MDR complaint, who in Miami do you contact?

[CruisinDawn]

I have the email of the ships dining people but would like to copy Miami so the ship doesn't just brush our concerns under the rug.

 

Our service in the MDR on the Alure Jan 3rd was just awful! Just a couple examples, no coffee offered with dessert one night, two people served their main dish at our table of 8 then the waiter served another table of 6 before returning with meals to the rest of our table :eek:, however they were all on her cart as we all ordered at the same time, bread only offered once every night, drinks came one night and one person at the table was given all of the sea passes & drinks to pass out :eek: These are just a few of the things we experienced. Being Diamond + I have been on quite a few cruises and have NEVER experienced such terrible service. I was genuinely embarrassed as I was the leader of our group and always push Royal over other lines. Not a good first impression of Royal for a few to say the least.

 

TIA

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

[cruisenfever]

Aurora "Laly" Yera-Rodriguez

Director, Guest Relations & Shared Services

Azamara Club Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, & Royal Caribbean International

954-628-9313 (ext. 19313)

 

ayera-rodriguez@rccl.com

[Retired LEO]

Did you speak with the Head waiter on the ship?

[nelblu]

Did you speak with the Head waiter on the ship?

 

Ditto. Should have spoken to the HW at the first incident.

[Dlanco]

I have the email of the ships dining people but would like to copy Miami so the ship doesn't just brush our concerns under the rug.

 

Our service in the MDR on the Alure Jan 3rd was just awful! Just a couple examples, no coffee offered with dessert one night, two people served their main dish at our table of 8 then the waiter served another table of 6 before returning with meals to the rest of our table :eek:, however they were all on her cart as we all ordered at the same time, bread only offered once every night, drinks came one night and one person at the table was given all of the sea passes & drinks to pass out :eek: These are just a few of the things we experienced. Being Diamond + I have been on quite a few cruises and have NEVER experienced such terrible service. I was genuinely embarrassed as I was the leader of our group and always push Royal over other lines. Not a good first impression of Royal for a few to say the least.

 

TIA

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

 

I would have had this nipped in the bud the first night with a simple "excuse myself from the table" trip to the dinning room manager stand. I would have not tolerated it on night one when this was first experienced and trust me when I say there would be no reason to involve corporate headquarters in Miami after the fact.

[north29]

RC's focus on MDR service has slipped considerably. I was not there, but I would have talked NICELY with the head waiter. Big tables can be a pain for server, when there is not enough of them. Also my issue with service at times which might effect others, we do a table for two, the big tables where they order 2 to 5 appetizers to be delivered at different times create a giant timing issue for the table and tables around them. There seem to be less problems on Fixed dining but on MTD it can be a big issue with timing and good service.

[Thetrail]

I have the email of the ships dining people but would like to copy Miami so the ship doesn't just brush our concerns under the rug.

 

Our service in the MDR on the Alure Jan 3rd was just awful! Just a couple examples, no coffee offered with dessert one night, two people served their main dish at our table of 8 then the waiter served another table of 6 before returning with meals to the rest of our table :eek:, however they were all on her cart as we all ordered at the same time, bread only offered once every night, drinks came one night and one person at the table was given all of the sea passes & drinks to pass out :eek: These are just a few of the things we experienced. Being Diamond + I have been on quite a few cruises and have NEVER experienced such terrible service. I was genuinely embarrassed as I was the leader of our group and always push Royal over other lines. Not a good first impression of Royal for a few to say the least.

 

TIA

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

Was it just one night or the whole cruise?????????

[cruzeluver]

Yep. While on board was the time to get this addressed. If you did and service did not improve, there is a chain of command on the ship. If you went up the chain of command and still no satisfaction, different story. Not sure what they can do now.

[cruisinwithmaandpa]

So you weren't offered coffee, why didn't you speak up and say "Excuse me I would like some coffee", you didn't get offered bread more than once, again, "Excuse me I would like some bread". Life is too short to worry about these kind of issues. Doesn't do any good to complain now.

Edited January 19, 2016 by cruisinwithmaandpa

[spookwife]

we have never been offered coffee with dessert. we always have to request it

 

quite frankly, I am glad they don't bring the bread tray around more than once. my waist line cannot handle it

 

did you ever stop and think that the plates were served in the order they got picked up off the cart?

 

the only one of your complaints I think merits any consideration is the drinks/sea pass issue which should have been discussed immediately with the head bar waiter of the MDR

 

regardless if you did not address these issues when they occurred complaining after the fact does no good at all.

[Langley Cruisers]

we have never been offered coffee with dessert. we always have to request it...

 

Really? :confused: I am shocked.

[spookwife]

Really? :confused: I am shocked.

 

 

so were we the first couple of times(different ships). but since we rarely drink coffee with dessert anyway its not a huge thing to get all discombobulated over

 

about half the rime we are offered it when we order dessert in specialties though.

[cruisinwithmaandpa]

I also think if you decline coffee the first time, they probably don't think you are a coffee drinker, and thus don't offer it again.

