No more Traditional Dining reservations taken effective January 1, 2015

[A Pisces]

I find it interesting that January 1, 2015 is also the date that reservations can be made for DD on the Oasis of the Seas. My guess is customer service just got a little confused..:rolleyes:

 

 

 

Was it this thread that they were referencing? Because this is the only thread I've seen about this?

 

I am guessing this is the thread they were referencing. They posted their message on the Explorer roll call for January 9th, so I came to these boards to see if I could find out where they got their information. They aren't on our cruise, that I know of.

[PSCruiser]

OK, did a bit of checking with mock bookings.

While the website shows no availability of traditional dining for the 1/12 and 1/17 cruises, traditional dining is shown as available for cruises in February.

Rather than a change in the dining system, I think this is just showing a heavy demand for set dining times on those cruises. These often open up because of cancellations, or things can be worked out when boarding, maybe.

[Slidell_Cruiser]

Glad to see your on top on the boards, impressed with your 2015 bookings, your will be getting to Pinnacle, fast.

Enjoy your next TA, see you and the rest of the Hopefus in the Big Easy.......

 

Ellen and Phil

[Loggra]

The people we are trying to add checked also and were told the same thing, can't add them because they are no longer taking Traditional Dining Reservations starting January 1, 2015.

 

We very much prefer sitting at the same table, same waiters, where they know our likes and dislikes, etc. But there have been other changes we did not like and as of yet none have stopped us from cruising!! LOL!!;)

 

Time will tell!!

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

The people we are trying to add checked also and were told the same thing, can't add them because they are no longer taking Traditional Dining Reservations starting January 1, 2015.

 

We very much prefer sitting at the same table, same waiters, where they know our likes and dislikes, etc. But there have been other changes we did not like and as of yet none have stopped us from cruising!! LOL!!;)

 

Time will tell!!

 

This just doesn't make sense to me. Did they say anything about your existing Traditional dining reservation or what would happen to those who have traditional dining reservations after this date??

 

I, for some reason, am doubting the info you've been told, BUT if its true you can always make a MTD reservation for the same time each night and request the same waitstaff.

Edited October 16, 2014 by OfTheSeasCruiser

[Loggra]

They said the ones we already had would stay but would not allow us to add our friends. We also found it strange that they said Guest Services would handle getting them added once we were on the ship...why not the Maitre D?

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

They said the ones we already had would stay but would not allow us to add our friends. We also found it strange that they said Guest Services would handle getting them added once we were on the ship...why not the Maitre D?

 

Honestly, that right there made me doubt the whole response from the rep.

[Loggra]

I agree!

[vacation_junkie]

Oh, no... We tried NCL, and the only thing we disliked was their "any time" dining. We like the same people at the same table at the same time with the same waiters. Sigh...

 

 

You can still request that if you wish :D

 

Realistically..A 6pm dinner reservation is still a 6pm dinner reservation regardless of if its booked with MTD or a Traditional set time.

 

Simply book your dinners at 6pm (Or whatever time you want) and request the same wait staff / table each night. Its easier if you call through to the Dining Reservation Department and they can help you with this over the phone. there will be other people that will be requesting the same thing.

 

People are making more of an issue out of this whole MTD dining thing then their needs to be :rolleyes:.

 

Sure you need to pay your gratuities upfront at final payment. People are upset about that.

 

As far as I see it.. I have no intentions on stiffing anyone out of their gratuities by removing my Auto gratuities on board so whether I pay them now or later it doesn't matter to me. (Disclaimer- before the flame throwers come out.. I'm not saying that all people that remove their Auto Grat's are but after working on a couple different Cruise lines for several years I know that a lot of people do)

 

Being Canadian it actually works out cheaper for us because we book in Canadian. If we pay at the end of our Cruise we have a 2% conversion fee tacked onto our credit card transaction.

[vacation_junkie]

While the website still offers this:

 

Main Dining Room

Sweeping, multi-level ambience, world-class cuisine and extraordinary personal service from a dedicated wait staff. Our main dining room serves exceptional, multi-course meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Enjoy a new dinner menu each evening in an elegant setting, with two seatings nightly, or choose My Time Dining.

 

When trying to add someone to our table for 6pm Traditional Dining on our January Liberty of the Seas cruise, we were told effective January 1, 2015 there would be no more Traditional Dining Reservations and therefor we could not link her to us unless Guest Services could help us on the ship.

 

..:confused::mad::rolleyes:

 

Not a happy camper, while I love to see so many different dining options I so wish they would keep the 6pm for those of us who love it!

 

It could be so many things. Wrong information. No more Traditional Dining... hard to say.

 

Keep in mind they have a certain number of seats available for traditional dining. It could be that all those seats/tables are filled or possibly that there would not be an available table left for the amount of people you

 

You could always call and switch to MTD then reserve your all your dinners at 6pm and sit all together that way.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I'm in the same boat (PI) and I'm guessing it will be after final payment before we get details.

 

That seems to be RCI's Modus operandi .;)

 

Bill

[krazy4cruizen]

At least for Quantum, they haven't been charging gratuities up-front for dynamic dining.

