Roaming bar servers in MDR?

[vacationlover_mn]

I saw in another post that there are no more roaming bar servers in the MDR (at least on Harmony). So, a couple of questions for those of you in the know...

 

Are there no roaming bar servers in the MDR on any RCI ship?

 

When did this start? (Because, if it started last year, it would explain why our bar service was awful in MDR on AOS)

 

We like a glass of wine right away and another during the meal. What's the best way to accomplish this with the roaming bartender?

 

Thanks!!!

Lisa

 

 

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[constable145]

There were roaming bar servers on the Allure last August.

 

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[TravelerThom]

...We like a glass of wine right away and another during the meal. What's the best way to accomplish this with the roaming bartender?...

The only way to be likely to have a glass of wine right away in the MDR is to carry it in from another location:cool:

[vacationlover_mn]

Thom- that's what we ended up doing after a couple of days on Adventure :). We had been so spoiled before- even as recent as 4 months before, I was almost always greeted at my seat with my favorite wine! It was either already sitting there, or brought right as I sat down. Adventure was NOT that way...

 

 

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Edited January 6, 2017 by vacationlover_mn

[kernow]

We've always found on RCL that the assisitant waiter is responsible for wine, the bar servers do other alcoholic drinks.

 

On our last cruise in October we had the package and every night our assistant waiter would be there almost as soon as we sat down asking which wines we wanted tonight. As soon as the glass was empty he would ask if we wanted another.

 

If you want something other than wine bring one in with you.

 

Julie

[msmayor]

On Serenade last March, we almost always carried a glass of wine or cocktail into the dining room with us (always went for pre-dinner drinks somewhere on the ship) but had a wine package.

 

Our waiter or assistant waiter took care of getting our wine. We never saw any bar servers in the dining room, or even a wine steward.

[sky0000547]

Back in August/September on Indy there was a bar server in my area of the MDR. He wasn't roaming very much but generally only hover around one table perhaps no other tables wanted him.

 

I'm sure if you ask your waiter he/she could sort something out.

[Clarea]

... Are there no roaming bar servers in the MDR on any RCI ship?

 

When did this start? (Because, if it started last year, it would explain why our bar service was awful in MDR on AOS) ...

Our experience has been that it varies by ship. We noticed Roaming bar servers on Vision in late 2015 and early 2016. However, we did not have any bar servers come by our table on Brilliance in late 2016. It seems to us that the number of bar servers onboard has declined since the drink packages have become popular. In other words, the company now has a financial incentive to make it harder to get drinks.

[matj2000]

Back in March I had to bring my own drink.

 

When I ran out, I got up and walked the promenade to a bar to get a new one.

 

In Nov, the Asst Server did bar drinks but was very slow.

 

I guess it's kind of random.

 

Good luck getting anything right away.........

[spookwife]

 

We like a glass of wine right away and another during the meal. What's the best way to accomplish this with the roaming bartender?

 

Thanks!!!

Lisa

 

 

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Walk n with a glass and as you are handed your menus ask the server to send over the beverage servers.

 

That being said, on more than one occasion we never got our second glass but was charged anyway so had to remove it at GS. Which always takes a day while they look for the receipts.

 

 

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[troykahack]

On our 11 night Nov/Dec cruise, after the first night, our drinks were waiting for us when we arrived for dinner (MDR). On occasion, when one of the couples were not at dinner, the drinks were just given to the table.

 

Now, we were a group of 11 people. This was the first time for us with drinks were waiting for us on a cruise. We could have brought a drink from the CL but because the drink was waiting, we didn't do this.

Edited January 6, 2017 by troykahack

[molly361]

I have not seen them in a few years. Even when they had them service was not that great. We also just brought our drinks in with us.

[CruisingChick]

The only way to be likely to have a glass of wine right away in the MDR is to carry it in from another location:cool:

 

It's a bit of a pain, but that's exactly what we did on our last RCCL cruise. We would each get 2 glasses of wine at the bar closest to the dining room and carry them in with us. Not very classy, as according to etiquette rules you are not suppose to carry a drink to dinner, but I think those rules went out eons ago.

[steveru621]

I saw in another post that there are no more roaming bar servers in the MDR (at least on Harmony). So, a couple of questions for those of you in the know...

 

Are there no roaming bar servers in the MDR on any RCI ship?

