MDR and drinks question.

[Kiwifan56]

Hi all, it has been some time since we have been aboard a HAL cruise ship (2018 😭) and were wondering post Covid times how drink ordering was going in the MDR? In the past we have either ordered a HAL wine package or have taken our own wine on and paid the corkage fee. This upcoming cruise we have the HIA Signature drinks package but wondered if anyone could advise on wait times from ordering to receiving said drink. Appreciate different ships different staff.

 

We are not big drinkers and certainly won’t get through the 15 drinks a day but do like a wee wine with our meals and have had a small delay in the past when asking for our wine to come to the table. 😏

 

Kind regards, Russell. 

[julia]

With the HIA, it's very nice to have a pre-dinner drink in your favorite bar or lounge.  After which, you may order a nice glass of wine to take with you to the dining room.  Sit, sip, peruse menu, sip some more, and perhaps order another glass to go with whatever you've just decided on for dinner.  Very easy.

[CruiserBruce]

We are not having any problems getting drinks in the MDR on Statendam right now.

[ajcruiser]

10 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

We are not having any problems getting drinks in the MDR on Statendam right now.

Agree with CruiserBruce.  We were on Statendam also and the wait staff took drink orders with your room card.  They had set up areas near their stations were they could pick up drinks.  Enjoyed the HIA package.

[luvteaching]

Just off the Westerdam. Ordered a glass of wine nightly and it arrived within 5 minutes or so. Very prompt service. 

[aa7yy]

I am a week person, I pick up a glass of wine on the way in.

[SDARCH]

Last two cruises ...Nov 2021 and Jan 2022, both on K-dam, best bet was to just leave the dinner table and find the nearest bar

[papadave]

Having read a lot on message boards, I can summarize what people are saying.   It depends on the ship.  Overall, when cruising returned staffing levels have been lower and beverage service in main dining rooms is typically being handled by the waitstaff instead of a dedicated beverage person, such as a wine steward.   Sometimes this is wonderful, efficient and better than before.   Other times, you are better off picking up a drink at a bar on the way in.    

 

As someone who will look at a menu before deciding on what to drink with dinner, I typically order at the table and hope that service is good, but I am not above leaving a dining room if the nearest bar is convenient.   It might appear rude, but if you prefer to have your drink with your meal and not as a separate course (I hate sitting with food in front of me and waiting for the drink to accompany it), that is often the better option.  If you are asked by your waiter or someone above the waiter, just be honest.   They need to recognize when there is a gap.   If they are shortstaffed, it would be unfair to blame anyone, but you need not ruin your own experience either.

[Kiwifan56]

Hi folks, thank you so much for your replies. As there have been so many great tips I reckon we will just wing it and take a glass in and hope for the best during our meal. As business owners we appreciate that the labour market is not what it was pre Covid so would never make a scene for slow service. Once again, thanks everyone. 🍷

[tuolumne couple]

if you have fixed dining, you can tell your server you wish to have a drink order before your meal order so that they get there at the same time. if you like wine, also tell them you want the cheese and cracker plate on the table for when you sit down to go with your wine. they will do this every night and will learn your preferences. they are great that way. As others said, you can also take your wine to dinner too. everyone is there to help you and make your journey a great one. we hope your journey is a great one as well. 

[jjfarns]

We were on the Eurodam last week and found the drink service in the MDR to be quick and efficient. That’s said, the service at most of the other bars was slow, even when they were not crowded. The exception being the Pinnacle lounge.