State of RCI Drink/Bar Service...Just off FOS and Disappointed

[mattpan]

So my wife and I along with some friends just got off Freedom of the Seas (Oct 25 sailing). Some observations from our trip are below and I'm interested if others have experienced the same. I'll preface my observations by saying we previously cruised RCI in 2012 (Freedom of the Seas) and 2013 (Oasis of the Seas). Both times we had great experiences with different groups of friends. In 2013 on Oasis, my wife and I both had the drink package (packages were not available in 2012). This most recent cruise last week, I alone had the drink package and several of my cruise-mates had the package as well. Overall the cruise was good but we had some major disappointments with the level of bar/drink service. There was a marked difference in just the few years since our last cruise:

 

-In the MDR, the drink waiters were NOWHERE to be seen. With the drink package it was almost impossible to get an alcoholic drink at dinner, never mind more than one (e.g. multiple glasses of wines with each course or a pre-meal cocktail then wine). We were even buying the occasional bottle of wine. It was extremely disappointing given the table next to us seemed to have beer/cocktails waiting for them before they even arrived. I can't help but assume they didn't have the drink package (more tips) versus the folks at our table. It left a very bad taste in my mouth and forced us to actually leave the MDR to get a drink a the nearby R-Bar and bring it back into the MDR on several occasions. I'll add that our waiter did his best to facilitate but even at his prodding we wouldn't get service, there seemed to be too few drink waiters who were uninterested in taking our orders. Maybe we just got a dud drink waiter in our area but it made us not look forward to our MDR meals.

 

-Around the pool, I noticed much of the same thing...very few waiters to take orders around the pool. The ones who were there, seemed equally uninterested in taking our order.

 

-All the bars in the pool area had no menus...this was a very obvious change from my previous cruises where you could always bet on a colorful menu to give you ideas for yummy pool drinks.

 

Overall, the drink package was still the right move for my friends and me but we couldn't help but be bummed feeling they had our $400 and were doing their best to cut liquor costs by cutting back server staff, trying to limit the liquors we drank, and providing disincentives to drink/bar staff for waiting on us by creating two drinking classes...those without the package (who obviously are higher value to servers due to direct tips) and every other poor sucker who paid the $400 thinking it made more sense.

 

Unfortunately I think RCI has achieved their stated goal of pushing cruisers to the drink packages (e.g. higher profits) but at the expense of customer service.

 

Has anyone else had similar experiences, I'd be interested to hear? Thx

[cincicruisers]

Welcome to cruise critic. Sorry to hear about the issues with bar service.

[jnojr]

I had a similar experience on my most recent cruise (Carnival three-day Ensenada trip). In the MDR, it was tough to get a drink, and service otherwise was less than stellar. We never hung out at the big pool (too many loud frat boys and even louder music), but on the Serenity deck a drink waiter was a rare thing to see. Several times I walked to a bar in my wet suit to get drinks, and I let the disapproving looks roll right off of my back.

 

FWIW I did not have any drink package. I doubt you were the victim of "throttling"... I think it's just staffing issues. I would have hoped your cruise would wind up with better service than mine, but... oh well, I guess I'll see in six months! :D

[twospoiled]

We were on Freedom of the Seas last November and both DH had drink packages. We also had a very hard dime in the MDR getting any kind of drinks - even soft drinks for my kids - but we were well taken care of on the pool deck.

 

We sail on Independence this weekend with no packages this time around. We see how that goes as far as service goes.

[PhilNDebbieAtSea]

So sorry to hear of your experience! We had the drink package on the Radiance in September and had the absolutely best bar service we have ever had in the MDR!! We always had a drink waiting for us and he would bring several beers for Phil at the end of the meal to bring to the room. He even brought Phil a lighted cup when he saw him drinking without a glass on the pool deck one day. The drink package made it much easier. We saw no difference between other cruises with or without packages and one of our friends did not have it and he was not treated any differently. We find find some pretty poor service at the pool bar, but it didn't matter if you had the package or not... [emoji1]

 

 

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[Goodtime Cruizin]

