Oceanview Cafe dinner service being eliminated?

[C-Dragons]

11 minutes ago, Catknitty said:

We eat dinner there alot! 
 

What really upset me on our trip in Dec was finding out that our room steward and the dining room staff are paid less when they have less customers. They aren't paid more when its full but Celebrity pays them  less if their areas aren't full. That's appalling. 

The revenue that is used to pay the staff comes from the cruise fare paid by passengers. If there are fewer passengers on board, that has a direct impact on the amount that gets paid to the crew for each sailing.

[Charles4515]

2 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Frank Del Rio also lead Renaissance cruises into bankruptcy. 911 was just the straw that broke the camels back. 

They tried to cut out travel agents was part of it. That might have worked these days but back then online booking was a new thing.

 

Oceania started with all R ships so it  was sort of the succesor line. When a line goes bankrupt someone buys the ships without the obligations. Sort of a reorganization. 

[Catknitty]

7 minutes ago, C-Dragons said:

The revenue that is used to pay the staff comes from the cruise fare paid by passengers. If there are fewer passengers on board, that has a direct impact on the amount that gets paid to the crew for each sailing.

According to the crew that I talked to this is rather new that they are paid less for less passengers and that Celebrity is promising that "one day" it will go back to the way it was where they were paid the same no matter how many people are onboard. 

 

[LMaxwell]

55 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Logically it doesn't follow that the minority gets to control the majority. However, as I said before we will all have to wait and see how things fall out.

I'm not under the impression that Celebrity is listening to any paying guests at the moment.

[Homosassa]

LOL - I do remember a cruise where Celebrity allowed shorts in the dining room based on the specific itinerary.

 

It was on the Zenith Bermuda cruise, two nights in St George, three in Hamilton.

 

Men were allowed the proper Bermuda short attire - dress shoes, knee socks, belted dress Bermuda shorts, collared dress shirt, sport coat or suit jacket.

[LMaxwell]

42 minutes ago, RichYak said:

 Where are people who don't pack long pants supposed to eat?

 Remember loaner Jackets?  Well wait til you hear what they have next...

[RichYak]

6 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:

 Remember loaner Jackets?  Well wait til you hear what they have next...

LOL. Scene from just outside X MDR after dinner:

[LGW59]

10 minutes ago, Catknitty said:

According to the crew that I talked to this is rather new that they are paid less for less passengers and that Celebrity is promising that "one day" it will go back to the way it was where they were paid the same no matter how many people are onboard. 

 

Personally, I will never understand how a crew members salary/tips etc would ever come into conversation with a passenger.  How they are paid, when they are paid, how much they are paid is none of my business, under any circumstances, ever.  What is my business is how I treat them, interact with them and tip them.  My opinion on this is that the crew when they sense a passenger inquiring about this, they know exactly what to say and how to say it, as it means potential $$ for them.  I say good on the crew that do this, especially when the passenger is opening the door (one which we should not).  They signed a contract, knowing the terms of etc etc etc, after that it is between them and their employer and none of my business.  

[LGW59]

Just now, RichYak said:

LOL. Scene from just outside X MDR after dinner:

Is he a waiter in the MDR?  Please assign him to my table!!

[Oceangoer2]

7 minutes ago, RichYak said:

LOL. Scene from just outside X MDR after dinner:

can this meme be reversed??  Just imagining some of the 'bodies' that find their way into the MDR...LOL.

Edited January 6, 2023 by Oceangoer2

[chamima]

1 hour ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

The better question is... "Will allowing shorts in the MDR attract more people than it will offend?"

 

It appears to me that that vast majority of cruisers really don't care one way or the other. Sure they may choose to wear pants, but most aren't bothered when other people wear shorts.

 

1 hour ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

But those who want pants in the MDR are not the majority.

 

The majority is those that like to wear shorts PLUS all those who don't care if others wear shorts. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You may be able to wear shorts but the "rules" for Blu still say No Flip Flops or Sandals! 🙃

So you'd better wear your dress shoes with your shorts.

[Catknitty]

5 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

Personally, I will never understand how a crew members salary/tips etc would ever come into conversation with a passenger.  How they are paid, when they are paid, how much they are paid is none of my business, under any circumstances, ever.  What is my business is how I treat them, interact with them and tip them.  My opinion on this is that the crew when they sense a passenger inquiring about this, they know exactly what to say and how to say it, as it means potential $$ for them.  I say good on the crew that do this, especially when the passenger is opening the door (one which we should not).  They signed a contract, knowing the terms of etc etc etc, after that it is between them and their employer and none of my business.  

I care how people are treated by the company I am giving money to as I make many decisions about how I spend my money on fair treatment to a companies employees. Personally, I will never understand not wanting to make sure I am spending my money with fair companies. I did not inquire and the info came out inadvertently. I asked in the dining room because I was sure I had to have heard incorrectly but no, I heard it right. People who are desperate may sign a contract that is unfair and I don't have to spend my money with a company that is not treating their staff fairly. People who have worked for a company for a long time may believe that fair pay will come back, true or not. People who may not understand exactly what they are signing are also taken advantage of. If you don't want to know how people  who are working hard making your vacation happy are being treated them don't ask. I do want to know. 

