A dining nightmare on allure..

[smeck]

Had my time dining reservation for 6:45 tonight what a mess.  Lines around the corner.  I think they went to full capacity to quick and are not adequately prepared.   Also the barbecue at Labadee was worst than terrible. They cut  out many items and couldn’t keep up with demand.  On a positive note dinner in the Windjammer has never been better. In general I think Royal has some work to do and until they do I may have to expand my horizons with the only power I have my wallet.  

Edited May 18, 2022 by smeck

[Ptroxx]

9 minutes ago, smeck said:

Had my time dining reservation for 6:45 tonight what a mess.  Lines around the corner.  I think they went to full capacity to quick and are not adequately prepared.   Also the barbecue at Labadee was worst than terrible. They cut  out many items and couldn’t keep up with demand.  On a positive note dinner in the Windjammer has never been better. In general I think Royal has some work to do and until they do I may have to expand my horizons with the only power I have my wallet.  

True you can go to another line.   But you may get even worse service. 
everyone’s under staffed.  Just sayin.  GL 

[smeck]

12 minutes ago, Ptroxx said:

True you can go to another line.   But you may get even worse service. 
everyone’s under staffed.  Just sayin.  GL 

If understaffed they shouldn’t go to full capacity. 

[Ptroxx]

4 minutes ago, smeck said:

If understaffed they shouldn’t go to full capacity. 

Sure makes sense to us. But for companies that have been shut down for a year they are in a hurry to try and recoup all their losses.   
look at prices.  
if your that worried maybe take a time out from cruising till everyone’s at full staff.   Or bring your patience.    

[ONECRUISER]

27 minutes ago, Ptroxx said:

True you can go to another line.   But you may get even worse service. 
everyone’s under staffed.  Just sayin.  GL 

Agree, everywhere! Have Full Service Rest near me that shuts down at 2pm in afternoon. Use to be open until 8pm, cant get Workers. Like this everywhere. Me, as always go to Movies Daytime during week, couple wks after release and sit in choice seats that are always available. For 20yrs have Cruised off season, smaller Ships, almost always longer 10+ nites that at most have 1750-2000 Passengers when Ship Maxs at 2500. 

Edited May 18, 2022 by ONECRUISER

[brillohead]

So don't do My Time Dining.... no line, no problem.  

[Ptroxx]

https://thepointsguy.com/news/cruise-lines-crew-shortages/amp/

[h20skibum]

We are on this same cruise with you. This is our fifth cruise since the restart, and first time back on Allure since March. 
 

Granted, the passenger count is up to around 5,000 for this sailing, but there has also been a noticeable increase in staffing. Many more bartenders and bar servers, plus many more dining staff. 
 

Waitstaff don’t have near as many tables to cover as on earlier cruises. Even the brief time we were in Windjammer for breakfast yesterday, we were asked at least half dozen times if we needed anything. 
 

We are doing traditional dining, and service has been outstanding.  Trying to do MTD at 6:45 is like people coming to the port outside their boarding time to line up and get in early.  It was a hassle, even before the pandemic.  
 

I do agree they need to look into the buffet at Labadee.  It was so much worse than CocoCay.  

[orville99]

9 hours ago, smeck said:

Had my time dining reservation for 6:45 tonight what a mess.  Lines around the corner.  I think they went to full capacity to quick and are not adequately prepared.   Also the barbecue at Labadee was worst than terrible. They cut  out many items and couldn’t keep up with demand.  On a positive note dinner in the Windjammer has never been better. In general I think Royal has some work to do and until they do I may have to expand my horizons with the only power I have my wallet.  

Were both the dining back up and the Port stop at Labadee on the same day?

[bajathree]

It's being reported that pretty much all the cruise lines are understaffed right now. I agree they should have not increased the capacity if they are have staffing issues. I just heard yesterday that Carnival is closing down some of their restaurants across the line due to staff shortages. So sick of all this COVID crap...it's like it has become the excuse for poor service. 

I was on 3 sailing since the restart....first 2 sailed at just around 1000 passengers....were some of the best sailing I had. The 3rd was Allure with around 70% and thats where I noticed the decline....the food was also terrible on that sailing.

Edited May 18, 2022 by bajathree

[loman]

Labadee buffet is not one of my favorites . I never eat there anymore. 

Too many flies competing for your food . 

I go back to the ship for meals.

[SlightDraw]

We were an Allure in March. We could not get preferred reservation time at chops. Turns out they were reserving tables that staff could handle. We were there over two hours and the place was half full. Overall we found the food was very good on this cruise.

Edited May 18, 2022 by SlightDraw

[island lady]

8 hours ago, brillohead said:

So don't do My Time Dining.... no line, no problem.  

 

Yes problem.   MTD is a total failure now IMHO.   Many try to jump off MTD to do traditional dining...but no room...put on "wait list".  Problem now for me... trying to avoid the now dreaded MTD.  

 

We have recently made sure we are traditional early dining for cruises that don't have a CK, simply due to exactly what the OP is talking about.   It was unreal on Mariner last week.  

 

MTD used to have their own deck (usually deck 5, or highest deck).   Now they try to intermix them with pax that have finished and left early dining.  Some eat and leave...some linger way too long.  

 

It's a failed system now.  Wish they would eliminate it, but I am wondering if this is a $$ trick of RCI to get more pax into specialty dining?  🤔

[molly361]

3 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Yes problem.   MTD is a total failure now IMHO.   Many try to jump off MTD to do traditional dining...but no room...put on "wait list".  Problem now for me... trying to avoid the now dreaded MTD.  

