Did we make a Palo faux-pas?

[Lisa F]

As I mentioned in my other post, we did not hit it off with our tablemates the first night. The second afternoon we realized we were both dreading going to dinner that night and having another painful 45 minute meal so we decided to see if we could go to Palos instead.

We were already holding a reservation for the last night of the cruise, Saturday. When we were on the 7 day Magic we were told that everyone was entitled to one reservation and then they could get on the waiting list and if something opened up later in the cruise, they could have dinner there a second, third, or as many times as were available.

I guess we just assumed that it worked the same way on the Wonder. I called and left a message saying we would like to eat there that night, could we go on the waiting list. Later that afternoon we got a call back saying there was an opening at 9pm, so we took it and asked Ambroggio, the manager, to call back and confirm if we were on. He did call and left a message so we were happy! We went to guest services to ask how to get in touch with our rotation waiter to let him know we wouldn't be there for dinner and she said that if we were eating at Palo, he would be informed.

When we got up there, they could not find our reservation and Ambroggio didn't do a great job of hiding that fact, but we were seated (it was crowded and he seemed fairly flustered). Our dinner was fairly mediocre for Palos (my filet was overcooked, we didn't get any antipasto, just little things like that) but we were glad to have a table to ourselves. We were practically scolded by our regular rotation waiter this morning at the welcome home breakfast for not being at dinner two nights earlier so I guess no one knew we were going to be at Palo that night.

The next night when we showed up for our "regular" reservation, Ambroggio looked shocked to see us (but he found us on the list right away). We were seated and he stood next to our table talking to our waiter (also from italy) in italian for 5 minutes, if not more, sounding fairly upset but not like he was yelling AT our waiter. I don't know if he was talking about us or if we made a super major faux pas by having TWO palos dinners on the same cruise. Our waiter teased us about it all night but it was a good natured kind of a way and didn't bother us. Our waiter from the previous night came over to chat and was perfectly charming. The manager, though, gave me REALLY bad vibes for the first 10 or so minutes we were there. I got the feeling from the shock of our waiter the second night that NO ONE goes to Palos more than once on the 3 day. Oops!

Anyway, we were just going based on what our experience on the magic had been. If there is a rule about only one Palos dinner per cruise per person, then I think it was old Ambroggio's job to check the list for the cabin number of someone who calls for a last minute reservation and politely decline to give them a second reservation. If he had called and said nothing was available (really what we were expecting to hear, we were shocked when we heard that there was an opening at 9pm) it would have been no problem for us.

It was kind of uncomfortable for us because I felt like they thought we had pulled a fast one on them or something, judging by the way Ambroggio acted toward us. I had no intention of being "greedy" and taking a reservation away from someone who wanted it and didn't have a chance to eat there... I figured by 3pm on the day of, if we went on the waiting list we'd be on the bottom AFTER anyone else who wanted to eat at Palos had been accommodated.

I guess what I really want to know is did we make some kind of a MAJOR Palo Faux-Pas? Granted, I didn't do as much research for this trip as last time, figuring that what we'd learned on the Magic was good info for the Wonder as well. I felt like we had to explain ourselves to that guy but as you can see, the story is way too long for us to go into and I kind of resented a little bit being made to feel that way.

Lisa

 

[Michelle]

Lisa, NO one should be made to feel uncomfortable, as you did. You did absolutely nothing wrong at all, and I'm sorry that you were made to feel otherwise!

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

I don't think you committed a faux pas... and I agree that you shouldn't have been put in a position to feel uncomfortable because of your decision.

 

[Lisa F]

Thanks for the reality check. I was really worried that we had somehow broken the rules, but Disney being what they are just let it slide. I shouldn't care what some strange guy thinks of me but it was bugging me that he might've thought we were trying to pull a fast one or something.

We did enjoy the rest of the meal after the first 10 minutes of discomfort and everything was perfect the second night. I made myself feel better by referring to him as "Grumpio" the rest of the night, and briefly thought about winking at him and telling him I'd see him tomorrow night on our way out (since that was the last night of the cruise) but he did not look like he was in the mood to be teased so I didn't.

In spite of the fact that we didn't have great luck with our waiter and with the manager of Palos this trip, I refuse to believe that a couple of bad apples spoil the bunch. We got so many smiles and such great service from everyone else we ran into that I can't wait for our next 7 day!

Lisa

 

[inkkognito]

Great attitude, Lisa F!
I can understand why you felt uncomfortable, and a lot of people would have let the Palo incident spoil their whole cruise. Sounds like you just took it in stride and even made light of it.
We had a little Palo incident once...nothing like that, but our waiter spilled a whole glass of wine on the table as he was serving it! The poor guy was nervous for the rest of the meal, as a little bit had splashed on hubby (but he was wearing a black suit, so you couldn't even see it). But hey, accidents happen, and there's no way we'd let a little thing like that get us bent out of shape.
If there was a mess-up, it sounds like it was on Disney's end for making the two reservations. It doesn't sound like you were treated in the manner they usually treat their guests, but I hope your cruise was excellent otherwise!
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[Lisa F]

A bad day at Palos is still better than even a good day when I have to cook! Seriously, I think the "magic" and high spirits of MOST of the crew of the disney ships is infectious. For every grump there seems to be another 10 crew members waiting to give you a big smile and do some little thing to make you smile back. I think what got me over the initial discomfort was our waiter from the night before who came over to say hello (who expressed no surprise to see us there again. He was the only one!) He was just so sweet and genuine it set us both at ease immediately. After that we did see grumpio stomping around a bit but our waiter that night was also so charming that we quickly forgot about the manager.

