Past Celebrity Employee - Answering Your Questions

[Leejnd4]

Jennifer,

 

I'm a little surprised that you are still expressing such concern about cruising with your daughter, after the literally dozens upon dozens of CC'ers in the other thread you started who encouraged you to stop worrying, take her along and enjoy yourself. You got a wealth of fabulous advice in that thread, including some great ideas on how to get early dining (I have no doubt you'll get it). I hope the overwhelmingly positive responses have alleviated your concerns. Really, you are not the only parents who've ever brought a toddler on a Celebrity cruise. I doubt there is much more that could be said here that you didn't already hear repeatedly in the other thread. I do hope you are able to put these ongoing fears aside and just go and have a fantastic cruise! :)

 

LeeAnne

[hotvwchick]

Thanks for your input. I was hoping cruise employee might have some suggestions. Cruise Employee has probably dealt with toddlers and might have some good hints as well.

Ana has relapsed in her manners(throwing food, dishes, ect) and I do not think she will make it through a dinner. She is now teething as well....thats why I was wondering about soundproofing(have had a couple of sleepless nights) as I don't want to drive my neighbours nuts with a screaming toddler. I'll be packing the gum numbing gel for sure!

I must thank you Cruise Employee for your answers. I'll leave the life jacket at home but will pack teething medication. I'm glad that the staff at least gets a dinner at Christmas.

 

Merry Christmas!

[obeem]

Is it easy to find yourself starting to "categorize" passengers by their look and age (if you are staff)? We are somewhat young Celebrity passengers and it is odd how people assume we are first time cruisers. We are sometimes the most cruised in the room, although we cruise multiple lines so we might not be the most cruised for Celebrity. We have had a few occations of the Captians Circle Hostess being somewhat "uninterested" in the "young couple" who are likely "once every year or two" cruisers. It really doesn't matter to us, I just find it funny how quick the staff can be to jump to conclusions.

We had quite the opposite reaction on the Millie recently (09/04). We are from hispanic background and were on our first family cruise, however, we must have fit right in or seemed quite relaxed and knowledgeable because an elderly PASSENGER came up to my husband (in the spa area) demanding he take her to her room. My husband had come to pick me up from the spa so he was kind of out of place just by being dressed properly. Being the nice man that he is offered her assistance from the spa counter yet again she demanded he take her to her room and handed him some paper. He kindly gave it back to her and pointed to the counter and she completely had a hissy fit and loudly asked "WELL DON'T YOU WORK HERE?!" and walked off. I'm sure the comment card she handed in was not good or accurate for that matter! We are still laughing about it.

 

Which brings me to my question: I don't mean to offend anyone but do they have an Escort service on Celebrity? There are plenty of single women and men that cruise that would like to have company for dinner or other.....just wondering--not sure you can answer that.

 

Mary O.

[Dancing Gal]

Cruiseemployee: thanks for all of the great info, I have really enjoyed reading your responses to our oh so many questions. Speaking of which...is there some way of getting in touch with a celebrity employee, some kind of central email, not sure what ship she is on anymore but would love to touch base with her. If I emailed the company would it get passed to her, by the way she is a Bar Manager if that makes a difference. Thank-you, wend

 

as an avid celebrity cruiser, I know there is not a central email. However, I have a bartender friend on Mercury now and will be on Constellation and Millennium next month. I will be happy to inquire for you. Either post info here or email me (Lckypnny@aol.com) - just be sure to put CELEBRITY in the subject line.

Nancy

[Nitemare]

One other question, does the Captain every eat at main seating or is it always late seating

On the Connie this past summer we only saw the Captain at late seating 2 or 3 nights out of 14, so I assume he was at Main seating all those other evenings.

 

Which brings me to my question: I don't mean to offend anyone but do they have an Escort service on Celebrity?

There were two Dance Hosts on the cruise I mentioned above, they didn't dine with the cruisers, but they did dance and go on excursions with us.

