Were We Late For Dinner?

[Chigirlcruzin]

No, you weren't late. You were at the dining room on time, and Royal screwed up. Sorry you and your wife are dealing with cancer. I wish we could find a cure for the awful disease.

 

As others stated, this is a reminder not to judge. You never have the full story.

 

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[EVALUATOR]

This is how I feel,,,I wouldn't give it a second thought,,if your late, your late...I'm very sorry to hear about Mrs.E's cancer,,it is without a insidious disease and I will keep her in my prayers...God Bless her that she has the stamina to go on a cruise and enjoy herself...

 

Thanks for all your support along with the well wishes of others.

 

It really didn't bother me that much about being late. It's our cruise, and while some might think it's all about me me me, I prefer to think of it as all about MRS E, MRS E, MRS E.:D

 

I just thought it was interesting how some of the earlier posters in this thread jumped to the same conclusions as the people at the adjoining table.

 

If they knew all the effort we put into being on time, and well dressed, just to have an idiot at RCI make us look bad, maybe they might reevaluate their priorities.

 

And if we get to cruise again, on formal night MRS E will be the one wearing the stunning evening gown... AND FLIP FLOPS:D:D:D

[linedancer]

God Bless you both. Neither I nor DH would have put up with the Head Waiter's attitude. Being a cancer survivor, I pray for you and your wife.

 

Even two healthy people would have been upset at how the Head Waiter treated you. Some just don't get it. He simply should have said I am sorry for the mix up and we will find you a table.

 

Irene

[goose30]

I don't think you were lats particularly with a table for two. But what were the arrangements for your dining during the rest of the cruise? Did you continue to have the table for two?

[EVALUATOR]

I am so sorry to hear about your unpleasant dining experience.

Were you late getting to dinner? No. Did it seem to the people around you at the table you were finally able to get that you had arrived late? Yes. People's perceptions are based upon what they see. Should someone give you grief based upon their perception of your behavior? In a perfect world, No.

I hope I'm not coming across as being snarky here. That is absolutely not my intention. You had a very bad experience, made worse by Mrs. Evaluator's condition. To top it off, someone who had no idea what you'd just gone through made the situation worse by their reaction to their assumptions about the situation. This is a lesson to all of us not to jump to conclusions.

This is probably "Monday morning quarterbacking" here, but I hope you included your experience in your comments on your cruise evaluation. The Maitre d' should also know what happened. (If the Maitre d' was involved and didn't respond properly, his or her supervisor should be told.) If someone doesn't know that they made an error, they have no chance of avoiding repeating it.

I hope you and Mrs. Evaluator will be able to cruise again soon. If you are able to do so, maybe the department that assists passengers with disabilities could help make her experience easier.

My thoughts and prayers are with you both.

 

m.

 

Thanks. The problem with the special needs department is they want to be notified 21 days in advance.

 

We are lucky to get 21 hours advanced booking.

[EVALUATOR]

I don't think you were lats particularly with a table for two. But what were the arrangements for your dining during the rest of the cruise? Did you continue to have the table for two?

 

Yes we kept the table for 2 the rest of the cruise. The head waiter, waiter, and assistant waiter for that table were fantastic.

[EVALUATOR]

God Bless you both. Neither I nor DH would have put up with the Head Waiter's attitude. Being a cancer survivor, I pray for you and your wife.

 

Even two healthy people would have been upset at how the Head Waiter treated you. Some just don't get it. He simply should have said I am sorry for the mix up and we will find you a table.

 

Irene

 

We even asked if they could just sit us at MTD for that night and figure it out later.

 

Oh no, can't do that. It's too late to sign up for MTD. Also we couldn't do MTD without prepaying the tips.

 

Really, like that head waiter was going to get his $1.50 for the night.:eek:

[LovesCruising]

I'm sorry about your wife. Both of your strength and courage amazes me! NO you were not late.

[nomie]

So sorry about the cancer and the way you were treated. I would definately put in a complaint. I have also seen people be late for dinner many times. I am guilty myself. But it is a vacation and people should lighten up. This is why I like my time dining without a reservation. We like to eat when we want without worrying about the time.

[cruisinfanatic]

 

I just thought it was interesting how some of the earlier posters in this thread jumped to the same conclusions as the people at the adjoining table.

Based on your first post with zero specifics, you probably should have expected those replies

[EVALUATOR]

How many cruises have you been on?

