techdude
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2008
- Messages
- 45
We (my parents, DW, DS-2.5) recently had a mostly-wonderful experience on the Wonder.
I say "mostly" because of our dining experience. Maybe my expectations were too high. I'll recount some of the situations and I'd appreciate your feedback.
When we booked the cruise only the late seating for dinner was available so I requested that we be on the wait list for early seating. We were notified on embarkation day that our request was granted and that we would keep our same rotation but dine at 5:30. Fine with me. There's no way our son could survive a 2 hour dinner service at 8 or 8:30. Our 4-night dining rotation was Tritons, Animator's, Animator's, Parrot Cay. We were seated with another couple and their 2.5yo son.
Triton's: Being the first night, we were all in get-to-know-you mode. Service lasted a little more than 2 hours. The other family bailed immediately after the entrees. When dessert menus were passed out, my wife didn't get one. When the server returned to take our dessert orders, though we didn't ask for it she brought a Mickey ice cream for my son. My wife chose not to have a dessert because she had to wrangle our son and a mostly-melted ice cream. She was mildly irritated with this situation. We might have chosen fruit or another type of dessert for our son. After the Mickey ice cream was consumed, but before the rest of the desserts arrived, my wife took our son out to the atrium to see Goofy. When the server returned to our table to find only 3 of us left there, she was visibly irritated and dropped off 6 plates of desserts without regard to whom had ordered what. When the head server stopped by to ask how everything was I asked if there was anything *we* could do to expedite the service. I explained that there was just no way we could make it through a 2 hour service with a toddler. This is our problem so what can we do to make it better? He assured us that the next evening's service would be faster.
Animator's (1): As soon as we arrived the server stood at our table until I had chosen and ordered an appetizer and entree for my son. The assistant server began to bring everyone's beverage of choice and everyone but me received something other than water. The previous night I had ordered a Coke and was thinking I would get one this evening. Eventually I got his attention and asked for a Coke. He returned to the serving station and brought one over. Several people at our table ordered iced tea but there was no sweetener on the table. We had to ask for that. As we consumed our beverages, no refills were offered. We had to ask for that. My father is a meat-and-potatoes guy. He did not order an appetizer. He didn't care for anything that was offered. The server seemed offended that at this. When the appetizers were served, the item I ordered was placed in front of my father. Since he didn't order anything I took it from him. When the server returned with the rest of the items, she again placed a *different* appetizer in front of him. He explained that he didn't order the item. She said it was for him to try. The service this night lasted about 1.5 hours. The head server stopped by and I told him that things were much faster this evening.
Animator's (2): A repeat of the previous night. We had to request refills, we had to request crayons, and my father was served food that he did not want. Food was presented to the wrong person. Each time we made a request for something the server noted it but was making faces like she was completely overwhelmed. She was fanning herself as though she was overheated and rolling her eyes and talking to herself. The service lasted about 1.5 hours this evening. As we were finishing, the server asked how everything was. I said it was "mostly ok." She asked what could have been better. I mentioned the food being served to the wrong person and the missing crayons. My father explained that she ought not be offended if he didn't order something and that she ought not bring him something. He felt that was wasteful. He is a very happy man with a steak and a potato of some kind. She sort of scowled at all this and asked if the speed of service was acceptable. We said that it was.
Parrot Cay: Things finally seemed to click this night. The only 2 bobbles were that I didn't get a dessert menu and desserts were again served to the wrong people. Service lasted a little under 1.5 hours.
Without getting into actual amounts, I chose to tip less than the recommended amount for the server and assistant server. If every service had been like the Parrot Cay service, then I probably would have tipped the recommended amount. I didn't experience anything that led me to tip more than the recommended amount. We presented the tips, as is "customary," on the final evening. Needless to say breakfast the next morning was a somber event. I don't know that any words other than those absolutely necessary to take an order were exchanged. It was terribly uncomfortable.
The overall feeling I got at all the dinner services was that we were a nuisance to the server. As always, there are 2 sides to every story. You're only getting mine, but I've tried to be fair and only report actual events and observations. Is mine a typical dining experience on DCL? Were my expectations too high? Did I do the server a disservice by not tipping the recommended amount?
Thanks for reading my novel.
I say "mostly" because of our dining experience. Maybe my expectations were too high. I'll recount some of the situations and I'd appreciate your feedback.
