Hello! I'm a crew member!

[ROYAL CARIBBEAN DUDE]

On 8/23/2019 at 4:57 AM, uvadover said:

Saw your awesome post about Christmas time cruising.  We are sailing on 12/29 for the New Year's Eve sailing.  Silly question, but would you expect the Christmas decorations/tree to still be up?  Absolutely fascinated by your blog.  Thanks!

 

Yes, the Christmas decorations will stay up for the NYE period as well. It is by far my favourite time of the cruising year!

[Cyn874]

I hope too many people don't take advantage on here by asking for special favors or freebies, though! I think it's awesome that a crew member has joined us and is happy to answer questions. 🙂 But I'd hate to see it turn into lots of people approaching him on the ship, saying they're from Cruise Critic, and asking for free drink comps or special favors, which kind of puts him in an uncomfortable position of either having to say no, or risk his job by giving out too many freebies. Maybe we should try to remember to just smile and say hi and then keep it moving.

[lazydayz]

Good luck in your new position.

 

 I was on the Mariner last week and the casino was very unfriendly. Though I was on a comped casino cruise and am at the Signature level, I was not approached by the host or assistant host. I had to flag down a server to get a drink.  I was on the same ship with the same casino host in June, and it was totally different. 

 

I agree with a previous poster who said smile and talk to people, especially those who are spending a lot of money or time in the casino. 

 

Hope to meet you on my November cruise. 

[AnonomissX]

I just finished watching all the videos you posted, what a great attitude you have! Much success in your current and future positions! 🙂

[fredflint]

As for the misspelling it happens more times than people would believe.  I went to college in Massachusetts  and they somehow got an M in the name.  It looks to me more like whatever they use to make the pins does not have a spell checker built into it.

Still pretty funny but also possible they only have so many pins and it and gives people something to comment and start a conversation about.  So it could actually be a smart move too!

[rcprncss]

Thanks for sharing your videos.  It was nice to finally see a crewmembers cabin.  It is so tiny.  Good thing you got the bottom bunk!  Did you flip a coin for that?  🙂 

[cruisegirl1]

Royal Caribbean Dude,

 

 Last month on Grandeur, I noticed that the woman who played piano in the Centrum, was also one of the sales personnel in  the shops. Is it common for entertainers/musicians to have a second job?  Is it required or do you folks do that for extra income?

 

 Thanks and look forward to seeing you on mariner in a December

 

m

[brillohead]

10 hours ago, cruisegirl1 said:

Royal Caribbean Dude,

 

 Last month on Grandeur, I noticed that the woman who played piano in the Centrum, was also one of the sales personnel in  the shops. Is it common for entertainers/musicians to have a second job?  Is it required or do you folks do that for extra income?

 

 Thanks and look forward to seeing you on mariner in a December

 

m

I've noticed an ice skater working in a shop, too.  Probably just maximizing income.

[ROYAL CARIBBEAN DUDE]

On 8/23/2019 at 3:50 AM, jbethel11 said:

On the topic of annoying cruise passengers, how do you deal with them?

 

I am shocked that you don't receive tips! Does that mean the gratuity doesn't really go directly to the crew members?

 

Only way to deal with annoying guests, is just to be as patient and polite as possible. If I can't handle a situation, I will call one of my supervisors.

[ROYAL CARIBBEAN DUDE]

On 8/23/2019 at 5:16 AM, Cyn874 said:

I love the peek behind the scenes! Thank you for posting, and I'll be watching your vlogs. 🙂

 

Here's something I'd love to know directly from a crew member. What about gifts from passengers? I've seen much debate on these forums about what is appreciated, in addition to extra tips! Yes, we all know that nothing can beat cash. But sometimes we just really want to give something a bit more tangible, even if it's just food or some kind of treat from a port. But we also understand the limited space crew members have in their cabin. What sort of things make crew members smile, aside from tips?

 

A personalised thank you card, or filling out a crew comment card at guests services, mean so much to me personally.

[ROYAL CARIBBEAN DUDE]

On 8/23/2019 at 9:50 AM, Bronx12 said:

When do you start as Casino Host? We are going to be on Mariner September 2-6 and September 6-9/19, and we frequent the casino a lot!

😉

 

Already started. I've just finished my first cruise. I will see you in September!

[ROYAL CARIBBEAN DUDE]

On 8/23/2019 at 11:56 AM, grapau27 said:

Depending where you sail from.

We had VAT added to shop purchases when sailing from Southampton on Independence.

 

This would have been a tax Cruise. Usually, these are referred to as 'taster' cruises, a short 4 day cruise around Europe. These cruises are taxed because the ship doesn't visit a tax free port during the voyage.

[ROYAL CARIBBEAN DUDE]

On 8/23/2019 at 2:55 PM, Islander001 said:

Why does the ship fly the Jamaican Flag while docked in Port Everglades?

 

Literally no idea.

