The Rules of the MDR

I have been reading about people's horror stories about dining in the Main Dining Room or those who enjoyed meeting others. If RCCL could have these rules then here we go ala Ms. Manners:

1. All parties shall arrive on time in a presentable fashion. If its formal night dress accordingly.

2. If you are late or cannot make your assigned dining time kindly call or preferably go down in person and speak to the Maitre D.

3. If your child becomes antsy or starts crying or throws a fit kindly excuse yourself and take your child and you outside of the dining room to a quiet place.

4. When people are introduced kindly respond with your name. Please don't stare at your dining mates even if English is not your first language try to communicate in other ways.

5. Don't assume everyone speaks your language. Try to learn some phrases in other languages depending on where the cruise departs from. You may not be perfect but you will get a fun language lesson.

6. Look at the menu and be prepared with your order when the waiter or waitress comes. If you want more of one item say so. Please don't over order.

7. If you want a table for two please email the Dining Department before your cruise or go to the Maitre D.

8. If for some reason you are not comfortable with your table assignment please let the Maitre D know in a respectful manner. Don't bash them for not being able to get your table request the first time around.

9. If you must leave early for one reason or another let your waiter or waitress know to see if he or she can speed up the dining time.

10. If you are not willing to spend the time dining or don't want to participate in the formal dining nights please go to the Windjammer or other dining venues.

11.If an item does not taste good don't complain. Kindly say to the waiter or waitress that this item was not what you expected it to be and see if you can get a replacement. Don't nit pick or pick around your food looking for ways to make it taste better.

12. If you ordered the wine package kindly offer to see if anyone wants a glass or two if you know you can't finish the bottle. A lot of times they will reciprocate.

13. Don't ask personal questions of your table mates. General conversation topics are good. Remind kids to act their best and if they start to get wild remove them promptly.

14. When you are finished place your silverware with the handle facing out and put them together to signal you are done.

15. Always have your napkin in your lap and please no elbows on the table.

16. When you are done wait until others are generally done eating or ask in a pleasant way if you can excuse yourself so as not to keep the others eating alone especially if there is a single cruiser.

17. Always greet the dining room staff and smile at the end of the evening thank them. Compliment them on what items you liked and tell them about improvements they can make.

18. If you know you want more of a drink as the waiter or waitress to bring either a pitcher or two iced teas or a carafe of coffee so as not to make them run back and forth all the time.

19. Wait until others are served or if you see at least two to three people starting to eat you can begin or you could say Do you mind if I can start with my soup? I'm sure your dining mates will understand and appreciate you asking them if you can start so as not to make them watch you eat.

20, Please do not snap your fingers to get the attention of the dining room staff. Kindly say excuse me Sir or excuse me Madam could you please bring me at your next earliest opportunity? And don't forget to sincerely thank them.

21. Enjoy and be happy and don't try to nit pick every little thing that goes wrong.

I hope everyone can live up to your set of rules so that YOU have a nice experience in the dining room. Unfortunately, I feel that you are going to be disappointed.

I have one rule for the dining room: Mind your own business and don't worry about what other people are doing.

Most of your "rules" are what we in the "old" days referred to as common sense...but I do take exception to this one:

12. If you ordered the wine package kindly offer to see if anyone wants a glass or two if you know you can't finish the bottle. A lot of times they will reciprocate.

I do not expect to share my wine package with anyone not in my party..nor do I expect anyone else to share theirs...I wouldn't expect them to share their coke, ice tea or other drink...why would I expect them to share the wine?

Number 21 seems to disagree with numbers 1-20...

21 rules is way too many for vacation in my book. But, I guess that's why I would always rather just get a table for two and not have to deal with it to begin with.

I hope everyone can live up to your set of rules so that YOU have a nice experience in the dining room. Unfortunately, I feel that you are going to be disappointed.

 

I have one rule for the dining room: Mind your own business and don't worry about what other people are doing.

Winning response of the day :D:D

Most of your "rules" are what we in the "old" days referred to as common sense...but I do take exception to this one:

 

12. If you ordered the wine package kindly offer to see if anyone wants a glass or two if you know you can't finish the bottle. A lot of times they will reciprocate.

 

I do not expect to share my wine package with anyone not in my party..nor do I expect anyone else to share theirs...I wouldn't expect them to share their coke, ice tea or other drink...why would I expect them to share the wine?

