One More Reason To Dislike Relaxed Dining Room Etiquette

[Langley Cruisers]

Although it may be too late to get any kind of resolution, I did submit a complaint on the RCCL website.

 

What kind of "resolution" are you looking for? Seriously asking.

[bouhunter]

Wow this thread has a little bit of everything now: Debates about RCCL service, complaints about late diners, complaints about dress code, debates about MTD, personal debates within the debates.........

 

All started over a few bland desserts that are usually, in the main dining room, not worth the calories they contain or the time it takes to get them:D

[Puffinater]

I cannot understand why they just don't simply close the doors and let the WJ accommodate them.

[primo1]

I agree with Puffinator. The ship will leave you at the dock if you are late. So what is the big deal with RCI locking the doors at a certain POSTED time.

[Cruzaholic41]

I agree with Puffinator. The ship will leave you at the dock if you are late. So what is the big deal with RCI locking the doors at a certain POSTED time.

 

They tried this on the Navigator, cruising out of Italy. They had a problem with the passengers showing up as late as 2 hours. The doors were closed at 6:30 or 6:45. It nearly created a riot by the late, angry passengers. RCI ended up changing the dining hours to suit them.

[brfan]

I agree with Puffinator. The ship will leave you at the dock if you are late. So what is the big deal with RCI locking the doors at a certain POSTED time.

 

Because it sounds like corporate has told the ships they have to serve people even if it doesn't make sense.

 

Personally I think the reaction the OP got from the two people she spoke to wasn't meant to be rude to her, but more of their own frustration that their hands are tied. They have to serve these people even if it disrupts everyone else.

 

If this really is a corporate decision (which it sounds like to me), then the OP and anyone else impacted by this needs to write the corporate office and tell them that this policy is unsatisfactory. Perhaps if enough people complain then they will go back to closing the doors after a certain period of time and live with the complaints from the rude people who think the rules don't apply to them.

[primo1]

I can't bring booze on board, but I can come as late as I want to the MDR in my t-shirt and sandals wearing a baseball cap.

Corporate Greed at it's finest.

[Tucker in Texas]

I can't bring booze on board, but I can come as late as I want to the MDR in my t-shirt and sandals wearing a baseball cap.

Corporate Greed at it's finest.

 

You can reserve a chair at the pool all day with your flip flops and reserve a row of seats in the theater for yourself and your friends, too.

 

Tucker in Texas

[The-Dude]

I understand your comments and concern, but what happened is that you let another group directly affect your experience in the DR. Their clothing bothered you?

 

I agree. People should stop worrying about what others are doing and simply enjoy their vacation. Who cares what other people wear or what time they arrive in the MDR. The last thing I want to become, especially on a cruise vacation, is a moral compass upon others.

 

The OP seems to be "nitpicking" and compounding a problem that could otherwise be IGNORED. Service with any business can never be perfect all the time and rules are bent frequently to adhere to customer requests. Suck it up and move on. :rolleyes:

[Jimnbigd]

While there may need to be a cutoff time, where does RCI specifically say (now, and not 10 years ago) what that cutoff time is?

Good question. I'm not sure if it is published or even if it is standard among ships and sailings. I have always heard 30 minutes after your dining time, but I'm not sure this is written anywhere.

[PhoenixDawgCruising]

We never eat in the main dining room, so I don't really care what goes on in there, but it seems to me that if I had someplace to be, dessert can be skipped. It's not like it's mandatory; if you really want to be someplace else, just get up and leave.

[Puffinater]

I agree. People should stop worrying about what others are doing and simply enjoy their vacation. Who cares what other people wear or what time they arrive in the MDR. The last thing I want to become, especially on a cruise vacation, is a moral compass upon others.

 

 

When it impacts the service at our table I care. Has nothing to do with a moral compass. Just might cause us to be late for a show. Now we are looking for a seat distrupting others.

[efields2]

We never eat in the main dining room, so I don't really care what goes on in there, but it seems to me that if I had someplace to be, dessert can be skipped. It's not like it's mandatory; if you really want to be someplace else, just get up and leave.

 

Unfortunately, it's not just dessert that can be affected. On our last cruise, our tablemates (and a table to our right) were consistently running late. We often were the very last table in the MDR, getting out only a few minutes before 2nd seating started.

