One More Reason To Dislike Relaxed Dining Room Etiquette

[struther1]

If I was that concerned about missing part of a show I would just skip dessert. And unless RCI has added the Zac Brown Band or Pink to their line up, I'm not skipping dessert. Have to leave for dinner, you have a nice day Texas.

[cdamion]

It sounds to me like a short-coming on the wait staff. My waitstaff on Majesty was great. The table next to us came in late every single night at about 6:30 or 6:40. The wait staff scrambled to get everybody served even though the tables weren't in sync. We were never delayed because of it. The only noticeable thing was that refilling water, etc. was a bit slow because they were running back and forth so much.

 

I think the wait staff in OP's situation maybe wasn't as sharp to handle it and inconvenienced the on-time diners.

 

As far as changing tables if there are issues, I know the Majesty's maitre d worked hard to switch people around every night of the cruise.

[Cruising89143]

It sounds to me like a short-coming on the wait staff. My waitstaff on Majesty was great. The table next to us came in late every single night at about 6:30 or 6:40. The wait staff scrambled to get everybody served even though the tables weren't in sync. We were never delayed because of it. The only noticeable thing was that refilling water, etc. was a bit slow because they were running back and forth so much.

 

I think the wait staff in OP's situation maybe wasn't as sharp to handle it and inconvenienced the on-time diners.

 

As far as changing tables if there are issues, I know the Majesty's maitre d worked hard to switch people around every night of the cruise.

 

That's not the point. The issue is with late arrivals. Should not be allowed. The crew hates it and regardless of how good a wait staff is, it can still throw them off.

[clean1owner]

For all of those who have posted "just ask to be moved to a different table" I am showing this picture so maybe you understand a little better

 

 

 

 

This is our table of four. If you look to the right side of the photo, you can just see the back of my mothers head. That is our table of 8. Even with new math, 4+8 makes 12. I really don't think it would have been possible to move 12 people and keep them together. In the foreground of the picture, you can just see the edge of the table for 6 that the late arrivals sat at. When speaking to the Matre d' on day 1, I asked if we could have the table for 6, the table the girls are sitting at, and the table for 2 by the window put together. He told me it couldn't be done because the couple at the table for 2 had requested their table. They also showed up late every night, but never more than 15 minutes.

[Merion_Mom]

Believe me, the waiters and staff are hating the persons coming in 30mins - 1 hour late, but they do not have a choice in the matter. It is corporate that makes these kinds of decisions to accept late comers or not. Simple solution is to be asked to be moved.

 

I work in retail pharmacy and this happens all the time and it really frustrates me. Pharmacy closes at 10pm. There's always a customer that comes in at 9:59pm that "we must accomadate" because corporate says so. And that causes me to leave at 10:20pm - 10:30pm. So I stay an extra 20 to 30 mins and I don't get paid overtime.

 

As much as I appreciate your point of view, please allow me to extend the analogy to the Original Poster's issue.

 

But if someone came in at 9:50, requesting a prescription, and you went to begin preparing it (and this particular prescription, let us say, takes 10 minutes to prepare), and then someone came in at 9:59, would you shunt Mr. 9:50 aside to make Mr. 9:59's prescription?

 

I think not.

 

But that is basically what happened to our OP.

 

It's just wrong.

[Merion_Mom]

Just so everyone knows on ships that are small like Majesty and Monarch MTD's are intermingled with Traditional Seating tables. They are too small to have seperate areas. When we were on Monarch in February, the tables to the left and right of us were traditional seating, but the tables in the spot behind us were MTD, I was confused the first night when we showed up for our late seating and there were people around us having entrees and appetizers...quickly figured it out. It is quite possible that the "Offenders" did have MTD. It is NOT thier fault unless they didn't have MTD and honestly unless you asked them we all have no way to know the answer. The true "Offender" in this scenario is the waiter. The waiters should have kept up on the service of the OP's table.

 

I have not been on Monarch recently, but this is not true at all on the Majesty. The Majesty MTD is strictly on the port side of the deck 4 dining room. It even has its own entrance just aft of the internet area. It is not mixed with traditional dining.

 

We were just on Majesty last month and MTD is on Deck 4, totally separate from Traditional which was on Deck 3.

 

Another voice saying "simply NOT true."

[PH8]

It is true on the MN.........the MTD diners are in an area surrounded by traditional diners...on deck 4..

[lv2cruisgrl]

Lucky you.

 

I have experienced a similar experience of the staff not enforcing the rules on RCCL. My issue was in the supposed "adults only" pool that had families with small, shrieking children using it. None of the RCCL staff did anything about asking the children to leave. The one time I did complain to a staff member he went over to the one of the mothers and she yelled at him (no kidding, YELLED) that it was her vacation and she and her kids would use any pool they wanted. After that he just shrugged and walked away. I have never, ever been on an RCCL cruise where the "adults-only" pool didn't have children playing in it and around it.

