruise review. I'm not perfect and don't expect anything else to be.
This is me too. I hate having to call someone to the room for something insignificant to us. We can usually deal with whatever issue unless it’s a huge one. But same I will never complain about it or tell someone else about it
We're the same also. It has to be a pretty significant issue for us to bring it up. We do our best to enjoy our holiday and complaining about minor issues is not enjoyment. And you will never see us post on Social Media about an issue unless it is to praise the crew member who looked after the issue. We're not out there to make extra work for the crew, nor to get a crew member reprimanded. I am so grateful we have such wonderful crew members who make our vacation memorable.
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Long time cruiser. Hey newbies. Crew works long hours 16 hours a day 6 days a week for 6 months at a time. They do an amazing job. 😊
And that’s their job! 😂
It’s such a huge perk to me to drop off my carry ones, I’m happy to drop off my stuff and get out of the crew’s way.
Why do people romanticize cruise ship workers? While working on a cruise ship can involve long hours and time away from home, they're not akin to military personnel. They’re not serving a higher cause or sacrificing their lives in service to the passengers. They do it because it pays more than the average household income in their home countries, alongside other benefits like travel. You can’t get them off the ship if you tried.
It's easier to get something taken care of With a SMILE and a PLEASE and
THANK YOU ...
Always best advice 👏
And when that doesn't work, what then?
@@rsvihla Either it is something for “Guest Services” to hear…. or maybe it is something they can’t just do.
SOOOO …
🎶let it go, let it go🎶
Can confirm, people like being treated with kindness, courtesy, and respect.
Reflect on whether you really need this thing enough to make the effort to fix it worth it.
Consider whether you’re being reasonable or petty.
You’re on vacation. Try to find positivity to focus on instead of things to whinge about.
If it’s truly an emergency or a disproportionately unfair or inappropriate situation you’ve been put in, that’s not been resolved, and the supervisor also isn’t resolving it, go to guest services.
But if you’re on a reputable line and your first line of support doesn’t meet your demands, and then their supervisor doesn’t meet your demands either, consider that the problem might actually be you.
Try googling whether your concern is truly a rare or unreasonable issue to be dealing with.. most likely, you’ll find that the majority of people don’t see the issue that you’re making out of it.
I only had two experiences in which I felt the need to call customer service. After checking into a room at a Hard Rock hotel (Moon Palace) in Domican Republic, where I called them to let them know that there was a small leak under my sink, and on a Carnival cruise, I called about a leaking gasket around a window of my balcony cabin letting a tiny stream of water leak in. On both calls I told them that I was not complaining at all, I just thought they should know so that they could fix it before their next guest might complain. Oddly enough, I got the exact same response from both. They were fixed at the very first time I was out of my room/cabin, a very nice bottle of wine, a lovely fruit basket and a card thanking me for letting them know about the situation. I was both surprised, and very pleased.
It’s crazy how people go on vacation and complaining is their priority
All I do on vacation is complain.
Then why do you go?
Complainers don’t take a break just cause they’re on vacation. If anything, they complain more because everything is different/more uncomfortable or unfamiliar than their own home/familiar routine
Which is dumb because you’d think they would be aware of that, but.. complainers tend to lack insight/introspection.
Complaining is the least intelligent way to communicate or tolerate discomfort.. and selfish. Just drag everyone else down with you instead of finding a way to rise up to other’s ability to find peace in any situation.
I was a flight attendant for a luxury airline for 7.5 years and I had to quit because of passengers. People became so rude and entitled and started demanding things that aren’t reality at 35 thousand feet. I wouldn’t go back to any sort of customer service job ever. I can only imagine what these cruise ship crews go through with obnoxious passengers
You missed one. A very important one. Guests who vehemently talk to other guests in front of cruise ship employees about the infamous "well, on such and such line, they do this or they don't do that". I cannot tell you how many times I have been at a bar and a guest converses with me about how they don't like the cruise because they don't do things like their preferred line. So I always end up asking "then why are you here"?? Number one, the employees don't want to hear that and secondly, other passengers don't want to hear that.
Well, sometimes a cruiseline does some particular things very well and not others. It's ok to compare and contrast and maybe other companies can adopt something another company does well
What, so a person can't off up their opinion, good or bad, in your presence and the presence of the crew. You sound like a right royal you know what. 😂
It's fine if you're polite about it. I like talking to other passengers about other cruise lines, because we want recommendations or things to avoid.
I agree, most are being rude jerks when they do this.
If you dont like the cruise complain to the CS desk with specifics in a reasonable manner.
Maybe that cruise line just isnt for you.
How do you know what employees want or don’t want to hear? I’m pretty sure they’re busy thinking about important things going on in their personal lives, last thing they care about is your cruise experience 😂
I recently returned from my tenth cruise and all I can ask is what is there to complain about on a cruise? Great food, fun and varied activities, posh shops, housekeeping, interesting parts of call… etc. Some people like to be miserable.
You obviously haven't had the food on carnival yet lol
Having not been on a cruise yet but I would think you may get the Narcissistic personality disorder person and other belittlers knowing it all.If I did go on a cruise I would if I could ask the ships staff who would know better information,you are on a lovely holiday and it might be the first time,walkaway if someone is a little grumpy,maybe someone has upset them,I would not let it bother me.
Absolutely true. How could you be depressed or angry on a cruise?
I always find something to complain about.
I have only been on 4 cruises. On one of them they switched out one of the ports of call for another. Hey, I was just happy I could go on a cruise! Each cruise had exceptional crew members. I can't imagine why anyone would be crabby on a floating hotel with entertainment, food, drinks and a new place to see every day without having to pack and unpack. I can't wait to go on another one.
As an ex weatherman I got a kick out of your comment about paxs complaining about weather and missing ports due to weather. Back in the old days when I was a young Lt briefing AF SAC crews I would get complaints about the weather. I would tell them that I was in sales and not production so they needed to talk to production and I would point up. That would almost always shut them up.
😂 Sales or PR?
Probably best job of your life. You can be wrong over and over and nothing happens.
