Does Playmakers have a purchase minimum during NFL games?

[CruiseMelissa]

During NFL games do you have to buy a certain $$ amount of food/drinks to sit at the bar or table at Playmakers?  I wasn't sure if it was like a land-based bar where this can be common or treated like a typical cruise ship bar where it's first-come-first-serve hang out and stay as long as you'd like?

[ShillyShally]

Nope, no requirement at all.

[smokeybandit]

It'd be kind of rude to the staff to just sit at the bar and watch the games when paying customers could otherwise be sitting there.

 

[Sea Dog]

As long as you keep drinking, eating and tipping it should not be a problem at all.

[CruiseMelissa]

3 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

It'd be kind of rude to the staff to just sit at the bar and watch the games when paying customers could otherwise be sitting

Couldn't this be said for all bars with chairs around a ship?  Or chairs around the pool where there is drink service?   

 

I know on land this is the case, the bartenders need high turnover to make $ but with C&A vouchers, drink packages, and it being a family-focused I'm not sure this applies here. 

 

[smokeybandit]

1 minute ago, CruiseMelissa said:

Couldn't this be said for all bars with chairs around a ship?

Most definitely

[la_croisiere_s'amuse]

Rude to the staff, yes, but also not super considerate to people who are waiting to be seated. It's kinda hard to enjoy your nachos and campfire cookies standing up. 😉  

[bretts173]

Also hard for those kids wanting to colour in.

[Coralc]

Don’t give them any ideas, please.

[Scottdalfonso]

10 hours ago, CruiseMelissa said:

Couldn't this be said for all bars with chairs around a ship?  Or chairs around the pool where there is drink service?   

 

I know on land this is the case, the bartenders need high turnover to make $ but with C&A vouchers, drink packages, and it being a family-focused I'm not sure this applies here. 

 

It definitely applies to the bar area...Playmakers only has a few bar stools, and should be left open for people ordering drinks, and honestly if you want to watch a game, the  tables offer better viewing anyway.  

[cruisegirl1]

12 hours ago, la_croisiere_s'amuse said:

Rude to the staff, yes, but also not super considerate to people who are waiting to be seated. It's kinda hard to enjoy your nachos and campfire cookies standing up. 😉  

In our recent experience with a crowded Playmakers, food had to be ordered when seated at a table or the bar.  You could not order food if you did not have a place to sit and eat it. Those never vacating a table made it quite difficult for others to have a meal there.  
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[cruiseguy1016]

Watch the game at the bar in the casino. Nobody ever sits at that bar inn there so there are always plenty of seats available.

[welshrich]

 

2 hours ago, Scottdalfonso said:

It definitely applies to the bar area...Playmakers only has a few bar stools, and should be left open for people ordering drinks, and honestly if you want to watch a game, the  tables offer better viewing anyway.  

I'll probably get flamed for it but I wish they would introduce a cover charge during peak times, it's frustrating when you want to have a drink and watch some entertainment and virtually every seat is taken with no one drinking.  

[NoShoes2]

22 minutes ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

Watch the game at the bar in the casino. Nobody ever sits at that bar inn there so there are always plenty of seats available.

 

Good suggestion

[time4u2go]

1 hour ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

Watch the game at the bar in the casino. Nobody ever sits at that bar inn there so there are always plenty of seats available.

How many TVs are in the casino? There are often several games going on at once that people might want to see.

[Scottdalfonso]

2 hours ago, welshrich said:

 

I'll probably get flamed for it but I wish they would introduce a cover charge during peak times, it's frustrating when you want to have a drink and watch some entertainment and virtually every seat is taken with no one drinking.  

I don't know about a cover, but maybe a minimum purchase or time limit if nothing is ordered in between rounds, but good luck policing that. We went to watch the baseball wild card games every night a few weeks ago and had to kind of hover around watching for people who were finishing up so we could grab the tables. no one seemed to be sitting there with nothing in front of them, and if they did, they were leaving

[ShillyShally]

Last week on Mariner I had a hard time getting OUT of playmakers given the bartenders would refill my drinks before I asked for another (drink package) - but obviously we weren't just using seats.  We did hear the bartenders are tasked with serving as many drinks as possible, and we found great service at all bars except the sleepy Plaza bar where no one seemed to want to work.

[Starry Eyes]

4 hours ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

Watch the game at the bar in the casino. Nobody ever sits at that bar inn there so there are always plenty of seats available.

Many people find the casino too smoky.  There’s no way I could enjoy a drink or a game at the casino bar.

[NoShoes2]

1 minute ago, Starry Eyes said:

Many people find the casino too smoky.  There’s no way I could enjoy a drink or a game at the casino bar.

 

Agreed! 

[Scottdalfonso]

1 hour ago, ShillyShally said:

We did hear the bartenders are tasked with serving as many drinks as possible

The more they serve, the more they get paid

[ShillyShally]

16 minutes ago, Scottdalfonso said:

The more they serve, the more they get paid

Yep, that's what we heard and figured.  I didn't mind taking any with me when it helped them to serve one more since we had the deluxe package.

[Scottdalfonso]

4 minutes ago, ShillyShally said:

Yep, that's what we heard and figured.  I didn't mind taking any with me when it helped them to serve one more since we had the deluxe package.

That's how I learned this... was at Sorrentos ordering beverages, and someone else with the deluxe package came up and ordered water. The bartender kept asking the guy if he wanted a red bull or can of  beer to take back to the room, and the guy kept saying no and walked away with his waters. The bartender told me he always tries to get people to take something besides water if they have the package so he can get credit for the sale...water doesn't go toward the drink count. 

Edited October 18, 2023 by Scottdalfonso

[ShillyShally]

8 minutes ago, Scottdalfonso said:

That's how I learned this... was at Sorrentos ordering beverages, and someone else with the deluxe package came up and ordered water. The bartender kept asking the guy if he wanted a red bull or beer to take back to the room, and the guy kept saying no and walked away with his waters. The bartender told me he always tries to get people to take something besides water if they have the package so he can get credit for the sale...water doesn't go toward the drink count. 

Makes sense, I had to keep asking for more water too when my "Tito's and water" started showing up as Titos only lol and I always also drink a water along with my T&W !  Great service though, no complaints at all!

Edited October 18, 2023 by ShillyShally

[PhillyFan33579]

On 10/18/2023 at 5:25 AM, Scottdalfonso said:

It definitely applies to the bar area...Playmakers only has a few bar stools, and should be left open for people ordering drinks, and honestly if you want to watch a game, the  tables offer better viewing anyway.  

What ship(s) offers a better view from the tables? I have recently watched NFL games on Wonder, Odyssey, Independence and Freedom. The best seats for watching games was sitting at the bar. The one exception might be Odyssey if you get a seat above the sports court facing the large TV. But you only can watch one game when you are sitting there, which does work well for Sunday, Monday and Thursday night games. 

[Scottdalfonso]

26 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

What ship(s) offers a better view from the tables? I have recently watched NFL games on Wonder, Odyssey, Independence and Freedom. The best seats for watching games was sitting at the bar. The one exception might be Odyssey if you get a seat above the sports court facing the large TV. But you only can watch one game when you are sitting there, which does work well for Sunday, Monday and Thursday night games. 

Oasis has tvs all along the outside with tables in front of almost every one. Same on the inside..the booths don't have a great view but the tables right in the middle to the left of the bar have great sight lines