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Dinner orders using handheld devices on Westerdam

Boytjie

By Boytjie,
in Holland America Line

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Boytjie

Boytjie

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Someone posted on Facebook that "the main dining room staff has been using wireless tablets for ordering your meal at the table and having it transmitted immediately to the kitchen."

 

Other than the usual cruising-as-we-know-it-going-to-hell-in-a-handbasket wailing, has anyone else heard about this?

 

It sure is faster than running a written ticket back to the kitchen.

 

(Should I make some popcorn?)

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Amolin

Amolin

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We were on the Westerdam last week. I did not see them placing dinner orders (at least not at the table) but the wine stewards did use them to place drink orders. It seemed to work well - drinks always arrived quickly.

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Randyk47

Randyk47

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Posted
Someone posted on Facebook that "the main dining room staff has been using wireless tablets for ordering your meal at the table and having it transmitted immediately to the kitchen."

 

Other than the usual cruising-as-we-know-it-going-to-hell-in-a-handbasket wailing, has anyone else heard about this?

 

It sure is faster than running a written ticket back to the kitchen.

 

(Should I make some popcorn?)

 

No wailing on my part. We've been several places on land that do that and Silversea has been using them for a couple of years now. Anything that makes it faster and hopefully more accurate works for me.

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Boytjie

Boytjie

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We were on the Westerdam last week. I did not see them placing dinner orders (at least not at the table) but the wine stewards did use them to place drink orders. It seemed to work well - drinks always arrived quickly.

 

They said it happened "for three days or so"; I wonder if it may be the current cruise? Or maybe they tried it out in only a section of the MDR?

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Boytjie

Boytjie

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No wailing on my part. We've been several places on land that do that and Silversea has been using them for a couple of years now. Anything that makes it faster and hopefully more accurate works for me.

 

I am all for faster wine service in the MDR. It couldn't get any slower. Could it?

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Randyk47

Randyk47

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I am all for faster wine service in the MDR. It couldn't get any slower. Could it?

 

You got wine service? :rolleyes::) Seriously though you're right. I realize I might be in the minority on this but our experience has been the MDR has suffered the most because of service crew reductions.

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Boytjie

Boytjie

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You got wine service? :rolleyes::) Seriously though you're right. I realize I might be in the minority on this but our experience has been the MDR has suffered the most because of service crew reductions.

 

I have complained about wine service for years and on more than just HAL. I hate getting my first sip of wine after appetizers have arrived, which seems to have been standard (unless you bring your own). So, pay corkage on our own wine or bring a glass (from a bar, not our room... tacky!) into the dining room to get that first glass before the first food.

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ellieanne

ellieanne

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I've not seen it on the cruise ships, but most restaurants here have gone to iPad ordering.

 

I don't have a problem with it as long as passengers/diners are not expected to use the devices to order their own meals. And I would like the staff to be trained in an alternative method in the event the technology fails. I went to a bistro here and the iPads were not working and no-one could figure out how to get the customers orders to the kitchen. There needs to be a backup system AND staff needs to be trained in the backup system.

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3rdGenCunarder "Live from...." Rare

3rdGenCunarder

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I've not seen it on the cruise ships, but most restaurants here have gone to iPad ordering.

 

I don't have a problem with it as long as passengers/diners are not expected to use the devices to order their own meals. And I would like the staff to be trained in an alternative method in the event the technology fails. I went to a bistro here and the iPads were not working and no-one could figure out how to get the customers orders to the kitchen. There needs to be a backup system AND staff needs to be trained in the backup system.

 

(bold is mine) I agree. We print our own boarding passes and documents "for our convenience." Supermarkets and Home Depot have self-checkouts "for our convenience." How is it for MY convenience when I'm doing someone else's work???? If a wireless device makes ordering faster or more efficient or easier for the servers, I think it's good. Just don't hand it to me and say "please enter your order."

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SonarSonarSonar

SonarSonarSonar

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Bring it on. Anything to move into the future.

 

Although we just started cruising we didn't experience any delays with wine using our purchased bottles.

 

Amazingly, if I remember correctly, we even got some of our wine when dining in the Pinnacle Grill.

 

We really had a great time.

 

 

 

 

.

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TiogaCruiser "Live from...." Rare

TiogaCruiser

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(bold is mine) I agree. We print our own boarding passes and documents "for our convenience." Supermarkets and Home Depot have self-checkouts "for our convenience." How is it for MY convenience when I'm doing someone else's work???? If a wireless device makes ordering faster or more efficient or easier for the servers, I think it's good. Just don't hand it to me and say "please enter your order."

 

Or "place your order here and the counter will call your name when it ready for you to pick up.":p

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ellieanne

ellieanne

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Or "place your order here and the counter will call your name when it ready for you to pick up.":p

 

They already do this with the beepers at the Dive In. But I don't mind this so much.

 

In the dining room, I think having passengers place their own orders on the devices have to potential to ADD to the confusion and slowness rather than decrease it.

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cruz chic

cruz chic

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They already do this with the beepers at the Dive In. But I don't mind this so much.

 

In the dining room, I think having passengers place their own orders on the devices have to potential to ADD to the confusion and slowness rather than decrease it.

 

I think that's the best way to handle the dive in. Would your preference be to wait there? I think that it's great to be able to have a seat if you like.

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sail7seas

sail7seas

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(bold is mine) I agree. We print our own boarding passes and documents "for our convenience." Supermarkets and Home Depot have self-checkouts "for our convenience." How is it for MY convenience when I'm doing someone else's work???? If a wireless device makes ordering faster or more efficient or easier for the servers, I think it's good. Just don't hand it to me and say "please enter your order."

 

Yes, ^^ That.

 

A little off topic but this made me think of the frequent use of "thank you for your patience" when there is an inordinate delay caused by whichever provider and we are held without opportunity to leave.

 

I always want to say "who told you I was patient? I had no choice!!!! If it had been possible, I would have left". :D

 

 

 

Edited by sail7seas
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POA1 "Live from...." Rare

POA1

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Disney uses them.

We (Bell Labs) ran the trial on these in 1992 at The Grand Floridian Cafe in the Grand Floridian Resort in Walt Disney World. Let's just say that most of the objections today are the same as they were almost 25 years ago.

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POA1 "Live from...." Rare

POA1

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I am all for faster wine service in the MDR. It couldn't get any slower. Could it?

This is why I'm such a big fan of HAL's corkage / BYO policy. The only thing that slows us down is the puny force of gravity. :D

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