So my wife and I along with some friends just got off Freedom of the Seas (Oct 25 sailing). Some observations from our trip are below and I'm interested if others have experienced the same. I'll preface my observations by saying we previously cruised RCI in 2012 (Freedom of the Seas) and 2013 (Oasis of the Seas). Both times we had great experiences with different groups of friends. In 2013 on Oasis, my wife and I both had the drink package (packages were not available in 2012). This most recent cruise last week, I alone had the drink package and several of my cruise-mates had the package as well. Overall the cruise was good but we had some major disappointments with the level of bar/drink service. There was a marked difference in just the few years since our last cruise:

 

-In the MDR, the drink waiters were NOWHERE to be seen. With the drink package it was almost impossible to get an alcoholic drink at dinner, never mind more than one (e.g. multiple glasses of wines with each course or a pre-meal cocktail then wine). We were even buying the occasional bottle of wine. It was extremely disappointing given the table next to us seemed to have beer/cocktails waiting for them before they even arrived. I can't help but assume they didn't have the drink package (more tips) versus the folks at our table. It left a very bad taste in my mouth and forced us to actually leave the MDR to get a drink a the nearby R-Bar and bring it back into the MDR on several occasions. I'll add that our waiter did his best to facilitate but even at his prodding we wouldn't get service, there seemed to be too few drink waiters who were uninterested in taking our orders. Maybe we just got a dud drink waiter in our area but it made us not look forward to our MDR meals.

 

-Around the pool, I noticed much of the same thing...very few waiters to take orders around the pool. The ones who were there, seemed equally uninterested in taking our order.

 

-All the bars in the pool area had no menus...this was a very obvious change from my previous cruises where you could always bet on a colorful menu to give you ideas for yummy pool drinks.

 

Overall, the drink package was still the right move for my friends and me but we couldn't help but be bummed feeling they had our $400 and were doing their best to cut liquor costs by cutting back server staff, trying to limit the liquors we drank, and providing disincentives to drink/bar staff for waiting on us by creating two drinking classes...those without the package (who obviously are higher value to servers due to direct tips) and every other poor sucker who paid the $400 thinking it made more sense.

 

Unfortunately I think RCI has achieved their stated goal of pushing cruisers to the drink packages (e.g. higher profits) but at the expense of customer service.

 

Has anyone else had similar experiences, I'd be interested to hear? Thx

 

Actually, we just got off the Indy yesterday and our experiences were completely opposite. And we had the Premium Packages. We ordered direct from the bartenders and also waitstaff at the pool, and the evening shows/venues. We never had any issues and found the drinks satisafying and servers assisting us greatly. Our bar server in the MDR was always on hand as well. I think it's possible that we had MTD and we were 'tweeners' between the early & late seatings. As such, I don't think there was too much pressure on our bar server. I even gave her a Wow envelope at the end of the week.

 

We did experience an absence of a bar server on the Liberty last fall at dinner, to the point that we started carrying in our own drinks and also let our head Waiter know that we expected better service. He delivered. By day 4, the bar server was meeting us at our table!

 

Hope your next cruise is better for you. But I truly do not think it had anything to do with having or not having a beverage pkg.

[clott]

We were just off the freedom on October 4 and never had an issue in the dining room or anywhere else. My husband had the package but I didn't and never had to wait for any period of time in area. We thought service was great.

[EllaDuChien]

So sorry to hear about your experience. We were on the previous sailing (Oct. 18) on the FOS and while I did notice and comment on the lack of drink menus, we did not have the same issues in the MDR at all. Our time at the pool deck was spent around Squeeze Bar, so we always had a quick drink there and we had great bar service in the MDR. We had the Ultimate Package as well and after the first night, our drink waiter was at the table ready to take our drink order. It was difficult to get him back a second time, but I remedied that by ordering a cocktail and a glass of wine right at the beginning. That way I could have the cocktail with appetizers, etc and the glass of wine ready for my main course.

 

I know that they are not supposed to give you two drinks at the same time, but since they seemed to only come by once during dinner, they were more willing to accommodate. This was learned after terrible MDR bar service on our last cruise in 2014.

 

Where we noticed it most was the casino. Last year, there were waiters around every corner waiting to get us a drink while we fed the machines. This year we had to go to the bar every single time.

