Rude Waiter on Enchantment

I wanted to ask if anyone had a similar situation and see if there was an explanation.

We were on the Enchantment and on day 2 or 3 our waiter asked to see our SeaPass (if that's what they are called). We questionned him about why and he said that their system was down so he needed to see it. He acted very funny and we felt like we had done something wrong and were embarrassed. He didn't ask any other tables for their cards. We thought maybe it was because my kids and husband ordered sodas, but we had showed him our cards the day before with the stickers on all of them. The thing is, we never ordered alcohol so there wasn't a reason for him to see the card...there weren't any additional charges on our account for any dinners. After he brought back our cards and my husband gave him kind of a dirty look, he was A little nicer. I don't know if it was because he looked and saw we were in a JS. Regardless, he should have treated us like royalty even if we were in the cheapest cabin on the ship. We thought maybe it was because he forgot our names, but he didn't EVER address our by our names, before or after the incident. Also, he was very rude to me because I didn't bring mine to dinner (sorry, I didn't know I was supposed to have it at all times--I didn't have any pockets in my outfit and was going to change and get it after dinner). I now understand the importance of bringing it to dinner, but he could have been less rude about it.

Anyway, any explanations out there?

I think you answered your own question when you stated it might have been to see the soda card. I do not think it was rude to ask for the card, however, I was not there to say that he was not rude in the way he asked or you were treated. I can say we were treated very well while we were on the Enchantment.

Tim

I don't see how it was rude. It was probably to see the stickers for your soda card again. Technically you are supposed to show that sticker every time you get a soda using the card - so he was well within his rights to ask you.

I wanted to ask if anyone had a similar situation and see if there was an explanation.

 

We were on the Enchantment and on day 2 or 3 our waiter asked to see our SeaPass (if that's what they are called). We questionned him about why and he said that their system was down so he needed to see it. He acted very funny and we felt like we had done something wrong and were embarrassed. He didn't ask any other tables for their cards. We thought maybe it was because my kids and husband ordered sodas, but we had showed him our cards the day before with the stickers on all of them. The thing is, we never ordered alcohol so there wasn't a reason for him to see the card...there weren't any additional charges on our account for any dinners. After he brought back our cards and my husband gave him kind of a dirty look, he was A little nicer. I don't know if it was because he looked and saw we were in a JS. Regardless, he should have treated us like royalty even if we were in the cheapest cabin on the ship. We thought maybe it was because he forgot our names, but he didn't EVER address our by our names, before or after the incident. Also, he was very rude to me because I didn't bring mine to dinner (sorry, I didn't know I was supposed to have it at all times--I didn't have any pockets in my outfit and was going to change and get it after dinner). I now understand the importance of bringing it to dinner, but he could have been less rude about it.

 

Anyway, any explanations out there?

Not sure either, other then maybe the soda thing as well..as as far JS deal...the cards don't show what "type" of cabin u r in...only last 3 digits of cabin # and that gives them no indication of cabin type.

Unusual to only ask for yours at the table. Even if maybe it was a possibility of dining w/Capt. perhaps, what they did to us was simply asked us for our cabin number for the invite, not card....so yes does sound unusual.

Not sure either, other then maybe the soda thing as well..as as far JS deal...the cards don't show what "type" of cabin u r in...only last 3 digits of cabin # and that gives them no indication of cabin type.

Unusual to only ask for yours at the table. Even if maybe it was a possibility of dining w/Capt. perhaps, what they did to us was simply asked us for our cabin number for the invite, not card....so yes does sound unusual.

I Just learned something new when you posted, I thought that the cabin number was NO WHERE on a sea pass.. and I just looked at an old one, (from July on enchantment) and sure enough under table number it has the last 3 digits of the cabin..Very interesting... :)

and I bet the waiter was just checking the soda sticker, what other eason could it have been> none that I can think of..:confused:

If he would have said it was to check the soda sticker, that would have been fine and not rude. The way he said it (and none of you were there) was extremely rude. He even knew it was rude afterwards because he tried to be so nice. If it was just me, I would have written it off because I can be overly sensitive. My husband, however, is not at all and he was offended. Also, the lecturing about my card was uncalled for. The kids even felt uncomfortable. He also said he was checking everyone's cards and we didn't see him check anyone else's cards...and we were looking because it made us feel so uncomfortable. I guess we'll never know what it was about...just thought someone may have another explanation. Also, we had just shown the assistant waiter our cards with the stickers and he said he knew we had the soda card so we didn't need to show them to him again.

