FOS MDR - Drinks? Keep 'em Coming!

[CookieDiva]

One of the things that can make or break a server's gratuity for my husband is a drink - be it pop, water, iced tea, etc. - - that is never empty.

I believe that I've read that it can be difficult getting drink refills in the main dining room.

What do you suggest? We have MTD. Should we just tell our servers each evening that we appreciate drinks being refilled often? Should we pre tip with a little extra cash - even though we have prepaid gratuities? Thoughts?

[Clarea]

I would tip at least $1 after each drink.

[ryano]

One of the things that can make or break a server's gratuity for my husband is a drink - be it pop, water, iced tea, etc. - - that is never empty.

I believe that I've read that it can be difficult getting drink refills in the main dining room.

What do you suggest? We have MTD. Should we just tell our servers each evening that we appreciate drinks being refilled often? Should we pre tip with a little extra cash - even though we have prepaid gratuities? Thoughts?

 

I am the same way as your husband. i drink a lot with dinner and want my drink glass kept full. Yes its hard to almost impossible to keep your glass filled on Freedom! So sad to have to even consider "pre tipping" for what should be standard service. There is no way Im tipping someone 1.00 to fill my water glass. How absurd!

 

Product of staff cutbacks and them having too many people to take care of unfortunately. :(

Edited February 29, 2016 by ryano

[CookieDiva]

I would tip at least $1 after each drink.

 

 

Really Bob? For water? Or a soft drink that we've already paid a gratuity on? Wow. Maybe the MDR just won't be for us. [emoji53]

[ryano]

Really Bob? For water? Or a soft drink that we've already paid a gratuity on? Wow. Maybe the MDR just won't be for us. [emoji53]

 

Ask your waiter if you can have a pitcher of water for your table :) I bet they can handle that. Soft drinks are ordered through the bar server in the MDR I think

[sharktums]

If you have purchased the soda package get a fill up before heading into the main dining room and order another soda and get your water filled up right away when you sit down. This worked well for my husband in the MDR.

[Beachammo]

Really Bob? For water? Or a soft drink that we've already paid a gratuity on? Wow. Maybe the MDR just won't be for us. [emoji53]

 

Bob has ALWAYS been a BIG tipper!!

 

I believe he was talking alcohol.....

[Clarea]

Really Bob? For water? Or a soft drink that we've already paid a gratuity on? Wow. Maybe the MDR just won't be for us. [emoji53]

If it's a bar server giving me a drink, I would normally tip them.

 

At dinner, it's the wait staff (not a bar server) that is filling water glasses, lemonade, iced tea, coffee, etc. I don't tip them every drink, but I do tip at the end of the cruise.

[Clarea]

Bob has ALWAYS been a BIG tipper!!

 

I believe he was talking alcohol.....

Thank-you Shelton.:)

[cb at sea]

Ask for 2 drinks at a time....if you're not on a package.....bring a drink with you to dinner, too! There is no need to "pre-tip" to get service.

Edited February 29, 2016 by cb at sea

[DrD]

If wine's your thing you can now bring a bottle to dinner without a corkage fee.

 

Otherwise all you can do is run to the nearest bar between courses.

[Peachy59]

Ahh, my biggest pet peeve at any restaurant! I will sometimes ask the server to bring me an extra glass of whatever ( tea, water, etc ) and let them know I drink a lot! I have been known to get up and go find them and ask for a refill if my drink gets empty. :eek: You shouldn't have to tip extra to keep your drink filled, although we usually will tip extra for great service, at the end of the cruise.

[johnnycruise]

One of the things that can make or break a server's gratuity for my husband is a drink - be it pop, water, iced tea, etc. - - that is never empty.

Should we pre tip with a little extra cash - even though we have prepaid gratuities? Thoughts?

 

Why prepay your gratuities if the beverage refill service can make or break a server's gratuity?

[mom2mybugs]

I never had trouble on vision getting the first drink, although occasionally the 2nd was longer. I have the drink pkg for the first time and I'm planning on bringing a glass of wine into the mdr each meal, and then asking for a refill before i need one. I will ask for water right at the beginning. I guess my daughter will do the same with her ice tea. Jane

[Scotty G]

One of the things that can make or break a server's gratuity for my husband is a drink - be it pop, water, iced tea, etc. - - that is never empty.

I believe that I've read that it can be difficult getting drink refills in the main dining room.

What do you suggest? We have MTD. Should we just tell our servers each evening that we appreciate drinks being refilled often? Should we pre tip with a little extra cash - even though we have prepaid gratuities? Thoughts?

 

Very obvious here that the OP is NOT asking about alcoholic beverages.

 

We usually ask the waiter or assistant that we want a specific beverage (in my case iced tea) with every meal and replenished before it runs out! Works every time without giving a tip up front.

[TravelerThom]

I don't expect waiters to be mind-readers. I mention on my first glass that I'm a big water drinker, and with very few exceptions my glass rarely gets below half full. I'm not an up-front tipper, but I always give these waiters an atta-boy on my survey and some additional gratuity as a thank you (I don't feel that I "have to", but rather I want to.

 

Thom

[CookieDiva]

Why prepay your gratuities if the beverage refill service can make or break a server's gratuity?

 

 

Well, when we first booked we had no option. Traditional Dining was not offered and not accepting a wait list. And at that time - 16 months ago - you HAD to prepay gratuities with MTD - so we had no choice. Guess that I should have made that known in my OP.

 

And since this is our first cruise, I was speaking of regular restaurant experiences.

[CookieDiva]

Very obvious here that the OP is NOT asking about alcoholic beverages.

 

 

 

We usually ask the waiter or assistant that we want a specific beverage (in my case iced tea) with every meal and replenished before it runs out! Works every time without giving a tip up front.

 

 

Thank you! Yes, you're right, I'm not speaking of alcoholic beverages. My husband doesn't expect bottomless beer,

wine or mixed drinks at dinner.

 

To the rest of you, thank you so much for your suggestions. I'm sure that employing one or more of these tips will ensure a filled glass without pre tipping or using an endless supply of singles.

[YadaYadaJodi]

Beverage service in the MDR/MTD - both alcoholic & iced tea - was my biggest, if not only, complaint on our Navigator cruise. We were traveling with another couple & had standing reservations every night so didn't want to rock the boat & request a change. The one night we ate in the MDR without them we requested a different serving team & had great service.

 

For both teams bar service was way too slow. We weren't tipping extra because it wasn't deserved (we were tipping extra in most of the bars, especially R Bar & Boleros). But our tablemates were and it didn't seem to help. I thought the problem might have been understaffing.

 

As for getting iced tea refills I don't know what the problem was. I always had to request refills, I usually had to request at least twice and I know I had to request a refill 3 times before getting it on more than 1 occasion. I think my DH got up & grabbed a nearby pitcher one time & filled it for me. You would think by the 5th night they would have figured me out.

 

So my new plan for my upcoming Liberty cruise was - Bring a glass of wine with me from Vintages to get me started. If I can swing 2 on my drink package I would be very happy.

 

As far as my iced tea, I definitely going to borrow some suggestions here - Be up front & let them know I will be wanting multiple refills and request a couple of glasses at a time. Thanks for the ideas.

Edited March 1, 2016 by YadaYadaJodi