 

We often saw people completely finished with dinner when we were JUST getting our entrees.

 

We were in no rush to get to any of the shows, but it was frustrating when we showed up on time and our tablemates (3 other couples) were constantly on "their" own schedule.

 

But what really blew my mind was that one couple would make comments about how it's inconsiderate to be more than 5-10 minutes late to dinner, yet they were consistently late as well! :eek:

[Desertbelle]

It would seem to me that if the "late" party had shown up "on time" that the added 6 people to be taken care of at exactly the same time as the poster's group would have delayed their dinner service and they would have probably finished at around the same time as they did. Does the poster think that if those people had shown up at the same time as they did that they would have had the exact same dinner at the same speed? I think not. Without those people there at the start of the dinner service it meant the waiters had less to do and did things quicker, but having 6 more people to take care of would have slowed everything down.

 

To let something like this ruin your experience is a shame. I am never late to dinner, but I would never past judgement on anyone who did, and I certainly wouldn't let it ruin my enjoyment of dinner or the cruise.

 

Unfortunately, we have run into people on cruises who have nothing better to do than to complain about every little...we removed ourselves from those people ASAP.

[Stags14]

It would seem to me that if the "late" party had shown up "on time" that the added 6 people to be taken care of at exactly the same time as the poster's group would have delayed their dinner service and they would have probably finished at around the same time as they did. Does the poster think that if those people had shown up at the same time as they did that they would have had the exact same dinner at the same speed? I think not. Without those people there at the start of the dinner service it meant the waiters had less to do and did things quicker, but having 6 more people to take care of would have slowed everything down.

 

To let something like this ruin your experience is a shame. I am never late to dinner, but I would never past judgement on anyone who did, and I certainly wouldn't let it ruin my enjoyment of dinner or the cruise.

 

Unfortunately, we have run into people on cruises who have nothing better to do than to complain about every little...we removed ourselves from those people ASAP.

 

I'm with you on this one.

 

Even if they showed up on time, they still had to be served by "your" wait staff. If anything, it affects the later seating. Maybe they were first time cruisers who realized on this trip that they are better off taking the later dinner seating.

[cdamion]

I agree. People should stop worrying about what others are doing and simply enjoy their vacation. Who cares what other people wear or what time they arrive in the MDR. The last thing I want to become, especially on a cruise vacation, is a moral compass upon others.

 

The OP seems to be "nitpicking" and compounding a problem that could otherwise be IGNORED. Service with any business can never be perfect all the time and rules are bent frequently to adhere to customer requests. Suck it up and move on. :rolleyes:

 

Dude-Vader: While OP did mention their clothing in MDR, which I could care less about on a cruise (I will dress for dinner, but if others don't who cares). The point here is that their late arrival impacted the other tables in the section so that OP missed a show. On Majesty specifically, they do not repeat their shows - I believe one show was repeated last month for early/late diners.

 

So while I could not care less what others do on a cruise, when it negatively impacts others, then it is a problem.

[Patty00]

If people don't want to adhere to the Dining room times, I don't really understand why they don't sign up for My Time dining. :confused:

You are required to pre-pay gratuities for My Time....that's why! We love MTD but some folks have a problem with paying tips in general. Have you noticed how many show up on the last night with their envelope? Think about it!

[Langley Cruisers]

The point here is that their late arrival impacted the other tables in the section so that OP missed a show.

 

 

OP did not need to miss any show. They certainly could have excused themselves and gone to the show and gotten dessert and coffees at the WJ later, or another venue.

 

OP, I will ask again: What kind of "resolution" are you looking for?

[Patty00]

Believe me, the waiters and staff are hating the persons coming in 30mins - 1 hour late, but they do not have a choice in the matter. It is corporate that makes these kinds of decisions to accept late comers or not. Simple solution is to be asked to be moved.

 

I work in retail pharmacy and this happens all the time and it really frustrates me. Pharmacy closes at 10pm. There's always a customer that comes in at 9:59pm that "we must accomadate" because corporate says so. And that causes me to leave at 10:20pm - 10:30pm. So I stay an extra 20 to 30 mins and I don't get paid overtime.

 

I hope RC is reading this and sets some rules about how late is too late for dinner. In the compass, there should be a time set as to when the doors will be closed and guarded. Now the Windjammer is their option if they come late!

