A dining nightmare on allure..

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, TravelGirlinDallas said:

Anyone know why they changed it to this new system?

COVID distancing that didn't take into account ships going back to full capacity.

[Starry Eyes]

1 hour ago, TravelGirlinDallas said:

Anyone know why they changed it to this new system? It seemed like it was working just fine before. 

We have always chosen MTD since it was first started by NCL. We don't like having to be there by a specific time when our schedule can vary (especially on port days), as well as not wanting to be seated with a large table of strangers. We did that back when traditional dining was the only option, and that was enough.

While I do not know why, I can take a guess.  Please keep in mind that, like you, I liked the old MTD system, so do not take my guess as an endorsement of the new system.

I suspect the cruiseline feels they get more efficient use of the tables/seats in the dining room by using this new system.  Using Harmony as an example, by assigning the tables on deck 3 to early traditional dining, the seats are promptly filled between with very little staff time needed.  Seats are utilized efficiently, as seating for early traditional is pre-planned, so there are not a lot of empty seats (unless guests elect another venue that night…as tables on deck 3 tend to be small, those vacant tables can be used for the earliest MTD guests).  
In contrast, the old MTD system tended to get off to a slower start and required substantial hostess time per guest.  If guests asked to share and other parties not join, there were vacant seats for the duration of the meal.

[J0Y0US]

4 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

As a small business owner; I can tell you; hiring right now is nearly impossible. 
we have had positions, both entry-level and skilled, they have been unfulfilled for nearly a year.

I have my own theories as to why, but I’m not going to go down that rabbit hole here. But to say people don’t want to work is nonsense is really nonsense in itself. 

 

Have you increased the pay range increasingly over that time or do you personally have a view on what its worth and stick to that?

 

We actually have more full time employees in the US now than prior to the pandemic.

 

So yes it is nonsense to say people don't want to work categorically as a reason people can't hire someone.

[J0Y0US]

8 hours ago, bajathree said:

I just heard a report yesterday thats exactly what Cunard is doing....cancelling people to lower capacity since their service isn't currently up to par to what they are known to offer. I hear that for people they cancel they are offing a full refund with I believe a 25% future cruise credit good till the end of 2024.

 

This is the way to go additionally they can curb bookings right now like NCL did for Pride of America to avoid "over booking" for what they have regarding staffing.

[John&LaLa]

On 5/18/2022 at 8:51 AM, 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?  🤔

 

On 5/18/2022 at 9:15 AM, orville99 said:

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.

 

No line for Pins and suites at MTD on Oasis ships. Just walk up to the empty podium.😇

 

Helps to arrive a little early.

[island lady]

15 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

 

No line for Pins and suites at MTD on Oasis ships. Just walk up to the empty podium.😇

 

Helps to arrive a little early.

 

Interesting. 

 

Though, for us,  we have given up the MTD thing altogether.   Not working for us any longer.  

 

 

 

 

[orville99]

57 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Interesting. 

 

Though, for us,  we have given up the MTD thing altogether.   Not working for us any longer.  

 

 

 

 

We have as well. Dinner in WJ is 10X the quality and variety of the current MTD offerings (at least on Harmony)

[sjb317]

We were just on the May 8 sailing of Allure.  We had MTD which I’ve never been a fan of,  but it seemed, for us, to work ok this time.  We were able to make a reservation for 8pm on the first night but it seemed no reservations were available for any of the other nights.  So we just showed up between 730 and 8 and were somehow seated immediately.   Service was good but we could tell tell it seemed very chaotic. 
 

What we both found a little disappointing  on this cruise was how much the food had gone downhill since our April 2 cruise on Allure.  Some dishes  (French onion soup and steamed veggie plate) were really good but most were just ok.  My husband, who is never picky about food, described most of it as “Denneys quality”. 😂. Food at 150 Central and Giovanni’s was excellent. 
 

Sherri🙂

 

 

 

[mets07]

We did not have any problem with MTD on last two Anthem cruises. We do not eat before 6:30pm however. We would just get on a short line and then get seated. We never waited more than 5 minutes. We tend to do a combination of MDR, specialties, WJ. 

[rudeney]

It seems to me that this whole MTD thing should not be that complicated.  Unless they have changed the layout of the MDR, it was originally configured to seat half the number of guest on the ship.  With some guests not using the MDR (preferring WJ or specialty restaurants) there will always be open tables.  Now if some guests also choose MTD, they won't be at assigned tables, which means even more open seating.  Since table assignments for fixed dining are known, they should have the rest available for MTD, and then if the monitor reservations for specialty dining, they which assigned tables will be empty and can be included in the MTD pool.  All it takes is create a computer program to track all this, and MTD guests could use the app, press a button for  "I want to dine now" or "I want to dine at x:xxPM" and it could assign them a table and direct them to it. 

