Al Bacio , this is nuts

[Luvcrusn]

I agree that asking a guest to take the "bill?" to GR is nuts! We've never had that happen ever! I totally love Al Baccio especially for that first cup in the morning and an afternoon iced treat. I've never had that happen either there or anywhere else on a X ship.

 

As an aside, I have a quick and unrelated question for OP just off of Reflection. When you boarded did you receive your seapass cards at check in like in the past or were you told to go to your room to get it?  Even though rooms weren't ready until the usual 1PM were you able to drop off your carry on luggage and put your valuables in the safe? There's been some discussion about whether this was being done on Reflection on our Roll Call. We're sailing in several more weeks.

[jc foster]

3 minutes ago, Luvcrusn said:

I agree that asking a guest to take the "bill?" to GR is nuts! We've never had that happen ever! I totally love Al Baccio especially for that first cup in the morning and an afternoon iced treat. I've never had that happen either there or anywhere else on a X ship.

 

As an aside, I have a quick and unrelated question for OP just off of Reflection. When you boarded did you receive your seapass cards at check in like in the past or were you told to go to your room to get it?  Even though rooms weren't ready until the usual 1PM were you able to drop off your carry on luggage and put your valuables in the safe? There's been some discussion about whether this was being done on Reflection on our Roll Call. We're sailing in several more weeks.

We received our seapass cards at check in but had to wait to around 1:00 pm to enter the room and drop off luggage. 

[Germancruiser]

I very much appreicate the fact that in Al Bacio there is real table service and take away. It is one of my favorite spots to sit- read and people watching and having my tea or whatever served.

I never experienced people just sitting there without ordering anything and " hog" the chairs!

The problem the OP had also never happend to me and i agree it should not happen anyway!

HAL has something similar on board their new ships- they call it Dutch Cafe- and that is all self service - which I absolutley did not like in the least! Also self service in the Crowns Nest.

So I came to appericiate Al Bacio and the service they provide,  on board X- ships!

 

[Oville]

44 minutes ago, Luvcrusn said:

I agree that asking a guest to take the "bill?" to GR is nuts!

 

Weird if this happened.

Edited December 16, 2019 by Oville

[davekathy]

8 minutes ago, Oville said:

Weird if this happened.

According to the OP that's exactly what they were told to do. 

 

 

11 hours ago, jc foster said:

 My wife and I returned a few days ago from a ten day Southern Caribbean sailing on the Reflection. We were one of the first couple of hundred persons to board and  we headed to the Al Bacio café and ordered two coffees. A short time later our waiter came back with our card and bill. I had noticed him talking back and forth with a guy who I think was his supervisor. On our bill the waiter had only written a description of our coffees but no prices; he then informed us that they were slow in getting newly arrived guests credit card information into the computer and that we would have to take our copy of the bill to guest services in ordered to be charged and to verify the purchase. We waited until the next morning and went to guest services. When we handed the lady behind the counter ? She looked at us like we were nuts and then asked, " Whats this ? Where are the prices? . We explained and she said, " These will be free". Three days later the coffees showed up on our bill. In my opinion El Bacio should start taking care of their own business . A trip to Guest Relations is not a good way to start off a cruise. On a positive note the food , service, and ship were very good. 

 

Edited December 16, 2019 by davekathy

[Luvcrusn]

10 minutes ago, Oville said:

Weird if this happened.

That's exactly what OP stated happened. I read it correctly.  

[Oville]

5 minutes ago, davekathy said:

According to the OP that's exactly what they were told to do. 

 

 

 

Most have been an entire turnover at al Bacio.

[cluso]

It appears the issue is after going to guest relations "it will be free", but then days later it shows up as a charge.  Another trip to guest relations, not a good way to spend your vacation time.

[cluso]

59 minutes ago, Germancruiser said:

I very much appreicate the fact that in Al Bacio there is real table service and take away. It is one of my favorite spots to sit- read and people watching and having my tea or whatever served.

I never experienced people just sitting there without ordering anything and " hog" the chairs!

 

 

Oh my, we have seen people "camp out" there for hours and only had 1 coffee.  They have their tablets , books, etc. 

[Fouremco]

7 minutes ago, cluso said:

Oh my, we have seen people "camp out" there for hours and only had 1 coffee.  They have their tablets , books, etc. 

So true. There was a lengthy thread on this back in October:

 

 

[jagoffee]

13 hours ago, jc foster said:

 My wife and I returned a few days ago from a ten day Southern Caribbean sailing on the Reflection. We were one of the first couple of hundred persons to board and  we headed to the Al Bacio café and ordered two coffees. A short time later our waiter came back with our card and bill. I had noticed him talking back and forth with a guy who I think was his supervisor. On our bill the waiter had only written a description of our coffees but no prices; he then informed us that they were slow in getting newly arrived guests credit card information into the computer and that we would have to take our copy of the bill to guest services in ordered to be charged and to verify the purchase. We waited until the next morning and went to guest services. When we handed the lady behind the counter ? She looked at us like we were nuts and then asked, " Whats this ? Where are the prices? . We explained and she said, " These will be free". Three days later the coffees showed up on our bill. In my opinion El Bacio should start taking care of their own business . A trip to Guest Relations is not a good way to start off a cruise. On a positive note the food , service, and ship were very good. 

My guess is that the waiter was being trained, was confused, gave you bad information, or just made a mistake.

IMO, there is no way that Celebrity would expect anyone to take a handwritten receipt to GS in order to be billed.  I suspect that most of us would not even consider doing such a strange thing.  Nor appreciate being told to do such a thing.  

 

I have seen hand written/bills upon embarkation, when I upgrade to the premium drink package on board. I have seen it others times, but I do recall the circumstances.  I just figured that they were doing the manual process, so that I would not be charged tax.  It showed up on my account in the next day or so.

[wpgcycler]

All sorted then?

[Iamcruzin]

20 hours ago, jc foster said:

      Sorry,  I don not like going and standing in line at Guest relations for any reason especially something that should be handled by the ship. Not a good way to start off a vacation.

It will be a cold day in Hell before I wait on line to pay for anything that I purchased that couldn't be charged to my account at the time of purchase. If they can't get it together then it's on them.  Good thing the shops can't open in port.

[wrk2cruise]

9 hours ago, jagoffee said:

 I just figured that they were doing the manual process, so that I would not be charged tax.  It showed up on my account in the next day or so.

 

I suspect it probably intended to be something like this.  While in port they charge tax.  At times they will kindly hand write the bill and enter it later while at sea and no tax is charged.

[bEwAbG]

 

10 hours ago, jagoffee said:

My guess is that the waiter was being trained, was confused, gave you bad information, or just made a mistake.

 

Could also be that the OP just misunderstood what the person was saying.  It's such an unusual request that I'd have clarified it with someone else at al Bacio rather than taking it at face value and wasting my time at Guest Relations.  Also, we sometimes think that just because someone is speaking English that they have a firm grasp on what they're conveying, but that's not always the case.