Do you like to interact with the waitstaff

[Next]

I'd be curious to hear people's thoughts on interacting with the waitstaff. I know many people like to get to know their waitstaff. Some bring gifts for them. I have also heard some say that the waitstaff is just trying to hustle tips.

 

What are people's thoughts as to the importance of the waitstaff's interactions relative to their dining and cruise experience?

[johnql]

I prefer a wait staff that is professional, meaning they provide courteous, prompt, and accurate service. I don't necessarily think they're trying to hustle tips when they tell jokes, do tricks, etc. I think most of them are sincere when they interact with the passengers, perhaps on the belief that people want to be entertained, but I can live without that. As for straightforward conversation, I can do without that, too. I'm not particularly interested in becoming friends with the staff. I wouldn't give them a cold shoulder, but I wouldn't encourage protracted conversations either.

[bdjam]

My experience has been that the interaction with the wait staff has never been in order to hustle tips. I don’t know if they’re trying to “have fun” but they certainly have become familiar with me and I with them. Friendships have been established.

[naplesam]

Actually, my feelings fall somewhere between your two options. Very similar to johnql's! I want professionalism, get to know them a little, but not too far.

[cruiserforlife]

Good topic.I always like to interact with the staff,they are human too and you can always tell the attitude of a happy staff when they aren't dealing with a bunch of whinners or complainers that particular week.These people aren't just doing this for extra tips either,most of the staff that I have met truly do enjoy what they are doing and love to interact with the guests.

[LARGIN]

I prefer that they be "Servers" not "Servants", so I treat them that way.. Many friendships have been established..

[Opinions]

Like many polls on this board it is flawed...Just because one prefers to be left alone does not mean they feel it is related to tipping...

[MaryPoppinz]

I've found that most of the dining staff is able to read the cues from the table.

 

I appreciate it when they sense that I want a quiet dinner served unobtrusively. But, when they sense that I might like to visit, I appreciate them opening up and letting me ask questions about their travel, shipboard life, families, whatever. I would say that I enjoy at least a bit of chatting almost every night, but some evenings more than others.

 

I'm not particularly interested in jokes or tricks myself, but for the passengers for whom that kind of interaction is important....I'm not offended by the idea that when the staff responds to those needs it likely improves the tip.

[Next]

Like many polls on this board it is flawed...Just because one prefers to be left alone does not mean they feel it is related to tipping...

 

As the creator of the Poll, I agree. As I started writing the questions, the numerous permuations started to get to complex. I ended up keeping it quite simple with the hopes that subsequent posting would add insight.

 

I think after hearing all the comments, one would be in a better position to create the questions.

[Dreamer333]

My DH and I always do Personal Choice, and end up eating in different dining rooms at different times, with different wait staff... So its a bit harder for us to really get to know them... although we have always been treated wonderfully.

 

I DID notice tho, that when my sister and I cruised together, the wait staff (males) were EXTRA attentive, and provided even BETTER service. They were much more talkative. :D

[ronjj66611]

For the most part, I love talking to the staff, I love hearing about their homelands and cultures. Who knows, maybe someday I'll visit the place. But then I'm like that at home as well. I love to travel and it's exciting to me to meet someone from another place and learn about it. Not to mention that it makes for a much more pleasant dining experience. And no, I don't think they do it to hustle more tips.

[coiran]

We enjoy interacting with our table servers - we do PC but if we find a particularly good and friendly we try to get his/her table every night.

 

Ron

[houstoncruisers2001]

We think one of the main highlights of a cruise is the dining room experience. We can't imagine NOT interacting with the staff.

 

T & A

[GottoCruise]

Oh Boy! I am in the minority here -

 

I agree with Johnql ---

 

We usually take a table for 2...I am not really interested in extended conversation with our servers........I am not interested in breing "entertained" by the wait staff nor am I interested in becomming their "friends". and that includes the Table Capt. and/or the Maitre 'D - A pleasant Good Evening ? - how is everything? - can I do anythig for you? is all that I find necessary.

 

I don't think this pertains to tips at all -& conversation wouldn't change my tipping. Only good service and attention to our "special" orders, if any, would do that.

 

I wouldn't give anyone a "cold shoulder" - but sometimes protracted conversation is forced. I'm fine with our own company, (or we would join a large table) I would rather socialize with other passengers - I am not interested in jokes or tricks from the "wait staff"!

 

Dont "flame me" :D - JMHO...........GotToCruise (aka Renee)

[enymarsh]

We are also somewhere in the middle. We like to meet other people and are always interested in getting to know our waitstaff, but we'd never go out of our way to strike up a conversation with them the way we would with other passengers who are sitting at the table with us at our PC dining room table.

