Is DCL pushing more alcohol?

[kcashner]

Just back from the Wonder. Each night at dinner we were "offered" alcohol at least 3 times. The table was 4 adults. NO alcohol was ordered until the last night when 2 had one glass of wine each. It actually went beyond the first no--the response to that was a sad look and "goes very nice with" whatever was on the plate.

It was new to me to have it offered so many times despite the lack of orders. I'm used to being asked once the first night, once the second...and not hearing it again unless I asked for it. Interestingly, it also seemed to me that we had a more rowdy crowd than usual with MANY more adults behaving badly.

We did not experience repeated offers of alcohol on the Magic in June. but I was with a group of teens then. Perhaps that was the difference.

Have others noticed this recently? Both ships or just the Wonder?

 

[cats mom]

Our dinner servers weren't too bad, although they did offer every night. But DH and I both commented that we were constantly turning down drinks at the shows, and neither of us remember that happening, at least to the extent it did this time, on previous cruises. Oh, and we were on the Magic.

 

[Subi WRX]

If that's the case, I would feel sorry for any Friend of Bill W.

Can't confirm or deny this since we drink wine every night with dinner on vacation and often have a martini for dessert.

 

[TnRobin]

We have never been asked for alcohol after the first night. We simply say that we don't drink and nothing more is said.

 

[kovets]

Without a doubt!!! Everyone in our party commented at one time or another that there was a huge difference this cruise.

It actually really bothered me after a while especially during the shows. It seemed like it was every server for themselves - nobody was assigned a certain section or group of seats. This resulted in us being asked for drinks over and over again.

 

[kcashner]

Glad to hear that it wasn't my imagination....yeah, they're going to make up for the lower prices somehow!

 

[Melcatfish]

On the Magic this August we turned it down the first night and the second and it was not mentioned again until the last night when we had a stand in assistant server as ours was ill.

Mel
x

 

[buckeyelabmom]

Just back from the Wonder. Each night at dinner we were "offered" alcohol at least 3 times. The table was 4 adults. NO alcohol was ordered until the last night when 2 had one glass of wine each. It actually went beyond the first no--the response to that was a sad look and "goes very nice with" whatever was on the plate.

It was new to me to have it offered so many times despite the lack of orders. I'm used to being asked once the first night, once the second...and not hearing it again unless I asked for it. Interestingly, it also seemed to me that we had a more rowdy crowd than usual with MANY more adults behaving badly.

We did not experience repeated offers of alcohol on the Magic in June. but I was with a group of teens then. Perhaps that was the difference.

Have others noticed this recently? Both ships or just the Wonder?

Just off the Wonder too.

We didn't have an issue in the dining room - everywhere else though -was a totally different story! Keep in mind this is my first cruise - so I don't have anything to compare it too - but I felt like I was asked A LOT!

In the shows, out on deck, and ESPECIALLY during the sail-away and pirate party. During the pirate party I bet we were asked 8 or 9 times! At Promenade Lounge one of the female bartenders would stare at me like I had 3 eyes if I ordered a diet coke while my hubby was having a beer! She did it a couple times... I understand it is a "bar" - but come on....

Both my husband and I commented on how surprised we were by this..... It didn't detract from my vacation - but it was still not what we expected!

 

[PoohJen]

Sorry to hear this - I would be frustrated!

I wonder if it's a Wonder v Magic thing? Shorter-term cruise might engender a more party atmosphere?

I was on Mel's Magic cruise 3 weeks ago, and like her, we weren't bombarded with offers. At dinner, my mom had a glass of wine each night, but no other "offers" from the wait staff other than that.

 

[Olga]

The drink offering didn't seem to be any more frequent than normal last week. What I did notice is that the drinks seemed to contain less alcohol than usual. My sail away drink tasted as if it had no alcohol at all and I did not order a virgin, CM assured me it had alcohol in it.

We went to the Concierge reception during the cruise and the free drinks served there really packed a punch, they were delicious!

 

[trimix]

On the Magic we let our servers know the first night that we do not consume alcohol. They never asked us again, nor did the supervising server after we told him the same thing the second night.

However, at the first two lunches we were asked about the wine package at least three times per meal!