Lisa

 

[disneydudette1]

Lisa-it was interesting to hear that Ambroggio is now the manager at Palo's. We had him last year as our head waiter on the 4 day Wonder and loved him. He made it a point to stop by each table and talk to his guests but he does get that odd look on his face at times. I can remember that look! I wouldn't take as a feeling of having made a faux pas. He has been with the cruise line for a number of years and was the manager of Palo's on the Magic before switching to the Wonder.
We were wondering if he was still on the Wonder or possibly had switched back to the Magic. We loved him. I wouldn't take his look as being one of diagreement. I think that is just him.

 

[Lisa F]

dudette,

It was the look (that you know so well) plus the fact that he had a 5+ minute conversation with our waiter right next to our table in Italian in a VERY annoyed sounding voice (raised his voice a few times). From our waiter's body language he didn't seem like he was getting yelled at though, just like he was listening sympathetically or something. We had Sid as the manager of Palos on our Magic cruise in January (who is now a head waiter on the wonder!) and I guess we preferred his style much more. He was never anything but perfectly polite yet still very warm to us and I once happened to catch a glimpse of him giving a waiter a "look" that made the waiter follow him into the kitchen. I assume there was some kind of a problem and that he took care of it, but I guess I just prefer his style of managing (vs. walking around like a grump and yelling at wait staff out in the diningroom). PLUS it's rude to speak in a different language in front of someone who doesn't understand anyway, but it was especially rude and uncomfortable given his sour expression at seeing us the second night... maybe he was having a bad night, maybe the conversation had nothing to do with us... but from the manager of a "5 star" type of a restaurant, I guess I expected better manners.

Lisa

 

[gometros]

Sid is a head waiter now? He was our head waiter on the Magic last November and that was right before he moved to Palo. You're right, he was an absolute gentleman. I was hoping he'd still be on the Magic when we cruise in July. I guess not.

 

[TheTexasKid]

This is not in reference to Palo's so much, but, it is in reference to "dreading going to dinner." One should not have to dread going to dinner, when there is a possible solution to the problem.
Ask your head waiter, if he can move you to another table. I'm not saying that this can always be done, or, that I ever had to do this, but, no one should have to "dread going to dinner." Enjoy your next meal on the Disney "Wonder" or "Magic."

 

[disboo]

As you know, if you had made a faus pas, you would have been informed of it by now.

I am glad that you took steps to make your dinnertime more enjoyable instead of toughing it out. I can imagine myself trying to give dinner companions another go, then kicking myself for it.
Good for you!

 

[JLSE50]

I love this!

A bad day at Palos is still better than even a good day when I have to cook!

Jan

 

[wildernessgirl]

This doesn't have to do with anything with Palo's but when my family was on the 4 day Wonder in 2000, they took us to our table the first night and their was someone at our table already (it was only a table for 4). So they immediately moved us to another table that night and told us that we would be sitting at another table the rest of the cruise. Plus, I had arranged for an anniversary cake to be delivered to our table that first night. It was but to our ORIGINAL table. Those who were seated there took the cake and the song like it was theirs. After I brought it to the head waiter and guest relations attention about the table mix up and the cake incident, I was told that it would be corrected the next night. It wasn't. Then confronting everyone again I was told the next night it would be corrected, it wasn't. Then after bringing up a third time I was told it would be done correctly the final night. Guess what, It wasn't.

So what I guess I'm saying is that stuff happens and you have to take it in stride with the events that are happening. We fell in love with our servers Ralph from Jamaica and Cesar from Brazil! We were so glad we ended up with them then who we would have originally had if we would have been at our assigned table.

Did this create a bad taste in our mouths on the Disney cruiseline, NOPE!! We were on the 7day cruise in 2001 and going again this month for another 7 days. So Lisa, don't worry about anything. You did nothing wrong and don't feel like you did. We have made it to Palo's for the brunch but still haven't made it to dinner yet. That same 4 day cruise, the last night we were suppose to go to Palo's that night, but I got food poisoning and spent the rest of the trip in the cabin sick!

 

[Alihall]

Wow! My DH & I are going on the 10/24 wonder for our Anniversary (17 yrs) w/o the kids-Yahoo! We are really looking forward to Palos and wanted to do multiple nights at Palos. Of course we were going to make one reservation and then check back for cancelations. I know when we were on our 7 day cruise we had to cancel Palos resies because DD would not go to clubs so I'm assuming(uh-oh) there may be some vacancies? Are we crazy to do this? We would still be tipping our regular waiters and also Palos more than the recommended amount. Barb, what do you think? We are going for the adult only experience this time.
Thanks, Ali

22 more days, 10/24 Wonder!