No More Staff Sining in MDR???

During our last cruise in May, our head waiter failed to crack a smile during the lone singing night and didn't make eye contact with our cheering table. I thought, this is probably getting a little old, at least for him. Or, maybe he was having a bad day.

The move to end the singing is probably aimed at streamlining MDR schedules?

I enjoy waving my napkin around in the air for the first few minutes, then after 5 minutes I'm pretty much over the singing and speeches and I start getting antsy because I want my dessert! :D

I'm indifferent. I enjoyed it a few times over my cruise history, but my last time on Jewel we were the absolute last table served on the main floor and for the first time ever, the singing and parading started before we got our main course and both the waiter and asst. waiter left to sing.

A few people have speculated that these days the wait teams have more passengers per team than in the past, don't know if that is true or not.

Whew, finally. Maybe now I can get DW to go back to the MDR.

 

 

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Still not enough to get me back into the MDR.

They had singing on Ex on the last night.

It was the Washy-Washy Lady! She had a bunch of people around her on level 3 dining room. She sang her song and the audience joined in. I forget what the tune was; it could have been sung to Macarena.

People seemed to like it.

I wont miss the singing eitther or dancing.

The waving the napkins part always grossed me out. You've spent the meal wiping your mouth, etc with it and then you're going to sling everything on it around the dining room? :eek:

I agree! In addition to it being annoying, the napkin waving is just gross!!

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The waving the napkins part always grossed me out. You've spent the meal wiping your mouth, etc with it and then you're going to sling everything on it around the dining room? :eek:

This!

No singing on Vision 7/17 cruise, not really a big thing to me either way, but we were looking forward to it since we had first time cruisers with kids with us for the trip and thought they would enjoy it.

Ended up being late to the aerial show in the centrum since we were "lingering" a bit waiting for it :)

Came back from a B2B on the Allure two weeks ago. There was no "staff" singing in the Main Dining Room or in Johnny Rockets.

I did miss it, and enjoy it when it was being done.

Our waiter in the MDR said that there were to many complaints from cruisers about the singing. He however was disappointed. He said that most staff members in the MDR enjoyed it. It was a chance to have a little bit of fun, a couple times during the week. He said that there were a few staff members who did not enjoy it, but that most of them did like to sing.

I am sorry to see it go.

This is a very wise decision and hope it is on all the ships. Thank you.

Charles and Connie

I sincerely hope that this is a company wide policy. DH and I both hate the singing nights. In fact we have been known to hurry our meals to escape the dining room before they started. It slowed down meal service and quite honestly I was embarrassed for the staff being forced to participate.

I think I'm a "take it or leave it" on this one. There is no question that it slowed down the service, and the singing was never very good, BUT it has been a cruising tradition and a fun way to show appreciation both from guest to waitstaff and from waitstaff to guests. Maybe if it was shortened up and only one night (a farewell song perhaps) it would be ok.

Happy to see it go, always felt awkward that they had to do it. Too hokey. Let the already overworked staff just do their jobs and not need to pause and sing.

I don't mind if once a voyage on a DCL cruise they want to do some sort of conga dance with the kids led by a character, that can be cute, but otherwise, happy to hear singing might be going away.

Now if Jiffy Lube can stop making that employee rush out to unroll a red carpet before I get into my car............... another awkward 'service' I don't need...............

Came back from a B2B on the Allure two weeks ago. There was no "staff" singing in the Main Dining Room or in Johnny Rockets.

I did miss it, and enjoy it when it was being done.

 

Our waiter in the MDR said that there were to many complaints from cruisers about the singing. He however was disappointed. He said that most staff members in the MDR enjoyed it. It was a chance to have a little bit of fun, a couple times during the week. He said that there were a few staff members who did not enjoy it, but that most of them did like to sing.

 

I am sorry to see it go.

No singing in Johnny Rockets surprises me more than in the MDR. Seems like that is a place that lends itself to the singing adding to a fun atmosphere and is in keeping with the 50's diner theme.

Now this would be something they cut out that I could get behind and support 100%. I know that it's a cute surprise for first time cruisers, but it's easy to see that the waiters are really stressing their duties to serve their tables and the mandatory performance. We always feel guilty for wanting to leave so we stay and it's just awkward all round.

IMO if they keep the crew talent show that is a good compromise. Passengers get to hear various staff members sing (mostly, some do other talents) if they choose to go. I gave up flailing my napkin in the MDR years ago, but I do sometimes go to the talent show (my choice) and some of the crew are quite good. Then at the end much of the staff (not just waiters) parade in and you can wave to your favorites. I think those go together, but I have to admit that cruises and cruise lines blur together somewhat:o

Thom

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

agree.

They have also stopped singing on Princess Cruises too.

I just got off Carnival Fantasy. They still sing, but it was pretty lame. I always find it embarrassing. I'm happy to hear it might be on the way out.

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Oh my! I must be the oddball out here!!! Just got off Navigator two weeks ago with a group and we all could not believe there was no more singing any longer. We were ALL disappointed!!! I am a seasoned cruiser and so were all of my group. I guess we're just all old farts even though we're young. To me it was just one of the fun things that you got on a cruise that you don't get on land.

 

In fact, I even clicked on this link hoping that people were lamenting the loss of the tradition! Ha ha! Boy, was I stunned! :)

jrljel me and my crew of longtime cruisers are with you... We LOVED it and are sad to see it go!!!

But then dinner in the MDR is always great fun for us and usually we make our waitstaff feel so great about everything else that they readily tell us their performance nights when we inquire.

I had no idea some folks didn't enjoy this little activity. You learn a lot on CC.

Guess I will just have to pull out some old pics and videos when I really feel the need.

They had singing on Ex on the last night.

 

It was the Washy-Washy Lady! She had a bunch of people around her on level 3 dining room. She sang her song and the audience joined in. I forget what the tune was; it could have been sung to Macarena.

 

People seemed to like it.

We were on the Explorer last week also! She sings her washy washy song to the tune of "I like to move it" from the Madagascar movie. They did also sing on the 7th night. If I remember correctly they did the Tarentella. On the 8th night I didn't go but my sister said they did a train with the kids.

My family enjoyed it. We had a few first time cruisers with us. This was our 3rd cruise but our first time eating in the MDR.

Just got off the Allure yesterday, and the wait staff did no singing on the last day.

However, the cast of Chicago had to do the cooking that night.;)

They had it on the radiance a couple of weeks ago in Alaska and it was the best ever. Just when I thought it was over they broke out into "gangnam style"and four of the crew did it on the staircase, it was fabulous!

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:

No singing in our MTD experience on Grandeur last week.

REALLY?

Hope the grandeur was fun, again.