Notifying someone if not dining in dining room

[samtig]

Going on first RCI cruise soon. Someone mentioned on cc that they notified the dining room if they weren't going to dine there that evening. Is this necessary? Thanks!

[dixieva]

Not necessary but courteous to your tablemates and your waiters. Otherwise, they might be waiting for you to show up and delay everyone's meal. If we are not going to eat in the dining room we try to let our waiter and tablemates know the night before at dinner so they know not to wait for us.

 

Just a nice thing to do.

[samtig]

We probably wouldn't know until the day of, but will call the dining room in that event. Thanks for the info.

[BillOh]

We probably wouldn't know until the day of, but will call the dining room in that event. Thanks for the info.

 

It never occursed to me, but we ate in the dining room all 7 nights. One of the couples did tell the waiter and us that they were eating in Portofino's the next night. I'll do that next time.

[peteukmcr]

Hi Samtig - we dined at Portofinos on our 2nd night on our 1st cruise and didn't tell our tablemates the night before - big mistake! They didn't really mind but they had waited for us, they thought they'd frightened us off! We always tell them now the night before ;) as dixieva says it's courtesy. We didn't know until on the day and never thought to call the dining room, but if that happens we will.

 

We've waited for tablemates that haven't shown and although that doesn't bother us, you'll find your waiting staff are so good, they will delay the meal just in case they show up.

[cruisin from florida]

My friend and I were on a cruise together and wanted to be part of a large table. There the two of us sat, by ourselves, at our table for 6 night after night. The headwaiter would not try to change our seating. By the way, a nearby table for 6 had two empty seats for the whole cruise.

 

It was a 4 or 5 night cruise, so by the time we figured that the mystery passengers weren't ever going to show up it was really too late to do much about it. It would have been GREAT if they had had the courtesy to let the Maitre d' know that they were never going to eat in the dining room, and maybe then we would have been offered different seating.

 

It really did detract from our dinner enjoyment. We wanted a large group of people to meet. We got a large, empty, uncomfortable table.

[BillOh]

It really did detract from our dinner enjoyment. We wanted a large group of people to meet. We got a large, empty, uncomfortable table.

 

We had considered asking for a table for two on our first cruise as it was our 25th anniversary, but the dining experience and table mates were a very fond part of that trip. I understand the detraction you felt. After reading this thread, We will be sure to mention to our table mates when we set a reservation for Chops, which we intend to do.

 

Thomas and Eva? Are you on this forum?

 

 

They were a lot of fun. They were our tablemates.

[Pootersmom]

Just got back from our Mariner of the Seas cruise (11/12/06). We had an eight top for dinner and enjoyed the two couples that showed up every night. There was one couple that we never saw. Two nights my husband and had scheduled for Portofinos and Chops and we let our waiters and our table companions know. There was another 8 top next to us (using the same waiters) that they were there by themselves most nights. It would have been nice to be able to combine those two tables. There was also a mother daughter at late seating that tried to switch to early seating but were told that there were no openings, so they ate in the Windjammer more often than not (or the mother ate alone while her daughter went with friends to the Windjammer).

 

So, it is courteous to let your wait staff and your table companions know what your plans are, and whats the harm.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

Could it be in the case of those who never show during the entire cruise that they didn't even make it to the ship? I don't know if maitre d's are informed of passengers who did not make it to the cruise, so they don't know and nobody knows that these passengers will never dine in the dining room or anywhere on the ship.

[yellowbird23]

On the last night of my cruise (solo), I did not feel like getting dressed up and decided to eat in the Windjammer instead. Before I went to eat, I did go to the dining room to say goodbye and explain myself to my dining companions. I also made sure to give my waiter/asst. their tips as well. Common courtesy folks!:)

[cb at sea]

If you know in advance, it's nice to do, but if you can't--well, then you can't! It's nice, but not mandatory!!

By-the-way--it happened that one couple assigned to our table never showed either--next time, I will request a LARGE table--it's much more fun that way--just in case some of our assigned companions are total party-poopers!

[Murphy]

I always thought it was courteous to tell our waiters and especially our dining companions that we will be missing a dinner, but I'm not sure I will bother telling the waitstaff in the future. On our last 2 cruises I made sure we let them know we wouldn't be dining with them the next night and both times we were given the third degree! "Why aren't you eating here? Don't you like our service..." etc. They made me almost feel guilty for not eating there for heavens sakes! The first time we were at a table for 2, so no dining companions to worry about and the second time we were a table of 10 and 8 of us were going to Chops the following night. The other 2 decided not to join us, but they knew we wouldn't be dining with them.