[hdawson]

I suspect that on other than formal nights, the Captains probably eat in thier apartment/cabin suite.

[HELENROSE]

Nitemare, thanks for your reply. We have been on 35 cruises and all but 3 have been early seating, and we have never seen the Captain at dinner. We met a Captains Wife once and she said they rarely ate in the dinning room. But I didn't ask early or late. Since you saw a Captain at the late seating, I presume that is when he would dine. I know at the Captains parties, it would have to be late seating, since while we are dinning at early, he is hosting the late party. But just wondering about the other nights. Does that mean that you also have to have the late seating if you would like a chance to be invited to the Captains table? We won't give up our early seating for a chance to dine with him, we like the early. Just wondering. Thanks again for your reply Nitemare.

[JUST ADD WATER]

Jennifer: We have a 5 1/2 year old son who has been cruising with us since he was 6 months old. While I will say we have a little more fun now, we still enjoyed ourselves on those "early year" cruises.

 

We, like you, are extreamly aware of our son's behavior and how other people are impacted. In the early years, we got cabins at the end of halls or in corners where at least one side of the cabin did not face other guests. He rarely cried, but better safe than sorry. We packed a whole bag of his toys, blankets, etc so he would have familiar things around him. One hint might be to pack the items from her bed and use them in the crib. It smells like home and feels like home so they sleep better.

 

We also asked the front desk for a VCR in an empty room a couple of times during the cruise. They gave us a TV and VCR in an empty "meeting" room. Then Michael could watch his favorite shows (we brought the VCR tapes from home) and we could spread all his toys out and let him explore freely. It was wonderful and we never bothered a soul!

 

We now have a small DVD player which goes everywhere with us. If she has a program she will watch (at that age our son loved ELMO :p ), consider taking a DVD player and the show with you. On very low volume, it is a good way to pass the time at dinner or a show (he has earphones so nobody else can hear it). Ok now it sounds like all my son does is watch TV :eek: !

 

If you are courtious to other guests (and I know you will be or you would not be so worried), you will have a great cruise. The crew really do miss thier little ones at home and tend to dote on the little cruisers. On our last Century cruise (Michael had just turned 5), the folks sitting at the table next to ours came over the last night. They told us they were a little worried the first night when they saw such a young child sitting by them (I was not offended, they were just being honest), but they did not even know he was there during dinner the whole week. It was so kind of them to say so and proved that good planning goes a long way (he was so busy coloring and playing Gameboy after he finished eating he did not make a sound)! If the child does act up just say a quick "I"m sorry" to those around and move on. Most folks are understanding if you appologize when there is a problem.

 

Ok, now back to the original thread (thanks for your patience!):

 

Would it be a nice gesture to purchase a bottle of liquer for a crew member in addition to thier tips? We have done the phone cards too, but on the Connie we had a wild and crazy (Read: FUN!FUN!FUN!) wait staff. They loved their Vodka. We found out what they liked and bought them each a bottle which we gave to them on the last night with their tips. It seemed to be a big hit, but maybe they were just being polite? If drinks are so cheap on the ship, maybe the phone cards would have been better?

[obeem]

Jennifer:

 

As you board, go to wherever they tell you the dining room staff will be and get on the waiting list for early seating, if that's what you want. Actually, your travel agent should put you there now and then you'll be reinforcing it when you board.

S

If you want to get on the early seating go to www.celebrity.com and go to "Already Booked?" link there you will be able to customize your trip! You have lots of great info once you register. They even have a virtual tour of the ship and children's activity center. You will need your booking confirmation number in order to customize so have that info ready. I too had children on board and since it was off season there weren't that many kids on board however the youth director accomodated the families that were there with a revised schedule of activities.

