Problem with dining assignment on Royal Caribbean

[KansasK]

My husband and I are booked on a back to back cruise on the Oasis of the Seas in February. My brother will be on board with us for the 1st week. Both of us requested the 6 pm traditional dining.

 

When we made the reservation, we were all put on My Time dining and my husband & I were wait-listed for the 6pm dining. My brother was not wait listed. I called and they referenced his reservation with ours and said if we got the early dining time, he would also. So, my husband and I got the early dining time last week and I checked with my brother and he didn't.

 

My brother called on this and spoke with both Dining and with the Corporate office. He spent last Monday morning on the phone and got nowhere. They basically told him he has to eat alone. I called on this and was told we could request a table for 4 and he could eat with us. I pointed out that since the dining room does not know about my brother, they could put someone in the same chair at our table. I said he needed to be assigned to this time. He told me the early dining was closed and nothing could be done.

 

My husband and I will be switching to My Time dining so we can all eat together, and this will most likely work out. My brother is unhappier about My Time than my husband and I are. We booked in July for a February cruise and early dining was full then. We were on the Oasis last May and booked 9 months out and RCI had no trouble putting my husband & I, our daughter, her husband and baby, and my brother in early dining from the time we made the reservation. They told my brother that they had 685 people on a wait list for early dining for our Feb. cruise. Did they close a level of the dining room?! They are doing something wrong in terms of what people want and what they are offering for dining.

 

We will probably just end up in My Time and be happy with it. Or we might cancel the cruise and go on a smaller ship for the same dates. I find what they did to my brother to be offensive in that our reservations were linked for dinner and referenced and it meant nothing. They have put him a position of having to eat alone, if my husband and I would tolerate this, and we won't. If you come on a cruise alone, your expectations are different than if you are a single person coming with two other people who happen to also be family.

 

We are also booked on a Carnival cruise with my brother in October. We had absolutely no problem being given early dining and we have no status on Carnival. We have diamond status on RCI and he has platinum. It should not take diamond status to get to eat in the dining room for early seating. RCI has to be managing dining poorly for our cruise.

[WupperAV]

Good point! What was it?

[woehwdy]

My husband and I are booked on a back to back cruise on the Oasis of the Seas in February. My brother will be on board with us for the 1st week. Both of us requested the 6 pm traditional dining.

 

When we made the reservation, we were all put on My Time dining and my husband & I were wait-listed for the 6pm dining. My brother was not wait listed. I called and they referenced his reservation with ours and said if we got the early dining time, he would also. So, my husband and I got the early dining time last week and I checked with my brother and he didn't.

 

My brother called on this and spoke with both Dining and with the Corporate office. He spent last Monday morning on the phone and got nowhere. They basically told him he has to eat alone. I called on this and was told we could request a table for 4 and he could eat with us. I pointed out that since the dining room does not know about my brother, they could put someone in the same chair at our table. I said he needed to be assigned to this time. He told me the early dining was closed and nothing could be done.

 

My husband and I will be switching to My Time dining so we can all eat together, and this will most likely work out. My brother is unhappier about My Time than my husband and I are. We booked in July for a February cruise and early dining was full then. We were on the Oasis last May and booked 9 months out and RCI had no trouble putting my husband & I, our daughter, her husband and baby, and my brother in early dining from the time we made the reservation. They told my brother that they had 685 people on a wait list for early dining for our Feb. cruise. Did they close a level of the dining room?! They are doing something wrong in terms of what people want and what they are offering for dining.

 

We will probably just end up in My Time and be happy with it. Or we might cancel the cruise and go on a smaller ship for the same dates. I find what they did to my brother to be offensive in that our reservations were linked for dinner and referenced and it meant nothing. They have put him a position of having to eat alone, if my husband and I would tolerate this, and we won't. If you come on a cruise alone, your expectations are different than if you are a single person coming with two other people who happen to also be family.

