Bar Service on Liberty Not the Greatest--Are drink packages to blame?

So...I purchase the drink package for lets say $500 + 18% gratuity - ($90). I order 1 drink over the duration of the cruise and the bartenders split $90 (tip pool), or I order 500 drinks over the entire cruise and they still split $90? I have a hard time believing this to be true, but I'll ask as I have a couple of friends who are bartenders for Royal.

Correct, that's how we were told it works for drinks served under the beverage packages.

So...I purchase the drink package for lets say $500 + 18% gratuity - ($90). I order 1 drink over the duration of the cruise and the bartenders split $90 (tip pool), or I order 500 drinks over the entire cruise and they still split $90? I have a hard time believing this to be true, but I'll ask as I have a couple of friends who are bartenders for Royal.

That’s how it works. Where else is the money going to come from. They don’t start charging people extra gratuity after they’ve reached the break even point.

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That’s how it works. Where else is the money going to come from. They don’t start charging people extra gratuity after they’ve reached the break even point.

 

 

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That's why if you want great service tip them extra, many have started printing the receipt for you to sign so you can add money that they get. If they print the receipt you add more tip for the drink they serve you they get it. So we found a bartender or waiter in each area and tipped them. Our drinks never got empty they knew our names and even made drinks big enough to fill our Yeti's by the pool!

MONEY TALKS!

I'd be curious to see a breakdown of additional tippers between a-la-carte buyers and package buyers. If a cruise is package(or a-la-carte) heavy, and they generally don't tip additional, I don't see why servers would bust their humps.

I agree for most situations, I did see where we had good bar service by the pool on Adventure last year. On day 2 the server obviously knew we didn't have a package, so we saw him often enough :)

So annoying rccl would decrease staff when more people are ordering more drinks bc got package and MORE servers are needed.

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Just got off Allure, nov 26th sailing, service was absolutely terrible and understaffed!! On the contrary, sailed liberty last year and service was excellent. Freedom, president cruise, few months ago, service was alright. So agreed, service on bars has gone downhill, i made sure to point it out on post cruise survey

 

 

 

The question is, are we able to withdraw the prepaid gratuities on drinks package if we’re not satsfied with the service?

This is disappointing. Do you suppose they staff oasis classes differently? I had good experience last Harmony cruise, coffee line long but otherwise fine.

I’m expecting staffing to be same on allure as Harmony but maybe they try to make sure newest ship gets good reviews so staff more.

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Correct, that's how we were told it works for drinks served under the beverage packages.

I understand there is a bit of negotiation collectively with the servers before starting a contract.

We got very friendly with a barman in the casino on Anthem when it started off in Southampton and they agreed something different.

Almost all the ship was on Royals 'Free' all inclusive drinks promotion so the servers got a small payment for drinks served as technically there was no gratuity (being a free promotion and additional tips over here in the UK is alien to most).

The amount us Brits drink and the fact that bottles rather than cocktails would be the drink for most (so very quick to serve) apparently the guys and girls around the pool were earning a fortune from flipping bottle tops. Good luck to them as well I say :)

It always seems when this topic comes up the packages are to blame. Then we always talk about the good old days, when the waiter would stand directly by you and magically appear when you drink is empty. Yet, we also forget that the price of the cruise in those days were more money, smaller ships. The price hasn't changed much, but the value of the dollar did.

Think of this. If you have a bartender, and ask them if they wish there were more people serving, they would say no, because it would mean, a lesser cut in the tip pool. So, currently, there is less bartenders, more people, and more drinking (due to the drink package). The ratio between drinker, and server, is completely different than the good old days when you would have 1 or two drinks, instead of 4 or 5.

Good ole days = less drinks per person, bigger ratio customer/worker

Today = more drinks per person, smaller ratio customer/worker

The drink packages might actually help the bartenders because people are paying more, and not watching what they are spending.

I think the real reason for the various ships, is the management, which is basically the same for any service industry. People will work less, if the managers don't watch.

18% is a crappy tip, and if you drink a fair amount, you may even end up tipping less than the auto 18% if you break it down per drink. Always tip extra for good service, the bartenders remember who is cheap and who's not, and service is provided accordingly.

IMO, Royal and Celebrity have both reduced number of bar staff since going to drink packages. It used to be (back in the olden days) an almost constant stream of waiters looking for customers around the pool deck, in the theater before the show, and in the MDR each night, almost to the point of annoyance at times. Now it seems like you might see one or two around the pool or in the theater but rare to see even one in the MDR.

 

We’ve pretty much just given up on ordering from a waiter at any venue. And, before someone says we’d get better service if we would tip extra, we do tip extra in cash:D

 

Sherri:)

It has been 4 or 5 cruises since we have seen a bar waiter in the MDR. Even in the specialty restaurants they don't ask you about drinks before you order with any degree of regularity.

It has been 4 or 5 cruises since we have seen a bar waiter in the MDR. Even in the specialty restaurants they don't ask you about drinks before you order with any degree of regularity.

Just to clarify, can we order drinks (alcohol) while in the MDR, or will we need to bring those in with us (or alternatively run out to get them during the meal)? I have no problem walking up to the bar to order drinks in any of the bar/lounge/pool area venues, but I do like to be able to sit down and order my drinks, as well as dinner, when in the MDR.

What is the price of the Deluxe beverage package onboard these days if you don't buy the package before you get onboard? We'll be on the Liberty in January. I guess I need to look for Bjorn around the pool!!

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What is the price of the Deluxe beverage package onboard these days if you don't buy the package before you get onboard? We'll be on the Liberty in January. I guess I need to look for Bjorn around the pool!!

