Skip to main content

Stories from Seabourn: Bar Department - Guests, Management and Colleagues

I started a new contract in the fall, terrible heat of summer past me by. Working on an open deck in the sun is not an easy job. All the guests have a nice sunbathing, enjoying; wait on you to deliver water, juice or some alcohol.

 Us Bar waiters are usually three each one has its part, the section left or right or the center where the tables and chairs are. "Mr. Gonzales," Bartender tells me, "Go check it doesn't look right." The bartender saw it good, he was not pleased. Mr. Gonzales had a specific taste, he liked to drink only IPA beer that disappeared on board, and for the next two days was the sea. I approached him with a big smile, and he shook his head with a slight smile: "Tamara again we have the same problem, yesterday I said I wanted to have at least two bottles of IPA beer, and now they tell me that he is gone, call me someone who's going to make that beer BE! ”He started patiently and finished briskly. 

I knew exactly what the gentleman was talking about, during the sale of the cruise they told them all kinds of fairy tales at the agencies, that they would have Noah's milk here if they asked for it, that everything is All included and everything was overflowing. If passenger orders something special from a drink or other service, this information is generally not available to us.

Everything you book online or at an agency is one story, but you have to be prepared that only 70% is true, the traveler has to be prepared that everything is not so, even video presentations are so glamorously inflated that when I look at the same, I wonder if I didn't figure out where I was, Am I on the same ship?!

 From Mr. Gonzales I took the cabin number, Pardon suites number insisted from the company that we do not call the passenger, again the pardon guest rooms with cabins, though ironically many of them, especially those without balconies, were apartments. I wrote down the number and explained to him that the stock of IPA beer was coming to us so that I would inform my Bar Manager and that we would squeeze everyone in our power to make it enough by the end of the cruise. He was half pleased, I informed Bartender about it, I called Head Bartender and just in case I did not turn out to be a liar, I called the Bar Manager, who honestly was the first one to come and talked to a gentleman. Mr. Gonzales from Mexico explained to her that he had been General Manager of a large hotel chain for years and that he had kept thousands of employees alone, but that he had never in his career had a guest complain that he was missing something or was not part of an advertisement. I just thought welcome to Seabourn. 

We talk and strive to be part of the 6-star service, but the quality has gone down a bit by changing the company president, maybe for now, and maybe forever. What is saddest is that even the Seattle-Head Office top executives are unaware of the situation; a lot is being taken on board for Crew. Maybe they know, maybe it's all fair, maybe there are just too many spoiled people on this planet, and it’s all at the moment. 

Mr. Gonzales praised the Bar Manager for my concern and courtesy for him and since that 3rd Cruise Day, he has always had IPA beer. We've done enough of those Seabourn moments, we need to remember and be creative at the moment. It could be stressed that you are in the best shape at all times as far as facial expressions or tone of voice are concerned because someone is always watching you.

 The small ship is worse than the village, there is a growing speed of gossip that was normal, even our guests asked us if there is some gossip to tell them. You certainly try and hope that you will not be in focus that day and the story of the day, but it happened especially to girls, our hormones are a wonder that you just have a yellow minute and a drama ensues. The quarrel over the most trivial things, some being invited to a meeting with the managers, where they have their heads pierced in the sense that this is a Seabourn you cannot do so, we must always be the most friendly and pleasant. On that contract as Bar waiter was one young American, mostly they never work on ships, at least not in these "physical" positions, but in the office or as dancers, musicians ... 

She was very positive at first, she said she was different, yes she's not a decent American woman and hates the kind of people that even though her family has money, she wanted to make money for herself. I respected her for that and I tried to help her as much as I could, to always explain everything in a nice tone. 

She was really a great worker after a month of learning, but as the last month came, the rebellion started, I think everything just comes out of you, you are tired, no, you have no more power, and you do not have the will to listen to anything and everything. She received this little reprimand from management, otherwise, she is 21 years old, the first contract I even thought all that was normal for her age. Her luck is, of course, that she is an American, and that if she works hard at home, she will find a better job than working on board. Even these pretentious thoughts came up to her, in the sense, "I'm an American fuck all this, I never go back!" 

What I was saying to her at the very beginning and wondered is it so bad in America that she needs to work on a Cruise ship?

Crew Insights

Articles and experiences shared by crew members working on cruise ship. Find out more about ship life at sea together with tips and advices for first time crew members and cruise oldtimers.

Tag