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Review content:
I did not have a problem with the aged look of the boat, the DJ?s playing deafening loud music, my party being seated in a smaller room on the upper deck, learning that the ladies rooms toilets were stopped up, the boat leaving late due to a mechanical problem, the power going out for a bit from that mechanical problem, the pier lighting not functioning and fixed by stringing LED Christmas lights along its length; people tossing their cigarette butts into the bay for the lack ashtrays, the wall of smoke that was belched out by an engine obviously needing an overhaul. I?ve been on worse ships in all these respects.
Here?s where I got hot under the collar. As dinner was being served, the wait staff did not serve everyone in my party all the meal courses then disappeared; only returning to bus those courses, empty place settings before their eyes, clueless to their error. During this ?Aha? moment I realized I had not booked a party on a fine dining cruise. I had just forced 30 of my closest family and friends to endure a counterfeit upscale appropriate attire required event for the next 4 hours.
I found the ship officer in charge of our deck and expressed my displeasure in the same manner of tact that my party and I were being treated. Unfortunately, to carry on a conversation I had to yell. The music was that loud. To my surprise the wait staff attending my party doubled. Now my guests are being swarmed over like they were bears raiding the beehive. There was just no happy medium- from neglect to annoyance. Alas this did insure that everyone was receiving the dinner I promised them.
When the entr?e was served, the wait staff stood before tables and barked ?who gets the surf and turf, the salmon, etc.? Mind you they write these orders down at meal commencement. Nobody changed their seats, a simple diagram on that order sheet they so desperately needed to write on would have afforded them the ongoing knowledge to serve the meal with aplomb. My apologies I forgot, the music was so loud that they had to bark.
The quality off the meal, in my opinion, was commensurate with the brand name Cornucopia. Having dined at the Keyport namesake for years, in this respect I was comforted. At least the cooks knew what they were doing. I am grateful for having booked the intimate dinner over the buffet. Some of my party did not eat. Upon investigation I learned their concerns over the food were unwarranted really. Twelve hours later there has been no report of food borne illness from my party.
The coup de gras was when the wait staff started dropping checks on my party?s tables for the bar bill. I had made the instruction when booking this event that I wanted a tab run and presented to me for payment. I had to run the tables, apologizing, snapping up the checks and once again seeking a senior staff member to express my displeasure. It is obvious that the communication between the front office and the ship staff is limited to the number of suckers snagged for that evening?s foray into the Raritan Bay. I am not accustomed to having to repeat myself every step off the way. Not at this price point.
In the end, I was simply embarrassed to have booked this party. I believe Cornucopia needs to abandon their claim as a fine dining experience, drop their fares to $25.00 per person; make dinner service a matter of dropping some fish-n-chip on newspaper and be the business they actually are.
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