Room for Room Service

[baggal]

I have been reading quite a few posts about room service - mostly from cruisers who are frequent users. I have sailed the Zuiderdam and Eurodam each twice in either a VC or VE cabin. We have only ordered snacks at various times from room service - never a full meal.

 

My question: literally, where do you have room to eat comfortably if you're in one of these cabins and don't go out to the verandah? Does the food come on a tray or a cart? I just can't see cutting into prime rib while juggling the plate on my lap.

 

Do you call to have the dirty plates picked up? Does the cabin steward clean up afterwards?

 

Just wondering how it all works.

 

Thanks.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Your food comes on a big tray which they will place on the coffee table.

You can either call room service to have the tray and dirty dishes removed -- or your cabin steward may do it -- some are very good about this.

[CowPrincess]

In May I travelled with 2 friends on the Ryndam. They had an oceanview cabin, somewhat bigger than my HH obstructed, so we had "formal night" dinner in their cabin. The food was brought to us on trays. Two of us sat on the couch, one sat on the bed. The one on the bed used the dresser to hold her wine glass, while the 2 on the couch used the "coffee table" (which refused to lift up to eating table height) for our wine glasses. We "juggled" our main courses on our laps, and managed fine.

 

We did call for pick-up of the dirty dishes, and it took very little time for them to come get them. Normally I just leave my room service breakfast dishes and the steward deals with them.

[Pettifogger]

We've only had one room service dinner and a couple of breakfasts, but we had no trouble managing in an ordinary cabin (it was a veranda, but we didn't use the veranda.) Our only problem was that we couldn't possibly eat all they brought us. On all three occasions it was hot enough and very tasty.

[luannsimon]

We always had just a veranda type room, never a suite, and have always managed breakfast, dinner in our room. You just make room where you find it.. And it is awfully nice when you tired, and just want to chill out. We will do it again on our next trip!

[vegasgirl00]

Room service breakfast is the BEST! We have never eaten dinner in the room but we usually eat at the coffee table. As far as clean up goes, our cabin steward took care of that for us or I have seen people leave their trays in the hallways.

[wines60]

It was lobster night, but we were a little tired and decided to enjoy a relaxing dinner in our cabin. Since it was a little cool, we ate inside, but brought one chair in from the verandah. That along with the one already in the room worked quite well pulled up to the coffee table which we raised up to a comfortable level. Before room service arrived, I arranged several towels on the bed and that's where the trays were placed. I served DH and myself by the course and it all worked out well. Kept succeeding courses covered with the metal covers until time to be served. All cold items stayed that way as well as the hot food remaining at temperature until served. Lobsters were delicious, no problem with the drawn butter. Beef was as ordered and easy to cut. All in all we were delighted, had our own wine; were able to take our own time with each course. I can't remember whether room service returned, or the steward cleared the trays away, but I'm sure I would have remembered if there had been a problem there. One of the best and most memorable meals during the entire 15 day cruise! We were in a regular vearndah cabin on the Zaandam, but there was adequate space to place, serve and enjoy our meal.

[BeachFan53]

Ahhh, i think i see the best idea of all...raise the coffee table up!! Never once occurred to me to check this option out, but it is a perfect idea for our verandah room. Do all coffee tables have an adjustment option? :D Thank you wines60!

[RuthC]

I have seen people leave their trays in the hallways.

That may work in hotels, but is a very poor idea on a moving ship, one with narrow passageways. All it takes is a little additional motion and things on that tray in the passageway can get rolling, and possibly break.

Even worse, someone using a wheelchair has enough room when there's nothing blocking the way, but the tray takes up enough room as to be a blockade to them. :mad:

[CowPrincess]

Ahhh, i think i see the best idea of all...raise the coffee table up!! Never once occurred to me to check this option out, but it is a perfect idea for our verandah room. Do all coffee tables have an adjustment option? :D Thank you wines60!

 

The one in the cabin in which we dined was SUPPOSED to be raise-able, but was not interested in stretching AT ALL :D

[baggal]

Ahhh, i think i see the best idea of all...raise the coffee table up!! Never once occurred to me to check this option out, but it is a perfect idea for our verandah room. Do all coffee tables have an adjustment option? :D Thank you wines60!

 

I didn't know that you could raise the coffee table. Now it all makes more sense to me. I suppose you can ask the cabin steward or room service steward to raise it for you.

 

Thanks!

[airlink diva]

I normally just eat breakfast or late afternoon snack in the cabin.

The coffee table is adjustable and I enjoy sitting on the sofa and dining!!

I just either call for tray removal or leave it in the cabin for my room steward to pick up. I never leave it in the hallway. I saw someone trip over a tray that was in the hallway and it was a very nasty fall.

[dr1ce]

We loved room service breakfast, and we usually sat on our balcony... sometimes in our comfy robes... to us, this says "we're on a cruise." :) Some mornings we stayed out there for few cups of coffee and somem reading... ahhhh... wish I were there tomorrow morning!

[dandro]

We loved our room service brekkies.

[sapper1]

That may work in hotels, but is a very poor idea on a moving ship, one with narrow passageways. All it takes is a little additional motion and things on that tray in the passageway can get rolling, and possibly break.

Even worse, someone using a wheelchair has enough room when there's nothing blocking the way, but the tray takes up enough room as to be a blockade to them. :mad:

Just to add a thought to Ruth's points----in an emergency those trays littering the passageways could spell disaster as people trip over them in a rush. They also look just as gross onboard ship as they do in a hotel hallway.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Ahhh, i think i see the best idea of all...raise the coffee table up!! Never once occurred to me to check this option out, but it is a perfect idea for our verandah room. Do all coffee tables have an adjustment option? :D Thank you wines60!

 

No

Those in the PS, SA, SB and SC cabins are not adjustable.

Sorry -- don't know about the SS, SY and SZ cabins.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Just to add a thought to Ruth's points----in an emergency those trays littering the passageways could spell disaster as people trip over them in a rush. They also look just as gross onboard ship as they do in a hotel hallway.

 

 

So true!!

[COLLEYBERRY]

Love,love, Room Service breafast when cruising,such a treat for me.:)

We either use the desk(clear a space for tray before it arrives),or coffee table if we are dining on the verandah ,as our serving station

Raise the coffee table, set place settings and then serve from tray.Very easy.Cabin Steward removed the breakfast tray

Covers keep things warm and it is a very relaxing way to begin your day.

That second cup of coffee on the balcony , fresh sea air and ocean view ,it's a good thing:)

We also have enjoyed dinner in our cabin and simply called for pick up of tray when finished, they came very quickly.

[PennyAgain]

Room service to me is a luxury I can live with! I always keep the coffee table clear and the desk area as well. A good room service waiter can set everything up for you in a couple of minutes if the spaces are clear.

 

Don't forget to tip the room service waiter!

[sevenseasnomad]

Good point. We always tip. We'd never had to wait for service, usually comes 10 minutes after ordering. Wonderful way to unwind or to begin the day.

 

On our first Celebrity cruise (2000) our room steward cautioned us not to leave trays outside the cabin, as it was a Celebrity policy then for the captain to send a steward home at the end of that cruise if the captain or an officer reported a tray left outside a room. Don't know if HAL has such a policy or if the Celebrity policy is still in effect, but it would be a shame to cause any of these wonderful men and women who serve us so efficiently any hardship.

[CowPrincess]

it was a Celebrity policy then for the captain to send a steward home at the end of that cruise if the captain or an officer reported a tray left outside a room.

 

If that is true, that captain needs to go back to management school.