 

Our favorite waiter (in PC dining) was one who got to know our preferences but was unobtrusively efficient!

[yarlenna]

Oh Boy! I am in the minority here -

 

I agree with Johnql ---

 

We usually take a table for 2...I am not really interested in extended conversation with our servers........I am not interested in breing "entertained" by the wait staff nor am I interested in becomming their "friends". and that includes the Table Capt. and/or the Maitre 'D - A pleasant Good Evening ? - how is everything? - can I do anythig for you? is all that I find necessary.

 

I don't think this pertains to tips at all -& conversation wouldn't change my tipping. Only good service and attention to our "special" orders, if any, would do that.

 

I wouldn't give anyone a "cold shoulder" - but sometimes protracted conversation is forced. I'm fine with our own company, (or we would join a large table) I would rather socialize with other passengers - I am not interested in jokes or tricks from the "wait staff"!

 

Dont "flame me" :D - JMHO...........GotToCruise (aka Renee)

I agree

[critterchick]

I've never noticed that our waitstaff has had time to do much more than introduce themselves & tell us where they're from. They really do work like dogs (well, not MY dogs, or they would be sitting at the table watching every morsel as it moves from my plate to my mouth, drooling all the while), and seldom do more than serve up the meal, in a very correct, but not all that friendly, way.

[coiran]

Oh Boy! I am in the minority here -

 

I agree with Johnql ---

 

We usually take a table for 2...I am not really interested in extended conversation with our servers........I am not interested in breing "entertained" by the wait staff nor am I interested in becomming their "friends". and that includes the Table Capt. and/or the Maitre 'D - A pleasant Good Evening ? - how is everything? - can I do anythig for you? is all that I find necessary.

 

I don't think this pertains to tips at all -& conversation wouldn't change my tipping. Only good service and attention to our "special" orders, if any, would do that.

 

I wouldn't give anyone a "cold shoulder" - but sometimes protracted conversation is forced. I'm fine with our own company, (or we would join a large table) I would rather socialize with other passengers - I am not interested in jokes or tricks from the "wait staff"!

 

Dont "flame me" :D - JMHO...........GotToCruise (aka Renee)

 

I don't mean to flame you - but - these guys/girls are real people not servants - they might enjoy thinking you enjoy their conversation.

 

Ron

[bdjam]

I am not interested in jokes or tricks from the "wait staff"!

Actually, the wait staff probably doesn’t want to entertain passengers either…often times these “tricks” and “jokes” are used to fill time while the kitchen catches up.

[jhannah]

I enjoy conversation with the wait staff ... but I'm not interested in chumming it up at the expense of their performance of their duties. These hard-working folks have lots to do, and I don't expect them to delay service somewhere else while we're chatting away. I like to show interest in them on a professional level. After that, all I ask is that they provide attentive yet unobtrusive service. The only time I've sensed that friendliness was associated with gratuities was in the case of a maitre d' who was seen only from a distance until toward the end of the cruise. Then, ta-da, there he was glad-handing with everyone. Maybe I read him wrong ... but that's sure what came over to me.

[wollenkv]

The servers have several tables. When one table wants to get chummy, the other tables can get poorer service.

[Layla]

I agree with coiran - the wait staff in the dining room have families and personal lives just like us. We always get traditional seating because we enjoy getting to know the folks working in the dining room. We enjoy learning where they're from, about their families and their "tour of duty." We have made many friends by conversing with them. We tend to extend our dining until we're usually the last people at the table. After everyone is gone, we have a chance for conversation. However, we realize that the longer we stay, the longer it takes for the staff to go off duty!

[sunprincess]

I have met many very dear friends who were my wait staff. I always enjoy talking with them. Even better when you see familiar faces from past cruises & they remember you & you them.

[bjboothman]

We enjoy conversing with the waitstaff. Through my DH's 20+ years in the Air Force, he has served in every free country in the world and loves to discuss the home countries of the staff with them. They seem to be interested in knowing that he can identify with their homelands and sometimes, home towns. And DH thoroughly enjoys reminiscing with them. I don't think they do it just for extra tips. They are humans who are a long way from home and enjoy talking to people who take a genuine interest in them.

[Bsan1221]

I personally love interacting with our waitstaff.

 

I ask where they are from, life on the ship and how long they have worked for the cruise line. Sometimes they offer info about the countries they are from and their family.

 

I think these people work so darn hard it doesnt hurt to actually show some interest in them...