No More Staff Sining in MDR???

On our last cruise (Freedom) we were joking at our table almost every night about how we were going to be interrupted any second for the very loud speaker to start bragging about the staff and food. A little self-aggrandizement would be OK, but it seemed like every night as we were winding down our pleasant table talk we'd be inundated with the head guy coming on saying "Don't you love us...?" waits for applause... "Don't you love our food...?" waits for applause... "Don't you just want to watch our waiters lip sync some song they don't even know..." waits for applause... etc. etc. etc.

Maybe one night of it would be OK, but 7 out of 7 nights on the Freedom got a little old. I may be more sensitive since I was on our first B2B sailing and we got to hear it all twice.

Even our waiters gave us rolling eye looks every time it came on and they had to stop setting up for dessert to go do some march around the place.

The sad part is it always happens when we're hoping to be done soon because we want to make it to a show or game after dinner and we sort of feel like we're being held hostage. I know, we could skip dessert... yeah like that's gonna happen.

Tom

I don't understand what is the big fuss, it's not that they sing and dance every night. On most of our recent cruises it's only on the last night and it represent the thanks of the wait staff to the Pax by singing "hey look me over." None of the wait staff seemed flustered and they seemed to enjoy the extravaganza. You're such a bunch of drips.

We like the dancing in Johnny Rockets :) I always join in, it's a vacation, it's supposed to be fun and a place to do things you normally would not do at home. :D We also enjoy the singing in the MDR. Again, it's a vacation, it is supposed to be fun and festive. If I wanted sedate and boring, I would cruise on an "older themed" cruise line :rolleyes:

I will miss it in Johnny Rockets but definitely not in the MDR.

I'm one more that is glad to hear they have done away with it. I'm also one more that speculates the waiters are probably happier than we are to see an end to it.

Let the entertainers sing and the waiters serve.

Thanks for the change.

I think it just doesn't fit. People go to the MDR acting like it's a fancy restaurant with formal dining. And then the waiters start singing and dancing (and usually not well). If that happened at Chili's or Red Lobster, I'd be annoyed, but not surprised. But it just doesn't fit.

(note: I don't consider the MDR fancy or formal. But it seems that we are supposed to pretend that it is.)

I'll join the majority. I won't miss it at all.

The waiters' song-and-dance routine was great fun on our first few cruises, so I think it may be fun for many first time cruisers. Those who have cruised many times probably don't find it so enchanting. Hubby and I try to duck out early on nights when the waiters are most likely to entertain.

Another thing, so many ships have specialty restaurants now, fewer and fewer passengers are even in the MDR when waiters entertain.

We've been regular cruisers for about fifteen years now. It is amazing how fast the cruising experience is changing and many of the traditional customs are disappearing or changing.

I think it just doesn't fit. People go to the MDR acting like it's a fancy restaurant with formal dining. And then the waiters start singing and dancing (and usually not well). If that happened at Chili's or Red Lobster, I'd be annoyed, but not surprised. But it just doesn't fit.

 

(note: I don't consider the MDR fancy or formal. But it seems that we are supposed to pretend that it is.)

On my first cruise I expected a MDR supper to be a very nice catered affair. The courses sound better than they taste. It's a meal prepared for hundreds of people at the same time. You don't get individual cooking. My expectations have been tempered from very nice catered affair to a nice banquet that can surprise, in both directions.

I have adjusted my expectations and I believe I am reasonable and only get annoyed when they are not met. Or they are attempting to sell me something they cannot deliver.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Thankful that the singing ends. They have more than enough to do and making them sing always seemed demeaning to me. Let Carnival keep the singing...glad RCCL has ended it!

I for one will not miss it. I don't think the wait staff will either.

Agreed. It was a novelty for the first two or three times but not after that. However,maybe it should be kept for those who are new to cruising.

I hope it's not all the singing. I would certainly miss:

HOPPY BARSTDAY, HOPPY BARSTDAY on my "special day" ;)

They had baked Alaska on the Grandeur last week. :)

Each waiter used to place an entire baked Alaska on his head and it was flambeed. They would dim the lights and the waiters would parade around the MDR. Very pretty.

