The Rules of the MDR

[Wilda]

Sheesh people, lighten up! Sounds to me like OP was just posting common sense with a little tongue in cheek. These are not really "rules." And I really don't understand why anyone would choose to go to the MDR for dinner, and NOT use simple good manners. If you can't do that, stay home and go to McDonalds.....

 

Same for formal night. It's called "formal" night for a reason. You know this when you book the cruise. If you don't want to dress up, that's fine, just don't ruin it for those of us who enjoy the chance to dress up as a family.

 

Good gravy, if all it takes to ruin a meal is someone else's choice of clothing then I would never leave the house:rolleyes:

[softsands]

On one of our Mariner cruises, we were at a table for 6, my family of 3 with another family of 3. The first night, the mother of the other family was going to buy the wine package as long as they could guarantee her that she could get the exact wine she wanted each night. The waiter said they try but sometimes they run out of popular wines. She then went on to say, if you can't guarantee me that I can get my 5 bottles of Beringer's White Zinfindel, I am not ordering!:rolleyes: The waiter told her she would have no issues. When he then asked how many glasses, she became incensed and told her the wine was for her alone and she had no plans on sharing it with anyone! We were quite relieved because I am no wine snob but yuck!:cool:

 

Doesn't that particular brand come in a box that sits on the edge of the table with a pour spout?

[KansasK]

On the comment that people who like formal nights also like the dancing waiters, I would have to say that while I have enjoyed the formal nights, I always wish I had finished dinner in time to avoid the dancing waiters.

 

If you cruise a number of times, the dancing waiter routines do not change and neither does the O Solo Mio routine. If I am trapped, I am polite and gracious, but I think the cruise lines should retire the dancing waiter routines. Many people seem just delighted, though.

 

On Carnival, the waiters sang and danced almost every night. That was especially a lot of singing and dancing.

[softsands]

OP might want to add these to the list, or maybe ask them to be posted at MDR door :)

 

 

Rules of Etiquette and Home Culture, 1886

22.Do not play with the table utensils or crumble the bread.

 

23. Do not put your elbows on the table, or sit too far back, or lounge

 

24. Do not talk loud or boisterously

 

25. Be cheerful in conduct or conversation

 

26. Never allow butter, soup or other food to remain on your whiskers

 

27. Never wear gloves at the table, unless your hands are for some special reason unfit to be seen.

 

28. Never make a great display when removing hair, insects or other disagreeable things from your food. Place them quietly under the edge of your plate.

 

"28. Never make a great display when removing hair, insects or other disagreeable things from your food." Should add ..."and/or your nose."

[Big_G]

Maybe they should make it so people can get the exact same food in the buffet as the MDR. That way people that don't want to dress up can still have to food they want. Until that happens people will dress as they want. The cruise lines don't even enforce the dress code, why people here think they can is beyond me.

 

I fail to understand how someone wearing jeans "ruins" your food if you are all dressed up for formal night. Does your food taste different?

 

I think people need to accept that the mainstream lines are moving in a much less formal direction. I wouldn't be surprised to see more lines move to be similar to ncl with their dress up or not.

 

I think that's your opinion and while I could care less what you wear on formal night, I'm certain that no one needs to accept your opinion of anything. :rolleyes:

[sleepless]

So when 4 people show up for dinner at a 10 top table, since the other 6 people are in the Windjammer due to the 21 rules of the MDR, does it really matter how much room each person is taking up? Does the elbow rule only apply at crowded tables?

 

 

You do make me chuckle.

[spcopps]

SCARY MOMMY!!!:eek::D

 

LOL Phoenix..I am really NOT scary. I am probably too laid back, but there are a few things I do want my kids to learn. Actually, my mother tells me I don't discipline enough and let my kids run wild. I teach them other things that are also common respect...wait for others to EXIT an elevator before pushing through the doors and always say thank you and please. Believe it or not, I am not one for mam and sir, makes me feel too old. My house is a wreck, I don't make them keep their toys in their bedrooms, I let them leave our front door open when playing outside and don't make them take their shoes off at the door (which wasn't allowed when I was young).