And for all that questionned him being rude...please refrain. I may not be able to explain exactly what he said or how he acted, but I know when someone is being rude. For the record, the assistant waiter who handled our drink was very polite...he knew we had soda cards and was always very attentive. Also, the head waiter was very kind.

I'm not sure what you are looking for here. None of were there; none of us can know. If it was that big of a deal, I would have approached the head waier.

From what you described it does not seem the waiter was rude at all, it sound like you over reacted a little bit, the card is suppose to be carried on your person at all times. As far as treating you as royalty give me a break, I want the staff to be professional not bow down to me. I expect good service and friendly staff, if he was not either then you have every reason to complain or change your table.

I too read your post and did not see where your waiter was rude to you. I also doubt the waiter knows all cabins numbers to know which ones are suites and which ones are not.

I guess because we wanted to know if anyone had another explanation. We wanted to give the waiter the benefit of the doubt. I guess I'll just chalk it up to a waiter who wasn't very good and didn't have the best guest relations skills. You're right, none of you were there. Just wondered if this has happened to anyone else. We would have said something to the head waiter, but to be quite honest, we were too embarrassed. To be honest, it felt like he was questionning who we were. Maybe he was just upset because we never ordered any alcohol. Who knows. I'll let it go...I promise :). We're going on another cruise in December and I'll just pray we get a GREAT waiter to make up for this past one. On our 4 previous cruises on different cruise lines, we always had superb waiters, this one was a huge disappointment...for that reason and many others.

Just FYI, the waiter isnt going to care too much if you order booze. The only liquor sales they are incented on is the wine package which they offer the first night or 2. I almost never order liquor at dinner and it's never been an issue.

We purchased a wine package on Mariner and I had to provide my sea pass every time we had a bottle at dinner. My friends (on Grandeur and Mariner) had to provide their sea pass cards every time they ordered sodas at dinner, since there had to be a record for the use of the sodas. Our waiters explained about the soda and wine purchases on the first night. Perhaps your waiter just failed to mention that he would need it. As has been mentioned many times on these boards, you can't use one soda card for several people, so he'd have to have both yours, and you husbands. I don't think having a JS had anything to do with it. JMHO, YMMV.

Oops, just saw your last post, I was lucky and had great waiters on my cruises. Good luck with your next one! Happy sailing.

Wow, when I said like royalty, I didn't mean it literally. Our previous waiters have always exceeded our expectations. I guess I just expected him to meet our expectations, and we don't have that high of expecations, believe me.

I'm going to take my ball and go home now...I guess that's the overly sensitive side of me talking ;).

I don't drink soda so I was the only one in the family who didn't have the sticker, so he didn't need to see my card, but he still wanted to see it (even though he saw I was having iced tea).

Thanks for the tip on changing tables. I didn't know that was a possibility. If we ever have a problem with a waiter in the future, we'll be sure to change.

Just wondering if you had your tips included in your seapass account.

After he brought back our cards and my husband gave him kind of a dirty look

Maybe he was rude to you because your husband gave him a dirty look. Does it really matter WHY he had to look at your card? Doesn't seem like something to get so worked up about.

He also said he was checking everyone's cards and we didn't see him check anyone else's cards...and we were looking because it made us feel so uncomfortable.

Maybe you didn't see him check others cards because your's was the last to be checked. In other words...do you really watch what the waiter is doing at all times. Maybe he had already checked others' cards.

Why dwell on such a minor situation? How about the rest of your cruise? Anything postitive to say about it?

I went to the desk the day before the cruise ended and got the envelopes then. So it wasn't added to the account before then.

He was rude BEFORE my husband gave him the look...and nicer afterwards (and after he took everyone's cards and checked them out).