 

I agree the packages are still the way to go for me as well, I used to tip on top of the package, $1 or so if a waiter brought me a drink, now I certainly don't feel I have to anymore, when I have to go to the bar myself. Now my "extra" tip money goes to my favorite bartenders!

[mattpan]

Appreciate all your feedback, it's very interesting to hear others' experiences! Sounds like we just may have gotten a dud drink server in the MDR.

[cb at sea]

Downsizing..cost cutting....today's service is not what it used to be. Hasn't been, in my experience for a while!

[Big_G]

Appreciate all your feedback, it's very interesting to hear others' experiences! Sounds like we just may have gotten a dud drink server in the MDR.

 

Did you ask your waiter? We've found in the absence of seeing a cocktail waiter in the MDR, they'll get it done. Cocktail servers in the MDR are far and few between these days but that started long before the drink packages.

[cruise_pirate]

Can someone refresh my memory, how much is the drink package for a 7 day cruise? We got it in 2013 but I think I killed too many brain cells..

 

Thanks,

Lonnie

[maryjaden]

On our Oasis cruise in March, I had the drink package. We had terrible service in the MDR, hit or miss at the pool and excellent service in the Casino.

 

On my Liberty sailing in October, I did not have a drink package. I had terrible service in the casino (I am a CR VIP, so the drinks were free) and excellent service in the MDR and the pool.

 

I always tip extra when they bring the drink to me (cash). IMO, I think it is more of a staffing issue.

[Ren1216]

OP -- really sorry to hear about your experience on FOS. There have been several reports in recent months with the same complaints (on other ships as well). It certainly is disappointing to hear.

 

twospoiled -- we were just on Indy a few weeks ago, bar service was great, everywhere. Zero trouble in the MDR or any of the lounges. Can't speak for the pool deck as we aren't pool-sitters. But the times we were on deck, we stopped at the Sky Bar (which was usually somewhat busy) and were able to get a drink within just a few minutes. So no worries!

[Diplomacy]

 

-In the MDR, the drink waiters were NOWHERE to be seen.

Yup. Sounds about right.

 

-Around the pool, I noticed much of the same thing...very few waiters to take orders around the pool.

Again, yup. Though to be fair, this is just a service that RCCL doesn't seem to offer most of the time. You are generally expected to go get drinks at the pool bar. If you do this, service will be fine.

 

... and providing disincentives to drink/bar staff for waiting on us by creating two drinking classes...those without the package (who obviously are higher value to servers due to direct tips) and every other poor sucker who paid the $400 thinking it made more sense.

 

Slight misconception here: ALL TIPS ARE POOLED. Even the "direct tips" are pooled with the drink package tips and distributed to the bar staff (and a variety of support staff) around the ship. You are actually the VIP by the numbers, since the guys who don't buy the package, BY DEFINITION pay fewer tips per day than you do. Your tips are merely "capped" at 18% of your package cost, which is still a lot of money compared to say 2-4 drinks per day.

Edited November 3, 2015 by Diplomacy

[DeadPhish]

I was on Indy in 2014 with a drink package. There were definitely issues with some servers getting drinks, but I really dont think it had to do with drink packages or not. There were never servers around the pool area, and it was almost impossible to get the attention of the ones that were.

 

It didnt really seem like most people had the packages yet, and some servers seemed to be disinterested or not friendly towards everyone. We learned quickly which servers/bartenders were friendly, and which werent.

[2wheelin]

Slight misconception here: ALL TIPS ARE POOLED. Even the "direct tips" are pooled with the drink package tips and distributed to the bar staff (and a variety of support staff) around the ship. You are actually the VIP by the numbers, since the guys who don't buy the package, BY DEFINITION pay fewer tips per day than you do. Your tips are merely "capped" at 18% of your package cost, which is still a lot of money compared to say 2-4 drinks per day.

 

True, but package tips are a sure thing, already paid. Pay-as-you-go drinks generate additional tips, potentially being more valuable to a server.

[Sascol]

It was extremely disappointing given the table next to us seemed to have beer/cocktails waiting for them before they even arrived. I can't help but assume they didn't have the drink package (more tips) versus the folks at our table.

