Already booked for the Exploerer in January, but have a question about group bookings

[beshears]

I don't know if any of you who might read this has been through what I just went through, but I thought I would ask.  I received a phone call on my cell phone leaving a message. The one that called may have been foreign (I have NO problem against foreigners as my dad came from Germany), but I could understand very little of what he was saying about our group cruise in January, and the rest of his message sounded like he had MUSH in his mouth! I then called 4 times to try to reach someone, and no one seemed to be able to help, and two of the calls they HUNG UP on me. Now that to me is NOT good RCL business! I have no clue if they were canceling our trip or what, and I have no way of knowing who else to contact. If you have any advise, I would appreciate it.

[firefly333]

Idk of any cancelled cruises, though probably since you dont say no one can tell you hey no worries.

 

I wouldnt worry its cancelled out of the usa or it would be all over the news.

 

It's a holiday so might not have as many reps working, call monday might be better.

[njkruzer]

2 hours ago, beshears said:

I don't know if any of you who might read this has been through what I just went through, but I thought I would ask.  I received a phone call on my cell phone leaving a message. The one that called may have been foreign (I have NO problem against foreigners as my dad came from Germany), but I could understand very little of what he was saying about our group cruise in January, and the rest of his message sounded like he had MUSH in his mouth! I then called 4 times to try to reach someone, and no one seemed to be able to help, and two of the calls they HUNG UP on me. Now that to me is NOT good RCL business! I have no clue if they were canceling our trip or what, and I have no way of knowing who else to contact. If you have any advise, I would appreciate it.

It sounds fishy.  If you are concerned I'd reach out to whoever is in charge of your, maybe the ta.

[beshears]

Thanks for your responses.  It is just two weeks until the 8 of us cruise, so I just wanted to make sure there was NO cancellation. I did read that RCL was not taking any more reservations in January, so hopefully this means we are STILL going. 🙂 By the way, I did contact my agent here in Kansas City, MO, and I figured she was out for Christmas holiday, so hopefully she can get back with me next week.

[firefly333]

1 minute ago, beshears said:

Thanks for your responses.  It is just two weeks until the 8 of us cruise, so I just wanted to make sure there was NO cancellation. I did read that RCL was not taking any more reservations in January, so hopefully this means we are STILL going. 🙂 By the way, I did contact my agent here in Kansas City, MO, and I figured she was out for Christmas holiday, so hopefully she can get back with me next week.

If for whatever reason there were changes you should get a update directly from rcl. I got one with port changes. 

 

You would know as much as your TA if it was cancelled. Other than reassurance, not much else she can tell you. I went out of Galveston for dec 12 on liberty and first time back on rcl. Prepare to roll with a few punches. Anytime dining stinks. They work you in between early and late. No one on cc I read warned of this that because unvaccinated took up a whole dining room there was no dining room for anytime. Carnival has rcl way beat for anytime. WJ was good though.

 

TV only worked twice, didnt remember this. Wifi didnt work from cafe. Etc. 

 

Just have to enjoy being back on the cruise. I was happy to finally be back on rcl. Just dont expect normal. .like pre covid. 

[MindyJohn]

Can you log into your account on RCL's website and look at your list of cruises to make sure everything looks normal?

[Starry Eyes]

1 hour ago, firefly333 said:

If for whatever reason there were changes you should get a update directly from rcl. I got one with port changes. 

 

You would know as much as your TA if it was cancelled. Other than reassurance, not much else she can tell you. I went out of Galveston for dec 12 on liberty and first time back on rcl. Prepare to roll with a few punches. Anytime dining stinks. They work you in between early and late. No one on cc I read warned of this that because unvaccinated took up a whole dining room there was no dining room for anytime. Carnival has rcl way beat for anytime. WJ was good though.

 

TV only worked twice, didnt remember this. Wifi didnt work from cafe. Etc. 

 

Just have to enjoy being back on the cruise. I was happy to finally be back on rcl. Just dont expect normal. .like pre covid. 

