MTD frustration- They can't have it both ways

[cured]

I can certainly understand the frustration of the people at the podium when they are trying to arrange a huge puzzle every night and the wait staff has made promises that they can't keep and are not really authorized to make.  Just because your server tried to promise you something, that is not reality with MTD.

 

There is nor was ever any guarantee during MTD that you will get the same table/same wait staff every night. In fact, completely the opposite. If you want the guarantee of a table and wait staff, you need to book set dining.  The whole premise of MTD was that you could make reservations for any time but by doing so you gave up the right to the same table, same wait staff experience.  Now with all the demands of people wanting the luxury of arriving at different times each night and still wanting the same table, it is becoming a nightmare.  You can't demand the same table for 7pm one night, 7:05 the next night, 8 pm one night. It just can't work that way.  It works more like a regular restaurant. You get the next available table as it opens up.

 

It is much easier to guarantee a table when everyone arrives at the same time, food is served at approximately the same time and everyone finishes within the set 2 hour window.  With MTD, that is not possible.

[Mum2Mercury]

12 hours ago, Cutigerlady said:

We always request a table by the window and the same servers the whole cruise for MTD.  I’ve never had an issue with our request. 

I have never requested a specific table in the past, but I'm going to do it for our next cruise: 

 

My husband was born stone-deaf in one ear, and what happens (when we're at a table in the middle of the room) is that the wait staff tends to come to the table from either side.  This irritates my husband, so I've learned to listen /repeat what they say to him.  If we had a table against the wall (or a window or the railing), we'd seat ourselves so that his "good ear" is towards the aisle, and the wait staff would automatically stand where he can hear them.  

9 hours ago, retird said:

Just wondering what happens if All guests choosing MTD request a window table? Maybe not getting a window table every night allows other paying guests the opportunity…..

1.  Hypothetical issue. 

 

2.  We're talking about dinner only.  At breakfast and lunch on any given cruise, we find ourselves at excellent tables and we find ourselves at mediocre tables.  The reality is that everyone gets a turn at the good stuff sometimes.

2 hours ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

... I just do not want to lose 30 or more minutes just trying to get to the table with reservations ...

Is this maybe a problem on the larger ships?  We were on Explorer (not a small ship, but not the biggest either) earlier this month, and we were always seated within 5 minutes of presenting ourselves at the podium.  

 

Or is this a problem with later-in-the-evening dining appointments?  Maybe they start off well but fall behind as the evening goes on?  Kinda like if you get the first doctor appointment in the morning you KNOW you're going to be seen on time, but -- as the day goes on -- they can fall behind, and you end up waiting.

 

As we say here in the South:  Askin', not tellin'. 

2 hours ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

... gratuities were mandated to be paid pre-cruise when choosing MTD ... The servers at the time were given a set number of guests to serve and their tips would be affected when people would not show up ... 

Yes, I remember when pre-paying gratuities for MTD was mandatory.  We still pre-pay, as we just think it's easier.  

 

On our recent cruise I wondered WHY they checked us in/out of the computer each evening ... I mean, the meal was included in the cruise price, so WHY would they really care about whether we ate in the MDR or the Windjammer?  I decided it had to do with allotting X amount of gratuity to our wait staff.  

1 hour ago, mjkacmom said:

I’m a little confused, instead of choosing early or late seating, with the same table and servers each night, the OP wants to choose a particular window seat table, and wants it to remain vacant every night regardless on when they arrive for dinner. Am I missing something? 

My experience on past cruises with MTD:  You'd arrive for your dinner reservation, and they'd seat you at whatever table was available.  

 

My experience on my recent cruise with MTD:  On the first night our wait staff said they'd like to reserve us for this table for the remainder of the cruise.  We agreed, and we sat at the same (medicore) table /had the same (excellent) wait staff.  We didn't pursue this ... the wait staff wanted to set it up for us this way; I assume it was tip-advantageous for them. 

 

Wait, wait ... I think I get it:  They like to "claim" guests who've pre-paid their tips because they KNOW they won't be stiffed.  Yes, now I'm quite convinced that's the right answer.  

51 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

They were under the mistaken assumption that once a nice table was given to them and promised for the reminder of the cruise, that the table assignment won't change.

But, yeah, the staff DID promise just that to us on our last cruise.  The same people sat around us each evening -- one group was ... um, memorable.  As I said above, we didn't pursue the idea of the same table every evening -- the staff wanted it that way.

Edited September 29, 2022 by Mum2Mercury

[slyster]

I think they have total control of how they serve and cater to people.  On our first MTD cruise, we waited 45 min the first night.  Second night waited 30 minutes and I was done.  Keep in mind we had times reserved during MTD.  As we wee walking away, they grabbed us and told us they would seat us right away.  We were literally stuck in a corner and the service was soooooo slow.  I spoke to the head waiter and just told them we felt like we were an afterthought...I asked to switch to traditional dining and if we couldn't change, we would just eat in the windjammer (I was okay with that). 

 

They bent over backwards and they sat us at the same table for 2 by a window for next 5 nights.  They had our name in system and knew exactly where to seat us each night.  We never asked for a special seat or anything near the windows.  We were just unhappy with the long wait times.  It was much better after that.

[nferr]

Makes no sense for the cruise line to reserve tables in MTD in my opinion. I can now understand why people end up in line for long periods of time. So we're going to have empty tables sitting around in the MTD area because people can't be seated there while we await  people who may have a reservation for an empty table 30 or 45 minutes from now. And as I see right from this thread cruisers will get upset and complain if their preferred table is given away to another MTD person.  Defeats the whole purpose of MTD. But it is what it is I guess.

[Tolkmit]

8 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

Wait, wait ... I think I get it:  They like to "claim" guests who've pre-paid their tips because they KNOW they won't be stiffed.  Yes, now I'm quite convinced that's the right answer.  

 

That's not how pre-paid tips work at all. Everyone's pre-paid goes into one giant pot; and gets divvied out among the entire (tip receiving) crew.

The reason they like to keep the same guests if possible all week, is because some people will tip extra for good service; and that is far more likely to happen if you get good service from the same person all week.

My Time Dining will honor reservation times; but will only attempt to honor all table requests. They cannot guarantee table requests. Too few window seats, too many people wanting window seats; plus needing to use those tables more than once a night and not being able to guarantee when the people who eat before you will leave.

[KeroTravel]

We had originally booked MTD for our upcoming cruise (first time with Royal) and then switched to traditional after reading all the complications with lines and wait times to get seated even with a reservation.  

The concept of reservations with MTD makes no sense, especially if people don't show up.  How long is  a "space" (not exactly a specific table) held for someone who has decided they aren't eating in the MDR that night?  MTD should just work like a restaurant that doesn't accept reservations - you show up and you wait for a table for your party size.  Seems like that would be the most efficient.  

[poocher]

We have been fortunate our last 3 cruises.  Chose MTD with reservations approximately the same time each night and every time have gotten the same table and wait staff for the whole cruise.  After night 2, they’d just wave us in when they saw us in line.  Never asked for this and was actually a little surprised that this does not seem to be the norm 🤷‍♀️