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Full court press on beverage and dining packages

Smitty83

By Smitty83,
in Celebrity Cruises

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Smitty83

Smitty83

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I boarded the Infinity about 10:30. It’s now 1 and at least 5 waiters have already asked me to buy a dining package or drink package. Including DURING the Concierge lunch.

 

One guy found us on the Rooftop Terrace. He was carrying a tray and a drink package brochure. I told him I had a premium package but asked him for a Coke. He told me to go to the bar and get it myself.

 

This is really intrusive.

 

 

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TeaBag

TeaBag

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Have a great cruise, Smitty. We will be down on the sea wall today waving you off. We looked at this cruise but the one on the Solstice out of Seattle Sept 14, ending in Vancouver, won out.

 

 

Sorry about the high pressure sales. I wonder if they get extra pay depending on the volume they sell?

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MixerDave

MixerDave

Posted
Posted
I boarded the Infinity about 10:30. It’s now 1 and at least 5 waiters have already asked me to buy a dining package or drink package. Including DURING the Concierge lunch.

 

One guy found us on the Rooftop Terrace. He was carrying a tray and a drink package brochure. I told him I had a premium package but asked him for a Coke. He told me to go to the bar and get it myself.

 

This is really intrusive.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Let us know if they make any deals in the next couple of days. We will be on the Reflection on an 11 day in November.

 

BTW - used to live in Hamilton Square.

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hcat "Live from...." Rare

hcat

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My sister was just on RCCL in Alaska and said they had all kinds of pushy sales and photographers for the first 2-3 days. Must be coming from the higher ups.

 

It's the Royal C version of MODERN LUXURY.. all the way...now on X too.

 

We were just recalling a small family birthday dinner we hosted on Oasis in Chops..We were all dressed up and ordered some high end items as much as that can be done in Chops.All went quite well until.......

 

.. Just before they brought out the cake, the waiter came around with a cookbook and wine aerator he was hawking... kind of ruined the big moment...How sad is that?

 

We just ignore it as much as possible but some of the hawkers are way too pushy...like beach vendors in certain ports!

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maxsales

maxsales

Posted
Posted
I boarded the Infinity about 10:30. It’s now 1 and at least 5 waiters have already asked me to buy a dining package or drink package. Including DURING the Concierge lunch.

 

One guy found us on the Rooftop Terrace. He was carrying a tray and a drink package brochure. I told him I had a premium package but asked him for a Coke. He told me to go to the bar and get it myself.

 

This is really intrusive.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Well if they selling helps keep base cruise prices lower I am all for it. So easy to just say no thanks with a smile.

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hcat "Live from...." Rare

hcat

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I'm not...it's crass and annoying. Makes the ship feel like a flea market , Reminds me of agressive beach vendors, hawkers in Pisa and other known tourist traps...and the shop staff seem to also get into the act aling the path to the theater

 

Some of these folks really pester beyond reason! Almost everyone has selected the packages they want, if they want them, there are tables around offering them, and no need to have every waiter pushing this rather than serving guests.,..

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cltnccruisers

cltnccruisers

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I've been on NCL,Princess, RCCL and X with the last 2 being our preferences for the future. I can honestly say I've never felt the upsell on any of them to be intrusive. The closest might have been on Silhouette in March when we were exploring the ship before sailing. Twice we were asked if we'd be interested in a dining package. Not pushy at all. We told them not at this time and that was it. I've never been asked to upgrade a drink package. Maybe because I look like a beer guy and they figure the effort would be wasted - or is it waisted? :beer-mug::D

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Cirdan

Cirdan

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I think you should complain to Celebrity. I think the restaurant manager went to far, but Celebrity should know it (and the feeling of the passengers).

 

 

Here in CC, this year, there were an interview with catering manager. It seems that if there is too few specialty dinner booking, they will study a strategy to increase them. I think you experience something like that, but with drink packages (which kind of passengers were on that ship, compared to "regular cruisers"?)

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cltnccruisers

cltnccruisers

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I think you should complain to Celebrity. I think the restaurant manager went to far, but Celebrity should know it (and the feeling of the passengers).

 

 

Here in CC, this year, there were an interview with catering manager. It seems that if there is too few specialty dinner booking, they will study a strategy to increase them. I think you experience something like that, but with drink packages (which kind of passengers were on that ship, compared to "regular cruisers"?)

 

There have been many comments that reduced quantity and quality in MDRs is the strategy.

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wwcruisers

wwcruisers

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Heh. On the way back from the bar I ran into the Beverage Services Manager. He’s on it.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

One guy found us on the Rooftop Terrace. He was carrying a tray and a drink package brochure. I told him I had a premium package but asked him for a Coke. He told me to go to the bar and get it myself.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Good for you, finding the Bev. Services Manager, and letting him know how you felt -- hope he was listening! I totally get it, that they need to sell those packages, early on in the cruise. And, I understand that a bar server who is manning a bev-pkge sales kiosk couldn't very well abandon his post, to run get a patron a drink. But, for Pete's sake! A waiter circulating in a food/beverage service area -- with a tray, no less -- refusing to get you a drink (when he couldn't sell you something that you already had)? Not my idea of "modern luxury"!:(

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