We learned something by accident on a HAL Panama Canal cruise in 2022. We met some exceptional staff in the Lido dining area. We decided to write about our appreciation of the service of one in particular. We went to guest services and asked them how we could do that. They showed us where the staff appreciation forms were and we wrote a review of their service. We didn't think anymore about. The next day we went to the Pinnacle Steakhouse for our anniversary. During dinner the manager came to our table and sincerely thanked us for writing the review for the staff member, who did not work at Pinnacle. We were speechless that they would track us down to thank us for that! We started writing reviews for every staff member we truly appreciated. We learned that good reviews of employees help them get more time off, they can get promoted more quickly and get better gigs. By the end of the cruise we had made lifelong friends with some of the staff and even had staff from other parts of the dining room coming over to try to serve us! They even went from the back of the ship to the front coffee shop every morning to get my wife's favorite coffee! If you meet crew that are exceptional, write Them up and turn them into guest services. They will find the employee, give them credit and make the manager aware of the great service. You will get even better service and make lifelong friends from around the world! This was on Holland America, we wanted to do the same on a Princess cruise last October but we could not find but one crew member we would have written a review for but Princess did not provide for that! The service terrible and the crew was clearly not happy in their work so we were very disappointed.
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Tips for better service
6 Answers
Reply was going to be what others here have already said - comment cards on Princess are available at Guest Services,unless they've moved them.
Not sure about Princess, but they are now available on Navigator app on HAL - used the feature in Feb while von NS.
Good to know about the APP on Celebrity. We take thank you notes woth envelopes and give them to the employee. The are free to show their supervisor but they also know how much we appreciate them. Usually this is accompanied with a monetary tip. Perhaps, your way is better. I remember when Princess had the cards at Guest Services. Sorry they discontinued that!
Thank you for the kind words. There are several of the crew members that their ships stop in San Diego. When they do we drive down their, pick them up and take them to their favorite store to shop, Walmart, Ross and TJ MAXX. They enjoyed the time and so did we.
GIL155:
Thanks for the response. That's good to know about Princess. I don't know what it was about that cruise but none of the crew members ever smiled or went out of their way to be helpful. They acted like everything was a bother to them. It's possible it was the last cruise on their contract. I don't know.
That's right. I couldn't believe it. Princess said if we wanted to write it they would give us a piece of printer paper! We did but we knew it would go nowhere.
I am sorry, but i have to respectfully disagree. I have taken many Princess cruises, and written up many positive reviews of various Staff members. There used to be cards in each cabin. (COVID might have changed that fact. I hope to find out relatively soon). I have filled those cards out, and I have received additional forms/cards from Guest Services when I asked.
Perhaps so many other cruisers were writing up comment cards that Guest Services ran out (lol- doubtful).
I am sorry you could not obtain a formal comment card. I hope your future cruises fulfill your expectations, no matter which Cruise Line.
ALSO - on my most recent Celebrity cruise, I went to Guest Services to obtain additional comment cards as I used up the card my Cabin Steward gave me. Guest Services said the comment cards are now on the Celebrity app on my phone. They would give me a card, but I had unlimited access on the Celebrity app. Sure enough - the appreciation forms were on the app, and I was thanked the day following submission by the specific Crew member(s), The Cruise Lines take these comment cards seriously, Happy cruising to all !!
You state that although HAL offers those forms, Princess does not? Did I read that correctly?
Since they are both a part of the Carnival "family" of cruise lines you would think they would all have similar protocols in place.
Yes, Princess said if we wanted to write something they would give us a sheet of printer paper. We did but we know it went nowhere.
That's right. I couldn't believe it. Princess said if we wanted to write it they would give us a piece of printer paper! We did but we knew it would go nowhere.
You state that although HAL offers those forms, Princess does not? Did I read that correctly?
Since they are both a part of the Carnival "family" of cruise lines you would think they would all have similar protocols in place.