Decline in bar service on Royal??

[scottrell8]

We've done one Carnival cruise and seven Royal cruises. We have always been extremely satisfied with every aspect of our Royal Caribbean cruises until recently. In Feb. 2015 we were on the Oasis and noticed a decline in bar service around the pool deck. Specifically, we had a hard time finding any waiters working the pool deck. We guessed that this may be because the ship is so big and not enough wait staff. This past October we were on Adventure and noticed the same thing....poor bar service around the pool deck. We did have the beverage package on these past two cruises, and even though we prepaid gratuities, I would occasionally add an extra tip on our receipts--the bartenders acted like they could have cared less. We later were told that all of the tips are divided up among the bartenders. Is this something new they started when they started offering the beverage packages? Maybe I am old school, but I miss the days when they really went out of their way to make sure you had a cold drink in your hand and were APPRECIATIVE! Anyone else have any thoughts on this issue or had a similar issue?

 

 

2002 Sovereign of the Seas

2005 Sovereign of the Seas

2011 Monarch of the Seas

2012 Freedom of the Seas

2013 Grandeur of the Seas

2015 Oasis of the Seas

2016 Adventure of the Seas

Edited January 17, 2017 by scottrell8

[Clarea]

I have reason to believe that the company is reducing the number of bar servers on the ships.

[troykahack]

Haven't seen roaming pool bar servers on 5 different ships in last 13 months. There are bars nearby just a very short walk.

 

Edited... and welcome to CC. I thought Bob would do that.

Edited January 17, 2017 by troykahack

[spookwife]

roving servers are pretty much eliminated. on most port days, I spend the bulk of my time in the Solarium while mr spook is off zip lining or something. the first couple of cruises, they wandered by every 20 minutes or so. last couple.. i was lucky if I saw one every other hour.

 

I cannot speak for the main pools, but I have heard similar tales from those that frequent that area as well.

 

same with MDR stewards. used to be they came by every night, or at least the first night and formal night, now, not so much

[sky0000547]

I have seen bar servers on the pool deck but they are very far and few between compared to years ago.

[moonltnite]

It sure seems mighty coincidental - the decrease of roaming bar servers along with offering the drink packages. It'd sure be a good way to limit how many drinks you actually order - if they make it more difficult to order drinks!

 

I wonder if those servers appear more often if the added tips given are cash vs. added to the receipts?

[WhiteSoxFan]

I noticed the same about 2 years ago. Before that you couldn't go 10 minutes without being asked if you wanted something. Now you have to search for a server or go to the bar yourself.

[troykahack]

It sure seems mighty coincidental - the decrease of roaming bar servers along with offering the drink packages. It'd sure be a good way to limit how many drinks you actually order - if they make it more difficult to order drinks!

 

I wonder if those servers appear more often if the added tips given are cash vs. added to the receipts?

 

I believe you get your drinks quicker by walking up to one of several pool bars or bars within easy walking distance.

Edited January 17, 2017 by troykahack

[moonltnite]

I believe you get your drinks quicker by walking up to one of several pool bars or bars within easy walking distance.

 

I'm sure it's faster to get up and get your own drinks - but we often love relaxing and reading in the Solarium or another shady pool spot, and it's far more convenient to have a server stop by! I do really believe there's a tie between drink packages - and fewer servers. They don't make as much profit off those of us with packages if we utilize it more frequently/easily!

 

Do those that tip in cash (the roving servers) find they are served more frequently than those that add extra tip to receipts (which would definitely get pooled)?

[CGoguen]

We were recently on Allure of the Seas and never once did we see a roaming bar server. That's fine with us but there was also one day in the afternoon where we roamed the whole ship looking for an opened bar and the only one was inside on the promenade with a massive line. We didn't care to wait a long time so we just skipped out.

[ONECRUISER]

Haven't seen roaming pool bar servers on 5 different ships in last 13 months. There are bars nearby just a very short walk.

 

Edited... and welcome to CC. I thought Bob would do that.

 

Got to tell you was on Serenade from 30OCT-23DEC, one cruise same you were on. Couple cruises no roaming servers like you experienced, then other 2 cruises had couple roaming servers all day, the kind bug you every 10 min. Must have been trying drive up low drink sales those days...

[matj2000]

If you notice, the staff pushes the packages the 1st few days.

 

After they maxed it out, they get paid regardless.

 

Why would they add more servers to push drinks that are already paid for.

 

At this point you stall to keep profits higher by not serving as much..

