Cabin Stewards Gifts

[Cruzinforpeace***]

3 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

Things like handing out scripture to people who don't share it is why Chritsianity has a bad name for so many people. If you KNOW they are Christian, sure. Share scripture. But if you know they aren't, there are plenty of secular phrases that work just as well. 

 

Think about how you'd feel if you were in a position where you were serving people of another faith and you had to be happy with whatever they said or gave you and they were foisting their beliefs on you. It's not fun or helpful. (Honestly, even being mainstream and much more open than evangelicals makes dealing with them difficult. I totally block out my para when she starts going off about spirits because it's just NOT comfortable. No matter what she thinks or how helpful she thinks she's being. It's honestly just creating resentment.)

 

I’m not offended.  Every day I live in a secular world.  I’m just try to share some positivity.  I have no control over how someone receives that positivity.  I’m not going to stop spreading joy because someone might be offended.  I’ve never encountered someone who hated the offering.  You can do what you’d like. I’m going to continue to do “me”.

[Cruzinforpeace***]

4 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

You've had crew members express displeausre at something? I doubt it. They depend on tips and positive comments. If they indicate they aren't happy or comfortable with a guest, the guest is likely to go whine at Guest Services about it. They aren't going to tell you it's offensive - but they will vent with their friends when they're not serving you. 

 

My sister works on another cruiseline and has many friends and colleagues who are not Christian and they DO complain behind the scenes about religion being foisted on them. Even while smiling and seeming happy to the guests' faces.

That’s a shame.  Again, I hope you have a great day.  😀😀😀

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

3 minutes ago, Cruzinforpeace*** said:

I’m not offended.  Every day I live in a secular world.  I’m just try to share some positivity.  I have no control over how someone receives that positivity.  I’m not going to stop spreading joy because someone might be offended.  I’ve never encountered someone who hated the offering.  You can do what you’d like. I’m going to continue to do “me”.

All I'm saying is there are plenty of positive and encouraging sayings out there without foisting your religion on other people. Being inclusive is actually much more "on point" with the true gospel message than being exclusive and using coded language (scriptures).

[Lena11033]

18 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

All I'm saying is there are plenty of positive and encouraging sayings out there without foisting your religion on other people. Being inclusive is actually much more "on point" with the true gospel message than being exclusive and using coded language (scriptures).

 

Unfortunately I don't think you are going to get them to realize how offensive and disrespectful forcing religious messaging's is on people. I don't care what religion someone has, but it's personal.

 

[dcbiker97]

12 minutes ago, Lena11033 said:

 

Unfortunately I don't think you are going to get them to realize how offensive and disrespectful forcing religious messaging's is on people. I don't care what religion someone has, but it's personal.

 

Agree with you 100%.
 

Sometimes you encounter people in real life and on here and just shake your head and then you realize you need to move on or away (and maybe say ‘Bless your heart.’) I’ve just encountered that after reading about giving out scripture. 

Edited February 2, 2023 by dcbiker97

[bEwAbG]

People not expressing disdain at being preached to are just humoring you. 

 

I once sat on a long flight next to someone who was engaging in pleasant conversation throughout.  Towards the end, he finally let it slip that the publication he mentioned working for earlier in our conversation was the Watchtower magazine.  He had enough awareness to quickly add "but I'm not going to proselytize on a plane."   We had a good laugh.

[Cdncruisecpl]

1 minute ago, bEwAbG said:

People not expressing disdain at being preached to are just humoring you. 

 

I once sat on a long flight next to someone who was engaging in pleasant conversation throughout.  Towards the end, he finally let it slip that the publication he mentioned working for earlier in our conversation was the Watchtower magazine.  He had enough awareness to quickly add "but I'm not going to proselytize on a plane."   We had a good laugh.

I used to work at a gas station.  There was a gentleman who came in around 630 am every Saturday morning and we had a good chat for about 15 to 20 minutes.  Once, he left one of those magazines, so that was the only reason I knew he was affiliated with that (and I don't think it was on purpose that he left it).  Every other time he came in, we talked about everything else.  Football.  The economy.  Family.  The weather.  Everything.  And I appreciated it.  I enjoyed his conversations.

However, if every time he came in, it was about THAT, I would have been much less engaging and likely told him that I had work to do if he didn't mind leaving me alone.  I can assure you, that if he left me a trinket with a scripture on it, it would have been thrown in the garbage and I may not have waited until he left to do so.

To Cruzinforpeace:  So, when the crew, who do not want to risk offending you or have you go off and tattle on them, smile and nod, I can almost guarantee they are not listening to you and cannot wait to get away from the interaction.  I'd even go so far as to say they may dread a further interaction with you.  Not all of them by any means.  You will hit some that may generally enjoy it.  But just because no one has said anything to you, does NOT mean they enjoy it.  Context matters, and the context in this scenario is always 'yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir'.  As the cruiser, you are always right in their eyes, no matter how wrong you are.