[samtig]

It never occursed to me, but we ate in the dining room all 7 nights. One of the couples did tell the waiter and us that they were eating in Portofino's the next night. I'll do that next time.

 

I never thought of it either. We usually eat in the dining room every night too. On occasion we eat in a speciality restaurant with advance reservations & tell dining partners the night before. On RC we understand we can order most of the dining room food from room service, which is not the case on Carnival & Norwegian. DH said we may have an unplanned dinner on the balcony one night if we're tired from a port day.

[BillOh]

If you know in advance, it's nice to do, but if you can't--well, then you can't! It's nice, but not mandatory!!

By-the-way--it happened that one couple assigned to our table never showed either--next time, I will request a LARGE table--it's much more fun that way--just in case some of our assigned companions are total party-poopers!

 

How do you request a table size. A TA made our first reservation and I just remember her suggesting the late seating and an over 30 group. When I made my next reservation online, it just asks for early or late seating.

[junobeach]

We cruise with our 2 young children. By the 2nd day, the wait staff has their favorites already at the table, with coloring etc. also. I would want them to know ahead of time we wouldn't be there so they don't go through all the extra trouble.

[aqhacruiser]

Going on first RCI cruise soon. Someone mentioned on cc that they notified the dining room if they weren't going to dine there that evening. Is this necessary? Thanks!

 

I just told my tablemates the night before we would be going to Portifino's the following night so not to wait for us. As it turned out they all talked us out of it as we had such a good time at our table. We were definitely blessed with great tablemates! :)

[awfw]

I think that I read on a previous post that the first night you can inform your waiter that if you are not at the table at the assigned time, that he should not wait for you and inconvenience your table mates. Although we are planning to eat in the dining room on some nights on our 11-night cruise, we also are going to try Chops and Portofino. In addition, I like to keep my options open to try the Windjammer, Seaview Cafe and also Room Service depending on shore excursions, tiredness, and because we have early seating whether we are hungry yet! We really do not want to inconvenience anyone to wait for us, so if we are doing the dining room, we will be sure to be on time. Has anyone done it this way and do you feel that it is adequate without reporting in every night?

 

awfw

[AFT_LOVER]

we had a table for 4 & the other 2 never showed the whole cruiise. A table next to us was empty all but the last night. Another table of 8 had 4 folks, guess the same family, but they would show close to 40 minutes late nightly. Folks were being served their meal when they sat. So their meal came out a few minutes later with the salad on the side. We saw door closing an hour into dinner, and I mentioned it should be 30 minutes into it.

 

My friend and I were on a cruise together and wanted to be part of a large table. There the two of us sat, by ourselves, at our table for 6 night after night. The headwaiter would not try to change our seating. By the way, a nearby table for 6 had two empty seats for the whole cruise.

 

It was a 4 or 5 night cruise, so by the time we figured that the mystery passengers weren't ever going to show up it was really too late to do much about it. It would have been GREAT if they had had the courtesy to let the Maitre d' know that they were never going to eat in the dining room, and maybe then we would have been offered different seating.

 

It really did detract from our dinner enjoyment. We wanted a large group of people to meet. We got a large, empty, uncomfortable table.

[sea-cruise]

We've always notified the dining staff when we planned to dine in the specialty restaurant the following night, just so that they wouldn't delay serving our tablemates. If you are able to give advance notice that is a thoughtful consideration.

[samtig]

I think that I read on a previous post that the first night you can inform your waiter that if you are not at the table at the assigned time, that he should not wait for you and inconvenience your table mates. Although we are planning to eat in the dining room on some nights on our 11-night cruise, we also are going to try Chops and Portofino. In addition, I like to keep my options open to try the Windjammer, Seaview Cafe and also Room Service depending on shore excursions, tiredness, and because we have early seating whether we are hungry yet! We really do not want to inconvenience anyone to wait for us, so if we are doing the dining room, we will be sure to be on time. Has anyone done it this way and do you feel that it is adequate without reporting in every night?

 

awfw

 

 

That's a good idea. We'll tell our waiter & table mates not to wait for us if we're not there at the assigned time. That'll cover any unplanned dinner's on the balcony. Thanks for the tip!

[byefairwind]

If you make reservations for one of the specialty restaurants your waiter will know. I went down to let them know we wouldn't be there one night and they told me they already knew we were dining at Chops. I guess there is a list that gets generated.

[Cruising89143]

If I knew ahead of time that I were not going to be at dinner the next night, I would let my wait staff and fellow guests know as they will not be waiting.