My Time Dining - travel agent made a mistake

[Sydney32203]

We booked our cruise on the Voyager of the Seas 14 nights to New Zealand 11 months early. Our group (8 of us) wanted My Time Dining which wasn't an issue because we booked so early. Just over a week ago, I tried to log in to book a 6pm dining for My Time DininG but could not do and I thought it was because I booked it with a travel agent. So I rang my travel agent to ask her to book 6pm for us on My Time Dining. BUT what she did was change us from My Time Dining to 6pm Traditional dining. When I log in to the Royal Carribean website the next day I saw what she did and rang her straight away.

 

She rang Royal Carribean and was told that they can not put us back on My Time Dining because it's now full and we will have to go on a waiting list! It has been 1.5 weeks now and we are still on a waiting list. What are our chances on going back on MTD? I just don't get it why we have to go on a waiting list when the agent was the one who made a mistake.

 

Anyway, feeling really upset now because some of our excursions ends at 7pm and 7.30pm. What happens on these days when we can't make it for the 6pm traditional dining? I dont really want to have buffet for dinner.

 

Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[cruisenfever]

We booked our cruise on the Voyager of the Seas 14 nights to New Zealand 11 months early. Our group (8 of us) wanted My Time Dining which wasn't an issue because we booked so early. Just over a week ago, I tried to log in to book a 6pm dining for My Time DininG but could not do and I thought it was because I booked it with a travel agent. So I rang my travel agent to ask her to book 6pm for us on My Time Dining. BUT what she did was change us from My Time Dining to 6pm Traditional dining. When I log in to the Royal Carribean website the next day I saw what she did and rang her straight away.

 

She rang Royal Carribean and was told that they can not put us back on My Time Dining because it's now full and we will have to go on a waiting list! It has been 1.5 weeks now and we are still on a waiting list. What are our chances on going back on MTD? I just don't get it why we have to go on a waiting list when the agent was the one who made a mistake.

 

Anyway, feeling really upset now because some of our excursions ends at 7pm and 7.30pm. What happens on these days when we can't make it for the 6pm traditional dining? I dont really want to have buffet for dinner.

 

Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

No worries. Since you are 11 months away from departure, MTD is sure to open up. Just keep checking your booking on your My Cruises account and give your TA a call in November.

[DonnaK]

Your travel agent made the error, so she should take responsibility for making it right. She should be on the phone with RCI negotiating on your behalf and having them find a way to accommodate you in MTD

[Clarea]

If you cannot get into My Time before the cruise, then go to the dining room as soon as you board and try to get changed there.

 

If all else fails, you have Windjammer (buffet) which is really not bad for dinner, Portofino or Johnny Rockets which are extra cost specialty restaurants.

[Sydney32203]

Cruisenfever, it's not 11 months away. I booked in in December 2012 for a November 2013 departure. It's now only 6.5weeks away and I'm on a waiting list. :-(( What are my chances in changing back to MTD?

 

DonnaK, I spoke to my travel agent and she said the best they could do is put me back on a waiting list for MTD and hopefully I can get in. :-( I think I'll ring her again and be more insistent....:-(

[Sydney32203]

Can anyone tell me what happens if we book an excursion with the ship which ends later than the start of 6pm traditional dining? Are we still allowed to dine in the main dining room after our allocated time?

 

Also, how do we find out what are the days they have formal nights on? We bought an unlimited photo package and would want to get dressed up to go for formal nights and dining in the Windjammer on those days would not be ideal.

[gerif]

Can anyone tell me what happens if we book an excursion with the ship which ends later than the start of 6pm traditional dining? Are we still allowed to dine in the main dining room after our allocated time?

 

Also, how do we find out what are the days they have formal nights on? We bought an unlimited photo package and would want to get dressed up to go for formal nights and dining in the Windjammer on those days would not be ideal.

 

No - there would be someone else at your table for the later seating.

 

You can find out when you board which nights are formal.

[Clarea]

Can anyone tell me what happens if we book an excursion with the ship which ends later than the start of 6pm traditional dining? Are we still allowed to dine in the main dining room after our allocated time?

 

Also, how do we find out what are the days they have formal nights on? We bought an unlimited photo package and would want to get dressed up to go for formal nights and dining in the Windjammer on those days would not be ideal.

Regarding formal nights, the most reliable way to find out ahead of time is to ask someone who was on a recent cruise with the same itinerary. You can post on recent roll calls to do this. If that doesn't work, then you can ask Guest Services once you get on board.

