Just need to vent!

[troykahack]

Click on the name, then find all post

 

I tried, just pops up their profile.... on PC

[setsail]

I tried, just pops up their profile.... on PC

 

There are tabs, click on the stats one

[troykahack]

Can I find it if I look at your signature :p

 

Duh... LOL

 

But could you find it other ways like Google or is it just the history of the OP.... Was just looking for tools to use to find what groups might be on a cruise we pick...??

[troykahack]

There are tabs, click on the stats one

 

Got it... it was the left click... not the right click...

 

See, learned something new... Thank you

[setsail]

got it... It was the left click... Not the right click...

 

See, learned something new... Thank you

 

yw.

[steveru621]

You cannot link reservations unless you have the same dining option. It's a catch-22.

[Darlzee]

there are several other places to eat, the windjammer-included or the specialty restaurants$.

 

You booked through a 3rd party for a poker cruise. In the info from the ta it appears all of this group are assigned early seating. It says the poker rooms open right after your early seating in the mdr. Rci must be holding early seating for this group. Are your friends booking through this TA or directly with the cruise line?

 

No they all booked thru RCI. This was their first cruise, they have a bad taste in their mouth because of this. Now they feel it just wasn't meant to be.

[Darlzee]

If early dining is full then there's nothing they can do to add them. It's not a 'policy'. If you have 100 tables, and 100 tables are reserved, how do you expect to add them to early dining?

 

They could have been waitlisted and odds are they'd get sorted when people cancel between now and sail date

 

Do you really think Early Dining is booked nine months out! I bet if they wanted a suite they would have gotten the early dining.

[Paul65]

We are a party of six going on the Liberty April 30,2017. Another couple decided to join our group and while making their reservations, they noticed they could not get early dining. This being their first cruise, they wanted to be with their friends. They called Royal Caribbean and asked to have their reservations changed to early dining so they could be with the rest of their six friends. Nine months out and RCCL said they could not give them the 5:30 dining, they had to be on a waiting list till Feb 2017. Knowing this couple were going to cancel their reservation if they couldn't be with their friends for dinner, RCCL still would not budge. I have never heard of such a policy nine months out, we could see if it was closer to the cruise but this is ridiculous. Very disappointed in RCCL. Needless to say they have lost a new customer and six other disgruntled people.

 

It's not really a "policy" per se. There is a limit to how many people can sign up for early dining, because the dining rooms only hold so many. It may fill up 9 months out or sooner or later than that. I'm sure you wouldn't want them to continue promising early seating to everyone who requested it, even after it was full. At least, I hope you wouldn't want that.

[setsail]

No they all booked thru RCI. This was their first cruise, they have a bad taste in their mouth because of this. Now they feel it just wasn't meant to be.

 

I am not going to try to change their mind or yours but there are options, just saying

 

I mean all of you canceled so what's the use in a discussion

 

If they had booked with the ta they would have been assigned the early seating

Edited July 19, 2016 by setsail

[Paul65]

Do you really think Early Dining is booked nine months out!

 

Yes. It's not unusual for early dining to fill up quickly.

[Darlzee]

I always find some of the comments and suggestions amazing. Like...just switch to MTD...or use the wait list, you should be fine.

 

None of us know what the important factors are for the OP to enjoy their vacation. I know my wife and I really enjoy traditional dining and sharing a table with other passengers. For us, it is a MAJOR factor...so much so that we have decided we simply will not book a cruise if that is not an option.

 

If the OP is like us, why should they risk not getting what they want on THEIR vacation? For the vast majority of people, vacation dollars and vacation time is precious. I know I do not want to waste it and am not real fond of the idea of having to settle for something I don't like when I have other options.

 

Hopefully, by all cancelling they will be able to find another vacation option where they can get what they want...or at least have a better chance of it.

 

We didn't all cancel, just the couple who couldn't get the 5:30 Slot for dining. I have been booked since Feb and am anxious to go on this cruise. This couple has couple never been on a cruise so they got offended and just cancelled. We all wanted them to wait, but they are afraid they would not be able to sit with us in dining room.

[steveru621]

Do you really think Early Dining is booked nine months out! I bet if they wanted a suite they would have gotten the early dining.

 

Yes I do. We have been waitlisted as far as a year out. Every time we have gotten what we wanted.

 

I have a theory why traditional dining at both 5:30 and 8:00 always are waitlisted. MTD, MTD, MTD. RCI waits to see how many tables it will need for MTD. Since table utilization for MTD is very inefficient, traditional seating gets shorted. Just my theory.

 

I really don't mean to be rude, but why do you believe your situation requires a solution before everyone else waiting for traditional dining? I agree with you, the whole process is nuts! We always take late seating traditional, and almost always are waitlisted, only to arrive to an almost empty table. Go figure.

[John&LaLa]

Yes I do. We have been waitlisted as far as a year out. Every time we have gotten what we wanted.

