One More Reason To Dislike Relaxed Dining Room Etiquette

[Oville]

This is a 2011 quote.........not a 1950's quote, when you would find cruising so much different than today.

 

 

I wrote much more......then eliminated it.........as it's not revelent to what is happening today.

 

Many people cuising today.........are wonderful. There are a few that hold themselves above.....that they can anything. and everyone else be damned.

 

I feel sorry for those that just try to follow the rules.........and are sometimes forgotten!

:eek:

Rick

 

Rick, you make some really good points but the .......... are so distracting, it's hard to know what your point is.

 

To the OP, as long as the cruise line allows late seaters, there's nothing you can do about it. We switched over to MTD because we hated the lines that formed for late seating 20 minutes before the dining room opened and would not stand in them. We are happy campers/diners in MTD.

[rubrrick]

Rick, you make some really good points but the .......... are so distracting, it's hard to know what your point is.

 

To the OP, as long as the cruise line allows late seaters, there's nothing you can do about it. We switched over to MTD because we hated the lines that formed for late seating 20 minutes before the dining room opened and would not stand in them. We are happy campers/diners in MTD.

 

 

Oville........they are pregnant pauses. Unforunately....my trademark.

 

Sorry that you can't follow that!

 

Rick

[Oville]

Oville........they are pregnant pauses. Unforunately....my trademark.

 

Sorry that you can't follow that!

 

Rick

 

Hi again, but do not think these are pregnant pauses, but do love your post here on CC. You have so much info to share and it is grately appreciated, but do think this it is a bit hard to follow.

 

"I wrote much more......then eliminated it.........as it's not revelent to what is happening today."

[Wilda]

Just got off the Majesty and I was reminded of why I really dislike the relaxed dining room rules.

 

We had 6:00 seating, and on our first night everything was going pretty good until 7:10. Our waiter had just given us the desert menus, and a group of 6 came in and sat down at the table next to us. So now our waiter and assistant waiter had to scramble to get them menus, water, etc. This delayed us being able to give our orders. Right after we gave our desert orders, the late arrivals called the waiter over to give their main order. So now the waitstaff has to bring them their appetizers and drinks so they can start eating. The end result was our table having to wait 20 minutes extra to get our deserts, and all of us being late for the main show in the theater. These people came in late every night. I think the earlies they ever arrived was 6:20. An of course they showed up wearing shorts, t-shirts, and sandals. Even on the formal night.

The next day I went to the dining room entrance to look at the menu, and a girl was standing at the desk outside the door. I asked her if there was a deadline for getting in to be served, and she told me it was 6:45. So I let her know about the late arrivals, and how they messed up our evening, and she simply said "They have to be accomodated" with an "Oh well, I guess it sucks to be you" attitude.

 

The day after that I was at the guest relations desk to get some internet time, and the girl asked me if I was enjoying my cruise. I responded with "Most of it, yes. But Some of it, no" She immediately got a concerned look on her face and asked "Is there a problem with something?" So I told her about the late arriving people messing things up. Once again I got "They have to be accomodated." So I asked her why they had a 7:45 cut off for seating if they don't enforce it, and she simply said that have to be accomodated. She also lost her look of concern. Once again the "It sucks to be you" attitude. Every other cruise that I have been on, If you weren't seated by 6:30, you were NOT allowed in.

 

My sister, who normally sails Princess and was on her first RCCL sailing, swears she will never sail Royal again.

 

Really? They messed up your evening? You didn't have to wait 20 minutes. The first night it happened you could have asked the waiter to bring your desert as soon as possible because you had somewhere else to be. You could have spoken to your waiter the second night of the cruise before the rule-breakers arrived and let them know that you would appreciate it if the late-comers did not allow them to slow down your service.

 

Really? Your sister was so disturbed by the incident that she will never sail with RCI again?

 

I'm not disputing that what the late arriver's did was rude, but it appears to me that you spoke to the wrong people about it. You should have addressed it with your waiter by speaking up immediately.

[cruisecrasy]

Sorry to hear of this insensitive group who directly affected your dining experience. But I'm actually more sorry for your sister who now has a bad taste in her mouth after having had this experience.

 

I understand your comments and concern, but what happened is that you let another group directly affect your experience in the DR. Their clothing bothered you? Anyway, perhaps it might have been prudent to have a word with the waiter and head waiter... I'm sure after the second time this happened, a few polite, chosen words might have alleviated any stress and frustration then and there and would have resulted in them shifting things around in order to finish accomodating your party.

 

Trust me, what happened in your dining room is the exception, not the rule. We have never witnessed a group come in so late, so as I said, it's not the norm. I'm sorry your sister doesn't see it that way and has written off an exceptional cruise line for a very small (IMO) and isolated reason. Believe me, the same thing could very well happen on Princess, who I'm sure, would accomodate the late group also.

