Back from Glory, Cut backs?????

[Sooz]

Just got back from the Glory. Seemed like Carnival has cut back on the number of crew members. Maybe it is just this ship but the service was no where near what we have gotten on the Triumph. And after speaking to other cruisers, we were not the only ones who felt this way. I will write a review later but a few things we experienced were only 2 bar waiters on the lido deck for each side, hard to get a drink. Poor service in the dining room, we were a table of 4 and 3 got salad one had to wait 20 minutes to get their salad. Cold food, missing silverware. Asked 3 times for butter for baked potatoe and never got it till we asked the maite'd. It wasnt just one or two things ,it was an ongoing problem the entire cruise. The staff was not as friendly as we are use to either. We had a good time but the service was way below par from other cruises. Perhaps the increase in fuel costs have caused cut backs but something is up....

[RWolver672]

"only 2 bar waiters on the lido deck for each side, hard to get a drink"

 

We noticed on the Conquest that if you are drinking fairly regularly on the Lido deck, you were waited on all the time. If you turned them down a few times, they seemed to stay away from you. They know they get their 15% from the ones drinking so they seem to stick closer to them.

[JB007]

We will be on Glory Dec 11 hope service has improved? The new automatic tips will hurt service on every ship that does it. carnival made a mistake doing that waiter etc will only cater to people who drink alot and or tip them more on the side.

[myangel]

I was on the Glory in September, and I experienced a far different level of service.We had very attentive, friendly, service throughout the ship. We never saw our room steward, but he kept it neat and clean 2 times a day, there were always those towel animals, mints, and he kept refilling the sample basket in the bathroom. Maybe a diffeent crew is on now?

[GoinCruisin]

We will be on Glory Dec 11 hope service has improved? The new automatic tips will hurt service on every ship that does it. carnival made a mistake doing that waiter etc will only cater to people who drink alot and or tip them more on the side.

Hmmm, sounds similar to the way a bar works ANYWHERE :D Servers know they are going to make more money on those that drink alot (because most people tip regardless, if it wasn't auto applied, people that indulge know to tip their waiters well so they will get better service) doesn't matter if you are on a ship or in a bar, they know where their bread is buttered. If you continue to turn them down when they walk around, eventually they will stop coming by... We have not had any trouble getting drinks, then again, our group always orders drinks when the waiter comes by, no matter how frequently they come by... some times all it takes is "flagging" them down, but it may just be quicker to walk over to the bar and grab a drink.... just MHO :D We have always had excellent service, but tip above and beyond and it's worth it.

[steveaaaa]

We will be on Glory Dec 11 hope service has improved? The new automatic tips will hurt service on every ship that does it. carnival made a mistake doing that waiter etc will only cater to people who drink alot and or tip them more on the side.

This is why they should not auto add 15%.There should be a line where you write a tip amount in.

Better service = better tip, not 15% regardless of how slow or poor your service is.

Steve

[Sooz]

They had no way to know if we were drinkers or not... Perhaps if they had served us they would have found out that we do drink. My bar bill alone was 284.00 and would have been more if we could have gotten service. . And that does not include 2 bottles of wine and a bottle of Korbel we had in the dining room. It appeared to us that there were fewer waiters on the Lido deck. And definatly fewer than were on the Triumph. The service in this area was poor. Three of the days I had the drink of the day and no one ever came back to see if I would like another one. I went to the bar at one point and tryed to get service and that failed as well so we went to the bar in the lobby to get drinks. There was a bar maid in the Amber show lounge who was great and she always remembered what we liked and also made drink suggestions and we tryed a few new drinks. (kiss on the lips, Mango Tango and some peach drink.) ANd more important than that is the fact that she was there and asked us if we wanted anything to drink. You cant make the tips if you dont ask the people if they would like a drink. I think the lack of service was due to the few number of waiters. How can you get to all the people with that few waiters. I BLAME CARNIVAL NOT THE SERVERS. There was not enough staff on this ship. Just MHO.

[sea_u_onboard]

I don't think the auto tip as anything to do with it - it's been around for a while now. JMHO

[roscoesdream]

I have only noticed this with caben stewards as the last 2 cruises we had less service there. We talked to a cabin steward as he said his # of cabins had increased by about 10 cabins the last year. He said longer hours and only about 2 trips to each cabin a day now (down from 3-4) but more tips ( due to more cabins) so he was making a little more money. (said some of his tips went to other people now??????) he would not say who. The cruise experience is changing a lot worse service, but cheaper fares. It depends on what you want. I do feel that some $$$$$ up front to cabin steward and waiter does help a lot. I have done that and every time but once I got better service than others I talked to on the ship. That 1 time I cut my auto tip by the amount of the tip up front. :o

[GoinCruisin]

said some of his tips went to other people now??????) he would not say who.

The S&S tips are pooled and then distributed, that is probably what he meant...he also has to pay his helper (most of the assistants make $800/mo, and the main steward pays that to the asst)... any tip on top of the S&S tip, given to them, they get to keep and it does not go to the pool... I agree, I tip upfront (people can call it a bribe, sure, and I don't care, it's worth it to me :D ) and have gotten excellent service from dining staff and stewards...

[storm'n norman]

Reason could be that many of the "Conquest class" (Glory) crew have / are "on the move" to the Valor.........which is about to be launched!

 

Same design / services...........different ship!!!

 

Sorry........it was not as great as "our" Triumph cruise back in May 2004!!!

[HappyCampers3]

If they are on the move to the Valor from the Glory, does it mean that over time (and hopefully soon) that those moving will be replaced and they will get back to being fully staffed?

[basketballmom]

Hope they get better by time we cruise next summer! Actually, I don't care as I will be on a cruise and having fun no matter how bad the service is!

[iluvdoxies]

Sorry to hear your service wasn't great----we sailed on the Glory 11/13 and had awesome service (except for our wait staff team in dining room)

It was our 3rd time on the Glory and we saw a lot of bartenders that remembered us and ours names and what we like to drink! We never wanted for a drink anywhere on the ship- even the Lido deck.

About the dining room- we got stuck with a table for 2- our waiter was more interested in taking care of the 2 tables for 8 which were right behind us-- our app. never came out at the same time----after about 3 night- my husband spoke to the maitre'd and things improved some-

 

A lot of the crew was getting off when we did on the 20th--but they still have to have replacements--I have noticed there are fewer Lido bartenders "on duty" in the winter months than in the summer also----

Also our room steward was awesome-----

Hope your next cruise is better!

[tef43]

The new automatic tips will hurt service

Huh? :confused:

 

This is far from being "new." The 15% has been added to the bar tab since the very beginning of cashless cruising. For me, that would have been 1985 aboard the old NCL Skyward. Prior to that it was the old "pay as you go" method.

[JB007]

Your right reference to the bars but not in the dining rooms or with cabin stewards on carnival or RCL thats only been in the last two years or less.

[cruztime]

We were on the Glory 10/30 and had fabulous service. I always go to the bar to get drinks so I can't speak for the guys and girls walking around but they were definitely there. I always make it a point to introduce myself to the bartenders and chat awhile when they're not busy. I really enjoy hearing about where they live and such. Pieter from Transylvania was an awesome bar tender and my wife swears by his Cosmos. I also tip them in the beginning. You'd be amazed how far $10 goes. We always take wine to dinner and I tip the waiter and his assistant on the first night. Do that and be friendly and you will always get good service. Our waiter Linton and his assistant Sergei were great. Anything we wanted was there in a flash. They work really hard and long hours. They really appreciate a smiling face and a couple of bucks in their pocket. If I'm dropping a couple of grand on a cruise, what's a few extra for tips up front.