About MTD…even before the shutdown, many ships had changed how they handle MTD, trying to make maximum use of seats in DR.  Before this change, there was a DR for MTD and it typically opened 30 minutes before early dining; I liked it, though I realize it took a substantial time to fill the seats the first round. With the new method (that I do not like), in the DR in question  the tables are assigned to early diners, so seats fill promptly when DR opens.  MTD opens much substantially later…the idea is that as early diners finish their meals and leave, the tables are cleaned and MTD diners are seated in those vacated seats.  Plus some early diners go to other venues any given night, so their vacant tables can be used for MTD.  The DR in question is typically used for MTD the rest of the night.

[firefly333]

3 minutes ago, Starry Eyes said:

About MTD…even before the shutdown, many ships had changed how they handle MTD, trying to make maximum use of seats in DR.  Before this change, there was a DR for MTD and it typically opened 30 minutes before early dining; I liked it, though I realize it took a substantial time to fill the seats the first round. With the new method (that I do not like), in the DR in question  the tables are assigned to early diners, so seats fill promptly when DR opens.  MTD opens much substantially later…the idea is that as early diners finish their meals and leave, the tables are cleaned and MTD diners are seated in those vacated seats.  Plus some early diners go to other venues any given night, so their vacant tables can be used for MTD.  The DR in question is typically used for MTD the rest of the night.

Well you say the dining room was used for anytime the rest of the evening, but late time diners then come in.

 

I did carnival 3 times since the restart who has 2 dining room dedicated to anytime. You press a button in your app and guaranteed a table within 10 minutes. Didnt know carnival spoiled me on this. Most on carnival choose anytime because it works well. If people arent choosing it on rcl its because they do it badly. I'll try anytime one more time before I ask my ta to change me to early.

[Starry Eyes]

1 hour ago, firefly333 said:

Well you say the dining room was used for anytime the rest of the evening, but late time diners then come in.

 

I did carnival 3 times since the restart who has 2 dining room dedicated to anytime. You press a button in your app and guaranteed a table within 10 minutes. Didnt know carnival spoiled me on this. Most on carnival choose anytime because it works well. If people arent choosing it on rcl its because they do it badly. I'll try anytime one more time before I ask my ta to change me to early.

I have not been aware of late diners assigned to the MTD dining room on my cruise…that’s why I said “typically.”  Perhaps people frustrated with MTD asked to be assigned late dining.  Or perhaps so few selected MTD that some tables on that DR are early/late dining.  Except for the inevitable vacant early dining tables or some really quick in-quick out early diners, there is not enough time for another seating between early and late.

 

Royal Caribbean used to do well with MTD, in my opinion, but I do not like the new system. We now consistently select traditional dining.  I suspect as others try the new system, more and more return to traditional dining for future cruises.  As fewer select MTD, the amount of space allocated to MTD decreases and the amount allocated to traditional increases.  As you also seem to dislike the new MTD system; I suggest you forgo that second chance and go back to traditional dining.

[firefly333]

5 minutes ago, Starry Eyes said:

I have not been aware of late diners assigned to the MTD dining room on my cruise…that’s why I said “typically.”  Perhaps people frustrated with MTD asked to be assigned late dining.  Or perhaps so few selected MTD that some tables on that DR are early/late dining.  Except for the inevitable vacant early dining tables or some really quick in-quick out early diners, there is not enough time for another seating between early and late.

 

Royal Caribbean used to do well with MTD, in my opinion, but I do not like the new system. We now consistently select traditional dining.  I suspect as others try the new system, more and more return to traditional dining for future cruises.  As fewer select MTD, the amount of space allocated to MTD decreases and the amount allocated to traditional increases.  As you also seem to dislike the new MTD system; I suggest you forgo that second chance and go back to traditional dining.

I was on liberty and that was the case. Early and late time mtd diners were in there and fit anytime in between. I was onboard liberty from dec 12 to dec 19. Where did the late times eat if not in the same dining room on your ship?

[Starry Eyes]

48 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I was on liberty and that was the case. Early and late time mtd diners were in there and fit anytime in between. I was onboard liberty from dec 12 to dec 19. Where did the late times eat if not in the same dining room on your ship?

Here is the example from Harmony:

Early dining on decks 3,4 and 5.  
MTD on deck 3 (scheduled start 1.5 hours after early dining opened)

Late dining on decks 4 and 5.

