MDR Pranks!

[trev71]

id be ok long as they didnt put tea or coffee in my diet coke. That would make me barf :confused:

[dudaze11]

One cruise we were on during a "formal" night the next table over all came in togas; shades of Animal House. Toga Toga Toga

 

That's classic!

[cndljen]

On our first cruise (Freedom 2012) we had a table for 6 - all of us coming from Finland. Some did not speak English very well, so there was a discussion about ice cream - how to order it with proper words? In Finnish, it is called a ball of ice cream. A scoop is too little, if we think direct translations between the languages, just a "spoonful" in Finnish.

 

So the other gentleman ordered boldly "two balls ".

He got 2 scoops with a biscuit (finger type) carefully placed between "the balls".

 

It was hilarious.

 

 

Lmao that's hilarious. I am such an instigator too so I can certainly see us having a blast. Well I hope they do the same when it's scheduled. We didn't do MTD

 

 

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[Paulette3028]

Last week we had a really great mixture of people for anytime dining, which we turned into timed dining together. About halfway through the cruise, our wait staffed joined the chemistry with their own practical jokes. We got birthday cakes, even though it was no one's birthday. My wife and I were given a plate of yogurt, an inside joke. They started over brewing, and mixing sugar, then lemon, then Coke into our tea. On the final night we were given peanut butter sandwiches, now that's fine dining!

 

Anyone else ever had too much fun in the MDR?

 

It takes 'chemistry' between cruisers and wait staff for things like this to happen. The wait staff, is careful, not to get involved 'too much' with cruisers -- for fear of offending someone.

 

Yet, when the staff can sense the 'sense of humor' of cruisers -- it can be wonderful. DH and I have been fortunate to 'connect with fellow cruisers and staff' that way several times.

 

Since DH and I often cruise by ourselves, but request to be seated in the MDR at a table of 6-10 other guests, we first need to 'get acquainted with our fellow diners'.

 

As an outgoing individual, I get that started at the first dinner, by introducing ourselves and then the conversation takes off on its own. If people don't come the first night to dinner, we add them into the conversation the next night.

 

Glad you had a great experience....it probably made for more fun...and that is what cruising should be.

[finch12]

Wet had the best wait staff ever on our first cruise. Diago and Wilmer on the AOS. They had brain teasers every night for my kids to figure or while we waited for food. My kids were 10 and 12 at the time. My youngest loved ice cream. He did not like what was for dessert one night so he offered Ice cream with chocolate sauce. It came and looked great in a big bowl. My son went to get a scoop. ... The waiter had put the chocolate sauce on a small bowl turned upside down in his big bowl. It looked just like a big scoop. We laughed and he took it away. He came back with another bowl and my son was a little apprehensive this time but all looked well. He got a scoop of his new Desert. ... It was mashed potatoes with chocolate sauce. .. Again we laughed. These two waiters had a great time with us and made our cruise the best ever. They are the sole reason we still love this type of vacation today. 9 years later my kids still talk about how that was our best trip ever and always watch for Diago and Wilmer each year when we cruise together.

 

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[senrab]

what happened to us, was that he got the same delivery every night in addition to what he actually ordered for dessert. Just the color of "the balls" changed from day to day.

 

Luckily for others, further discussion was done mainly in Finnish, so we hopefully did not embarras or offend anybody sitting around us.

 

We got a good laugh (mainly laughing at ourselves and at our poor language skills) and something to remember for a long time.

 

Was there any blueberry ice cream on the menu that week? :D

[m*u*g*]

not my idea of fun, but hey...

 

What, no sugar in the salt shakers?

Edited February 28, 2014 by m*u*g*

[cndljen]

It's not their 'different sense of humor' that's the problem. It's the 'wet blanket' they came and tossed on the thread. The OP obviously thought it was a hoot and wanted similar stories. Since they didn't find it funny, why not just move on (which is what apparently should be done when it's 'their' opinion) instead of being a 'wet blanket'? Seems to me that they came and tried to dump their 'wet blanket' on this crowd and got it thrown right back at them!

 

 

Like like like like like love!