I know that my saying this will not change anyone's mind and you will continue to do it.  As someone else said, it is what gives Christianity a bad name.  It has also lead to a lot of bad practices throughout the world in the name of religion.

 

Not that it is anyone else's business, but I am a Christian.  And even I don't even like other Christians forcing their religion on me. I can only imagine how I would feel if I was of another faith.
 

[bEwAbG]

Now I'm having flashbacks to customer service days and remembering the guy who would leave those hokey religious tracts with the quarter he thought was a sufficient tip on a $10 meal.  He would run you ragged with requests & try to make you engage in long conversations.  We would take turns waiting on him so that everyone had to suffer equally.  He always wanted to hug certain waitresses for a little too long and it would creep them out.  That was almost 30 years ago.  See how "positivity" mixed with religion makes an impression?

Edited February 2, 2023 by bEwAbG

[Cruzinforpeace***]

23 minutes ago, Cdncruisecpl said:

I used to work at a gas station.  There was a gentleman who came in around 630 am every Saturday morning and we had a good chat for about 15 to 20 minutes.  Once, he left one of those magazines, so that was the only reason I knew he was affiliated with that (and I don't think it was on purpose that he left it).  Every other time he came in, we talked about everything else.  Football.  The economy.  Family.  The weather.  Everything.  And I appreciated it.  I enjoyed his conversations.

However, if every time he came in, it was about THAT, I would have been much less engaging and likely told him that I had work to do if he didn't mind leaving me alone.  I can assure you, that if he left me a trinket with a scripture on it, it would have been thrown in the garbage and I may not have waited until he left to do so.

To Cruzinforpeace:  So, when the crew, who do not want to risk offending you or have you go off and tattle on them, smile and nod, I can almost guarantee they are not listening to you and cannot wait to get away from the interaction.  I'd even go so far as to say they may dread a further interaction with you.  Not all of them by any means.  You will hit some that may generally enjoy it.  But just because no one has said anything to you, does NOT mean they enjoy it.  Context matters, and the context in this scenario is always 'yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir'.  As the cruiser, you are always right in their eyes, no matter how wrong you are.

I know that my saying this will not change anyone's mind and you will continue to do it.  As someone else said, it is what gives Christianity a bad name.  It has also lead to a lot of bad practices throughout the world in the name of religion.

 

Not that it is anyone else's business, but I am a Christian.  And even I don't even like other Christians forcing their religion on me. I can only imagine how I would feel if I was of another faith.
 

I don’t force anything on anyone.  In fact I don’t even have a conversation about anything Christian with them for that matter unless they identify themselves as Christian or start a conversation about religion.  If it is a conversation I respectfully engage in that conversation and respect their personal viewpoints.  That is more than I can say for this particular thread where I see numerous posts attacking my beliefs.  Not very tolerant of another viewpoint or lifestyle.  I simply shared what I do when I go on cruises in reference to gift giving as was the request of the original poster.  There are MANY Christians working on cruise ships by the way.  You might want to take the time to have a conversation with some of the people who “serve”  you and get to know a little bit about their lives.  In fact, I became a Christian while I was working on a cruise ship.  One of the dancers in the production show I was in as a singer kept sharing her faith with me.  At first I was offended like many of you but after a while I realized she was trying to share something that was special to her.  I was “empty” and she saw it. I had everything but absolutely nothing.  She invited me to a Christian worship service in the bottom of the ship in the laundry room. It was there that I came to know Jesus.  That room was FILLED with other crew members, from waiters, cabin stewards to entertainers.  It was the path that I chose to follow. Im not saying I’m better than you.  Quite the opposite.  I am in very bad shape as a human being trying to be like Christ.  I just know that when God leads I want to share what was given to me if anyone wants to talk about it.  

[maxsales]

On 1/30/2023 at 7:27 PM, *Fudge* said:

Do people bring small gifts for the stateroom staff.  Chocolate or sweets from home.  I read about this quite a while ago but I wouldn’t want to do this if it is no longer a thing.  

Cash $$$$ is King.