 

But what am I thinking...this takes a competent IT department to figure out and we are talking about RCI!  🤣

[island lady]

It worked well when they had a dedicated MTD deck...for MTD only.  Not so any longer.  

 

 

Now...it's a "fit you in when the pax at your table are finished with their early traditional dining" thing.  

Fail.  

[RFerrington]

34 minutes ago, island lady said:

It worked well when they had a dedicated MTD deck...for MTD only.  Not so any longer.  

A-ha !  I didn't realize this part.  Very interesting.  Now I understand.  Thanks

[Starry Eyes]

35 minutes ago, island lady said:

It worked well when they had a dedicated MTD deck...for MTD only.  Not so any longer.  

 

 

Now...it's a "fit you in when the pax at your table are finished with their early traditional dining" thing.  

Fail.  

Yes, and I think issues with new MTD system become more obvious as the passenger census increases.  Also, people with MTD who like to dine later will likely be be fine with the new system; it is the MTD folks who tend to dine early that get pinched (especially if they need to eat on a schedule and a long or variable line messes with the schedule)

[rudeney]

1 hour ago, island lady said:

It worked well when they had a dedicated MTD deck...for MTD only.  Not so any longer.  

 

 

Now...it's a "fit you in when the pax at your table are finished with their early traditional dining" thing.  

Fail.  

 

 

We did MTD in its early days.  It may have been the first year they introduced it.  I remember that we did specialty restaurants on the first two nights of that cruise.  For the 3rd night, I had the concierge make us an MDR reservation for 6:30pm.  I jokingly asked him to get us a "good table" and he did as we were seated at 4-top at a window on the top floor, starboard side.  The head waiter asked if we wanted to keep that 6:30 dining time for the next night, and we did, so he put us down, but said it would be at a different table.  It was basically the same table (top floor, 4-top at the window), but on the port side.  So on the 4th night, that head waiter was asking about the next night's plans and offered that we could just keep this same table at 6:30 for the rest of the cruise.  The location was wonderful and the wait staff was excellent, so we did.  It worked out perfectly, basically as if we had a 6:30pm fixed-time dining.  I think we got such a good table because we were suite guests, but I am not sure if that had anything to do with being able to keep the same table all week.  

 

 

[GAgaltravel]

On 5/18/2022 at 8:58 AM, island lady said:

 

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!  🥰

We're early dinning on the Allure in a couple of weeks. Will they tell us which dinning room to go to when we board? 

[island lady]

37 minutes ago, rudeney said:

 

 

We did MTD in its early days.  It may have been the first year they introduced it.  I remember that we did specialty restaurants on the first two nights of that cruise.  For the 3rd night, I had the concierge make us an MDR reservation for 6:30pm.  I jokingly asked him to get us a "good table" and he did as we were seated at 4-top at a window on the top floor, starboard side.  The head waiter asked if we wanted to keep that 6:30 dining time for the next night, and we did, so he put us down, but said it would be at a different table.  It was basically the same table (top floor, 4-top at the window), but on the port side.  So on the 4th night, that head waiter was asking about the next night's plans and offered that we could just keep this same table at 6:30 for the rest of the cruise.  The location was wonderful and the wait staff was excellent, so we did.  It worked out perfectly, basically as if we had a 6:30pm fixed-time dining.  I think we got such a good table because we were suite guests, but I am not sure if that had anything to do with being able to keep the same table all week.  

 

 

 

Exactly what we experienced.   When the program first came out....but now....ummm...not even close.  😞 

[island lady]

28 minutes ago, GAgaltravel said:

We're early dinning on the Allure in a couple of weeks. Will they tell us which dinning room to go to when we board? 

 

Look at your sea pass card.   It will have dining deck and table number on it.  

[TravelGirlinDallas]

4 hours ago, island lady said:

Though, for us,  we have given up the MTD thing altogether.   Not working for us any longer.  

You have to wonder if this is the whole point; to push people toward the upcharge restaurants.

[goldfish65]

20 hours ago, J0Y0US said:

 

Have you increased the pay range increasingly over that time or do you personally have a view on what its worth and stick to that?

 

We actually have more full time employees in the US now than prior to the pandemic.

 

So yes it is nonsense to say people don't want to work categorically as a reason people can't hire someone.

Very hard to fill service sector positions these days. People don't want to do these jobs, period. Demanding physical work, ungrateful customers, long shifts, the working hours are not conducive to a good quality of life, no work-from-home option......etc.

[island lady]

18 minutes ago, TravelGirlinDallas said:

You have to wonder if this is the whole point; to push people toward the upcharge restaurants.

Yup, same thing I mentioned a while ago.   Not only Specialty booking, but the prepaid "Dining plans" packages. 😉