Cutback in Carnival Bartenders and Waiters??

[Manualwriter]

I have been on 29 cruises, with the last three on the Carnival Pride. My last one returned to Baltimore on the 29th of May. On this cruise, there seemed to be cutbacks on the amount of bartenders in all locations... and very few if any waiters to serve the lounges and on the entire Lido deck. Gratuities are the same per beverage, but you had to go up to a bar (particularly on the Lido deck underway) and wait there to be served. The gratuities amounts where the same as before when the waiters where available. My question to you all is three fold:

1. Was that just a one time shot on the Pride cruise I was on..?

2. Is this still happening on the Pride's cruises since then..?

3. Or, are this cutbacks happening throughout the Carnival Line..?

 

I just enjoy a little service.....

Manualwriter

[CARNIVALCRUISE3]

This is happening on all ships. I sailed on the Breeze in March and May, and there were hardly any by the pool area. You had to go up to the bar and get your drink. I have been on 27 cruises, and have seen the decline in the past 2 years. There used to be so many bartenders walking all over the lido deck offering drinks.

[Micahs Grandad]

In May on the Dream, found the bar waiters on lido to be as annoying and plentiful as before. Not bashful about interrupting us to ask if we want drinks.

 

Waitstaff seems about the same since they went to one headwaiter and two assts.

[klfrodo]

oh the horror :eek:

[Missileer]

We were on the Miracle in April and did not have your experience either on Lido or in the casino. Will pay attention to this detail in August on the Legend.

[drafterdw]

I have been on 29 cruises, with the last three on the Carnival Pride. My last one returned to Baltimore on the 29th of May. On this cruise, there seemed to be cutbacks on the amount of bartenders in all locations... and very few if any waiters to serve the lounges and on the entire Lido deck. Gratuities are the same per beverage, but you had to go up to a bar (particularly on the Lido deck underway) and wait there to be served. The gratuities amounts where the same as before when the waiters where available. My question to you all is three fold:

1. Was that just a one time shot on the Pride cruise I was on..?

2. Is this still happening on the Pride's cruises since then..?

3. Or, are this cutbacks happening throughout the Carnival Line..?

 

I just enjoy a little service.....

Manualwriter

 

just off Pride and had same experience. Also, don't like that waiters now take drink orders in dining room. Makes service very slow. We started gabing a drink ***** way into dining room.

[cdamion]

I have definitely noticed this in the last couple of years. The last few cruises I had to just go to the bar to get drinks most of the time (which is fine). The dining room was the worst, so I just bring my drink from the bar in there.

[Podna's]

I've been called a cheerleader here which is cool, but no way I can deny this one. We experienced the same thing on my last cruise on the Triumph 2 months ago. Lido service was almost non existent and the wait time to get a drink at the bars on the lido were very long. By no means a deal breaker but lack of service was very noticeable.

[BlazinSunsets]

haven't had a problem getting a waiter in any of the lounges. On Lido it's sometimes difficult but if I was paying attention I could always flag one down within 10 minutes. With bartenders I noticed bars go thru cycles they have a very busy 10-15 mins and then nothing for the next 5 or 10 mins so they obviously can clear their orders it just takes a few minutes.

[jnwinos]

Never have a problem, especially once they see we tip extra every time. Matter of fact on our last cruise on the Pride we had to complain to bartender that they would not leave us alone.

We bring a glass of wine in the dining room and tell the wait staff that we would like a few more through out dinner and most of the time, no issue.

[RjayB]

Maybe i am in the minority, but I never really liked the drink servers walking past every 5 minutes asking if i wanted a drink.

This is one cutback (and yes there are others that do affect me) that does not bother me at all :)

[http404]

My observation as well. Finally just went to fetch my own and was having to wait 10 mins at the bar to get a drink.

 

Carnival's biggest money maker and they are slowing down the distribution channel.

[esdoorn]

Only once on our cruise this past april on the sensation did we have someone on the lido deck come up to us and ask if we wanted drinks. I got a bucket of beer to sustain me for the afternoon. I tried the bar by the pool and had to wait about 10 minute and also tried the bar at the back of the ship by the lido buffet and had to wait 10 minutes. I said screw it and went to my cabin and grab some beer that I had pre-order as I was pissed with having to wait so long. You'd think with the money they make with drink purchases they would have decent dedicated staff at the bars to pump out the drinks.

