Slow Bar Service

[going2cruz]

I just booked Visions for July and am a little concerned with slow bar service. The reviews I'm reading say most bars have only one bar tender to serve walk-ups and the waiters and it takes 30-45 minutes for a drink. I even read one where the people on the pool deck would have to go in to casino bar for a drink:eek:

Is this a fleet wide thing or something isolated the Vision of the seas.

Edited June 23, 2014 by going2cruz

[pcur]

There has been at least one or two very recent threads where posts are stating things have improved in recent weeks. The most recent review is over a month old.

Edited June 23, 2014 by pcur

[richardb]

Can't speak to every bar or every ship, but our most recent was in May. Never had to wait for more than a couple minutes (1 or 2 customers ahead of me) at any bar. Pool bar and sky bar always had at least 2 bartenders each when the pool deck was crowded. We have noticed over the years fewer waiters roaming the pool deck.

 

Since the cruise lines (all of them) depend heavily on bar revenue, I can't imagine why they would not try to sell as much alcohol as they possibly can.

Edited June 23, 2014 by richardb

[OCruisers]

Since you did ask "fleet wide", the only RCCL ship we have ever had extremely slow bar service was in Dazzles on Oasis.

LuLu

[bouhunter]

Never been on Vision, but I can say we've been on 6 RCCL ships over 9 cruises, and probably never waited more than 5 minutes for a drink anywhere onboard.:)

[going2cruz]

Never been on Vision, but I can say we've been on 6 RCCL ships over 9 cruises, and probably never waited more than 5 minutes for a drink anywhere onboard.:)

 

Agree, that's the way it should be, I hope Visions corrects this fast so I can read some reviews to justify the beverage package.....it is and should be there bread and butter....its hard to believe these reviews.....its good to know its not new policy...........we've had a lot of bad changes on my most traveled cruise line ;) and that's why venturing out and testing new waters......

Edited June 23, 2014 by going2cruz

[going2cruz]

There has been at least one or two very recent threads where posts are stating things have improved in recent weeks. The most recent review is over a month old.

 

 

I'll look around but if you stumble on a link please post it......I do want to get the beverage package but if its a 30 min wait I'll spend over 1/2 my cruise at the bar........I can do that around the corner so why fly to Florida.

[pcur]

I'll look around but if you stumble on a link please post it......I do want to get the beverage package but if its a 30 min wait I'll spend over 1/2 my cruise at the bar........I can do that around the corner so why fly to Florida.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2043460&highlight=vision

 

and

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2058377&highlight=vision

 

(I hope my ipad copied the urls correctly.)

[leaveitallbehind]

Never been on Vision but - to the question of fleet wide -we have been on eleven different RCI ships across every active ship class and never had any issues or delays with the bar service on any of them. Five minutes maybe, but nothing near the times indicated with Vision. If anywhere near accurate, that would certainly be the very rare exception in our experience.

Edited June 23, 2014 by leaveitallbehind

[dacsmom]

Hopefully it will be corrected soon. It is not fleet wide, I had the beverage package on the Freedom and never had much of a wait either at the bar of from the roving waiters.

[steveru621]

Is it different on the Vision? I thought the waiters always made their own drinks at the service bar and did not rely on the bartenders?

[OCruisers]

Is it different on the Vision? I thought the waiters always made their own drinks at the service bar and did not rely on the bartenders?

 

They have to rely on the bartenders who have to account for all alcohol going out of "their" bar.

LuLu

[cb at sea]

We find it's faster and easier to get our butts out of our seat, and go to the nearest bar for our drinks..waiting on roving waiters (anywhere...not just on a ship!) is a pain in the ass!

[OCruisers]

We find it's faster and easier to get our butts out of our seat, and go to the nearest bar for our drinks..waiting on roving waiters (anywhere...not just on a ship!) is a pain in the ass!

