Drinks at Dinner

[57eric]

Last I knew, Princess has neither bar waiters nor sommeliers in the MDRs and getting drinks can be a chore.  I assume that the #1 way around this is to sit at the same table each night and the #2 way is to order something as soon as you've been seated.

 

Beyond that, I'm looking for advice.  Is it easier to get beer and wine than cocktails?  Does Ocean Now work in the dining rooms?  (I'm thinking not.)  Any advice is appreciated.

 

I'm guessing that this is not an issue in the specialty restaurants.

[voljeep]

All I need is a double roadie from Vines and I'm good ... until I can order in the mdr

[nini]

As @voljeep has stated. This works the best: We order and get our beverages elsewhere before going into the dining room.

[Rick&Jeannie]

We've never had issues getting drinks in the MDR. That's usually the first thing that the waiter asks when they come to your table. 

[57eric]

Dinner can easily run an hour and a half.  I know many of you will be shocked, even scandalized, but I might want

more

than

one

drink.

This is where I understand significant delays occur.  OK, I can plan ahead and anticipate a delay, but if anyone has an idea to expedite a drink later in the meal, or answers to the other questions in my original post, I would be grateful.

[chrysalis]

never had an issue....and they do have Sommeliers now...

[jennybenny]

19 minutes ago, 57eric said:

Dinner can easily run an hour and a half.  I know many of you will be shocked, even scandalized, but I might want

more

than

one

drink.

This is where I understand significant delays occur.  OK, I can plan ahead and anticipate a delay, but if anyone has an idea to expedite a drink later in the meal, or answers to the other questions in my original post, I would be grateful.

Oh, I get it. What @voljeep recommends is what is best, take a drink into the MDR, and then when you are seated, order your drink from the waiter. Hopefully it's not something that will water down. THAT is how you don't go thirsty (alcohol wise) 😁

 

We have noticed drink service is slow in the MDR, but that's because your waiter/asst waiter are managing food and drinks for their area. It's a lot

Edited January 20 by jennybenny

[Lady Arwen]

59 minutes ago, voljeep said:

All I need is a double roadie from Vines and I'm good ... until I can order in the mdr

Same!  I enjoy a glass of Whispering Angel at the bar.  DH has a Scotch.   Ask for two glasses of wine, Whispering Angel for me and some red stuff for DH, to go.    Take it to the dining room and order another wine for each of us right away.  Works perfectly for us and doesn’t overload our server.

[Thrak]

We have had no issue getting a glass of wine when we first sit down in MDR. Likewise they have asked us if we would like another when our glasses get low. If we say we want one it comes in a timely manner. After dinner drinks - I sometimes order one instead of dessert - also come quickly.

 

Before the shutdown and subsequent restart we used to experience delays getting served drinks in MDR. Since the restart we have had zero issues. We are always approached soon after seating and asked about wine or other drinks. Like others, we often take a glass from Vines but not always.

Edited January 20 by Thrak

[Tonsoffun44]

1 hour ago, 57eric said:

  Is it easier to get beer and wine than cocktails?  Does Ocean Now work in the dining rooms?  (I'm thinking not.)  Any advice is appreciated.

 

I'm guessing that this is not an issue in the specialty restaurants.

Limited experience but for our group wine/beer did come A LOT faster than cocktails.  Yes order as soon as seated for cocktails. 

Found sitting at same table + ordering the same drinks every night made it a little faster. Waiting for table to get food Then order next drink worked well - some trying to order more drinks (regardless of type) at the same time food was brought out slowed drinks/food being delivered.
 

[Rick&Jeannie]

1 hour ago, 57eric said:

Dinner can easily run an hour and a half.  I know many of you will be shocked, even scandalized, but I might want

more

than

one

drink.

This is where I understand significant delays occur.  OK, I can plan ahead and anticipate a delay, but if anyone has an idea to expedite a drink later in the meal, or answers to the other questions in my original post, I would be grateful.

Sadly, you apparently have not had a good wait staff, giving you the impression that it is very difficult to get drinks in the MDR.  As you can see from most replies...that is not the usual circumstance. 

[Rick&Jeannie]

On a few occasions I have simply asked for 2 drinks to be served...never an issue doing that. 

[cjpj]

1 hour ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

On a few occasions I have simply asked for 2 drinks to be served...never an issue doing that. 

I do the same. I'll order two glasses of wine. If you're server team is good, they'll only bring one to the table at a time. If not, you'll get them both at the same time. Service has been so slow on our Last few cruises, even if you ask for a second glass long before being done your first, you may be wineless for awhile. And don't get me started about a drink with dessert. Always well done my dessert before any concoction arrived.