 

When did this start? (Because, if it started last year, it would explain why our bar service was awful in MDR on AOS)

 

We like a glass of wine right away and another during the meal. What's the best way to accomplish this with the roaming bartender?

 

Thanks!!!

Lisa

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

There is still bar service in the MDR. Much less personnel, and they hardly roam around the MDR. You most times have to ask your asst. waiter to get them to your table. Once you establish a relationship they usually appear every night.

 

Wine, as others have posted is the responsibility of the asst. waiter?

 

We have always carried a drink into the MDR. At the prices RCI are charging now, an unfinished drink comes with me no matter where I got it from.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[vacationlover_mn]

I noticed a typo in my last paragraph... however it seems you guys know what I meant :)

 

Getting a drink in the MDR on Adventure was so hard, it became a joke at our table! The guy getting drinks would sometime even glance at us, and when he caught our eye, he'd practically run away :). Maybe it's because we had a drink package? He practically lived at a big table near us... maybe they didn't have a drink package and we're tipping more?

 

 

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[Big_G]

I have not seen them in a few years. Even when they had them service was not that great. We also just brought our drinks in with us.

 

This has been our experience also for the past few years. I posted this back in December 2014.

 

I haven't seen them in a couple of years but I think bar service in the dining rooms on Royal ships isn't what it use to be. In the past bar servers would come to the table every night. Towards the end of the meal they'd return with trays of shooters. Then they stopped coming around with the trays unless you asked when they came the first time. Then the bar servers showed on the first night and if you didn't order a cocktail, they never came back the rest of the cruise unless you asked your waiter for bar service.

 

 

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[vacationlover_mn]

I think I'm going to tip, even though I have the drink package, to see if it helps :)

 

 

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[racerxspeedy]

Our Assistant waiter was amazing on Harmony last month. After the second MDR visit he had the table set with Soda, and asked if he could bring beer and wine. Service was excellent.

[troykahack]

There is still bar service in the MDR. Much less personnel, and they hardly roam around the MDR. You most times have to ask your asst. waiter to get them to your table. Once you establish a relationship they usually appear every night.

 

Wine, as others have posted is the responsibility of the asst. waiter?

 

We have always carried a drink into the MDR. At the prices RCI are charging now, an unfinished drink comes with me no matter where I got it from.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

 

Our recent experience, drinks in MDR have been provided by the Asst Waiter. This is from Jan 2016 to present, 5 cruises. The same person who fills water glasses, offers bread, and a twist or two of the Pepper Grinder. This applies to all types of drinks.

 

Haven't seen a roaming bartender in MDR or pool area for some time. I generally tip per drink but tip a bit different in MDR. If we plan to eat in the MDR most nights, on the first night I will tip the Waiter and Asst Waiter, $10 to $20 each, depending on length of cruise/nights in MDR. The more nights in the MDR, the more often I tip. Tipping cash is very helpful for better service.

 

 

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[ljmandelbaum]

Last February on grandeur we had a great bar waiter. If I remember correctly the waiter got him for us the first night, he made sure we had our wine glasses filled as well as getting us what ever we wanted. He didn't charge us for the soda my MIL or daughter had one night. I know we tipped him at the end of the week but don't remember if we tipped before that.

[jticarruthers]

Havent managed to get reliable drink service in the MDR going back as far as Springbreak 2015 on Jewel (there was service but hit and miss), Freedom Thanksgiving 2015 we ordered drinks the first night as we sat down and didn't see the drinks server again until the last night of the cruise, Adventure Thanksgiving 2016 I don't think we ever saw a drinks server.

[tigers317]

We were on Oasis two weeks ago and had mtd. The first night the roaming bartender never came to our table even though he served all the tables around us. We ended up going to the bar at the entrance and getting our own drinks. The next night when we checked in they asked how service was the night before and we told them. They put us in another section for the rest of the cruise. The bartender there was great. She never let our drinks get empty. We tipped her well the first night and she went out of her way the rest of the cruise. She would find us on the pool deck and make sure we always had a drink. She would even bring my wife a drink if she didn't have her seapass with her and then come back when I returned with the seapass to run it.

[bambione]

I just got off Sunday from Liberty of the Seas and there was a roaming bartender in the main dining room. His name was Vilmos and he really knew his drinks and wine.

[troykahack]

I just got off Sunday from Liberty of the Seas and there was a roaming bartender in the main dining room. His name was Vilmos and he really knew his drinks and wine.

 

Inconsistently inconsistent.....

:D