Unpopular Opinion?

[RobbieD]

I’ve raised this to a few people and opinions are mixed - just on a 7 nighter Anthem cruise and we’ve already had two nights in the MDR where the staff do their appreciation parade and announcements. It stops the evening dead. Service grinds to a halt, and it’s usually before dessert has been served, so it takes a few minutes to wind things back up again. I am aware by some reactions during the event that people really love it, but do we really need two or (I fear again tonight) a third? I appreciate the staff and display it through additional gratuities, but I think I’d rather see this tradition come to an end. 

[benc42793]

Lol I was on Anthem for the Christmas cruise and they did this every night I was there. The last two nights they did the appreciation announcements, 30,000 meals and so on. I didn't think it was a big deal but I can see where you're coming from. I thought it was odd that they were doing this every night as I don't recall in the past them doing it all the time. They made me do the chicken dance the last night which was whatever

[loki007]

we only had 1 on the second last night on our recent odeyssey cruise. I agree with you, any more than 1 is a little excessive. 

[Shanethegriff]

One on the last night is plenty.

[Mary Sue]

One and done for us.

 

[barjpoe]

Same here. I've seen people try and leave before or even during.

[tonyfsu21]

5 hours ago, RobbieD said:

I’ve raised this to a few people and opinions are mixed - just on a 7 nighter Anthem cruise and we’ve already had two nights in the MDR where the staff do their appreciation parade and announcements. It stops the evening dead. Service grinds to a halt, and it’s usually before dessert has been served, so it takes a few minutes to wind things back up again. I am aware by some reactions during the event that people really love it, but do we really need two or (I fear again tonight) a third? I appreciate the staff and display it through additional gratuities, but I think I’d rather see this tradition come to an end. 

+1. Enough with the nonsense and allow the staff to focus on the service. I can’t imagine the staff is thrilled to grind the MDR delicate dance to a halt and perform like this is a circus. 

[Ditchdoc]

Well...for first time cruisers....it is probably fun and exciting. After you have sat thru it several dozen times..... Not so much.

[Pattycruise]

I wouldn’t mind so much if it weren’t NUMEROUS times AND LOUD.  Ever sit under a speaker?  It was so bad on Jewel I had to get up and leave.  Seriously.  I’m noise sensitive for a lot of things.  I watch my  tv with volume set to a 9…I can tolerate up to a 15.  If I were in a dance club I expect loud.  I think there were 4 nights of this “assault” on my 8 night sailing.  Ironically also on Jewel for Greenland-different seating area , it was LOUD and one poor man at our  table would practically run out of the dining room when a hint of celebration was coming.  I felt bad for him, obviously he was way more sensitive to noise than I am.

if I had control over the remote I’d turn it down a few notches, then perhaps I could enjoy it.  Not being able to carry on a conversation because the music is overwhelming is just, well, overwhelming.  I get up and leave

[BrianB]

On the Anthem now. Yes, the nightly parade, dancing and loud music can get annoying when you’ve been there (done that) so many times.

I also understand how some people eat much slower than I do and would rather take their time at dinner…at a slower pace…enjoying the meals and the conversation. So the event slows down their service. I do feel bad for the staff that they have to stop their serving routine and then have to start it up again.

For me, I like to eat quickly and leave so I’m usually done just as the festivities start.

But…I do notice how so many people love it and participate. Especially families. I’m guessing many of them are not frequent cruisers and this is very special for them.

So as long as the guests are participating…and probably mentioning it favorably in their comments on the post-cruise survey…it will likely continue.

[AandD]

18 hours ago, barjpoe said:

Same here. I've seen people try and leave before or even during.

That was us. We didn't try to leave. We left.  We are gone at the hint of loud music or dancing. 

[TXcruzer]

Another reason we no longer eat in the MDR

[Biaggio]

Dinner in the MDR, desert in the Windjammer. Cuts dining time down to do other fun things

[TessFromFlorida]

I am team hate it. Once is enough. 

[Matt]

Agreed, it's an old cruise tradition that can go away IMO.

[twangster]

During this exhibition I also dislike the folks that insist on waving their napkins in the air flinging whatever morsels of food from dinner are on them to all the neighboring tables.  

Please don't.

[smokeybandit]

We always eat in the MDR but never get dessert. We like to get in and get out.

Last cruise the waiter whipped out his guitar just before we were going to leave. We felt bad so we stuck around for his bit (which wasn't overly good), but come on.

And I agree with the others, get rid of the dining room shows. There are other shows on the ship.

Though I'd still find it amusing to see twangster get a sling shot attack by a dropped escargot snail from someone's napkin.

[twangster]

24 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Though I'd still find it amusing to see twangster get a sling shot attack by a dropped escargot snail from someone's napkin.

"Excuse me, there's a snail in my soup. " 

[DJnKy]

Once is MORE than enough. Our waiter was obviously not enjoying participating. 

[CrimsonCruiser]

I don't even get why do it more than one night...

it's a celebration of all that was accomplished on that particular sailing...once toward the end, as a nice send off and big thank you (and a one-and-done way to remind us about the survey at the end) and that's good enough. There's no reason to have it more than one night....

[HeWhoWaits]

IF they feel the need to do it at all, it needs to be consistently on the last night. Then those of use who choose to partake in MDR for dinner can just opt out on that night.

Doing it any other night is just ridiculous and doing it twice would definitely lead me to drop my rating of dining room service at least 3 points lower than it otherwise earned (and the reason will be indicated in my comments). That's right - if you do the stupid song and dance appreciation thing twice, your whole rating goes in the toilet, no matter how great the service was otherwise.

I know some of you will want to tell me "don't penalize the crew members by lowering the rating," but if a message needs to be sent it will be sent.

[AandD]

13 minutes ago, HeWhoWaits said:

IF they feel the need to do it at all, it needs to be consistently on the last night. Then those of use who choose to partake in MDR for dinner can just opt out on that night.

Doing it any other night is just ridiculous and doing it twice would definitely lead me to drop my rating of dining room service at least 3 points lower than it otherwise earned (and the reason will be indicated in my comments). That's right - if you do the stupid song and dance appreciation thing twice, your whole rating goes in the toilet, no matter how great the service was otherwise.

I know some of you will want to tell me "don't penalize the crew members by lowering the rating," but if a message needs to be sent it will be sent.

Yes, let us know the night so we can skip the MDR. And I have made comments after the last 2 cruises. I told them it wasn't about the crew members service but that we wanted a peaceful dinner and conversation with the people around us. 

[happy cruisers 2]

58 minutes ago, CrimsonCruiser said:

I don't even get why do it more than one night...

it's a celebration of all that was accomplished on that particular sailing...once toward the end, as a nice send off and big thank you (and a one-and-done way to remind us about the survey at the end) and that's good enough. There's no reason to have it more than one night....

I could not agree more.  This is exactly how I feel about it.  Once, and that's it.

[DunkelBierJay]

I recently resolved that I will book specialty dining on the last night of my cruises. I thought it was cool on my first couple of cruises, but I started thinking about the napkin waving implications even if I had not yet been hit with a missile. It doesn't get me to pay any more gratuities...A short word of thanks we'll miss you (yeah, sure) from the head waiter and executive chef is enough IMO.