 

We are also booked on a Carnival cruise with my brother in October. We had absolutely no problem being given early dining and we have no status on Carnival. We have diamond status on RCI and he has platinum. It should not take diamond status to get to eat in the dining room for early seating. RCI has to be managing dining poorly for our cruise.

 

Your sailing is over 4 months away, the dining will change due cancellations, others changing dining times, groups changing dining, wait a little while before you rush into changing and keep calling to see about openings.

[3dog]

If my understanding is correct about Oasis after dry-dock, there will no longer be a MDR, and will only be Dynamic Dining. So this may be moot (choose a restaurant each night, and dine with your brother).

[KansasK]

Your sailing is over 4 months away, the dining will change due cancellations, others changing dining times, groups changing dining, wait a little while before you rush into changing and keep calling to see about openings.

 

I appreciate the positive thought. Since they said early dining is closed and my brother can't even get on a wait list, I'm not sure the changes you correctly mention could help him. I guess we wait and see and call.

[KansasK]

If my understanding is correct about Oasis after dry-dock, there will no longer be a MDR, and will only be Dynamic Dining. So this may be moot (choose a restaurant each night, and dine with your brother).

 

It is interesting you mentioned Dynamic Dining being on the Oasis after the dry dock, since everything I have read on this site said it will start in March, maybe April, but the dining room will be remodeled. However, when my brother called, they talked like DD will be in effect on our cruise. I'm not sure which is right. Right now our dining shows "traditional 6 PM, no waitlist". I would think it would show something else if DD is effect. My daughter said the same thing about eating in the specialty restaurants instead. That is an appealing idea right now!

[wassup4565]

This dining/reservations is all screwed up on RCI. Has been for months. People can't get the time they want, and can't get their reservations linked with fellow travellers'. Everyone gets dumped into MTD, even if that's not what they want.

 

I don't know what the company is doing behind the scenes. I don't know what plan they have to route us into different dining routines and habits. What I know is that I have not been able to get my first choice dining option on three cruises I booked almost a year in advance.

 

"Something's happening here. What it is ain't exactly clear." While RCI plays with all of us, they are not making their loyal customers happy.

[CruisinBarb63]

Depending on what week in February you are cruising, the reason early dining may have filled up early & no longer has a waitlist could possibly be due to the mid-winter break many schools now take in February. Our spring break has been split into one week in February & one in April. Many families with children may be cruising and want the early seating in the MDR. Just a thought.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[3dog]

It is interesting you mentioned Dynamic Dining being on the Oasis after the dry dock, since everything I have read on this site said it will start in March, maybe April, but the dining room will be remodeled. However, when my brother called, they talked like DD will be in effect on our cruise. I'm not sure which is right. Right now our dining shows "traditional 6 PM, no waitlist". I would think it would show something else if DD is effect. My daughter said the same thing about eating in the specialty restaurants instead. That is an appealing idea right now!

 

For the most part, we haven't had enough information from RCI to determine if this starts right out of dry dock, or if it will be implemented later. However, any structural changes necessary for DD must be made while in dry dock as there won't easily be the ability to make significant changes while in service. And it makes little sense to me to update the dining room for DD and not implement it (but I am not privy to RCI's actual implementation schedule or plans, and though CC members are pretty clued in, they have just the same access).

 

As for it still showing up on your reservation, you made that reservation before DD was announced, so it is possible that RCI hasn't determined how to reconcile this discrepancy (but has some time to do so).

 

Edit: BTW, on my first Oasis class cruise, I didn't dine in the MDR, but instead dined in the specialty restaurants (for the CC tip police, I met with the wait staff the first night and presented them with their tips and mentioned they may release the table).

Edited September 25, 2014 by 3dog
Add information

[KansasK]

Depending on what week in February you are cruising, the reason early dining may have filled up early & no longer has a waitlist could possibly be due to the mid-winter break many schools now take in February. Our spring break has been split into one week in February & one in April. Many families with children may be cruising and want the early seating in the MDR. Just a thought.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

I have not heard of mid-winter breaks being split, but that would mean a lot of kids free to travel and cruise in February.

