Booking specialty restaurants - service desk or ask the butler?

[uktog]

8 minutes ago, fruitmachine said:

The trouble is that they can't guarantee that lots of 'early' diners won't linger for a longer meal.  There's no guarantee that you'll get on an 8.00 booking at 7.15 and folk would start to get angry if their 7.15 table was still occupied at 7.30. 

The alternative is that they keep that table free from opening until 7.15, in effect reducing the total capacity of the restaurant as you'd only get one sitting on it in the whole evening.

 

IMHO the system works well - if there's a table free early you can occupy it early.

 

 

I can see that issue though other cruise lines seem to manage the issue no problem.  I just get frustrated that its obviously possible for them to take 7.30 bookings - I know some regular guests get 7 or 7.30 all the time - but its not made generally available.

[1985rz1]

1 hour ago, uktog said:

1 hour ago, fruitmachine said:

The trouble is that they can't guarantee that lots of 'early' diners won't linger for a longer meal. 

I can see that issue though other cruise lines seem to manage the issue no problem.

I agree with uktog.  Other similar size ships seem to be able to manage their seatings in 30 min intervals, so I don't understand why AZ can't do it also. It would also spread the demand on the kitchen across the evening instead of two peak times.

Edited April 26 by 1985rz1

[margie.steinberg]

Newbie to Azamara. On the Greece Intensive on June 15.

[Allwashedup]

In the Speciality Restaurants, is there a facility to book the time you want to go and join other strangers at this time on a table; or do you go by yourselves or with a group of friends?

[uktog]

11 minutes ago, Allwashedup said:

In the Speciality Restaurants, is there a facility to book the time you want to go and join other strangers at this time on a table; or do you go by yourselves or with a group of friends?

The focus of the Speciality restaurants is on an experience with your travelling companions or a group of friends who have booked together.  There is no joining together with stangers

[tgg]

1 hour ago, uktog said:

The focus of the Speciality restaurants is on an experience with your travelling companions or a group of friends who have booked together.  There is no joining together with stangers

 

My husband and I don't travel with companions or a group of friends. So when we book a suite and eat in the specialties most nights, we eat alone. On a past 14 day cruise, there were many people in a similar situations. Lots of us wanted to meet new people.

 

Many of us got to know each other (because we were seated next to each other) and started having dinner together. 

[uktog]

8 minutes ago, tgg said:

 

My husband and I don't travel with companions or a group of friends. So when we book a suite and eat in the specialties most nights, we eat alone. On a past 14 day cruise, there were many people in a similar situations. Lots of us wanted to meet new people.

 

Many of us got to know each other (because we were seated next to each other) and started having dinner together. 

My definition of friends includes people we’ve got to know on-board who become friends quickly. We really enjoy these new group meals however we’d hate a “blind date” in the speciality restaurants. 

[tgg]

44 minutes ago, uktog said:

My definition of friends includes people we’ve got to know on-board who become friends quickly. We really enjoy these new group meals however we’d hate a “blind date” in the speciality restaurants. 

We're happy to have a "blind date" in any of Azamara's restaurants. I would hesitate to ask anyone not in a suite (or without a specialty dining package) to join us because it might be more than they want to spend for dinner when dinner is already included in the main restaurant. I just don't want to make anyone uncomfortable.

[Allwashedup]

Thank you for you replies. Not having been in the dining rooms, I was unaware of the proximity to other guests, which is fine.
 

Not thinking about myself, I was just thinking how single guests could miss out on this type of dining experience.

[Melissaghoti]

6 hours ago, Allwashedup said:

Thank you for you replies. Not having been in the dining rooms, I was unaware of the proximity to other guests, which is fine.
 

Not thinking about myself, I was just thinking how single guests could miss out on this type of dining experience.

Why should single guests miss out? I’ve eaten in the specialty restaurants alone many times. Tables are close enough to chat with others if you or they would like. I’ve also brought someone else and paid for their dinner a couple of times.

Melissa

[Leo_On_Geo]

23 hours ago, Allwashedup said:

Thank you for you replies. Not having been in the dining rooms, I was unaware of the proximity to other guests, which is fine.
 

Not thinking about myself, I was just thinking how single guests could miss out on this type of dining experience.

As a solo traveler, I sometimes go alone or organize a table for others to join.  If I notice another solo traveler with a gold "Suites" key card, I ask if they might like company one night. Solos do not miss out on much!

 

That being said, I have commented to management several times that a solo traveler in a suite (which I have been) should have an added perk of several (two per week?) guest passes for speciality dinners. A solo pays about the same as the two passengers in a suite, but has only has one person dining in the specialities.  A limited number of guest passes would be a nice benefit.

[tgg]

27 minutes ago, Leo_On_Geo said:

As a solo traveler, I sometimes go alone or organize a table for others to join.  If I notice another solo traveler with a gold "Suites" key card, I ask if they might like company one night. Solos do not miss out on much!