 

Because their clothing wldn't have bothered u then others are not to be bothered either? Why be critical of the OPs comment regarding the insensitive folks totally inappropriate clothing choices for a dining room..unless u do not consider it so..?

 

Are u serious - I have seen exactly what the OP has talked about more than once and besides what difference whether it happens once or 20 times - it is simply wrong and talking to anyone else wld have gotten exactly the same response -

These are no longer isolated incidents on RC or her sister cruiselines either...Isolated - I wish!

 

I have done what u suggested several times on different RC & Celebrity cruises also (haven't seen any of this yet on Azamara) and have now given up and simply do not even eat in the MDR or anywhere else except for room service and the specialty restaurants. I discovered that those who pay to eat generally know enough to dress up a bit and to arrive on time. Those restaurants used to refuse entry to those inappropriately dressed and to 'slow serve' :) those that did come late although lately I see that is slipping :(..but being run by RC, its a natural progression..

 

'THEY HAVE TO BE ACCOMMODATED' - why the heck do they?? IMO anyway that is pure 'hogwash' because then they are irritating many more than that instead and almost guaranteeing many are late because of a few selfish, ignorant, mannerless 'dolts'..A few refusals and they wld smarten up - lesson learned but no--let them get away with it once and guess what - they will continue doing it :(

Makes no sense to me whatsoever..except it is easier to do nothing of course but perhaps RC wants to become known as a 'low-class' cruiseline...because those are the pax they will attract..the others will go elsewhere..

The 'exceptional' comment of yours regarding RC is IMO anyway, not warranted anymore...I agree it used to be but not now!

A prime example is that they certainly seem to be letting lots of boy-men in 'baseball caps' into the MDR now which is one of my pet peeves & am now seeing it more on Celebrity also but as they are related so the policies!!

 

I can tell u that when it gets so that the specialty restaurants on Royal Caribbean/Celebrity & Azamara start behaving like the MDR does regarding poor dressers & late arrivals then I am jumping ship like the OPs sister has done 'cause there are lots of other cruiselines eager to accommodate my needs 3 x yrly in suites - at a higher price but to me it will be worth it.

 

Might I suggest on your next cruise that u look more closely at the overly casual, even sloppy dressing habits (unless u like that sort of 'dressing' of course) & the tardiness of your fellow MDR pax - u might be surprised at what u start observing..

Oh and check out the folks in bathrobes cruising around the buffet area at all times of the day & evening also like they were still at home and some with nothing on underneath either...just delightful NOT! :(

 

PS: To Wilda - Good luck speaking to a waiter - they have less 'clout' than u do - Just try it yourself sometime..Sounds like great advice but it usually doesn't accomplish anything except - 'Oh we are sooo sorry but 'THEY HAVE TO BE ACCOMMODATED'! :)

 

Have great cruising!! :)

[Aquahound]

Hi again, but do not think these are pregnant pauses, but do love your post here on CC. You have so much info to share and it is grately appreciated, but do think this it is a bit hard to follow.

 

"I wrote much more......then eliminated it.........as it's not revelent to what is happening today."

 

You just have to know Rick. Once you have the pleasure of meeting him, you can actually hear his voice in his posts. ;)

 

A complimentary meal in one of the specialty venues might be a nice gesture on the part of RCCL. After all, if the staff is so intent on "accommodating" the late diners, Does that makes the on time OP chopped liver???

 

Nice gesture if the Majesty had specialty venues, but it doesn't.

 

I can kinda see the Op's point. I'm not sure I would carry a grudge about it, but I can see how it would be annoying. Those people should have been blocked from entry. On the other hand, this is a scenario where the Head Waiter should have stepped up and taken the Op's desert order.

[cruisecrasy]

It's easy to pick out a few words in a statement, highlight them, and state them as martial law. So are people one minute late too late for dinner? Two? Three?

 

No time limit is stated. If you put a speed limit sign on the interstate that said "slow" what would that mean? Slow to some is the speed of light for others.

 

I have no problem with RCI stating there is a specific time the dinner entrance is closed. But using a perceived time limit as appropriate is wrong.

 

If it is rude to come to dinner 30 minutes late, is it rude to leave before others are done so one can see a show?

 

U know full well - of course it isn't rude leaving early UNLESS you jump up and leave without excusing yourself..When u arrive late u are slowing down service for others but leaving early doesn't slow down anything - understand that?

[cruisecrasy]

Good Post

 

U jest right or are u one also?

[struther1]

Because their clothing wldn't have bothered u then others are not to be bothered either? Why be critical of the OPs comment regarding the insensitive folks totally inappropriate clothing choices for a dining room..unless u do not consider it so..?

 

Are u serious - I have seen exactly what the OP has talked about more than once and besides what difference whether it happens once or 20 times - it is simply wrong and talking to anyone else wld have gotten exactly the same response -

These are no longer isolated incidents on RC or her sister cruiselines either...Isolated - I wish!

