Poorer Service during the Holidays???

[PS90]

Hi everyone,

 

I just completely ripped this topic off from a thread in the Celebrity forum (I hope Katiebeth doesn't mind), but I am interested in the input from a broader audience than just one cruise line. :o

 

And honestly, we have a holiday cruise booked next year, and I am a little bit worried about it.

 

The gist of my concerns is that a few well-respected posters commented in that thread that the service on holiday cruises is usually much worse than other times of the year - both because the crew doesn't want to work on the Holidays any more than the rest of us do, and because the ships are usually as full of pax as they can possibly be - meaning the crew has to work harder than ever.

 

I was just interested in anyone else's opinion on whether this is common knowledge among all cruise lines - that service will deteriorate during the holidays, or not.

 

Thanks, as usual. ;)

[Liz54]

I had a travel agent reservations clerk tell me that ships are filled with difficult people over the holidays. Either their families do't include them in festivities at home or give them the gift of a cruise to get them out of the mix!!! We are still giggling over that piece of PR!!

[sail7seas]

I had a travel agent reservations clerk tell me that ships are filled with difficult people over the holidays. Either their families do't include them in festivities at home or give them the gift of a cruise to get them out of the mix!!! We are still giggling over that piece of PR!!

 

 

There might even be some folks whose families all passed on before they did. :rolleyes: But for the grace ........... go any of us.

 

We have cruised a few times over the holidays and have never found the crew to be putting in less effort than every other cruise. Not all crew on all ships celebrate Christmas. For that matter, not all the guests do either. ;)

[EGG]

I've been on 2 holiday cruises, one on RCCL Explorer of the Seas, 14 days out of NJ with 800 youngsters and one on the Zaandam, 15 days out of San Diego to Hawaii with more youngsters than most HAL cruises. In both cases the service was exceptional.

 

We like to cruise over the holidays because my company closes, so I have 9 days off and therefore only need to take minimal extra vacation days.

 

We already have a 2011 holiday cruise booked.

[sjcruiser]

I cruised last Thanksgiving on the Explorer out of Bayonne also for 9 nights, and the service was well, outstanding to say the least. The staff were very friendly and outgoing, and engage in greeting and hodling conversations whether they were working or not (not busy).

[paul929207]

We have cruised twice with Princess over Thanksgiving. Once a 10 day Panama Canal cruie and the other a 12 day Med cruise. We had excellent service, but that is not a holiday outside the US.

[alicam]

we've cruised immediately before Christmas on Princess...and the service was outstanding...I don't know why people make such comments...perhaps because there is no pleasing them no matter what the service

[PS90]

Thanks a lot for the expert opinions, everyone. Good to hear that it isn't a well-known fact that service is worse, and I'm the only one who didn't know it. :p

[AWCHIEF]

"Poorer Service during the Holidays???"

 

Not that I have ever experienced. For the past several years I have cruised during the month of December and the service has always been the same high level that I have come to expect on Carnival.

[OnVacation11]

We have been on 6 Christmas cruises on Princess and each time service has been excellent. I would think the crew is looking forward to the Holidays as many passengers are probably more generous with tips (I know we are).

We also think that the passengers are a very happy bunch as they are celebrating Christmas/Hanukka at sea !!!

We are counting down to Christmas #7 at sea...

[kelmac]

My wife and I have cruised over the Holidays for the past nine years (new tradition for us!:) )

The crowd will be younger compared to an off season cruise, but that gives a better feeling of "added energy" on board. The crew is festive and I haven't experience any drop is service.

The best combination -- long holiday cruises of 12 or more nights!!:)

 

Enjoy!

Kel

[Moeve]

We too have done holiday cruises and never had lousey service - more people yes...

[BruceMuzz]

I have spent 28 of the past 30 Christmases working on ships.

 

This week has the highest airfares of the year.

This week has the most delayed and cancelled flights of the year.

This week has the highest number of lost bags (airlines and cruise lines) for the year.

 

This is the most expensive cruise of the year.

This is the most crowded cruise of the year.

This cruise always has the highest number of complaints of the year.

This cruise always has the most demanding passengers of the year.

This cruise always has the lowest Guest Satisfaction ratings of the year.

This cruise always has the lowest tips of the year.

This cruise usually - but not always - has the worst weather of the winter season.

 

Why do all these things happen during one week?

 

With the highest fares of the year, people are naturally expecting/demanding more.

 

If anything goes wrong with flights, suitcases, or cruise bookings, the people who normally sort this out are away on holiday (just like you). Nothing gets fixed until next week.

 

A Christmas Cruise seemed like a great idea back in July when you booked it. But many people get aboard on a Christmas Cruise and immediately regret that they are not at home with friends, family, and familiar sights, sounds, and smells of Christmas Time.