 

That being said, I have commented to management several times that a solo traveler in a suite (which I have been) should have an added perk of several (two per week?) guest passes for speciality dinners. A solo pays about the same as the two passengers in a suite, but has only has one person dining in the specialities.  A limited number of guest passes would be a nice benefit.

I think your idea for guest passes for people paying double solo fares is brilliant. I know there are solo specials that reduce that, but I wouldn't quibble with your idea.

[Denverbri69]

I have never been on AZ. But I travel extensively.  Here is a sure fire tip on how to get the best service available.  Always go through your butler. Ask the butler if he knows anyone of the servers in a specialty restaurant or even the MDR. The crew is a very tight community,  they all know each other. Ask who they know & who they would recommend to serve their own family. Then have the arrange your reservation and they will request the server theybknow to be excellent.  For the butler is makes him invaluable to you & for server it is a big compliment to be recommended. You will receive great service, and the server might share with the chef that a special guest is in the dining room. Don't forget to to show your appreciation with a tip. For those of you that will flame me for tipping, enjoy your mediocre experience,  I will be enjoying our lavish dining experience.  🤣🤣🤣

[uktog]

50 minutes ago, Denverbri69 said:

I have never been on AZ. But I travel extensively.  Here is a sure fire tip on how to get the best service available.  Always go through your butler. Ask the butler if he knows anyone of the servers in a specialty restaurant or even the MDR. The crew is a very tight community,  they all know each other. Ask who they know & who they would recommend to serve their own family. Then have the arrange your reservation and they will request the server theybknow to be excellent.  For the butler is makes him invaluable to you & for server it is a big compliment to be recommended. You will receive great service, and the server might share with the chef that a special guest is in the dining room. Don't forget to to show your appreciation with a tip. For those of you that will flame me for tipping, enjoy your mediocre experience,  I will be enjoying our lavish dining experience.  🤣🤣🤣

On Azamara what you describe is not within the power of your butler.  It’s also not the expected staff culture to highlight one employee over another.
All guests in the Speciality restaurants are treated equally vs a vs the chef. The butler has no pull on even getting you bookings never mind getting you a particular server. 
The form would be to work out what server works for you based on an early cruise experience then ask the Restaurant Manager (not the butler) if you can be seated in that person’s section again. They will try and place you there but it will depend on table size, whether the waiter is allocated to other duties such as Captain hosting/Best of the Best events etc. 

Regardless of a tip or not - again the usual is end of cruise not up front bribes- I doubt anyone who has cruised with Azamara thinks they’ve had a mediocre experience because they didn’t bung someone enough 

Edited August 10 by uktog

[Denverbri69]

We obviously have different traveling styles. Enjoy yours. 🤣

[federalexpress]

1 hour ago, Denverbri69 said:

We obviously have different traveling styles. Enjoy yours. 🤣

As UKTog and an earlier poster pointed out, if you leave your butler to sort out your booking, very likely you will find at least some of your preferred dates and times are already gone as people book them at the table before your butler appears. Better advice would be to use your early access because of suite status to be first up to the booking table.

 

Butlers are a great service and can do lots of things for you, including serving up a proper dinner in your cabin, but with the speciality restaurants, better to get to know the restaurant manager.

 

Possibly AZ is not the cruise line for you...

[Denverbri69]

15 minutes ago, federalexpress said:

As UKTog and an earlier poster pointed out, if you leave your butler to sort out your booking, very likely you will find at least some of your preferred dates and times are already gone as people book them at the table before your butler appears. Better advice would be to use your early access because of suite status to be first up to the booking table.

 

Butlers are a great service and can do lots of things for you, including serving up a proper dinner in your cabin, but with the speciality restaurants, better to get to know the restaurant manager.

 

Possibly AZ is not the cruise line for you...

i agree with you. I will ask my butler to introduce me to the dining room managers. 

[uktog]

12 minutes ago, federalexpress said:

As UKTog and an earlier poster pointed out, if you leave your butler to sort out your booking, very likely you will find at least some of your preferred dates and times are already gone as people book them at the table before your butler appears. Better advice would be to use your early access because of suite status to be first up to the booking table.

 

Butlers are a great service and can do lots of things for you, including serving up a proper dinner in your cabin, but with the speciality restaurants, better to get to know the restaurant manager.

 

Possibly AZ is not the cruise line for you...

I would agree. It is a line where behaviours driven by tipping will not get you anywhere. It’s a gratuity included line and the staff focus on treating everyone regardless of their room category as equal. That’s what makes Azamara such a relaxing line to be on. As you say if you are someone who wants to be treated as special over everyone else Azamara is not for you 

[uktog]

1 minute ago, Denverbri69 said:

i agree with you. I will ask my butler to introduce me to the dining room managers. 

Do it yourself on the first night. Your butler will not have time to do that on embarkation day. They look after up to 12 suites each 

[federalexpress]

7 hours ago, Denverbri69 said:

i agree with you. I will ask my butler to introduce me to the dining room managers. 

