Does anyone else find this embarassing?

[ilovetexas]

Originally Posted by rance

I feel embarrassed for the servers when they make them parade around and put on a show waving napkins etc.
Also seemed to interrupt the dinner service and distract the servers flow.
Their job is busy enough, if I want a show ill go to the theatre.

Anyone else feel this way or am I getting old and grumpy lol.

I must be getting old and grumpy, too. There are plenty of entertainment venues on these ships and I think the singing and dancing in the dining room is unnecessary. DCL, CCL, RCI, and Celebrity have all done it to some extent when I've cruised with them. I would prefer a well run dining room with polite, efficient and knowledgeable servers as opposed to conga lines, group songs, etc. On DCL, I certainly don't mind them "playing" with the kids at their tables (our last one did magic tricks) but the other stuff bothers me.

A previous poster mentioned not watching embarrassing sitcoms; I could never watch The Office!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

[kylmac]

I love the Goofy and Peter Pan hats that they make on the cruises-hope they never stop doing that-very fun seeing my parents celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary and daddy's 79th birthday with a Peter Pan napkin hat on his head! I love the parade in Animator's Palate-just love the color changes! That never gets old!
Elizabeth

[cmclaura]

We just did B2B on the Dream and they didn't parade on the last night on either cruise. Kind of disappointed....it always seemed to make everyone so cheerful afterwards.

[Meghatron]

Originally Posted by cmclaura

We just did B2B on the Dream and they didn't parade on the last night on either cruise. Kind of disappointed....it always seemed to make everyone so cheerful afterwards.

They don't do any of that on the Dream or Fantasy because the dining rooms are too big.

[manateesmom]

Originally Posted by bumbershoot

Some people feel embarrassed for others when the others are doing something that is silly (being concerned that the other person is embarrassed or feeling funny). I'm one of them. I can't even watch friends on stage or listen to them play music, since I'm always concerned that they will mess up and be embarrassed. (the one time I was honest with a friend about this, she dropped me...I know this isn't something that most people feel, and I know it isn't something that makes others happy, but I don't live my life for others) This might all stem from being in theater in HS and college, and having flubbed my lines horribly on stage, and never getting over it. (welcome to the therapy session LOL)

Anyway, I can't even watch sitcoms like Three's Company when they have the really embarrassing parts; I leave the room or scan it forward. DH thinks it's weird. DS does the same thing as me and has the same feeling I do, even though I try to not be obvious about why I suddenly need a drink of water during the high-tension sitcom scenes, LOL.

I don't like that kind of stuff either (you will NEVER see me at Whispering Canyon, and I wasn't a fan of the napkin thing at Chef Mickey that I've just now remembered they did), and now I have one more thing to be concerned about with this cruise. I don't remember anything like that happening on our RCCL Alaska honeymoon cruise, but maybe it was the evening we skipped the main dining room. Sigh.

(and I have been known to feel the same way for performing CMs at DLR and WDW. not all of them, but sometimes I wonder "how can they enjoy doing this?")

ITA with this.

For me, there's an additional layer on a cruise ship. It comes uncomfortably close to exploitation. I mean, most of these cruise workers are from disadvantaged, third world backgrounds. I always think of Bernie Mac in Ocean's Eleven, saying

Want me to get on the table and dance? Shine your shoes? Smile at you?

The idea being that expecting him, a black man, to perform was racist exploitation. I mean, the dynamic here is that mostly non-white, poor folks are making spectacles of themselves for the entertainment of comparatively affluent, mostly white people. It just makes me uncomfortable. They do it on most cruise lines, and I guess I can at least see some argument that on Disney it's for the kids, but, still, it makes me squirm and I'd rather not see it.

FWIW, I know this is also polarizing, but I have an issue with the people who befriend the staff on cruise ships. My in-laws are so bad about this. Asking lots of personal questions that I see as intrusive and they see as friendly. Because there's a power dynamic there, that the cruise line employee isn't really free to say "that's none of your business" or "reminding me of my kids is painful," because his/her pay depends on positive reviews. It seems exploitative to me. I wish cruisers would just be polite and appreciative of good service, and let people keep their own privacy and dignity if they choose not to voluntarily share. And I also don't want to encourage what I've seen people complain about here and re: other lines, where an employee overshares some really negative or inappropriate information (someone reported a server talking about seeing murders back home). I know lots of people who cruise think it's "stuck up" not to get so personal with the staff, so I know there are definitely two schools of thought.

[OKW Lover]

Nope - doesn't bother me at all. Not that I'm a fan of the whole thing but it is what they get paid to do.

[rance]

Manateesmom.... Great post.

There is a real power dynamic between passenger and staff. I also find it uncomfortable when our table mates said how aweful it must be for you not seeing your kids in 6 months. What's the server suppost to say to that. He was visibily sad as this person obviously can't relate to their world. Now the guy has to smile and dance for her in a show.
These jobs aren't really choices its what they have to do and if Disney says run around with a sparkler and dance they have to do it.

[Tonka's Skipper]

Its all part of the show and judging by the reaction of the diners, the overwelming majority enjoy it .....BIGTIME.

Most line's do this as well!

AKK

[MyYearWithTheMouse]

Originally Posted by bumbershoot

Some people feel embarrassed for others when the others are doing something that is silly (being concerned that the other person is embarrassed or feeling funny). I'm one of them. I can't even watch friends on stage or listen to them play music, since I'm always concerned that they will mess up and be embarrassed. (the one time I was honest with a friend about this, she dropped me...I know this isn't something that most people feel, and I know it isn't something that makes others happy, but I don't live my life for others) This might all stem from being in theater in HS and college, and having flubbed my lines horribly on stage, and never getting over it. (welcome to the therapy session LOL)

Anyway, I can't even watch sitcoms like Three's Company when they have the really embarrassing parts; I leave the room or scan it forward. DH thinks it's weird. DS does the same thing as me and has the same feeling I do, even though I try to not be obvious about why I suddenly need a drink of water during the high-tension sitcom scenes, LOL.