[Scotty G]

Good question. I'm not sure if it is published or even if it is standard among ships and sailings. I have always heard 30 minutes after your dining time, but I'm not sure this is written anywhere.

This is what is on the RCL website:

Our Traditional Dining option allows you to preselect your ideal dining time for the length of your cruise vacation. It's the perfect way to relax and enjoy your cruise vacation as you like-at the spa, in the pool, or on an exciting shore adventure-and know

you'll always have

a reserved time

and table waiting for you in our main dining room. With our Traditional Dining service you will be assigned a dinner table for our main or second seating for the duration of the cruise based on your preferred seating time and availability.

So with that said, it would seem they intend for all to show up at the appointed reserved time. That is what we have always understood.

[FLHugh]

OP did not need to miss any show. They certainly could have excused themselves and gone to the show and gotten dessert and coffees at the WJ later, or another venue.

 

OP, I will ask again: What kind of "resolution" are you looking for?

 

A complimentary meal in one of the specialty venues might be a nice gesture on the part of RCCL. After all, if the staff is so intent on "accommodating" the late diners, Does that makes the on time OP chopped liver???

[Langley Cruisers]

A complimentary meal in one of the specialty venues might be a nice gesture on the part of RCCL. After all, if the staff is so intent on "accommodating" the late diners, Does that makes the on time OP chopped liver???

 

Oh my goodness, are you serious? :eek:

 

Of course OP is not "chopped liver", but I still contend there was a way to deal with this at the time rather than come home and complain about it. Gee.

[setsail]

Just so everyone knows on ships that are small like Majesty and Monarch MTD's are intermingled with Traditional Seating tables. They are too small to have seperate areas. When we were on Monarch in February, the tables to the left and right of us were traditional seating, but the tables in the spot behind us were MTD, I was confused the first night when we showed up for our late seating and there were people around us having entrees and appetizers...quickly figured it out. It is quite possible that the "Offenders" did have MTD. It is NOT thier fault unless they didn't have MTD and honestly unless you asked them we all have no way to know the answer. The true "Offender" in this scenario is the waiter. The waiters should have kept up on the service of the OP's table.

 

Also on the larger ships . On our last cruise on(liberty) LOTS) we had 6pm-td. There was a vacant table for 8 next to us the first night. The next night there was 6 at that table and of course our waiter and asst. waited on these pax. The next night(3rd) there 8 people at the table, all different, so I asked our waiter and was told that table was being used as a MTD table. So they will mix it up if needed. Our service was still great.

[EVALUATOR]

This is what is on the RCL website:

Our Traditional Dining option allows you to preselect your ideal dining time for the length of your cruise vacation. It's the perfect way to relax and enjoy your cruise vacation as you like-at the spa, in the pool, or on an exciting shore adventure-and know

you'll always have a reserved time

and table waiting for you in our main dining room. With our Traditional Dining service you will be assigned a dinner table for our main or second seating for the duration of the cruise

based on your preferred seating time

and availability.

So with that said, it would seem they intend for all to show up at the appointed reserved time. That is what we have always understood.

 

It's easy to pick out a few words in a statement, highlight them, and state them as martial law. So are people one minute late too late for dinner? Two? Three?

 

No time limit is stated. If you put a speed limit sign on the interstate that said "slow" what would that mean? Slow to some is the speed of light for others.

 

I have no problem with RCI stating there is a specific time the dinner entrance is closed. But using a perceived time limit as appropriate is wrong.

 

If it is rude to come to dinner 30 minutes late, is it rude to leave before others are done so one can see a show?

[rubrrick]

A complimentary meal in one of the specialty venues might be a nice gesture on the part of RCCL. After all, if the staff is so intent on "accommodating" the late diners, Does that makes the on time OP chopped liver???

 

 

This is a 2011 quote.........not a 1950's quote, when you would find cruising so much different than today.

 

But then, you would have found the world much different then, and dining was "on time" and the dress code was followed. Cruising was just beginning, as "sailing" as across the Atlantic was the norm.

 

I wrote much more......then eliminated it.........as it's not revelent to what is happening today.

 

Many people cuising today.........are wonderful. There are a few that hold themselves above.....that they can anything. and everyone else be damned.

 

I feel sorry for those that just try to follow the rules.........and are sometimes forgotten!

:eek:

Rick