confused about drinks & wait staff

[lisid]

So, from what I've gathered if I "order" an iced tea at the pool & a server brings it to me...I pay for it...right??? But at dinner it's not like that....how about at the shows? Will the wait staff bring us "included" beverages, or will we pay for them if they do? Also, will we be able to take a can of coke from our room (that we are bringing with us) into the dining room...or is that a "chargeable" offense also???? Very confusing!!!...Oh, and hey...while I'm rambling on....is espresso "included" ??:confused:

Thanks in advance

[Ms belp]

I keep it simple. I ask myself, would I do this if I were in a restaurant at home?

 

For wait staff, you are not paying for the free beverage, you are paying for them bringing it to you. I prefer to go get my own. It gets me out of the sun if I'm by the pool.

[lukes]

Maybe I am way wrong but if a wait staff brings you any beverage you will be requuired to pay something if only a tip. The only free beverages are tap water, coffee, tea, juices, iced tea and milk, but these are usually only available in the dinning rooms or at the buffett. If I asked a wait staff to bring them to me at the pool or at the show I would expect to pay for them.

 

You can take your own brought along beverage any where you want. Who would really know if wasn't something you ordered on board unless you are having it in some type of container that would definately not be something found onboard.

 

Expresso is free at dinner time.

 

Again thing of it like a bar a restaurant at home. If I ordered anything other than tap water would there be a charge is someone brought it to me?

[CruisnGram]

This is a good question that I've never considered. What I would do if I were you is this.

 

Call the waiter over and hand him $2.00 and say "I know that there's no charge for iced tea, but I'm lazy and don't want to go to the buffet to get one myself, could you get it for me please?" Bet you'll get your iced tea free of charge. :D

 

Regarding bringing soda into the dining room, I certainly wouldn't bring a can in. But that's just me...I doubt if there's an actual rule against it. If you really want soda with dinner, fill a glass with ice and soda in it in your room and carry the glass into the dining room. Many people get drinks at bars etc and bring them into the dining room with them so no one would say anything.

 

CG

[*Wink*]

Good advice, CG. Just to add about espresso, it's also available at breakfast and lunch in the MDR.. At least I thought it was. But definitely at dinner.

[monteman]

And there's a capuccino machine in the buffet (at least on the Gem), where you can always get it.

[98Charlie]

Good advice, CG. Just to add about espresso, it's also available at breakfast and lunch in the MDR.. At least I thought it was. But definitely at dinner.

 

 

Cappucino is available free in the MDR as well. Got to love NCL & Carnival for these small, but important, free perks.:D Other lines charge for expresso & cappucino.:(

 

Dianne

[*Wink*]

Cappucino is available free in the MDR as well. Got to love NCL & Carnival for these small, but important, free perks.:D Other lines charge for expresso & cappucino.:(

 

Dianne

Yeah.. I have to have capuccino (sp?).. DH drinks the hard stuff.. espresso. It is a great perk on NCL. Love it.

[98Charlie]

Yeah.. I have to have capuccino (sp?).. DH drinks the hard stuff.. espresso. It is a great perk on NCL. Love it.

 

DH & I enjoy relaxing with a great dessert and cup of cap at the end of dinner in the MDR. May sound silly but the inclusion of these specialty coffees as free in the MDR are a big reason why we enjoy sailing NCL & Carnival as often as we do. Makes me feel -- well --- pampered.:cool:

 

Dianne

[Arwenmark]

Someone mentioned juice as a free beverage this is not strictly accurate, while it is free with breakfast in breakfast size glasses, you can order it from any bar on the ship and you are charged about the same fee as for soda.

[terrymtex01]

DH & I enjoy relaxing with a great dessert and cup of cap at the end of dinner in the MDR. May sound silly but the inclusion of these specialty coffees as free in the MDR are a big reason why we enjoy sailing NCL & Carnival as often as we do. Makes me feel -- well --- pampered.:cool:

 

Dianne

 

I am with you Dianne.. I LOVE it. You know... Doug doesn't understand the enjoyment of a cup of coffee or cap or whatever, at the end of the meal because he is not a coffee drinker. It is so cute to see him sit there, so ready to go, patiently waiting for me to finish my after dinner coffee.. LOL. If we are on a cruise, I will usually just wait until we get to the casino and have it since that is usually where we go after dinner, so he wont have to sit there and wait.. LOL

[98Charlie]

I am with you Dianne.. I LOVE it. You know... Doug doesn't understand the enjoyment of a cup of coffee or cap or whatever, at the end of the meal because he is not a coffee drinker. It is so cute to see him sit there, so ready to go, patiently waiting for me to finish my after dinner coffee.. LOL. If we are on a cruise, I will usually just wait until we get to the casino and have it since that is usually where we go after dinner, so he wont have to sit there and wait.. LOL

 

 

DH (98Charlie) and I normally drink coffee in the morning to wake up before we start on our busy, busy days. I may drink another cup or two during the morning but then that's it for the day.

 

We never take the luxury of a cup of expresso or cappucino in our daily lives so indulging in a cup of expresso or cap after a great meal on the ship is truly an added luxury for us.