[BeachChik]

I think that's your opinion and while I could care less what you wear on formal night, I'm certain that no one needs to accept your opinion of anything. :rolleyes:

 

You can make whatever snide comment you want but its clear from reading thread after thread and looking at people dining in the MDR on formal nights that less people want to dress up. And the cruise lines have responded in turn by never enforcing their own dress code.

[Big_G]

You can make whatever snide comment you want but its clear from reading thread after thread and looking at people dining in the MDR on formal nights that less people want to dress up. And the cruise lines have responded in turn by never enforcing their own dress code.

 

CC is a very small sampling of the over all cruising population and again that is your opinion and no one has to accept it.:rolleyes::rolleyes:

[yes!yes!yes!]

well i like having good table manners. i think they should apply whether your eating at the main dining room or at a fast food outlet (yes, i unfold my napkin and place it over my lap before tucking into subway)

i dont agree with the wine package one tho as the waiter just recorks the bottle and gives me the remainder the next night.

it amazed me the poster who was describing table etiquitte at kfc, who on earth would of thought that you get plates in kfc in the us. we dont in australia.

with regards to formal night i think one floor for the casual diner and the other floor for the more formally dressed, keeps everyone happy.

i know there is no rule to make me do this but its my holiday and i will enjoy it how i see fit so I ALWAYS DRESS UP FOR DINNER, HIGH HEELS, DRESS, HAIR AND MAKE UP DONE. and if that spoils it for everyone else then too bad.

[3CatsInMA]

And always ask...... Would you happen to have some Grey Poupon?? :cool:

 

 

I may be breaking a rule by pointing this out, but I think that question is best reserved for the Mustard Drill. ;):D

[cazzamiller]

 

16. When you are done wait until others are generally done eating or ask in a pleasant way if you can excuse yourself so as not to keep the others eating alone especially if there is a single cruiser.

 

19. Wait until others are served or if you see at least two to three people starting to eat you can begin or you could say Do you mind if I can start with my soup? I'm sure your dining mates will understand and appreciate you asking them if you can start so as not to make them watch you eat.

 

 

This will be our first cruise so we are still very new to the rules and etiquette of cruising so I might get shot down for asking this, but im going to anyway!! Whilst I'm quite happy to share a table with others, is it the done thing that whilst we may be two seperate groups of holiday makers, are we expected to eat, in affect, as one group? What i mean is that the poster has said to wait till everyone has food before starting to eat or ask permission to start eating, and then wait until most people are finished before leaving.

 

To me, i wouldnt be rude about it and would say hello, goodbye and make conversation (if the other people are friendly and want to talk to us!), but this is still our holiday and I wouldnt want to be sat around waiting for people who arent part of our group to begin their meal or finish. At home if we're with others then we do wait for each other as we are all together, but this is our holiday and i wouldnt want to sit around waiting for what might be some time, depending on how long the others take to order, etc.

 

I think you can still be polite about it though and i agree with the majority of people on here that its your holiday and you can do as you please, whilst still being polite and respectful to others around us. I was brought up well and would like to think that i am respectful and would never deliberately do anything to upset or offend someone, but just because we dont have our napkin on our lap doesnt mean that we dont have manners or dont know how to act

[yes!yes!yes!]

to answer cazzamiller, it is polite to wait till everyone on your table is served with the course before you dig in. the usual wait is about a minute, so no biggie.

[BillOh]

Good gravy, if all it takes to ruin a meal is someone else's choice of clothing then I would never leave the house:rolleyes:

 

Where do they keep the good gravy?

[Ocean Boy]

Where do they keep the good gravy?

 

Is it bad manners if you don't serve the good gravy when guests come over?