 

Thanks! I plan to enjoy this cruise. The dining problem is a wrinkle right now, but it will get settled, one way or the other.

[KansasK]

This dining/reservations is all screwed up on RCI. Has been for months. People can't get the time they want, and can't get their reservations linked with fellow travellers'. Everyone gets dumped into MTD, even if that's not what they want.

 

I don't know what the company is doing behind the scenes. I don't know what plan they have to route us into different dining routines and habits. What I know is that I have not been able to get my first choice dining option on three cruises I booked almost a year in advance.

 

"Something's happening here. What it is ain't exactly clear." While RCI plays with all of us, they are not making their loyal customers happy.

 

I agree that dining is screwed up. It is like they are trying to make it hard for people to eat when they want and with whom they want. Listening to my brother for several days and talking to RCI's Corporate office this afternoon has not made me objective on this issue at all. Sooner or later, people start to walk away. Maybe Dynamic Dining will solve some of this.

[xvxpskowro]

Everyone gets dumped into MTD, even if that's not what they want.

[mattpro]

Relax

 

When you board the ship take your group to deck 5 in front of the entrance to the dining room and request a table, telling them you wish to dine at the same time every night (even with MTD) and they will take care of you.

 

Your problem is not a problem.

 

Pre-selecting dining arrangements on RCL are always FUBAR.

 

When you talk to the maitre'd all your problems will disappear.

 

Same thing happened to me on my last 6 cruises.

[vacation_junkie]

My husband and I are booked on a back to back cruise on the Oasis of the Seas in February. My brother will be on board with us for the 1st week. Both of us requested the 6 pm traditional dining.

 

When we made the reservation, we were all put on My Time dining and my husband & I were wait-listed for the 6pm dining. My brother was not wait listed. I called and they referenced his reservation with ours and said if we got the early dining time, he would also. So, my husband and I got the early dining time last week and I checked with my brother and he didn't.

 

My brother called on this and spoke with both Dining and with the Corporate office. He spent last Monday morning on the phone and got nowhere. They basically told him he has to eat alone. I called on this and was told we could request a table for 4 and he could eat with us. I pointed out that since the dining room does not know about my brother, they could put someone in the same chair at our table. I said he needed to be assigned to this time. He told me the early dining was closed and nothing could be done.

 

My husband and I will be switching to My Time dining so we can all eat together, and this will most likely work out. My brother is unhappier about My Time than my husband and I are. We booked in July for a February cruise and early dining was full then. We were on the Oasis last May and booked 9 months out and RCI had no trouble putting my husband & I, our daughter, her husband and baby, and my brother in early dining from the time we made the reservation. They told my brother that they had 685 people on a wait list for early dining for our Feb. cruise. Did they close a level of the dining room?! They are doing something wrong in terms of what people want and what they are offering for dining.

 

We will probably just end up in My Time and be happy with it. Or we might cancel the cruise and go on a smaller ship for the same dates. I find what they did to my brother to be offensive in that our reservations were linked for dinner and referenced and it meant nothing. They have put him a position of having to eat alone, if my husband and I would tolerate this, and we won't. If you come on a cruise alone, your expectations are different than if you are a single person coming with two other people who happen to also be family.

 

We are also booked on a Carnival cruise with my brother in October. We had absolutely no problem being given early dining and we have no status on Carnival. We have diamond status on RCI and he has platinum. It should not take diamond status to get to eat in the dining room for early seating. RCI has to be managing dining poorly for our cruise.

 

 

Keep in mind that there is My Family Time Dining® during the early sitting which can take up a certain amount of available tables.

 

If you wish to eat together its simple.

All switch to MTD and book your dinner reservations during that early seating time slot and request the same wait staff every night.

Same difference.

That's what we did when I reserved our dinners for our Feb Allure Cruise last week.

 

Call them directly and book your dinners.