Shirley, Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

I really think its:

Hoppy Burfsday two shoes!

i really think its:

 

Hoppy burfsday two shoes!

lolol!

On our last cruise (Freedom) we were joking at our table almost every night about how we were going to be interrupted any second for the very loud speaker to start bragging about the staff and food. A little self-aggrandizement would be OK, but it seemed like every night as we were winding down our pleasant table talk we'd be inundated with the head guy coming on saying "Don't you love us...?" waits for applause... "Don't you love our food...?" waits for applause... "Don't you just want to watch our waiters lip sync some song they don't even know..." waits for applause... etc. etc. etc.

 

Maybe one night of it would be OK, but 7 out of 7 nights on the Freedom got a little old. I may be more sensitive since I was on our first B2B sailing and we got to hear it all twice.

 

Even our waiters gave us rolling eye looks every time it came on and they had to stop setting up for dessert to go do some march around the place.

 

The sad part is it always happens when we're hoping to be done soon because we want to make it to a show or game after dinner and we sort of feel like we're being held hostage. I know, we could skip dessert... yeah like that's gonna happen.

 

Tom

I hope they stop this on Freedom too. What you describe is what our cruise was like on Freedom last summer. The first night the parade and singing was kind of cute. The second night it was "Oh, they are doing it again?". By the third night it was "Oh no, not again". And then it went on. I think they sang and did some sort of parade on 5 out of 7 nights. It was one of my least favorite things about the cruise.

Thankfully its gone. Never could understand why on a billion dollar ship they had a poor PA system and an even worse copy of the music. That music must have been copied over and over to the point of being nearly unintelligible.

I'll miss it like a toothache.

I always thought of it as extremely hokey, embarrassing for the waitstaff and far too loud. Good riddance.

If this goes fleet wide, I will be glad. I think it is degrading to waiters.

We've done My Time dining a few times and they don't do it in that area and it was great not to have it.

Off Allure yesterday and definitely no singing in the MDR. We ate there every night, however, they were dancing/singing in Johnny Rockets...

I think I was on the same Grandeur to Bermuda cruise as the OP. As a first time cruiser I had heard about the littledancing show and was disappointed it never happened. Dinner could have used a little something considering the violinst was only there (late seating) three out if the seven nights. Is that normal? We REALLY enjoyed him the nights he was there.

Glad to hear that it has ended.

 

The great fun was when they would parade around the dining room with Baked Alaska, and everyone would cheer and wave their napkins.

 

Then they took the Baked Alaska away.:(

 

That's when the singing should have ended!!:D

 

Rick

I remember the Baked Alaska parade, and the Bobaloo cake dance as well. Back then, it was a little music, a parade, and dessert was served. Not too long ago, it was an ORDEAL of bad PA system and never-ending requests for applause. I won't miss it at all.

On Carnival, I found the "Low" dance appalling. A couple of poles would have completed the picture...

Wendy

The singing has interrupted many an interesting conversation, and it is too loud to talk over it. If the new policy is no singing or parading, I consider this an improvement.

I won't miss it either. If I want a show at dinner, I'll go to a dinner theater, not a cruise dining room. Of course, I know there are people who enjoy it, I just don't know any of them.;)

I agree with the PP who said it was too loud. As far as I'm concerned, EVERYTHING is too loud on the ships. I enjoy listening to the performers in the various bars, and I enjoy (some of) the shows. However, I don't enjoy the ringing in my ears afterward, and I don't enjoy hearing five different types of music blaring at me at once when I walk through the Royal Promenade. I like most kinds of music, I just enjoy hearing it at a level where I can hear all of it, not the overamplified thumping and screeching that happens when it's too loud.

Beth

Agree. Just because some of you don't like it, doesn't mean everyone doesn't like it. Maybe some of you have forgotten to enjoy yourselves & take the critic part of this forum too seriously.

Really? If I don't care for the singing, I'm "jaded" or don't know how to enjoy myself? It's a bit arrogant to assume people who disagree with you must have some character flaw or other. Nobody is asking you not to like it, people are just expressing their opinions about it.

Personally I don't hate it, but I won't miss it either.