[Ocean Boy]

i know there is no rule to make me do this but its my holiday and i will enjoy it how i see fit so I ALWAYS DRESS UP FOR DINNER, HIGH HEELS, DRESS, HAIR AND MAKE UP DONE. and if that spoils it for everyone else then too bad.

 

I don't think anyone will care if you get dressed up. You can even come up and eat in the Windjammer if you like. We are a very accepting group of folks up there who really do know how to mind our own business.

[Wilda]

Where do they keep the good gravy?

 

Is it bad manners if you don't serve the good gravy when guests come over?

 

Guess I'm really showing my age, huh:)

[blueblock]

This will be our first cruise so we are still very new to the rules and etiquette of cruising so I might get shot down for asking this, but im going to anyway!! Whilst I'm quite happy to share a table with others, is it the done thing that whilst we may be two seperate groups of holiday makers, are we expected to eat, in affect, as one group? What i mean is that the poster has said to wait till everyone has food before starting to eat or ask permission to start eating, and then wait until most people are finished before leaving.

 

To me, i wouldnt be rude about it and would say hello, goodbye and make conversation (if the other people are friendly and want to talk to us!), but this is still our holiday and I wouldnt want to be sat around waiting for people who arent part of our group to begin their meal or finish. At home if we're with others then we do wait for each other as we are all together, but this is our holiday and i wouldnt want to sit around waiting for what might be some time, depending on how long the others take to order, etc.

 

I think you can still be polite about it though and i agree with the majority of people on here that its your holiday and you can do as you please, whilst still being polite and respectful to others around us. I was brought up well and would like to think that i am respectful and would never deliberately do anything to upset or offend someone, but just because we dont have our napkin on our lap doesnt mean that we dont have manners or dont know how to act

 

This is just my opinion, and I wouldn't wish to impose it on anyone else even if I could, but in my opinion, eating in the main dining room at a big table is a lot like going to a restaurant with a large group of people every night - in that you all show up at the same time, you order at the same time, and you are served at the same time. (It doesn't always work out that way, but that's how it's designed to work, as far as I know.) If that's uncomfortable for you - and it's perfectly reasonable that it might be - then you might want to ask to be seated at a smaller table that's just your group, or do My Time Dining. Because I mostly travel alone, I like sitting at a big table and dining as a group - I meet a lot of nice people that way. But if that's not your thing, and if you want to eat at your own pace and come and go on your own schedule, then that's totally fine - but you might want to at least consider doing that at a smaller table, and/or doing MTD.

[mmcruise]

I usually make it a personal rule not to jump in on the MDR fashion/etiquette police threads but we just got back on Sunday from Allure, and had a few observations.

 

1. Getting dressed up on a cruise is fun, it really is. But while I was packing it occurred to me that parts of cruising are a throwback to the days when people traveled with steamer trunks and servants - and I have neither of those. In these days of checked bag fees and mandatory searches, a leaner style of vacationing works better for us. We brought dressy clothes for a few nights but overall were much more casual than previous cruises.

 

2. Even with two large checked bags, 3 roll-aboards and 3 personal bags (backpacks, etc.) and an extra duffel bag on the way home, we still wound up using the $25 laundry bag mid-week, rinsing stuff out in the teeny sink, and using the drycleaning service. Really wish there was a laundry room like other vacation resorts and cruise lines. (And don't tell me that's just for low-level hotels - we've stayed in 4 star hotels with lovely guest laundry facilities.)

 

3. Loved meeting people on the cruise, and love chatting, but I work full-time and want to be with my own family during meals on vacation. We had a wonderfully-located My Time Dining table (same table every night but one, and same wait staff every night) for just the 3 of us. We chatted with others around us but weren't tied to their meal times and eating styles. And no, I didn't share my wine. When I'm paying $35-40 for a $9 bottle of wine, I am licking the last few drops out of the glass myself, thank you.

