Is Royal planning to drop Traditional Dining?

[skrapngal]

I have 2 Royal cruises booked for 2017 (so lots of lead time) and in both cases, I was unable to choose Traditional Dining (or Traditional Dynamic in the case of Anthem).

 

What's up with that?

 

My Radiance cruise was just published less than a week ago, so it's obviously NOT that traditional dining is full!

[Clarea]

I've read of no plans to drop traditional dining, but they do seem to block it off very early. Could be travel agents were given blocks of space with traditional dining.

[skrapngal]

I've read of no plans to drop traditional dining, but they do seem to block it off very early. Could be travel agents were given blocks of space with traditional dining.

 

I'll keep checking, maybe it will open up.

 

I find it odd that when I tried booking a Junior Suite on Radiance (to find if the price would be worth it), it offered Traditional Dining to Junior Suite passengers!

[Biker19]

(or Traditional Dynamic in the case of Anthem)

!

 

How many more versions of DD can people call it? :rolleyes:

[Clarea]

I'll keep checking, maybe it will open up.

 

I find it odd that when I tried booking a Junior Suite on Radiance (to find if the price would be worth it), it offered Traditional Dining to Junior Suite passengers!

Now that's one I have not heard. As if they are giving suite guests first shot?

[minn0315]

We booked Oasis for February 2017 back in December. Crown Loft Suite. Travel agent could not get us early traditional dining. She told me it was fully booked at 14 months out.

[mrpayroll]

Booked Allure last week for Mid January 2017. All that was available was MTD. I'll keep watching as i"m sure early and late is not already filled 11 months out.

[Clarea]

Booked Allure last week for Mid January 2017. All that was available was MTD. I'll keep watching as i"m sure early and late is not already filled 11 months out.

Could you get on a wait list?

[cb at sea]

Yes...get on the wait list, and check at the dining room on boarding day, if it still hasn't been confirmed.

[bigsky]

Not sure how accurate this RC agent was. I called to find out why the dining time I wanted wasn't available with so much time out at booking. He said they block so many seats so as not all of the popular ones are taken right away. He made it sound like they open up a certain amount, then will open up more later. Sometimes I get different answers from different people, so what it's worth, this is what I was told. There is a wait list as well. If you're using a TA, you can always have him call RC to see if there's an opening. Some things get done better than I can when my TA is involved. I'm a pretty pushy person too :D

[CookieDiva]

When we booked in Oct 2014 for our upcoming cruise on the FOS, we could not book traditional nor could we be waitlisted.

[squiffynimrod]

Booked Allure last week for Mid January 2017. All that was available was MTD. I'll keep watching as i"m sure early and late is not already filled 11 months out.

 

Which sailing? We're going Jan 15 with early traditional booked. I check the website frequently for changes in pricing. Early seating disappeared a long time ago, then late seating followed. But this week early seating showed up again.

 

EDIT: today it's late traditional available only. No early or MTD.

Edited February 27, 2016 by squiffynimrod

[Clarea]

When we booked in Oct 2014 for our upcoming cruise on the FOS, we could not book traditional nor could we be waitlisted.

Just seems so odd that there would not be a wait list that far out.

[slyster]

I booked June 2017 and I was given the choice of early or late traditional dining (as well as MTD)

[nelblu]

I have 2 Royal cruises booked for 2017 (so lots of lead time) and in both cases, I was unable to choose Traditional Dining (or Traditional Dynamic in the case of Anthem).

 

What's up with that?

 

My Radiance cruise was just published less than a week ago, so it's obviously NOT that traditional dining is full!

 

I've got 3 cruises booked and all have confirmed traditional dining/dd classic Oasis( 3/26) booked via RCL, Anthem (8/16) and Navigator (2/17) booked via a TA. Why don't you make request via "rcldining@rccl.com".

[mrpayroll]

 

Which sailing? We're going Jan 15 with early traditional booked. I check the website frequently for changes in pricing. Early seating disappeared a long time ago, then late seating followed. But this week early seating showed up again.

 

EDIT: today it's late traditional available only. No early or MTD.

 

I see that today. Strange, Seems to me that the earlier you book you should have more opportunities. I will keep checking. If nothing for early opens we will just make resvs. for a early time every day. :)

We are also going on January. 15th. ( then driving to Miami for Carnival Vista on 22nd )

Edited February 27, 2016 by mrpayroll

[Janet524]

I just booked Oasis for a year from now and told trad late seating closed. Rep said to call.Monday when restaurant booking folks were in and they would be able to clear us for trad late seating. Seems like they are really trying to ram My Time Dining down our throats.

[cruiselife4me]

This is ludicrous!! I'm not a fan of dynamic dining because I don't like to plan out what I may or may not be doing. I like traditional dining much better. I'm a travel agent and many of my clients are disliking DD.

[wreckem2013]

I have 2 Royal cruises booked for 2017 (so lots of lead time) and in both cases, I was unable to choose Traditional Dining (or Traditional Dynamic in the case of Anthem).

 

What's up with that?

 

My Radiance cruise was just published less than a week ago, so it's obviously NOT that traditional dining is full!

 

Traditional Dining was available for all three of my bookings in 2017. March 13 on Liberty, and June 30/July 7 on Radiance.

[slyster]

Our last two cruises we had to be wait listed for early traditional and both times within a month or two or booking, it opened up. We have never not gotten the traditional seating we wanted.

[jagsfan]

I have 2 Royal cruises booked for 2017 (so lots of lead time) and in both cases, I was unable to choose Traditional Dining (or Traditional Dynamic in the case of Anthem).

 

 

 

What's up with that?

 

 

 

My Radiance cruise was just published less than a week ago, so it's obviously NOT that traditional dining is full!

 

 

Ask an RCCL agent to transfer you to someone in the dining dept. I was able to get confirmed for early traditional when it was unavailable

[wmwmarmstrong]

When we booked in Oct 2014 for our upcoming cruise on the FOS, we could not book traditional nor could we be waitlisted.

 

I booked yesterday for April 1, 2017 on Freedom and was told only My Time was available. Planner said to call back in June and see if I could get it changed. Being this was my first cruise with RC, I was a little surprised.

 

I went online and did a mock booking and it was only showing My Time. Is this normal for RC?

[Biker19]

I booked yesterday for April 1, 2017 on Freedom and was told only My Time was available. Planner said to call back in June and see if I could get it changed. Being this was my first cruise with RC, I was a little surprised.

 

I went online and did a mock booking and it was only showing My Time. Is this normal for RC?

 

No, but we can't tell if that is policy or just RCI's IT system at it again.

[yuvraj]

I am going to express an opinion in response to the original question. This is based on recent cruises on Allure, Oasis and Anthem. Plus cruises over the past five years have been mainly on Freedom Class.

 

I believe that on the latest class of ships (Quantum, Oasis) they are moving strategically away from traditional dinning and the traditional cruise format. my opinion which not everyone will agree with. Quantum definitely seems to lean toward dynamic dinning IMO.

 

I don't believe this would happen fleet wide. Having reflected on my own recent experiences and some of the comments on this forum, I have a feeling that some are picking the wrong ship for their cruse if it is the traditional dinning / evening format that they are looking forward to or are accustomed to.

[CookieDiva]

Just seems so odd that there would not be a wait list that far out.

 

 

You're right. It was (is) odd. Our TA was taking care of our reservation for us and was surprised too. As was the RCI agent that she was working with. I still have the emails where we were discussing it.

In the end it's really a blessing because MTD is our preference. But odd none the less.