[setsail]

Goastbusters

[CruisinDawn]

Dang, guess I should have put on my fire suit. Like I said this is far from normal treatment on Royal Caribbean. I did express my dislike on board but the service only got worse, not better. I have never sent a complaint to Royal and had a wonderful cruise besides my MRD experience. I did not express all that happened just a few things that a felt didn't need much back story. We were only requesting the service we have come to expect without having to beg for it. Did I say it ruined my cruise, Nope sure didn't.

 

Sorry but I don't feel I should have to defend myself and I am not going to. That being said we get better service at Olive Garden! I know don't cruise go to Olive Garden :rolleyes:

 

Sad to see the direction Cruise Critic has gone, people love to sit behind a keyboard and throw stones. Thanks Cruisenfever for the info. :D

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

[Langley Cruisers]

Dang, guess I should have put on my fire suit.... Sorry but I don't feel I should have to defend myself and I am not going to... Sad to see the direction Cruise Critic has gone, people love to sit behind a keyboard and throw stones....

 

You've been here for ages - you must know these things happen. Not everyone is helpful or kind or supportive or sides with you. I guess it's the chance we all take for posting on a public board. :(

[DrD]

Dang, guess I should have put on my fire suit. Like I said this is far from normal treatment on Royal Caribbean. I did express my dislike on board but the service only got worse, not better. I have never sent a complaint to Royal and had a wonderful cruise besides my MRD experience. I did not express all that happened just a few things that a felt didn't need much back story. We were only requesting the service we have come to expect without having to beg for it. Did I say it ruined my cruise, Nope sure didn't.

 

Sorry but I don't feel I should have to defend myself and I am not going to. That being said we get better service at Olive Garden! I know don't cruise go to Olive Garden :rolleyes:

 

Sad to see the direction Cruise Critic has gone, people love to sit behind a keyboard and throw stones. Thanks Cruisenfever for the info. :D

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

 

You've been here as long as I have so you know it's nothing new.

[canucks4]

I was part of the cruise on the Allure with Dawna and have done over 20 cruises myself and she is not exaggerating the poor service we experienced. It was clear that the two servers did not like each other and did not communicate well. In fact, our assistant waitress was rarely seen. The Head Waiter came to our table one time to see how we were enjoying ourselves - we indicated it was great fun, but we'd like a drink - he left to find a server and never saw him again the week! We had a great cruise as we always do, but either the ship is too large, or the staff is too small - either way, I too expressed my concern with the MDR - if they don't want to know, then don't ask!!

[mistshar]

Dang, guess I should have put on my fire suit. Like I said this is far from normal treatment on Royal Caribbean. I did express my dislike on board but the service only got worse, not better. I have never sent a complaint to Royal and had a wonderful cruise besides my MRD experience. I did not express all that happened just a few things that a felt didn't need much back story. We were only requesting the service we have come to expect without having to beg for it. Did I say it ruined my cruise, Nope sure didn't.

 

Sorry but I don't feel I should have to defend myself and I am not going to. That being said we get better service at Olive Garden! I know don't cruise go to Olive Garden :rolleyes:

 

Sad to see the direction Cruise Critic has gone, people love to sit behind a keyboard and throw stones. Thanks Cruisenfever for the info. :D

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

 

It seems that people act like this on all boards including Facebook. They don't know how to be kind any more. It is a sad state of our world I guess. People should just not say anything if they have to be mean or cruel.

 

I hope you get a response from Royal!

[pjnj40]

With your experience, you should gone up the chain of command before reaching the corporate. Here why. I just return from my January 3 cruise on the Anthem of the Sea. At breakfast time, the service was great for few days. One day , the service sunk down so low that we had to walk out. We ask the hostess to get the manager for us. We told him that the service was good in past few days, then it sunk down. The very next day, breakfast was at it best paced ever. The manager clean up his staff attitude. I overheard the wait staff that was taking care of us was having a verbal fight. We never saw this guy for the rest of breakfast morning. When we left for breakfast every morning, the hostess asked us to see if the service was excellent.

 

With you, the first night the wait staff don't know you yet. You should ask for coffee when the wait staff ask you what you want for dessert? Maybe in past the other cruisers didn't want coffee with their dessert and got used to it or on their own they don't like coffee with dessert. You should ask for more bread since they can't tell if the basket is empty while the napkins is covering the dish. You should told the wait staff what bout these folks who not getting the plates. You need to speak up to them if something is not right. I think the problem is that you looking for perfect vacation without hassle. Do you have same attitude on land? No one is perfect out there. If you ask for coffee or more bread and it never came then that different story to complain about.

[KeyserSozeCruises]

It seems that people act like this on all boards including Facebook. They don't know how to be kind any more. It is a sad state of our world I guess. People should just not say anything if they have to be mean or cruel.

 

I hope you get a response from Royal!

 

LOL. Not all in the world is how you see it.

[Langley Cruisers]

With your experience, you should gone up the chain of command before reaching the corporate.

