Unfortunate Magic Cruise

[Kcarp]

 

2) I clearly stated that it would have been easier to ASK the guests that were not attending the early seating table if they would prefer Any time dining and at the very least see what they said. I did not ask that they be MOVED without their permission or knowledge. Simply asking a question should in no way make anyone upset. This is called customer service, and is done (usually) with a smile in most other venues, when an error has been made.

 

 

How do you know Carnival did not ask the guest if they wanted to change dining times? They may have asked them and they declined. Carnival doesn't have to disclose this info with you.

Edited April 1, 2015 by Kcarp

[cutiepiefred]

It really is irrelevant where or how the issue happened. Customer service is about how you handle a situation, not looking for blame. In this case, Carnival should have move our cruise companions to our table and been done with it. They treated us as if WE were the problem, even though we were in the second most expensive cabins on the ship.

 

OK so you want them to move another family from the table they were assigned to just accomodate you? Just because they never showed up does not gives you or carnival any right to just move them. Being in one of the most expensive cabins on the ship means nothing.

[cruizinisthebest]

Agreed. And spending the rest of the cruise trying to find out if the other party ever showed up to their table. Nice vacation.

 

Don't get that part at all. Who cares anyway, and what business was it ever of the OPs if the people showed up or not? I also don't get the statement that the dining rooms were being "closely monitored."

[makeda]

if you have a problem with lines on Lido, maybe YOU should use the alternative...the mdr

[Sooner-Cruisers]

Gatorj or experienced Magic cruisers,

 

I'd love to hear more about embarkation and debarkation. We'll be sailing with our 3 year old who is generally not known for patience, did it seem that most passengers were already on board or you just got lucky? We're trying to decide when to arrive and if we should do self debarkation.

 

Thanks for any info you can provide.

Edited April 1, 2015 by Sooner-Cruisers

[RaiderCruiser]

Obviously OP had a problem with dining and it made a dreadful impact on his overall perception of the Ship and cruise.

It is clearly a take on the old adage of "weather you think you can or you can't, you are probably right." In this case whether your expectation are for a "good cruise or a bad cruise" you probably got what you thought.

[afcruiser]

We booked through the largest cruise booking company in the world, and our reservations were all viewable directly on Carnival's website for months prior to the cruise. All reservations were linked in both TA's and Carnival's systems (as well as reservation paperwork and boarding documents), and dining times were confirmed through Carnival's online system. It was clearly Carnival's miss. Frankly, we were told by the Maitre'D that they had the wrong cabins linked together in their system.

 

It really is irrelevant where or how the issue happened. Customer service is about how you handle a situation, not looking for blame. In this case, Carnival should have move our cruise companions to our table and been done with it. They treated us as if WE were the problem, even though we were in the second most expensive cabins on the ship.

 

 

I know when we booked a cruise with 2 other couples, I had to get their booking numbers to request the same table at dinner. They can link the booking numbers not cabin numbers.

Not sure what your TA did???

 

I would have been disappointed to.

 

That's why we always book through carnival. We have an absolutely awesome PVP.

 

To note, last cruise we did ATD for the first time. It was nice to be flexible but I think we prefer Early seating when cruising with friends/family.

 

If it's just us, then ATD is great.

[dave_k58]

Just curious. Once you were switched to Anytime Dining, how did you track that the other family that was originally assigned to your table only attended one time? Did you continue monitoring or walking by the other table at the assigned time? Did the MDR staff provide that info? Truly curious.

 

 

 

 

I truly understand why you were feeling that way, but I don't think that removing the other family from the original table in order to accommodate your friends would've been the best solution. I'm one of those cruisers that only attends the MDR a handful of nights, sometimes just one or two. If I had assigned dining and I showed up at the restaurant only to find out that my table had been given to someone else, I would've been LIVID. You don't inconvenience one guest to make another one happy.

 

And about getting special treatment because you were traveling on a "suite": Not on Carnival. As you know, the only perk that you get besides priority embarkation is that your cabin description has the word "suite". No special treatment, no perks, no priority dining reservations, no nothing. You're just as special as the guy on a 1A inside bunk cabin on the Riviera deck. Respectfully, if you want suite perks, you need to sail on a cruise line that does provide suite perks.