When we booked the cruise only the late seating for dinner was available so I requested that we be on the wait list for early seating. We were notified on embarkation day that our request was granted and that we would keep our same rotation but dine at 5:30. Fine with me. There's no way our son could survive a 2 hour dinner service at 8 or 8:30. Our 4-night dining rotation was Tritons, Animator's, Animator's, Parrot Cay. We were seated with another couple and their 2.5yo son.
Triton's: Being the first night, we were all in get-to-know-you mode. Service lasted a little more than 2 hours. The other family bailed immediately after the entrees. When dessert menus were passed out, my wife didn't get one. When the server returned to take our dessert orders, though we didn't ask for it she brought a Mickey ice cream for my son. My wife chose not to have a dessert because she had to wrangle our son and a mostly-melted ice cream. She was mildly irritated with this situation. We might have chosen fruit or another type of dessert for our son. After the Mickey ice cream was consumed, but before the rest of the desserts arrived, my wife took our son out to the atrium to see Goofy. When the server returned to our table to find only 3 of us left there, she was visibly irritated and dropped off 6 plates of desserts without regard to whom had ordered what. When the head server stopped by to ask how everything was I asked if there was anything *we* could do to expedite the service. I explained that there was just no way we could make it through a 2 hour service with a toddler. This is our problem so what can we do to make it better? He assured us that the next evening's service would be faster.
Animator's (1): As soon as we arrived the server stood at our table until I had chosen and ordered an appetizer and entree for my son. The assistant server began to bring everyone's beverage of choice and everyone but me received something other than water. The previous night I had ordered a Coke and was thinking I would get one this evening. Eventually I got his attention and asked for a Coke. He returned to the serving station and brought one over. Several people at our table ordered iced tea but there was no sweetener on the table. We had to ask for that. As we consumed our beverages, no refills were offered. We had to ask for that. My father is a meat-and-potatoes guy. He did not order an appetizer. He didn't care for anything that was offered. The server seemed offended that at this. When the appetizers were served, the item I ordered was placed in front of my father. Since he didn't order anything I took it from him. When the server returned with the rest of the items, she again placed a *different* appetizer in front of him. He explained that he didn't order the item. She said it was for him to try. The service this night lasted about 1.5 hours. The head server stopped by and I told him that things were much faster this evening.
Animator's (2): A repeat of the previous night. We had to request refills, we had to request crayons, and my father was served food that he did not want. Food was presented to the wrong person. Each time we made a request for something the server noted it but was making faces like she was completely overwhelmed. She was fanning herself as though she was overheated and rolling her eyes and talking to herself. The service lasted about 1.5 hours this evening. As we were finishing, the server asked how everything was. I said it was "mostly ok." She asked what could have been better. I mentioned the food being served to the wrong person and the missing crayons. My father explained that she ought not be offended if he didn't order something and that she ought not bring him something. He felt that was wasteful. He is a very happy man with a steak and a potato of some kind. She sort of scowled at all this and asked if the speed of service was acceptable. We said that it was.
Parrot Cay: Things finally seemed to click this night. The only 2 bobbles were that I didn't get a dessert menu and desserts were again served to the wrong people. Service lasted a little under 1.5 hours.
Without getting into actual amounts, I chose to tip less than the recommended amount for the server and assistant server. If every service had been like the Parrot Cay service, then I probably would have tipped the recommended amount. I didn't experience anything that led me to tip more than the recommended amount. We presented the tips, as is "customary," on the final evening. Needless to say breakfast the next morning was a somber event. I don't know that any words other than those absolutely necessary to take an order were exchanged. It was terribly uncomfortable.
The overall feeling I got at all the dinner services was that we were a nuisance to the server. As always, there are 2 sides to every story. You're only getting mine, but I've tried to be fair and only report actual events and observations. Is mine a typical dining experience on DCL? Were my expectations too high? Did I do the server a disservice by not tipping the recommended amount?
Thanks for reading my novel.
at me, or at something I said 
I will immediately say to them "UNLESS YOU SUDDENLY LOST YOUR CONTACT AND ARE A LOOKING FOR IT UNDER YOUR EYE LIDS, YOU BEST NEVER ROLL YOUR EYES AT ME AGAIN, OR I WILL SNATCH THEM RIGHT OUT" 
It typically gets my point across 