[troykahack]

I'm sure it's faster to get up and get your own drinks - but we often love relaxing and reading in the Solarium or another shady pool spot, and it's far more convenient to have a server stop by! I do really believe there's a tie between drink packages - and fewer servers. They don't make as much profit off those of us with packages if we utilize it more frequently/easily!

 

Do those that tip in cash (the roving servers) find they are served more frequently than those that add extra tip to receipts (which would definitely get pooled)?

 

We tip extra on every drink and nobody has asked us if we wanted a drink while in the Solarium Pool on Serenade.

[troykahack]

Got to tell you was on Serenade from 30OCT-23DEC, one cruise same you were on. Couple cruises no roaming servers like you experienced, then other 2 cruises had couple roaming servers all day, the kind bug you every 10 min. Must have been trying drive up low drink sales those days...

 

Yes, on 11/21 .... we tried to take a dip and lunch in the Solarium on sea days. We tip extra and never saw a roaming bartender. That is not saying they weren't there at times. We did an excursion at every port so didn't have time to visit the pool areas on port days. However, the bar is not 20 feet from where one enter/exit the Solarium Pool.

Edited January 17, 2017 by troykahack

[grapau27]

So they get you to pay more upfront for the free drinks packages and cut costs by reducing bar waiters so you have to walk to the bar yourself and expect you to tip the bar waiter!!!!

 

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[easyboy]

I do really believe there's a tie between drink packages - and fewer servers. They don't make as much profit off those of us with packages if we utilize it more frequently/easily!

I tend to think likewise. They are less motivated to serve well on pre-paid drink packages than pay-as-you-order drinks since revenues are not attributed to their performance.

[tserface]

I think the increase in the auto-gratuity has caused some cruises to tip less per drink so it's tougher for the servers to make a good extra from those tips. Also, with so many drink packages being sold they actually make more by providing fewer drinks.

 

It's a different world.

 

Tom

[Jarmo]

On Indy last month walk around service seemed spotty, but there were a handful of 'pop-up' bars set up on decks 11 and 12.

[KansasK]

I find there are always lines at the pool and solarium bars on sea days. It gets tiresome to always wait in a line. They need more bartenders working these bars if there are no roaming waiters.

[SilkySal]

DH and I both have the Deluxe package for our upcoming Oasis cruise. Our rule of thumb is to tip extra cash (not add to the receipt) to those who "serve" us our drinks (especially in the DL as gratuity is not included here) and do not tip the bartender behind the bar when we have to get drinks ourselves. The only exception to that rule:rolleyes: is if I am sitting at a bar and the bartender takes "extra special" care of me!;) That means that he/she asks if I'd like another when my drink is almost gone, does generous pours, or "shakes" instead of stirs my BM's!!:p I also tend to tip them if they are very outgoing, smiling and friendly!:D Usually (not always), when I offer a smile and a greeting, I'll get one in return! Anyway, that's just me!

Edited January 17, 2017 by SilkySal
spelling

[LeesSummitCruiser1]

I believe you get your drinks quicker by walking up to one of several pool bars or bars within easy walking distance.

 

On our last cruise, on the first sea day, I basically spent the entire afternoon at the bar getting drinks for me and my wife (both had drink package, no flame). I would bring her one then get back in line and by the time she had one finished I had barely got another one. Part of the problem was having to sign for drinks. It takes time to get the check, put it in the folder, get it back from customer and change tape in machine. If they would do away with the paper checks for drink packages they could probably pour 15 or 20 more drinks per hour per bartender. Plus I cant imagine the value of going through all those checks to manually balance accounts.

[grapau27]

After reading a thread on Allure where crew member tried to dishonesty sell drink vouchers maybe RC are aware of potential cons.There has been a big promotion on free drinks package in the UK so most of passengers will have them so dreading the bun fight at the bars.

 

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[dorts]

After reading a thread on Allure where crew member tried to dishonesty sell drink vouchers maybe RC are aware of potential cons.There has been a big promotion on free drinks package in the UK so most of passengers will have them so dreading the bun fight at the bars.

 

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But we are experts at 'queuing' here in the UK lol...

 

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[baileybrad]

We were on the FOS in mid-December and there were some bar folks taking orders in the pool areas. Nothing like it was years ago.

 

I, also, found the bartenders in the Solarium Pool area to be much more friendly than what I encountered on some of our more recent cruises when using the beverage package.

[BillOh]

I have seen bar servers on the pool deck but they are very far and few between compared to years ago.

 

I have found if you order once from the pool deck and you are not on the drink package, they came back and found me a few times.