Narration, Entertainment & Bar Guidelines

Whether you are a singer or not, you are an entertainer. When you are serving your tables, announcing special occasions, performing the opening/closing numbers, narrating to the pax, etc., you are entertaining your passengers.

Although it is useful to know the proper way to serve wine and to know different sites along the river and nautical terminology, etc., with all the service guidelines, tips and lists to memorize, it is easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. American Waterways, Inc. is fortunate to have a talented and versatile staff, and we want you to add your own personal style to your service. Therefore, use the information in this section to polish your service and entertainment skills, rather than define them.

Narration

A large percent of the passengers we serve are tourists. You are required to have a basic knowledge of your surroundings. Here is a list of the general things you should know:

The names of Portland’s bridges and when the were built

The story behind the U.S.S. Blueback

What O.M.S.I. stands for and where it is located

The Aerial Tram

What O.H.S.U. stands for and where it is located

The story behind the “Made in Oregon” sign

The location of the bald eagle’s nest on the Ross Island

The history of the Palatine Hill Pump Station

The history of the Waverly Country Club and golf course

Elk Rock Island

Visit https://sites.google.com/portlandspirit.com/narration/ for complete narration. Your passengers will quiz you on the information!

Use of Nautical Terms

The use of nautical terms is part of the experience that American Waterways, Inc. wants its passengers to enjoy. When you refer to the bathroom as a head, to the kitchen as the galley, and to a stairwell as a ladder, you not only consciously remind the passengers that they are on a boat, but you also convey a sense of professionalism and authority.

Knowing and using nautical terms is also required for safety reasons.

Song Choices

There is a selection of songs to perform in the Portland Spirit songbook. However, if you are a singer, you are welcome to provide your own sheet music for any song to perform, which meets with the entertainment coordinator’s approval.

Choose songs that are versatile and would work for multiple occasions. Consider the age, sex, personality, etc. of the guest(s) you are singing for when choosing a song from your approved repertoire. A song that is appropriate for one situation is not always appropriate for others.

Be sure your pianist is familiar with a song before you sing it. If possible, practice with the pianist before boarding. When performing, sing to the entire deck. Make eye contact and play the audience. Keep a professional demeanor, but have fun with it, too.

Never sing while looking at the sheet music or words. Karaoke is extremely unprofessional, so if you are not performance-ready with a certain song, don’t sing it.

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Service Tips

• Have fun with your job. If you enjoy your work, the passengers will sense it and be more at ease.

• Know your products. Memorize drink selections and daily entrée menus.

• Smile and make eye contact with the passengers.

• Address crew members with correct titles, “Captain Bolger”, especially in front of passengers.

• Foresee the special needs of your guests: highchairs for children; accessible seating for people in wheelchairs; extra coffee for seniors, etc.

• Personalize your service. For tourists, point out the sights. For romantic couples, give them space and/or dedicate a love song.

• Stay away from informal body language or jargon, such as “Welcome folks” or “How are you guys doing today?” Be professional.

• Stay within sight of your guests when possible and avoid congregating in groups with coworkers.

• Offer fresh-ground pepper with salad.

• Serve hot food immediately when it arrives. If your guests have left the table, be sure to alert them to the arrival of their food.

• Be aware of the sections around you and offer assistance when possible.

• Keep trays and buss tubs of dirty dishes out of sight when possible.

• Tidy tables between courses and after the meal: fold napkins, buss unneeded dishes, straighten silverware and centerpieces

• Continue service throughout the entire cruise. Service does not end once the check is paid. Use the extra time to narrate sights to your guests or suggest places to see in the area after the cruise.

With every cruise, we enjoying serving our passengers bar beverages. Only crew with a valid OLCC card are able to serve alcohol and serve it responsibly. Make sure you are carrying your card at all times.

Food Runner

Setup – Obtain a manifest from the cruise director. The manifest generally contains all the specific details regarding the cruisePrepare bread baskets for the entire boat using the following guidelines:

• One basket for tables with one to four passengers

• Two baskets for tables with five to seven passengers

• Three baskets for tables with eight to eleven passengers

• Four to five baskets for any larger tables.

Always make a few extra. Once this task is done, assist the bussers and servers with their setup duties. However, do not neglect any photographer duties if you have been scheduled as a photo/food runner. Be dressed in full uniform at least ten minutes prior to boarding. Boarding – On public cruises, food runners have two main responsibilities during boarding: seating passengers and distributing bread baskets to tables and running appetizers.

Begin by assisting the cruise director at the podium during the initial rush. When assisting passengers, be confident and courteous. Know your tables numbers—Regular Setup & Table Numbering—and pull out chairs for ladies for seating ease. Let the passengers know who their server is and that their server will be with them shortly. Always make eye contact and smile when speaking to passengers. Also, if a passenger requests directions to the heads, escort them personally.

