Room Service and Tablecloth

[SANDY BEACH]

You may think this is strange but.... I saw this great picture in a cruise brochure of a couple eating a meal on their balcony. The table was prepared rather formally with a white tablecloth. Does anyone know if room service will bring a tablecloth with your meal if you so request? Has anyone done this and was the wind a factor? We will be on the Zuiderdam, S7055 in July and thought this would be a nice touch.

[sail7seas]

We've never had room service arrive with a tablecloth or placemats either for that matter.

 

WE have never asked.

 

Even in the Penthouse, they placed the tray on the table and exited. They have always been polite and appropriately friendly but it was left for us to remove the various dishes/cups etc from the tray. No big deal and it is fine by us but I understand the "deluxe" ultra spoiling you are dreaming of.

 

(We have never requested a tablecloth..... perhaps if we had, they may have been able to oblige?)

 

<img src=http://domania.us/DaveEdwards/HALlogo.gif>

 

 

 

 

[Spender Nui]

Never on HAL but on Celebrity CC Class we always had a tablecloth and flowers.

[SANDY BEACH]

Spender Nui, Was wind a factor?

[sail7seas]

We also had a tablecloth every morning for room service breakfast in the Royal Suite on Zenith.

 

I'll trade HAL's verandas every day of the week for Zenith's tableclothes.

 

<img src=http://domania.us/DaveEdwards/HALlogo.gif>

 

 

 

 

[CruisinMatt]

On Costa, suite room service came with linens and flowers.

 

HAL Oosterdam - Mexican Riveria

[Sage]

On the Rotterdam last December, we had a tablecloth when ever we ordered room service, and our meals were taken off the trays and placed on the table for us. I thought it was such a lovely touch.

[localady]

We all know that at times HAL takes "liberties" with their glossy marketing materials. I've never seen an attendant on the deck serving coffee out of a silver coffee carafe, but the marketing materials show this.

I would imagine that a crew member might try to rustle up a tablecloth if you requested it.

I concur with S7S, when they brought breakfast etal to our suite, it was just left on the table for us to open and place on the table. That did not deter our love of breakfast on the veranda, one bit!

 

Happy Cruising!

 

7/04 Ryndam Alaska B2B

12/04 Rotterdam Panama Canal

7/05 Prinsendam Baltic

 

RCCL x2(1999), Volendam (2000), Millinneum (2000), Veendam (2001), Disney (2001), Statendam (2003), Amsterdam (2003)

 

[sail7seas]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Sage:

On the Rotterdam last December, we had a tablecloth when ever we ordered room service, and our meals were taken off the trays and placed on the table for us. I thought it was such a lovely touch.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

 

Wow, Sage. I'm impressed. How lovely for you.

In all of our breakfasts on a bunch of HAL verandas, never...not one single time.....has any room service steward so much as removed a single thing from the tray. They have all set it down, very politely accepted the tip we extended, wished us a pleasant day and left.

 

I'm talking dozens and dozens of room service deliveries.....ALOT of breakfasts.

 

<img src=http://domania.us/DaveEdwards/HALlogo.gif>

 

 

 

 

[CaptData]

Princess does it with their $50.00/person Lobster Dinner.

 

MS Maasdam 6 - 17 Feb 05

 

 Until I sail away on the ocean blue

 

 

 

Navigator of the Seas Western Crib 08/03

Dawn Princess - Eastern Carb 01/03

Dawn Princess Panamal Canal 11/02

 

[Tatka]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by sail7seas:

We also had a tablecloth every morning for room service breakfast in the Royal Suite on Zenith.

 

I'll trade HAL's verandas every day of the week for Zenith's tableclothes.

 

<img src=http://domania.us/DaveEdwards/HALlogo.gif>

 

 

 

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

It's not fair.

 

Only Zenith and Horizon don't have verandahs.

 

M and C classes have and especially in suits.

 

------------------------------

<UL TYPE=SQUARE>

<LI>Zuiderdam 8/21/04 FLL - Key West - Cozumel - Grand Caymans - Half Moon Cay - FLL

<LI>Splendour of the Seas 05/15/04 Barcelona - Marseilles - Villefranche - Livorno - Chivitavecchia - Naples - Barcelona

<LI>Century 07/12/03 Eastern Caribbean FFL-San Juan - St. Thomas - St.Maarten- Nassau -FFL

<LI>Komarno(Volga)07/91 Moscow - Astrahan' - Moscow (honeymoon)

<LI>Komarno(Volga)07/90 Moscow - Astrahan'- Moscow

<LI>Admiral Nachimov(or Nakhimov) (Black Sea)04/1986 Odessa - Batum

 

GO BRUINS!!!!