 

 

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[cruiselvr04]

Love it! As long as all the fun is in good taste you all can sit at my table anytime!!

[ducklite]

I do not think I would find it funny.

 

I have to agree. I would not want to waste servers time or food, nor would I be pleased to have pranks played on me. I go to the dining room to eat, not to be part of some "show."

[dkjretired]

I was thinking the same thing.

 

Ditto...

[YubaSutter]

Heres a great prank for the dining room staff. Tell them you are pulling all of third tips for the week. Gotcha.

 

On a serious note. It is not a good idea to prank the people who handle your food.

[Salve]

We had a very stuffy sommelier on one of our cruises, he never smiled. Two tables of eight.

 

We would take turns ordering bottles of wine. One of our group picked up a big box of wine on a Greek island. That night we had him decant the box for us. A $15 corkage fee was added as expected.

 

After pouring the wine for everyone we complained about how bad it was. Then he realized we were joking. After that the guests at our tables were his new best friends.

[Iplowsnow]

What a great thread. Reading them on my iPad. Laughing so much, my husband is just looking at me. I had to start reading them to him. We booked anytime dinning on our May 12th eastern med. cruise. It now makes me want to be placed at large tables. Can't wait. Thanks for sharing,

 

 

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[feathersandnananose]

One of the things that comes to me CLEARLY in this thread is about the dining room staff. They work HARD. Some people want impersonal, simple, unobtrusive elegant service. They get it. But if you let your hair down with the staff, they may feel free to respond in kind.

 

Personally, having worked in the "service industry" for many years, I know that most folks like being treated like human beings rather than "servers". So if I can be a bit silly and loosen up the table, I'm MUCH happier. And I think the staff is, too. They work incredibly long hours for months away from their loved ones.... treating them like people you respect and like is such a small kindness. And for me, I love a server remembering my quirks and teasing me....

 

Barb

[rwr235]

Our MDR Wait Team on our last cruise on Celebrity were great, both at giving, and being on the receiving end !! Especially when we had them seated at the table, and the 5 of us served them a course during dinner...though I think now that I served from the wrong side...shame on me not to know better. :p

 

(No "strong-arm" tactics were involved :D...and tips dispersed I consider a personal matter, and better left confidential) !!

 

Enjoy...and do take the time to make all interactions with staff a wonderful experience...you might just forge some lifelong friendships !

 

Woody

[Lerin]

Interesting.

Not my cup of tea, but if that is your sort of enjoyment and it's not bothering others, then so be it.

Glad you had a good cruise.

[Lady Chew]

We like to have fun with our MDR staff, especially on the longer cruises.

 

One night fairly early in the cruise, I don't remember the exact theme, there were red white & blue decorations all over, on the tables, hanging from the ceiling, on the walls, etc. One of our table mates asked our head waiter if she could take some home to her sister, who likes to decorate for the 4th of July. He said of course, take as much as you want because they just get thrown away when we're done. So she started collecting stuff from the tables. We were late dinner, and as people were leaving the staff started pulling out stepstools & ladders to take down the wall/ceiling stuff. Mr Chew is quite tall, and just walked around the perimeter taking things down, some for our table mate, and some for the crew. They were all applauding him and thanking him for saving them the trouble.

 

After that, Mr Chew was their hero. On every theme night, Mr Chew would take five minutes to go around the perimeter and remove the high-hanging stuff for them. Applause & cheering all around.

 

Another night, we had a 30th birthday party for our waiter, complete with balloons & confetti & hats & presents. He got to sit at the head of the table and we served him. (We had permission from the head waiter & MDR manager) All of the other waiters came over and helped us sing Happy Birthday and shared the cake. It was lots of fun.

 

And yes, we pulled lots of pranks. We never sat in the same place two nights in a row, not even in couples, and sometimes after we ordered we'd all get up and move around again. We had some very picky eaters so every night there would be special orders & requests. Our waiter would deliberately give us the wrong plates. Same with the beer & wine ... they'd be delivered to the non-drinkers and the drinkers would get the diet soda or iced tea.

 

We all gave out some really large tips at the end of the cruise.