 

[bluecasbah]

As someone who knows, I can tell you that at WDW, the servers are required to mention "full bar" and recommend drinks and wine. You can get in trouble if you don't. Pretty much every restaurant Disney or non-Disney tells their servers to "upsell" so honestly, I don't see things changing. Best bet, just tell your waiters that you don't drink. As for the deck parties and shows and stuff, best of luck with that one.

 

[Carys]

Dinner wasn't bad, they asked each evening once, and two out of four nights we ordered alc. drinks. At deck parties there were trays of drinks passing every few minutes, but we bought one drink early and held onto the glasses for the rest of the parties so weren't asked again.

The adult beach at Castaway Cay was where it was really noticeable for us. We had one server who kept us in conk coolers, so we were relatively unbothered by the other roving servers, but people around us were starting to look a bit annoyed by being asked by every server repeatedly if they wanted to order a drink.

 

[tnd]

Actually, we had the opposite situation. Our waiters on the Wonder last month didn't push it at all. We had to ask for a wine list one night because we had never seen one. They never mentioned the wine package either. The servers on CC were definitely very prevalent, but not any more than other beach resorts we've been to.

 

[poohs4me]

We actually had the same experience as TND on our July cruise. The assistant waiter looked shocked every time I ordered a "drink" and we had a hard time finding roaming bar servers. We saw them, but they just did not come our way. Many time DH had to go get my drink.

 

[mmouse37]

Well....last week on the Magic (9/19/09) I was shocked at how much drinksl were being pushed by the adult pool. You could not go more than literally 5 minutes without a server asking if you wanted a drink. Is was a total change from our 16 other DCL cruises!!!

By the third day we each wanted to hold up a sign saying NO DRINKS...IF WE WANT ONE WE WILL FLAG YOU!!!!

I love to have a few by the pool but will flag someone when I want one.... last week was bordering on bombardment! Even hubby who nothing bothers was saying it was getting really annyoing...they even woke him up from a nap to ask if he wanted anything.

It was so bad by the adult pool that I had to mention it on the comment card. It seemed like every server was told to ask everyone, regardless if they were just asked. There were many more servers around the pool area as well.

We did notice it in the WD Theatre as well, but not nearly as bad. Our servers never pushed it. Our sailaway party was inside due to rain so I did not see too much being pushed there.....I actually had to flag a server down with a tray to have one.

Now, for anyone who wants to know what some of the specials were onboard... sea day morning by the adult pool had 1/2 price Mimosa's and Bloody Marys. There were a few 2 for 1 Margaritas during our sailaway from either GC or Cozumel and once David from Cruise Staff was playing some of his own songs with guitar at the Adult pool and while he was playing they were offering 1/2 drink special on drink of the day (for the length of one song!).

MJ

 

[engle]

Love this thread!! DH and I like to have a few and we love having a waiter constantly on hand...so the idea of a server being nearby is HEAVEN to us!! I will probably always have a drink in hand so they won't be asking me every second and when they do, I will probably need one!!! So, for some annoying, for some of us, great service!!!

 

[SmallWorld71]

If that's the case, I would feel sorry for any Friend of Bill W.

This was the first thing I thought of, too.

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

We drink and were annoyed by the constant solicitations. It seemed to me like there were too many waiters with too few drinkers. I'd rather they just mingle and allow people to flag them down if necessary.

The little glowing tinkerbell cup thing solicitation at dinner annoyed me as well.

It was definitely more prevalent this year vs. last. Maybe I'm just getting old and cranky.

 

[Dr.Girlfriend]

Just off the Wonder this past Sunday and YES. It was actually very irritating and started to make me angry at times. Never at dinner, but in the theater and deck 9...it was AWFUL! First day on board, we went up to deck 9 about 1 p.m. and we were literally bombarded with CM's walking around with bahama mama's on trays asking us over and over again to buy one. We kept saying no (not big drinkers, maybe had 2 drinks on the cruise together) but they were relentless. After one CM would walk away, another one would be right behind them and they were even pushier than the last.

My husband thought I was being silly about it the first day. But by Saturday, even he was sick of people constantly coming up and asking us to buy alcohol..and then proceed to question why we DIDN'T want it after we said no!

I was going to write something about it on the comment card, but weirdly enough, there was nowhere to really write anything.