Is it me or does staff seem miserable on Royal Caribbean?

[kimstoess]

I’ve been on a lot of cruises on 6 different cruise lines. Is it just me or does the royal Caribbean staff seem very unhappy. Don’t get me wrong we have encounter some friendly staff but over half of the workers never smile and they seem inconvenienced when you ask for items. Even the kids club staff acted like they hate children. I’ve never experienced this on other cruise lines but it seems like royal Caribbean it’s every cruise.

[Tulsacoker]

I have not noticed that myself.  Most that I've encountered seem very friendly and happy

 

Looking at your signature have you not sailed RCI since 2015?  

Edited September 27, 2019 by Tulsacoker

[gerif]

I’ve never noticed this. The only line where the crew actually freaked me out was HAL. They just seemed unfriendly and kind of creepy. I’m definitely not one who expects a crew member to be my new bff, but like a smile and friendly greeting. 

[ReneeFLL]

The ones that I have dealt with normally seem happy, but I'm sure there are times when they are probably just tired or homesick.

[Artemus]

They usually seem very friendly to me almost all the time the time‼️

[Tree_skier]

It must be you.  Our experience is completely different. We found the staff amazingly friendly, every interaction great!  MSC was the opposite for us.  It seemed like the staff felt they were doing you a favor every time they did anything for you.  Their GS people were surly. The wait staff would be described as disinterested at best.  Just the opposite of everything we experience on Royal

[awestover89]

There's only one employee I ever met on a Royal ship who seemed unhappy (and he flat out said he was, it was his first contract and he couldn't wait to be done and go back home). Many of the crewmembers we've interacted with have been extremely happy and several have been working for Royal for quite a long time. Our favorite bartender, I think she said this was her 38th contract with Royal Caribbean

[Biker19]

As the Brits would say, is this a wind up?

[Artemus]

8 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

As the Brits would say, is this a wind up?

Kinda seems so

[kimstoess]

Oops I guess I need to update my signature. I’ve done 2 royal Caribbean since 2015. Allure and on Harmony now. We did just over hear another couple saying the same thing and they found out it’s the first week for the crew onboard. Maybe that’s it. I love Royal Caribbean but it’s just been very different this time 😞

[ptf2009]

45 minutes ago, kimstoess said:

I’ve been on a lot of cruises on 6 different cruise lines. Is it just me or does the royal Caribbean staff seem very unhappy. Don’t get me wrong we have encounter some friendly staff but over half of the workers never smile and they seem inconvenienced when you ask for items. Even the kids club staff acted like they hate children. I’ve never experienced this on other cruise lines but it seems like royal Caribbean it’s every cruise.

We just got off Harmony on Sunday and I brought up this issue on my survey. We noticed there were few smiling faces and even rude crew members at the Cafe Prom. This was our 19th cruise with RC and it was the unfriendliest cruise we have been on. We refused to let this ruin our good time.

[Ashland]

No I've never noticed this at all...just the opposite...I feel at times like I'm running down a gauntlet of "Happy, smiling faces  and responding to everyone's hello's" just to walk down the ships corridor's to get to my cabin. 

[atush]

1 hour ago, kimstoess said:

I’ve been on a lot of cruises on 6 different cruise lines. Is it just me or does the royal Caribbean staff seem very unhappy. Don’t get me wrong we have encounter some friendly staff but over half of the workers never smile and they seem inconvenienced when you ask for items. Even the kids club staff acted like they hate children. I’ve never experienced this on other cruise lines but it seems like royal Caribbean it’s every cruise.

Not had this experience at all?

 

Will cruise in Nov and will look with fresh eyes.

[atush]

26 minutes ago, kimstoess said:

Oops I guess I need to update my signature. I’ve done 2 royal Caribbean since 2015. Allure and on Harmony now. We did just over hear another couple saying the same thing and they found out it’s the first week for the crew onboard. Maybe that’s it. I love Royal Caribbean but it’s just been very different this time 😞

I'll be thats it.  Homesick- missing family and getting back to the hard grind. 

 

Think what you are like when you get home from cruising lol

[kernow]

No, we've always found the staff on Royal very friendly. The only line we've done where they are possibly friendlier is Celebrity and by that I mean the Officers who always seem to make a point of speaking which is not always the case on RCL. Bartenders, stewards, cleaners etc have always been equally friendly on both lines.

[Merion_Mom]

50 minutes ago, kimstoess said:

Oops I guess I need to update my signature. I’ve done 2 royal Caribbean since 2015. Allure and on Harmony now. We did just over hear another couple saying the same thing and they found out it’s the first week for the crew onboard. Maybe that’s it. I love Royal Caribbean but it’s just been very different this time 😞

 

Crew come and go all the time.  There is never a total  turnover of "the crew".    There are rare times where a lot may be leaving on vacation - say, in January, since they often make them stay through the holidays - but it's not too many at any one time.