After the initial rush is over, and with the cruise director’s permission, start filling bread baskets and distributing them. All bread baskets should be out before the opening number.

Opening Announcements/Number – Just before the vessel leaves the dock, the cruise director and the captain will make announcements with cruise and safety instructions for the passengers. Stop whatever you are doing, unless you are handling lines. If you are speaking to a passenger, politely direct their attention to the announcements. Stand and listen to the announcements, facing the captain or cruise director and out of the way of passengers.

The cruise director may ask you to demonstrate donning a life-jacket during the captain’s safety announcements. Walk around the deck while you do so, so that every passenger can see your demonstration.

For lunches, brunches and dinners, the entire service staff, including servers, are required to sing the opening number. However, if you are appointed to handle lines, you may be excused from singing the opening number if the two tasks conflict with each other.

During the Cruise – Before entrées begin going out, run out appetizers and refill bread baskets as necessary, and when possible.

To properly carry an oval, first make sure the contents of the oval are secure. Then lift the oval onto one shoulder, and hold the oval from underneath using the fingertips of the corresponding shoulder’s hand. Steady the oval using your other hand. Never lift an oval if it is too heavy for you.

As soon as an oval of food is ready to deliver, carry it from the galley to the correct server’s section. Place the oval on a jack-stand, out of traffic’s way if possible, and be sure to alert the server that their food has arrived.

Used ovals and entrée lids should be returned to the galley as soon as possible. Return them as they empty, each time you return to the galley. Do not forget to fold up jack stands and store them out of traffic’s way and in convenient locations when not in use. Jack-stands may be leaned against tonnage posts during food service and pre-bussing. Otherwise, they must be stored in the buss stations when not in use.

After all of the entrées have been delivered, you may quickly eat with permission from the galley and cruise director. Then begin transferring plates and silverware from the buss station(s) to the galley and prepare them for dish-washing. Plates must be completely scraped of solid-food- waste and stacked neatly. Silverware must be placed in buss tubs of soapy water. Glassware and coffee cups need to be empty of any food/debris and placed in the appropriate racks in the galley.

Gift Shop – Halfway through the cruise, you may be asked by the cruise director to open the gift shop. If so, obtain a bank from the bartender with a sufficient amount of 5’s, 1’s and quarters. After you close the gift shop, immediately return your bank to the bartender. You will also need to fill out a gift shop server report. These reports should be filled out as soon as possible and given to the cruise director.

Wine/Champagne Presentation

In order to present wine and champagne well, you must first be familiar with the vessel’s wine list—Wine Lists. Different vessels offer different selections. As these selections change from time to time, be sure to verify with the bar manager that the wine lists are up-to-date.

Challenge yourself to sell a bottle of wine, or at least a glass, on the first table seated in your section. Other tables will see the wine being enjoyed and are likely to order wine for their table as well.

Use suggestive language when offering wine: “May I suggest a bottle of Oak Knoll, Pinot Gris with your sautéed breast of chicken?”

Always present the bottle to the guest who ordered the wine or champagne. When the guest is satisfied with the bottle of wine, remove the capsule by scoring it below the lip and lifting it off with the knife of your wine-key. In the case of champagne, remove all of the foil, and place the removed portion in your pocket.

For wine, use your wine-key to remove the cork and then unscrew the cork from your wine- key. Place the cork on the table in front of the person that selected the wine. If the bottle has a screw top, place the top on the table as well.

For champagne, place a linen napkin over the cork and carefully remove the wire-cage. Place the wire-cage in your pocket. Then, holding the cork in your left hand and the bottle in your right tilted at about forty-five degrees, slowly twist the bottle while holding the cork stationary. Keep a firm hold on the cork as it is slowly released with a gentle “phuht-ah” sound.

Pour less than a fourth of a glass for the guest who ordered the bottle, making sure to hold the label facing the guest. When the guest is satisfied with the wine/champagne, begin serving the ladies at the tables starting from the left of the guest who ordered the bottle and working clockwise. Then serve the men counter-clockwise, finishing with the guest who originally ordered the wine. Fill the glasses about one half to two-thirds full, depending on the number of guests at the table.

Occasionally, a bad bottle of wine or champagne may be served. In this case, offer to bring a new bottle for the guest to taste. If you are having difficulty pleasing the passenger, ask the bartender or cruise director for advice or assistance.

If there is wine/champagne left in the bottle, leave it at the table. For white wine and champagne, place the bottle in an ice bucket.

Always serve responsibly.