 

When we cruise Princess, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity I refuse to pay extra for this small luxury and our meal never seems to be quite ``finished'' without it.

 

Dianne

[jzerocsk]

Dang is espresso really free? I thought there was an extra charge so I always stuck with regular coffee so I didn't have to pay however much for inevitably poor-quality espresso.

[*Wink*]

Dang is espresso really free? I thought there was an extra charge so I always stuck with regular coffee so I didn't have to pay however much for inevitably poor-quality espresso.

How do you know it's poor quality since you only stuck with coffee? It's really quite good. Unless, of course, it's NCL you deem "inevitably poor-quality," so therefore you'll use any excuse to criticize them. I never quite understood that in some people.

 

Stick with your coffee. Espresso might make you crankier. ;)

[jzerocsk]

How do you know it's poor quality since you only stuck with coffee? It's really quite good. Unless, of course, it's NCL you deem "inevitably poor-quality," so therefore you'll use any excuse to criticize them. I never quite understood that in some people.

 

Stick with your coffee. Espresso might make you crankier. ;)

 

Nah, I'm just making the fairly sound assumption that your average busy cruiseship waiter has neither the time, the training, or the equipment to make espresso that's worth paying for. It's not like espresso is hard to screw up...it's fairly easy to screw up, in fact.

 

Now, I'm not enough of a coffee snob that I'll turn my nose up over FREE espresso regardless of quality, but I'm certainly not going to pay $2-3 without knowing if it's any good. I can make my own poor-quality espresso at home for pennies!

[lisid]

So, to recap....Only thing that's really "free" even at dinner is tap water/coffee/tea. Espresso MIGHT be free depending where I'm dining. I actually only drink my espresso at breakfast:(

Thanks all!

[CruisnGram]

So, to recap....Only thing that's really "free" even at dinner is tap water/coffee/tea. Espresso MIGHT be free depending where I'm dining. I actually only drink my espresso at breakfast:(

Thanks all!

 

Coffee, hot tea, iced tea and water are included with your meal when dining for breakfast and lunch. Juices are included at breakfast.

 

CG

[lisid]

Coffee, hot tea, iced tea and water are included with your meal when dining for breakfast and lunch. Juices are included at breakfast.

 

CG

 

Crusin Gram..you're the greatest!...Thanks for clearing it up....I ALWAYS enjoy your comments.

 

I know you've mentioned you'll be on Majesty right before me...I hope you have a great time, be sure to post when you get back...can't wait to hear!!!

 

Lisid

[chrisbd1]

Nah, I'm just making the fairly sound assumption that your average busy cruiseship waiter has neither the time, the training, or the equipment to make espresso that's worth paying for. It's not like espresso is hard to screw up...it's fairly easy to screw up, in fact.

 

Now, I'm not enough of a coffee snob that I'll turn my nose up over FREE espresso regardless of quality, but I'm certainly not going to pay $2-3 without knowing if it's any good. I can make my own poor-quality espresso at home for pennies!

Cappuccino/espresso/latte are free in the MDR's. The Jewel Class ships (Jewel/Pearl/Gem/Jade) have 3 or 4 cappuccino/espresso/cappuccino machine in the Garden Cafe. The beans are ground fresh :)

[terrymtex01]

I saw there was some discussion as to the quality of coffee onboard. I am going to be the first to say I am not a coffee snob by any means, but the stuff in suites I did not care for. That machine that grinds and makes its own..I do know it is very popular and maybe part of it has to do with we had some what of a bum machine that didn't work half the time, but it just did not make a good cup of coffee to me. I never had any issue with the coffee in the main dining rooms and the coffee served at Cagneys for breakfast, lunch or dinner in the french press was very good. If you are having trouble finding a cup of coffee to satisfy you they do have a coffee bar on most ships that maybe more to a persons liking. I have only gotten coffee at the coffee bar three times on NCL (twice on the Star, once on the Sun and none on the Pearl) and once on RCCL and of course, had to pay for all four cups. I will say that to me, they weren't that much better than the free stuff.. but again, I have very simple tastes as far as coffee. One tip I have for anyone who is like me, when it comes to a plain ol' cup of coffee, I like powdered creamer in my coffee.. be advised I have yet to find any on any ship I have sailed on, so I always bring my own.

[SJ]

Are the free beverages usually listed on the menu? I use that as my guide. Plus they will ask for your card if you order any drink that has a charge, so you can cancel the order if they do that.

[lisid]

Are the free beverages usually listed on the menu? I use that as my guide. Plus they will ask for your card if you order any drink that has a charge, so you can cancel the order if they do that.

Wow! thanks for that..I was getting nervous..kept thinking we wouldn't know what we were charging! Thanks...do they ask for the card BEFORE they bring they bring the beverage?

[luddite]

Oh yeah, they'll ask for the card before they head out to get your drink.

[*Wink*]

Wow! thanks for that..I was getting nervous..kept thinking we wouldn't know what we were charging! Thanks...do they ask for the card BEFORE they bring they bring the beverage?

Yes, they ask for your card and leave with it, and then come back with your card, the drink, and a receipt that you sign and keep a copy of. :)