 

[Cdncruisecpl]

5 minutes ago, Cruzinforpeace*** said:

I don’t force anything on anyone.  In fact I don’t even have a conversation about anything Christian with them for that matter unless they identify themselves as Christian or start a conversation about religion.  If it is a conversation I respectfully engage in that conversation and respect their personal viewpoints.  That is more than I can say for this particular thread where I see numerous posts attacking my beliefs.  Not very tolerant of another viewpoint or lifestyle.  I simply shared what I do when I go on cruises in reference to gift giving as was the request of the original poster.  There are MANY Christians working on cruise ships by the way.  You might want to take the time to have a conversation with some of the people who “serve”  you and get to know a little bit about their lives.  In fact, I became a Christian while I was working on a cruise ship.  One of the dancers in the production show I was in as a singer kept sharing her faith with me.  At first I was offended like many of you but after a while I realized she was trying to share something that was special to her.  I was “empty” and she saw it. I had everything but absolutely nothing.  She invited me to a Christian worship service in the bottom of the ship in the laundry room. It was there that I came to know Jesus.  That room was FILLED with other crew members, from waiters, cabin stewards to entertainers.  It was the path that I chose to follow. Im not saying I’m better than you.  Quite the opposite.  I am in very bad shape as a human being trying to be like Christ.  I just know that when God leads I want to share what was given to me if anyone wants to talk about it.  

Soooo..ummm..yeah.  You went off on a lot of stuff that NO ONE has said.  No one said there weren't christians on board.  No one said you acted like you were better.  No one attacked your beliefs.  

 

And by giving trinkets with scripture, you ARE forcing it on people and are too obtuse to recognize it.

[RD64]

On 1/31/2023 at 8:57 PM, Georgia_Peaches said:

Op I say you do whatever makes you feel good. You certainly don’t need permission or approval from anyone here. If you offer a sweet or something from home that ends up in the trash or more likely, up for grabs among fellow crew, then so be it. You’ll never know but you’ll have the endorphins associated with doing something nice and your steward will be touched that you thought of them. Having said that, a cash tip at the end will go a long way to help line the wallet of a deserving professional as they eek out a living like the rest of us. 
 

As a retired middle school principal, I can’t tell you how many gifts I’ve received over the years from students, parents, and teachers. I was a professional and certainly nobody’s pet. Did I want/need all those goodies and trinkets?  Lord knows I didn’t. But I was touched by the thought as any gracious and appreciative person would be.  The things I didn’t keep went to our church and local retirement home. Nothing ever went to waste, I can tell you that!  Perhaps your gift is just the thing your steward can’t wait to send off to a family member back home. Bottom line… you just don’t know. An act of kindness in the form of giving should never be discouraged. Do what’s in your heart. 

….also a teacher who has received dozens and dozens  and dozens of coffee cups, key chains, and Knick knacks over the years and they all end up at Goodwill. While the gesture was kind, the gifts that were truly appreciated were gift cards.

 

[Cruzinforpeace***]

15 minutes ago, Cdncruisecpl said:

Soooo..ummm..yeah.  You went off on a lot of stuff that NO ONE has said.  No one said there weren't christians on board.  No one said you acted like you were better.  No one attacked your beliefs.  

 

And by giving trinkets with scripture, you ARE forcing it on people and are too obtuse to recognize it.

obtuse

adjective

ob·tuse äb-ˈtüs  

əb-,

 

-ˈtyüs

 

obtuser; obtusest

Synonyms of obtuse

1

a

: not pointed or acute : BLUNT

b(1)

of an angle : exceeding 90 degrees but less than 180 degrees

(2)

: having an obtuse angle

an obtuse triangle

 see triangle illustration

c

of a leaf : rounded at the free end

2

a

: lacking sharpness or quickness of sensibility or intellect : INSENSITIVE, STUPID

He is too obtuse to take a hint.

b

: difficult to comprehend : not clear or precise in thought or expression

It is also, unfortunately, ill-written, and at times obtuse and often trivial.—Shirley Hazzard

 

Let’s please try to be kind and civil to one another.  We might be on a cruise together in the future.  Peace and love!

[Cdncruisecpl]

1 minute ago, Cruzinforpeace*** said:

 

 

Let’s please try to be kind and civil to one another.  We might be on a cruise together in the future.  Peace and love!

Just don't give me a trinket with scripture and we will be fine

[Cruzinforpeace***]

2 minutes ago, Cdncruisecpl said:

Just don't give me a trinket with scripture and we will be fine

Deal.👍

[RichYak]

30 minutes ago, Cruzinforpeace*** said:

I see numerous posts attacking my beliefs

No one here is attacking your beliefs. People are pointing out that you may have unwittingly been attacking other's beliefs. No more no less. 

Edited February 2, 2023 by RichYak
grammar

[dlh015]

2 hours ago, Cruzinforpeace*** said:

I’m not going to stop spreading joy because someone might be offended.

Irony anyone?? 

[DaKahuna]

 I am not sure I get it.  If a note of any kind is given if the receiver does not like it or takes offense they can simply throw it away.  

