Kiwifan56 Posted July 20, 2022 #1 Share Posted July 20, 2022 Hi all, it has been some time since we have been aboard a HAL cruise ship (2018 😭) and were wondering post Covid times how drink ordering was going in the MDR? In the past we have either ordered a HAL wine package or have taken our own wine on and paid the corkage fee. This upcoming cruise we have the HIA Signature drinks package but wondered if anyone could advise on wait times from ordering to receiving said drink. Appreciate different ships different staff. We are not big drinkers and certainly won’t get through the 15 drinks a day but do like a wee wine with our meals and have had a small delay in the past when asking for our wine to come to the table. 😏 Kind regards, Russell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julia Posted July 20, 2022 #2 Share Posted July 20, 2022 With the HIA, it's very nice to have a pre-dinner drink in your favorite bar or lounge. After which, you may order a nice glass of wine to take with you to the dining room. Sit, sip, peruse menu, sip some more, and perhaps order another glass to go with whatever you've just decided on for dinner. Very easy. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiserBruce Posted July 20, 2022 #3 Share Posted July 20, 2022 We are not having any problems getting drinks in the MDR on Statendam right now. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajcruiser Posted July 20, 2022 #4 Share Posted July 20, 2022 10 hours ago, CruiserBruce said: We are not having any problems getting drinks in the MDR on Statendam right now. Agree with CruiserBruce. We were on Statendam also and the wait staff took drink orders with your room card. They had set up areas near their stations were they could pick up drinks. Enjoyed the HIA package. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvteaching Posted July 20, 2022 #5 Share Posted July 20, 2022 Just off the Westerdam. Ordered a glass of wine nightly and it arrived within 5 minutes or so. Very prompt service. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aa7yy Posted July 20, 2022 #6 Share Posted July 20, 2022 I am a week person, I pick up a glass of wine on the way in. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDARCH Posted July 20, 2022 #7 Share Posted July 20, 2022 Last two cruises ...Nov 2021 and Jan 2022, both on K-dam, best bet was to just leave the dinner table and find the nearest bar 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papadave Posted July 21, 2022 #8 Share Posted July 21, 2022 Having read a lot on message boards, I can summarize what people are saying. It depends on the ship. Overall, when cruising returned staffing levels have been lower and beverage service in main dining rooms is typically being handled by the waitstaff instead of a dedicated beverage person, such as a wine steward. Sometimes this is wonderful, efficient and better than before. Other times, you are better off picking up a drink at a bar on the way in. As someone who will look at a menu before deciding on what to drink with dinner, I typically order at the table and hope that service is good, but I am not above leaving a dining room if the nearest bar is convenient. It might appear rude, but if you prefer to have your drink with your meal and not as a separate course (I hate sitting with food in front of me and waiting for the drink to accompany it), that is often the better option. If you are asked by your waiter or someone above the waiter, just be honest. They need to recognize when there is a gap. If they are shortstaffed, it would be unfair to blame anyone, but you need not ruin your own experience either. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwifan56 Posted July 21, 2022 Author #9 Share Posted July 21, 2022 Hi folks, thank you so much for your replies. As there have been so many great tips I reckon we will just wing it and take a glass in and hope for the best during our meal. As business owners we appreciate that the labour market is not what it was pre Covid so would never make a scene for slow service. Once again, thanks everyone. 🍷 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuolumne couple Posted July 21, 2022 #10 Share Posted July 21, 2022 if you have fixed dining, you can tell your server you wish to have a drink order before your meal order so that they get there at the same time. if you like wine, also tell them you want the cheese and cracker plate on the table for when you sit down to go with your wine. they will do this every night and will learn your preferences. they are great that way. As others said, you can also take your wine to dinner too. everyone is there to help you and make your journey a great one. we hope your journey is a great one as well. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjfarns Posted July 21, 2022 #11 Share Posted July 21, 2022 We were on the Eurodam last week and found the drink service in the MDR to be quick and efficient. That’s said, the service at most of the other bars was slow, even when they were not crowded. The exception being the Pinnacle lounge. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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