I agree. I can't afford to buy wine for everyone. If I could, I would not be sailing on a mid-market line. :rolleyes:

Interesting wish list, it isn't going to happen though, especially sharing a wine package. Come back after your first cruise and tell us what your real experience was because you are setting your expectations way too high.

I hope everyone can live up to your set of rules so that YOU have a nice experience in the dining room. Unfortunately, I feel that you are going to be disappointed.

 

I have one rule for the dining room: Mind your own business and don't worry about what other people are doing.

Short, simple, to the point, and easy to remember...... perfect!

Number 21 seems to disagree with numbers 1-20...

Agreed! LOL

I agree. I can't afford to buy wine for everyone.

When we are dining with tablemates who have ordered wine, we do not expect them to share with us. If you don't expect something, then you can't be disappointed which, sadly, I feel is probably the point of this thread??? :o

I think when people book a cruise they do so as a vacation to get away from work where they are already told what to do. I doubt on that when on vacation having additional rules to follow is attractive to them.

I understand the frustrations and I agree with some of the many complaints I see from people on this board but at the end of the day some people have the concept of "common courtesy" and some don't.

Some things you cannot control.

I have been reading about people's horror stories about dining in the Main Dining Room or those who enjoyed meeting others. If RCCL could have these rules then here we go ala Ms. Manners:

 

1. All parties shall arrive on time in a presentable fashion. If its formal night dress accordingly.

 

2. If you are late or cannot make your assigned dining time kindly call or preferably go down in person and speak to the Maitre D.

 

3. If your child becomes antsy or starts crying or throws a fit kindly excuse yourself and take your child and you outside of the dining room to a quiet place.

 

4. When people are introduced kindly respond with your name. Please don't stare at your dining mates even if English is not your first language try to communicate in other ways.

 

5. Don't assume everyone speaks your language. Try to learn some phrases in other languages depending on where the cruise departs from. You may not be perfect but you will get a fun language lesson.

 

6. Look at the menu and be prepared with your order when the waiter or waitress comes. If you want more of one item say so. Please don't over order.

 

7. If you want a table for two please email the Dining Department before your cruise or go to the Maitre D.

 

8. If for some reason you are not comfortable with your table assignment please let the Maitre D know in a respectful manner. Don't bash them for not being able to get your table request the first time around.

 

9. If you must leave early for one reason or another let your waiter or waitress know to see if he or she can speed up the dining time.

 

10. If you are not willing to spend the time dining or don't want to participate in the formal dining nights please go to the Windjammer or other dining venues.

 

11.If an item does not taste good don't complain. Kindly say to the waiter or waitress that this item was not what you expected it to be and see if you can get a replacement. Don't nit pick or pick around your food looking for ways to make it taste better.

 

12. If you ordered the wine package kindly offer to see if anyone wants a glass or two if you know you can't finish the bottle. A lot of times they will reciprocate.

 

13. Don't ask personal questions of your table mates. General conversation topics are good. Remind kids to act their best and if they start to get wild remove them promptly.

 

14. When you are finished place your silverware with the handle facing out and put them together to signal you are done.

 

15. Always have your napkin in your lap and please no elbows on the table.

 

16. When you are done wait until others are generally done eating or ask in a pleasant way if you can excuse yourself so as not to keep the others eating alone especially if there is a single cruiser.

 

17. Always greet the dining room staff and smile at the end of the evening thank them. Compliment them on what items you liked and tell them about improvements they can make.

 

18. If you know you want more of a drink as the waiter or waitress to bring either a pitcher or two iced teas or a carafe of coffee so as not to make them run back and forth all the time.

 

19. Wait until others are served or if you see at least two to three people starting to eat you can begin or you could say Do you mind if I can start with my soup? I'm sure your dining mates will understand and appreciate you asking them if you can start so as not to make them watch you eat.

 

20, Please do not snap your fingers to get the attention of the dining room staff. Kindly say excuse me Sir or excuse me Madam could you please bring me at your next earliest opportunity? And don't forget to sincerely thank them.

 

21. Enjoy and be happy and don't try to nit pick every little thing that goes wrong.

I find 21 a tad bit ironic. They shouldn't nit pick yet you can nit pick at peoples manners? I agree with the other poster that people should stop obsessing over what others are doing. Between this and the other thread we will all need a cheat sheet to cruise with. Who knew cruising had so many rules. :rolleyes:

IMO proper manners would be to purchase your own wine if you want it and not expected random strangers to give you theirs. And I don't like to put my napkin on my lap. I don't really see the point.

