Lido bar waiters - where are they?

[http404]

Has anyone noticed a decline in the number of waiters roaming the lido deck?

 

I remember my first cruise on Victory in 07 and they were literally annoying me, always in front of me asking if I needed anything. A bit pushy to be honest.

 

My last cruise things have gone 180 degrees. They don't seem to be around and are so overloaded they sometimes will take our order and never come back with the goods. I was waving them down from across the deck and tipping them in cash telling them to keep them coming. Also had one of the red shirt guys say he couldn't bring me a drink that was made at the Blue Iguana Tequila bar. /shrug

 

Seems like Carnival would make more money being able to sell more drinks.

[FiveAce]

Most likely they don't want to get stuck waiting on another person with the prepaid drink package. I imagine it's like being a waiter at a restaurant and constantly refilling the water at tables that paid their bill twenty minutes ago but decided to stay and talk. After awhile you feel like you're working for free.

 

I bet if you chased one of them down and made sure they saw your card without the sticker they'd be more than happy to start a tab for you and continue to earn tips with every new drink.

[Thorncroft]

It's not a cutback. Carnival doesn't do that.

[coevan]

We had Cheers and hung out on deck 11. The person next to us said the same thing about not finding a server. A server came by shortly and we ordered a couple of beers. Here's the trick, I gave him 2 one dollar bills. He was back in about 15 minutes and knew what my wife and I were drinking the whole trip. A few bucks go a long way. He always seemed to find us somewhere on deck 11. The Serenity lounge had pretty good bar service as well.

[idlenote]

We had Cheers and hung out on deck 11. The person next to us said the same thing about not finding a server. A server came by shortly and we ordered a couple of beers. Here's the trick, I gave him 2 one dollar bills. He was back in about 15 minutes and knew what my wife and I were drinking the whole trip. A few bucks go a long way. He always seemed to find us somewhere on deck 11. The Serenity lounge had pretty good bar service as well.

 

That normally seems to do the trick. When we buy the package, which is not often, we normally take two or three hundred in ones and spread them around. Amazing what the results are, we really never wait for a drink.

[riclop]

Has anyone noticed a decline in the number of waiters roaming the lido deck?

 

I remember my first cruise on Victory in 07 and they were literally annoying me, always in front of me asking if I needed anything. A bit pushy to be honest.

 

My last cruise things have gone 180 degrees. They don't seem to be around and are so overloaded they sometimes will take our order and never come back with the goods. I was waving them down from across the deck and tipping them in cash telling them to keep them coming. Also had one of the red shirt guys say he couldn't bring me a drink that was made at the Blue Iguana Tequila bar. /shrug

 

Seems like Carnival would make more money being able to sell more drinks.

I am glad because they became very annoying.

[poz222]

They have eliminated MANY of the lido and promenade deck servers! So annoying to never be able to find one (even tipping $1 bill each drink)!!! There are literally like 2 for the ENTIRE lido and NONE on the promonade anymore!!

[bobsfamily]

We rarely get Cheers as we have the Drinks on Us card from the casino... other people seem to have a problem with getting a drink in the casino from a server with the card (same problem, no tip)... we always tip a dollar (or more depending) when receiving a drink. Never had a problem getting that drink!

 

For those who take dollars, if you run out you can always add a dollar to the receipt.

[StolidCruiser]

First, complaints the Lido beverage servers were too abundant and annoying.

 

Now, complaints there are too few of them.

 

What a conundrum.

[poz222]

They should get rid of a few of the photographers and add back a few servers!

[Bookbug53]

Has anyone noticed a decline in the number of waiters roaming the lido deck?

 

I remember my first cruise on Victory in 07 and they were literally annoying me, always in front of me asking if I needed anything. A bit pushy to be honest.

 

My last cruise things have gone 180 degrees. They don't seem to be around and are so overloaded they sometimes will take our order and never come back with the goods. I was waving them down from across the deck and tipping them in cash telling them to keep them coming. Also had one of the red shirt guys say he couldn't bring me a drink that was made at the Blue Iguana Tequila bar. /shrug

 

Seems like Carnival would make more money being able to sell more drinks.

