Onboard Mardi Gras Now & they are having some challenges

[Oldsweets]

We are aboard and will start by saying the crew is working hard, they are trying, and they are happy to have guests aboard.  This start up is clearly not a smooth as Horizons first cruise with a number of challenges almost all the result of just starting, major changes put in place by carnival, or maybe poor planning or simply bad luck.  Bar servers in many locations is slow at best with the casino clearly bogged down and your will be lucky to see a servers every 45 minutes and once your order is taken it’s so long before they return you simply believe they are nit returning.  Part of thus seems to be a problem of congestion at the bar setup and some the shear size of the casino.  The tables and slots are clearly full and carnival is clearly not ready for thus much business.   We are seeing that in a 4 hour casino visit you we will lbe able to get 2 drinks using our drinks on us card.  The servers are clearly rusty as they often will visit a table and ask just a couple guests for orders and run off instead of taking The Who tables order.  The Specalty Restaurants are no better as the staff simply don’t know the drink or dinner menu and simply avoid asking about any desire for a drink which I can only assume I’s because they are overwhelmed by taking dinner orders.  So far at 2 specialty restaurants  for 2 nights of dinners we have had very long waits before our order is taken [35 min last night] and attempted to order a glass of wine and told they didn’t have it and hustled off.   We went to the restaurants bar and order the very same wine 3 times during dinner so right now I would say bar service is going to be self serve.  We find that the smaller bars are giving great service nut the large venues are nit.  We are not expecting the carnival of 18 months ago but they have a much BIGGER learning curve then I expected.  The new coffee machines are simply plain annoying as most are not operational so you are always looking for one that is green.  The elevators now seem to cancel out the floors picked if more then 4 selections designed I hear to resolve kids pushing multi floors as a game.

[tallnthensome]

Thanks for the updates. Some rust is to be expected . I was worried about COVID outbreaks when you said challenges in your thread title. Whew ….

[firefly333]

I think all of the first restart cruises have said similar. In the beginning people said the steak and Mdr took 2 1/2 hours but seems to have I proved. So dinner has been slow but improving as the crew learning curve improves. Others had good service in the casino. Sounds like yours is worse than usual and they needed more cocktail servers.

 

We all need to pack our patience. 

[HillBilly Bob]

With all the current electronic technology aboard the ships, I am stunned that the servers don't have a iPad order taker pads  to send their orders to the closest bar.   The MDR waitstaff were still using little note pads with pencil to write down orders a year ago. 

 

If you want a cocktail at dinner, you need to wait until the "drink waitperson" comes around....if you ever get to see one.  They are in abundance after dinner selling "shots".   Using current pads, they could take a drink order, send your appetizer order to the kitchen and send your entrée to the main kitchen line.  Desserts could also be ordered and timed to be delivered at the proper time.   

[lobster1313]

On the 7/10 Horizon sailing we had issues in the Steakhouse but the MDR was excellent. 

[BlerkOne]

This is typical. Every day things should get a little better. On our recent Horizon cruise I talked with some who had been on the first, and they said the first night was a cluster, but everyday things got better.

 

As for casino drinks, I found it cheaper and faster to go buy my own and take a break from losing. A lot less frustrating, too.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Thanks for the update - no doubt that can be frustrating (2 drinks during a 4 hour casino visit... yikes)!

 

Perhaps you could answer a question or two of mine, when you get a chance, since you're trying some specialty dining:

 

Photo/info request:

 

> Wine list from both the Steakhouse and Rudi's.

 

> Does Rudi's also offer a 50% discount on bottles of wine the first and second evenings (similar to the Steakhouse)?

 

THANKS

[BlerkOne]

5 minutes ago, HillBilly Bob said:

With all the current electronic technology aboard the ships, I am stunned that the servers don't have a iPad order taker pads  to send their orders to the closest bar.   The MDR waitstaff were still using little note pads with pencil to write down orders a year ago. 

