Most people think the crew on a cruise ship are just there to serve drinks, clean cabins, and keep things running in the background. But after more than 100 cruises, I've learned that a handful of crew members have an outsized impact on your entire vacation.
Knowing who these important crew members are can take you cruise from "good" to "great" quite quickly.
The crew on Royal Caribbean ships work extremely hard, so you should expect all of them to be friendly and helpful. The difference is there are a few that can help enhance your vacation.
Here are the 7 crew members on any Royal Caribbean ship you should know about that can step in if there's a problem, or are going to be important to get to know early on.
The Cruise Director is responsible for all the fun onboard
Royal Caribbean ships have so much happening, and it's all the work of the Cruise Director and their staff.
Usually your first interaction with the Cruise Director is when you hear an announcement of the public address system welcoming you onboard and informing you about fun things happening around the ship.
Not only is the Cruise Director usually a very friendly person to meet, but they can tell you about any special events coming up, or simply let you know if there's a specific activity that will be offered.
Heck, you could always request a certain event if it's not on the schedule and they might be able to assist (provided it's logistically feasible).
As an example, I asked the Cruise Director once for professional wrestling trivia because it was an event on one cruise. Sure enough, it was added to the schedule.
Meet your cabin attendant on the first day so you can convey any special requests
You will want to meet your stateroom attendant early on in your cruise, because they will be the crew member you interact with the most. Plus, they can help enhance your experience.
Usually, the cabin attendant will come by your room on the afternoon of the first day to introduce themselves to you. They will try to swing by your room in the early afternoon.
This is when they will not only introduce themselves, but ask if you have all your luggage, and offer you a variety of upgrades and requests such as:
- If you want your cabin serviced in the morning or evening
- Do you need extra towels?
- Do you want the beds split apart or pushed together?
- Would you like ice delivered to your cabin each day?
- They will take care of any laundry you need sent out
Plus, the cabin attendant is who to speak with first if there's any kind of a maintenance issue in your room. Air conditioning not working as well as it should? TV won't turn on? Broken furniture? Stains, spills, or other "oopsies"? They are who you want to get in contact with.
They will provide you with their card, and there's a special extension you can dial to reach them if you don't spot them out in the hallway.
Plus, the room stewards are the people that make those fun towel animals, organize your room when you're away, and deliver any mail or surprises to your cabin.
It's amazing how helpful the stateroom attendant can be on any cruise, so it's critical to meet them.
I will go to the Loyalty Ambassador to sort out any questions I have about my perks
One of the vastly underrated crew members on any ship is the Loyalty Ambassador because they are the problem solvers.
I don't know about you, but I run into problems with my Crown and Anchor point totals being off. Plus, I've heard people having delays getting their Points Choice conversions to go through.
They're also very useful for helping figure out how many points my kids have in their push to reach Pinnacle Club on their own. My kids only see my point total in their account, so we need the Loyalty Ambassador to help.
They are also very helpful for changing your Crown and Anchor onboard benefits. Once your reach Diamond Plus, there are certain gifts you will get every sailing. We will periodically change what we're getting so that we can mix things up.
The only issue is actually tracking down where the Loyalty Ambassador is located. On many ships, it seems they are hidden away in an obscure location.
The Hotel Director will be so helpful if you run into any unresolved problems
Rarely there's a problem that goes beyond a quick call to the maintenance department, and that's when the Hotel Director is quite helpful.
I never engaged much with the HD for a long time because I didn't quite understand their role. They are responsible for everything on the ship that isn't Food & Beverage or on the marine side of things (like what the Captain and engineering team does).
They are the crew member you want to know just in case there's a problem that isn't getting resolved. Nearly all the problems I've had in my cabin have been quickly taken care of, but one time we had an issue that needed escalation.
On a cruise many years ago on Rhapsody of the Seas, there was a leak that was slowly coming through the floor and maintenance couldn't easily identify the source. After a few back and forth attempts, the Hotel Director stepped in and said while we were on a tour, they would rip up the carpet and get a good look. She coordinated he whole thing while we were gone and the repairs were done by the time we got back.
To find the Hotel Director, their office is almost always located near Guest Services. Speak with Guest Services and they can put you in contact with them.
If I'm staying in a suite, getting to know the Suite Concierge could help
Arguably one of the best perks of staying in a suite is access to the Suite Concierge.
You should get an email from them a few days before your cruise to welcome you onboard and explain the suite perks available.
Think of them like your first step in problem solving, because they are available exclusively to suite guests and can do pretty much anything Guest Services can do. Plus, they seem to be more motivated with trying to ensure you're happy.
You can email them before the cruise to book any dining (like Coastal Kitchen) or tours you prefer.
Just like Guest Services, they are who you should go to when you have a billing discrepancy, general question, or need a Seapass card replaced.
I make a point to stop in the Suite Lounge on the first day of the sailing to introduce myself.
The Lead Bartender at your favorite bar is a hack for the best service
When you find your favorite bar on the ship, it's not a bad idea to look for who the lead bartender is there.
The reason meeting the Lead Bartender can be smart is they're the most experienced server there. There's a good chance they have better-than-average mixology skills and are a good resource to recommend new drinks to try.
When the bar isn't busy, I love to strike up a conversation with them. Because of their tenure, they have tons of stories from past cruises and they've seen it all.
Usually they stand out because their uniform is a little bit different from other bartenders at the bar. If you're in doubt, ask one of the other bartenders who it is.
When I'm playing in the casino, I'll make a point to meet the Casino Host
When my wife and I go on a cruise, we know ahead of time if it's a cruise we want to try to earn points in Royal Caribbean's casino versus a sailing where we aren't planning to gamble much.
If we are chasing points, I'll usually go to the Casino Host a few times to follow-up on point totals, check the offer sheet, and get answers to any questions I might have.
I've observed there's a certain art to schmoozing the Casino Host. When I cruise with friends, the Casino Host is a great resource for opening up a table so we can all play a game together.
