Cruise Ship SCs

[RailroadMonster]

I was recently reading an article in USA Weekend. On pages 6 and 7, there was an article about "cruise ship secrets," so I decided to read it. Oh man, the article on the whole was pretty good, but one paragraph in particular really irked me.

"If you can see that the ship isn't too busy, sometimes you can get a better cabin just by making the request. 'Some ships have a sign permanently affixed to the front desk that says the ship is full,' Jordan says. But these signs are usually meaningless. 'It's just to discourage people from coming up and asking.'

"Other times, unfortunately, the only way to score an upgrade is by whining. 'I hate to say it, but just be obnoxious and complain,' says Mark Landon, a former cruise line employee whose website, http://www.shipjobs.com, gives job seekers a behind-the-scenes look at crew life. Ships usually keep extra cabins availible to appease unhappy passengers, Landon says.

Boy, do I hate SCs in the land, see, and air. I think Mr. and Mrs. Entitlement SCs would be more prevelant on cruise ships, too. I can see why cruise lines would go the extra mile, imagine having to deal with a SC who can't leave.

[ArenaBoy]

I'd lose it after 2 days tops. After hearing the entitlement SCs, it'd be tempting for me to throw them overboard. I cannot believe they encourage that at all.

[Dips]

You can rest assured that cruise lines can and will kick you off the ship at the next port of call, if you abuse or harass staff or other guests. It's one of the things spelled out in the contract you sign before they let you board. They also don't have to compensate you or pay for you to get yourself home.

I once saw them cut a drunk guy off from buying more booze. When the bar manager gave him the bad news I could see security officers hovering in the background; I assume they were called in just in case it got ugly. Luckily it didn't and they quietly left. I don't think anyone was even the wiser. I only noticed because I'm nosy that way.

[chainedbarista]

wow, deja vu; this reminds me too much of an article placed in good housekeeping about how to get those bargains from sales clerks.

yes, let's create another type of hell for all workers, just so the 'customer' gets what they want, how they want it, whenever and wherever they want it.

that already exists...in dreamland.

[Lehk]

sounds like a good way for good housekeeping to get themselves pulled from retail shelves

[repsac]

I support the "Work Retail for a Day" day. Where everyone under the sun has to work in retail for just one day. Maybe then they'll change their tune about whining.

[ArenaBoy]

I support the "Work Retail for a Day" day. Where everyone under the sun has to work in retail for just one day. Maybe then they'll change their tune about whining.

Do it for all types of customer involved jobs, I can guarantee that the guys I get wouldn't last an hour. I hate it when magazines do that because it does encourage entitlment.

[Reyneth]

I support the "Work Retail for a Day" day. Where everyone under the sun has to work in retail for just one day. Maybe then they'll change their tune about whining.

Heck no, one day isn't enough. I've always said a year. Or at least one busy/holiday season. Oh, and make sure that includes the days surrounding Thanksgiving and other similar holidays - so they learn the joys of driving 6 hours round trip in the grand total of 32 hours you have off, just to eat dinner with the family but yet be back to work at the precious sales that start at ungodly hours in the morning.

[Ryu]

the day after christmas at a movie theater is insanity so throw that in for good measure
and make sure its only one employee scheduled for added bonus

[AFpheonix]

Oh, and they should come hang with me the day after a holiday weekend, when the rest of their ilk is bombarding the doctors' offices for crap they didn't get handled ahead of time, and the doctors are bombarding us, and we finally get to deal with all the crap that we couldn't handle for 3 or 4 days because everyone was closed.

Yep....we'll even give them a free swig o' Pepto.

[Becks]

'I hate to say it, but just be obnoxious and complain,' says Mark Landon, a former cruise line employee

Ugh, I former employee is advocating this!!!!!!!!!! How could this tragedy have happened??

[gypsywitch84]

Well no wonder he's advocating it. He's not the one who is going to have to deal with it.

[air914]

He must be trying to get back at his co-workers or something! Why would you tell people that?

There was a bride's magazine that irked me and some other cake decorators I know that told bride's that they could go to a home baker for their cakes instead of a big bakery b/c it would cost less.... um no. In fact, home bakers can't get ingredients in bulk at discounts and don't have a staff of people so their time if more valuable b/c they are the only one working on it - it just gives people the impression that b/c you do it out of your home that you should be working for $1.50 an hour..... (that's about what the cost would come to for some people who think wedding cakes should cost $50.00 - what you're saying to the decorator is "your time is not valuable, your talent is crap, and I want the most fabulous cake in the world and it better taste good - but you're not worth the money for anything over $50.00)

Anyway.... there was another article about getting the "fake cakes" and having sheetcake in the back to save money - also an "um no" b/c you STILL have to spend time decorating the cake... and you're STILL making the same number of servings (wedding cakes are usually priced by the serving) - it just ends up in battles w/ people who think they can get something for less and then when they are told they can't they get mad at the decorator - not that person's fault for the crappy article that wasn't researched at all. Okay I'm done!

[Spiffy McMoron]

I support the "Work Retail for a Day" day. Where everyone under the sun has to work in retail for just one day. Maybe then they'll change their tune about whining.

*Devils advocate*

But what happens if it works too well? People would be nice to each other in the stores, and the people working retail for a day would think that all retail workers are babies, because the people that they dealt with aren't that bad. Therefore, they start to look down on the regular retail workers, and we're back to square 1.

[wagegoth]

*Devils advocate*

But what happens if it works too well? People would be nice to each other in the stores, and the people working retail for a day would think that all retail workers are babies, because the people that they dealt with aren't that bad. Therefore, they start to look down on the regular retail workers, and we're back to square 1.

On that day, all the current and former retail workers who have the day off, will go in and behave like the worst SCs they've ever dealt with.

Come on! It would be such marvy fun.