I wish RCL would stop harassing us during dinner!

[icsys]

4 hours ago, matj2000 said:

All that but you keep going back....

There's always one smart alec!

Annoyingly frustrating... but not to the point of not cruising any more... yet!

Edited December 30, 2019 by icsys

[zebra36]

I have had the sales pitch in the MDR a few times, I guess they do this when bookings are soft. When told about the "deal" I jokingly reply to let me know when they have a 100% discount.

[ChinaShrek]

I would point to another table in the MDR and say, "I think they are interested in buying. Go talk to them."

[davekathy]

3 minutes ago, ChinaShrek said:

I would point to another table in the MDR and say, "I think they are interested in buying. Go talk to them."

I would point back at you and say, they are paying. 😜

[cruisinpips]

On our FOS cruise in summer of 2017, we had them approach us everywhere, while on the promenade, outside the Windjammer, outside the MDR, relentlessly! To the point where two different waiters were talking to two members  of our party, they argued as to who actually talked us into the specialty dining! I hate that it has come to this! 

[hladygirl]

I have been on 10 NCl cruises and never had this happen. Never had a sales pitch in MDR, Buffet or specialty dining rooms. I would be really pissed off if this happened while I was trying to enjoy my meal. What is RCCL thinking?

 

[Clarea]

4 minutes ago, hladygirl said:

I have been on 10 NCl cruises and never had this happen. Never had a sales pitch in MDR, Buffet or specialty dining rooms. I would be really pissed off if this happened while I was trying to enjoy my meal. What is RCCL thinking?

 

 

Bean counters are in full control, calling all the shots.

[fdthird]

Whatever they are trying to sell (drink package, dining package, Specialty Reservations) , I just tell them we’ve already got it/done it.  Very easy. 

Edited December 31, 2019 by fdthird

[HalfHand]

9 hours ago, PCWalton1 said:

Throw dinner rolls at them, that keeps them away. 

 

NO!

 

They will take them away again then, I actually like the rolls on the table...

[lenquixote66]

10 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!   

 

We were never subjected to this on Royal ships,only on NCI ships.

[xpcdoojk]

On the upside, next cruise leaving Sunday, we booked UDP, I don’t think on this cruise I have to worry about this new “trend”.  My guess is it is not the bean counters, it is the idiots who are running the hotel side, who have reached their Peter principle level.  

 

Since these ships seem to be an entity of their own... it encourages the dumb to be really dumb.

 

jc

[John&LaLa]

9 hours ago, twangster said:

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

 

That definitely describes me

[John&LaLa]

7 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

 

You've been lucky. Last time on Oasis they got us on both nights we went to the MDR.  They come up acting like they are the headwaiter, ask how we are enjoying dinner, and then launch into the specialty sales pitch.

 

That's why I wear the pin, they tend to bother us less

[pcur]

If this happened to us, we'd do the same thing we do with the photographers:  we just shake our head "no", smile, and keep talking

[grandgeezer]

We've done two, 14 day cruises, on MSC Seaside, in the Yacht Club. We ate all our meals in the Top Sail Restaurant (for suites), and have never been approached by any sales people or photographers. The quality of the food, and service makes dinning a pleasure again. The same thing can be said about the suite lounge and the private swimming pool area. I can't say that about Celebrity, RCL, Princess, NCL, or HAL.

[MoniMommy]

9 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

 

You've been lucky. Last time on Oasis they got us on both nights we went to the MDR.  They come up acting like they are the headwaiter, ask how we are enjoying dinner, and then launch into the specialty sales pitch.

Does this pitch include a discount?

[Clarea]

2 hours ago, MoniMommy said:

Does this pitch include a discount?

 

Yes, they did offer some discount, but I don't recall the details.

[Tin can]

8 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Bean counters are in full control, calling all the shots.

Absolutely, and it’s genius when you think about it. 

 

I don’t know the percentages (I’m sure RCI do) but say if 15% of passengers on an average sailing use speciality then that is a lot of cost saved.

 

Average ship with say 4000 passengers - so 4200 dinners on a 7 day cruise paid for but not taken. No idea what portion of our cruise fare is for dinner but using a round $10 and that is $42k on the bottom line.

 

As long as they cover the cost of the speciality dining any ‘special offer’ that sells above this further enhances the bottom line. It’s a win/win situation!

 

It’s a very simplistic view I’m sure but no wonder they are enthusiastic selling speciality.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 31, 2019 by Tin can

[Biker19]

10 hours ago, HalfHand said:

NO!

 

They will take them away again then, I actually like the rolls on the table...

Welcome to CC.

[A&L_Ont]

17 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

Another reason we use the MDR less and less.

In specialty restaurants you get the photographers and the “light” up sells for chefs table and the paid galley tour. 

[Clarea]

14 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

In specialty restaurants you get the photographers and the “light” up sells for chefs table and the paid galley tour. 

 

Can't win I guess.

[suesnake2002]

I had to laugh at the 30 Pellegrino as a goal. I always have the deluxe package, and my last cruise they were refusing to serve me pellegrino in the mdr. Saying they only had big bottles. So when i let them know i only wanted a glass, and they still refused me. I asked for maitre dee. Got my pellegrino. Now i know they were saving for the upsell. Lol

I like to take pictures of name tags. So i can recognize in my surveys those that made my cruise special. It can work the opposite way too. Especially if you let the offender know why you want a picture of their name tag. They will avoid you. 😉

[time4u2go]

16 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

 

You've been lucky. Last time on Oasis they got us on both nights we went to the MDR.  They come up acting like they are the headwaiter, ask how we are enjoying dinner, and then launch into the specialty sales pitch.

We have had this happen also, on multiple nights in the MDR.  Even though we can (and do) simply say "no thank you", it's still quite annoying to be interrupted during dinner for this.

[kidless]

20 hours ago, davekathy said:

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

This drives me crazy! They always come as we are getting ready to eat.....or have a mouthful of food. Food comes out like warm at best they want us to stop and pose! Not to mention we stopped buying the over priced photos long ago! 

[time4u2go]

15 minutes ago, kidless said:

This drives me crazy! They always come as we are getting ready to eat.....or have a mouthful of food. Food comes out like warm at best they want us to stop and pose! Not to mention we stopped buying the over priced photos long ago! 

To be honest, I've never understood why this is a thing.  I always think these dinner table photos look silly, with a bunch of dishes/glasses/silverware in the foreground, and random people and chairs in the background.  I've never understood the attraction of these photos.