Magic from Miami seemed rather normal

[tvguy]

Regarding the new CMs, do be aware that they have another ship coming on board. They don't want it to have all new CMs, and they don't want to leave the older ships with all new CMs - so right now there are a lot who will be going to the Wish - and some who will be remaining on the older ships - who are on their vacations while new CMs for all ships get trained.

It happens whenever new ships come on board for any line - they have to train up people so that they can staff all their ships with a mix of new and old.

Based on other cruise blogs, the cruise industry is no different than land based businesses that were impacted by the pandemic and had to close down. Many workers just vaporized. They either found other work, or in the cruise industry, many are from nations where they is a lot less confidence that it is safe to return to work. Certainly none of the staff from China are back with their zero tolerance policy on covid.
HAL has been hit hard, and during the pandemic they sold off 4 of their ships, so they have that pool of workers to draw from too.

 

[Dug720]

Based on other cruise blogs, the cruise industry is no different than land based businesses that were impacted by the pandemic and had to close down. Many workers just vaporized. They either found other work, or in the cruise industry, many are from nations where they is a lot less confidence that it is safe to return to work. Certainly none of the staff from China are back with their zero tolerance policy on covid.
HAL has been hit hard, and during the pandemic they sold off 4 of their ships, so they have that pool of workers to draw from too.

I never said it wasn't also new crew for the existing ships.

But the bottom line is they have a new ship coming online in 2 months (less really when you count the preview sailings) that they have to staff. And they are not making that all new people or leaving their 4 existing ships with all new people. And while yes, they can pull from people who have worked on other lines and may have been let go, there is a big difference between Disney service and HAL service (yes, I've been on both) - or RCCL service, NCL service, etc. So even if people are coming in having been on other lines, they still have to go through Disney's training and learn Disney's way of doing things.

 

[tvguy]

I never said it wasn't also new crew for the existing ships.

But the bottom line is they have a new ship coming online in 2 months (less really when you count the preview sailings) that they have to staff. And they are not making that all new people or leaving their 4 existing ships with all new people. And while yes, they can pull from people who have worked on other lines and may have been let go, there is a big difference between Disney service and HAL service (yes, I've been on both) - or RCCL service, NCL service, etc. So even if people are coming in having been on other lines, they still have to go through Disney's training and learn Disney's way of doing things.

Something is up. 2 years ago they had staff to run 4 full ships. Now they are having to train a bunch of new people with the 4 ships running at about half capacity.
I found no difference between Disney and HAL service, especially when it came to children.

 

[Dug720]

Something is up. 2 years ago they had staff to run 4 full ships. Now they are having to train a bunch of new people with the 4 ships running at about half capacity.
I found no difference between Disney and HAL service, especially when it came to children.

They are in process of ramping up staffing so that they CAN increase capacity. They lost some crew during the past 2 years because not all of them could afford to just hang out and wait to be called back, and some went to other lines (I've heard that Virgin poached a lot of crew from other lines including Disney). PLUS they have to completely staff a new ship. That is a lot of people to bring on.

I don't have kids, but the dining room service was HORRIBLE on HAL when I was on there. We had to constantly ask for things that should have come with menu items - the sauce for the souffle (the guy seemed baffled when we asked where the sauce was like he had no clue what we were talking about was one glaring example - and the timing for serving the table was horrible. And in the cabin, they could NOT figure out how to keep the beds together (other lines have a strap to put around them) just as an example. And attitude-wise the crew was horrible - they acted put out whenever anyone in the group I was with asked them even a simple question. And when I was disembarking and it buzzed so that I had to go back to Guest Services, I was yelled at when they were the ones who didn't correctly close my account the night before. No thank you. I don't ever have to try them again.

 

[tvguy]

They are in process of ramping up staffing so that they CAN increase capacity. They lost some crew during the past 2 years because not all of them could afford to just hang out and wait to be called back, and some went to other lines (I've heard that Virgin poached a lot of crew from other lines including Disney). PLUS they have to completely staff a new ship. That is a lot of people to bring on.

I don't have kids, but the dining room service was HORRIBLE on HAL when I was on there. We had to constantly ask for things that should have come with menu items - the sauce for the souffle (the guy seemed baffled when we asked where the sauce was like he had no clue what we were talking about was one glaring example - and the timing for serving the table was horrible. And in the cabin, they could NOT figure out how to keep the beds together (other lines have a strap to put around them) just as an example. And attitude-wise the crew was horrible - they acted put out whenever anyone in the group I was with asked them even a simple question. And when I was disembarking and it buzzed so that I had to go back to Guest Services, I was yelled at when they were the ones who didn't correctly close my account the night before. No thank you. I don't ever have to try them again.

To be honest, having cruised Paquet, NCL, RCCL, HAL, Disney, Celebrity and NCL America, only NCL America was a lower quality of service. But that is because it really isn't a cruise, it is your hotel taking you around Hawaii, and of course, an All American crew. And you overnight in two ports, and most folks only sleep on the ship those nights.
Paquet, that was well above every other line. But cruising has changed since 1980. Not sure a whole lot of today's cruisers would like one dining option for breakfast lunch and dinner, all in the dining room. No quick service. Only buffet was the nightly midnight buffet. Dinner was a 3 1/2 hour production, 12 courses.
But to the HAL point, cruised them twice, on the Amsterdam and the Westerdam, both to Alaska, and we were pampered.

 

[Dug720]

But to the HAL point, cruised them twice, on the Amsterdam and the Westerdam, both to Alaska, and we were pampered.

I'm glad you were. The group I was with (who had been with them for this in Alaska for like 10 years) was not.

 

[LoveMickey]

Thanks for the detailed information on embarking at the Miami port. Very helpful