 

Just my take on this, and I have not read far back enough to find out how long your cruise is but, if you are going by yourself with your daughter you might not be able to enjoy your cruise. If money is not an issue and you don't mind paying $6+ an hour for babysitting then I say go for it, although she will not remember the experience---but you will! The other thing is the type of room you are getting. Will you have single beds or a full? With single beds you will constantly be waking up in the night to find your child halfway off the bed. You also have to take into consideration the location of your room. If you have an inside room you may not have much movement but an outside room will have much movement and make your child feel sick all the time, therefore, not allowing you to have a good time or unexpected detours.

 

It was a fabulous experience for our family to go together and we did have to miss out on quite a bit of entertainment ie Midnight Buffet Extravaganza, etc. but they had a great time going to the Youth center, shore excursions, etc. Their ages are 13 and 10. however.

 

Hope this helps some.

 

My motto--When in doubt, don't do it.

[cruiseemployee]

1. Do you think that ship's officers enjoy the part of their job that includes socializing with the passengers or do they just tolerate it as part of their job?

For example, the captain at the Captain's Reception/Cocktail Party. Or, other officers attending certain passenger functions. I know you can't speak for them all, but as a rule, what would you say?

2. Have you ever been on a ship where an employee was dismissed and sent off the ship for breaking a rule? What happened? How is it done? Do they just say, "OK, that's it. You are off next stop" and the person goes to pack their bag immediately? What happened in a situation that you know of (if you know of one).

3. I've always heard about "crew only parties". I envision these wild, loud music, heavy drinking, free for alls. I don't know why, I just do. Maybe it's the crew people that I've experienced. How are they? How often? Where are they?

4. And last, what did you do when the ship was in port offloading and loading new passengers?

Thanks!:)

1. I honestly don't know. Just like anyone else, some people are sociable people while others aren't. I'd say that, yes they are forced to the functions but most of them enjoy seeing the guests. It's a break from their usual work.

2. I think every ship I've been on someone has been sent home. From issues such as getting too drunk and causing problems, to a fight between crew members, to just not being up to par in the work area. And they'll just tell you that you're heading home the next port. Most of the time you have that night to pack and you're off the next day. It's happened so quick before that I haven't even said goodbye to some of them. Didn't know they were sent home!!!

3. Crew parties occur fairly frequently. We find excuses to party for anything. Just a good way to keep morale high on a ship. Depending on who hosts the party (usually a department or crew from a certain country will host) and what the occasion is will tell you if they are big or not. They can get pretty wild. It really depends on what the next day brings. If the next day is a sea day, then they usually are quiet. But if the next day is a port day, it'll be a good one because plenty of the crew will have some time off. They usually happen either in our crew bars, or in an area that has been cleaned up for a party. I'd say there is one good crew party every 2 weeks.

4. We have a rotation where some embarkation days we work and some we have off. Usually it's about 1 on, 1 off. So some days we're doing disembarkation where we're helping the previous guests off the ship. (calling baggage colors in the lounges) Then we'll get the embarkation off. Free to go off in whatever port we're at to usually shop. This is usually the day where most of us will get our necessities. Deoderant, toothpaste, socks, etc. Other times we work the disembarkation. This involves greeting you when you come on the ship, running the gift desk (any gift travel agents wanna send to your rooms on arrival) and just making sure embarkation is running smoothly.

[cruiseemployee]

Have you heard anything about how the staff & crew on Xpedition differ from the other Celebrity ships. Any comments on Celebrity moving into other specialty markets? Do you think we can expect to see more of this in the future?

Jen

You're correct, the staff does differ on this ship. It does have to do with an Ecuador contract where a percentage of people have to be from there. Don't quote me on that though; just what I've heard. So there's a percentage that isn't from Ecuador. Chances are not good however. Small crew size, nearly impossible to work on this ship.

Would love to see celebrity get into some other markets such as asia and australia. Haven't heard about anything but you can always dream I guess. I think that you can expect to see more of this in the future. Celebrity is trying to brand their image as premium and this definitely makes the cruise experience more luxurious and personal. (luxurioius in the way that it's all-inclusive, everyone has a balcony, guest-crew ratio is lower.

