Why do people request servers?

[sambycat]

I am sure people have asked why before? I *think* I've read that CMs do get some kind of notice if they are requested (i.e. more indication that they are excellent and helps with job reviews?) but we all seem to request so many things. If you request servers are you still requesting rotations and table size and what not? Are people disappointed if they don't get the requested server?

I'm just curious. I know we have had great and not so great serving teams ourselves.

 

[DynamicDisneyDuo]

If you request servers are you still requesting rotations and table size and what not?

You can request as many things as you like but DCL will generally only fill one. We don't make any requests beyond a server. Is it possible that you could get your server with the rotation you requested and the table size requested? I suppose but that seems a bit much to me.

Are people disappointed if they don't get the requested server?

That is entirely subjective. I would hope not. We haven't been as the servers we did get were good as well. We have never had a bad serving team but have had a couple bad asst servers. We also recognize, though, that they are often still new so may be learning the ropes.

As to your original question, why do people request the same servers:

It is often because they did an excellent job or did something to make the cruise magical. If you can get someone you already know is excellent, why not?

 

[bumbershoot]

I've never wanted to request a server (assistant server,yes, but he told u he was marrying and leaving dcl by a certain time so he wasn't there) but now I do. Our server last week heard us, helped me, and seemed to care. He got that I love salad and all but one night would want two. I made that request the last time but got weird pushback about it and it never happened. With him it was no problem and he was happy to being me what made me happy.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Request servers they already had or like the threads here asking for server recommendations to put in requests for?

I've never made a server request. We've had some stellar servers & we've had some downright craptastic ones. If I thought a past server that I know was great was on a ship I was sailing on Id request them but I never have because I have no clue where those folks are. We've had the same server assigned to us twice by chance on 2 different ships. That was cool. He was pretty good. This fall we did a b2b on the Wonder and our 1st leg server/assistant was the worst. Ever. I hope we never have that experience again. It was bad enough at the end of the 1st leg we seriously gave thought to getting off, getting in our car, and leaving the 2nd leg (& the $$ spent for it) behind. Glad we didn't! Our second server was in the top tier for sure!

 

[bobbiwoz]

We were very pleased with our servers on the WBPC cruise and requested them in October. One was on vacation, but we did get Desmond again, and it just made the cruise that much extra special, to have a familiar face at our meals. Earlier this month we asked again, but he was on vacation. We have no more Wonder cruises scheduled, but if we ever did, we would request him again!

 

[wilkeliza]

We thought about requesting our head server from last trip because he was fantastic. I love ice coffee and at the time was drinking pretty much only that and water. I loved having it at lunch and with dessert instead of espresso. Brent saw me the second day at lunch and saw that the server had done the best they could by bringing me a glass of ice and a cup of coffee. He said don't drink that, took it away and 5 minutes later was back with a nice cup of ice coffee. He let us know he ran to the cafe for me and got me a real proper ice coffee. That night at dinner he had a glass waiting for me. Brent's attention to detail made us want to request him again. The only reason we didn't is we really wanted a specific rotation. Maybe we will get lucky but the rotation was more important to us especially now that I'm not living off of ice coffee haha.

 

[jenf22]

We requested a server on our 3rd Disney cruise because the servers on our 1st and 2nd Disney cruises annoyed us to no end. So I took notes on one of those "best Fantasy servers" thread and made a request. DCL honored our request and the servers were great.

 

[missyp]

We were on the Wonder in November and we will be back on the Wonder for Alaska this summer. Our waiter said he will definitely be on board. The reason we requested him is because he was extremely efficient and good at his job. He was by no means the waiter we had the most fun with but we did think he was very nice and good at his job. The cruise prior our waiter had a much better personality but we always seemed to be the last ones out of the dining room. The reason we requested for our Alaskan cruise is we are choosing great efficient service and the known is better than the unknown.

