Dining -- does this sound right to anyone?

[hellsop]

I have a question - when travel agents book a large number of cabins to sell at a group rate or organizations that will be organizing group cruises for their members and also book a large number of cabins can they also select what dining they want? For example an organization books 600 cabins for their members that wish to go, can they also select early seating for all 600 cabins? Then if the group (TA or Organization) doesn't sell all their cabins in the allotted time, the unsold cabins, along with the dining selected returns to inventory. Would that explain why 1-2 years out some dining room seatings aren't available, but become available later?

 

The group certainly can so select if they like. One cruise I was on had the entire graduating class of a hospitality school on board, and they took up essentially an entire seating, including the MTD space. No MTD offered after 6:30 PM that cruise; if you wanted to eat later, specialty or Windjammer were your options.

[fishtaco]

Not only do I think that they are trying to force pre-paid gratuities in order to get the money a couple of months in advance, I think they are more interested in keeping folks from using OBC to cover the charges. I'm sure that they would rather you use OBC to cover a $9.00 charge for a drink that only cost RCI about $0.50.

 

100% correct in my opinion and it is only "showing out" because of these many CC post on Dining :)

 

RCI doesnt care though! Their future sales to profit projection doesn't include 95% of present loyal cruisers but only future cruisers.

 

The 21 year old you slam for running a muck at the pool on a short cruise is the same person who protects future cruise changes to increase company profits;)

[fishtaco]

I am sure that Royal doesn't want gratuities being paid for with OBC's (as you delineate) and they have clearly found a way to do that with 'pre-paying tips' with the final payment.

 

Tips should not be prepaid with final payment....they should be 'after the service is delivered' -- Royal would 'anger' cruisers if they said however that OBC's could only be used towards merchandise or product purchases.

 

I am not going to put up the link again:rolleyes:

 

But RCI Australia clearly states in T&C,s that "Gratuities" are a "service charge"

 

A service charge is not a Tip as you know it or I know it!

 

Do you truly believe that I as an Australian must pre pay a "Service charge" While North Americans can Tip at will without having a service charge imposed all whilst we are on the same ship same sailing same service?:p

[fishtaco]

The group certainly can so select if they like. One cruise I was on had the entire graduating class of a hospitality school on board, and they took up essentially an entire seating, including the MTD space. No MTD offered after 6:30 PM that cruise; if you wanted to eat later, specialty or Windjammer were your options.

 

What is quite stand out about your post is "MTD" and MTD time restrictions were included in the semi charter! If this was the case in all these non available ship by ship traditional dining problem threads then MTD would not become the "Only" option available at booking for so many because MTD would be included as just as restricted as tradittional.;)

 

Traditional of late is not available to many but MTD is? this leads me to defunk the T/A group booking/semi charter explanation due to so many different ships, sailings and bookings that impose no such restrictions with MTD but only do with traditional dining:)

Edited November 24, 2014 by fishtaco

[travelgoddess1]

I booked a cruise today for March of 2016 and was told by my TA that the only available dining was MyTime Dining.

 

Seems strange that a cruise that far out -- with so many available rooms that I had a choice of -- would have that as the only option for dining.

 

Thoughts?

 

It appears that everyone is being "defaulted" into MTD. We have encountered this issue with all of our recent bookings. I agree wait awhile and check back for a change to traditional dining. I noticed the change about the same time that Dynamic Dining reservations opened for Quantum. :confused:

Edited November 24, 2014 by travelgoddess1

[travelgoddess1]

I am not going to put up the link again:rolleyes:

 

But RCI Australia clearly states in T&C,s that "Gratuities" are a "service charge"

 

A service charge is not a Tip as you know it or I know it!

 

Do you truly believe that I as an Australian must pre pay a "Service charge" While North Americans can Tip at will without having a service charge imposed all whilst we are on the same ship same sailing same service?:p

 

Exactly right -- reservations originating from different countries are handled differently, including adding/not adding on the service charge/gratuity. Just the same as some people can cancel or change bookings without penalty, others cannot. Some have to make final payment very early, some make theirs much closer in than we do.

[travelgoddess1]

Do they really need to do a dry dock to convert what is basically a menu change

 

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It is so much more than a menu change. There are separate restaurants with separate menus. Each restaurant is completely self-contained and has a different style of food. The concept is a complete overhaul to the traditional dining and is much more than a menu change.

Edited November 24, 2014 by travelgoddess1

[John&LaLa]

It is so much more than a menu change. There are separate restaurants with separate menus. Each restaurant is completely self-contained and has a different style of food. The concept is a complete overhaul to the traditional dining and is much more than a menu change.

 

Never did a galley tour, but doesn't each level have its own kitchen. If so, what's the big deal. I thought Oasis left central core open, just added some decorative touches and new furniture, neither are absolutely necessary for a change

 

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[travelgoddess1]

Never did a galley tour, but doesn't each level have its own kitchen. If so, what's the big deal. I thought Oasis left central core open, just added some decorative touches and new furniture, neither are absolutely necessary for a change

 

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I guess if you don't think it's a big deal, then it isn't. Having tried it, I can tell you there are significant differences. Enjoy:)

[John&LaLa]

I guess if you don't think it's a big deal, then it isn't. Having tried it, I can tell you there are significant differences. Enjoy:)

 

Just curious, which DD venues have you tried so far and how did it go

 

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[lel5344]

First time on RCI so forgive my ignorance if the answer is posted elsewhere.