@@mikezupancic2182 I did see a few folks ruin their careers over busted forecasts on important missions. When I was on the forecast team giving Gen Schwarzkopf the forecasts so he could pick the day to launch the ground war for the first Gulf war we joked about what our next job would be if it was wrong. Measuring snow depth at Thule Greenland was the most likely next assignment. Desert One ruined a few careers.
Recently had an excursion that was poorly done. I though the excursion folks should know about it. To my surprise I was refunded 1/2 the cost. I made sure I went to the desk to thank them for the refund and to show my appreciation. The smile on the crew members face was priceless. A little praise goes a long way!
Thanks for sharing! Great stories
We just had one on Holland-America that was poorly done and everyone on it was complaining. I politely complained to the shore excursions people and they weren't willing to do anything. Wasn't impressed
Very good information . Witnessed 1st hand:( we've always had a good experience with crew.😅
I always try to thank someone in person when they go the extra ..most people find it VERY easy to complain but rarely praise good work. It’s important (I feel) to let people know you noticed and appreciated what they’ve done!
Yes it does👍❤
one thing I have been bringing is Doggy poop bags for personal wipes and other items. Then my Cabin steward does not have to touch my body liquids
Good idea
@@UA-camrrrrrrrrrrr😂
Great idea
I was thinking the same thing
That’s what we do too! I guess we are “soft” because we like our personal wipes, but at the same time, I know not to flush them so we put them in other little bags to dispose of properly and, like you said, so they don’t have to touch or see our gross stuff.
We were sailing out of Southampton a few years ago, for Norway. Overnight the ship turned back and we awoke to the white cliffs of Dover. Turned out there was a medical emergency that resulted in a death on board, so we missed our first cruise stop, Stavanger. We heard SO MANY passengers complain about that, and we just kept rolling our eyes; thankful that we were still alive to enjoy a day at sea AND we had a chance to view the gorgeous white cliffs from our cabin balcony. It was a glorious site!
Wow! Thanks for sharing this
Couldn’t they just have kept the deceased individual in the morgue until the end of the cruise?
@@rsvihlawould you want that for your family member? It would be OK to keep your family member in the morgue so that the other passengers could go on with the cruise. Yeah right🤦🏾♀️
@@rsvihla Sure, and no refund because they actually went the full duration of the cruise. What kind of a question is that?
@@rsvihla Morgue?
On a cruise ship??
Weather really? People complain about weather? I have heard it all! 🤦🏾♀️🤦🏾♀️
Lol, I’ve heard from guest services that they get a lot of odd complaints & requests
I heard someone say their cruise was ruined because “the onboard library was too cold”
@@LiamRichie825 at least they can adjust the thermostat. But, the weather can’t be changed! 🤣🤣🤣
@@LifeWellCruised I’m one of those people that just don’t say anything. I must be too nice. 🤣🤣
I've heard that before, usually in relation to an excursion or port being canceled. As if the crew conspired with mother nature.
We just came home from a cruise. I’m amazed at the staff. They honestly do everything possible to be kind and lovely. Can’t imagine being mean to any of them
If you complain about the weather, you're not too bright.
Complainers gonna complain
I worked on ships for almost 10 years. All of those points are exactly right. The complaining about the weather and a miss port are two major ones for me. I worked in shore excursions at the time when we missed a port due to a hurricane. “That was the only reason we booked this cruise was to go to Jamaica”. We knew late afternoon we would miss the port and go to Key West instead. We had to get tours arranged, descriptions of tours, tickets created and sell in those few hours. This was in the 90’s so no email or video conferences. We had to fax info to tour operators and other ships that went up Key West to get things set up. It wasn’t good enough. So frustrating to keep saying over and over how sorry we were that we missed the port. “It was a hurricane folks we couldn’t go there” is what we wanted to say. The decision to miss a port is not made lightly. So much has to change from that one decision. Onboard and in port. Anyway that’s my 2 cents.
kudos to you, no way i could deal with whiny, entitled people.
We just got off the NCL Escape today...during our cruise, we had water puddling on the floor of bathroom after showering. We told our cabin steward, James. He said he would let his supervisor know. As we were talking with James a supervisor was walking by and heard us. They checked it out and had a new sweep put under shower door by the time we got back to our cabin. Wonderful service. We had such a great time. Food and drinks were wonderful. Can't wait to cruise again on NCL.
If you are complaining on a cruise, you are doing it all wrong. Attitude is everything.
As someone who worked in maintenance most of my life, I really get irritated when someone complains about a issue but have not brought it to anyone's attention. Likewise reading ship reviews and they take pictures or complain of issues, but never said a word. UGH!
From a passenger standpoint, I can see why this is common. Sure, there are people who complain that such and such should be fixed before we got on the ship or try to run the company's name in the ground. But at the same time, another passenger could think "they're already doing so much that I don't want to add a minor issue"
We booked a ship excursion in St. Lucia and a woman complained that it was raining when we were in the rain forest which was very beautiful.
Haha. Rain in the rainforest might be expected 😂
Ha ha ha ha ha ha
🙆🏼♀️😮seriously?!
You have mentioned so many obvious and logical items it never ceases to amaze me that commonsense is not that ‘common’, and that politeness is a dying art 😔
Some of our luggage never got delivered to our stateroom. After calling guest services several times to inquire what to do and never getting any real answers, we asked our room steward. He told us exactly where to find it. The luggage had lost its tag (along with several other people's luggage). Sometimes you have ask the right people.
I recently bought air tags just before a cruise and it was nice to be able to track everything! Nothing was lost or delayed, but it was reassuring to see the luggage on the dock next to the ship, then at the other end of the ship, then in the section that our cabin was in! I didn't expect such detail, so it was fun.
Your room steward likely knows absolutely everything, be nice to him or her!
That's another reason to get a few unusual decorative patches for your suitcases ( at least 1 for each side of each suitcase) so that if it's lost you can easily find them at the lost and found. (This helps at any and every type of lost and found, from airports, to cruises and public ones as well.)
I have been on several cruises. When I meet crew members, I make sure to be friendly and polite. They really appreciate it. Had one room steward cry towards the end of the cruise, because we treated him like a person and not a servant.
