Dining Questions

[OceanCruise]

With open seating, do the waiters get to know your preferences or do you have different waiters every night? Do most people just sit with their own party or are there larger tables where people can mingle with others? Do you ever have to wait for a table? Can you get the same meal for room service if you don't feel like going to the dining room (how do you get a menu?)? Do you tip for room service?

[dougburns]

I think you'll find that the maitre'd will get to know what you like very quickly. If you smoke, you'll always be seated in the smoking section and you'll probably have the same waiter all the time. The beauty of open seating dining is that there are always open tables. If you tell the maitre'd that you want a table for 2, that's what you'll get. If you ask to be seated with a group, that's what you'll get. If you ask for a particular waiter's section, they'll try to honor that. There has never been a wait for us in 6 RSSC cruises. The dining experience aboard RSSC ships is wonderful. The staff is exceptionally professional and friendly. They will never rush you, even if you stay past normal dining hours.

[dougburns]

The room service menu is the same as the Compass Rose menu and they bring it by the course, so it's served hot.

[JoAnne B]

Room service is always an available option....except as a single I find that most nights when I'm thinking "room service" I find myself invited to dine with an interesting group of cruisers. Interesting tablemates vs room service....I'll take the dining room every time. This consideration is one of the best parts about cruising with RSSC.

[Daw6id]

Even with open seating, after the first time Stefan waited on us, we requested him every time [at breakfast and lunch upstairs, and at dinner in the Compass Rose] because he was so good. He knew our preferences well by the end of the cruise. Other wait staff also got to know us, by the end of a seven day cruise there were four people who knew, when they saw me coming, to bring a Diet Coke - no questions asked. One was in the Horizon Lounge, one was at the pool, and the other two were in restaurants. Sometimes we got a table for two, sometimes we asked to share a table - and meet new people. Sometimes we came with a group and got a table for ten. We never had to wait - even when we requested Stefan.

 

David

[gdlamberth]

No, you do not need to tip for room service. I also agree with everyone else's comments. We have requested waiters (Horst and Ismail on both Navigator and Voyager), head waiters' areas (Melanie on Voyager) tables for two and groups. Christian (somalier (?), I know I'm not spelling that right) on PG always brought Gretchen and Nancy their Bailey's as an after dinner drink. I'm not sure I know how they could make service much better.

Greg