 

As to only attending MDR on a couple of nights, I hope you let your tablemates or the Maitre D know. It goofs up everything if people are no shows to the MDR.

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

As to only attending MDR on a couple of nights, I hope you let your tablemates or the Maitre D know. It goofs up everything if people are no shows to the MDR.

 

Since you may not know you aren't making it to dinner it may be difficult to let your table mates (especially strangers) know of your plans. And I wouldn't even begin to know how to let the Maitre D know unless he is at his post 24/7 and fields phone calls.

 

Etiquette is: be on time for traditional seating. If someone isn't there within 10 minutes of seating the presumption should be made that they aren't coming and others should be served. That is why people who are habitually late for dinner are far worse than no shows.

[bugeater2]

I know when we booked a cruise with 2 other couples, I had to get their booking numbers to request the same table at dinner. They can link the booking numbers not cabin numbers.

Not sure what your TA did???

 

 

1) All written documentation, both from the TA and Carnival clearly states that all reservations are linked and Early Dining is confirmed. We had this documentation available. They didn't even offer to move us to ATD until the 3rd day. This is a Carnival issue, not a TA issue.

 

Apparently you have a reading comprehension deficiency as the OP twice has stated that the bookings were linked and confirmed.

 

Carnival screwed up this reservation, plain and simple.

They made it worse by not solving the problem once it was reported to them.

Edited April 2, 2015 by bugeater2

[cruiser fanatic]

Gatorj or experienced Magic cruisers,

 

I'd love to hear more about embarkation and debarkation. We'll be sailing with our 3 year old who is generally not known for patience, did it seem that most passengers were already on board or you just got lucky? We're trying to decide when to arrive and if we should do self debarkation.

 

Thanks for any info you can provide.

 

Best arrival time is 11:00AM. I would NEVER do self assist debarkation with a 3 year old child. Do the zone debarkation.

[tandemcruzr]

But we always notify our wait staff if we are going to the Steak House the next night.

 

If we are not feeling like the MDR, we go see the MaitreDe or his assistant and advise we will not be at dinner that night. Doesn't happen often, but when it does, we let them know.

[jetta8300]

I definitely can understand your frustration with the dining situation. However, I don't think I'd blame "all of carnival" for this happening. I'd blame this specific Maitre d, absolutely. But I've heard very similar stories from other cruisers on different cruise lines as well. You could have been on a different Carnival ship and it may have been handled perfectly, and been on a RCI ship with a maitre d who couldn't care less.

 

I guess it just sounds like you had a lot of other positive experiences on this ship, and it's a shame that you're saying you wouldn't ever sail Carnival again due to this situation. As for the "entertainment", I can tell you that we felt there was more entertainment on the Carnival Freedom some nights than the Allure of the Seas. Believe it. We felt most venues on the Allure were completely underutilized with not a whole lot going on other than the main stage shows. No comedy, no night time movies, and very little activities in general. We also had a "stand in" cruise director on our Allure cruise though, I'm not sure if that made a difference.

[eponym]

But we always notify our wait staff if we are going to the Steak House the next night.

 

If we are not feeling like the MDR, we go see the MaitreDe or his assistant and advise we will not be at dinner that night. Doesn't happen often, but when it does, we let them know.

 

That's what we do too. Simple courtesy.

Edited April 2, 2015 by eponym

[cruizinisthebest]

As to only attending MDR on a couple of nights, I hope you let your tablemates or the Maitre D know. It goofs up everything if people are no shows to the MDR.

 

No shows aren't the problem. Showing up grossly late is. IF I know in advance that we won't be eating in the MDR the next night, I will tell my waitstaff. If not, no I don't break my neck to tell them. And I never bother the Maitre' d either way.

[Tapi]

As to only attending MDR on a couple of nights, I hope you let your tablemates or the Maitre D know. It goofs up everything if people are no shows to the MDR.

 

 

We stopped doing assigned dining as soon as My Time/Anytime Dining was rolled out. Have never looked back ever since. Partly because of the fact that we don't go to the MDR every night, and partly because we like the flexibility of eating when we want and with who we want (or don't want!).