When it comes to what goes down toilets, I had a rule for the many years I lived on a rural sheep property here in Australia. We had a very dodgy septic system, so the rule was: “Apart from the toilet paper in the bathroom, you can put anything you like down the toilet, as long as you have eaten it first.”.
I just went on my first cruise about a month ago, and one thing that irritated me, and I'm sure irritated the staff, were people stopping in the middle of certain spots to take selfies. They would block staircases, doorways to restaurants, and even aisles to get to sears in the theater. It was as if they were the only people on the ship!
Oh dear, I am researching as a first timer and forgot about stuff like this. Stuff like that grates on my nerves 😮
Yes! The staircases on the MSC seaside are beautiful, but forget trying to use them on formal night. I just wanted to get from one floor to another.
I was on a cruise to Mexico and this guy was very fair skined probably from somewhere in the Northern U.S. He didn't think to put sunscreen on and by day four without a sunscreen was so badly sunburnt that he needed medical attention. He was telling everyone on board that he was going to sue because nobody told him to wear sunscreen. I don't think a lawyer in the country would take that. If they did I hope a judge would throw it out.
WOW ... I've been guilty of neglecting sunscreen but would never blame anyone but myself if I get sunburned.
Well…. There was the hot coffee thing and she won!🙄😵💫
You should probably go do a bit more research into that story. It's been proven many times that that poor woman was very much the victim in that case and was correct in suing them. @@jillharling
@@wanderingstormjenyeah, because she couldn't feel that the cup was very hot 🙄
again…go do research before you comment instead of continuing to perpetuate myth about the case. The court case proved that the coffee was served at a temp that far exceeded safety standards and the woman suffered third degree burns that required akin grafts. And there was factual evidence that hundreds of people had filed complaints of injury due to the high temp and all were ignored.
I would like you to move that cloud. It’s blocking my sun.🤣
When you have a problem
Ask crew member 1st before going to guest service
If the problem is resolved PLEASE NOTE and name the ones who solved the issue in the post cruise survey
That’s a great tip!
Someone once asked how Disneyland stays free of litter with only 2 people employed to pick litter up. The answer is every employee is part of guest services and picking up litter is part of their duties.
My wife and I just got off of the Carnival Glory out of New Orleans. While there were problems on the ship, some beyond anyone's control, I have to say that this entire crew was the nicest we have ever encountered after several similar sailings. Most were just genuinely nice folks. Even the band that played just about every night in the lobby was made up of two Brazilians on guitar and drums, an Australian male singer, a British female singer, a keyboardist from Ohio, and a bass player from Ukraine. My wife and I talked with these folks every single night, often between sets when they needed a rest, yet they were as warm and cordial as they could possibly be. They remembered our names, where we were from, and even my wife's favorite of their songs. Aside from their friendliness, they were tremendously talented - and we come from near Memphis where we have seen lots of talented musicians. Every single night they ignited the dance floor with their energy and warmness. For the first time ever, my wife and I offered them a small tip, which they more than earned. While they were our favorite amenity on the cruise, it is only fair to say that every single person from the crew that we encountered always offered a "good morning", "have a nice day", or similar greeting, all along with a smile. I only wish that the behavior of some of the other guests was as cordial. On our first night, before we even cleared the Mississippi river, the couple across the hall from us got into an actual fight where blows were apparently exchanged, screaming and hollering at 3:00 in the AM. Thankfully, they were actually escorted off of the ship by a small boat. Security was fantastic though as, once they arrived, there was literally zero noise while these folks were removed and their belongings packed up.
Sailing out of New Orleans on carnival on our third cruise with them is what convinced us to never sail with them again. There was a group of people in multiple cabins around us who behaved badly the whole 7 days. Screaming in the hallways, spitting on the decks below, and partying in and between cabins to all hours were just some of the things we had to deal with. Carnival staff did make numerous visits after multiple complaints from the impacted people, but ultimately it did not result in a change in behaviour.
My brother is a professional musician and he worked on cruises for several years. He said that they actually had a lot of free time so he got to meet people - he's very gregarious so he enjoyed that opportunity.
We’ve never complained about the employees on the cruise ship because we’ve heard that one waiter couldn’t work for two weeks when someone complained instead of talking to him. I felt really bad for him. I know they are human and working hard to support their family back home.
Jingas the sacrifices of leaving their families for almost a year says it all. Even leaving their new born baby and was still nursing I was told by one crew member. That is a sacrifice if you're wanting to create a great life for your families. Everyone has choices - either suffer or sacrifice. I appreciated the crew members who shared their stories with us. Really wanted to know where their crew parties were and when 😂. Got along better with the crew than guests.
@@jesaminetehuia9098 Sorry but leaving a newborn baby who is still nursing for a year is not a healthy start to life- physically or emotionally-for the wee one. It breaks my heart. And don't say that's the only job they could get.
@@mph1ish , in some countries the cruise line is the only good paying job they have been trained for. Usually one of the grandparents raise the child.
I’ve been binging your guides. I’m on the spectrum so some things that seem obvious aren’t obvious to me and I don’t want to be rude to crew on my first cruise next year.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the videos! I’m sure you’re going to have a great cruise
Hi! You sound like an enjoyable person! Have a wonderful cruise time1 peace
It's called common courtesy and common sense. Unfortunately, not everyone has it...
I was in the USN. The reason why there is a difference in civilian and ship TP is the ship TP breaks down easier so when they empty the the black water tanks there is no issues with the valves and pipes backing up.
I was very very disappointed that our recent cruise to Bermuda, with that being the only port of call, was changed up due to the weather and we had to go to Nassau and Freeport, where we have been multiple times. But I would never bother Guest Services with that. I had to be happy that I was on a cruise and get over myself. Some people can’t be happy with anything.
That happened on my first cruise to Bermuda. Dang hurricanes. 😂
You should absolutely have voiced your displeasure with corporate. If enough people did, they may have taken you to a different port.
@@mikezupancic2182that’s nonsense. When there’s a hurricane, ship doesn’t have many choices where to go and certainly can’t be going wherever. There’s a back up scheduled and that’s it. It would be a ridiculous thing to complain about, because weather can’t be controlled. There’s always a big chance of itinerary change in hurricane season. It is what it is.