 

I do agree with this.

 

You should ask for more bread since they can't tell if the basket is empty while the napkins is covering the dish.

 

On Royal, the assistant waiter brings the bread basket to the table and serves each guest, usually twice during the meal. The bread is never left on the table with a napkin covering it.

.

[mcatmcat]

These days eating at the MDR is like playing a board game, you might be lucky or not. I had from a great to a bad team at the MDR but to be honest I don't want to make their life miserable and I also afraid a complain from me might end up in firing the employee and that's not my purpose. It's a week and I'm in the cruise to have fun.

 

I was on the independence in a table of 4, we were always the first to arrive and order ( we basically knew the menu before arriving at the MDR)at the MDR but unfortunately our salads were never the first one to distribute. We eat fast and our table always had like 2 appetizers because we knew the wait for the real entree was going to be long. On formal night the entrees arrived at 945pm ( late seating 830pm). On the other hand there was a Brazilian waiter that was so fast OMG. She had passengers arriving at 845 or so and they were long gone before our table.

[foxgoodrich]

There were 2 issues you mentioned that I think were seriously bad - the serving of entrées to only two at your table, then serving another whole table before serving the others at your table; and the fiasco with the drinks and sea pass cards. Those are both examples of poor service, bad training, and inadequate supervision. I would have complained onboard and I would definitely follow up and write a letter. (And if I were a manager I would appreciate hearing about these issues so I could correct the problems with training and supervision.) If complaints onboard just resulted in worse service, I'd be frustrated too.

 

During the years since our first RC cruise in 2004, the MDR service has definitely changed. It seems that now they are doing the job with fewer employees than they had years ago. My impression is that our wait staff have to cover more tables than the wait teams we had years ago.

 

As for the spotty service of coffee and bread, that's something we've just learned to deal with - I guess we've lowered our expectations. We've had wait teams on several cruises who didn't offer coffee, so we've developed a habit of just ordering coffee when we give them our dessert choices. And with the bread service, DH and I are addicted to those yummy little 'savory bites.' So…on the first night we make sure the server knows that's what we'll want (2 apiece), and that we'll want a second round with the entrée. We know this request creates extra work because the bread trays are made up according to a daily plan that specifies how many of each roll/slice should be on the tray. There's a list complete with photo in the galley each day to show the waiter how to set up the bread tray, and each tray has only 4 savory bites. So our server will have to add extra savory bites daily to his tray, since others at the table will want them too. A great wait team gets this after the first night…some have taken another night or two to get it.

 

One thing I miss from the old days is the ease of ordering a drink in the MDR. Nowadays you have to ask your wait team to send you a bar waiter. In the old days there were numerous bar waiters who circulated and took your order. And they used to come around after dinner selling cordials - seems like now you have to ask for that too.

 

I have to tell you our story about the most awkward assistant waiter ever on a cruise out of Galveston. He was a young man from Russia, and he was visibly nervous and sweaty on the first night. He brought our water/tea/coffee, etc and served the bread. He was awkward. He served from the wrong side and mixed up the drinks, pouring iced tea for the wrong person. He missed serving bread to one person at the table altogether until it was pointed out. The waiter corrected him a couple of times and told us he was new. The guy was clearly embarrassed and uncomfortable, but he was trying. So we decided not to complain to the headwaiter that night. We all lightened up and tried to put him at ease. By the 4th night he had improved, seemed more confident and less awkward, and we praised him. He told us this was his first cruise, his first contract, and his first job ever on a ship. He thanked us for our patience. At the end of the week we complimented him, tipped him, and let him know he was doing well.

 

Fast forward a year or so. We were back on the same ship and I was having a problem logging off the ship internet. (I have a Macbook and in those days Mac users had to do something in addition to the normal instructions to log off.) So I went running to Guest Services for help…stood in line for a few minutes as my internet minutes burned…and finally stepped up to the counter. I looked up at the young man in the blue uniform and suddenly he broke into a huge smile, grabbed my hand and shook it, and exclaimed loudly "You were my first guest! Hello! I'm so happy to see you again!" It was our assistant waiter! He solved my logoff problem and even gave me an internet credit to make up for my burned minutes. He told me that he had hated working in the MDR and couldn't wait for that contract to end, but that our group's patience and encouragement on his very first cruise had convinced him that he could do the job so he stuck it out. He was able to move to a Guest Services position and he loved his job now.

 

The moral of the story is that we probably would have complained about this guy if we hadn't found out he was a newbie. I'm glad we didn't complain, although there surely were several things that were complaintworthy on those first few nights. When we lightened up, he got better. (The reward for our patience was that I got the absolute epitome of fabulous service from GS the few times I needed help on that cruise. That was great!)

Judy

[Retired LEO]

I do agree with this.

 

 

 

On Royal, the assistant waiter brings the bread basket to the table and serves each guest, usually twice during the meal. The bread is never left on the table with a napkin covering it.

.

 

I've actually had that happen a couple of times.