Dinner seating mistake - can it be rectified?

[Gixer]

I just booked a cruise this morning for Apr 09 and I picked late seating without properly researching the seating times (stupid I know and my own fault) I emailed the TA I booked with and they said that the seating is closed and there is nothing that can be done and I will have to wait until I get on board to change it - that seems crazy to me, I just booked it today and they wont alter it?!

 

Could I email RCCL direct or something to ask for it to be ammended? the cruise is a year out almost and not full by a long way, or am I really now stuck with late seating? :confused:

[sanjoseca]

I'd call RCCL .... It sounds like your Travel Agent is too lazy to try.....I doubt that your cruise is all booked up this early.

 

Or...cancel with the TA and find a new TA that will get you what you want.

[Sue L]

HUH??? Who is this TA? Someone local? Or online, I really doubt that the seating is full at this point a year out. I would call the TA again or call RCCL directly and explain the situation. For something this simple it most likely won't be an issue though I could be wrong.

[louanne93]

Unfortunatly, since you booked with a TA, you can't talk directly with RCI. I don't see how it can't be fixed. The cruise is a year away (and I don't think early dining is filled up this far in advance). You could call RCI and pretend you are making a new booking and ask if early seating is available and when they tell you yes (let RCI know you will call back to confirm once you talk to your family), let your TA know that there is early dining available and that you insist on being changed.

[sanjoseca]

Do you not have a choice of TAs in the Falklands?

[louanne93]

I'd call RCCL .... It sounds like your Travel Agent is too lazy to try.....I doubt that your cruise is all booked up this early.

 

Or...cancel with the TA and find a new TA that will get you what you want.

 

I second that!! If they are going to be lazy with a simple request than what would happen if you had REAL complications;)

[sanjoseca]

Concord: You can if you get to the right person and scream loud enough....especially if the TA is not doing what RCCL needs them to do

[TiaGr]

What I did was I went on RRCL website,

I emailed them my concern about my up comong cruise (I booked online)

they were very helpful and took care of my request.

Just tell them exactly what happened in your email to them (if you choose to email). Good Luck!

[louanne93]

S.J.~ I have never used a TA. I don't like not having control. No amount of OBC is worth that to me:D

 

But believe me...I know how to get my way;)

[Gixer]

LOL no, we dont have any TA's in the Falklands. I booked with an online TA that advertises on this site. I wanted to book with RCCL direct but their site has been down for 2 days so I went with a TA in desperation! Looks like I picked the wrong one!

 

Here is the reply I got back from them today -

 

Im sorry, but the dining option for early or main has been closed. When you arrive on board, you may speak to the front desk of the ship and see if anyone had cancelled their early or main dining. I hope you have a wonderful day.

[velocity6]

my ta made the same mistake and corrected it for me. among other things. this mistake happened less than a month before the cruise.

[Sue L]

LOL no, we dont have any TA's in the Falklands. I booked with an online TA that advertises on this site. I wanted to book with RCCL direct but their site has been down for 2 days so I went with a TA in desperation! Looks like I picked the wrong one!

 

Here is the reply I got back from them today -

 

Im sorry, but the dining option for early or main has been closed. When you arrive on board, you may speak to the front desk of the ship and see if anyone had cancelled their early or main dining. I hope you have a wonderful day.

 

 

I would email them and tell them unless they fix it you will be canceling the trip. It is ridiculous that these idiots are giving all TA's a bad reputation. I will bet their tune changes real quick.

[cruisePRN]

I would cancel and rebook with a decent TA, shame on them :mad:

[Gixer]

Thanks guys! I just ran a dummy booking and early seating is still open and available to book so I dont know what they are playing at really :mad:

 

I just sent this email to the TA -

 

I must say I am very dissapointed that a year out the dinner seating cant be changed, especially when I just ran a dummy booking and main seating is still open and available. Are you sure you are unable to do anything to rectify the situation? I would hate to have to cancel with you and rebook with a different agent, but the possibility of being stuck in late dining and in all probability not finishing a meal until 11pm with tired kids is unacceptable.

