Waitlisted Dining

[Sharon I]

Hi

I booked a cruise a couple of weeks ago and was told we would be waitlisted for first seating dinner. My question is has anybody been waitlisted before and just exactly what does it mean. We are planning on not eating in the MDR if we don't get first seating. We will not wait till 8:30 to eat dinner.

 

Sharon I

[RSLeesburg]

We were wait-listed for our cruise too. I was told that they only release so many seats for the MDR seatings up front, and then as it gets closer to the sailing date, they open it up. The agent I spoke to at RCI told me that they wait list for our cruise was very short, so he did not see any issues with us getting an early time. I am not sure why they do it this way - maybe they want to try and even things up across the two seatings, or want to accommodate VIP members and/or families vs. letting all the early bookers grab all the best seats...

[paul929207]

Waitlisted means that before you made you request, they had already accepted as many requests as there is room for. If no one cancels their request, you will not get first seating.

 

Does your ship offer Anytime Dining (or a similar name)? That might work if you don't get first seating

[CruiserBruce]

We were wait-listed for our cruise too. I was told that they only release so many seats for the MDR seatings up front, and then as it gets closer to the sailing date, they open it up.

 

This correct, in my experience, not the below comment.

 

Waitlisted means that before you made you request, they had already accepted as many requests as there is room for. If no one cancels their request, you will not get first seating.

 

First, the procedure here varies by cruise line, and I would be asking on the board for the cruise line involved.

 

Second, most cruise lines have some procedure to accommodate, usually if you meet with the Maitre d or Dining Room Manager, usually on the day you get on board. In this case, on many cruise lines, Suite pax may get highest priority for changes.

 

Lastly, the Open Seating or Anytime Dining option is a very good solution to this.

[skrufy]

If you must eat early look into your time dining.

[tigercat]

I have always gotten the early seating which is what I need but it upsets me when I hear others want the early seating and are told they can't get in. The last Princess cruise I knew some people had wanted early seating and were told there was no room. But in our section there were 3 full tables there were empty except for 1 night each. And then there were only a couple of people at a 8 or 10 topper.

tigercat

[cb at sea]

99% of the time, you will get what you want....if not on the 1st night, certainly by night 2. No worries! Just check with the dining room on boarding day and reiterate your request.