Something new in the MDR

[jennybenny]

They only ask when you check in for ATD.  Probably a check list to see who/how many use the MDR (on Anytime, since they can figure out TD easily).  I don't think they ask for breakfast or lunch.  You've always needed to use your cabin number when booking specialty dining.

[caribill]

14 minutes ago, jennybenny said:

They only ask when you check in for ATD.  Probably a check list to see who/how many use the MDR (on Anytime, since they can figure out TD easily). 

 

It is easier to just count people being seated to know how many are dining that meal. Telling them your cabin number seems a harder way to count.

[jennybenny]

3 minutes ago, caribill said:

 

It is easier to just count people being seated to know how many are dining that meal. Telling them your cabin number seems a harder way to count.

Maybe it's a way to pretend to care if you have ATD or TD?  They allow TD people to go to ATD, so I can't really come up with a valid reason to request the cabin number. 

[mevs904]

We are always late TD and have never been asked our cabin number.  Must be an ATD concern.

[ldubs]

8 hours ago, shepp said:

 

I can't even figure out how that would work. AFAIK, standard gratuities are pooled, then paid out. It's not like ATD waiters get paid based on how many people they serve.

 

Huh, could it relate to assignment of survey scores?  I can see how this might be if survey scores are part of the tip allocation.  

[caribill]

9 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

Huh, could it relate to assignment of survey scores?  I can see how this might be if survey scores are part of the tip allocation.  

I doubt it. Most people in ATD have different servers each evening. On the survey if you rate service poorly, there is no way to know which servers did not perform. Also, I doubt after taking your cabin number they wait to make an entry until you have been seated and a report is made back to the desk about where you were seated.

[ldubs]

7 minutes ago, caribill said:

I doubt it. Most people in ATD have different servers each evening. On the survey if you rate service poorly, there is no way to know which servers did not perform. Also, I doubt after taking your cabin number they wait to make an entry until you have been seated and a report is made back to the desk about where you were seated.

 

Oh, I thought they were saying the cabin # was taken at the table.  Anyway, I tend to agree.  

[Bollycats]

1 hour ago, ldubs said:

 

Oh, I thought they were saying the cabin # was taken at the table.  Anyway, I tend to agree.  

Yes, the cabin number was taken at the table at the same time they were taking my food order. They never asked at the door. Just assumed I was assigned to ATD I guess. And they took it at breakfast too.

 

I've never been asked this on any of my previous Princess cruises so I thought it was new.

 

Edited October 30, 2018 by Bollycats

[ldubs]

11 minutes ago, Bollycats said:

Yes, the cabin number was taken at the table at the same time they were taking my food order. They never asked at the door. Just assumed I was assigned to ATD I guess. And they took it at breakfast too.

 

I've never been asked this on any of my previous Princess cruises so I thought it was new.

 

 

I've never been asked at the table on Princess or any other cruise -- unless I'm just not remembering.  

[Scorpio41]

12 hours ago, jennybenny said:

They only ask when you check in for ATD.  Probably a check list to see who/how many use the MDR (on Anytime, since they can figure out TD easily).  I don't think they ask for breakfast or lunch.  You've always needed to use your cabin number when booking specialty dining.

 

We were asked every morning in MDR at breakfast time.

[Colo Cruiser]

We have been asked many times.  

[jennybenny]

12 minutes ago, Scorpio41 said:

 

We were asked every morning in MDR at breakfast time.

Interesting.  Well, I guess it can't hurt anything.  Maybe they are evaluating more cost cutting measures?  How many people use the MDR for breakfast/lunch?

 

We rarely eat in the MDR for breakfast, but we do for lunch.  I do not recall being asked at Lunch time in either the MDR or Alfredos. It probably is something new Princess is doing.

Edited October 30, 2018 by jennybenny

[Papa Yoda]

 

Maybe to check if you've turned off autograts?

[Potstech]

Maybe it is just a way to get people on CC to discuss it and come up with reasons they can never prove are right.  And when asked they will give different answers to different people.  And it is working.

Edited October 31, 2018 by Potstech

[Papa Yoda]

 

So... we are being trolled at a remove by MDR staff - how fiendishly clever ...

 

Wonder what use they'd make of the butter?

[compozer]

They have been doing it the past year and we were told it was because many traditional people would  try to get in the anytime dining room.  Several times they turned people away in front of us.    Saying it is so the can return lost items sounds better than "we are checking for people who do not belong in this dining room".

[grandmacruise]

Our waiter told us if a passenger had a problem or complaint about dinner service, then management would know exactly who the server was.  

[peety3]

We were told that they use it to track if someone gets sick - if you show up at the infirmary with vomiting, they cross-reference what and where you ate, whoever else ate the same dish from the same galley, etc.

[Haboob]

Yes, taking room numbers at ATD might be ...epidemiological, but the fact is that Any Time Dining requires more

"spare" seats to handle peak loads than Princess' ships were built with, and that lack of spare seating is

compounded by TD passengers heading over to ATD "just for tonight because a tour ran late" or whatever.

Edited October 31, 2018 by Haboob

[ldubs]

Here is a summary of the possible reasons given for why cabin numbers are taken at the dining table.    

 

1.         In case someone leaves something behind so they know where to send it.

 

2.         To prevent ATD people from sneaking into the MDR in retaliation.

 

3.         To see how popular the dining room is for breakfast.

 

4.         For allocation of gratuities. 

 

6.         In case there is a complaint about the server, they would know where it came from

 

7.         Probably a check list to see who/how many AT diners use the MDR 

 

8.         For the assignment of survey scores to wait staff for tip allocation purposes.

 

9.         To evaluate potential cost cutting measures like how many use MDR for breakfast/lunch.  

 

10.      To check if you've turned off autograts?

 

11.      There is no number 5

 

12.      You just checked to make sure #5 was missing.