 

If you want a cocktail at dinner, you need to wait until the "drink waitperson" comes around....if you ever get to see one.  They are in abundance after dinner selling "shots".   Using current pads, they could take a drink order, send your appetizer order to the kitchen and send your entrée to the main kitchen line.  Desserts could also be ordered and timed to be delivered at the proper time.   

On our Horizon cruise I would give drink requests to the waiter and he took care of getting the waiter. Not once did I see any selling shots. Dessert orders are now taken with the meal orders - there isn't a separate dessert menu.

[ScottsSweetie]

8 minutes ago, HillBilly Bob said:

With all the current electronic technology aboard the ships, I am stunned that the servers don't have a iPad order taker pads  to send their orders to the closest bar.   The MDR waitstaff were still using little note pads with pencil to write down orders a year ago. 

 

If you want a cocktail at dinner, you need to wait until the "drink waitperson" comes around....if you ever get to see one.  They are in abundance after dinner selling "shots".   Using current pads, they could take a drink order, send your appetizer order to the kitchen and send your entrée to the main kitchen line.  Desserts could also be ordered and timed to be delivered at the proper time.   

We had noticed this on our last couple of cruises (and we last cruised Carnival in 2017). I think our routine will include a visit to the steakhouse bar (where I've been told they have a better selection of wine) before dinner so that we arrive with our wine.

[BrotherCraig]

I spend a few hours in the casino every night on a cruise and not once seen a server in all of my cruises other than on Royal.  lol  Doh!

 

Thanks for the review.  Figured it would be that way for the first couple of weeks.

Edited August 2, 2021 by BrotherCraig

[EngIceDave]

Let's keep in mind, this isn't a restart, this is a flat out new crew and ship.

 

You are the first paying customers, you're the test run, you think it'd flawless?

[BrotherCraig]

2 minutes ago, EngIceDave said:

Let's keep in mind, this isn't a restart, this is a flat out new crew and ship.

 

You are the first paying customers, you're the test run, you think it'd flawless?

 

The OP clearly stated that they didn't believe it would be flawless.  😉  

[ScottsSweetie]

1 minute ago, EngIceDave said:

Let's keep in mind, this isn't a restart, this is a flat out new crew and ship.

 

You are the first paying customers, you're the test run, you think it'd flawless?

I don't think expecting more than 2 drinks in 4 hours is unrealistic, even for a new ship and crew.

[sailingships]

1 hour ago, Oldsweets said:

 kids pushing multi floors as a game.

Kids always do that. Especially in hotels with lots of floors.

[quattrohead]

What wait ??? A brand new ship with all the latest tech and they are still using pen and paper to take food and drinks orders ? Even the smallest mum and pop shop usually have the Square POS systems now with tablets for the waiters. Sad.

[BlerkOne]

2 hours ago, quattrohead said:

What wait ??? A brand new ship with all the latest tech and they are still using pen and paper to take food and drinks orders ? Even the smallest mum and pop shop usually have the Square POS systems now with tablets for the waiters. Sad.

 

Does Royal? NCL is trying, letting passengers input their own orders. Hell, passengers can't even operate the elevators and NCL thinks they can input their own orders? But it would let Carnival save on staff. Passengers can put in their own orders and then pick up their own food. You would still have to tip the computer, of course.

[Don Kehote]

Ahh, I'm glad to see that we're putting the critic back in cruise critic.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

14 minutes ago, Don Kehote said:

Ahh, I'm glad to see that we're putting the critic back in cruise critic.

 

I'd rather read about "challenges" onboard than devolve into a deleted vax or smoking threads !!  