They can link you all together on one dinner reservations.

[KKMurphy2]

Wow! 585 people on the waitlist. Doesn't that tell Royal something? On last year's Freedom cruise, we booked 1 year out with 8 people. Waitlisted for early pm. Unable to get 6 pm for MTD. We wanted to make sure we could see the shows. Therefore, we took late seating. If they are breaking up the dining room into individual venues, won't they lose overall seating with walls and serving areas? Doesn't the 585 people on the waiting list tell Royal something? I, too, would be very curious regarding the marketing research of their dining changes.

[NJcruisenewbie]

I hope you can find a solution that will make you all happy. I just don't get the big deal about dining. It certainly cause a lot of stress and drama with some people. Personally I never would spend the morning on the phone for something like this. I don't understand why MTD isn't acceptable with your brother. You can all eat together at the same time every night and be with the same staff (mostly likely) if that's what you want.

[lakelorain]

Relax

 

When you board the ship take your group to deck 5 in front of the entrance to the dining room and request a table, telling them you wish to dine at the same time every night (even with MTD) and they will take care of you.

 

Your problem is not a problem.

 

Pre-selecting dining arrangements on RCL are always FUBAR.

 

When you talk to the maitre'd all your problems will disappear.

 

Same thing happened to me on my last 6 cruises.

 

This is correct. We travel with others frequently and this is an ongoing problem. It always gets fixed on board. No big deal.

[misty57]

We have always done traditional dining and even when waitlisted for early dining we ended up just where we wanted to be. Last cruise we did MTD as for the two of us it became more and more unpleasant and we became unhappy with having to rush to get to the shows or dread dinner because of our tablemates. We really liked it. I no longer dread dinner, and on Rhapsody we had no problem getting a table, even though the advanced reservations I made on line somehow disappeared and we had to make nightly reservations because of our late excursions. I am confident that your dinner arrangements will sort out and you will be fine! Just keep checking with them even if you do MTD, you will have a fabulous time. There are so many dining options on the larger ships that sometimes the MDR is pretty empty. :)

[paggerscorvette]

We can't reserve our MTD on the Liberty, and we are under 90 days, very frustrating

[bouhunter]

We burned out on MDR 4 years ago, now do 4 nights specialty dining and 3 nights Windjammer on a 7 night cruise. Got so tired of the MDR routine, same bread, same salad, same waiters........... I know people love it and that's great but it wasn't for us. This thread is yet another example of why to stay away from it. Vacation is supposed to be fun, not like trying to plan a wedding or conference...........;)

[vacation_junkie]

We can't reserve our MTD on the Liberty, and we are under 90 days, very frustrating

 

Call them and double check. I booked out MTD reservations at 145 days out for the Allure

[paggerscorvette]

Call them and double check. I booked out MTD reservations at 145 days out for the Allure

Just got off the phone with RCCL this morning. For some strange reason, no one can book MTD, not even the reps. He told me to try around 60 days out, what is up with that?:eek:

[biomedbob]

I don't worry about dinner tonight let alone six months from now. :confused:

 

Good Grief.

[Folk Singer]

Good point! What was it?

 

 

What's UP. :eek::eek:

[CleverEuphemism]

We are also cruising on Oasis in February. We are traveling with a group and booked the cruise later than most of them. The rest of the group selected 8:30 dining and we were told it was full and were added to MTD. I didn't really care but my husband wanted to eat with the group (his family) so it took three different calls to get us added to the 8:30 seating. (I didn't call just for that reason, but every time I called for a price drop or something else I asked and each time was told sorry, everything but MTD was full). Finally, on the third call, one very kind RCI rep called the dining group and got us in. I pleaded my case with him that I would have an annoyed mother-in-law who could not eat with her son. Maybe they took pity on me. ;)

We were told by other reps that if you call right after the final payment date slots can open up, but with a long wait list it seems unlikely. Perhaps they are pushing people towards MTD to prepare them for Dynamic Dining in the future?