 

Sorry you experienced this. What you state above though is not necessarily true. When you purchase a drink package you are paying a % for the tip in advance when you make this purchase. When one orders by the drink (no package) they are paying the same % for tip...it's just one drink at a time, unless of course they pay extra on top of what's being added already. Even if you purchase the package, you have the option to tip extra if you want to but in neither case is that necessary.

Edited November 3, 2015 by Sascol

[ryano]

Though to be fair, this is just a service that RCCL doesn't seem to offer most of the time. You are generally expected to go get drinks at the pool bar. If you do this, service will be fine.

.

 

You use to have to almost fight pool servers off like flies. :o Now they are hardly to be found. Staffing cutbacks. As far as the pool bar on Freedom goes, thats where I found service to be the very worst. 20 - 25 minute wait for a drink most of the time with a feeling of being ignored mostly.

Edited November 3, 2015 by ryano

[WineDown17]

I noticed this on our last Europe cruise as well...

 

We got good service in MDR from the sommelier but we were ordering nice bottles of wine.... Pre dinner cocktails, not so much...

 

On deck, service at bars and from roving waiters was AWFUL. They could have made double what they did from us if they had better service. I am only going to wait so long for a drink.... And BBCs go down easy!! Alcohol has to be a money maker for them...how they dont have more servers is beyond me...seems like a simple business case with a substantial ROI.

[George C]

We had good service in MDR had a couple of glasses of wine each night and had great service in all the specialty restaurants because of this we did not need to buy a bottle. Also is a good idea to get a glass from bar before walking in MDR, we were on Navigator, but I know some waiters are just better than others and staff is not what is used to be.

[Diplomacy]

True, but package tips are a sure thing, already paid. Pay-as-you-go drinks generate additional tips, potentially being more valuable to a server.

 

Actually, they aren't. If you find that you aren't buying 6+ drinks per day, for any reason, you might consider canceling your package and reverting to the other system. It is definitely in the bar-staff's best interest to make sure you feel like you are getting your money's worth.

 

Besides, good service gets additional tips from both types of patrons.

 

No. I think if you are experiencing poor service it's because the staff themselves are either tired/overworked or just disinterested. I don't think you need to go much deeper than that.

Edited November 3, 2015 by Diplomacy

[Sascol]

Actually, they aren't. If you find that you aren't buying 6+ drinks per day, for any reason, you might consider canceling your package and reverting to the other system.

 

You can't cancel the package once you purchase it.

[Diplomacy]

You can't cancel the package once you purchase it.

Sure you can.

 

They will charge you for everything you've purchased up to that point, here is the Official RCCL policy:

 

Q: Can I cancel or change any of my Wine & Beverage packages? A: Yes, you can typically cancel or change reservations online up to 2 days before your cruise begins by going to www.royalcaribbean.com/cruiseplanner. Once you log in to make your changes, we will be able to tell you the exact cut-off date for your sailing. If you are within the cut-off time, you will need to make your changes onboard.

 

Once onboard, you may cancel or change your package for an onboard credit. However, any consumed items will be charged.

 

There is also a caveat there that says that you can only make changes while there are still 3 or more full days left in the cruise (so you would have until day 3 on a 7 day cruise, day 4 of an 8 day, etc)

Edited November 3, 2015 by Diplomacy

[Sascol]

Sure you can.

 

They will charge you for everything you've purchased up to that point, here is the Official RCCL policy:

 

Q: Can I cancel or change any of my Wine & Beverage packages? A: Yes, you can typically cancel or change reservations online up to 2 days before your cruise begins by going to www.royalcaribbean.com/cruiseplanner. Once you log in to make your changes, we will be able to tell you the exact cut-off date for your sailing. If you are within the cut-off time, you will need to make your changes onboard.

 

Once onboard, you may cancel or change your package for an onboard credit. However, any consumed items will be charged.

 

There is also a caveat there that says that you can only make changes while there are still 3 or more full days left in the cruise (so you would have until day 3 on a 7 day cruise, day 4 of an 8 day, etc)

 

I'll be in the corner hiding now.