[cruisnfool]

My son just finished 3 yrs with Princess.

He is a casino dealer. He was recruited while sailing on the Dawn. He is American and one of only 3 American dealers in the fleet.

He was paid a small monthly salary that was taxed and automatically depositied in his home bank account. remainder of salary was from tips, paid at end of each sailing. Some weeks better than other depending on how well the passengers tipped.

He thoroughly enjoyed his 3 years. Living and working with multiple nationalities was quite new and an enlightenment for him.

The had very nice staff lounges and computer rooms. As the OP stated it was cheaper and quicker to go off to a internet cafe to take care of business.

They offered less expensive toiletries, snacks etc on board. He could have a room steward do his laundry and clean his room just like passengers do for a tip of course.

Since he worked in the casino and they are closed when in port he had a great work schedule except that he worked everyday.

When we sailed with him 2 times during his contract we were allowed in the employee areas and met so many of his coworkers on the ship.....really great bunch of kids!

They love to eat off the ship because they get tired of ship food. Princess allows them to eat in Horizon Court but dining room requires special permission.

He continues to communicate with some of them.

He says he cannot put a price on what he got to see and do but he is a homebody and really missed driving his car.

[bdjam]

Just a note from a Princess lurker…this thread has been noted over on the Princess board. I followed the link and found an interesting read.

I do wonder, however, why the credibility of the original poster is being questioned. I have a number of friends who work as staff and officers on Princess, and what I’m reading here sounds pretty credible to me. So what if the original poster doesn’t know the price of a beer in the crew bar? I guess my suggestion to those who question the validity of the posts would be to indicate why you're questioning it - instead of going through a "beat around the bush" investigation.

As for the original poster, thanks for the thread – your information not only helps the potential passenger, but it gives them a better look at those who work very, very hard on board to ensure a successful vacation experience for the passenger. I don’t know that I’ve seen anyone work any harder.

[C 2 C]

cruiseemployee:

 

We have sailed on the Horizon, Zenith, Century, Galaxy, Millennium, Summit, Infinity... On all of these we have been treated superbly by the uniformly excellent members of the cruise staff which you reflect with your calm informative manner... I think you do your profession proud... perhaps we have even met in our twenty weeks on Celebrity ships... If you are still in contact with any of your former shipmates give them our thanks.... from the Secondguessers trivia junkies..

[cyberhankster]

Dear Former Cruise Employee

 

I loved your suggestion for a written note along with a tip "up front" to get the good faith ball rolling.

 

Should I provide a note to my head stateroom attendant and to my head waiter.....or should it be a note that one of them passes to the cruise director?

 

Finally, how much "up front" tip would you recommend to really send them a firm signal?

 

Many thanks

 

Cyberhankster

[hdawson]

After all these posts, I wonder who's credibility we doubt.

[C 2 C]

Cyberprankster: are you for real?

 

Anyone who thinks they should be treated better than anyone else onboard because they cruise once in a while better write a lot of notes on the back of $20 bills... :rolleyes:

 

on our last cruise many of our cruisecritic friends were invited to a penthouse sailaway party... a nicer couple we have never met.... they impressed all of us with their hospitality and recognition whenever we crossed paths... that is CLASS!!!

 

Any staff who do not treat their special guests as royalty will be on their next flight home.... Celebrity prides itself with the quality of their staff... We certainly have no complaints about any of the cruise staff or the level of their "ordinary" service....

[lougee1043]

Would it be a nice gesture to purchase a bottle of liquer for a crew member in addition to thier tips? cheap on the ship, maybe the phone cards would have been better?

the crew can buy liquor cheaper then you can and i think they would rather have the extra cash ----a phone card that you buy in the usa is for use in the usa and would most likely be of no use to a crew member calling the phillipines from the caymens ----again give them cash ---they know where to buy the cards that will work for them

[EscapeFromConnecticut]

I would actually like to get everyone's opinion on something now. You've got my opinion so far; my turn. What other, if any, theme nights would you suggest a cruise ship do at night that would work well. We tried many different things. Some with rousing success, but you have to be original in order to move ahead. Any ideas? Austin Powers night has been done...