[RickAinley]

59 minutes ago, kimstoess said:

Oops I guess I need to update my signature. I’ve done 2 royal Caribbean since 2015. Allure and on Harmony now. We did just over hear another couple saying the same thing and they found out it’s the first week for the crew onboard. Maybe that’s it. I love Royal Caribbean but it’s just been very different this time 😞

I too am on Harmony now and only saw one crew member looking very tired. Everyone else had been fine in the public space.  I did the all access tour this morning and even in the sheet drying/folding room they smiled and chatted at us. 
 

Crew rotate in and out all the time, so it’s never a fully new crew. 
 

I hate false smiles so I’m ok if they’re tired and not sucking up to me. They’re not servants but employees. No one has been miserable or rude. 
 

 

Edited September 27, 2019 by RickAinley

[kimstoess]

Ok well I’m happy not everyone agrees with me. Maybe it’s just that we have been unlucky with the people we have seen. We don’t get out a ton because of the kids but it just seems like that are unhappy and it’s making me feel bad for them. 

[Merion_Mom]

12 minutes ago, kimstoess said:

Ok well I’m happy not everyone agrees with me. Maybe it’s just that we have been unlucky with the people we have seen. We don’t get out a ton because of the kids but it just seems like that are unhappy and it’s making me feel bad for them. 

 

Kill  them with kindness.  Smile until your face hurts.  Make their day.  🙂

 

[dodgestang]

Maybe hurricane season is wearing a little thin for the working souls aboard.

 

I've been on 4 RC cruises in the last year or so....and everyone always looked like the Joker has just gassed them....(aka they were smiling ear to ear and projecting happiness.....even if they were secretly crying inside)

[pcur]

Our cruises this past Spring on the Jewel and the Adventure included some of the best and happiest staff ever!  There was Angelo in the Windjammer, who had the section off to the side, and welcomed everyone to "his restaurant" with a huge smile and amazing service during breakfast and lunch.  I heard he might be going to the Allure:  ask about him.

 

Then, there was Norma our cabin steward.  Funny, and with a work ethic that was incredible.  She was on the re-positioning from the Caribbean to the New England cruise, and got VERY seasick.  She worked through it, but with regular drmamine, and just wanted to drop into any bed she was making from being sleepy (she didn't, or course).  I gave her my supply of bonine (non-drowsy).  We love that woman:  the absolute BEST.

 

And, then Yuri, our waiter on the Adventure.  Also funny, and a miracle memory for our likes and preferences.  I'll bet if we run into him again on a future cruise, he will still remember.  Amazing guy.

 

I find the crew on all RCCL ships to be wonderful.  However, the 2 times I found them not so great were on the really big ships, the Allure and Oasis.  I think they just get overwhelmed with over 6,000 new passengers every week.

[Clarea]

2 hours ago, kimstoess said:

I’ve been on a lot of cruises on 6 different cruise lines. Is it just me or does the royal Caribbean staff seem very unhappy. Don’t get me wrong we have encounter some friendly staff but over half of the workers never smile and they seem inconvenienced when you ask for items. Even the kids club staff acted like they hate children. I’ve never experienced this on other cruise lines but it seems like royal Caribbean it’s every cruise.

 

I've seen more stateroom attendants that don't seem very happy anymore.  I've been told that every time Royal adds staterooms, they don't add stateroom attendants, Royal just adds more staterooms to their workload.

[travelplus]

We have had great service on Royal except for one Shore Excursion Manager who yelled at me(but he was busy so I understood his frustration) but I still reported it because you do not yell at your customers. I was giving feedback  with regards to a tour where they did not direct my Father well to the meeting point for our bus back.  The Shore Excursion Manager got huffy but I remained calm and smiled.   I hope he does not work in this capacity if he looses his cool even under stress with passengers or crew!

[travelplus]

1 minute ago, Host Clarea said:

 

I've seen more stateroom attendants that don't seem very happy anymore.  I've been told that every time Royal adds staterooms, they don't add stateroom attendants, Royal just adds more staterooms to their workload.

How unfair!

[ptf2009]

13 minutes ago, travelplus said:

How unfair!

Agree...the cabin attendants work so hard and have always been so kind. On our recent HOS, when I waited line at the Cafe Prom to ask for a paper cup and lid (which are now behind the counter, out of reach)for my tea, the young lady turned her back from me and walked to the back room  before I could say a word. HOS would have only one crew member at a time in Cafe Prom, even after a show when there would be an influx of people creating a long line. The food selections were also VERY minimal in Cafe Prom. for how many cruisers there were on the ship. From then on, I just went to the Diamond lounge to get my paper cup and tea. Our past RC cruises had many happy crew members who seemed to love their job....it was just really different on the recent OS. The other 5 people I cruised with felt the same way...just a strange vibe all around.

Edited September 27, 2019 by ptf2009
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