[Sage]

Sail7Seas,

 

Perhaps I just got lucky. The steward who brought our meals the first time asked if we would like a tablecloth, and I said yes. Each time after that we were provided a cloth and the set up of our meals.

[SANDY BEACH]

Sage, These are the little things that make one ship stand apart from others. They are extras that aren't really needed and almost sound silly when you talk about them but when added up all together, you know you have had a special, pampered cruise. Atmosphere sets the stage. A beautiful setting is already there with the ocean beyond the rail; however, small, silly extras take it a notch above. I know some don't really care but I like it. JMHO

[zlato]

We have been on many HAL ships many times and have always booked a suite. When we dined in our stateroom (regardless of meal), the food was always removed from the tray and placed on a white linen tablecoth and with white linen napkins, fresh flowers, etc. The dishes, etc. were always promply removed.

[Spender Nui]

Sasndy Beach, Our balcony was very deep (I think about 24') and wind wasn't a consideration.

[Spender Nui]

In an S Suite on the Rotterdam this past May we had no flowers or tablecloth with room service. As a matter of interest we only had one very small flower arrangement in the cabin the entire cruise.

[gizmo]

I have never seen a tablecloth either, nor been offered one.

 

I have had stewards remove the items from the tray and place them on the table.

[SANDY BEACH]

Thanks for all the replies. I will be politely asking room service for a tablecloth. As long as they bring it, I can set my own table but I would be quite impressed if they offered to do this for me but I won't hold my breathe. The tip will be determined on extent of service rendered. I'll be sure to get a picture if it all comes together. Life is good.

[Leslieswiger]

:D :) We just came off the Summit. Our breakfast on our terrace had white and pink linens and fresh orchids on the table. I would think HAL would have the same level of service.

[sail7seas]

Hope someone is reading this who may think about "doing the same thing" and has the power to make such changes. It would be lovely, wouldn't it?

[cruisinjudy]

We had a CC cabin on Celebrity and did not have a tablecloth, even though they show it as part of CC class. I think it just depends on the ship and the steward, but I just may request it from now on. ;)

[razman]

We were in the Penthouse on the Oosterdam 1 month ago and room service was served with a steward and the Chief Steward. The Chief Steward (Julie) had a white tablecloth over her forearm as the other steward wheeled the cart into the dining room or balcony and set everything up for us.

 

We ordered room service about 5 out of 7 days for breakfast only. Fresh flowers (2 arrangements) were in out suite on the first day and stayed fresh all week. Room service was a very nice experience that we looked forward to each morning. The only problem now is my DH doesn't think I need room service anymore at home...go figure.

[Peggy Sue]

we never saw a table cloth in our suite last May on the Zuiderdam. Always delivered promptly, with a smile, but just placed on the table in front of the couch. No one returned for the dishes. We always brought the food out to the table on the verandah..and then stacked the dishes back on the tray and left it on the end table by the couch..the dishese were removed when ur suite was cleaned. We never received any calls asking how our room service was etc. The one evening we had the hot appetizers delivered they were again left on the tray and placed on the table. we had to remove the foil etc from the bowls.

 

None of this detracted from our enjoyment..but I was surprised they didn't take room service that one extra step. The conceriege was so helpful, that I bet if we asked..we would get a table cloth..but it really didn't bother us..it just would have been a final classy touch to go along with that wonerful suite!

 

Peggy Sue

[sail7seas]

We were in the "PS" in March on Rotterdam but never saw any tablecloths when we got room service. Ten days aboard, ten breakfasts; steward brought the tray each morning, read through the card we had placed on our door to verify he brought what we requested, he accepted a gratuity, wished us a good day and left.

 

 

We took the various dishes, cups etc off the tray to place on the lovely dining room table. We totally enjoyed our breakfasts and that table is wonderful.....but we were not knocked over with extreme service. I am sure that if I asked him to place our things out for us, he would have. I didn't ask.

[SANDY BEACH]

When you have to ask, it's not the same. Great service and good service are not that far apart. Those little things that take very little time (room service setting the table, a couple of minutes) are the things that make you want to go back to a certain cruiseline again and again. They sound silly but they set the stage where you're the star for a week or two so I say bring on Act 1. Zuiderdam here I come.