Cocktails from Room Service

[BunnyLebowski]

What is the protocol for ordering cocktails or a bottle of wine from room service?

 

If I want a piña colada or a bottle of champagne on ice can those be ordered via room service? Do you just call? What is the usual wait time? Is it a big hassle for the staff or pretty standard?

 

Last cruise on Constellation in March, bar service was very slow and frustrating, so having drinks delivered to our Family Veranda is appealing.

 

We booked last minute with no included beverage package- will pay for drinks as we go as we actually don't consume that much so beverage package not an issue. We will be on the Summit in August.

 

Thanks!

[cruisestitch]

just call room service and order, wait times are not usually too long and they will tell you approximately how long it will take when you call

[Annie777]

If I may ask- is it appropriate to tip a few dollars for this service, even with pre-paid gratuities?

[KirkNC]

If I may ask- is it appropriate to tip a few dollars for this service, even with pre-paid gratuities?

 

I would say yes, we always tip extra when we use room service.

[BunnyLebowski]

I would say yes, we always tip extra when we use room service.

 

So do we. Even so, I always feel bad when it's the cabin steward that has to deliver the room service. They have so much to do I don't want to make their jobs harder or be an especially demanding guest. Anyone else feel like that or should I just get over it?

Edited July 20, 2014 by law chick

[txflood33]

Are room service cocktails covered under any alcohol package? I know bottles of wine/champagne are not, but if I buy a package, would individual or 2 cocktails from room service be covered under the package or would the be charged to the room?

[cle-guy]

Are room service cocktails covered under any alcohol package? I know bottles of wine/champagne are not, but if I buy a package, would individual or 2 cocktails from room service be covered under the package or would the be charged to the room?

 

No.

[miched]

What is the protocol for ordering cocktails or a bottle of wine from room service?

 

If I want a piña colada or a bottle of champagne on ice can those be ordered via room service? Do you just call? What is the usual wait time? Is it a big hassle for the staff or pretty standard?

 

Last cruise on Constellation in March, bar service was very slow and frustrating, so having drinks delivered to our Family Veranda is appealing.

 

We booked last minute with no included beverage package- will pay for drinks as we go as we actually don't consume that much so beverage package not an issue. We will be on the Summit in August.

 

Thanks!

 

 

Your best bet is to have a suite and let the butler get them for you.

 

If you think service from the bar is slow why do you think that room service will be any faster? Someone will need to make the drink and they don't have BTs standing around just for room service, the drink will come from one of the bars and by the time that it is picked up it may be warm when it is delivered.

 

Drink up 🍸🍺🍻

[BunnyLebowski]

Your best bet is to have a suite and let the butler get them for you.

 

LOL We were in the Penthouse on our last cruise which did help considerably! This time it's a last minute thing and no full suites were available, but a corner family veranda was... Just wondering how everything works in a regular veranda category.

 

Btw, I would NEVER ask the butler to fetch drinks from the bar. I know he would, but again they seem so busy I feel bad adding something like that to our list of requests. Was just wondering if there is a dedicated room service staff or if it falls to the cabin steward.

Edited July 20, 2014 by law chick

[cle-guy]

Btw, I would NEVER ask the butler to fetch drinks from the bar. I know he would, but again they seem so busy I feel bad adding something like that to our list of requests. Was just wondering if there is a dedicated room service staff or if it falls to the cabin steward.

 

I never understand why so many people have such hesitation to use the services of their butler. They are professionals and trained, and if they are too busy, they know how to ask their subordinates and managers for assistance to carry out their duties to their guests. To me not allowing them to do their job because "I think they are too busy" is almost an insult to them, assuming I know their job better than they do.

 

I personally haver no issues asking the butler for anything I need, and will always allow him to let me know if it's possible either immediately, later or never. I let then do their job professionally.

[Lsimon]

We've ordered wine from room service but never cocktails. Room service delivery times vary substantially. We've had food items delivered in a short as 15 minutes and some that took over an hour for a simple cheese plate in the early afternoon. The one time we ordered a bottle of wine it did take a while (long ago so can't remember exactly how long) but we ordered it well in advance so we were not waiting anxiously for it.

 

If I may ask- is it appropriate to tip a few dollars for this service, even with pre-paid gratuities?

The room service staff is included in your pre-paid gratuities but many cruisers choose to tip them a little extra. So I'd say that it is appropriate but not absolutely necessary. Tipping extra always comes down to personal preference.

 

Are room service cocktails covered under any alcohol package? I know bottles of wine/champagne are not, but if I buy a package, would individual or 2 cocktails from room service be covered under the package or would the be charged to the room?

As answered above, the beverage packages do not include room service or the in-cabin mini bar. With that said my wife had great room service delivery for morning coffee from Café al Bacio on her beverage package on our last cruise - but I wont' say if she tipped me or not when I made the deliveries!:rolleyes: Joking aside, the only way to get items on the beverage package in your cabin is to fetch them yourself. The bar and lounge servers have no issue with this. They'll leave bottled/can items unopened on request and give you take-away cups at the coffee bar. They will even provide you with two drinks at once if you present two cards with the beverage package on them to scan such as when you're headed to pick up beverages for both your wife and yourself.

[We're The Groupnors]

To avoid room service altogether you can always pre-order a bar set-up or bottle of wine for your room, and they'll automatically be in your cabin on the first day.

[Lsimon]

To avoid room service altogether you can always pre-order a bar set-up or bottle of wine for your room' date=' and they'll automatically be in your cabin on the first day.[/quote']

 

You can also bring on two bottles of wine per stateroom at embarkation. Your cabin steward will be more than happy to bring you glasses and/or to ice down the wine for you if needed. They can usually bring a corkscrew as well but this sometimes seems problematic for them and the corkscrews they provide are the cheap plastic ones that are difficult to use. We keep a $5 corkscrew in our cruise travel kit so we always have it on board when we sail - bought it at a wine store in Florida just before boarding a cruise a few years back.

[Tiggertastic]

We make the effort to go and pick one up and take it back to the cabin with us so that it's included in the package and you don't have to go to the door half way through a shower

[BunnyLebowski]

Thanks to all for the input. Seems that best practices for a cocktail on the balcony in one's stateroom are:

 

- order bar setup for stateroom

- bring wine onboard

- bring drink back from an onboard bar

- room service as a worst case scenario

 

Appreciate the thoughtful comments. :)

[dougt1957]

I always do the bar setup. It's not cheap, but it is nice to be able to pour myself a nice cocktail while preparing for dinner. It also comes with a a few nuts and snacks. And you can tell your room steward what you'd like for mixers from the soda choices available, as a six pack is included in the price. You can also bring any non-alcoholic mixers on board with you.

 

 

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[Constance331]

We keep a $5 corkscrew in our cruise travel kit so we always have it on board when we sail - bought it at a wine store in Florida just before boarding a cruise a few years back.

 

At Cape Liberty terminal, my corkscrew (a quite nice one, with sentimental value) was confiscated by Security. I was unable to board with it, and told I could retrieve it upon my return. Too bad it was a repositioning sailing!

[bighairtexan]

I've been lucky enough never to have had my corkscrew confiscated. But I have forgotten to bring one a couple of times. The room steward was able to open the bottle for me, and one room steward just left one of those inexpensive corkscrews where the screw slides into the handle for storage.