@Martina1192 it's far from nonsense. The cruise lines have many places they can go to, but will choose the cheapest to get to. If enough complain, perhaps the cruise line will listen and choose an alternate port not affected.
@@mikezupancic2182Sorry, but that's complete nonsense. You probably have cruised less than a handful of times, if that.
Cruise ship itineraries are scheduled a year or two in advance, especially in popular ports where there can be multiple cruise ships at the same time. If a port has 2 piers, it cant accommodate more than 2 ships, obviously.
If there is bad weather, a ship can't just show up at any random port. It's a foreign country, and they have to get permission from the port authority.
It's not like at home where you can stop at any random store or gas station, and no one would bother you.
Those unplanned port stops are determined in advance during hurricane season as a backup plan. Also, it has to be within a reasonable distance to keep the cruise on schedule and be able to return to port on time.
I don't know what you mean by a cheap port. All ports have fees and taxes, and you're paying for them regardless. In a weather related emergency, it's the nearest available port, as mentioned above. That's how it works.
A few years ago, we were on a transatlantic cruise from Miami to multiple stops in Europe. We went from Miami to NYC and then Bermuda.
There was a bad storm in the area, and the captain bypassed Bermuda for our safety. As a bonus, we were able to stop in Madeira instead. Since it was March, the port wasn't busy and crew was able to make the stop. It was a beautiful place and we were very pleased to be able to visit, instead of gaining an extra sea day. It worked out to our advantage.
I would rather have the captain avoid rough weather and miss a stop, then having to travel through a storm and be sick. That's not a pleasant vacation, and it's an expensive way to experience seasickness.😬
Stood behind a woman complaining that there was no fresh milk on the ship just long life. I asked her if she would like me to go up to the pool deck and milk the cow for her! The crew member gave me the biggest smile!
Definitely never had any reason to complain about any of my cruises. Some things changed, got cancelled and the fog socked us in for the entire way to NZ from Aus. People were complaining left, right and centre about everything. I didn’t give them the time of day except to say that I hadn’t seen any of it as an issue and that the fog made it really exciting and mysterious and very calm. People can be awful. One of the best tips I learnt from watching cruise tube was that your cruise is what YOU make it. If you want to spend your entire holiday complaining and being dissatisfied- go ahead. I’m happy with a quiet corner to read, plenty of food and the open sea.
I complain all of the time.
Our tour guide in Alaska last year Thanked our group of 46 for dealing with our weather and not complaining about it.
On some Alaska cruises, all of the port stops are canceled because of weather. Is it OK to complain about that?
@@rsvihla No
I was on the Ruby Princess about 5 years ago. One of my traveling companions took it upon herself to barate a crew member for following and enforcing a 'no food items in a particular lounge' rule. Seeing this happen, I made sure that both the crew member, and her supervisor know that my traveling companion was out of line, that the team member had every right to enforce the rule, and that she was even more professional and kind then I would have been in her position. I hope she went on to become a supervisor herself.
Thanks for sharing
But did you let your companion know?
@hariseldon6550 Yes, but it barely matter to her overly entitled egotism.
You should ALWAYS complain about crew members who are of lower social station than you! You may receive a refund!
@@johnhawks5035 are you serious? What kind of remark is that?
People who’ve owned a boat themselves (or have/had a friend or relative who does/did) understand about “marine toilet paper”, which is specifically made to break down much quicker than the kind in your home. If you aren’t familiar with the concept, I recommend learning, because it’s the same concept on cruise ships.
Very interesting. Makes sense
And RVs as well.
Never brought my own TP... Never gave it much thought. But it's good to know there's a reason, and that the reason isn't 'Royal Caribbean is being cheep' with its aversion to Charmin Ultra.
AND in RV's and camping in general
Not just your recreational boating....campers have the same issue! Any portable potty situation needs to use the bio degradable tissue that decomposes easily. Perhaps they should include using the commode on board as part of the muster drill! LOL!
The weather...
My wife was about 2 years beyond her prognosis (lung cancer) and was wheelchair-bound, so we were kind of in a hurry to complete her bucket list. We were on a European cruise, visiting all of the countries in her lineage, when we arrived in Scotland. The second to the last one in her DNA. And it was raining sideways. With hail. Strong winds. Near-freezing temperature. She was so disappointed. But, since she would never have an opportunity again to set foot on Scottish soil, we decided to go for it.
I briefly told the handicap helpers at the exit of our situation, told them we'd only be down there for a moment before coming back on, and apologized because it was going to basically be wasted effort on their part. They just grinned, said "Let's do it!" and carried her wheelchair (with her in it) down the ramp, then waited under a shelter while I pushed her chair across the pier. We reached the end, I helped her out of her chair, she "Set foot on Scottish soil" and I rushed her back to the waiting attendants. They carried her back up, congratulated her on achieving this goal, and I slipped them all the Euros that we had originally set aside for the Scotland stop.
I don't know about other cruise lines, but the Princess crew members are beyond excellent when it comes to passenger satisfaction!
Love the weather comment! After I retired, I worked for a Major US Airline in a small southern resort airport. We did everything from checking in passengers to loading the luggage on the ramp. In a year, I can't count the times I was cussed at because a flight was cancelled due to a thunderstorm. I will tell you, be nice to those people. It can mean the difference between being put in a first class seat you didn't pay for and waiting a day or two to get out. There are things they don't have to do for you but can for reasonable people.
Just returned from a cruise on Celebrity Solstice. There was a passenger who believe it was ok to leave her scooter out in the hall. My daughter also used a scooter and when we were going to the dining room, this women's scooter was in the hall and blocking the hallway so my daughter could not go through. When I moved the scooter out of the way, the woman came out the door and said no one had a problem with her leaving the scooter in the hallway. I'm sure the staff did not like the scooter in the hallway as cleaning carts would not be able to get through.
Staff will park scooters for you out of the way. There is no reason for being in anyone’s way. My husband uses a scooter.