 

I have a theory why traditional dining at both 5:30 and 8:00 always are waitlisted. MTD, MTD, MTD. RCI waits to see how many tables it will need for MTD. Since table utilization for MTD is very inefficient, traditional seating gets shorted. Just my theory.

 

I really don't mean to be rude, but why do you believe your situation requires a solution before everyone else waiting for traditional dining? I agree with you, the whole process is nuts! We always take late seating traditional, and almost always are waitlisted, only to arrive to an almost empty table. Go figure.

 

I think it's more about group booking by travel agencies. For whatever reason all my recent cruises have all been group bookings and all my table mates are with my travel agency.

[steveru621]

I think it's more about group booking by travel agencies. For whatever reason all my recent cruises have all been group bookings and all my table mates are with my travel agency.

 

Damn, forgot all about that. :) Does a group booking always have the same dining option?

[Clarea]

Damn, forgot all about that. :) Does a group booking always have the same dining option?

That was the case with our group booking last year on Liberty.

[cyndepet]

Duh... LOL

 

But could you find it other ways like Google or is it just the history of the OP.... Was just looking for tools to use to find what groups might be on a cruise we pick...??

 

Actually I just tried Google Brilliance of the Seas December 2017 Charter and your sailing came up. So you definitely can!

[jmf123]

Having Traditional Dining Times booked so far in advance is not unusual at all and happens a lot even when you book 9-12 months in advance.

 

Link your reservations and use the wait list method. You will be surprised at how early those dining slots will open up.

 

I agree with the above. OP, I hope that your friends will reconsider and take the cruise!

Patti, just had to send congrats- after your 52 year wait:

NE Ohio - Home of the 2016 NBA Champions. Awesome! (I attended some Cavs games back in the 80s). World B. Free! :D

[whitshel]

I know it's been said, but why don't you all just switch to MTD? You all are friends, right? Friends don't let friends eat alone! :D Its just not that big of a deal, at least in my mind. We did the same on Oasis, had a couple join us late in the game, so we had 10 other people switch from Early to MTD. Plus if you eat at any specialty dinning or the windjammer you may eat in the dinning room 3 or 4 nights. Come on, be a friend(s) ;)

[LovesCruising]

We didn't all cancel, just the couple who couldn't get the 5:30 Slot for dining. I have been booked since Feb and am anxious to go on this cruise. This couple has couple never been on a cruise so they got offended and just cancelled. We all wanted them to wait, but they are afraid they would not be able to sit with us in dining room.

 

They cancelled? Wow - they reallly jumped the gun way too soon. I have no doubt it would have worked out or as someone else posted - MTD is a great option - sit together and go whenever you want.

[KansasK]

We are going on the Navigator and booked a March 3, 2017 cruise on June 6. They put us in My Time dining and we are also waitlisted for early dining. This has happened to us on every cruise we booked for the last four or five years. Before that, it was easy to get early dining this far out.

 

We were told when we had a real problem getting my brother even waitlisted, that the cruise lines gives blocks of cabins to travel agencies to sell. They reserve early seating, or a large part of it, for them. When they turn in cabins they did not sell, then people on the waitlist are then placed in the available spots. That said, we have always gotten early dining in the end, usually near final payment time. This time we were told to call every two weeks.

 

I don't think people booking with travel agencies who take blocks of rooms to sell should be given priority treatment over those of us who book with the cruise line, but that is the way it is.

[Spurschick]

Do you really think Early Dining is booked nine months out! I bet if they wanted a suite they would have gotten the early dining.

 

I have booked plenty of Suites more than 9 months out and had occasions where I couldn't get the dining choice I wanted beforehand. Also had issues getting dining with linked reservation and had to wait till on the ship to resolve.

 

It happens regardless of cabin booked or loyalty status. I certainly wouldn't have cancelled a cruise over it. Like others have said they could have been resolved if given a chance. There will be plenty of people that cancel between now and final payment date. They don't even look at a cruises seating chart for dining onboard until the cruise prior.

 

They will resolve issues/requests with closest sailing dates first. 9 months out is not a priority. You can't even start to book most specialty dining or mtd until 3 months out.

 

Hopefully your friends will reconsider their decision to cancel.

[Goodtime Cruizin]

Once you board, go directly to the dining room for the party of 6. Explain, they will find two chairs.

[Paul65]

We didn't all cancel, just the couple who couldn't get the 5:30 Slot for dining. I have been booked since Feb and am anxious to go on this cruise. This couple has couple never been on a cruise so they got offended and just cancelled. We all wanted them to wait, but they are afraid they would not be able to sit with us in dining room.

 

If they were that easily offended, then you might be better off not traveling with them. Not trying to be mean, but it's just a fact that with travel, you need to roll with the punches sometimes. And being with people who are not good at that and get upset or offended a small inconveniences can be a drag.