 

True ... Or better yet, just sit AT the bar! :D

LuLu

[chellecruise12]

We find it's faster and easier to get our butts out of our seat, and go to the nearest bar for our drinks..waiting on roving waiters (anywhere...not just on a ship!) is a pain in the ass!

Strange as it may seem, we got our drinks faster from the roving waiters when we went on Vision mid-May. On sea days it was a very long wait at the pool bar. Since there is only 1 pool bar outside on Vision, it may account for some of the extra wait. There were 2-3 bartenders working the area but always super busy. On the day we boarded & the 1st sea day, it was not out of the question to wait 30 min or longer to get a drink at the pool bar or Solarium. We received the best service at the Schooner Bar.

[OCruisers]

Strange as it may seem, we got our drinks faster from the roving waiters when we went on Vision mid-May. On sea days it was a very long wait at the pool bar. Since there is only 1 pool bar outside on Vision, it may account for some of the extra wait. There were 2-3 bartenders working the area but always super busy. On the day we boarded & the 1st sea day, it was not out of the question to wait 30 min or longer to get a drink at the pool bar or Solarium. We received the best service at the Schooner Bar.

 

That's why many of us always suggest going to Schooner's Bar on any RCCL ship! :D

LuLu

[bighairtexan]

I haven't found the bars to be unreasonably slow. But finding a beverage server at the pool or in the MDR can be quite the task.

[chellecruise12]

I haven't found the bars to be unreasonably slow. But finding a beverage server at the pool or in the MDR can be quite the task.

or the WJ.. Never had an issue on Oasis or Allure in the WJ before..but on Vision it seemed like I had to beg for a coke.. They were super busy clearing tables & wouldn't even make eye contact..

[chellecruise12]

That's why many of us always suggest going to Schooner's Bar on any RCCL ship! :D

LuLu

Yes!! I know why now..Loved the place & the servers there!!

[fluffysue]

That's why many of us always suggest going to Schooner's Bar on any RCCL ship! :D

LuLu

 

Schooner Bar is the best! They took the time to make our mudslides look really pretty, too. :)

[Drama(mine) Queen]

Solve the problem of slow service by ordering another drink while you're still "working" on your first one --- I do!

 

Cheers!

[trev71]

I know on the Oasis the first 3 days or so around the pool there was no servers walking about with drinks you had to go to the bar to get one. but after mid week they were seen walking around. So I did notice a slight drop in service that way

[DCPIV]

I've only rarely had a problem getting drink service aboard any ship in the fleet,

 

except (as already noted) . . .

 

in the MDR. The MDR has been miserable aboard every ship we have been on in the last 10 years. You would think we were trying to serve them with court papers, rather than just ordering a drink.

 

 

D

[MandyMooToo]

I've only rarely had a problem getting drink service aboard any ship in the fleet,

 

except (as already noted) . . .

 

in the MDR. The MDR has been miserable aboard every ship we have been on in the last 10 years. You would think we were trying to serve them with court papers, rather than just ordering a drink.

 

 

D

 

HA HA! We never had to wait for a drink anywhere other than the MDR. Of course it was the first night and I did ask for a Riesling...my fault for being so picky I guess :D After the first night it wasn't too bad though.

[steveru621]

I've only rarely had a problem getting drink service aboard any ship in the fleet,

 

except (as already noted) . . .

 

in the MDR. The MDR has been miserable aboard every ship we have been on in the last 10 years. You would think we were trying to serve them with court papers, rather than just ordering a drink.

 

D

 

The first night service can be a challenge, but the waiter has always directed bar service to our table. On the first night I let our bar server know I'm ordering at least two drinks every night. Add a little extra tip on the first night and my drink has always been waiting at the table on our arrival, and my after dinner drink always arrived with our desert. I could see where MTD could be interesting, but we have never tried it. It should be interesting on the Quantum in December with the new Dynamic Dining.

 

It's odd that posters have said their waiters on Vision have to go to a bartender to serve a drink. I can't remember the last time, in any bar, where a waiter went to a bartender and didn't go to the service bar. The MDR is all service bar.