Serving drinks on the Colonial Belle has it’s charms. We call it cocktailing.
You run up the back stairs with a Guest Check pad and a pen, and survey the top deck. Over there is a Mom and Dad with 6 kids. That’s a tray full of Iced tea, bottled water, lemonade and you get a $1 tip. Over here is a two top with a guy with long hair and a girl with tattoos. That’s a Margarita and an Electric Lemonade and a $3 tip.
Which do you do first?
I’m short, stupid and unbalanced, so I generally do two or three tables at a time; that’s the only way I can keep orders straight and hope to be able to lug the trays up the stairs without losing everything.
There's a lot of pressure from the get-go, but our shortest cruise is an hour and a half, so don't worry, you're gonna get a drink.
A note about trays, you only bring them up with drinks, carrying one around when taking orders is lame. You have to go down to get change, so why carry that extra weight both ways?
The double chair seating along the port and starboard side and up in the bow is usually saved for last; it’s awkward to serve folks that don’t have a table.
I’m always impressed with the deckhands that are good at cocktailing, especially the ones that seem to enjoy it. It’s not really that big of a boat. The bar is open. I understand the restaurant effect of sitting and having drinks delivered, but as a boater I don’t understand why folks are unwilling to roam the boat.
But that’s just me.
We generally start cocktailing after the Fairport lift bridge, which means once you have enough orders, and if your senior deckhand is any good at the bar, you’re delivering drinks right at Perinton Park, and collecting money to take back downstairs and make change.
You can always spot a newby. They’re the one standing up next to a table with a tray under their arm, counting out money when the Church Street Bridge looms and is about to take off their head.