 

4. Maybe it was a MTD phenomenon, but we saw table after table of well-scrubbed, happy families dining together, all perfectly well-behaved, in (gasp) shorts. And it was great to see everyone smiling, laughing and having a good time. We also saw a lot of people dressed up, but none of the casual folks was dancing on tables or stealing anyone else's cutlery. It was all very civilized and post-millennium.

 

Just my observations, from one small person who had an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime cruise. :)

[yarlenna]

I usually make it a personal rule not to jump in on the MDR fashion/etiquette police threads but we just got back on Sunday from Allure, and had a few observations.

 

1. Getting dressed up on a cruise is fun, it really is. But while I was packing it occurred to me that parts of cruising are a throwback to the days when people traveled with steamer trunks and servants - and I have neither of those. In these days of checked bag fees and mandatory searches, a leaner style of vacationing works better for us. We brought dressy clothes for a few nights but overall were much more casual than previous cruises.

 

2. Even with two large checked bags, 3 roll-aboards and 3 personal bags (backpacks, etc.) and an extra duffel bag on the way home, we still wound up using the $25 laundry bag mid-week, rinsing stuff out in the teeny sink, and using the drycleaning service. Really wish there was a laundry room like other vacation resorts and cruise lines. (And don't tell me that's just for low-level hotels - we've stayed in 4 star hotels with lovely guest laundry facilities.)

 

3. Loved meeting people on the cruise, and love chatting, but I work full-time and want to be with my own family during meals on vacation. We had a wonderfully-located My Time Dining table (same table every night but one, and same wait staff every night) for just the 3 of us. We chatted with others around us but weren't tied to their meal times and eating styles. And no, I didn't share my wine. When I'm paying $35-40 for a $9 bottle of wine, I am licking the last few drops out of the glass myself, thank you.

 

4. Maybe it was a MTD phenomenon, but we saw table after table of well-scrubbed, happy families dining together, all perfectly well-behaved, in (gasp) shorts. And it was great to see everyone smiling, laughing and having a good time. We also saw a lot of people dressed up, but none of the casual folks was dancing on tables or stealing anyone else's cutlery. It was all very civilized and post-millennium.

 

Just my observations, from one small person who had an amazing, once-in- a-lifetime cruise. :)

 

Well said. I hope that cruising will continue to evolve into something fun and memorable.

[LESLIEKURZ]

wait for others to EXIT an elevator before pushing through the doors

 

I am amazed at how many adults don't get this one. Where do they think they're going to go?

 

to answer cazzamiller, it is polite to wait till everyone on your table is served with the course before you dig in. the usual wait is about a minute, so no biggie.

 

There is an exception. I have a food allergy so a lot of times my dishes take longer to come out. I always tell my tables mates not to wait. I insist. I am used to waiting and I don't expect anyone let their food get cold on account of me.

[delilahblue]

I have been reading about people's horror stories about dining in the Main Dining Room or those who enjoyed meeting others. If RCCL could have these rules then here we go ala Ms. Manners:

 

1. All parties shall arrive on time in a presentable fashion. If its formal night dress accordingly.

 

2. If you are late or cannot make your assigned dining time kindly call or preferably go down in person and speak to the Maitre D.

 

3. If your child becomes antsy or starts crying or throws a fit kindly excuse yourself and take your child and you outside of the dining room to a quiet place.

 

4. When people are introduced kindly respond with your name. Please don't stare at your dining mates even if English is not your first language try to communicate in other ways.

 

5. Don't assume everyone speaks your language. Try to learn some phrases in other languages depending on where the cruise departs from. You may not be perfect but you will get a fun language lesson.

 

6. Look at the menu and be prepared with your order when the waiter or waitress comes. If you want more of one item say so. Please don't over order.

 

7. If you want a table for two please email the Dining Department before your cruise or go to the Maitre D.

 

8. If for some reason you are not comfortable with your table assignment please let the Maitre D know in a respectful manner. Don't bash them for not being able to get your table request the first time around.