I haven't found the restaurant managers on AZ to be so intimidating that I would need a butler to introduce me.

[Dynacruiser]

13 hours ago, Denverbri69 said:

 enjoy your mediocre experience, 

 

I will have to assume that this unfriendly language is your attempt to use humor.

 

It is easy to see that you have never traveled with Azamara.  So many repeat guests go with Azamara for one reason:  It is very easy to meet the service staff, most of them are simply wonderful professionals who want to please you.  

 

I am glad that your behaviors are providing you the "lavish dining experience" you pursue.   I am not opposed to tipping, but I can assure you that at Azamara, just displaying a friendly smile and warm heart will open the door to exceptional service. 

[Denverbri69]

51 minutes ago, Dynacruiser said:

 

I will have to assume that this unfriendly language is your attempt to use humor.

 

It is easy to see that you have never traveled with Azamara.  So many repeat guests go with Azamara for one reason:  It is very easy to meet the service staff, most of them are simply wonderful professionals who want to please you.  

 

I am glad that your behaviors are providing you the "lavish dining experience" you pursue.   I am not opposed to tipping, but I can assure you that at Azamara, just displaying a friendly smile and warm heart will open the door to exceptional service. 

one is never in lieu of the other. 

[uktog]

It’s about expectation levels about the “culture” on Azamara not about tipping. If you’ve cruised predominantly on lines where tips are add ons and some guests avoid what they should rightly be giving crew then maybe you come to Azamara with the view of the poster that money talks and the butler is the route to something special. It’s not. 

@dynacruiser captured it so well talking about the “how” with staff (smiles etc) not the “what” (extra tips, expecting personal introduction). 

 

Azamara guests do tip in addition to the included gratuity but not as an upfront bribe and usually for something above and beyond the high service levels seen.

 
@denverbri69 might like to consider looking after all staff that make his butler look good (those favours that may happen aren’t solely the butler’s efforts) by contributing to the Crew Fund rather than solely focusing on individuals. That fund pays for crew parties celebrating national days etc - and that’s probably one every cruise - excursions, buys prizes for the very popular crew bingo etc and is managed by the crew not head office. 

The Azamara model works for crew far better than for mass lines (which from the profiles it appears the poster is used to) The evidence is it is a line where probably as many don’t tip extra as do, in an industry where there are opportunities on every line, but Azamaras staff retention and re- sign on rate one of the highest in the industry 

[excitedofharpenden]

19 hours ago, Denverbri69 said:

I have never been on AZ. But I travel extensively.  Here is a sure fire tip on how to get the best service available.  Always go through your butler. Ask the butler if he knows anyone of the servers in a specialty restaurant or even the MDR. The crew is a very tight community,  they all know each other. Ask who they know & who they would recommend to serve their own family. Then have the arrange your reservation and they will request the server theybknow to be excellent.  For the butler is makes him invaluable to you & for server it is a big compliment to be recommended. You will receive great service, and the server might share with the chef that a special guest is in the dining room. Don't forget to to show your appreciation with a tip. For those of you that will flame me for tipping, enjoy your mediocre experience,  I will be enjoying our lavish dining experience.  🤣🤣🤣

Sorry. You may travel extensively, but you haven't been on Azamara and this is most definitely not how it works. The butlers are extremely busy. They look after a number of cabins, not just yours. Your information is fundamentally incorrect as far as Azamara is concerned. You will receive great service no matter what your tipping habits are. 

 

Phil 

[wjfan417]

10 hours ago, uktog said:

It’s about expectation levels about the “culture” on Azamara not about tipping. If you’ve cruised predominantly on lines where tips are add ons and some guests avoid what they should rightly be giving crew then maybe you come to Azamara with the view of the poster that money talks and the butler is the route to something special. It’s not. 

@dynacruiser captured it so well talking about the “how” with staff (smiles etc) not the “what” (extra tips, expecting personal introduction). 

 

Azamara guests do tip in addition to the included gratuity but not as an upfront bribe and usually for something above and beyond the high service levels seen.

 
@denverbri69 might like to consider looking after all staff that make his butler look good (those favours that may happen aren’t solely the butler’s efforts) by contributing to the Crew Fund rather than solely focusing on individuals. That fund pays for crew parties celebrating national days etc - and that’s probably one every cruise - excursions, buys prizes for the very popular crew bingo etc and is managed by the crew not head office. 

The Azamara model works for crew far better than for mass lines (which from the profiles it appears the poster is used to) The evidence is it is a line where probably as many don’t tip extra as do, in an industry where there are opportunities on every line, but Azamaras staff retention and re- sign on rate one of the highest in the industry 

I wish Azamara would mention the cruise fund. Having sailed with them for 12 years, we know about it and always donate. However, new travelers don’t know about that option. It’s on my list to mention when we get our survey for the cruise we got off today.