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Cruise Ship Shop

June 13, 2009 08:31PM
Hi all, I received an email last month on Cruise Ship Shopping. I was not planning on a cruise any time soon and deleted the email.

Well, my hubby & I decided to take a short weekend cruise and I would like to take advantage of the cruise mystery shop.

By any chance, does anyone have the email or know what company does the cruise lines??

Thanks for your help
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December 15, 2009 01:35AM
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Might have been a scam. I would be hesitant to spend money on a cruise, write a book and then get it rejected because you didn't get the name of the Honduran fry cook that waved at you once.
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December 15, 2009 01:49AM
Even if it was real, it probably came with specific dates, a specific line, a specific port of embarcation. Also, there are some that shop the cruise itself, and some that shop the 3rd party providers, such as the gift stores. A cruise shop shopping the cruise itself is a huge undertaking requiring a large amount of time put into reporting.

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“Lying in bed would be an altogether perfect and supreme experience if only one had a colored pencil long enough to draw on the ceiling."
~Gilbert K. Chesterton
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December 15, 2009 02:49AM
I've seen promo emails for Shadow Shopper that look like a cruise offering, trying to get people to sign up for their service and promising the possibility cruise shops. It could have been one of those as well.

You will not be assigned a cruise with any of the companies I have worked with unless you have a pretty stelar reputation with them. A MSC can't 'undo' a cruise shop like a hotel that went bad, since the tickets are often comped for the shopper.

And yes, getting the names of staff on cruise ships can be an extreme challenge, considering the breadth of cultures that work on them. The good news is that it's not considered strange on a ship to stare at a nametag and ask, "How do you pronounce your name?"
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December 15, 2009 03:41AM
The closest I've come, or even seen, was a twilight dinner cruise. Four hours on the ship with drinks/dinner/entertainment. I was so focused on points to hit. My husband had a lousy time because I was preoccupied. I know I didn't have fun. It was work. Seemed like a good idea at the time.
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December 16, 2009 02:37AM
Exactly Mert! Now multiply that times 20 and you have a typical cruise shop.


Also keep in mind that tricks you may have developed for keeping track of your shops on land may not be appropriate at sea. I normally use my phone to take notes, but you can't really be walking around glued to your mobile phone in the middle of the Pacific! And recording a week's worth of info to a DVR will have you spending your entire vacation listening back to it.

If you are pining for a cruise, I suggest taking 100 of the $25 bank jobs and buying yourself one. That way, for just about the same amount of work, you get to choose your cabin and you will have much more fun on the trip.
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December 16, 2009 04:39AM
Yes, I spent two beautiful days in Cancun in my hotel room writing reports that were due shortly after my return flight touched the ground taking me home. Step out for a little while to make the next round of observations or have a meal with observations, then back to the room to write it up. A real thrill [not], and although I would have loved to spend the time with my sweetie, I was just as glad he had not come because he would have been chomping at the bit to 'go do something'.
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December 16, 2009 05:14AM
A few hours doesn't seem too much to expect.
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December 20, 2009 12:52AM
Here is a message I got from BMA in December 2008...

Dear BMA Shopper,

We are trying to build a database of shoppers who will be taking a cruise
in 2009. If you have a 2009 cruise booked and would be interested in
conducting a mystery shop during your cruise please let us know! In order
to be considered for these assignments, BMA needs the following
information.....



So...looks like they expect you to get there on your own and pay your own way and do whatever in your "spare time". Ha. I didn't have one booked at the time but I did let them know when I did...never heard from them.
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May 31, 2010 03:43AM
I have never been on a cruise. But if I ever go it won't be a working cruise. Sometimes you got to pay to relax and smell the ocean.
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May 31, 2010 08:17PM
BigGeorge Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Might have been a scam. I would be hesitant to
> spend money on a cruise, write a book and then get
> it rejected because you didn't get the name of the
> Honduran fry cook that waved at you once.


Hahah I know this is an old post, but I loved it.
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June 01, 2010 12:44AM
......if anyone waves, be sure and get their name..........
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June 02, 2010 10:21PM
My wife and I have been on many cruises over the years, and we would rather pay for our cruise than have to evaluate every moment of the experience. The last 7 day cruise evaluation I performed was more than 80 pages of single spaced text and included over 125 photos. Think of it as writing a screenplay, with every nuance, word, expression and action detailed ad nauseum. I was cooped up writing for most of the trip in a dark inside cabin that I would never have selected myself. The Mediterranean ports of call were wonderful, but I only saw the one where I had to evaluate a full day excursion. While both airfare and cruise were reimbursed. I can honestly say the flight in coach was the more enjoyable. The only benefit was being able to stay in Europe a while longer due to the flight flexibility permitted. Cruise evaluations are most popular with those that have never performed one. Be careful what you wish for.
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June 11, 2010 03:03AM
I would love the opprtunity. I cannot afford to go on vacation otherwise. So a paid cruse would be awsome. I would bring my laptop and it's extra batteries so I can soak up the sun while I write my reports. I have recording devices that can tape interactions, I don't have to worry much about missing names or descriptions.
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June 11, 2010 05:25AM
lame1 is right on the $$. Be careful what you wish for.

If I ever do another cruise I will not even bring my laptop. It doesn't really work like hotels shops where you can work in the room and have the report done when you leave. Taking the time to write the report on the ship just wrecks the entire value of the experience, IMHO. I would sightsee in every port and set aside 3 days from the moment I got home to complete the report.

For my last cruise, I kept detailed notes in my phone and emailed them to myself, then worked from that. The report took me 25 hours to complete and and I'm relatively quick with that style of reporting. I got about 20% of the report finished on the ship. It was a 5-night cruise, so I would have had to set aside 5 hours per day to write it up while onboard. I don't think I had 5 free hours on any day aboard the ship! Between all of the meals, housekeeping, shore excursions, turndown, spa visits and such, you are on the go from the moment you board.
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June 11, 2010 05:59AM
I have shopped a cruise as well and I did get it done (finished on the plane ride home) for the most part on the ship but it was the least relaxing shop I have ever done. I never slept more than 5 hours a night and at times literally RAN throughout the ship getting everything done. And I had my guest helping a LOT.

My guest and I decided it just was not worth the angst and I do not think I will ever do one again. We joked the entire week (mine was a 7 day cruise shop) by saying, "Are we having fun yet?" to each other in this sarcastic tone of voice.

Luckily mine was to an area (the Caribbean) that I was not super excited about seeing (having done quite a few cruises on my own to the same area) so I did not mind not getting off the ship and working on the report instead. Had I been in a part of the world that I really wanted to see (like Asia or even the Med - always something exciting to see there) it would have killed me that I could not fully participate in all there was to do or see. The only type of cruise ship shop I might consider in the future would be a transatlantic where there are lots of day at sea anyway.
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July 26, 2010 04:53PM
Hi,

QACi has offered dinner and moonlight cruise shops for domestic day cruises on the East Coast. They want you to evaluate the bar service on the ship. So, you can enjoy the dinner and dancing, as long as you visit all the bars. Not bad. You can check them out at www.qaci.net.

Judy
Independent Scheduler
MsScheduler@atlanticbb.net

Follow Me on:

www.facebook.com/mysteryshopperscheduling
@MsScheduler
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