[ROYAL CARIBBEAN DUDE]

On 8/23/2019 at 3:12 PM, orville99 said:

I presume Starboard Cruise Services still is the retail concession company for Royal, but it is doubtful that they are the ones offering or executing the contracts for sales staff. I know that they provide training for sales staff, and occasionally have their own employees do rotations on the ships to check how well the sales staff in their shops are executing their responsibilities.

 

As a concessionaire working in the shops, we are hired and contracted with our company. Technically, I had nothing to do with Royal.

[ROYAL CARIBBEAN DUDE]

On 8/23/2019 at 5:05 PM, Tom47 said:

Can you keep us updated on the smoking issue, i.e., a ship by ship change or fleetwiide?  Thanks

 

On Mariner, half the Casino is non-smoking.

[grapau27]

11 minutes ago, ROYAL CARIBBEAN DUDE said:

 

This would have been a tax Cruise. Usually, these are referred to as 'taster' cruises, a short 4 day cruise around Europe. These cruises are taxed because the ship doesn't visit a tax free port during the voyage.

Cheers,it was a 3 nighter on Independence going to Zeebrugge and Le Havre.

Edited August 26, 2019 by grapau27

[Islander001]

On 8/23/2019 at 3:06 PM, darthvadrouw said:

 

If you are referring to the flag with a red saltire on it, it's the flag of Florida.
 

NO I am referring to the Black, Gold and Green flag seen at 15:16 of the vblog.

[Islander001]

On 8/23/2019 at 3:29 PM, darthvadrouw said:

 

 

 

I hadn't seen the vlog before posting, looks like it was a charter cruise  (Jam Rock)

That has to be the reason, Welcome to JamRock Charter from Florida to Montego bay

[ROYAL CARIBBEAN DUDE]

On 8/23/2019 at 3:31 PM, blueridgemama said:

 

I just watched your vlogs. I cant believe how really small your cabin is and how little storage.

Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions.

Good luck in your new position.  We will be on the Mariner over Christmas. We don't spend any time in the casino but will definitely look for you and say hi.

I think you should ask for a new badge😊

 

I think our cabins may come across smaller on camera. It really isn't that bad. You really do learn to adapt to living in it.

 

I look forward to meeting you at Christmas.

[ROYAL CARIBBEAN DUDE]

On 8/23/2019 at 3:38 PM, sandebeach said:

Enjoy the Mariner, it is one of my favorite ships. And remember, the casino cruisers LOVE the casino hosts who smile and talk to them and make them feel that they are welcome in the casino! I have a feeling that you are going to be great in your new role. 

 

Thank you. Yes, I spend a lot of time talking to the guests and building relationships with them. It's actually a part of the job I love doing.

[ROYAL CARIBBEAN DUDE]

On 8/23/2019 at 6:41 PM, tomservo said:

Big fan of these kinds of threads, we appreciate the time you're taking to answer our questions. Here are mine:

 

How much free time (not working/sleeping) do you have each day? What do you typically like to spend your free time doing? What areas of the ship are you allowed to go to during this time?

 

Favorite thing to eat on the ship? Favorite thing to do? What kinds of things do you miss the most when you're onboard?

 

Does anyone clean your bathrooms or are you responsible for that?

 

Also would love to see pics of crew eating area, curious what kind of food they serve you guys. How many meals a day do you get? Do you get breaks during your shift?

 

I'm going to answer these questions from my previous position working in the shops.

 

When the ship is docked in port, the shops are closed and we are off to do what we like. Sleep, laundry, gym, explore the port. We have full access to the whole ship, as long as we wear our name badges in guest areas.

 

I love eating at the Windjammer and Johnny Rockets - we have to pay for this of course. It costs me $3 to eat in Windjammer.

 

Socialising in the crew bar is a big part of the experience. We have a lot of opportunity to have fun. Crew parties/activities are pit on for us every week.

 

We are responsible for cleaning our cabins, however we can pay for a cabin steward if we want. It's $10.

 

Yes, we get breaks during our shifts. Just like any job, lunch and dinner breaks. We get 4 meals a day. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and midnight buffet. I'm currently working on trying to vlog the crew eating areas. I have a whole bunch of new videos planned for my channel.

[mark290]

On 8/26/2019 at 11:32 AM, ROYAL CARIBBEAN DUDE said:

 

On Mariner, half the Casino is non-smoking.

Kind of like the no peeing section in a pool.

[retafcruiser]

3 hours ago, ROYAL CARIBBEAN DUDE said:

We are responsible for cleaning our cabins, however we can pay for a cabin steward if we want. It's $10.

$10 how often? Each week?

[John&LaLa]

How's the mood about Dorian. 

Closely watching since we are scheduled to sail Monday

[kidless]

12 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

How's the mood about Dorian. 

Closely watching since we are scheduled to sail Monday

Good think you’re getting out of town! Going to be a mess around here! Stay safe! Enjoy your cruise!