 

9. If you must leave early for one reason or another let your waiter or waitress know to see if he or she can speed up the dining time.

 

10. If you are not willing to spend the time dining or don't want to participate in the formal dining nights please go to the Windjammer or other dining venues.

 

11.If an item does not taste good don't complain. Kindly say to the waiter or waitress that this item was not what you expected it to be and see if you can get a replacement. Don't nit pick or pick around your food looking for ways to make it taste better.

 

12. If you ordered the wine package kindly offer to see if anyone wants a glass or two if you know you can't finish the bottle. A lot of times they will reciprocate.

 

13. Don't ask personal questions of your table mates. General conversation topics are good. Remind kids to act their best and if they start to get wild remove them promptly.

 

14. When you are finished place your silverware with the handle facing out and put them together to signal you are done.

 

15. Always have your napkin in your lap and please no elbows on the table.

 

16. When you are done wait until others are generally done eating or ask in a pleasant way if you can excuse yourself so as not to keep the others eating alone especially if there is a single cruiser.

 

17. Always greet the dining room staff and smile at the end of the evening thank them. Compliment them on what items you liked and tell them about improvements they can make.

 

18. If you know you want more of a drink as the waiter or waitress to bring either a pitcher or two iced teas or a carafe of coffee so as not to make them run back and forth all the time.

 

19. Wait until others are served or if you see at least two to three people starting to eat you can begin or you could say Do you mind if I can start with my soup? I'm sure your dining mates will understand and appreciate you asking them if you can start so as not to make them watch you eat.

 

20, Please do not snap your fingers to get the attention of the dining room staff. Kindly say excuse me Sir or excuse me Madam could you please bring me at your next earliest opportunity? And don't forget to sincerely thank them.

 

21. Enjoy and be happy and don't try to nit pick every little thing that goes wrong.

 

as a server i must say i would LOVE to be your server! you clearly have a grasp on being respectable to those serving you and i bet you tip appropriatly as well!

[janice2348]

On one of our Mariner cruises, we were at a table for 6, my family of 3 with another family of 3. The first night, the mother of the other family was going to buy the wine package as long as they could guarantee her that she could get the exact wine she wanted each night. The waiter said they try but sometimes they run out of popular wines. She then went on to say, if you can't guarantee me that I can get my 5 bottles of Beringer's White Zinfindel, I am not ordering!:rolleyes: The waiter told her she would have no issues. When he then asked how many glasses, she became incensed and told her the wine was for her alone and she had no plans on sharing it with anyone! We were quite relieved because I am no wine snob but yuck!:cool:

 

 

I am a wine snob-double yuck! This is the only wine my mother in law will drink. Poor woman, she doesn't know what she is missing LOL :D

[janice2348]

And there it is. We all must have been raised like wild animals to not agree with the "rules" posted.

 

I was raised very well thank you. I am in my 30's and my parents have never heard me swear. My parents hate swearing and I respect them enough to not do it. When I was little I knew that if I misbehaved in public I was going to get it when I got home. I am a very considerate person and my nieces and nephews were raised the same and are very well behaved children. HOWEVER it is not my business to dictate to random strangers on how to behave. Nor to make up rules to suit me.

 

I was at the doctors office yesterday. I was sitting in the waiting area and someone was walking out and saw someone else was walking in. The man leaving held the door open for a woman. She walked in and said nothing. No thank you to the man for holding the door for her. She was too busy talking on her cell phone. She had to be at least in her 50's. Bad manners aren't just in the younger generation. Older people can be just as rude.

I tend to agree-at my job I talk to retirees all day and they can be extremely nasty. Manners and respect have no age limits.

[MrsPete]

Sporks go wherever sporks wanna go!!!:D

Just FYI: The proper name for that utensil is "runsible spoon". Pronounced Roon-si-bull spoon. It's mentioned in the old poem "the owl and the pussy cat".

 

Just trivia.