 

Which one do you want? I am sure they have a difficult time trying to please everyone and finding that perfect balance where no one complains. :rolleyes:

[dna529]

They have eliminated MANY of the lido and promenade deck servers! So annoying to never be able to find one (even tipping $1 bill each drink)!!! There are literally like 2 for the ENTIRE lido and NONE on the promonade anymore!!

 

I totally agree with you! On the Elation this weekend we finally just walked to the bar Everytime and got drinks ourselves. Seems like they would make a lot more money if the had more servers. We did not have Cheers.

[Havingfun2010]

Most likely they don't want to get stuck waiting on another person with the prepaid drink package. I imagine it's like being a waiter at a restaurant and constantly refilling the water at tables that paid their bill twenty minutes ago but decided to stay and talk. After awhile you feel like you're working for free.

 

I bet if you chased one of them down and made sure they saw your card without the sticker they'd be more than happy to start a tab for you and continue to earn tips with every new drink.

 

Then those waiters should be fired and replaced with others that want to work.

 

Plus remember, Carnival cuts back on customer service at every chance they get. I wouldn't be surprised if the convert some crew cabins to customer cabins with the amount of staff cutbacks they have achieved.

[Bookbug53]

Then those waiters should be fired and replaced with others that want to work.

 

Plus remember, Carnival cuts back on customer service at every chance they get. I wouldn't be surprised if the convert some crew cabins to customer cabins with the amount of staff cutbacks they have achieved.

 

 

I have never experienced this at all. We buy the drink package and have no difficulty getting service, having good service, or finding a server. Occasionally I even get up and physically walk to a bar and get my own drink! And believe it or not the bartender even serves me with a smile.

 

And welcome...didn't take you long to show up again. For someone so despising of Carnival, you spend a LOT of time over here.:p

[tigereye]

Carnival's waiters work in multiple areas. Some of them in MDR and Lido. So, if you have noticed fewer waiters in MDR, that means that there are fewer available to work Lido. Just my thought.

[StolidCruiser]

Then those waiters should be fired and replaced with others that want to work.

 

Plus remember, Carnival cuts back on customer service at every chance they get. I wouldn't be surprised if the convert some crew cabins to customer cabins with the amount of staff cutbacks they have achieved.

 

More pearls of wisdom from our resident expert on what constitutes "cutbacks" that, of course, only happen on Carnival.

 

Keep on tryin'. I am sure you think you're making a difference.

[cruzeluver]

We are a week off of Sunshine and did not have this experience at all.

 

We had Bottomless Bubbles and had no problem getting bar waiter service in Serenity, on the lido deck or in the main theater.

[Pyrate13]

I can't speak for someone else or their experience but on our last cruise back in Dec we had plenty of servers available on the Lido. Often we would order our drinks and before they came back another server was asking if we needed anything.

[http404]

First, complaints the Lido beverage servers were too abundant and annoying.

 

Now, complaints there are too few of them.

 

What a conundrum.

 

Wasn't as much of a complaint as an observation. My complaint would be not having bar service when I need a drink. I'd prefer too many. At least that way I can get some service. No problem for me to shoo them away when I don't need anything.

 

Sux to be me.

Edited June 16, 2016 by http404

[http404]

Which one do you want? I am sure they have a difficult time trying to please everyone and finding that perfect balance where no one complains. :rolleyes:

 

If I have to choose I'll take too many. At least I will get service when I want it. I was simply pointing out the contrast in service levels from my first cruise. :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

[jordanaire]

One day on our Valor cruise, while sitting out by the Lido pool, I counted a total of 3 bar waiters. I can remember a time when there were at least 12 waiters out there!

[drvmywifecrzy]

They should get rid of a few of the photographers and add back a few servers!

 

I just ask the photographer to get me a drink ;)

[OCruisers]

There really do seem to be less bar servers on lido than in the past. Also the service is VERY show. Best to just go to the bar yourself for drinks. ;)

[coevan]

If you want the server to get the money, do not add a tip to the check, it will go in a pool. I like tipping in cash, never even thought about bringing 100-200 ones, sounds silly. I just go the the casino or pursers desk and get 20 ones.

[Jimmy Geegitz]

Less servers because they already got their tip on the cheers program. Carnival doesn't want it to be too easy to get drinks.