Bella Buffet dining room?

[NoName]

Hi everyone,

I have booked two cabins with my family on the Divina. Both cabins are booked as "bella". I have read there is a chance we won't get a table assigned in the dining room. I am wondering how many people this has happened to? Has it happened to you? If so, please tell me about the experience.

 

Thanks.

Kim

[Skier52]

Hi everyone,

I have booked two cabins with my family on the Divina. Both cabins are booked as "bella". I have read there is a chance we won't get a table assigned in the dining room. I am wondering how many people this has happened to? Has it happened to you? If so, please tell me about the experience.

 

Thanks.

Kim

 

You can read it for yourself

This is from the UK brochure

 

 

It is the small print at the bottom of the image and says

 

"Should the main restaurant be full, Bella Experience guests may be asked to be seated in the Buffet area, wher they will rerceive full main rstaurant service"

 

 

This is only likely to occur when the ship is sailing near to full capacity.

 

tHis is a quote from another thread

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2325798&highlight=bella

 

Well would you believe long before they thought of their experiences, I was relegated to the buffet on my only cruise on the Fantasia. Sure I still had waiter service and the same menu as the 2 MDRs but it did not have the same atmosphere. Really didn't like it at all. They used it as an overflow section for the MDR. It was a cruise late April/early May so not even peak season. I was a Gold member at the time (Black didn't exist). I was all for making a fuss to get moved but my cousins liked our table companions so didn't want me to insist on being moved.

[NoName]

Thanks for the information. I guess I am wondering what percentage of Bella bookers were denied a table in the dining room? What kind of ship doesn't have room for all diners in the dining room? I can't imagine. Unfortunately, I am stuck with Bella....so am crossing my fingers that we can have a table.

 

Kim

[cruiseguyinorl]

Thanks for the information. I guess I am wondering what percentage of Bella bookers were denied a table in the dining room? What kind of ship doesn't have room for all diners in the dining room? I can't imagine. Unfortunately, I am stuck with Bella....so am crossing my fingers that we can have a table.

 

Kim

 

Kim,

 

To the knowledge of USA Operations landside, this has never occurred onboard the Divina. Can't peak for the other ships.

 

Bret

Edited July 5, 2016 by cruiseguyinorl

[riclop]

Hi everyone,

I have booked two cabins with my family on the Divina. Both cabins are booked as "bella". I have read there is a chance we won't get a table assigned in the dining room. I am wondering how many people this has happened to? Has it happened to you? If so, please tell me about the experience.

 

Thanks.

Kim

 

You have all wrong, you are NOT denied a table in the MDR , you may not get your desired dining time.

[BermudaBound2014]

You may want to do a search for AnnMondo postings. She used to be extremely active here and I do believe she was forced to eat in the buffet on one of her trips.

 

Bret: Are you certain about this never happening on Divina? The reason I ask is that I traveled over Easter week (which was also spring break for many stated in the US) and the aft area of the buffet was roped off with linen table clothes. I just assumed that was the overflow area. I do not recall seeing any tablecloths on my most recent sailing. Perhaps there is only overflow on Divina during high holidays (spring break since kids sail free, Easter, Xmas, etc...?).

[cruiseguyinorl]

Can't say 100% as the ship may not have relayed the info to Operations on land.

 

Bret

[NoName]

Thanks for the information everyone. I am crossing my fingers that this will not be an issue. Having to eat our evening meal in a roped off area in the buffet would be a deal breaker for me and I doubt I would go back.

 

This is only my 2nd cruise on MSC. My first cruise on MSC was in 2011 and while I had a nice vacation, I knew that it wouldn't be an experience that my family would enjoy and so we have continued to sail NCL and Carnival primarily...fast forward 5 years and hearing that MSC was working hard to appeal to Americans....coupled with the fantastic discounts they were offering, I decided to give it a try again......

 

One of the things we are really looking forward to as a family is enjoying the evening meal together.......I hope I haven't made a mistake! Thanks again. Kim

[BermudaBound2014]

Can't say 100% as the ship may not have relayed the info to Operations on land.

 

Bret

 

And in all fairness, I can't say 100% either because I just 'assumed' and didn't inquire and we all know where that can lead. But because it was an Easter (and spring break) cruise where kids sailed free so it was my logical assumption.

[tallnthensome]

So ..... do the people who booked first get to stay at their desired time and those who booked last get asked to be moved first? What would be the guess?

[Love2Cruz2015]

I had a Bella Balcony on my last cruise, I did get a table in the main dining room, but did not get my dining seating choice. NO biggie though.

[BermudaBound2014]

So ..... do the people who booked first get to stay at their desired time and those who booked last get asked to be moved first? What would be the guess?

 

My guess would be nope. In theory, all the fantastica should get their choice, even if they book a week before the cruise. Then, my 'guess' is that who gets placed out of the MDR is luck of the draw. I'd recommend finding AnnMondo (who is a very helpful poster here) and reading her experience about getting bumped out of MDR. She will be able to tell you if she booked in advance or last minute :).

[sidari]

MSC landside are unlikely to know what is happening onboard ships and a travel agent even less.

[Skier52]

You have all wrong, you are NOT denied a table in the MDR , you may not get your desired dining time.

 

That's mot quite right

 

read the small print in the image in post 2#

 

It says in the small print at the bottom of the image

 

 

"Should the main restaurant be full, Bella Experience guests may be asked to be seated in the Buffet area, where they will receive full main restaurant service"

 

 

There it's now big and red

Pete

Edited July 5, 2016 by Skier52

[Skier52]

You may want to do a search for AnnMondo postings. She used to be extremely active here and I do believe she was forced to eat in the buffet on one of her trips.

 

 

It is her quote that I put up in post #2

 

 

Well would you believe long before they thought of their experiences, I was relegated to the buffet on my only cruise on the Fantasia. Sure I still had waiter service and the same menu as the 2 MDRs but it did not have the same atmosphere. Really didn't like it at all. They used it as an overflow section for the MDR. It was a cruise late April/early May so not even peak season. I was a Gold member at the time (Black didn't exist). I was all for making a fuss to get moved but my cousins liked our table companions so didn't want me to insist on being moved.

 

 

 

Pete

Edited July 5, 2016 by Skier52