 

[jean87510]

I agree with cash.  I recently retired as an RN and worked pretty much everywhere in nursing in mostly Pediatrics (school nurse, NICU, LTC. Home care visits).  Never once did I get anything from parents or family anything other than a gift card and even that was not all the time.  And I was fine with it.  The attitude that we need to bring stuff from home to give staff is really condescending.  They have small quarters.  Where are they supposed to put everything if everyone gave something?  I agree with asking hey do you need anything onshore because I actually did that in 2021 when it was difficult for them and I think one cabin steward asked me to get him a monster drink.  He tried to give me money later and I said absolutely not, my treat.  But I would never give t shirts, candy, hats.  You just met this person.  Bottom line, it makes YOU feel good about yourself.  Just give them cash, and a great review and dont be a pain in the ass during the cruise demanding this and that.

[Fly and Sail]

41 minutes ago, Cdncruisecpl said:

Soooo..ummm..yeah.  You went off on a lot of stuff that NO ONE has said.  No one said there weren't christians on board.  No one said you acted like you were better.  No one attacked your beliefs.  

 

And by giving trinkets with scripture, you ARE forcing it on people and are too obtuse to recognize it.

 

Agreed. I'm Christian, religion doesn't play a huge part in my life and I wouldn't take offense or feel annoyed if someone made a small religious reference in a conversation or instead of saying "goodbye" use "god bless you" but if it becomes repetitive then I'm trying to avoid the person, no matter what faith they try to push on me.

 

Giving out any kind of religious trinket, let alone scripture in an environment where I know many folks of other faiths are working work is a huge no no for me.

 

And while we're on topic, I find situations where people bring stuff on board they "think" a crew member would prefer over a cash tip absolutely ridiculous. The intentions might be might be admirable but sorry, a crew member prefers 20, even 10 bucks much more over some junk the guests leave behind as a gift in lieu of tip. they are service workers, not your aunt. Unless you ask before if the crew needs something before going on land.

 

During Covid when crew wasn't allowed to go out I brought a whole bunch of stuff back on board to give away after my B2B turnaround in FLL. But that was a shopping list, not an unsolicited gift.

[NutsAboutGolf]

42 minutes ago, dlh015 said:

Irony anyone?? 

 

What would happen if someone gave out a trinket with the "scripture" of "no getting frisky before marriage!"?  It would go straight into the trash and be incinerated as it's already well know that a cruise ships crew area is literally a like college dorm room

 

Text book example of the old cliché of ignorance is bliss; we should all challenge ourselves to be better

[Pinboy]

2 minutes ago, jean87510 said:

Just give them cash, and a great review and dont be a pain in the ass during the cruise demanding this and that.

Agree---However, for some folks the " pain in the ass " part is toooooo difficult !

When you have 16 hrs , read the many posts on CC re:

" In 1972 Celebrity used to etc,etc, and now, the bums don't etc, etc. "

" My Butler was late to "draw" the bath "------- that's a " dandy " !!

" Why should I have to pay for room service delivery if I feel like a shrimp cocktail, club sandwich and 6 chocolate cookies at 3 am , when I already paid for it in my cruise charge and besides, Celebrity didn't notify me of it prior to the cruise"?

" I'm paying more $$ than the folks in XYZ category and am " entitled " to, etc etc ".

and, I almost forgot

" the size of the @%$^&*% lobster tails " !!!!

LOL-- If ya ever see Pinboy working on a cruise ship--- the only scripture he want to read is $$$$ bills.

 

 

[jwlane]

2 minutes ago, Pinboy said:

 the only scripture he want to read is $$$$ bills.

Bow to the Benjamin!

[ldubs]

15 hours ago, Cruzinforpeace*** said:

I totally agree with your response!  I give cash AND usually bring something small and encouraging to give to various crew members as I’m led (along with the cash).  I brought silicone bracelets with uplifting scriptures printed on them as well as some homemade bookmarks with encouraging sayings and scriptures on my last cruise in November.  I gave one to one of the crew members in the spa and she started to cry.  She said that it was just what she needed!  I can say having worked on ships that one can get very lonely and sad on those long contracts.  They are pai to smile and make your vacation fantastic even when they maybe don’t feel so happy. They have to be “on” every day for usually 7 days a week 9 months at a time.  I know I would have been very touched receiving a gift from a passenger if I felt it was from the heart.  I think that’s the key; the intention of the gift.  

 

 "They are paid to smile . . . "

 

I think you might want to take this to heart. 

[Wineaux007]

25 minutes ago, Pinboy said:

 

LOL-- If ya ever see Pinboy working on a cruise ship--- the only scripture he want to read is $$$$ bills.

 

 

In God We Trust!