 

Seems the OP wants to start something. They know very well

 

Based on your first post with zero specifics, you probably should have expected those replies

 

I expected those replies, not because of the lack of details in the first post, but because of others desires to prejudge people or jump to conclusions.

 

Just like when I hear people say "She doesn't look sick", or "Why does She have a handicapped parking sticker", or "Why does She need to take the elevator"

 

You were quick to prejudge. You didn't ask why we were "late" only wanted to know how many cruises we had been on and stated we should know better.

[galavant3]

Based on your first post with zero specifics, you probably should have expected those replies

 

Agreed. You just asked if you would be considered late. If you weren't there on time, you were late. That doesn't mean that you didn't have very good and justifiable reason for being late. Personally I don't consider 15 minutes to be an issue.

[dz9yvr]

I'm sorry about your medical situation, but why all the mystery in your original post? Why not just tell everyone about the screw-up on the table? You asked for and deserved any negative comments that you got.

 

You and all of us understand that it is incosisderate to any table mates and the staff if you are 30 minutes late in the MDR. Just because it is your vacation doesn't allow anyone to discard common rules of courtesy.

 

:mad::mad::mad:

[English_in_Spain]

This thread is a good example of how we all tend to jump to conclusions (often wrong conclusions) when we do not know the full facts.

 

A lesson for us all here. How awful the people at the next table would have felt had they learned the truth as we have just done.

 

Good wishes to you and your wife.

[Starry Eyes]

I am so sorry to hear the cancer has progressed. how wonderful that you were able to get that last minute cruise.

If people around you did not understand the circumstances and judged you, it says more about them than about you.

 

I also had a "people at our table experience.". We are able bodied, but it was still frustrating. We had visited the MadreD and were assigned the table, a two top for our special occasion sailing. We arrived to the dining room vicinity just before the doors opened, but there was a huge, slow moving line. We joined the line, and knowing where our table was, walked to it. Two people were already there. A waiter saw us staring at the table number, and without asking anybodies dining time or table number, sent DH and I to the head waiter. there was a line at the head waiter's stand. we stood in line again. Head waiter confirmed our table number. He eventually walked to the table and asked to see the occupant's cards. the people clearly did not want to show their cards, but finally did so; evidently they had late seating and decide to show up early because they wanted to eat early. they were totally unapologetic and kept our table that night. DH and I were walked to another temporary table for the night, and we too might have appeared to others to be late.

 

My lesson: Next time I will not wait for waitstaff to "help." I will double check my card while standing in front of them, and then I will ask to see their cards to see if they belong there. If they will not show their cards, I will pull up a chair, sit down and make myself comfortable. I will suggest they go to the head waiter or perhaps one gentle person from each party go to the head waiter's stand. I do not wish to have my table stolen again.

 

should you be fortunate enough to cruise again, perhaps Mrs E (or who ever is healthier) should have a seat while the other investigates.

[galavant3]

To those already seated at the adjoining table, we appeared late.

 

WERE WE?????

 

I think you were late. But, the reality is, it was totally and completely unavoidable. I would have offered my apologies, mumbled something about a table mix up, and left it at that. Any gracious tablemates would have welcomed you warmly...without knowing the circumstances.

 

Kudos to you for being flexible and spontaneous and for taking the last minute cruise. Despite the table fiasco, I hope both you and your wife had a good cruise. Best wishes to you both.

[FOXTROT]

You were technically late. On formal night a lot of people will be late. They want one last dance or one more picture. Don't worry.

[EVALUATOR]

I think you were late. But, the reality is, it was totally and completely unavoidable. I would have offered my apologies, mumbled something about a table mix up, and left it at that. Any gracious tablemates would have welcomed you warmly...without knowing the circumstances.

 

Kudos to you for being flexible and spontaneous and for taking the last minute cruise. Despite the table fiasco, I hope both you and your wife had a good cruise. Best wishes to you both.

 

Thanks. It really was a good cruise. Most of the tables that were around us and served by our waiter didn't pay that much attention.

 

It seemed that our new head waiter would stop by a couple times each night to make sure everything was now going ok.

 

The tablemates that annoyed us the most were the ones that looked at their watches the first time we showed up late. They even had the nerve, on the last night, to state loudly enough something to the effect of "Why is the Headwaiter fussing after them, they can't even make it to dinner on time."

 

Other than the $20 towel charge I'm working on, the cruise really was great.

 

I think I need to borrow some of Mrs E's pain pills after the casual photo shoot on that white cloth.

[EVALUATOR]

I am so sorry to hear the cancer has progressed. how wonderful that you were able to get that last minute cruise.