Isn't rule number one of miss manners to not point others lack of manners?

Miss Manners would be proud of you (I am too!).

I have a feeling this thread is going to be realllllly fun to read as the day goes along :D

I agree. I can't afford to buy wine for everyone. If I could, I would not be sailing on a mid-market line. :rolleyes:

To be fair, he did say "if you're not going to finish" or some such wording. The think the real offensive issue is that someone can't man up and finish a bottle. Not like you're driving anywhere ;)

Number 21 seems to disagree with numbers 1-20...

 

21 rules is way too many for vacation in my book. But, I guess that's why I would always rather just get a table for two and not have to deal with it to begin with.

I agree. As critical of every little detail that some people are on these boards, I will never sit at a table with anyone other than the people I am traveling with. And I think that's why more and more people request smaller tables. Who wants to deal with Miss rules through dinner every night.

I agree. As critical of every little detail that some people are on these boards, I will never sit at a table with anyone other than the people I am traveling with. And I think that's why more and more people request smaller tables. Who wants to deal with Miss rules through dinner every night.

For me it's that vacation is about spending time with the people I love (in most cases, my fiance and only my fiance). I just don't enjoy meeting new people on vacation...I'd rather look across the table and see her looking back at me, not some random dude from Idaho.

But that's off topic, and that's just me.

Most of your "rules" are what we in the "old" days referred to as common sense...but I do take exception to this one:

 

12. If you ordered the wine package kindly offer to see if anyone wants a glass or two if you know you can't finish the bottle. A lot of times they will reciprocate.

 

I do not expect to share my wine package with anyone not in my party..nor do I expect anyone else to share theirs...I wouldn't expect them to share their coke, ice tea or other drink...why would I expect them to share the wine?

On my last cruise, our table mates had a very expensive bottle of wine and asked us if we would like a glass. We declined, because we would have felt obligated to do the same and there was no way I was ordering a bottle of wine like that!

I'm amused that people seem to find these rules odd or offensive. It's pretty much how I was raised to behave at the dinner table.

And always ask...... Would you happen to have some Grey Poupon?? :cool:

For me it's that vacation is about spending time with the people I love (in most cases, my fiance and only my fiance). I just don't enjoy meeting new people on vacation...I'd rather look across the table and see her looking back at me, not some random dude from Idaho.

 

But that's off topic, and that's just me.

I agree with that too. :)

When I vacation it is to spend quality time with my hubby. I have no desire to sit at a table with random people discussing how everyone's day went. He works alot and we both work customer service type jobs where we are dealing with people all day everyday so vacation is a break from that.

21. Enjoy and be happy and don't try to nit pick every little thing that goes wrong.

Ironic isnt it. :rolleyes:

Judge people much?

Post such as these are a shame- turns new people off to cruising, makes people think cruisers are all judgmental snobs. I read these boards, participate but have learned to cherry pick the info out and ignore the OPINIONS, especially those not based on facts but simply objective ideas of whats right for one is right for all.

I thought this was a joke.

Wasn't April 1st last week?

I'm amused that people seem to find these rules odd or offensive. It's pretty much how I was raised to behave at the dinner table.

What I find offensive is that someone makes up rules to suit them. Cruising caters to people from all over the world. Everyone isn't going to act and behave the way you feel they should and to expect them to is ridiculous. What you consider bad manners may be the custom where someone else is from.

And I will say again, it is considered the ultimate rudeness to point out someone else's lack of manners. So if someone doesn't like what another person is doing I suggest they just ignore them. And if its something really offensive notify the staff and they will deal with it as appropriate.

On my last cruise, our table mates had a very expensive bottle of wine and asked us if we would like a glass. We declined, because we would have felt obligated to do the same and there was no way I was ordering a bottle of wine like that!

On one of our Mariner cruises, we were at a table for 6, my family of 3 with another family of 3. The first night, the mother of the other family was going to buy the wine package as long as they could guarantee her that she could get the exact wine she wanted each night. The waiter said they try but sometimes they run out of popular wines. She then went on to say, if you can't guarantee me that I can get my 5 bottles of Beringer's White Zinfindel, I am not ordering!:rolleyes: The waiter told her she would have no issues. When he then asked how many glasses, she became incensed and told her the wine was for her alone and she had no plans on sharing it with anyone! We were quite relieved because I am no wine snob but yuck!:cool: