Tired of dining room meals being interrupted.

Ok, call me a stick in the mud, but I am getting very tired of all the hoop a la in the dining room. Just got off Brilliance, on a five night cruise, and THREE of the nights had a head waiter yelling on a microphone for at least ten minutes. Yes the staff work hard, and I reward them with a polite thank you, and with my gratuities. Do we really need to have a staff member going on and on and on telling us how great they are? The exact same thing happened on Allure last month. Both times the person was literally yelling into the microphone to the point where it was hurting my ears. The woman last month went on for 20 MINUTES on the last night. Way over the top.

It used to be that they started this once you were at the end of the meal, and we could easily leave before it began. Now, they seem to be doing it earlier and earlier so they have a captive market. Last night we waited 58 minutes to get our entrees, so we were in the middle of dinner when they began.

I wish they would go back to the way they used to do it. Five minutes on the last evening at the end of the meal. People twirled their napkins, the staff did a short parade around the dining room, and they called it a night.

Probably one of the reasons less people are eating in the MDR. We only make it once a cruise anymore

you know, I truly have never noticed this....

I’ve always hated the feeble attempt at entertainment in the dining room. If I want singing and dancing I’ll go to the theater. Waitstaff is there to, well, wait on tables. Don’t need to wait for the next course while they are busy parading around with flags. Now I do understand that some people just love this and look forward to it, but I really can do without people flinging their germ-ridden napkins around.

Ok, call me a stick in the mud, but I am getting very tired of all the hoop a la in the dining room. Just got off Brilliance, on a five night cruise, and THREE of the nights had a head waiter yelling on a microphone for at least ten minutes. Yes the staff work hard, and I reward them with a polite thank you, and with my gratuities. Do we really need to have a staff member going on and on and on telling us how great they are? The exact same thing happened on Allure last month. Both times the person was literally yelling into the microphone to the point where it was hurting my ears. The woman last month went on for 20 MINUTES on the last night. Way over the top.

 

It used to be that they started this once you were at the end of the meal, and we could easily leave before it began. Now, they seem to be doing it earlier and earlier so they have a captive market. Last night we waited 58 minutes to get our entrees, so we were in the middle of dinner when they began.

 

I wish they would go back to the way they used to do it. Five minutes on the last evening at the end of the meal. People twirled their napkins, the staff did a short parade around the dining room, and they called it a night.

Give them a ZER0 on the survey!(y)

It doesn't matter where you are in the dining room, because most ships have the centrum design, so the noise carries.

Yes, we also are veeeeeeery tired of this, and most of our waiters in MTD hate doing it. On the Rhapsody we sat in the back of the dining room and watched the waiters and assistant waiters mob the kitchen to get out of doing it. The head waiters had to corral them and chase them out.

We can pretty much tell if it's the Italian menu they will sing. We ask our waiter if there's "entertainment" several times a week, and tell him or her we are leaving before dessert on those nights.

45 years of listening to it, and we are so very done with it!

Nothing worse than a bite of food not going down right.

You need to wash it down.

All the water glasses at the table are empty.

And your server & assistant are parading around in a Congo-line....

 

Last night we waited 58 minutes to get our entrees, so we were in the middle of dinner when they began.

 

 

58 minutes :eek:

Did you set a timer?

Could've been worse. An hour wait would've been terrible.

;)

We've noticed this a lot more lately as well. On a recent four night cruise, three nights had some kind of 'crap' going on in the dining room. We usually eat fast and try to escape before it, but one night they literally formed a wall of waiters at the front so you couldn't even leave without pushing past your wait staff!

I made a note of it on my survey (also noted that the staff talked several times about the survey) and am hoping for some backlash to stop it.

We usually dine specialty more to avoid this, but were on Majesty so didn't have many other options.

We've noticed this a lot more lately as well. On a recent four night cruise, three nights had some kind of 'crap' going on in the dining room. We usually eat fast and try to escape before it, but one night they literally formed a wall of waiters at the front so you couldn't even leave without pushing past your wait staff!

 

I made a note of it on my survey (also noted that the staff talked several times about the survey) and am hoping for some backlash to stop it.

 

We usually dine specialty more to avoid this, but were on Majesty so didn't have many other options.

Dining in the specialty venues, just makes more money for them and does not solve the problem. Protesting in some way, would probably be better.

Dining in the specialty venues, just makes more money for them and does not solve the problem. Protesting in some way, would probably be better.

I'm on vacation, I'm not there to "protest in some way".

Just doing what makes me and my family and friends happy! Like I said, I mentioned it on my survey and encourage others who feel this same way to do that as well.

I'm on vacation, I'm not there to "protest in some way".

 

Just doing what makes me and my family and friends happy! Like I said, I mentioned it on my survey and encourage others who feel this same way to do that as well.

All righty then...I guess you told me!

I've not had this experience, and we eat in the MDR every night. There's always one night with some singing, but we just continue conversation at our ten top.

The one event I do enjoy is when the toddlers stroll thru dressed as pirates. The kids love it, as they're so adorable all dressed up.

Most of the times the parade of waiters happens when our meal has basically completed. Also, on recent cruises, the Maitre D or Head Waiter tries their best at a least a joke each night, but it does not interrupt the waiters chores.

Hey, I forgot which Captain or ship that we were on, but we loved and anticipated the daily Captain jokes. Sometimes they were entertaining and others you just scratched your head--must be a Norwegian thing.:D

Probably one of the reasons less people are eating in the MDR. We only make it once a cruise anymore

Second that emotion.

On our 9 night Anthem sailing in July every other night the restaurant mgr played hip hop music and made very long announcements touting great job being done by wait staff. Have never witnessed the like in 25 years of cruising. Really tacky. Made sure to complain about it on survey, adjust mdr grades down accordingly and name him where it asks if a crew member asked us for a 10.

Not sure what's worse, having the head waiter beg for 10s to the whole dining room or the individual begging by the waiter table side.

We've only had this happen one evening on all of our Royal Caribbean cruises, and because if that I don't mind it at all. I enjoy seeing the wait staff all together and a quick dance and a chance for us to show our appreciation.

If it happened more often, like the OP experienced, I wouldn't care for it at all either.

Dan

They did it three or four times on the Indy earlier this year, and for two of them we were sat at a table for two right at the bottom of the stairs and had them all lining up behind me!! People were standing up and coming forward to take photo's - I must be in so many photo's looking very sheepish just trying to eat my meal.... All very embarrassing. It is very intrusive, once on the last night is good enough to properly show the appreciation they deserve.

They also did this in the WJ recently on Freedom...really...I wanted to walk up to whoever was responsible for making the desserts standing up there and the person that over cooked the chicken (every night) and tell them they really didn't do a good job.:eek:

I never witnessed this, but I'll tell you, the Dream Works fiasco on Oasis at top volume while I'm still trying to wake up and have breakfast and some hair of the dog makes me want to hurt someone. Mostly Shrek.

I'm not a fan of the interruptions as well, but I can appreciate them representing their culture. And I've only encountered situations that were less than 10 minutes, so I don't have too much to complain about.

I'm not a fan of the interruptions as well, but I can appreciate them representing their culture. And I've only encountered situations that were less than 10 minutes, so I don't have too much to complain about.

Are they really "representing their culture"? Which culture would that be? I would guess that the waiters are from many different cultures.

you know, I truly have never noticed this....

me neither

Do MTD 7:30-7:45. You miss the early dining room show, and leave before the late one. Have this timed close because they have started doing it so many times on each cruise.