[Lionesss]

On the Western this past July we arrived 3 hours later than the time we were supposed to from our tubing, zipping excursion.

Need I say it was after 6 when we got back on board, and we would never make dinner.

We ordered and ate in our room.

Our server got very upset that we did not notify him that we would not be there (we did not know we would miss dinner), and the next night he thought he did something wrong, which he did not.

Our table mates said no one replaced us at our table, and if late again we will call.

Sea Ya

[Sydney32203]

I just spoke to Royal Carribean and they said MtD is full and closed so theres nothing they can do. They said my chances aren't very good in trying to get back on MTD. Aarghhhh!!! They said to get my travel agent to ring them and see what can be done.

 

So, what can my travel agent do, if royal carribean has just told me its full and closed. The only way i can see is to bump someone off and put us back in?

 

Why should we bear the cost of our travel agents mistake? One of the most important thing for us going on a cruise is MTD and we book early so we can get it.

 

I'm really upset........

[cb at sea]

The chances of changing once on board are good....but, if you can't, you will NOT be rushed on port days! Do not fear! You will be onboard in PLENTY of time to get ready for dinner! You will need to be back on the ship 30 mins. prior to posted sailaway time....and most folks are back much earlier than that. There are other dining options, too!

[heziggy]

maybe you can switch to later dining since you know you wont get back late some nights. and have a snack earlier in the night to hold off hunger if its normally too late for you.

[ahecht]

The chances of changing once on board are good....but, if you can't, you will NOT be rushed on port days! Do not fear! You will be onboard in PLENTY of time to get ready for dinner! You will need to be back on the ship 30 mins. prior to posted sailaway time....and most folks are back much earlier than that. There are other dining options, too!

 

This isn't a Caribbean cruise. The ship stays in some of the ports until 8 or 9pm. You absolutely can miss the first seating even if you are back on board in time.

[Starry Eyes]

I just spoke to Royal Carribean and they said MtD is full and closed so theres nothing they can do. They said my chances aren't very good in trying to get back on MTD. Aarghhhh!!! They said to get my travel agent to ring them and see what can be done.

 

So, what can my travel agent do, if royal carribean has just told me its full and closed. The only way i can see is to bump someone off and put us back in?

 

Why should we bear the cost of our travel agents mistake? One of the most important thing for us going on a cruise is MTD and we book early so we can get it.

 

I'm really upset........

No surprise that you are upset. It is a pity that your agent misunderstood your wishes. As to why you must bear the agent's mistake, that is because the agent "owns" your reservation; by electing to book with this agent you authorized that agent to be the one able to change your reservation. Sadly, that seems to have backfired on you. I, too, have been frustrated with difficulties with agents over the years, so I generally prefer to book direct. If you choose to use an agent in the future, select the agent with great care.

 

since you were trying to make MTD reservations only weeks before the cruise, the odds that you'd have been able to get the reservation times you wished we're probably low. The misunderstanding made it worse, of course.

[Ourusualbeach]

On the Western this past July we arrived 3 hours later than the time we were supposed to from our tubing, zipping excursion.

Need I say it was after 6 when we got back on board, and we would never make dinner.

We ordered and ate in our room.

Our server got very upset that we did not notify him that we would not be there (we did not know we would miss dinner), and the next night he thought he did something wrong, which he did not.

Our table mates said no one replaced us at our table, and if late again we will call.

Sea Ya

 

Just to clarify. Only Grand Suites and above can order full meals off the menu to their rooms. You may of course order off the limited room service menu.

[PINEVIEW01]

I would ask at boarding. I always had the opp problem, I didn't want MTD. I wanted traditional. The first day the gave us the same time at the same table each night.

 

When the previous poster stated if they come back late someone would be at their table, I am sure they are stating when late setting comes in they will be at that table. Not that other people would be placed there during your time. As far as going to traditional late, it is rude to your table mates and waiters and messes everything. At the next table a party showed up late every night and it messed up them and our service.

[krewzin]

See if your TA will cover a few nights dining in specialty restaurants to help make up for his/her screw-up.

[Amy from Delaware]

Just to clarify. Only Grand Suites and above can order full meals off the menu to their rooms. You may of course order off the limited room service menu.

 

Is this accurate? I thought everyone could order room service off the MDR dinner menu during dinner time.

[Clarea]

Is this accurate? I thought everyone could order room service off the MDR dinner menu during dinner time.

Yes, it's accurate. Only guests in full suites (GS or better) can order room service off the full dining room menu.