It’s a safety hazard to impede any hallway or exit. Thus, on all cruise ships I’ve been on, the crew will move any scooter or wheelchair away from that area.
I also use a scooter and I can't believe anyone would not see an issue with leaving it in the hallway....if they need more room they should have booked a larger cabin or ask that the small table be removed to make more room for storing the scooter.
When people tell me "No one has complained" I usually tell them I am someone and I am complaining. I think they do it just to keep anyone from documenting a problem. That sounds like a legitimate safety problem to me. How would they even get it in a cabin? Would it - the floor ledge, etc, work?
I don't even flush the so-called flushable wipes at home - I use diaper bags and put them in the garbage - let alone on a ship. Our ship didn't have any wipes for sale in the onboard shop (because they didn't trust passengers not to flush them, lol) but there were plenty of the bags available to dispose of the ones I had in the bathroom trash.
How interesting
It’s disappointing hearing people talk about what they don’t like when the same time can be used to talk about the opposite.
Good point
Interesting list! A few more things that crew hate passengers doing include: doing any thing to your room that creates more work for them, such as using tape to attach door decorations, leaving your clothes all over your room where the room attendant cannot clean your room, and leaving the do not disturb sign on the door and being disappointed when your room was not cleaned (they will not go in your room when the sign is on the door). Regarding complaints, we only complain about the big issues such as the room not cooling, loss of water, or toilets not working. Being nice and calm will get better results. Most times letting your room attendant know about the issue will solve the issue, but we have had a few times when we had to elevate the problem to the supervisor level for resolution.
Amen! We always try to leave our room in a tidy manner. I even try to make the bed, although I can't do it as well as our stewards - LOL! I try to look at everything from their point of view. I've seen how some other passengers leave their cabins - OMG! Such a mess!! I just live in a different world I guess.
I've always found that a complaint gets fixed faster and better if you do it by asking for help with the issue instead.
I assume you would complain if the ship were to sink?
For the opposite extreme on toilet paper, while not on a cruise, I remember visiting places on a trip where the toilet paper was so hard I wrote letters home on it.
To me most of this is pure common sense and good manners.
We were recently on the Enchanted Princess in a full suite. We did report a couple bathroom issues (shower very slow drainage, sink pop didn’t work and burned out bulbs)…everything was immediately repaired while we were at dinner.
On a recent cruise on Rotterdam. This one was confirmed by our Cabin Steward. They DO NOT WANT passengers to put their dirty dishes out in the passageway! Besides looking unappetizing, it is a safety concern. Going to breakfast in the dining room, we had to pass a cabin that regularly put our their dirty dishes in the hallway. Anyone who uses a walker would have to get by this mess. I asked our cabin steward about this and he said that people should leave their dirty dishes in their cabin and they would remove them when they cleaned the cabin. This is a gross practice and should be stopped!
Then this really truly needs to be put on a sign everywhere. It’s something that people do in hotels, so I suppose they think why not in a cruise ship. If they’re ignorant about it, it’s not helpful to anyone, there should be plenty of information telling them.
In 17 cruises I have missed 14 ports due to weather or medical emergencies. It is just part of cruising. If the port is the important thing, just go there and book a hotel.
I do go on cruises for specific ports but I understand why they get changed and would never complain! Although you should get port fees and taxes refunded!
We just cruised with Norwegian and absolutely loved it, we found the staff very helpful and friendly pleasant. Coming back to our state we noticed 2 girls who were working in the concession stand in the airport and immediately made an observation, these 2 girls were waiting on customers while talking on their cellphones or eating their own personal food right in front of the customers, it made me think about how much we American workers could take a lesson on work ethic from the foreign workers on these cruise ships. Just an observation.
What's wrong with eating personal food in front of customers?
I just came back from our first cruise (we were well prepared, thank you Ilana!) but i felt sea sick on the first night and my youngest son was tired so him and I went to our cabin earlier. Even tho i was really dizzy and sea sick, i always had a smile and a thank you/good night comment to every crew member we encounter, as they were all so amazing and caring!
Great info! Thank you for this! Still mind blowing that people legit complain to guest services about the weather. So sad.
A West Indies cruise end of 2019 and one we’re doing next month were chosen by my husband. He’s a recreational diver and I go along for the cruise.
On our first Alaska cruise we had very rough weather but it was fun. The captain announced that being outside during the storm was off limits and anyone caught outside would be confined to their cabin and put off at the next port.
Ship gratuities are shared with crew wide, with the exception of bar personnel
This is a very good video
I'll add another. Every so often a guest will want to pal around with crew. Crew members are so nice that sometimes a passenger will think they are developing a friendship and want to buy them a drink ashore. Heard one guy that wanted to go to the crew bar to buy a crew member a drink. I think this is totally inappropriate. These people work hard, they deserve a break from us. I have even voiced that opinion when it seemed a guest was getting a bit pushy and the crew member was trying to be polite but was obviously uncomfortable. It's a job folks, and whenever they're with guests, they're working!
I think there's a level of interest one can, and maybe even should (appropriately) show in crew members, for those who are willing to share a bit. I always inquire about our cabin steward's impression of their job, how long they've been with the line, about their home nation, stuff like that. What you describe however takes things too far I think. It's good for the crew for guests to show a level of enthusiasm that they consider the staff to be a part of the experience in the best of ways, too far to try to force them into your experience in ways that are inappropriate. You'd never go up to a cashier at Walmart who happened to help you get a bag of dog food, and offer to buy them a drink for helping you.
I don't know if all cruise companies have no drinking policy for staff, but I was on UnCruise last year and a guest offered to buy a drink for a staff member after his shift was over, but he politely told her that he would get fired if he drank at all during the cruise.
I do a little straightening up before the room steward comes. This up coming cruise is my 4th cruise alone so my room really doesn't get too messy. I still tip 5$/day for my room steward. I just don't want to look like a slob.
