Any advice on how to switch to late seating?

[Isla Mike]

My wife and I are sailing Nov 12th on RCCL's Serenade of the Seas. We requested the late dining but were given the 6 PM seating. We called RCCL tonight and they told us they would put us on the wait list but no promises.

 

Anybody have any advice on how we can get this changed?

 

Thanks!

 

Isla Mike

[wwinfl91]

On most cruises there are more people wanting early seating than late. When you get to the ship the maitre'd will hold a session during the first afternoon where they will be switching table and dining room times. Show up there and although you will probably have to wait in line you probably will be able to get switched to late dining. Ask one of the ships staff when and where this will occur if you don't see it in the daily program when you get to your cabin.

 

Have a great next cruise.

[Isla Mike]

Thank you so much for your advice wwinfl91. Does anyone know for sure if the maitre'd holds these meeting on the RCCL cruises?

 

Isla Mike

[Bonnie J.]

Never been on a ship that doesn't do this. They should be able to tell you where and when the matre'd will be at the purser's desk. We have done this and are doing it when we board the Glory next weeekend. We do not want a table for 8-10+. At this time of year there should be no problem. Last New Years (When ships are FULL!!!) we were at a table of 8 family members from India who had an adjoining table of 6 more family members. They spoke English some of the time. We asked right then to be moved. By the end of dinner we were moved, next night, to different dining room, table of 4.

Also ask your TA, maybe they can do it! Good luck and have a great cruise. .............Smile.....Bonnie J...........................

[BuckGuy]

I have found that if you just go to the dining room and ask to see the maitr'd, he will pull up the computer screen and let you know what is available, and even what your table mates will be like. Of course, I had a very flirtacious dinner companion who knew how to bat her eyes at the right time and when to touch the maitr'd on the arm as she was talking to him. So we had no problems getting what we wanted.

 

Actually I don't mean to sound so sexist. Staff/crew do their best to be charming, so returning the charm is a language they understand. Now that cruising has become so popular, with a vast spectrum of people now being able to afford cruising, the "old-world" charm, etiquette and banter seems to be a disappearing art.

[motherchic]

going to the dinning room on the first day of boarding is always a good idea.But on our last cruise we were weight listed for the late seat dining. We were getting on the ship a little late and i was concerned that i might miss my chance.

So, days before, i called the cruise line and asked to speak to the dinning room. i talked to who ever was in charge and they very nicely changed my dinner reservations. With absolutely no fuss. cant hurt to try

[CaliforniaDreamin]

Weight listed you say? I'll bet that cuts down on the number who use the dining room.

[Happy ks]

Weight listed :D . You beat me to the punch. But, we're not supposed to point out either spelling or grammar errors! This one was funny, though:p .

[Kudos2Fly]

I see a lot of people responed to this post. But the only time I asked to be moved to another table was when I went on a cruise with my folks. They had us at a table of 8. When I got on the ship I went up to the dinning room and asked to be moved to a table of 4. It was done with no problem and that was late in the day. So it can be done.

 

Kim

[KreinKrunker]

From experience, eight of thirteen cruises, when visiting the maitre d', take Andrew Jackson with you. He is not always needed, but keep him handy for a backup. He works a lot better than screaming. If you do have to introduce Mr Jackson to the maitre d', you'd be surprised at how much attention he pays to you the rest of the cruise. Some may call this bribery, but I always say talk softly, but carry a big stick.

[kathy_bc]

on our last cruise we had booked early seating, but then changed our minds and wanted to try late seating.

 

As soon as we boarded the ship, we went to the dining room, and walked right up to the head waiters (there were two of them) at a computer terminal thingy. She put us on a waitlist, and said that we will get notification by a "card put under our door" as soon as one was available. We got that card in about one hour (I was surprised as how quick it was).

 

So it can't hurt to ask.

 

We actually really liked dining at the late seating, and will now be requesting that from now on.

 

 

***** PS: On advice from other cruisers here, once you get your Pass on boarding, it has your table time and number on it, so you can go into the dining room to see what size and where the table is***

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

When we sailed on Brilliance of the Seas to Panama, the ship was fully booked. WE had arranged for this cruise quite close to sailing and had very few options. We were given late seating, but preferred early. A seasoned cruiser told me that a twenty dollar tip would do the trick. SO we had our money and got in line in front of the maitre d'.

 

The man in front of us was yelling his head off at the maitre' d and his wife, was crying. The man was yelling about paying so blankety blank much money for this cruise and not be able to eat at the early seating and his wife has diabetes and can't wait and so on. But the maitre d' remained calm and said there was nothing he could do but to wait list the pair.

 

Our hearts sank, but we got the same treatment....the "nothing I can do--the ship is fully booked" treatment. So we didn't even proffer the twenty dollars. Later we saw the hapless couple eating dinner in the Windjammer, an alternative we had also chosen.

It is worthwhile trying to get a change, but on a fully booked ship, you may not be able to do so.

[kathy_bc]

HeavySurfer,

Did you put your name on the wait list? Our cruise was fully booked too, but it was easy for us to switch seating times.

We put on name on the waitlist with the idea that if it happens, great, if not, doesn't matter. But we were surprised to get a note under our door an hour later saying we have been switched.

[Isla Mike]

Thank you all for your advice. We called RCCL on Friday night and were told we have been moved to the late seating!

 

Isla Mike:)