Minimum undiscounted price I've seen is $55, and it could be more, plus 18%.

Just to clarify, can we order drinks (alcohol) while in the MDR, or will we need to bring those in with us (or alternatively run out to get them during the meal)? I have no problem walking up to the bar to order drinks in any of the bar/lounge/pool area venues, but I do like to be able to sit down and order my drinks, as well as dinner, when in the MDR.

In theory you can order drinks in the MDR, the problem is trying to find a bar waiter. I usually just bring a few in with me or go to the bar just outside the MDR. When I first started cruising, by the second night my drinks were waiting for me on the table when we came into the dining room. Not anymore.

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Think of this. If you have a bartender, and ask them if they wish there were more people serving, they would say no, because it would mean, a lesser cut in the tip pool.

Yes, this is exactly why people are complaining. The bartender already gets the 18% from the package, and there is no incentive for them to work faster, nor do they want other bartenders or servers. This means reduced service to the customer.

The ratio between drinker, and server, is completely different than the good old days when you would have 1 or two drinks, instead of 4 or 5.

 

Good ole days = less drinks per person, bigger ratio customer/worker

Today = more drinks per person, smaller ratio customer/worker

That may be true for you, but I don't think you can make that statement comparing a cross section of passengers today versus one from 15 years ago.

I used to order more drinks than I wanted in the 'good ole days.' They used to give you those glasses that changed style every day and if I liked them I needed at least a set of 4. I used to board the plane home with 2 carry on bags full of glasses that I was trying not to break.

People will work less, if the managers don't watch.

If the server got the bulk of their income paid the way it used to be, per drink instead of a pooled amount from package sales then you don't need a manager to watch them closely. The more they work the more they earn, and vise versa.

Tipping extra is great and all and I'm sure you'd be appreciated on board but do you really have to tip extra, when you already paid 18% on the drinks package or 18% on every drink you buy? on top of already paying $13.50 per person per day! it obviously isn't servers fault, but rather royal Caribbean's for not compensating servers enough to provide a decent service

P.S. on allure $13.50 * 6000 on board = $81,000 in tips per day!! $567,000 in tips per 7 day cruise (not counting the 18% on drink packages). Obviously RC isn't paying all of it to the crew, which is a shame

on top of that, I've heard the "partial gratuities" are all what they make. if that's true RC basically wants us to fund their employees salaries and that seems to be the case on pretty much all other cruise lines

It always seems when this topic comes up the packages are to blame. Then we always talk about the good old days, when the waiter would stand directly by you and magically appear when you drink is empty. Yet, we also forget that the price of the cruise in those days were more money, smaller ships. The price hasn't changed much, but the value of the dollar did.

 

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The "Good Old Days" and "value of the dollar" is totally irrelevant to this discussion, drink packages only ramped up 2-3 years ago. Same time frame that bar service has overall declined. And cruise prices have gone UP since then.

The "Good Old Days" and "value of the dollar" is totally irrelevant to this discussion, drink packages only ramped up 2-3 years ago. Same time frame that bar service has overall declined. And cruise prices have gone UP since then.

I first purchased the drink package on Alure in 2013 and, at the time, I believe it was only 6 months or so since they had started offering it, and it was only offered on Oasis class. From what I could tell, very few people had purchased it. I had no problem getting drinks, and service was top notch. I'm starting to think I'm going to be disappointed on Oasis next week as it sounds like service has gone south.

I first purchased the drink package on Alure in 2013 and, at the time, I believe it was only 6 months or so since they had started offering it, and it was only offered on Oasis class. From what I could tell, very few people had purchased it. I had no problem getting drinks, and service was top notch. I'm starting to think I'm going to be disappointed on Oasis next week as it sounds like service has gone south.

If you're willing to stand at the bars to get what you want you'll be fine. Mostly it just seems like there are fewer roving servers at the pool and some bars. They just aren't pushing the drinks like they used to, which makes sense since they've already got the $$$.

If you're willing to stand at the bars to get what you want you'll be fine. Mostly it just seems like there are fewer roving servers at the pool and some bars. They just aren't pushing the drinks like they used to, which makes sense since they've already got the $$$.

Gotcha, so it's moreso table and pool side service that has suffered, vs the bartender having so many drink orders that he/she can't keep up.

I can say without reservation there is a huge lack of deck servers compared to the past. In October on the Oasis I could stand on the upper deck above the pools and at times not see one "yellow shirt" deck server. At most, I could maybe see 2-3 working the entire pool deck.

However, it's not just RCCL. Two years ago on Carnival we sat the entire comedy show without a server coming to our table. Luckily I didn't get the drink package that cruise.

I am curious as to what percentage of adults purchase a drink package on a typical Caribbean 7 day cruise, as opposed to purchase drinks a la carte? My guess is less than 50% have the drink package but that is just a guess.

Just off the Liberty and the bar service in Boleros & at the bar in the theater was extremely slow. I attributed it to having the oldest bartenders I have seen in 38 cruises on multiple lines. They had trouble walking, bending to get a bottle out of a lower cooler was painful to watch unfortunately they wouldn’t or couldn’t keep up. Add to that I ordered a glass of wine and the bartender filled 1/2 the glass & the bottle ran out so he filled the other half of the glass with another was wine that was a entirely different brand and type of wine- half Pinot noir/half Zinfandel

The R bar was slow at times because with 3 bartenders running full speed, but no servers, every seat taken in the place and folks 2-3 deep at the bar there was no way they could keep up.

We stuck it the R bar & Olive or twist which seemed to have the best service the staff there could provide.