I don't like that kind of stuff either (you will NEVER see me at Whispering Canyon, and I wasn't a fan of the napkin thing at Chef Mickey that I've just now remembered they did), and now I have one more thing to be concerned about with this cruise. I don't remember anything like that happening on our RCCL Alaska honeymoon cruise, but maybe it was the evening we skipped the main dining room. Sigh.

(and I have been known to feel the same way for performing CMs at DLR and WDW. not all of them, but sometimes I wonder "how can they enjoy doing this?")

That's an interesting way of looking at it--I never thought of that before. Personally, I LOVED the performance aspect of working for Disney. Especially with the kids, I found it a great deal of fun to generate energy in the audience and a contagious happiness in the crowd. I loved seeing the adults just let loose and be silly without feeling self-conscious, because I think that people need to lighten up sometimes and laughing and dancing like nobody's watching is good for the soul. So it wouldn't occur to me to be embarrassed for someone in that position. I love getting into it myself (can't wait for Pirate Night). Kids just have a refreshing way of approaching the world, like everything is new and joyful and exciting, and I love capturing that for myself and eliciting that in others. I can't say for DCL, but I know at Disneyland Resort parks, that most people who work there genuinely love making people happy no matter their position, including the performance aspect. You wouldn't believe the competition for performance roles. Because really, the pay and hours kind of suck , yet people stay for a reason. I know DCL is different, pulling from a different pool of workers (internationally and often from disadvantaged countries), but my general assumption is that the staff enjoys doing it, especially when the crowd participates. Funny how our own experiences color our perception.

[BethC1952]

Originally Posted by manateesmom

ITA with this.

For me, there's an additional layer on a cruise ship. It comes uncomfortably close to exploitation. I mean, most of these cruise workers are from disadvantaged, third world backgrounds. I always think of Bernie Mac in Ocean's Eleven, saying

The idea being that expecting him, a black man, to perform was racist exploitation. I mean, the dynamic here is that mostly non-white, poor folks are making spectacles of themselves for the entertainment of comparatively affluent, mostly white people. It just makes me uncomfortable. They do it on most cruise lines, and I guess I can at least see some argument that on Disney it's for the kids, but, still, it makes me squirm and I'd rather not see it.

FWIW, I know this is also polarizing, but I have an issue with the people who befriend the staff on cruise ships. My in-laws are so bad about this. Asking lots of personal questions that I see as intrusive and they see as friendly. Because there's a power dynamic there, that the cruise line employee isn't really free to say "that's none of your business" or "reminding me of my kids is painful," because his/her pay depends on positive reviews. It seems exploitative to me. I wish cruisers would just be polite and appreciative of good service, and let people keep their own privacy and dignity if they choose not to voluntarily share. And I also don't want to encourage what I've seen people complain about here and re: other lines, where an employee overshares some really negative or inappropriate information (someone reported a server talking about seeing murders back home). I know lots of people who cruise think it's "stuck up" not to get so personal with the staff, so I know there are definitely two schools of thought.

I agree with you. I'm always friendly, polite and appreciative toward the servers. It's a job I could never do. But I don't ask personal questions unless they open the way. On our most recent cruise, our assistant server was very excited to be visiting his family at one of our port stops. We were happy to hear the details!

I'm not embarrassed by the performances in the dining room, but I'm another one who would really rather enjoy a nice dinner. I was taught, and I taught my child, that meal time is a time for conversation and enjoying good food, not for all kinds of other things. I also don't like dinner theaters for the same reason. We always go to Palo on Pirate Night to avoid at least that much noise in the dining room.

Other than the dining experience, even this old lady loves feeling like a kid on a Disney cruise!

Beth

[JimGA]

Don't ask for ketchup at the Whispering Canyon Cafe at the Wilderness Lodge!! LOL

[N365PA]

Originally Posted by JimGA

Don't ask for ketchup at the Whispering Canyon Cafe at the Wilderness Lodge!! LOL

Ask for a refill...(or Ketchup, or where the bathrooms are....)

I love that place.

Clint

[joech]

Chef Mickey atmosphere = Priceless

[pyramid2000]

This post really threw me for a loop! If you really think about it, there are many, MANY ways to look at the same thing! I think the reason cruise ships have these type of things in the dining rooms is to offer a way to excite those who are, after all, on vacation. They do this in many ways throughout the cruise! I think MyYearWithTheMouse hit the nail on the head stating that in general, the staff enjoys doing this sort of thing. It gives them a way to brighten someones day! Heck, it probably brightens their day! At least they get to let loose a little bit. I was very disappointed that they don't do this on the new ships as were servers who came from the classics. I believe that if this is something they don't enjoy they would look for something else to do and I highly doubt doing a little show in the dining room would even be their reason (how about grumpy or demanding guests?)

One thing I always do when we first meet our servers is allow them to let their guard down. I let them know we are not demanding and aren't looking to be doted on. We usually have very frank discussions about anything and everything and they can divulge as little or as much as they want about themselves. Just because someone asks a CM a question doesn't mean the CM has to go into any detail or even answer honestly.

I guess the only time I feel embarrassed for a staff member is when they are trying their hardest in whatever they are doing and are not getting the response they are trying so hard for!

[PizzieDuster]

Originally Posted by N365PA

Ask for a refill...(or Ketchup, or where the bathrooms are....)

I love that place.

Clint

What do they do?