Does RCI allow Lg family groups to sit together?

[Asil65]

We have booked our cruise as a group. So what you are saying is that our reservations are already tied together?:confused:

Tell your TA to make a group cruise. Saves all that linking stuff. Even if you do not reach the benefit level you still can have a group ID and every reservation attached to that ID.

 

Makes it easier for the planning as well.

[Asil65]

That is a great suggestion. Thanks!:)

When you board, go have a chat with the Maitre D' in the main dining room. (His hours will be posted). Request that your two tables have the same waitstaff. They will try their best to accommodate you, but they can only do that if they know what you want.

 

:)

[Asil65]

I don't think they could force you to do that. No way!

There will be 30 in our group on my next cruise. I heard that everyone will need to prepay their tips if we plan to switch tables in the dining room. Has anyone heard of this policy ?

[CruisinMermaid]

They do try their best to accomodate large groups. On our Monarch cruise, there was a large table a couple of tables down from our window table for 4. They appeared to be traveling together with people scattered at the tables between us. We received a call the next day from Seamus, the dining room manager, asking if we would be willing to change our table so they could use it to seat the group together. We said no problem. When we went to dinner that night, they had given us another, nicer window table with a banquette on one side. Seamus personally came over to thank us, introduced us to our new head waiter, and presented us with a complimentary bottle of champagne to enjoy with dinner. So not only do they try to seat everyone in a group together, they also treat the passengers they may have inconvenienced by a move very well. (At least they do on the Monarch!)

 

 

We sail on the Monarch next year with a group of 24 and I am so pleased to hear this. I've heard horror stories from others on different lines that they had to beg and plead to get seated together. It's good to know that RC goes above and beyond to treat alltheir passengers well.

[sully_mn]

We were a group of 24 that just got back from the JOS, we had one table of 12 along a window and the next two tables aft of 6 each. We prepayed our tips so we could mix/match where we sat after the first night and it worked out very well and the waitstaff was outstanding & very accommodating and understanding.

 

There was an even larger table next to ours (I would guess ~20) as well.

 

EDIT: We booked this a year ago March/April which helped ensure this arrangement and from what I understand RCI was very easy to work with when we planned our cruise.

[scrapycruiser]

Sully_MN....how did your waitstaff know you had prepaid the tips? Our group of 31 plan to prepay ours for the same reason. Did you tell them ?

[sully_mn]

Sully_MN....how did your waitstaff know you had prepaid the tips? Our group of 31 plan to prepay ours for the same reason. Did you tell them ?

 

You know, I don't know for sure but suspect that RCI notifies the staff because the tables did have two different waitstaffs. The only caveat was the first night we were required to sit at our assigned table. The travel agent we used to book the cruise told us if we prepayed we could mix & match after the first night and had no problems. Good luck!!

[Asil65]

I have never heard of prepaying your tips. Did your TA suggest this? Did you tip more if the service was great after? I guess I just don't understand what the difference is whether you prepay or not?:confused:

[tip]

We just returned from an eight day cruise aboard the Jewel of the Seas yestreday. Every night there was a table of sixteen extended family members adjacent to us. It was really quite a sight to see the family matriach at the head of the table and everyone enjoying themselves. Needless to say the waiter and assistant waiter worked very hard, but I was impressed to see the head waiter helping out at every meal as well.

[sully_mn]

I have never heard of prepaying your tips. Did your TA suggest this? Did you tip more if the service was great after? I guess I just don't understand what the difference is whether you prepay or not?:confused:

 

Yes & yes.

 

It allowed us to move between tables. If we hadn't prepaid the gratuity we could not have moved around - we had three tables of relatives/friends and two different wait staffs. If we hadn't prepaid they don't want you to move between tables.

 

We just returned from an eight day cruise aboard the Jewel of the Seas yestreday. Every night there was a table of sixteen extended family members adjacent to us. It was really quite a sight to see the family matriach at the head of the table and everyone enjoying themselves. Needless to say the waiter and assistant waiter worked very hard, but I was impressed to see the head waiter helping out at every meal as well.

 

We had a large group of French speakers near us (late seating, starboard side, deck five) on the same cruise that really had a great time (one of them was a finalist in the Karaoke contest) and had a great relationship with their waiter. Would love to see what their wine bill came to. Wow! :eek:

[Asil65]

Maybe there is hope for the 17 of us. Thanks:D

We just returned from an eight day cruise aboard the Jewel of the Seas yestreday. Every night there was a table of sixteen extended family members adjacent to us. It was really quite a sight to see the family matriach at the head of the table and everyone enjoying themselves. Needless to say the waiter and assistant waiter worked very hard, but I was impressed to see the head waiter helping out at every meal as well.