 

It's really a staff and corporate issue. If the corporate office isn't going to back the staff when they enforce the rules, then the staff won't. As one previous poster stated, if you aren't going to enforce the rules then why have them?

We have never had an issue with kids in the adult area since we travel only when kids are in school. However i agree, why have rules when they dont enforce them....

[Scotty G]

More than once, I've seen the table captain pitch in to serve and even bus the table.

Tucker in Texas

 

The table captain that you refer to would be the headwaiter for that area of the MDR. Obviously this was one who actually was visible and pitched in to assist his staff! ;) We have only had problems with one or two headwaiters during our years of cruising. The majority of them have been great to excellent. :D

 

The solution to the OP's problem would have been to direct the problem to the Maitre 'd and the Food and Beverage Director the first time it happened. I know their counterparts on Monarch would have handled this in an appropriate manner!

[Fat Paul]

On our last cruise our tablemates (we had requested a privet table) were 15 to 25 min. late every night. This put a crimp in the service as the waitstaff waited untill they arrived to commence serving. For this cruise I have made it very clear that we WILL have a table to ourself. The first thing that I will do when I get on board is check the seating with the dinning room staff.

[brfan]

As much as I appreciate your point of view, please allow me to extend the analogy to the Original Poster's issue.

 

But if someone came in at 9:50, requesting a prescription, and you went to begin preparing it (and this particular prescription, let us say, takes 10 minutes to prepare), and then someone came in at 9:59, would you shunt Mr. 9:50 aside to make Mr. 9:59's prescription?

 

I think not.

 

But that is basically what happened to our OP.

 

It's just wrong.

 

While I agree with what you are saying, the problem is the waitstaff probably had to deal with the latecomers first so that they would hopefully be done before late seating started. Otherwise it would create a backlog if the late seating people at that table couldn't be seated until 9:00 pm (or whenever the latecomers finished their meal and the waitstaff reset the table).

 

It wouldn't have been an issue to let the latecomers wait had it been late seating. The only issue there would have been the waitstaff themselves may not have been finished in time to be able to eat their own dinner, since I believe their mess is only open until a certain time each evening.

[cdamion]

That's not the point. The issue is with late arrivals. Should not be allowed. The crew hates it and regardless of how good a wait staff is, it can still throw them off.

 

I agree and disagree with you.

 

The point is that the late diners apparently arrived within whatever parameters RCI allows and the wait staff made OP wait to accommodate the late arriving diners. That was not right. I think I would have said something to the head waiter and if it happened a second time, cut tips.

 

I agree that I would rather see a policy in place that says traditional seaters that arrive more than x minutes late will not be seated. ESPECIALLY when there is my time dining for those that don't want to adhere to the specific times. It's not like there aren't plenty of other dining options available if they miss their scheduled time.

[wwcruisers]

dito. but it sounds like the OP did try to tell people that it was upsetting their own dinner. the people who were late NIGHTLY should sail a ship more suited to their needs (NCL Freestyle) or do MTD. It is unfair that the OP diner/and nightly plans were affected DAILY due to the table who kept showing up late.

 

Foxesden, you make a very good point, here. On the two occasions that the OP tried to tell someone about her problem -- the "too bad, so sad, you're mad" reaction was absolutely inexcusable! :mad: The appropriate response from those staff members would have been to put the OP in touch with the maitre-d, so that the matter could be resolved prior to the next dinner service.

 

Over the years, we've learned to speak up early, whenever there is a problem with service on the ship. In this case, asking to speak to the head waiter might have been enough to resolve the issue in a timely manner. :cool:

[clean1owner]

On our last cruise our tablemates (we had requested a privet table) were 15 to 25 min. late every night. This put a crimp in the service as the waitstaff waited untill they arrived to commence serving. For this cruise I have made it very clear that we WILL have a table to ourself. The first thing that I will do when I get on board is check the seating with the dinning room staff.

 

 

Paul, Make sure you get there early. The line usually starts forming about 12:30. Also, make sure you go to the entrance that has the computers by it. We had about 10 people line up at the wrong door, just to be told they had to go to the back of our line.

[FLHugh]

Love the discussion but it is such a minor inconvenience it hardly seems worth mentioning to me.

 

But you just couldn't resist!

[lrn2cruise]

Your words seem pretty harsh to someone who followed the "rules" and was on time. Why you feel they should have had to do anything different than enjoy their regularly scheduled meal is beyond me. Maybe you are one of those people who show up late? :rolleyes:

 

 

No I am not. I am going on my first crusie in 2 weeks. I plan on being on time and I will follow our MDR schedule or go somewhere else for dinner.

[lrn2cruise]

So dont all the waiters have several tables in a section? So if the answer is yes, then the waiters were busy bringing other desserts, tea, water refills, several rounds of other courses. What difference does it make to another table what the waiters are bringing that table?

