Requesting a certain dining room server

[JanetRose]

on next cruise...has anyone ever done so and how can we go about it?

Thank you!

 

[cwis]

on next cruise...has anyone ever done so and how can we go about it?

Thank you!

You can write upfront a request to DCL. When you embark, go to the Dining desk to confirm. Remember crew change so obviously no requests is guaranteed. In fact we're on the Disney Dream at the moment, made a request for our waitress, and it has been granted, we're very happy about it!

One last thing, if your request is granted, consider writing up the name of your server on the comments card when you disembark. If they are worth remembering that you request them, they are certainly worth mentioning, and it always help due to the broken system DCL is using to “rate” their crew.

 

[bobbiwoz]

on next cruise...has anyone ever done so and how can we go about it?

Thank you!

I have requested though our travel agent as well.

 

[Saratoga2005]

I have requested though our travel agent as well.

+1 we have too. Of course there is no guarantee, but it's nice to know who you are getting.

 

[DynamicDisneyDuo]

Make sure to provide as much information as you can regarding the server you are requesting as there can be multiple people with the same name, possibly even from the same country..

If you have a picture you took on a previous cruise with the server, bring that with you on your phone when you go to dining changes.

We recently went to request a server but were told that a name and country didn't narrow it down due to the above. Luckily DW never deletes photos on her phone so we were able to find one of the server we wanted.

 

[cvjw]

I just send an email to DCL to request our favorite server. We have been lucky to have him 5 or 6 times. Some cruises he is on vacation and they assign us someone else. Have had some fabulous servers that way too.

 

[auntlynne]

If you want to know names, take a photo of the gratuities sheet you get at the end of the cruise (or just keep it; they aren’t necessary to be submitted, unless you drop your tips envelopes in the box on the way out, like in the past.).

 

[cwis]

Make sure to provide as much information as you can regarding the server you are requesting as there can be multiple people with the same name, possibly even from the same country..

Funny, that's something I always wondered, are all the names of each of the wait staff unique across the line, or only for each ship.
Somehow it would make sense if Disney would consider all MDRs to be one location only.

 

[Dug720]

If you want to know names, take a photo of the gratuities sheet you get at the end of the cruise (or just keep it; they aren’t necessary to be submitted, unless you drop your tips envelopes in the box on the way out, like in the past.).

This! That gives you first and last name...and I think country. But even if it doesn't give you country, if it's a server you've had and liked enough to request, I'd think you'd remember country.

Funny, that's something I always wondered, are all the names of each of the wait staff unique across the line, or only for each ship.
Somehow it would make sense if Disney would consider all MDRs to be one location only.

Given that all servers rotate through all the MDRs with you, how would "location pinning" do any good?

 

[cwis]

Given that all servers rotate through all the MDRs with you, how would "location pinning" do any good?

That's the point, precisely. Are there any two servers with the same nametag?

 

[Dug720]

That's the point, precisely. Are there any two servers with the same nametag?

But if they are rotating through 3 MDRs, saying "Imade in Animator's Palate" won't do any good if/when there is another Imade who is a server. They certainly aren't going to say "Sorry, we already have a Imade working for us so even though you're very qualified we can't hire you."

Have you noticed how many people are named Imade on ships? A lot.

Just keep or take a picture of the tip sheet so you have all the pertinent information. I('d only request servers I had actually had before - I've seen table encounters close by where a server had been requested and had literally never had the group before - they'd gotten the server's name from someone online, which I guess is ok, but it was super awkward with the server asking where he had served them before - and then it turned out that whatever he was great at for the person online was not what was most important to the people sitting there. AWKWARD.)

And understand that they could be on vacation, could have moved to another position on the ship, transferred ships, or left the company and therefore aren't available.

 

[cwis]

They certainly aren't going to say "Sorry, we already have a Imade working for us so even though you're very qualified we can't hire you."

The first name on a name tag is unique per location, so that everyone can be identified. It's not about the wait staff rotating from AP to RP, it's about someone reporting a server named Joe and there are two, who is who.

My question was not, can we have two Joes on same ship, but more can we have one on the Disney Dream and one on the Disney Fantasy.

 

[mikeuno]

Very good to know; thanks all

 

[foolish-mortal]

I wonder about this every cruise. We really prefer the understated servers. Not into the ones that are "over the top". We prefer ones that are light with the riddles and jokes, magic tricks, and checking in to see if it's excellent every 5 minutes. We enjoy getting to know them but sometimes the interactions feel forced and are just too much. So I always consider asking for a recommendation before my upcoming trip. But I also like to see who I'll get since the next one might be my favorite ever.

With that being said - are there servers on the Fantasy that fit the description above? Less is more servers??

 

[scoobysgirl]

on next cruise...has anyone ever done so and how can we go about it?

Thank you!

When we had our B2B in November, at the end of the 1st cruise the Head Waiter came to our table and asked us if we wanted to stay with our servers from the 1st cruise for our 2nd. We unanimously said Yes! and they were with us for the 2nd cruise, making us very happy! They were great!

 

[dcassetta]

We have a server we like to request also. He told me that even if he is not onboard, just requesting him goes into his file.

 

[csgrkw]

on next cruise...has anyone ever done so and how can we go about it?

Thank you!

There's already been some great responses, so while my comment isn't a direct answer to your question, I did want to point out that if you have multiple specialty dining opportunities such as Palo's or Remy's during a single cruise or over multiple cruises, you can also request your server from that experience.

We've experienced both as we dined at Palo's on board the Fantasy about a decade ago for brunch and had an amazing server Corinne and requested her again for a dinner later that same week. Then on our next cruise on the Dream, we discovered she was onboard serving in Palo's and were able to request her again!

While the food at Palo's is amazing, the experience just simply isn't the same without a great server!

 

[Dug720]

The first name on a name tag is unique per location, so that everyone can be identified. It's not about the wait staff rotating from AP to RP, it's about someone reporting a server named Joe and there are two, who is who.

My question was not, can we have two Joes on same ship, but more can we have one on the Disney Dream and one on the Disney Fantasy.

Yes. And they could switch.So you might ask for "Joe on the Dream" when you go back to the Dream - but guess what, Joe from the Dream and Joe from the Fantasy switched ships. So you get Joe and are like "Who the heck are you??"

I've honestly never seen only one of each nametag per MDR. Again, that would be tough to do with common names. It would be super confusing for multiple people to be using fake names.

eta - Just confirmed with someone who knows. NO, there is no such thing as only one per name per location. There can be multiple servers with the same name. Hence the importance of the last name.

 

[cwis]

eta - Just confirmed with someone who knows. NO, there is no such thing as only one per name per location. There can be multiple servers with the same name. Hence the importance of the last name.

Interesting, thanks for checking with “someone who knows.” As I said I wasn't sure the rule was being applied at DCL.

 

[Dug720]

Interesting, thanks for checking with “someone who knows.” As I said I wasn't sure the rule was being applied at DCL.

Nope. No rule. There could be an entire dining room of servers with the same first name if that were to be who was most qualified.