 

We have recently made sure we are traditional early dining for cruises that don't have a CK, simply due to exactly what the OP is talking about.   It was unreal on Mariner last week.  

 

MTD used to have their own deck (usually deck 5, or highest deck).   Now they try to intermix them with pax that have finished and left early dining.  Some eat and leave...some linger way too long.  

 

It's a failed system now.  Wish they would eliminate it, but I am wondering if this is a $$ trick of RCI to get more pax into specialty dining?  🤔

Do you know if Deck 3 is still for early seating?  I have 2 fav tables I just tried to request one of them  for my upcoming Mariner trip

[island lady]

1 minute ago, molly361 said:

Do you know if Deck 3 is still for early seating?  I have 2 fav tables I just tried to request one of them  for my upcoming Mariner trip

 

Yes, we were on deck 3 for 5:30 seating on Mariner.  🙂   Great "two top" way in the back next to the window.  Loved it!  🥰

[PTC DAWG]

Eat later, or earlier, problem solved…I never eat at the same time at home, not going to be tied to a set time on vacation for sure. 

[orville99]

We have not been on Allure since October, but if I remember correctly, a 6:45 reservation for MTD is very close to the time that MTD actually opens on that ship. We usually shoot for a bit later 7:15-7:45, and have never encountered the type of back up that the OP describes.

[Yakker1749]

Well this is good to know about MTD, as I thought they had tables reserved for that option.  I'll be on the July 3rd sailing, doing 2 specialty restaurants and MTD the other nights.  Guess it's too late to switch a regular dining time huh. 

[topnole]

MTD often had lines 100 people deep on oasis class before the pandemic.   With that said, they are definitely short staffed in some areas.   We just got off allure and rare was the employee I met that wasn’t on their first contract with Royal.  I’m sure it is very difficult to get staff in the Covid era and then get them trained for the job.  

[gsalbato]

We'll be on the Symphony in late July. Really hoping RC gets things straightened out by then. Either lower the capacity or figure out a way to get more crew.

[rudeney]

2 hours ago, bajathree said:

 So sick of all this COVID crap...it's like it has become the excuse for poor service. 

 

 

I'm absolutely with you!  I go into internal meltdown mode when I hear someone give me the excuse "because....COVID!"  Not too many months ago, we were somewhere getting poor service (ICR where) and when my wife complained, the service person said, in her most sarcastic little Southern voice, "Ma'am, you know we're in the middle of a GLO-BAL PAN-DEMIC!"  So now, anytime my wife complains about something, I do my best imitation of that girl's phrase to her.  I think I have only been slapped twice (I have since learned to move more quickly).  

[johnjen]

12 hours ago, Ptroxx said:

True you can go to another line.   But you may get even worse service. 
everyone’s under staffed.  Just sayin.  GL 

Not a slam at you personally, but these excuses "sorry, we are under staffed" by these large companies actually make them more complacent and could care less about their customers. This, and saying "because of COVID" is just an excuse for poor service. If a company is understaffed, they need to cut way back on prices - or, shut down until they become fully staffed so that it doesn't adversely affect our satisfaction!

Edited May 18, 2022 by johnjen

[rudeney]

Just now, johnjen said:

Not a slam at you personally, but these excuses "sorry, we are under staffed" by these large companies actually make them more complacent and could care less about their customers. If a company is understaffed, they need to cut way back on prices - or, shut down until they become fully staffed so that it doesn't adversely affect our satisfaction!

 

Except that if customers continue to buy their products and services, they will have no incentive to improve.  I've said this before - if you truly receive poor service that is below the value that you paid for, then demand that the service provider adjust the price and give you a refund or credit.  This is the only way they are going to know to change things.  Surveys and "strongly worded letters" will get read, but as long as the cash flow remains steady, they have no incentive to change anything.

 

[Carlos A.]

4 minutes ago, rudeney said:

 

Except that if customers continue to buy their products and services, they will have no incentive to improve.  I've said this before - if you truly receive poor service that is below the value that you paid for, then demand that the service provider adjust the price and give you a refund or credit.  This is the only way they are going to know to change things.  Surveys and "strongly worded letters" will get read, but as long as the cash flow remains steady, they have no incentive to change anything.

 

Exactly, buy you'll hear/read constantly on this forums things like "I'm just happy to cruise...", "Adjust your expectations..."

 

It's a shame some people is happy paying more for less

[Ptroxx]

34 minutes ago, johnjen said:

Not a slam at you personally, but these excuses "sorry, we are under staffed" by these large companies actually make them more complacent and could care less about their customers. This, and saying "because of COVID" is just an excuse for poor service. If a company is understaffed, they need to cut way back on prices - or, shut down until they become fully staffed so that it doesn't adversely affect our satisfaction!

This is the silliest statement I’ve read today.    

Every business in the world is understaffed because people just don’t want to work.
So that means I need to lower my prices?   When everything is going up in price.  

come to Vegas.   All the casinos are understaffed.  Restaurants are understaffed .  Doctors offices.    You name it.   Shortened hours. Taking days off because of staffing.      
what good would it do to shut down. But to have more business shutter their doors.  I’d rather operate at 80% staffed than not have a paycheck.  
imagine if the cruise lines shut down again.   Lolol.  let’s be realistic here.