 

[Parkerpirates]

We didn't request a server on our first DCL cruise in October and I will always request one now. I'll find out recommendations a few months ahead and put it in the request. The reason why: We spent over $10K on our concierge suite and our server was subpar. And I'm not saying that because I'm a snobby person who expects perfection. He belittled our table mates and their allergy requests, he had no interaction with us or the kids, he was super slow (to the point where the other servers were already preparing tables for the next seating and all of his tables were just ordering their dessert...dinner typically took 2.5-almost 3 hours to finish. After the third night and some complaints we finally decided we would order our MDR food in our room since we had a one bedroom quite with a table.
So next time, we will put in the request and hope for the best!

 

[holula]

We have had both excellent and poor experiences in the MDR. We have a team on the Magic who were awesome on our wedding cruise and we like to request one of them when we sail on her. Otherwise, we haven't requested on the other ships but our Wonder experience in December was so poor that in future I would request.

 

[popisme]

What number do you call to make the server requests?

 

[missyp]

What number do you call to make the server requests?

You call reservations or your travel agent.

 

[popisme]

Thanks

 

[jacqueline702]

We were very pleased with our servers on the WBPC cruise and requested them in October. One was on vacation, but we did get Desmond again, and it just made the cruise that much extra special, to have a familiar face at our meals. Earlier this month we asked again, but he was on vacation. We have no more Wonder cruises scheduled, but if we ever did, we would request him again!

We have also requested Desmond (for our 6/1 Alaska sailing) after enjoying him on our cruise in Feb. 2014. Any idea when he'll be back? If I remember correctly, their vacations are only a couple of months...

 

[EPCOTgrl1]

I always request servers if I find someone I like. The last time we were on we had the same Palo Server what we had the cruise before and she is ALWAYS amazing. The woman came in on her day off to make sure that she was the one taking care of us. We did not ask her to do this. Also it is always nice to see a friendly face and know that you are going to get amazing service!

 

[perditax]

Where do you guys research servers by ship?

 

[lbgraves]

We have only requested servers or head servers who we have had on past cruises. I keep in touch with a few of them, so know when they are on contract & if they will be on the same ship with us. I don't request anything else because servers are assigned to rotation teams. It honestly doesn't matter to us which rotation we have.

 

[Four Swampers]

Our most recent cruise was my tenth, my wife's 13th, and we requested a server for a few reasons.

1. Selfishness. By golly, I want a good server. After a few mediocre serving teams, I have decided I don't need a mediocre serving team. If I can get a good server by asking, I'm going to ask.

2. Rewarding the server. Requesting a server does give that server a feather in their cap. After having good service on one cruise, it is nice to reward that person on the next cruise.

3. Fun to see a server we have previously friended and find out how they are doing. We had Jorel for an 11 night cruise in the Med. After 11 nights, we got to know him pretty well. We aren't besties; we won't be going out to the bar together, but it is fun to see how he is doing. In all fairness, it is fun to meet new servers, but I am getting less willing to do that because of the risk of getting a bad one. If I could be guaranteed a Mihailo or a Leo or a Jorel each time, then I wouldn't have to request.

 

[KashasMom]

I think if we got a really great team, we'd request them. A great team can make or break your dining experience. We're moving up....our last team on the Fantasy was better than our first team, but still not so good that I'd request them.

 

[CamColt]

As of our 9th and 10th Disney cruises we had never requested anyone. On that trip which was B2Bs on the Dream we had a serving team that kept us laughing and who we talked about at home for years. We then sailed on the Magic and then the Fantasy in 2013, where we saw our server in the dining room. It was too late to request her of course but we wished we had known. So in sailing again on the Fantasy in 2014 we requested her and got her. Her assistant, whose imperfections are really what made him fun for us, was no longer with DCL but her crazy personality made up for missing him. We joked with her to go back to the Dream so we could see her again this summer and ironically she said she was thinking of it. So, we will request her again and see what happens. Dinner was more than just a meal with her!