 

We're on the Oasis on March 21. We were assigned 8:30 dining when we booked. At some point my reservation changed to show MyTime Dining. Now it's back to 8:30.

 

We've come to enjoy anytime dining. Do we have to get our reservation changed? I suspect the answer is "yes" because of the prepaid gratuity requirement, but I'd love it if one of you seasoned RCI cruisers can set us on the right track. Thank you!

[Paulette3028]

First time on RCI so forgive my ignorance if the answer is posted elsewhere.

 

We're on the Oasis on March 21. We were assigned 8:30 dining when we booked. At some point my reservation changed to show MyTime Dining. Now it's back to 8:30.

 

We've come to enjoy anytime dining. Do we have to get our reservation changed? I suspect the answer is "yes" because of the prepaid gratuity requirement, but I'd love it if one of you seasoned RCI cruisers can set us on the right track. Thank you!

 

Send an email to rcldining@rccl.com. Give them your complete information (name and reservation number). Ask them to please help you make sure that you have My Time Dining -- if that is what you want.

 

Also give them a phone number just in case they need to call you.

 

They should be able to straighten this out.

[Clarea]

First time on RCI so forgive my ignorance if the answer is posted elsewhere.

 

We're on the Oasis on March 21. We were assigned 8:30 dining when we booked. At some point my reservation changed to show MyTime Dining. Now it's back to 8:30.

 

We've come to enjoy anytime dining. Do we have to get our reservation changed? I suspect the answer is "yes" because of the prepaid gratuity requirement, but I'd love it if one of you seasoned RCI cruisers can set us on the right track. Thank you!

If you are booked with a travel agent, you will have to ask them to fix your dining.

[cruzsnooze]

I would tell the TA that you don't want to prepay tips so early in the reservation and you won't book the cruise as MTD and see how fast you get your assigned seating time. As long as people allow themselves to be lead like sheep there will be shepherds.

Edited January 11, 2015 by cruzsnooze

[CORKY_Q]

I would tell the TA that you don't want to prepay tips so early in the reservation and you won't book the cruise as MTD and see how fast you get your assigned seating time. As long as people allow themselves to be lead like sheep there will be shepherds.

 

They didn't say anything about tips/gratuities. They want MTD.

[travelgoddess1]

They didn't say anything about tips/gratuities. They want MTD.

 

True, but since they are first time on RCI cruisers, they may not be aware that tips are automatically added to the reservation if they book MTD.

[Biker19]

 

We're on the Oasis on March 21. We were assigned 8:30 dining when we booked. At some point my reservation changed to show MyTime Dining. Now it's back to 8:30.

Between initial booking and MTD, it was also probably assigned as Dynamic Dining (which was supposed to start March 14 but it won't), then went to MTD and eventually 8:30.

 

The e-mail address posted above usually works regardless of how you booked but they typically only worry about fixing dining issues close to sailing (like a week out). You can even ask for a specific table (like table for 2) for traditional seating.

 

If all else fails, just go to the MDR after boarding and ask about MTD then.

[Paulette3028]

If you are booked with a travel agent, you will have to ask them to fix your dining.

 

I have almost exclusively used a travel agent and the people who will help through the rcldining@rccl.com email address have never cared if I went through a travel agent or not.

 

They just helped me with whatever need for dining that had to be resolved. They have always been great.

[Clarea]

I have almost exclusively used a travel agent and the people who will help through the rcldining@rccl.com email address have never cared if I went through a travel agent or not.

 

They just helped me with whatever need for dining that had to be resolved. They have always been great.

I agree, the rcldining email will help with things like asking for table size or location. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't believe they could move you from traditional dining to MTD without the travel agent getting involved. I think it has to do with changing the amount you owe, because of prepaid gratuities.

Edited January 11, 2015 by clarea

[Paulette3028]

I agree, the rcldining email will help with things like asking for table size or location. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't believe they could move you from traditional dining to MTD without the travel agent getting involved. I think it has to do with changing the amount you owe, because of prepaid gratuities.

 

I have sent people (friends) to that website for moving from traditional to MTD and they did it, w/o a problem. I guess it was handled somehow. This issue with prepaid gratuities, seems like a very gray area.

Edited January 11, 2015 by Paulette3028

[LuCruise]

Why don't you call RCL directly to talk to someone and get your preference? We were automatically assigned My Tine since its not known if Dynamic Dining will be implemented by our cruise (but we haven't pre paid rips)

[Clarea]

I have sent people (friends) to that website for moving from traditional to MTD and they did it, w/o a problem. I guess it was handled somehow. This issue with prepaid gratuities, seems like a very gray area.

Thanks for the info, good to know.:)

[travelgoddess1]

I have noticed that what was once a very hands off area -- that is, not being able to touch a reservation made with a TA -- has become more relaxed recently, in matters like dining preferences and non-cost related items. I would not go out on a very shaky limb and say this is anything close to a new policy, but many who book through TA's have reported being able to deal with RCI directly.

 

As in all things RCI-related, your results may vary. :rolleyes:

[Paulette3028]

Why don't you call RCL directly to talk to someone and get your preference? We were automatically assigned My Tine since its not known if Dynamic Dining will be implemented by our cruise (but we haven't pre paid rips)

 

If the cruise date is far off, just send rcldining@rccl.com an email, asking them to please see if they can assist in putting you into the dining reservation you want. They are extremely helpful. If they can't do it because it is 'far out' they will let you know. But I have never heard of that happening. They do want to take care of these little issues quickly and quietly, it has seemed to me, at least.