I wish RCL would stop harassing us during dinner!

[sandycruzr]

I’ve been on 4 RCL cruises in the past few months, Empress, Freedom and Majesty and on all 4 cruises we have bombarded with sales pitches for specialty dining offers while eating dinner!   On Freedom back to back in December, we were asked 4 time’s during one meal!   We politely said “no thanks” but after the 3rd sales pitch within 30 minutes I complained!  The Head waiter told us this sales pressure comes from corporate.  5 minutes after complaining another person shoved a specialty menu in my face and said “you really need to go to Chops”. This is just plain rude behavior. Can’t we just enjoy a nice dinner in the dining room without being harassed?  I also feel badly for the waiters who now have a sales goal every week to sell upgraded steak and lobster to dining room guests.  (I know this for a fact because I took pictures of their goals that are posted in the galley during a tour). That on top of the other specialty restaurant sales pitches have made me decide I probably won’t sail on Royal for awhile.  I know Celebrity and NCL also sell their specialty restaurants but in my experience it is done outside of the dining room NOT constantly during dinner. 
Lots of people where complaining about the constant interruptions during dinner!   

 

Edited December 30, 2019 by sandycruzr

[Cruiser_1977]

I didn't experience this on Navigator in September. However, I would be irritated if it happened once, let alone 4 times. Did you complain to the Restaurant Manager and then the Hotel Director while onboard?

Edited December 30, 2019 by JennyB1977

[PCWalton1]

Throw dinner rolls at them, that keeps them away. 

 

[bouhunter]

Agree it's stupid and rude.  But, Not going to stop.  It's entirely up to you to choose to irritated by this or not.  Think about it, you've let it bother you so much that you're posting long threads on the internet after the fact.

 

We do only speciality dining and Windjammer.  Never a problem

Edited December 30, 2019 by bouhunter

[puppycanducruise]

I would hate that.

Let me eat my dinner in peace.

[kochleffel]

I didn't experience that on the Serenade this summer, but what made me miserable were the musical interludes in the MDR - at very high volume and with repeated demands to demonstrate how much you like the ship, etc. When I spoke with an assistant dining manager about them, he said he couldn't do anything about the volume, so high that it was painful to be in the room, but since I had MyTime dining I could avoid them by coming to dinner 15 minutes later.

[davekathy]

And being interpreted by those so call photographers bug us while we're eating and talking. 

[davekathy]

43 minutes ago, JennyB1977 said:

I didn't experience this on Navigator in September. However, I would be irritated if it happened once, let alone 4 times. Did you complain to the Restaurant Manager and then the Hotel Director while onboard?

We've never experienced this on any of our RC cruises either, but if we had I would have done exactly as you suggested and also noted it on our PCS. 

[xpcdoojk]

I honestly can say that I do not remember this happening even one time on any of my cruises and I am D+.  Not saying it didn’t happen, but I don’t remember it.  My wait staff has always acted like they want me a their table the next night, even if they really wanted me to go away.  

 

JC

[homedepot124]

We were on both Empress and Serenade this fall and were not bothered in the dining room on either ship about purchasing special dining.  But I certainly agree with the prior posts about the pesky photographers.  They are a real pain.  And beside that who wants their picture taken while they are at a table full of glasses, china, and silverware in front of them.

[mjkacmom]

I don’t think NCL does this since they give away the package to so many, specialty restaurants are hard to get into.

[ONECRUISER]

Never had this happen me either. Also Photag's havent bothered me in yrs, maybe I'm not Photogenic

[c-leg5]

1 hour ago, bouhunter said:

 

 

We do only speciality dining and Windjammer.  Never a problem

The Windjammer is the ONLY place we have been approached.
 

Agree with OP and would also be annoyed if it happened even once in MDR and would definitely be talking to head waiter if it happened more than once.
 

We have our next cruise booked on Empress.

[3CatsInMA]

1 hour ago, PCWalton1 said:

Throw dinner rolls at them, that keeps them away. 

 

That's why you don't see savory bites any more.  They could put an eye out. 

[twangster]

I didn't get a sales pitch once in 2019 with quite a few cruises.  Maybe I don't look approachable.

[goldfish65]

Thanks for mentioning this, we'll tip the maître 'd with the request that we don't care for interruptions while we dine.

[matj2000]

All that but you keep going back....

Edited December 30, 2019 by matj2000

[molsonschooner]

I don't think it would be too hard to say "no thanks". If that doesn't work throw the buns at them as someone else mentioned

[Clarea]

Another reason we use the MDR less and less.

[Oceansaway17]

I have never had this happen either in MDR.

But on Serenade in Baltics last year I was just wondering around the back of ship in pay restaurants that had a view, and was approached twice with the words "I can give you a good deal"

 

Too bad they can not fill up them specialty places and have to beg.

 

I eas approached in MDR or Windjammer, I would just glare back

[bonsai3s]

2 hours ago, sandycruzr said:

I’ve been on 4 RCL cruises in the past few months, Empress, Freedom and Majesty and on all 4 cruises we have bombarded with sales pitches for specialty dining offers while eating dinner!   On Freedom back to back in December, we were asked 4 time’s during one meal!   We politely said “no thanks” but after the 3rd sales pitch within 30 minutes I complained!  The Head waiter told us this sales pressure comes from corporate.  5 minutes after complaining another person shoved a specialty menu in my face and said “you really need to go to Chops”. This is just plain rude behavior. Can’t we just enjoy a nice dinner in the dining room without being harassed?  I also feel badly for the waiters who now have a sales goal every week to sell upgraded steak and lobster to dining room guests.  (I know this for a fact because I took pictures of their goals that are posted in the galley during a tour). That on top of the other specialty restaurant sales pitches have made me decide I probably won’t sail on Royal for awhile.  I know Celebrity and NCL also sell their specialty restaurants but in my experience it is done outside of the dining room NOT constantly during dinner. 
Lots of people where complaining about the constant interruptions during dinner!   

 

 

Feeling your pain.  We were also on the Freedom.  Sales pitches were everywhere...inside and outside the Windjammer, along the Promenade, inside and outside the dining room, oh! and of course as you get on the ship outside on deck 4 and inside by the stairs and elevators.  Note: There was even a (very nice) waiter during lunch in the Windjammer, who would do magic tricks...then say "I will make reservations for you for the galley tour ok?"

And oh, don't forget the crew from the Spa...they were also standing outside the Windjammer.

 

Two places with "Sales pitches" that surprised us were:

1. Deck 5 Promenade, we were just looking at the "sushi to go" display, when the gal standing there said: "Sabor is good, would you like to make a reservation?"

 

2. Deck 10, right outside the Concierge Lounge...a crew member was trying to convince a couple from making reservations at Chops.

[Cru1s1ng2009]

I just get tired of EVERYONE asking us to fill out the survey.

[johnjen]

We had that once. I just told all of them to cease mentioning it. This does get old after awhile and the specialty dining simply isn't worth the extra money.

[DaniDanielle]

We kept getting approached in the Solarium on Anthem.  Strange place we thought,

[sandycruzr]

3 hours ago, JennyB1977 said:

I didn't experience this on Navigator in September. However, I would be irritated if it happened once, let alone 4 times. Did you complain to the Restaurant Manager and then the Hotel Director while onboard?

I did tell the Restaurant Manager on Freedom and after that we were only approached twice during each meal