 

I have done what u suggested several times on different RC & Celebrity cruises also (haven't seen any of this yet on Azamara) and have now given up and simply do not even eat in the MDR or anywhere else except for room service and the specialty restaurants. I discovered that those who pay to eat generally know enough to dress up a bit and to arrive on time. Those restaurants used to refuse entry to those inappropriately dressed and to 'slow serve' :) those that did come late although lately I see that is slipping :(..but being run by RC, its a natural progression..

 

'THEY HAVE TO BE ACCOMMODATED' - why the heck do they?? IMO anyway that is pure 'hogwash' because then they are irritating many more than that instead and almost guaranteeing many are late because of a few selfish, ignorant, mannerless 'dolts'..A few refusals and they wld smarten up - lesson learned but no--let them get away with it once and guess what - they will continue doing it :(

Makes no sense to me whatsoever..except it is easier to do nothing of course but perhaps RC wants to become known as a 'low-class' cruiseline...because those are the pax they will attract..the others will go elsewhere..

The 'exceptional' comment of yours regarding RC is IMO anyway, not warranted anymore...I agree it used to be but not now!

A prime example is that they certainly seem to be letting lots of boy-men in 'baseball caps' into the MDR now which is one of my pet peeves & am now seeing it more on Celebrity also but as they are related so the policies!!

 

I can tell u that when it gets so that the specialty restaurants on Royal Caribbean/Celebrity & Azamara start behaving like the MDR does regarding poor dressers & late arrivals then I am jumping ship like the OPs sister has done 'cause there are lots of other cruiselines eager to accommodate my needs 3 x yrly in suites - at a higher price but to me it will be worth it.

 

Might I suggest on your next cruise that u look more closely at the overly casual, even sloppy dressing habits (unless u like that sort of 'dressing' of course) & the tardiness of your fellow MDR pax - u might be surprised at what u start observing..

Oh and check out the folks in bathrobes cruising around the buffet area at all times of the day & evening also like they were still at home and some with nothing on underneath either...just delightful NOT! :(

 

PS: To Wilda - Good luck speaking to a waiter - they have less 'clout' than u do - Just try it yourself sometime..Sounds like great advice but it usually doesn't accomplish anything except - 'Oh we are sooo sorry but 'THEY HAVE TO BE ACCOMMODATED'! :)

 

Have great cruising!! :)

WOW. I was going to stay off here for a while but of course I can't. They have to be accommodated because they are PAYING CUSTOMERS. Old saying still true in any business, the customer is always right. RCI has a business to run and run it to make money. To do that they have to fill the ships. If, more and more people are not dressing as you would consider appropriate (overly casual or sloppy), wouldn't that tell RCI they have to accept that, even it it means that some customers move on to other lines? Companies that don't listen to what more and more of their customers are telling them don't remain in business for long.

[hcat]

Vacation time is too short to let something like this bother you. Ask for a table in a different location and/or have dessert after the show. Delays in service happen to everyone from time to time.

 

why penalize folks who follow the rules, arrive on time & dress appropriately..

 

- they should have a few tables in the rear near the doors to the kitchen for late arrivals & those not dressed appropriately..(or use the MTD area). With that arrangement the "do it their own way" crowd can have what they want without imposing upon other guests....

 

OP should be happy they were not seated at her table-- latecomers can throw off the whole dinner service even on a casual night! Been there...

[EVALUATOR]

U know full well - of course it isn't rude leaving early UNLESS you jump up and leave without excusing yourself..When u arrive late u are slowing down service for others but leaving early doesn't slow down anything - understand that?

 

 

There is nothing in RCI's guidelines that state a limit on showing up for dinner.

 

Yes it is rude to leave before all are finished eating. Just because you excuse yourself doesn't make it right.

 

The meals are served in courses. Are the courses rushed just because one part of the group wants a quick dinner so they can leave early?

 

If the "late" arriving group has never been on a cruise before, they might not know about the complex serving operations on a cruise ship. Even then, where were the requirements for being at the tables before a certain deadline.

 

At any other land based restaurant, the customers are usually seated in a manner that spreads out the time so not too many are seated at once.

 

As another said, if the head waiter did his job properly, he would have expedited the desserts for one table, or assisted in the serving of the other table. A good serving crew would have managed it without skipping a beat.

 

Sometimes MDR dinners take less than an hour. Other times they take almost two hours. And it isn't always because of who came in "late".

[brfan]

I'm curious what would happen if late comers were still eating when second seating should begin? Would they hold everyone up by not opening the doors until the late comers were done and their table reset or would they let everyone in and the people that were at the late comers table would eithr have to wait or be moved to a different table if there were any available?

[Stags14]

These complaints really shouldn't amaze me anymore. I can't believe the things that people cry about. What do you do when there's a real issue? Or a real problem? Brush it off. It's not that big of a deal.