Sometimes I may pick an itinerary over other itineraries just because there is one port I do want to visit. For example, on one of my cruises, I picked a longer 10-day itinerary over some shorter seven-day itineraries because I wanted to visit St. Kitts. Of course, even if we'd had to skip St. Kitts (we didn't), it still would have been a wonderful vacation. On the flip side of the coin, I've done itineraries where there was a port of call where I'd wonder, "Why would anyone want to go there?" Yet, when we got there, I found it was a really wonderful place to go. I've since decided that cruises don't go places that have nothing to offer the passengers. So, enjoy all ports of call, including (or excluding, if the ship has to miss) the one you really wanted to see.
Completely disagree about salary/tipping questions for staff. On my first cruise I learned that the cruise ship doesn’t distribute tips put written on as check the same way I would distribute cash. That seems intuitive, but have found out how service charges work more because of asking different levels of staff (officers and line staff) so I can accommodate appropriately if I choose
People actually go to Guest Services and complain about the Weather - you're joking? Oh My Goodness!!!
Another thing I saw is ppl leaving discarded food on the floor outside their cabin without at least trying to cover it up with a napkin or something. Looks sloppy. As well as glasses of liquid?? Couldn't one just pour that out?? Geez...js
So true! Especially liquid
Especially since all they have to do is phone for a pickup of the tray.
A lot of new and semi-new cruisers liken a cruise ship to a floating hotel. Guests in a hotel do leave room service trays and dishes outside their rooms.
Perhaps that’s the underlying thought.
I was told to leave my empty breakfast tray outside my cabin door...so I did.
Just off the RC Allure out of Galveston. What we noticed is passengers leave their dishes in the elevators! So sad to see the disrespect to the ship, crew and other passengers. 😢
I can relate to the toilet paper issue as I live in a rural area and have a septic system. We are limited to only a few brands of toilet papers.
Thank you for recommending putting wipes in the sanitary napkins bags.
One thing we did was not bring to anyone's attention the fact that the refrigerator didn't work. We didn't use it so it didn't seem like a big problem. However, we did an injustice to the people who had our cabin next.
Bet it was unplugged
I worked at a hotel/water park combo where you got to go to the water park for free as a bonus with your hotel stay. One of the worst complaints we had was making people leave the water park an hour before close because of a major lightning storm. ~ Sorry but we didn't want a headline to read 8 dead at water park from lightning electrocution.
I am wondering if disgruntled passengers complain to guest services hoping to get "rewarded" by getting perks from the cruise line just to apease them.
Sometimes it is just to get a situation resolved, not every person who complains is a Karen.
I was LOL when you mentioned to not got to customer service to complain about the weather. Wow! Thanks for sharing these tips!!
I know right.. lol as if the crew members can control the weather. lol. And even if guests are stuck inside. The ship is a wonderland of adventure. 💗
I have a feeling this video won’t stop it 😂
😂😂
I just returned from a New England/Canada cruise on Princess & experienced such rude & unhappy passengers. I have never had that experience before so we went out of our way to be extra nice & show our appreciation & thanks even more to the staff because we saw what they were having to endure. Kindness gets you so much further. The staff is there to help enhance our vacation & help solve real issues & not to be treated rudely. #thegoldenrule
Yeah I don’t get the entitlement mentality. It doesn’t hurt or cost you anything to be nice and they have a hard enough job.
"Kindness gets you so much further" - so true!!! Even if we have a complaint or need something correct, there's always a way to ask for it in a nice manner. Really goes a long way whether on a cruise or elsewhere. And a smile costs us nothing but is priceless to others! 😃
Where were your stops in Canada?
Were you on the Emerald Princess? I'm boarding on Saturday for an 11 day repositioning cruise from NY to FL. Did you enjoy the ship?
People don’t realise that when you ‘sign-up’ for a cruise that you sign up to a contract and that once you step on board you relinquish the laws and rights you may in your home country (whilst onboard) and that you are obliged to follow ‘ship rules’ enforced at the Captain’s discretion.
People don't realize the law of the sea. The captain is God, getting thrown overboard is within their right. Read the contract
Once at sea the applicable law is (I believe) that of the country of registry. Throwing a passenger overboard would be murder.
One thing that puts me on the Bad Passenger list is what I've done with room service. Mr. Heald has discussed this on his FB page. Apparently, people who get room service are supposed to put their leftovers out near their cabin after they're done eating. I've never done this as this presents several problems elsewhere. I usually leave them in the room and have my cabin steward deal with them when they do their next service - which I've heard they don't like, but I judge it the best of several bad options.
I think different cruise lines have preferred policies for the room service trays. Some prefer they be put out, some prefer they don’t. Best bet is to ask the server who delivered to your room, or your room steward.
We always put outside ,most hotels and cruiselines do it that way . My first cruise with Norwegian, I asked the man delivering our breakfast .
It's hard for wheel chairs to get through a hallway cluttered with dishes and trays so I leave mine inside also. I hadn't considered this until I was coming down a corridor with a poor lady in a wheelchair who couldn't get to her room because someone's dishes had fallen and blocked her path.
Putting trays on the floor outside staterooms is a safety issue. If the cruise lines are telling people to do that, they are in the wrong.
It's disgusting to see room service trays with half-eaten food in the hallways.
Complaining about the weather seems to happen more than you think. I was imon a cruise that had a serious itinerary change duevto hurricanes in the Gulf. Passengers complained constantly to anyone who would listen. Some even thought they should get refunds fir the cruise. Guess they never read the details in their cruise contract.
Yes the crew members want to know of problems so they can rectify them if possible. Just do it in a polite manner & have found in most cases the issue is resolved.
Happy cruising Ilana
True, and it is annoying I know when itineraries change
We actually had a fantastic excursion in a port that was a substitute port of call on a cruise with a major itinerary change. So sometimes they can be blessing along with being a safety necessity.
Grab some extra produce bags while you’re at the grocery store I line the trash receptacle in the bathroom with it to put my used wipes in! They’re great for a lot of things, put your shoes in them before you put in the suitcase, wet bathing suits
So you're recommending that people steal from the grocery store?
My good friend works on the bridge of NCL and he tells me when people come up to him and ask if he could ask the captain if they could go faster to get to the port earlier.