[dave_k58]

Since you may not know you aren't making it to dinner it may be difficult to let your table mates (especially strangers) know of your plans. And I wouldn't even begin to know how to let the Maitre D know unless he is at his post 24/7 and fields phone calls.

 

Etiquette is: be on time for traditional seating. If someone isn't there within 10 minutes of seating the presumption should be made that they aren't coming and others should be served. That is why people who are habitually late for dinner are far worse than no shows.

 

You are absolutely right on with the comment about habitual lateness. When someone comes 10 - 15 minutes late, the waiters think they should serve everyone at the same time - delays everything and screws up the whole system. That is why we do the Your Time Dining. I have never contacted the Maitre'D. It can't be that hard to call the dining room.

[dave_k58]

Tapi - AMen.

[Matlily]

We went on the same cruise last August and had 14 of us on anytime dining all confirmed iwth travel agent only none us got anytime and all got early dining we tried to change it but only 6 of us managed to get anytime, we dont like to rush back from excursion etc we like to go around 7pm, the only 6 of us that had faster to the fun actually got the anytime, it worked out ok but it was supposed to be a fun group cruise!!!! this year we go in May just 6 of us on anytime dining again! we are forwarned this time and will not accept our sail and sign cards with out the anytime on them.

[oldvato]

To the OP. I don't believe the The maitre d is part of the gratuity, but I could be wrong. I understand he is salaried, but again, I could be wrong.

 

On the last day of the cruise, they pass out envelopes in the dinning room, so that everyone can tip him. I have never tipped the maitre D, because the waiters and assistants do all the work. I have never had any contact with the maitre d. Sometimes I do tip the waiters and assistants extra. They really work hard and make your dinning experience pleasurable. Maybe your mistake was not showing him a $20.00 bill when you made your request to have your dining changed.

 

We have a group vacation this summer, but we booked it through Carnival. According to my docs, our dinning has been confirmed for 6:00 pm. But we booked several months in advance. We shall see how that goes.

[ldlewis45]

I'm trying to figure out what Carnival was supposed to do to rectify the dining situation. Even if they did screw up and accidentally assign one cabin to ATD, what are they supposed to do? If the fixed dining is full, it's full. They can't exactly pull an extra table out of their rear ends and extend the dining room by five feet just to make sure one group is accommodated.

[oldvato]

I'm trying to figure out what Carnival was supposed to do to rectify the dining situation. Even if they did screw up and accidentally assign one cabin to ATD, what are they supposed to do? If the fixed dining is full, it's full. They can't exactly pull an extra table out of their rear ends and extend the dining room by five feet just to make sure one group is accommodated.

Don't be too sure about what the maitr d will do if you wave a $20.00 in front of his face. Tips are a big part of his salary. That's why they pass out the tip envelopes on the last night of the cruise.

[TerReuv]

On the last day of the cruise, they pass out envelopes in the dinning room, so that everyone can tip him. I have never tipped the maitre D, because the waiters and assistants do all the work. I have never had any contact with the maitre d. Sometimes I do tip the waiters and assistants extra. They really work hard and make your dinning experience pleasurable. Maybe your mistake was not showing him a $20.00 bill when you made your request to have your dining changed.

 

We have never gotten an evelope to tip the Maitre D. I don't think they do that anymore. In addition, he is a salaried employee and I would not give him $20 to correct a mistake that was not my fault. That is wrong on so many levels!

[winddawn]

I very much agree with this. You don't inconvenience one guest just to make another one happy. It shouldn't matter if you are in a suite, platinum, diamond etc.. everyone should be treated the same.

But keep in mind that diamond has guaranteed dining room reservations and platinum has priority dining room reservations. That is part of Carnival's VIFP program. So if the OP does not fall into one of those categories, their reservation preference would be considered after those 2 passenger groups. According to that program, everyone isn't treated the same when it comes to dining room reservation preference.

 

http://www.carnival.com/loyalty/benefits.aspx

[ETinCA]

Had one of our best out of 26 Carnival cruises on the Magic over New Years. Sorry things happened. We enjoyed the entertainment and other features. Sounds like the dining issue helped drag down other experiences.