[Sydney32203]

Starry Eyes, I've been trying to make reservations for MTD online since April but it kept saying that it's too early and reservation are not yet open and to check back 60 days before departure. I check back less than 60 days and it still won't let me reserve a time online so that is why I contacted my travel agent. I wish now I had just left it and try my luck when I got on board....

 

Another question: we have been booked on a large table of 8 and we are all one group traveling together. If we come back late can we still dine in the main dining (of course before the second seating) as it shouldn't disrupt anyone since we are our own table?

 

Or, on those days is it possible for MTD to accommodate us?

[Amy from Delaware]

Yes, it's accurate. Only guests in full suites (GS or better) can order room service off the full dining room menu.

 

Thanks

[maureencruiser]

See if your TA will cover a few nights dining in specialty restaurants to help make up for his/her screw-up.

 

Best answer- you broke it, you fix it!

[novicetraveller]

Starry Eyes, I've been trying to make reservations for MTD online since April but it kept saying that it's too early and reservation are not yet open and to check back 60 days before departure. I check back less than 60 days and it still won't let me reserve a time online so that is why I contacted my travel agent. I wish now I had just left it and try my luck when I got on board....

 

Another question: we have been booked on a large table of 8 and we are all one group traveling together. If we come back late can we still dine in the main dining (of course before the second seating) as it shouldn't disrupt anyone since we are our own table?

 

Or, on those days is it possible for MTD to accommodate us?

 

It depends on how late you are. I don't know what the timings are on your cruise, but when I was on the Allure, the 2 seatings were 6pm and 8:30pm. As long as you are able to vacate by 8:30pm (may be sooner), you should be ok. However, if your excursion is going to be late, is there any local restaurants in the port you could visit before you come back on board?

[Paulxyz2004]

Starry Eyes, I've been trying to make reservations for MTD online since April but it kept saying that it's too early and reservation are not yet open and to check back 60 days before departure. I check back less than 60 days and it still won't let me reserve a time online so that is why I contacted my travel agent. I wish now I had just left it and try my luck when I got on board....

 

Another question: we have been booked on a large table of 8 and we are all one group traveling together. If we come back late can we still dine in the main dining (of course before the second seating) as it shouldn't disrupt anyone since we are our own table?

 

Or, on those days is it possible for MTD to accommodate us?

 

It really depends on how late you are getting there. I would never get to the MDR more than 15 mins late. Even if you are at your own table it still throws the Service off for the others served by your waiter. It would result in additional trips to the galley for the waiter, as they usually get the Food course by course for all their tables. In Addition the galley operates in a way that they set up a line for soups, Starters, then once those are done main courses are produced and then deserts. Whenever they are done they clean up and start preparing for the next course or even the next seating. So if you are really late your waiter Needs to struggle where to get the Food from. He might even have to make the trip to the MTD galley to get your Food.

 

It´s highly unlikely they will be able to accomodate you in MTD on those nights. There´s no switching back and forth between Traditional and MTD.

 

As for those saying you just Need to be out until second seating starts. Well yes and no. There Needs to be some time in between as the table Needs to be prepared for second seating. So there Needs to be a break in between.

 

Buffet / specialty Restaurants would be your best bets for those nights. As for formal nights, they are usually not planned on a night where the ship is in port late.

[xxHadleyxx]

Is this accurate? I thought everyone could order room service off the MDR dinner menu during dinner time.

It is accurate. Only full suites can order from the MDR menu. The room service menu itself has some "real" food on it though. It isn't half bad.

Starry Eyes, I've been trying to make reservations for MTD online since April but it kept saying that it's too early and reservation are not yet open and to check back 60 days before departure. I check back less than 60 days and it still won't let me reserve a time online so that is why I contacted my travel agent. I wish now I had just left it and try my luck when I got on board....

 

Another question: we have been booked on a large table of 8 and we are all one group traveling together. If we come back late can we still dine in the main dining (of course before the second seating) as it shouldn't disrupt anyone since we are our own table?

 

Or, on those days is it possible for MTD to accommodate us?

 

As others say, it depends on how late you are. I agree that more than 15 minutes late would really put the waiters in a bind and throw off the service for EVERY table ion their section. As someone else said, you would also have to finish early enough to let them clean and reset the table before the next seating opens.

 

PERHAPS, if you knew you would be 15-30 minutes late, but no more, you could explain to the waitstaff, and possibly look at the menus in advance and place your order the night before, so that things are not delayed overly much by your late arrival?