 

On the Quantums Nov 2 maiden transatlantic we were charged gratuities. I don't know how grats would work with DD if not paid in advance. JMO. Kirsten

[Loggra]

So I called today and booked the next cruise on the same ship, 1st B2B, so excited!, and no question asked about Traditional Dining times but Prepaid Gratuities added and will have to be paid for with final payment!

 

I was able to go on the website and booked MTD at 6:00PM for each night and once on will ask for the same waiters!

 

In the adding of MTD reservations it allows you to add other people to your reservation for dining if you have their last name and reservation number. Interesting to go through and learn it all, I hope it works out for everyone!

 

Change can be a good thing, right?! LOL!!

[rstout]

We are on the Liberty in April and our 6 PM traditional dining time is still showing up in our reservation (for now.)

[RoamingRetirees]

At least for Quantum, they haven't been charging gratuities up-front for dynamic dining.

 

We are taking the 5-leg 53-day repositioning from NJ to Shanghai next May. We were charged gratuities at time of booking.

[PCWalton1]

Oh, no... We tried NCL, and the only thing we disliked was their "any time" dining. We like the same people at the same table at the same time with the same waiters. Sigh...

 

We do what we consider the best of both worlds. On our last two cruises we had MTD and booked the same time every night and requested we be seated at the same group of 2 top tables. There were three other couples that would arrive within 20 minutes of us who sat at the other 2 top tables that we chatted with from time to time. The 2 tops were all close together which had some advantages:

• You could chat with those on the other tables from time to time and get to know them just like you do in traditional dining.
  
• It was ok to not keep conversation going all the time since we were actually on different tables.
  
• We also kept the same wait staff the whole cruise which was a big plus. :D
  

 

For us that is a perfect mix. :)

[P&C4/16/67]

While on our August Explorer Canada cruise, talking about the new DD with our waiter, he said that soon, it will be MTD or DD only. We always do MTD and didn't give it a thought till I saw this thread.

[MAHA]

Not at all a happy camper about only MTD on the ships that do not have DD. We like to eat at a large table at 8:30 every night when not travelling with our grown children. We like having the same time, table, servers and tablemates throughout the cruise.

[P&C4/16/67]

Not at all a happy camper about only MTD on the ships that do not have DD. We like to eat at a large table at 8:30 every night when not travelling with our grown children. We like having the same time, table, servers and tablemates throughout the cruise.

 

Our MTD ressies were 7:30 every night with the same waitstaff and same fellow diners. We were at a table for two which were set up three across. the same couples occupied them each night. There was also a table for six and eight and seems the table for eight had couples there that didn't know each other like in traditional. Other than paying tips up front, you'll still have the same setup as traditional if you make 8:30 ressies:)

[lovelife]

I have traditional dining confirmed on five of my upcoming RCI cruises in 2015 and 2016. One was made very recently and nothing about MTD as the only option was mentioned. Gratuities were not incuded upfront. :confused:

[KansasK]

We are on the Oasis for Feb. 21, 2015 and Feb. 28, 2015 and we have 6:00 dining showing on our account on the website. My brother could not even get on a wait list and called several times to no avail to be able to eat with us. He even spoke with a Resolutions Supervisor.

 

I called to make a payment on the cruise and Alexz asked if he could be help in another way, so I explained that my brother would like the 6:00 dining, too, but we have been turned down for this. I said we would probably move to MTD soon. He said he would e-mail dining and would watch my brother's reservation for a change and e-mail me by the next Wednesday. I did not hear from him then, but an e-mail from him came through last Friday and my brother had been moved to 6:00 dining, against all odds. He even linked us again. :D

 

Based on this, I don't think traditional dining is going away on Jan. 1, but you never know!

[shutterbug63]

I have traditional dining confirmed on five of my upcoming RCI cruises in 2015 and 2016. One was made very recently and nothing about MTD as the only option was mentioned. Gratuities were not incuded upfront. :confused:

 

I just checked my sailing on the Freedom in 2016. I haven't been charged gratuities, HOWEVER, I am no longer listed as having the 6 pm traditional dining. It has an area where I can make reservations at whatever point they open for that sailing. IIRC, Freedom will have dynamic dining. I'm not particularly happy about it, but I got such a great deal on an aft JS that I don't want to cancel the cruise.

 

However, I'm done with Royal after that sailing.

[davekathy]

Doing a B2B Cruise on the Adventure Of The Seas March/April 2015. Requested early traditional. Also Cruising on The Jewel Of The Seas September 2015. Requested early traditional. I just checked our reservation on RCLs website and 6:00 PM dining is listed for our reservations. That's what were planning on. I guess we'll know for sure when we board.

[cooncat]

Reading all these posts about MTD and no more Traditional Dining, I guess RCI doesn't care about the solo cruisers or those who prefer traditional dining at a large table meeting new people every cruise and being with the same servers. It will be interesting to see how many people they loose. This is truly sad as I believe RCI has the most innovative ships in the industry.

[PSCruiser]

Sorry, but I think this entire thread is RUMOR OUT OF CONTROL!!!!

In my own checking on this, I see nothing out of the ordinary, other than that at this time both traditional times are full on a few cruises on Liberty in January. I'm on those cruises and still have traditional dining on both (Jan 12th and 17th).

OP - did you ever ask if your traditional dining was cancelled?

Way too much speculation here based on the inability to ADD a few new people to traditional.

Until something more concrete comes up - get a grip!