[CruiseRQA]

2 hours ago, Ocdublin said:

  Hate dressing up for dinner
 

 

Putting on a polo shirt and a pair of khaki pants isn't exactly dressing up.  

[CruiseRQA]

29 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:

I'm not under the impression that Celebrity is listening to any paying guests at the moment.

Yes they are.  It's called the marketplace.   If the line "changes" to the dissatisfaction of its customers the customers will go elsewhere.  

[cruisingaussies]

On 1/5/2023 at 1:33 AM, TowandaUK said:

Not so easy to cancel if from the uk. We do not have the option of refundable deposits and lose money if we cancel. 

Same in Australia, it really annoys me.  Can only get a refundable deposit if we pay the considerably higher deposit amount. 

[AstoriaPreppy]

1 hour ago, LMaxwell said:

I'm not under the impression that Celebrity is listening to any paying guests at the moment.

 

They look absolutely look at guest surveys. They absolutely roll their eyes at forum posts on CC. 

[LMaxwell]

56 minutes ago, CruiseRQA said:

Yes they are.  It's called the marketplace.   If the line "changes" to the dissatisfaction of its customers the customers will go elsewhere.  

Well, yes, the only language they understand is money. I do not believe they are listening to the voices that money is attached to. 

[dlh015]

3 minutes ago, AstoriaPreppy said:

 

They look absolutely look at guest surveys. They absolutely roll their eyes at forum posts on CC. 

Agree with first part, not the second part. I am absolutely sure that the surveys have more than their fair share of critics...it's the nature of the beast...

 

And, no, I'm not saying that CC posters are unbiased...lol...

[LMaxwell]

5 minutes ago, AstoriaPreppy said:

 

They look absolutely look at guest surveys. They absolutely roll their eyes at forum posts on CC. 

Maybe 10-15 years ago, but they absolutely watch this forum and the social media forums.  If they roll their eyes so be it, they aren't doing their job very well then.  

[Homosassa]

1 hour ago, LGW59 said:

Is he a waiter in the MDR?  Please assign him to my table!!

He  reminds as young head waiter who had just graduated from university with a degree in hospitality (or whatever that course of study is called) and was on his first assignment on the Rotterdam.  

 

He talked to every table in his section every night. My husband smiled whenever he saw him coming because my husband knows my type (husband is also a blue eyed blond ).

[AstoriaPreppy]

1 minute ago, dlh015 said:

Agree with first part, not the second part. I am absolutely sure that the surveys have more than their fair share of critics...it's the nature of the beast...

 

And, no, I'm not saying that CC posters are unbiased...lol...

 

1 minute ago, LMaxwell said:

Maybe 10-15 years ago, but they absolutely watch this forum and the social media forums.  If they roll their eyes so be it, they aren't doing their job very well then.  

 

Only speaking from conversations with a few execs at a thing last year... the surveys (and quantifiable numbers) make differences, rants on CC don't.  🤷‍♂️

[LMaxwell]

5 minutes ago, AstoriaPreppy said:

 

 

Only speaking from conversations with a few execs at a thing last year... the surveys (and quantifiable numbers) make differences, rants on CC don't.  🤷‍♂️

Things that never happened for $500, Alex 

 

No problem, they'll get it on my survey too 

Edited January 6, 2023 by LMaxwell

[dlh015]

1 minute ago, AstoriaPreppy said:

 

 

Only speaking from conversations with a few execs at a thing last year... the surveys (and quantifiable numbers) make differences, rants on CC don't.  🤷‍♂️

Agree about quantifiable numbers vs rants. But ignoring social media trends on various topics is certainly missing out on datapoints...

 

I would also agree that the sample size here is small...

[miguelmia]

2 minutes ago, dlh015 said:

Agree about quantifiable numbers vs rants. But ignoring social media trends on various topics is certainly missing out on datapoints...

 

You could argue that it would be redundant, though. If I complain on here then turn in a negative survey on board, would that count twice against just one positive survey from someone else? Should it? Just because CC users are the loudest (so to speak), should our opinions count for more than the majority of folks who cruise (and hand in opinion surveys) without visiting/commenting here?

 

While any service- and sales-oriented company should absolutely keep an eye on social media and message boards, they also need to keep track of opinions they get offline as well in the form of surveys, etc. How to balance the two is the hard part. I don't know the answer to that.

[dlh015]

1 minute ago, miguelmia said:

should our opinions count for more than the majority of folks who cruise

The answer to that is a big NO.  Never said anything of the sort. I'm saying that the trends should be noticed and considered...that's all. To completely ignore them is foolish. These sort of things can be weighted in stat reports.