 

I really think the OP is looking down on the fact that these passengers came dressed inapprpriate and late. That most likely bugs her to no end. You add not getting her dessert-well!!!! Look out!

[struther1]

But you just couldn't resist!

 

On a discussion board, no I couldn't resist on the ship, not going to happen for me.

[Merion_Mom]

It is true on the MN.........the MTD diners are in an area surrounded by traditional diners...on deck 4..

 

Then I am NOT looking forward to that on the Monarch in December. :rolleyes:

[PH8]

Then I am NOT looking forward to that on the Monarch in December. :rolleyes:

You doing MTD?

[bplazo]

I do not think that the cruisline has to accomodate poeple who have traditional dinner and are late. If you are more than 15 minutes late the doors should be closed. You do have the option of anytime dining. If tablemates were more than a few minutes late I would not hesitate to say something.

[Merion_Mom]

No I am not. I am going on my first crusie in 2 weeks. I plan on being on time and I will follow our MDR schedule or go somewhere else for dinner.

 

So dont all the waiters have several tables in a section? So if the answer is yes, then the waiters were busy bringing other desserts, tea, water refills, several rounds of other courses. What difference does it make to another table what the waiters are bringing that table?

 

I really think the OP is looking down on the fact that these passengers came dressed inapprpriate and late. That most likely bugs her to no end. You add not getting her dessert-well!!!! Look out!

 

You have never been on a cruise before, but you have been a member of Cruise Critic for two years?

 

I find that confusing, but here goes.

 

If you have never been on a cruise, then you do NOT understand how the dining room operates.

 

There are lines in the kitchen from which the waiters pick up food.

 

First, appetizers/first courses are set up. Waiters drop off their orders, the kitchen staff put plates up on the line. Waiters come and pick them up and deliver them.

 

Then main courses are plated and put out on the line. Waiters come and pick them up and deliver them.

 

Then dessert orders are taken. The dessert line has been set up in the kitchen. The waiter comes and picks up and delivers the desserts.

 

Coming in while dessert order are being taken, an hour or an hour+ into the seating SEVERELY DISRUPTS regular seating diners.

 

This is the reason that there is MY TIME DINING.

 

If you want to eat "at any time", "not during regular seatings", then you sign up for MTD, with its own waiters.

 

Otherwise, you severely impact passengers who have signed up for and expect the service of regular dining.

 

Let me repeat that:

 

Royal Caribbean has something called "MY TIME DINING". Then you have a different waitstaff set up, different tables, and the right and expectation to eat when you like.

 

If you are on regular seating, either main seating (sometimes called early seating) or late seating, then you are given a specific time for dinner, usually 6:00 and 8:30.

 

Pick one or the other; don't screw up by insisting on A when you have B.

[Merion_Mom]

You doing MTD?

 

We have started doing that on our Girls Getaway Weekends. We aren't signed up for it yet.

[PH8]

We have started doing that on our Girls Getaway Weekends. We aren't signed up for it yet.

Its always our choice..........MTD on MN will be just fine!!:)

[CA_girl_in_TX]

If I was that concerned about missing part of a show I would just skip dessert. And unless RCI has added the Zac Brown Band or Pink to their line up, I'm not skipping dessert. Have to leave for dinner, you have a nice day Texas.

 

 

That's great that you wouldn't be bothered by missing a show and that if you were you would gladly skip a dessert. The concept you seem to have a problem grasping is that you shouldn't have to make that choice because of somebody else's selfish behavior.

 

The late-comers only cared about their own wants and needs. They apparently did not care that their late arrival would negatively impact other diners, nor did they care that their late arrival would negatively impact the waitstaff. They just wanted to come to dinner when they felt like it, oblivious as to how their actions would affect others and in complete disregard of the dining room seating times.

 

Because of their action, the OP and his group missed a portion of a show that they wanted to see. Sure, they could have skipped dessert, as you suggested. But, and I'll repeat here since it's an idea that seems difficult for you to comprehend, they shouldn't have to make that choice.

 

To say that you wouldn't care about missing a show is a nonsequitor. Your feelings are really of no import here, because you weren't in the situation. To tell the OP that the issue he shared with this board seems "minor" to you is a denigration of his feelings and what is important to him. It was important to him to have dessert and also to get to the show on time. The only reason he was unable to do both was due to somebody else's selfish actions that were also contrary to dining room policy. To repeat another poster's sentiment, "that is just wrong".

 

I truly am baffled that you seem to be unable to understand such a simple concept. Do you understand the meaning of the word "empathy"? Even though this particular situation wouldn't have bothered you, it bothered the OP. Bottom line is, the OP experienced a problem brought about by someone else's selfish behavior and it shouldn't have happened. If you can't understand and empathize with that, then I can't help you.