[greaseslapper]

I've been called a cheerleader here which is cool' date=' but no way I can deny this one. We experienced the same thing on my last cruise on the Triumph 2 months ago. Lido service was almost non existent and the wait time to get a drink at the bars on the lido were very long. By no means a deal breaker but lack of service was very noticeable.[/quote']

 

Another BRILLIANT cutback Cheers Mate :D :D

[John Reid]

My observation as well. Finally just went to fetch my own and was having to wait 10 mins at the bar to get a drink.

 

Carnival's biggest money maker and they are slowing down the distribution channel.

 

Biggest money maker before Cheers. It may be a ploy to slow down Cheers service. And I did say MAY be.

[greaseslapper]

Where is the BRILLIANT Jimbo5544/ :D

[John Reid]

oh the horror :eek:

 

Isn't that special!

[WhyIsTheRumGone23]

I agree, on the Conquest in May there seemed to be less servers, however, once we placed the first order on Lido, they continued to routinely come back. An extra tip to start the process and the Cheers! program definitely seemed to help. In the MDR, our waiter took the order and our bar server delivered usually within a short period of time. We really had few complaints. One other tip that added to our enjoyment was stopping by Alchemy for a martini to take to the MDR. Always have more patients with a drink in my hand. ;)

[bar1068]

just off Pride and had same experience. Also, don't like that waiters now take drink orders in dining room. Makes service very slow. We started gabing a drink ***** way into dining room.

 

 

Yea, but they put on a "singing and dancing" show to distract you while you wait.

[Micahs Grandad]

Yea, but they put on a "singing and dancing" show to distract you while you wait.

 

funny:)

[Micahs Grandad]

My observation as well. Finally just went to fetch my own and was having to wait 10 mins at the bar to get a drink.

 

Carnival's biggest money maker and they are slowing down the distribution channel.

 

Considering the profit margin on booze very strange they would do this.

 

Perhaps they needed more space on the ship for additional photographers?

[Tapi]

Maybe i am in the minority, but I never really liked the drink servers walking past every 5 minutes asking if i wanted a drink.

This is one cutback (and yes there are others that do affect me) that does not bother me at all :)

 

 

I agree. My wife used to joke (kinda seriously) that she would wear a shirt that said "no thank you, I don't want a drink" [emoji6]

 

We just returned a few weeks ago from a cruise aboard another cruise line (MSC) and one of the things that we enjoyed was how waiters were unobtrusive and almost invisible. They were there, somewhere in the distance, and if you summoned them they would quickly approach you and take your drink order, but otherwise they'd leave you alone. [emoji1360]

 

We did read however how a lot of people used to the more aggressive and plentiful type of wait service considered MSC's approach to be poor and impersonal customer service. To each his own. We considered it to be a positive, not a negative.

[Micahs Grandad]

I agree. My wife used to joke (kinda seriously) that she would wear a shirt that said "no thank you, I don't want a drink" [emoji6]

 

We just returned a few weeks ago from a cruise aboard another cruise line (MSC) and one of the things that we enjoyed was how waiters were unobtrusive and almost invisible. They were there, somewhere in the distance, and if you summoned them they would quickly approach you and take your drink order, but otherwise they'd leave you alone. [emoji1360]

 

We did read however how a lot of people used to the more aggressive and plentiful type of wait service considered MSC's approach to be poor and impersonal customer service. To each his own. We considered it to be a positive, not a negative.

 

Always found the drink waiters on lido to be very annoying constantly interrupting and asking if we want a drink.

 

Would be easier IMHO for them to walk around and let passengers call them if they would like a drink.

[JMAE]

We have cruised the Pride 5 times in the recent past and over that time it appear to us that there is fewer wait staff. Longer wait time for the walk by on deck and Punchliners and at the bars.

[pollux]

Just got off the Vista.

It took 40 min to get a drink in the casino.

Most nights no bar service at all.

The casino give a drink card to heavy gamblers but no bar service.

Lots off mad passengers.