Coffee at the Coffee Bar - Does Beverage Package Cause Slow Service?

[Lsimon]

On some cruises I've run down the the coffee bar (Cova or Cafe Al Bacio depending on the ship) to get a couple of lattes in to-go cups early in the morning for my wife and I. It's not that we're huge latte fans, we just don't like the regular ship's coffee.

 

The process of getting a coffee order there is never swift. It occurred to me that with the sales of the new unlimited beverage packages the service there might be even a lot slower now if there has been a huge increase in volume. Usually there's been one or two customers there in the morning with one barista waiting on them. Now I'm reading lots of messages from cruisers purchasing the new beverage packages and indicating they're enjoying early morning espressos, cappuccinos and lattes that they didn't spend money on in the past. So I was wondering has the increase in volume made an appreciable difference in the wait time for an early morning coffee?

 

A more leisurely pace wouldn't bother me much in the afternoon when we're relaxing and enjoying the ambiance there, but a long wait when I want to quickly grab a couple to-go cups early in the morning would.

[trvlrs]

On some cruises I've run down the the coffee bar (Cova or Cafe Al Bacio depending on the ship) to get a couple of lattes in to-go cups early in the morning for my wife and I. It's not that we're huge latte fans, we just don't like the regular ship's coffee.

 

The process of getting a coffee order there is never swift. It occurred to me that with the sales of the new unlimited beverage packages the service there might be even a lot slower now if there has been a huge increase in volume. Usually there's been one or two customers there in the morning with one barista waiting on them. Now I'm reading lots of messages from cruisers purchasing the new beverage packages and indicating they're enjoying early morning espressos, cappuccinos and lattes that they didn't spend money on in the past. So I was wondering has the increase in volume made an appreciable difference in the wait time for an early morning coffee?

 

A more leisurely pace wouldn't bother me much in the afternoon when we're relaxing and enjoying the ambiance there, but a long wait when I want to quickly grab a couple to-go cups early in the morning would.

 

Just back from the Equinox and that was our major complaint. The espresso bar line was always sooooo long with only 1 person serving you. In my opinion, the problem at the cafe Al Bacio is "understaffing".