As for the cruise...it was the best cruise we have ever taken. This was one part that really upset us, but didn't by any means, have a negative effect on our cruise. We just thought maybe there was an explanation.

We would have said something to the head waiter, but to be quite honest, we were too embarrassed.

What's to be embarrassed about? If you think he was in the wrong, HE should be the one embarrassed, not you.

I guess I'll just chalk it up to a waiter who wasn't very good and didn't have the best guest relations skills. On our 4 previous cruises on different cruise lines, we always had superb waiters, this one was a huge disappointment...for that reason and many others.

What other things did he do that made him such a disappointment?

He was rude BEFORE my husband gave him the look...and nicer afterwards (and after he took everyone's cards and checked them out).

 

As for the cruise...it was the best cruise we have ever taken. This was one part that really upset us, but didn't by any means, have a negative effect on our cruise. We just thought maybe there was an explanation.

Then how about sharing the good parts of your cruise? Why dwell on the one negative? Let it go and share the happy times of your cruise.

For all you know he was doing what was directed by the maitre 'd or someone else in management.

just wondering why you or your husb just didn't

ask him up front why he was requesting your card? Besides

telling you "the system" was down and they didn't ask anyone

else.

I guess because we wanted to know if anyone had another explanation. We wanted to give the waiter the benefit of the doubt. I guess I'll just chalk it up to a waiter who wasn't very good and didn't have the best guest relations skills. You're right, none of you were there. Just wondered if this has happened to anyone else. We would have said something to the head waiter, but to be quite honest, we were too embarrassed. To be honest, it felt like he was questionning who we were. Maybe he was just upset because we never ordered any alcohol. Who knows. I'll let it go...I promise :). We're going on another cruise in December and I'll just pray we get a GREAT waiter to make up for this past one. On our 4 previous cruises on different cruise lines, we always had superb waiters, this one was a huge disappointment...for that reason and many others.

MY speculation is that someone behind the scenes directed him, or some, or all waiters, to check something. Perhaps someone had reported people using soda stickers that weren't valid. Maybe someone had peeled off a sticker from an old card and stuck it on his SeaPass, and it had been noticed. Perhaps he was instructed to take them somewhere for someone else to look at.

I can think of many possible scenarios where your waiter had been instructed to verify the actual stickers on cards.

Of course, he may not have sounded smooth and polite in the request. As you said, we weren't there. Some people are better at expressing themselves, particularly if they themselves have been placed in the awkward position by someone else.

If he was otherwise a good waiter, and showed no signs of rudeness afterwards, I would give him the FULL benefit of the doubt.

If the behavior had been absolutely heinous, I would have spoken to the Maitre D', or at least his Head Waiter.

If you weren't moved to do that, it seems that it couldn't have been so very bad in the scheme of things.

My main point is above: if things were fine afterwards, then it's not even worth talking about this one "lapse" in courtesy, if there was one.

We just thought maybe there was an explanation.

The only thing you could have done is asked him why he wanted the cards... that would have been perfectly reasonable...

The reason you may not have seen the waiters checking other people's card for soda stickers may have been because they weren't using them (i.e. they either weren't ordering sodas or they were paying for them as they went...).

Maybe he wanted to check all of your party's cards at the same time (i.e. including yours) was incase you ordered a soda in the future (so he wanted to check your card then). Ok you don't drink soda, but he doesn't know that... some people drink different things at different times and not all waiters remember your preferences (especially a couple of days into a cruise). Ok you can get some exceptional waiters, but not all are exceptional...

With any episode of perceived rudeness, the ONLY way to handle it is to address it at the time: there is nothing you can do afterwards apart from stew on it... which isn't constructive - been there, done that... ;). Best thing you can do now is put it behind you and, if it happens again, clear up any misunderstanding there and then...

Boo

"After he brought back our cards and my husband gave him kind of a dirty look, he was A little nicer."

Did he actually take the cards away from the table even tho you hadn't ordered anything extra?

I asked my husband that and he said he actually just wrote down our numbers and then went to check something. Said he was asking everyone for that because the computers were down or something.