We found out that Mitcho's birthday is the day after mine. My daughter went to the head server and insisted that we have a birthday party for him...so at the end of the meal, he was called over to our table and told to sit at the empty seat. Unfortunately, we didn't realize till he told us later that he was frightened--he thought he was being disciplined for something! He was totally amazed, and said that no crew member had ever been given a "party" (however small) in the passenger area.
A year later, we made a point of cruising that week again, this time with gifts for him. It was absolutely the highlight of our trip. I'm really glad to hear that he might be aound again this time. We've already put in our request.