Normal for Freestyle Dining?

[sverigecruiser]

We have no reason to question the OP's experience but It's strange how different peoples experience is.

 

Some people say that the service is awful and some say that it's great. How can it be that different?

 

What is good service? For me it's enough if they serve the food I have ordered. Some people think that the service is bad if noone come to the table and ask if everything is okey, that's not about service for me. I also prefer if the waiters look happy but even if they don't, the service can be good.

 

We are not very experienced, we have 38 nights on NCL, but we have never recieved bad service in the diningroom. Why does some first cruisers recieve bad service?

[caryn]

Oh yes, sverigecruiser we have very different expectations of what would be considered good service :)

It's imperative that the server comes back to make sure everything is ok because what if it isn't? What if it's not cooked correctly (as in steak) or is cold upon arrival? And I would never consider service to be good if a server doesn't look happy! No matter what restaurant you are in, a friendly demeanor is necessary for service to go from adequate to good.

 

Canandian Twosome... thanks for the support!

[rickechambers1@aol.com]

I just noticed you have been on Grandure OTS.. we LOVED that ship and with the exception of one front desk guy, loved the crew as well. Honestly we have found NCL's crew and staff to be the same as what we found on RCCL's with the exception of NCL's staff seems to be a bit more laid back and friendly. All I mean by that is for us it seems like NCL's crew would not hesitate to say hello, etc, when passing them, where as RCCL's staff seemed to wait and let you speak first. Almost the "don't speak unless spoken to" kind of deal. They both have amazing crews. I really believe when you give NCL a try, maybe on a different ship, you will be very pleased that you did.

 

Spent 20 days on the Grandeur...great time, but that astroturf around the pool has GOT TO GO. :) It is so darned slippery that I almost spilled my 3rd cocktail one day. Yes, I'm sure it was the astroturf, what else could it have been.

 

I really like coka's suggestion of asking the crew if everything is OK. I can imagine that serving 1,000's of people day in and day out, month after month, would take its toll for sure. I'd get cranky after about 15 minutes probably. I'm going to try that...not just on a cruise ship...next time I get service that is not good (i.e. last weekend at Petco), rather than get upset and leave to deliberately shop at a competitor, I'm going to calm down and ask if everything is OK with them and how their day is going.

[sverigecruiser]

Oh yes, sverigecruiser we have very different expectations of what would be considered good service :)

It's imperative that the server comes back to make sure everything is ok because what if it isn't? What if it's not cooked correctly (as in steak) or is cold upon arrival? And I would never consider service to be good if a server doesn't look happy! No matter what restaurant you are in, a friendly demeanor is necessary for service to go from adequate to good.

 

Canandian Twosome... thanks for the support!

 

I think it's annoying when someone come to my table and ask if everything is okey, especially if they do it several times during a meal. If everything isn't okey, I'll let them know.

 

As I said, if the waiter looks happy or not is not a part of what I call service, I rather have a waiter who doesn't look happy than a waiter who has a fake smile.

[WinnieinWA]

OP, I'm so very sorry you didn't have great service that we usually get from NCL. You are being attacked for no other reason than you told of you experience. Ignore the negative posts. I like hearing about everyone's cruise be it good or bad because that will help me make an informed decision for my next cruise. I appreciate your honest review.

 

Thank you!:)

[cliffd64]

I cant believe you would purposely cruise on NCL to get the poor and lacking service the OP experienced. Why would would you want to be treated like that? It did not sound very good, but thats why you cruise with them. Go figure.

 

I still say the worst service you will get in any restaurant land or sea is on NCL.

 

Ok... this hyperbole is useful how?

[cliffd64]

I also think the service has to do with the Sky being an older ship and a short itinerary.

 

 

Having cruised on almost every ship in the NCL fleet, this would be unacceptable to me. When I first sailed on the Sky, it was actually one of the newer ships in the fleet, and that was only 8 years ago. Service was great then, and was great earlier this year. The age of the ship and itinerary should have nothing to do with the level of service you are afforded. Bad service is bad service whether on a 20 year old ship or a 20 day old ship.

 

Now, being human myself, I can understand when someone is having a bad day, but not a bad 3 or 4 days.

 

The reality is that when the events are unfolding around you, and you are perceiving bad service according to your own level of tolerance, the time to address it is THEN. This is the only time you can control the situation, rather than let it control you and affect your dinner experience.

 

How you choose to address it is up to you, and you have been given many excellent suggestions for the future... but clearly ignoring it will not produce any positive results. Sometimes engaging the staff in a small way as Coka suggested can go a long way towards helping them get back on focus when things are tough for them... but don't make excuses for them based upon the itinerary or the age of the ship. You should expect a consistent level of service regardless of what time of day, what ship, or what itinerary you are on.

[kamfan]

Just as a quick note, my wife and I have had a few meals with others in which we were extremely happy with the food and service, but others at the same table, eating the same dishes and with the same service were very unhappy. We have also had it where one, or both of us was unhappy, yet others never felt that there was anything wrong.

 

One of the meals I was talking about, the table was wobbling a bit, and the waiter didn't know how to deal with it, so I just looked after it myself, no big deal and soon forgotten. Yet the couple we were with were extremely upset about the situation and now, years later, continue to complain about the ship and the meal.

 

I believe that to a large degree, we take our own moods and expectations to dinner with us, and it very much colours our experience. If I have been having a bad day, I always seem to have a bad experience at dinner. Go figure:rolleyes:.

[The Nice Family]

Who IS this seemingly miserable "Brad 1185" and why have I been lucky enough not to notice him before now? I guess I pick the right posts to read. He must live on the negative post threads:confused:

 

FWIW - my husband and I usually eat in the main dining room on any NCL ship we're lucky enough to be on. We generally get there after dropping DD off at Kids Club and having a cocktail or two so, around 8:30pm. The crowds have definitly thinned by then but, we must still be getting servers at their peak because we've always had great service.

 

The suggestion about asking "Are you having a bad day?" is the best one I've seen here. Just the other day I was at a bakery that I frequent and the lady behind the counter was really, really rude. I said exactly that to her and her manner changed immediately. She said they'd just installed a new debit card machine and it was driving her crazy - hence the mood. Once she got it off her chest she seemed happier and, I certainly was. So, whether on a cruise or on dry land, give it a try, it works!

[mbisson]

Who IS this seemingly miserable "Brad 1185" and why have I been lucky enough not to notice him before now? I guess I pick the right posts to read. He must live on the negative post threads:confused:

 

ROTFLMAO!!! thanks

 

He's just someone who doesn't like freestyle (and any type of open seating in dining rooms) and likes to pop in every few months and make comments to express his dislike. He's slowly running out of cruise lines to sail :D :D :D

[The Nice Family]

ROTFLMAO!!! thanks

 

ROTFLMAO!!!:confused: I'm thinking it's a good thing but???

[mbisson]

ROTFLMAO!!!:confused: I'm thinking it's a good thing but???

 

Rolling on the floor laughing my a__ off

 

Yes, it's a good thing! (you may want to look at my post again-I added to it & it's now on a different page)

[ruffs]

ROTFLMAO!!! thanks

 

He's just someone who doesn't like freestyle (and any type of open seating in dining rooms) and likes to pop in every few months and make comments to express his dislike. He's slowly running out of cruise lines to sail :D :D :D

 

He could be a giant NCL fan, but wants to discourage others from booking NCL so he has a better pick of cabins. He could even be a waiter on an NCL ship and tired of serving so many people - when they want!

 

Just a thought.