EC Un-Plugged:

Read below for WOW finalist and winner tales from September!

Some of our WOW FINALISTS:

1) On a recent cruise when all shipmates were working doubles, Restaurant Supervisor Marquis went above and beyond! The lunch cruise had 72 guests in wheelchairs, and there was some confusion regarding seating – while getting everything straightened out, Marquis carried wheelchairs up and down the stairs several times, trying to get everyone to the correct place. Through it all, Marquis maintained a great attitude and showed the guests great OSS despite the confusion! WOW!

2) While talking with some of her guests recently, Spirit of Boston server Geralyn revealed that she is currently studying opera in a master’s program. The guests, who have family in Italy, were intrigued. Geralyn decided to surprise the guests at the end of the evening by singing some opera to them – the guests were delighted and said Geralyn made them feel right at home. Great job!

3) New York OSS Star and Bateaux shipmate Cleiton saved the day when a guest went to the outer deck to enjoy the scenery and was unexpectedly soaked by a wave. Cleiton, who happened to have an extra suit on board, offered the clothes to the guest as they were approximately the same size. The guest, who was very grateful, was able to enjoy his cruise comfortably thanks to Cleiton’s Level 10 service!

WOW WINNERS

1) Who: Trey
Where: Norfolk
Vessel: Spirit of Norfolk

During a recent wedding, Trey helped coordinate vendors and pre-board wedding guests. When the ceremony was over, Trey helped carry 150 chairs off the boat and re-set the deck before the cruise. When the ship came back into port, it was discovered that the grease trap had overflowed, causing grease to leak all over the galley. Trey stayed until 2am pumping grease and cleaning the floor for the cruise the next morning. After he clocked out, he ran into the mother of the bride, whose car had broken down right outside the boat with the wedding cakes inside. Trey moved the cakes into the boat where it was cooler, found jumper cables, and helped jump the car. After working for fifteen minutes with no noticeable effect, he pushed the car into the adjacent parking lot. Trey then retrieved the cakes and made sure they got safely to the hotel the guests were staying at. To top it all off, after this late night, Trey was back on the ship at 9:00am the next day to work a double!

2) Who: Fallen
Where: Chicago
Vessel: Mystic Blue

Mystic Blue server Fallen was taking care of a party of 50 people when she noticed one of the guests, a woman in a wheelchair, was sitting by herself. When Fallen greeted the woman, she learned that she wanted to go outside to the observation deck with the rest of her party, but she was motion sick. Fallen, recognizing the opportunity to provide Level 10 service, took care of the guest, taking her out to the stern of the ship to get some air and keeping her company. As the guest missed lunch while she was outside, Fallen had the galley make her a plate along with a special dessert. Fallen’s extra effort made the guest’s day!

Thanks for taking the time to recognize our superior employees with us – check back next week for more exciting Entertainment Cruises updates!

Take a deeper look at what makes us stand out from our competitors.
Below are snippets from some of our May WOW finalists.

• Washington DC

When a group of passengers on a Brunch cruise was transferred from the Spirit of Washington to the Odyssey, one member of the group was apprehensive about boarding when he saw that the Odyssey is a glass vessel, because the guest has an allergic reaction when he is in direct sunlight. After he realized he wasn’t going to be able to find a shady spot to sit, he and his party almost left the cruise.

Roger came to the rescue! He ran out to CVS and bought the gentleman some sunscreen so that he would be able to stay and enjoy the Brunch cruise! WOW!

• Baltimore

On a recent dinner cruise in Baltimore, a mother and daughter guest admired server Leanda’s earrings throughout the cruise, commenting on how beautiful they were. To their surprise, Leanda offered them her earrings at the end of the cruise! The guests were thrilled, and the daughter found Leanda to tell her how much it meant to them, especially as they had just found out a couple of days prior that the mother has cancer. Leanda’s thoughtful gesture really made their cruise special.

• Chicago

The Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, a Seadog Captain had a personal emergency right before his shift and was unable to come to work. With a 100-person cruise ready and waiting to go, First Mate Dan LaPorte frantically tried to get someone to cover the cruise – he ran down the Pier to all of our ships before finding Brian Parker on the Mystic Blue and asking him to help out. Thanks to Dan’s quick thinking and initiative, our guests were able to enjoy the cruise after all! Great job, Dan!

It’s not just part of our company “policy” to go above and beyond. It’s something we all enjoy to do…and not just for the recognition. More stories coming soon – be sure to check back shortly!