 

Please let me know if you can ammend this mistake or if I need to cancel and rebook with someone else.

[Sue L]

Thanks guys! I just ran a dummy booking and early seating is still open and available to book so I dont know what they are playing at really :mad:

 

I just sent this email to the TA -

 

I must say I am very dissapointed that a year out the dinner seating cant be changed, especially when I just ran a dummy booking and main seating is still open and available. Are you sure you are unable to do anything to rectify the situation? I would hate to have to cancel with you and rebook with a different agent, but the possibility of being stuck in late dining and in all probability not finishing a meal until 11pm with tired kids is unacceptable.

 

Please let me know if you can ammend this mistake or if I need to cancel and rebook with someone else.

 

 

Good for you and INSIST on an updated confirmation to make sure it has in fact been actually done. Do NOT just take their word for it, you want it in writing.

[Crosboro]

Just pick up the phone, call RCCL, explain the problem, and I'm sure they will

help you. I would have done that right off after the TA response, instead of posting on here.

[Sue L]

Just pick up the phone, call RCCL, explain the problem, and I'm sure they will

help you. I would have done that right off after the TA response, instead of posting on here.

 

 

The OP lives in the Falklands, probably not as easy.

[Gixer]

Just pick up the phone, call RCCL, explain the problem, and I'm sure they will

help you. I would have done that right off after the TA response, instead of posting on here.

 

 

I have just emailed RCCL and asked if they can help me - the time difference and expense make phoning from the Falklands very difficult. This isnt regular long distance phoning we are talking about, the bill for a 15min phone call could run at well over $150 :eek:

[lauren0309]

Just go to the maitre de when you first board the ship and he will make the change. We did that after the first night because we decided late seating was too late because it interfered with our son's activities in the teen club. We switched us to early seating with no problem.

[sanjoseca]

Gix, when this gets settled, get your booking number from the TA. You can then go to the RCCL website and log your booking number in "my cruises". You will then be able to see all the particulars of your cruise....including dining seating.

 

0309: sometimes it's too late to try to change dining seatings on board.

 

Looks to me like Gix has lined up everything so she/he will get what she / he wants now.

[cb at sea]

Even if you can't get it changed before boarding--don't stress! They will do their best to change you once you're onboard. They really do want the passengers to be happy! If you don't get it switched the 1st evening, they almost certainly will switch you by night 2!

Just head to the dining room when you board and make sure you're on the waitlist. It will happen!

[Sue L]

Even if you can't get it changed before boarding--don't stress! They will do their best to change you once you're onboard. They really do want the passengers to be happy! If you don't get it switched the 1st evening, they almost certainly will switch you by night 2!

Just head to the dining room when you board and make sure you're on the waitlist. It will happen!

 

 

There is no reason he should have to stress over this for a whole year. If the TA won't change it I really believe that RCCL will help you out.

[temple1]

Hopefully the OP can get it fixed now. Depending on the week - April is such a big spring break cruise time, I'm sure a lot of pax want early seating.

 

Looks like a good email to the TA, I hope it gets resolved.

[leoandhugh]

Gix, before actually cancelling with the TA you are working with, make sure that they do not impose a fee or charge for cancelling; some TAs do that, but I don't know about online TAs. Would hate for you to cancel, and after all the hassle I feel it would be appropriate, only to find out after the fact that they have a fee for so doing and might subtract that from your deposit, which they may still be holding.:)

[Agr8RN]

Even if the dining is full, you should be able to waitlist the early seating.

Many times when bookings open up, the TAs take out group space, and along with that they choose either late or early dining to go with it, and it ties up the space even if no one one is booked into it.

 

Your TA sounds like a real 'winner', such a shame. My TA is great, very quick to respond and does whatever she can to take care of our needs.

 

Good luck; I wouldn't relent.