 

In the past on some ships, MTD does not get an entire floor.  It might get the starboard side of a dining room while traditional dining has port side of dining room, for example.

 

 

 

 

 

[davekathy]

On 12/24/2021 at 1:03 PM, beshears said:

I don't know if any of you who might read this has been through what I just went through, but I thought I would ask.  I received a phone call on my cell phone leaving a message. The one that called may have been foreign (I have NO problem against foreigners as my dad came from Germany), but I could understand very little of what he was saying about our group cruise in January, and the rest of his message sounded like he had MUSH in his mouth! I then called 4 times to try to reach someone, and no one seemed to be able to help, and two of the calls they HUNG UP on me. Now that to me is NOT good RCL business! I have no clue if they were canceling our trip or what, and I have no way of knowing who else to contact. If you have any advise, I would appreciate it.

No way would I have called the number back(doesn't matter the call). If I was concerned about the call I would have called the C&A number or if booked with a TA I would have called them to verify the message concerning my upcoming cruise. I'll go out on a limb on this and claim the call you received wasn't from RC. 

Edited December 25, 2021 by davekathy

[beshears]

Thank you ALL for your responses. After having my d-i-l listen to the message that I was "supposed" to have received from someone with RCL (they did have the correct info about our cruise, etc.), and she could NOT understand it as well, I decided to contact the assistant of of the one I booked our cruise through here in KC. She was very very nice and said she would check with the one she deals "directly" with at RCL. She said everything looked good for us at this point, and that if there was a cancellation, CruiseHolidays the one I am going through, would know if there was a cancellation too.  As for the MTD that several of you mention, we are NOT doing any of that, as we prefer doing the MDR. Yes, as been said, I'm sure there will be many changes, but as I told my d-i-l who is going too, I don't put the cart before the horse, and PLAN on having a good time, and if there is a curve in the road, then I just adjust too it!

[Biker19]

5 minutes ago, beshears said:

As for the MTD that several of you mention, we are NOT doing any of that, as we prefer doing the MDR.

MTD is in the MDR, just perhaps at different times.

[beshears]

Biker19, I had NO clue that MTD is in the SAME dining room as the MDR.  That is strange, as all the ships I have been on, always had "separate" dining rooms.  Are you saying there is only ONE dining room for both the MDR and MTD,???  Is it on all ships this way?

[firefly333]

3 minutes ago, beshears said:

Biker19, I had NO clue that MTD is in the SAME dining room as the MDR.  That is strange, as all the ships I have been on, always had "separate" dining rooms.  Are you saying there is only ONE dining room for both the MDR and MTD,???  Is it on all ships this way?

It was on liberty. Anytime diners had to walk up and fit into non used tables from early diners. The other dining room is for unvaccinated.. so anytime and set times all smashed together. Same dining room. I was surprised too how poorly run any time is.

 

Carnival spoiled me for anytime. Push a button and computer assigns a table within 10 minutes no waiting.

Edited December 28, 2021 by firefly333

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, beshears said:

Biker19, I had NO clue that MTD is in the SAME dining room as the MDR.  That is strange, as all the ships I have been on, always had "separate" dining rooms.  Are you saying there is only ONE dining room for both the MDR and MTD,???  Is it on all ships this way?

The only ships where there's a somewhat clear separation is on Q class ships, where the MDR is  broken up into 4 venues and generally two are for traditional and two are MTD. In the COVID era, on the rest of the ships, RCI thinks that COVID is lighter than air so they put the unvax on upper levels of the MDR and MTD (must be vaxed) on lower levels of the MDR. Some of this depends on your definition of "separate".

Edited December 28, 2021 by Biker19

[LB_NJ]

Are you sure it was not a spam call?

 

How did you originally book the cruise, through royal, a TA, was it a group rate (some travel agents tell you it is a special rate and you have to call the group line to get any info)?

[beshears]

LB NJ, actually I received the call again, but I did not answer, and it turned out to be a woman who I COULD understand.  She said some way or another, the other lady that is in the room with me when submitting her vaccination card on line, some way or another, kicked mine out, so mine needs to be submitted again. 😞  The time is getting so close, and we just reserved our time to get our testing done in the 48 hr. limited.  It looks like they will be sticking the finger this time, which I will not mind.