Standing reservation for MDR

[EllieinNJ]

We will be on the Enchanted for 14 nights Nov. 5th.  Other than our one Crown Grill reservation, we made reservations for the MDR at the same time every night.  If we decide to go somewhere else for dinner, do we have to cancel the reservation for that night? 

[wowzz]

9 minutes ago, EllieinNJ said:

We will be on the Enchanted for 14 nights Nov. 5th.  Other than our one Crown Grill reservation, we made reservations for the MDR at the same time every night.  If we decide to go somewhere else for dinner, do we have to cancel the reservation for that night? 

Ideally you should.  Easy to do on the cabin TV, but if you don't turn up within 20 (?) minutes, your table is released anyway.

[capriccio]

Please cancel (it's very simple as @wowzz noted) and give those without a reservation a chance to be seated more quickly instead of having the host wait to release it.

[cruzin4us]

It's super easy to cancel on the app.    I think it's nice to cancel your reservation if they are holding a table for you.   There is usually a line of people waiting for a table, so it would just get people seated more quickly if they know you aren't coming.      

Just go on the app to "dine my way" and click on the day you want to cancel.   Then hit the cancel button......easy peasy

[john watson]

Having the standing reservation, same restaurant same time is the best way to go.  If the wifi goes down you have a booking.  Cancelling on the night you go elsewhere is the most polite and friendly way to go.

 

Regards John

[MissP22]

We had standing reservations on our last cruise and they still had to check us in every night at the door just as though we had never made any reservations at all.

I can't understand what the new medallion app does to speed up the seating. 

[Steelers36]

9 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

We had standing reservations on our last cruise and they still had to check us in every night at the door just as though we had never made any reservations at all.

I can't understand what the new medallion app does to speed up the seating. 

Ship?  Could be ship specific - or even that ship may have changed by now.  Many have reported not having to check-in.  Just off Regal for 23 nights and never had to "check in" - just said HI and smiled and off to our table.

[Kay S]

18 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

We had standing reservations on our last cruise and they still had to check us in every night at the door just as though we had never made any reservations at all.

I can't understand what the new medallion app does to speed up the seating. 

My experience on the Majestic in the spring.  Loooong lines waiting to be seated.  Maybe they have improved since then.

[Steelers36]

Just now, Kay S said:

My experience on the Majestic in the spring.  Loooong lines waiting to be seated.  Maybe they have improved since then.

On Regal (Concerto Deck 6), the only time I saw relatively long line was on a Formal or DTI night as we were leaving the venue say between 7:15 and 7:30pm.  No info on the other DR's.  I do think Deck 6 Aft was used mainly for reservations.

[seekatz]

Just off Royal and had standing reservation. They asked us to check in at the door and be seated. Ship was about 50% so no real wait, it worked out well. A month ago on Ruby 100% full and checking in required us to wait in line, we finally just walked to our table as the wait was 10 min. + never a problem. Some have said if you do not show up, your table could be given to others and you would loose your reservation for a standing time/ table. 

[MissP22]

18 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

Ship?  Could be ship specific - or even that ship may have changed by now.  Many have reported not having to check-in.  Just off Regal for 23 nights and never had to "check in" - just said HI and smiled and off to our table.

It was on the Enchanted in Mar/April.

We're returning at the end of this year and hopefully things have changed. 

It was always nice not to wait in line knowing which table you had reserved. 

[Cruisen Elf]

19 hours ago, MissP22 said:

We had standing reservations on our last cruise and they still had to check us in every night at the door just as though we had never made any reservations at all.

I can't understand what the new medallion app does to speed up the seating. 

 

This was our experience, too, on our recent Enchantment cruise.  We had to wait in line every night, in spite of having reservations.  We were never seated at the same table or same section.  IMHO the Medallion App made it more chaotic than before.  It certainly did not give us an opportunity to "Dine My Way!"

[AZjohn]

Yep, on Enchanted a few weeks ago and seems like they don't use the reservations at all.

[john watson]

20 hours ago, MissP22 said:

We had standing reservations on our last cruise and they still had to check us in every night at the door just as though we had never made any reservations at all.

I can't understand what the new medallion app does to speed up the seating. 

 

Whether you have made a reservation or not they need to sort people into either category as they arrive at the door.  Then the ones who have made a reservation need further sorting into table size and sharing/not sharing and taking to the table.  The others who have no reservation need assessing as to whether space is available fitting their expectations and may have to wait.  How would they let random people in who say "we've made a reservation" when they may or may not have made one?  Then would these people wander in and just sit anywhere when the guy at he door has an app of occupied/unoccupied tables?  The MDR would descend in to chaos with people just pushing in.

 

Regards John

[MissP22]

55 minutes ago, john watson said:

 

Whether you have made a reservation or not they need to sort people into either category as they arrive at the door.  Then the ones who have made a reservation need further sorting into table size and sharing/not sharing and taking to the table.  The others who have no reservation need assessing as to whether space is available fitting their expectations and may have to wait.  How would they let random people in who say "we've made a reservation" when they may or may not have made one?  Then would these people wander in and just sit anywhere when the guy at he door has an app of occupied/unoccupied tables?  The MDR would descend in to chaos with people just pushing in.

 

Regards John

Seems to me that the old way of seating people was much better. 