Haha this is a funny one
I liked what Disney Magic did even though flying to get to our cruise and catching a bus. It was an amazing experience but Disney Magic blocked the entrance to our rooms until it was a certain time and it gave them time to get done with their responsibilities and it did make our experience amazing and they didn’t feel rushed and they were actually ready for us. Disney Magic your team is amazing and wonderful.
I enjoyed your video! My wife and I cruise annually, and if there are simple ways to be more courteous, we're all for it. I understand that many employees, including non-U.S. citizens, may face challenges. In the U.S., most states have enacted laws protecting employees discussing pay. Being a service worker is tough, and open discussions about income are crucial for change.
I’ve always stayed in suites and have never dropped my bags off in our room. We literally just walk around with them! I figured since the doors to the cabin room hallways are closed no one can go past them.
Enjoyed your comments, I love cruising, due to leave on Brilliance Of The Seas in about 2 weeks for Melbourne, Adelaide. One I would disagree with is, going to cabin early, not to unpack or cabins not being ready, but need to place insulin in fridge, but Ive never had any major issues.😊
Same with us.
Dont take towels or items off the cleaning carts. Because the carts can only hold so much they have just resupply rooms. if you take everything they have to go back and get some more. Which in turn makes it longer to get to all the cabins
In most places in Greece, it's common to NOT throw toilet paper in the toilet. The pipes can't even handle toilet paper. There are signs everywhere, even in some hotels. There are trash cans with plastic liners located next to the toilets.
Cruise Crews provide the best customer service hands down I dare anyone give them a hard time
My two cents - common courtesy goes a long way with crew and with other passengers. It bothered me when I noticed people "crowding" around to buy shore excursions (when many have the option to select those while booking). In most cases, there is a limit to how many can go on the excursion and I imagine that booking those in advance would be better than for a crew member trying to explain that the excursion is full. Also remember that many of the crew are from countries that the cruiser is from and their might be a language barrier. It never hurts to ask a question and have the answer repeated until the guest understands. My biggest pet peeve was seeing people at the buffet lines grabbing food (generally children) with their hands rather than the tongs. If someone has a difficult time serving themselves, ask for help from a crew member.
The one cruise I have done post-COVID, at the buffet they didn't let us serve ourselves. Instead, we pointed to what we wanted and a crew member served us. Maybe that is something good that did come out of COVID.
Most cruise employees are not from the same country that the cruiser is from, so there is a language barrier
I did three post-covid sailings and only HAL served the passengers in the Lido Market (buffet). RCL and NCL had guests serving themselves as pre-covid.@@JohnFleming-b6g
FYI majority of those people that are in those excursion lines are new cruisers an just don't know and that's why they are in that line
It's not that simple to always assume excursions weren't booked in advance or the people in line are first time cruisers. You have absolutely no way of knowing why they are in line.
On our last cruise, we booked excursions well in advance. A day before the cruise, one of the excursions was canceled, and since it was less than 24 hours before embarkation, we couldn't make any online changes.
Of course, we were at the excursion desk asap, since that was what the email advised us to do once we were on board. It was a long cruise and there were multiple stops. Once we were able to speak with a rep, we found out there were changes to 2 other excursions, and those were related to port arrival changes.
In the end, it worked out, and we were able to rebook excursions.
So please don't assume it's the passengers that are always at fault. Tour companies make changes all the time and the excursion desk has to scramble to fix the problem. At that point, you can't just go online and fix it, but only choice is to go to the desk and have the situation resolved.
Flushable wipes can be a plumbing problem on shore too. I treat them like (I assume) certain hygrine products are treated: wrapped up and put into the waste basket. It does not matter if the package claims that they are "flushable". Socks are "flushable" but should not be flushed.
On a cruise I heard a passenger complain to guest services that he did not have cable in his room. Cable ?
I have worked for an airline for 25 years. I can tell you that people can be absolutely nasty! Rude, selfish, self absorbed and just plain clueless. Rules apply to everyone else and not them. Retirement can’t come soon enough.
I just don’t get this! I am polite to everyone.
I guess the rationale behind the weather complaint is that they feel the ship should be able to go around a storm. While not realizing that a single storm could be several hundred miles across.
Stupidity is not just on cruises. I worked at a 4 season/ski resort in Va and had people ask some of the dumbest questions imaginable: “what time do you let the deer out to feed so my kids can watch.” “I want to go skiing on the 4th of July weekend, what do you mean there’s no snow, don’t you make your own snow? I have a free ski lift pass.”
😂.. this is way too funny. I'd like to know what the answers were... lol
🤣🤣🤣
Well in California this year, like a few other heavy snow years, the ski season was extended through the July 4th weekend! I guess an avid skier could also go to South America or New Zealand in July.
Lol these are funny
@@scvcebc
Wow! I hadn’t heard that ski resorts had made it to July 4th this year. I’ve skied Memorial Day a few times, but Independence Day would have been and unbelievable “first”.
We have cruised more than thirty years, mostly once every year. The toilet paper issue was new, so thank you. We have had only one cruise where shore excursions were terrible and it was on our preferred cruise line. This was probably 15 years ago. Two shore excursions on the same cruise were unacceptable with one being dangerous. The dangerous one was when we went on a kayak excursion where the kayaks were unsafe. One of ours sank! We cut the excursion short and went back to the ship. The other was an expensive “off-road” excursion. Off-road meant lousy seating in the back of a pickup truck. Off-road meant driving on the shoulder of a paved road and visiting the island’s dump, which was actually on the unpaved entrance road to the dump. The shore excursion desk attendants were indifferent to our complaints. I think they refunded half the costs of each. We thought that both should have been a total refund, especially the kayak one. Further, we thought that they should make sure the unsafe kayak provider should be removed from the cruise line’s list. Both our complaints were refused. Next step was a letter to the ship’s captain. Further, the end of cruise survey got a long complaint regarding both issues. We got significant attention and a major refund. So, if someone has a legitimate complaint and the crew is indifferent to it, go up the ladder to the captain and the cruise line’s home office. That was the only time we resorted to this tactic in the thirty two years of excellent cruising.
Guest services could suggest to the weather complainer to go back to their cabins for an hour and the captain will reset the weather for them...