If people around you did not understand the circumstances and judged you, it says more about them than about you.

 

I also had a "people at our table experience.". We are able bodied, but it was still frustrating. We had visited the MadreD and were assigned the table, a two top for our special occasion sailing. We arrived to the dining room vicinity just before the doors opened, but there was a huge, slow moving line. We joined the line, and knowing where our table was, walked to it. Two people were already there. A waiter saw us staring at the table number, and without asking anybodies dining time or table number, sent DH and I to the head waiter. there was a line at the head waiter's stand. we stood in line again. Head waiter confirmed our table number. He eventually walked to the table and asked to see the occupant's cards. the people clearly did not want to show their cards, but finally did so; evidently they had late seating and decide to show up early because they wanted to eat early. they were totally unapologetic and kept our table that night. DH and I were walked to another temporary table for the night, and we too might have appeared to others to be late.

 

My lesson: Next time I will not wait for waitstaff to "help." I will double check my card while standing in front of them, and then I will ask to see their cards to see if they belong there. If they will not show their cards, I will pull up a chair, sit down and make myself comfortable. I will suggest they go to the head waiter or perhaps one gentle person from each party go to the head waiter's stand. I do not wish to have my table stolen again.

 

should you be fortunate enough to cruise again, perhaps Mrs E (or who ever is healthier) should have a seat while the other investigates.

 

I never even gave the dining times a second thought. Maybe the three at the table were assigned to second seating, and, not wanting to be "late" showed up a "little" early.:D

[BND]

People don't know what they don't know. In other words, neither side can assume anything when they don't have all the facts.

[katiel53]

I am one who would say you were late. I probably would not have thought much about it though unless you were late every night as the people next to us on our last cruise. They arrived 30-45 minutes late every night and just laughed about it. I thought they were inconsiderate as the waiter waited nightly for them to arrive and delayed all the others around them.

 

After reading what transpired with you, I would, without a doubt, write a letter to Royal Caribbean explaining how you were treated by the dining room staff. I cannot believe that anyone with any kind of conscience would tell you no when you asked him to check out the table to be sure it was available--especially after you told him your wife couldn't walk more. I have never heard of anyone working on a ship being so cold hearted.

 

Also telling you that you couldn't do the my time dining one night, when in fact Royal is the one who screwed up, is beyond ridiculous. You can be sure I'd be writing to Adam Goldstein or Richard Fain.

 

I hope that Mrs. E is able to enjoy many more cruises and that nothing like this will ever happen again.

[traveling1969]

This is a good example why surveys are unreliable. One can ask a question in such a fashion as to elicit the answer one wants.

[dadatsea]

1st you and your wife have all the support and admiration I can convey as I wouldnt want to have to walk in your sandals ! I wish you wouldnt have used this incident to question what is late in the MDR. The villian here is the RCI staff and their total lack of organization but more so ...their lack of Compassion.. I know the staff is really under great stress to accomodate everyone at the start of a cruise but THAT IS THEIR JOB !!!! The issue you are asking is where you late ? Yes .. Was it your fault ? Definately not.. So why lead us down a path which is different than the question you asked ? I think your point is... everything is not always as they seem ...and as valid a point as that may be, it was not the best way to express it in my opinion.. Hope to see, and set next to you and your wife, on a future cruise as I know your love of cruising is at a great cost to you and your courageous wife.. and I salute you both..:)

[traveling1969]

This is a good example why surveys are unreliable. One can ask a question in such a fashion as to elicit the answer one wants.

 

Just to clarify. Now that we know "the rest of the story", no, you were not late for dinner. RCCL failed to seat you in a timely fashion.

[mamacat3]

I am so sorry for Mrs. Es' illness. I will keep you both in my prayers and hope that you can continue to cruise with Mrs. E being in total remission and as painless as she can be. That being said once again some of us are jumping to conclusions or not reading your total post. You did say ONE headwaiter, did you not? I'm reading the dining room staff instead of one head waiter in some posts. Mr. E was tring to make a point - that being that we all tend to jump to conclusions without having all the facts. He has given us the facts and some are still jumping to conclusions!!:confused:.

 

The head waiter, waiter and asst. waiter were all wonderful for the rest of the cruise - so why the disparaging comments about the dining room staff? That being said I don't think you can find better staff or crew than that on the Monarch. Please don't judge the whole ship by one head waiters actions.:o

 

I wish you and Mrs. E only the best!! I love that she wears an elegant evening gown and flip flops!!!!!!!!:D