 

The service staff work harder than ever, but the additional workload on a ship booked at 120% capacity for Christmas is sometimes just too much for them.

 

The overcrowding on ships creates longer than usual lines for just about everything.

 

There are typically far more children onboard at Christmas than the program is designed to handle. Too many parents see a cruise as a giant one-week babysittting service .They abandon their children for the week. The kids start looking for trouble - and usually find it.

 

Non-Christians complain that there are too many Christmas decorations and activities; Christians complain that there are not enough.

 

Many school teachers take a Christmas cruise to get away from kids. They are shocked, amazed, and angry that the parents decided to take the kids on the same cruise for Christmas.

 

During the Christmas week, many museums, attractions, and tours in places like the Caribbean are closed for the holidays.

 

More domestic disputes take place on cruise ships at Christmas than at any other time of the year.

 

Most of the crew has - like me - been through this many times. We hunker down a bit, work as fast as possible, and hope to get through the drama as quickly and peacefully as possible.

[Cruise or Lose!]

Bravo Bruce *one person standing ovation*

 

Sometimes we need to think about a situation from the perspective of the hard-working individuals who give up so much to serve us with a smile.

 

I have taken two Christmas cruises, and had no complaints whatsoever about service.

[kelmac]

I have spent 28 of the past 30 Christmases working on ships.

 

This week has the highest airfares of the year.

This week has the most delayed and cancelled flights of the year.

This week has the highest number of lost bags (airlines and cruise lines) for the year.

 

This is the most expensive cruise of the year.

This is the most crowded cruise of the year.

This cruise always has the highest number of complaints of the year.

This cruise always has the most demanding passengers of the year.

This cruise always has the lowest Guest Satisfaction ratings of the year.

This cruise always has the lowest tips of the year.

This cruise usually - but not always - has the worst weather of the winter season.

 

Why do all these things happen during one week?

 

With the highest fares of the year, people are naturally expecting/demanding more.

 

If anything goes wrong with flights, suitcases, or cruise bookings, the people who normally sort this out are away on holiday (just like you). Nothing gets fixed until next week.

 

A Christmas Cruise seemed like a great idea back in July when you booked it. But many people get aboard on a Christmas Cruise and immediately regret that they are not at home with friends, family, and familiar sights, sounds, and smells of Christmas Time.

 

The service staff work harder than ever, but the additional workload on a ship booked at 120% capacity for Christmas is sometimes just too much for them.

 

The overcrowding on ships creates longer than usual lines for just about everything.

 

There are typically far more children onboard at Christmas than the program is designed to handle. Too many parents see a cruise as a giant one-week babysittting service .They abandon their children for the week. The kids start looking for trouble - and usually find it.

 

Non-Christians complain that there are too many Christmas decorations and activities; Christians complain that there are not enough.

 

Many school teachers take a Christmas cruise to get away from kids. They are shocked, amazed, and angry that the parents decided to take the kids on the same cruise for Christmas.

 

During the Christmas week, many museums, attractions, and tours in places like the Caribbean are closed for the holidays.

 

More domestic disputes take place on cruise ships at Christmas than at any other time of the year.

 

Most of the crew has - like me - been through this many times. We hunker down a bit, work as fast as possible, and hope to get through the drama as quickly and peacefully as possible.

 

Interesting perspective! What cruise line are talking about? Last X-mas I was on Oceania and there were eight kids on board. I wouldn't do a seven night holiday cruise on Carnival, NCL, RCCL, Costa, MSC...,; Maybe Celebrity or Holland America, if I could get a 10 night cruise, or longer .

 

Enjoy!

Kel:)

[PS90]

I have spent 28 of the past 30 Christmases working on ships.

 

This week has the highest airfares of the year.

This week has the most delayed and cancelled flights of the year.

This week has the highest number of lost bags (airlines and cruise lines) for the year.

 

This is the most expensive cruise of the year.

This is the most crowded cruise of the year.

This cruise always has the highest number of complaints of the year.

This cruise always has the most demanding passengers of the year.

This cruise always has the lowest Guest Satisfaction ratings of the year.

This cruise always has the lowest tips of the year.

This cruise usually - but not always - has the worst weather of the winter season.

 

Why do all these things happen during one week?

 

With the highest fares of the year, people are naturally expecting/demanding more.

 

If anything goes wrong with flights, suitcases, or cruise bookings, the people who normally sort this out are away on holiday (just like you). Nothing gets fixed until next week.

 

A Christmas Cruise seemed like a great idea back in July when you booked it. But many people get aboard on a Christmas Cruise and immediately regret that they are not at home with friends, family, and familiar sights, sounds, and smells of Christmas Time.