[dreaminofcruisin]

18 minutes ago, cjpj said:

I do the same. I'll order two glasses of wine. If you're server team is good, they'll only bring one to the table at a time. If not, you'll get them both at the same time. Service has been so slow on our Last few cruises, even if you ask for a second glass long before being done your first, you may be wineless for awhile. And don't get me started about a drink with dessert. Always well done my dessert before any concoction arrived.

 

You can also now order a 'double' Wine...basically a large glass.....

[Thrak]

1 hour ago, cjpj said:

And don't get me started about a drink with dessert. Always well done my dessert before any concoction arrived.

 

Weird. On our recent cruises I rarely ordered dessert but a number of times I asked for a Drambuie instead. It always came at the same time as the other people's desserts.

[Auntiejo]

5 hours ago, nini said:

As @voljeep has stated. This works the best: We order and get our beverages elsewhere before going into the dining room.

This is our gameplan as well. In addition to drinks taking like 15 minutes after being seated to order, it's another 20 min to arrive in the MDR and they're usually not that great and forget trying to order anything beyond an ordinary bar drink.

[Thrak]

56 minutes ago, Auntiejo said:

This is our gameplan as well. In addition to drinks taking like 15 minutes after being seated to order, it's another 20 min to arrive in the MDR and they're usually not that great and forget trying to order anything beyond an ordinary bar drink.

 

As I tend to order whiskey, straight up, I don't have an issue with the quality of the drinks in MDR.

[cjpj]

1 hour ago, Thrak said:

 

As I tend to order whiskey, straight up, I don't have an issue with the quality of the drinks in MDR.

My husband only drinks single malt peaty Scotch. Which usually only 0ne or two bars on the ship have. So forget getting that in the dining g room or anywhere else on the ship. We always stop by whatever bar has his favorite in stock before dinner. And yes, I have ordered a double wine. Again, usually, it comes in a large glass, but I've had some bring it in 2 glasses. Go figure.

[Nina On The Sea]

4 hours ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

On a few occasions I have simply asked for 2 drinks to be served...never an issue doing that. 

This is brilliant!  LOL 

It never occurred to me to ask for 2 drinks at the same time.

I like the idea of a "double wine" as well 🙂

[57eric]

Thanks for all the responses.  Ordering two drinks at once doesn't work well for me as by the time I have finished the first one the ice in my other scotch and cranberry will have melted.

[t&atravel]

5 minutes ago, 57eric said:

Thanks for all the responses.  Ordering two drinks at once doesn't work well for me as by the time I have finished the first one the ice in my other scotch and cranberry will have melted.

@57eric   Ask for ice in a different glass.

[Thrak]

33 minutes ago, 57eric said:

Thanks for all the responses.  Ordering two drinks at once doesn't work well for me as by the time I have finished the first one the ice in my other scotch and cranberry will have melted.

 

GAH!!! Philistine!!!

I told all the bartenders on our recent Grand Princess cruise(s) that, "Only Barbarians put ice in Whisky!" Ice is bad enough but "Cranberry?????"

[Thrak]

54 minutes ago, cjpj said:

My husband only drinks single malt peaty Scotch. Which usually only 0ne or two bars on the ship have. So forget getting that in the dining g room or anywhere else on the ship. We always stop by whatever bar has his favorite in stock before dinner. And yes, I have ordered a double wine. Again, usually, it comes in a large glass, but I've had some bring it in 2 glasses. Go figure.

 

Hmmm... The main "peaty" Scotch I've seen is the Talisker 10. I drank that almost exclusively on a 28 day cruise. My wife can't stand the smell of the stuff. If he drinks a different peaty Scotch perhaps it's a more expensive brand. I tend to drink the 10 - 15 year old Single Malts (the ones that fit in the Plus package) and, of those, Talisker is the only one I would really describe as "peaty" and, yes, it's usually only found in one or two bars on the ship. If he drinks a more expensive brand I salute him.

[cjpj]

9 hours ago, Thrak said:

 

Hmmm... The main "peaty" Scotch I've seen is the Talisker 10. I drank that almost exclusively on a 28 day cruise. My wife can't stand the smell of the stuff. If he drinks a different peaty Scotch perhaps it's a more expensive brand. I tend to drink the 10 - 15 year old Single Malts (the ones that fit in the Plus package) and, of those, Talisker is the only one I would really describe as "peaty" and, yes, it's usually only found in one or two bars on the ship. If he drinks a more expensive brand I salute him.

Dalwhinnie and Glen Deveron are two other peaty Scotches they usually have. They are in the Plus package. They used to have Laglavulin (my fav), but I haven't seen that for years. On our last cruise, the Crooners bartenders knew my husband as Mr. Dalwhinnie.

[57eric]

10 hours ago, Thrak said:

 

GAH!!! Philistine!!!

I told all the bartenders on our recent Grand Princess cruise(s) that, "Only Barbarians put ice in Whisky!" Ice is bad enough but "Cranberry?????"

If we ever meet up, the first round of Jägermeister and Fresca is on me.