One line for those that randomly arrive and another line for those that requested the same table and same waiter no matter how many people were sitting together. 

The Medallion is good for many different things but it doesn't help at all as far as the dining room is concerned. 

[tonit964]

3 hours ago, MissP22 said:

It was on the Enchanted in Mar/April.

We're returning at the end of this year and hopefully things have changed. 

It was always nice not to wait in line knowing which table you had reserved. 

It was that way for my Discovery cruise last spring AND my Sapphire cruise last month.

I had a short conversation with the staff that check you in on both cruises asking how they feel about the new process, they said they hate it and to please notate it on the survey.

 

It clearly makes it more difficult for the staff checking people in every night instead of just the first night.

[MissP22]

Just now, tonit964 said:

It was that way for my Discovery cruise last spring AND my Sapphire cruise last month.

I had a short conversation with the staff that check you in on both cruises asking how they feel about the new process, they said they hate it and to please notate it on the survey.

 

It clearly makes it more difficult for the staff checking people in every night instead of just the first night.

I've just about stopped filling out their surveys after the last one I filled out. 

They've gotten so long & tedious it makes me wonder if anyone actually reads them. 

[john watson]

12 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

Seems to me that the old way of seating people was much better. 

One line for those that randomly arrive and another line for those that requested the same table and same waiter no matter how many people were sitting together. 

The Medallion is good for many different things but it doesn't help at all as far as the dining room is concerned. 

 

The only thing that is needed to get back to better than the old system is to have two queues, those that have a reservation and those that do not.  Under the old system they had a print out of the dining room with all tables and seats. The controller used a set of highlighters to mark the status of every table.  It was then known where people could be accommodated.  These days they use a lap top and in conjunction with the medallion can sort people who have reserved much more quickly. They know who you are what you have reserved and can fit you appropriately straight away.  This is not so if you have one queue because people who have not bothered to make a reservation take more time to sort out and hold the others up. This delay would not be experienced if they had two queues and dealt with people who have reserved first.

 

Regards John

[john watson]

10 minutes ago, tonit964 said:

 

 

It clearly makes it more difficult for the staff checking people in every night instead of just the first night.

 

This would relate to traditional dining not Anytime dining.

 

Regards John

[MissP22]

2 minutes ago, john watson said:

The only thing that is needed to get back to better than the old system is to have two queues, those that have a reservation and those that do not.

Seems simple enough. It worked better without all having to question each couple every night. 

[Musky Ike]

3 hours ago, MissP22 said:

Seems simple enough. It worked better without all having to question each couple every night. 

No questioning on the Regal last month. We had a standing reservation each night and were recognized after the first night. We just scanned one medallion for the party on the way to our waiting table and staff. They used the menus as placeholders for reserved tables. I asked the waiter about doing a cancelation for our specialty night or a late back onboard time. He said not to worry, they would release the table if we were not there by a half hour after our reservation time.

[Guest ldtr]

On 10/27/2022 at 8:43 AM, MissP22 said:

We had standing reservations on our last cruise and they still had to check us in every night at the door just as though we had never made any reservations at all.

I can't understand what the new medallion app does to speed up the seating. 

Onn the 6 cruises I have taken the process has pretty much been the same.  Two lines one for reservations, one for those that do not. When you get to the door they check your medallion and take you to your table. For those that do not have reservations they check the medallion and then see if there is an available table.  If there is they get escorted to their table, if not well then they have to wait until there is an available table.

 

Both do check in at the door reservation or not.  Difference is that reservation guarantees you a table, not having a reservation means that you take your chances. 

[Guest ldtr]

5 hours ago, john watson said:

 

The only thing that is needed to get back to better than the old system is to have two queues, those that have a reservation and those that do not.  Under the old system they had a print out of the dining room with all tables and seats. The controller used a set of highlighters to mark the status of every table.  It was then known where people could be accommodated.  These days they use a lap top and in conjunction with the medallion can sort people who have reserved much more quickly. They know who you are what you have reserved and can fit you appropriately straight away.  This is not so if you have one queue because people who have not bothered to make a reservation take more time to sort out and hold the others up. This delay would not be experienced if they had two queues and dealt with people who have reserved first.

 

Regards John

On the ships I have been on Grand, Ruby and Majestic they had two lines.  Reservations on the left, no reservations on the right.

 

The primary difference is that in the old days you could go directly to your table after the first night and not have to check in.  Now you do have to check in each night, both to confirm the table number (has always been the same for us), as well as to confirm that you are using the table.

Edited October 28, 2022 by ldtr

[Guest ldtr]

1 hour ago, Musky Ike said:

No questioning on the Regal last month. We had a standing reservation each night and were recognized after the first night. We just scanned one medallion for the party on the way to our waiting table and staff. They used the menus as placeholders for reserved tables. I asked the waiter about doing a cancelation for our specialty night or a late back onboard time. He said not to worry, they would release the table if we were not there by a half hour after our reservation time.

Still by not canceling in advance  means a substantial delay before the table gets available.  Not much for the person canceling, but might have a substantial impact on someone without a reservation waiting for a table.

[MissP22]

2 minutes ago, ldtr said:

Still by not canceling in advance  means a substantial delay before the table gets available.  Not much for the person canceling, but might have a substantial impact on someone without a reservation waiting for a table.

That could amount to a lot of seats going vacant for up to 30 minutes.