Celebrity always gets hammered for their entertainment in comparison to some other lines, so just wanted to find out what you thought.

First, let me be about the 100th CruiseCritic member to thank you for this extraordinary thread. It must take patience and effort on your part, but it's VERY much appreciated!

Wish I could offer a better answer to your question.

My wife and I aren't really big on the entertainment aspect of cruises -- we'll usually enjoy a comic or magician, but otherwise skip most shows & all of the games/talent shows/etc. Reviews and posts often mention being "bored" on a cruise, and that idea just seems so foreign to me. Nothing is better than stretching out on a deck chair on a promenade deck, and peacefully watching the ocean -- it's a sort of tranquility that's impossible to duplicate at home.

(I'd love to see the spa/fitness folks offer an evening meditation session - or meditation class - in some very quiet outdoor area).

But if I were into theme nights, I suppose a Mardi Gras/New Orleans night would appeal (with some faux Nawlins-style Mardi Gras music, masks & beads, and maybe Cajun/Creole appetizers if the galley was feeling adventurous).

 

Enjoy a cheerful Christmas, cruiseemployee!

[cyberhankster]

For C 2 C

 

Yes...I'm for real.....and kindly note it's cyberhankster...not cyberprankster. Thank you for your thoughts. We experienced superb service on our first ever cruise aboard Galaxy in July, 1999.... inside

passage - Alaska.

 

From all the various and "recent" CC threads....it appears service is holding up well on Century. You may be correct that "ordinary" service will be sufficient. Perhaps, I will be wowed sufficiently with the "ordinary" service.

I hope so; however, I am most appreciative of Former Cruise Employee's suggestion to "drop 'em a note" with some "up front" incentive.

 

Former Cruise Employee's replies have been very informative and genuinely helpful. I am enjoying this thread immensely.

 

Regards

 

Cyberhankster

[HeatherInFlorida]

I just was thinking some more about Theme Nights and we've never been that overwhelmed by most of them. But I remember way back in the "good ole days" before cruising got quite so fancy they had a "Toga Night".

 

Everyone had to make their outfits out of the the stuff in their cabin, i.e., sheets, towels, etc. It reminded me of the old fraternity parties I went to in my younger days ... they used to call them Toga Parties. Do they still bother with that stuff? Probably not.

You should have seen some of the great outfits people came up with and a lot of passengers really had fun with it. I'd love to see that again.

[C 2 C]

cyberhankster: my apologies..

 

Levels of service..... excellent for us normal fare types

superior for suites with butlers....then there is concierege service.... there is a special rep on board for those who are willing to pay for the special treatment and want a cut above the rest.... a note attached with a tip for the person involved will go a long way....

[Tide Pride]

Like Heather I remember Toga parties from college but have never experienced one onboard the ship...It probably would be a hoot !

[mkk]

C 2 C ...Your comments re: another poster are well put....

..just another footnote.... can sure tell "class" from "lack of" and "old" money from "new"

The cruise staff are pretty savvy when it comes to judging character...

All the notes and $$ will not speak as loudly as attitude!

[cyberhankster]

For C 2 C

 

Thank you for the reply. Actually, we are in Conceirge Class... so I'll follow Former Cruise Employees advise and send a note along expressing our appreciation for all the extra pampering opportunities.

 

Also, attitude is equally important. I just want our service personnel to know we are going to take very good care of them. Likewise, they should make us equally happy.

 

Hasn't Former Cruise Employee provided us with a superb forum! Once again.... my thanks to this extraordinary poster.

 

Cyberhankster