 

🙂

 

Tom

[ngrund]

3 hours ago, Oldsweets said:

We are aboard and will start by saying the crew is working hard, they are trying, and they are happy to have guests aboard.  This start up is clearly not a smooth as Horizons first cruise with a number of challenges almost all the result of just starting, major changes put in place by carnival, or maybe poor planning or simply bad luck.  Bar servers in many locations is slow at best with the casino clearly bogged down and your will be lucky to see a servers every 45 minutes and once your order is taken it’s so long before they return you simply believe they are nit returning.  Part of thus seems to be a problem of congestion at the bar setup and some the shear size of the casino.  The tables and slots are clearly full and carnival is clearly not ready for thus much business.   We are seeing that in a 4 hour casino visit you we will lbe able to get 2 drinks using our drinks on us card.  The servers are clearly rusty as they often will visit a table and ask just a couple guests for orders and run off instead of taking The Who tables order.  The Specalty Restaurants are no better as the staff simply don’t know the drink or dinner menu and simply avoid asking about any desire for a drink which I can only assume I’s because they are overwhelmed by taking dinner orders.  So far at 2 specialty restaurants  for 2 nights of dinners we have had very long waits before our order is taken [35 min last night] and attempted to order a glass of wine and told they didn’t have it and hustled off.   We went to the restaurants bar and order the very same wine 3 times during dinner so right now I would say bar service is going to be self serve.  We find that the smaller bars are giving great service nut the large venues are nit.  We are not expecting the carnival of 18 months ago but they have a much BIGGER learning curve then I expected.  The new coffee machines are simply plain annoying as most are not operational so you are always looking for one that is green.  The elevators now seem to cancel out the floors picked if more then 4 selections designed I hear to resolve kids pushing multi floors as a game.

 

I'm just curious with the drink service in the casino-

 

Was this in the smoking or non-smoking casino? At a table or at a slot machine?

 

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Carnival "Drinks on Us" --- (if you can find us)

 

LOL

 

You almost have to figure, with all the casino bookings they've made of late - that keeping a large contingent of bar waiters roaming in the casino might not be the best idea for them!

 

Tom

[lazydayz]

2 minutes ago, ngrund said:

 

I'm just curious with the drink service in the casino-

 

Was this in the smoking or non-smoking casino? At a table or at a slot machine?

 

 

It was the same issue on our Horizon cruise, July 10 to 18.  Casino was packed, both smoking and non-smoking.  There were too few servers, and those who were there were overwhelmed.  Case in point, I ordered a beer from server 1, who delivered that to me AFTER I ordered and received my drink from server 2.  Since I had free drinks everywhere, I just started walking to the sports bar located next to the casino and getting my own drinks.  But I felt for those who only had free drinks in the casino. 

[WhaleTailFlCruiser]

The very first sailing on a brand new ship coming out of a shutdown? 
 

Obviously things are not going to be remotely close to where they were before the shut down, If you are in such a rush for a drink just walk up to one of the million bars on that ship lol.

[skrufy]

3 hours ago, EngIceDave said:

Let's keep in mind, this isn't a restart, this is a flat out new crew and ship.

 

You are the first paying customers, you're the test run, you think it'd flawless?

Sorry to hear about all the troubles the ship is having. Just to be aboard a brand new ship has to be amazing. The word I have for you all is, your the Carnival Guinnea  pigs for the week.

[RedBeard78]

2 hours ago, quattrohead said:

What wait ??? A brand new ship with all the latest tech and they are still using pen and paper to take food and drinks orders ? Even the smallest mum and pop shop usually have the Square POS systems now with tablets for the waiters. Sad.

 

You guys are being pretty harsh.   You can only test systems so much before go live.  One thing I've learned in 22+ years of IT implementation, you are going to have problems with new places that first week/month.  Nothing is perfect.  (and to relate the size of the IT area I work for, we project 1 billion in revenue next fiscal year).  $h!t happens.

 

All i know is we are on the boat on August 14th, we'll tip slow service staff and be pleasant.  They have struggled much harder than most of us over the last 12-16 months.

[Cruise Related]

9 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

Carnival "Drinks on Us" --- (if you can find us)

 

LOL

 

You almost have to figure, with all the casino bookings they've made of late - that keeping a large contingent of bar waiters roaming in the casino might not be the best idea for them!

 

Tom

They should let ya do it similar to ordering the food delivery. Select your location, take a pic, bam done. However, whatever it’s worth, when I spent my 30.00 bucks in the casino I had two drinks and it lasted all of like 45min. So, 2 drinks in 45min for me on the Horizon. Then I bailed cause I fail at gambling.