July 4th, 2017
Cruise season is well upon Nova Scotia – a true sign of our summer!
A wonderful customer service story came in from our Port of Sydney site, where 8 to 17 commissionaires provide security, cruise ship services and boarding control.
One of Commissionaires’ duties is access control of passengers coming on and off the cruise ships. Commissionaire Janetta Keagan was greeting a ship’s passenger coming ashore by wishing the gentleman a wonderful day in Sydney. The discouraged gentleman replied, “I would enjoy it better if my wife could come with me.”
Janetta asked why she could not accompany him and discovered she required a wheelchair and the cruise ship was charging $200 per day to rent one. She jumped into action, informing him there are wheelchairs at the port and he was welcome to borrow one for the day. The passenger was overjoyed! Janetta sent another commissionaire to bring a chair to the gangway and assisted him in getting it to the ship, bringing his wife off the ramp.
The couple spent several hours enjoying the shops at the port and, upon their return, the passenger insisted he pay Janetta or tip her for her assistance. She refused, of course, noting this is Cape Breton, we want you to enjoy your visit. The gentleman boarded the ship with his wife and Cmre Keagan returned the wheelchair.
As the ship left the dock, the husband and wife stood at the rail shouting their thanks to the commissionaires once again.
A visiting cruise ship at Sydney Port, NS. Sydney tour buses are lined up to take passengers on local tours and to Louisburg and the Cabot Trail.