It's ironic that you say mention a problem as the flip side is we write a review mid cruise because really what's the use afterwards. We've been told that we've given a few crew worry as they've been called to the office thinking they're in trouble only to be praised for the excellent care they've given us. We've also learned that this praise can lead to a time off shift which they prize over tips!
I just got off the Allure of the Seas and was dumb founded how rude so many people are to crew members. I could not believe it since these people work so very hard.
I have to admit on my last cruise I thought the next time I'll bring my own toilet paper. I live where septic tanks are the norm, I should have known better. Thanks for bringing that up.
One thing I had a concern about was asking the room attendant not to clean my cabin on sea days. I travel solo, have enough towels for a couple days and am pretty tidy. I didn't know if she would get in trouble if she missed a day or so. I know they probably do double the work now and if that allowed her to have a little less work to do I'm all for it.
I travel solo and if I want the room cleaning service skipped, I just keep the "do not disturb" sign up. On sea days, I like to sleep in especially as I do early morning excursions on many port days.
The toilet paper thing is complete nonsense. 😂 the issue with sewer and septic systems are these flushable wipes.
The toilet paper issue is a myth. Many many ship engineers have said on various forums that it doesn’t matter.
@@mikezupancic2182 The toilet paper thing is NOT nonsense. We have an older house and even at our house we have to use single ply toilet paper. Double ply can definitely clog toilets and plumbing systems. Plus the cruise lines are trying to be environmentally friendly, single ply just breaks down better for the environment. Please heed what Ilana says and use what is given to you.
@gaykelly3382 it is complete 100% NONSENSE. Any TP can clog if you put too much down. If your older house clogs it's because you have a line blockage, guaranteed. The 100 year old house I lived in had issues. Then we found out a pipe had collapsed and needed to be dug up.
You touched on it a little bit but they really don't like aggressive flirting.
When I was a server (not on a ship though), I HATED when people would tell you everything was fine and then complain later about their meal either to a manager or on a review. I tried to be as on top of my guests needs as possible but it's still really frustrating when I could have done something for you and you didn't communicate with me.
My daughter, who’s been on hundreds of cruises, is taking me on my very first cruise in December!!!! I’ve been binge watching your videos!!! Thank you.
It's the opposite for me, I'm taking my daughter on her first cruise next month.
Hope the sailings go well!
Have lots of fun on your first cruise, My daughter took me on my first one…It was amazing…Now I am an avid cruiser…
Safe travels have a great time
Regarding port changes: during Covid Celebrity advertised Key West and Greand Cayman as two of the 3 ports of call. They advertised these ports up until 2 weeks before the cruise.
Grand Cayman had been closed for a year and had announced they wouldn't open for months. Key West was going through their one ship a day and again Celebrity knew months in advance that they wouldn't be stopping there. Celebrity annouced to passenger 2 weeks before the cruise that those two ports would be replaced by Costa Maya. (no refund of port fees was given) I dont mind port changes but i do mind false advertising when the cruise line knows well in advance.
We just got off the MSC Meraviglia, which sailed Canada & New England. Due to the track of Tropical Storm Phillippe, we had to skip Saint John and Halifax, add an extra sea day, and stop in Corner Brook (not on the itinerary) instead. We also got three extra hours in Boston, which was nice. You wouldn't believe how many people I heard complaining about the change. Um, you'd rather sail through a tropical storm so you can get to those two ports? Not me! It turned out Halifax port was closed due to the storm the day we were to dock anyway. I was just happy to be on a cruise and still have other ports to go to.
I can understand not complaining when a ship's itinerary changes. However, I booked a cruise to go to the Panama Canal, and have been reading how so many have been turned away. I called the line I'm booked on, and they tell me that it's still scheduled to go through the canal. I've been keeping a close eye on any changes, but trust me, I WILL be very upset if we're turned away from going through the canal at the last minute. It's the entire reason I booked this cruise, it says that it's a "Panama Canal" cruise, and I would simply have changed to a different cruise if we weren't allowed to pass through.
I took a Panama Canal Cruise with full transit a few years back (actually, we were one of the last ships to go through the old passage) and I never once considered that we might not get to go through. I would have been so disappointed if that had happened. I hope you have a great cruise and really enjoy the transit through the Canal.
Yikes, we're booked on a Panama Canal cruise in December. I had heard there was an issue with the low waters but didn't know the cruises were being turned away. When are you booked to go?
@@nancyenjay7966 January 14th throu the 26th. On Holland America. I'm on a FB group for them, and many have been turned away. Actually, they seem to allow the ones traveling through to the west coast, while disallowing the ones going back to their original debarking city, and the one I'm on goes from Ft. Lauderdale back to Ft. Lauderdale.
@@sherrelogan6323 They are turning many away because of a water shortage. They're allowing more of the container ships, rather than the cruise lines.
@@slbenter Thank you so much for replying. That's exactly our route - half transit from Ft. Lauderdale. I'll have to find that FB group and follow along. Thanks again, good luck with your trip!
I work maintenance in a hotel and I can tell you that everything you said that are bad on cruises are bad in the hotel industry. And the wipes that say are flushable, aren't...
Commercial property manager her, yep those wipes are not flushable.
The only one that my wife and I are guilty of is the not bringing up a problem or complaint. We don’t mention it in surveys or on social media or anything like that. No one will ever know about it and we will continue to cruise on that line but when we do bring something up it is usually important and we are always very kind and polite to all crew when there is an issue.
I am the same. It has to be something pretty significant for me to bring up. I'm on vacation. Can't be inset. And no, I would never post it on social media or share in my post cruise review. I'm not perfect and don't expect anything else to be.
This is me too. I hate having to call someone to the room for something insignificant to us. We can usually deal with whatever issue unless it’s a huge one. But same I will never complain about it or tell someone else about it
We're the same also. It has to be a pretty significant issue for us to bring it up. We do our best to enjoy our holiday and complaining about minor issues is not enjoyment. And you will never see us post on Social Media about an issue unless it is to praise the crew member who looked after the issue. We're not out there to make extra work for the crew, nor to get a crew member reprimanded. I am so grateful we have such wonderful crew members who make our vacation memorable.