 

The service staff work harder than ever, but the additional workload on a ship booked at 120% capacity for Christmas is sometimes just too much for them.

 

The overcrowding on ships creates longer than usual lines for just about everything.

 

There are typically far more children onboard at Christmas than the program is designed to handle. Too many parents see a cruise as a giant one-week babysittting service .They abandon their children for the week. The kids start looking for trouble - and usually find it.

 

Non-Christians complain that there are too many Christmas decorations and activities; Christians complain that there are not enough.

 

Many school teachers take a Christmas cruise to get away from kids. They are shocked, amazed, and angry that the parents decided to take the kids on the same cruise for Christmas.

 

During the Christmas week, many museums, attractions, and tours in places like the Caribbean are closed for the holidays.

 

More domestic disputes take place on cruise ships at Christmas than at any other time of the year.

 

Most of the crew has - like me - been through this many times. We hunker down a bit, work as fast as possible, and hope to get through the drama as quickly and peacefully as possible.

 

Thanks so much, Bruce, for the point-of-view of the "other side". :)

 

I think you hit the nail on the head with a lot of this, and, depending on the particular crew person, it seems like it may or may not affect them differently.

 

One point, I would make, however, is that there are some people, like me, who can ONLY take a cruise at this time of year, due to work or kids or whatever, so we may not know any different...

[cruisin'girl]

We have had stewards and officers tell us that they know the service is not what they wish it to be over the holidays because the ship is packed beyond normal capacity. Families with children are everywhere and instead of 2 to a cabin there are very many cabins with 3 and 4, making for a real passenger overload where service is concerned, both room cleaning and dining.

[teachtocruis]

This will be our 4th cruise during Christmas and New Year's. We love them! I am a school teacher, and I know that there will be more kids on board. Would I like it better without them? Heck yeah! But it is nice to know that the screaming, misbehaving kids are not my responsibility. It is hard when you are a teacher to take a vacation during a time of year when there won't be kids around, so I deal with it. As for the cost, yes they tend to be more expensive, but deals can be had. We love the decorations, the music and activities that they have on board. We have found the service to be just as wonderful as other times of the years that we have sailed. As I said, we love them and will probably continue to cruise at Christmas.

[Arzeena]

Bruce has made some very interesting notes!

I don't know why my family never sends me on a cruise during the holidays!!;) I had better start being difficult enough with family to be given a holiday cruise ticket to get me out of their way!:) And Bruce, NO I will not miss the sounds and smells of ANY holiday while cruising!

[Happy ks]

I have been on 3 cruises at Christmas over the years and I would do it again but...not on a large ship.

 

We cruised Mariner of the Sea a year ago and it was crowded beyond belief. I didn't notice that service suffered other than dinner was a bit slow (not a biggie to us, we enjoy lengthy dinners). What I did mind was how noisy it was with all the families yelling at each other. Not arguing, just yelling to be heard.

 

Our cabin was our refuge and we stayed in there more than we normally would.

 

Fast forward to April of this year, same ship and itinerary and it was a totally different experience. Much less crowding, way fewer kids (after spring break).

 

The other 2 Christmas cruises were on smaller ships and far more pleasant an experience. So I can't blame the staff, it's all in the passenger mix. I can understand why people may expect a lot more since they are paying a premium price, but nothing is different from any other cruise of the year, except there are decorations.

 

BTW, we have always included a much higher gratuity to the service personnel at Christmas.

[geoherb]

DH teaches, so we can only take cruises during his breaks. We've taken five Christmas cruises and have another booked for the Island Princess this year. To avoid the crowds of children, we like longer cruises 10+ days on older ships.

 

The crew members have been fantastic. We had some of our best waiters ever on a couple of these cruises. We're not too demanding of our cabin stewards and have generally been pleased with the service. We know the quiet areas of the ship and have managed to avoid the crowds.

 

And, best of all, we have gotten some deals by not being picky about which cruise we're going to take. I start watching prices early in the summer. We usually book after the final payment date. This year was an exception because we did have this particular cruise picked out--and the price was right at the time we booked.

[Caribbean Sunsets]

I've cruised the last 3 out of 4 Thanksgiving's. IMO, any changes that I have noticed, I've attributed more to the cut backs and cost savings due to the economy. I find the staff to be friendly, helpful and always have a smile.

[Tralynn]

Along with Caribbean Sunsets (hi Carole with the "e"), we've cruised many Thanksgivings, including this year. I also cruise during the summer months. I have never noticed any difference in service aboard the ships during the holidays. Holiday cruises just tend to cost a slight bit more, but that is to be expected. You will definitely have the same level of service that is provided all year long.