TA screw up with my time dining - help.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Just did a fake booking on Carnivals page and picked my time dining and the gratuities weren't added.:confused:

 

Bill

[leeanninfla]

Carnival DOES NOT require that gratuities be prepaid for the any time dining. Only RCCL and CEL do this, as stated by other people on this board.

[scchasgal]

We didn't have a problem with pre-paying gratuidies as its pay now or pay later. Just that the TA told us that in order to get any time dining we had to pre-pay. We talked to the TA manager who is checking daily until we sail to see where we stand on the waitlist. She's also checking to see how many are waitlisted. As soon as we board, I'm going to see what the MD can do for us (without a bribe) and if they can't help, our other party will switch to late dining. Carnival said the late dining usually isn't full. I guess what really irked me is I work in hospitality/customer service at a 4 diamond resort and when we get a request from a guest, it gets taken care of. Thanks for the ideas, comments and support. Like stated before, its just a meal.

 

Happy cruising.

 

You need a new TA. We just debarked today and we had anytime last week and didn't have to prepay.

 

There is only prepaid gratuities for cruises to nowhere

[gargoyle999]

I seem to be reading more and more about anytime dining being full and people are getting waitlisted and on the other hand I read that anytime dining isn't very popular.:confused:

 

It's popular! We did Chef's Table on the Imagination last month and I asked about Your Time. The head chef said they were going to be turning an entire dining room into Your Time instead of just part of one like they have now.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

It's popular! We did Chef's Table on the Imagination last month and I asked about Your Time. The head chef said they were going to be turning an entire dining room into Your Time instead of just part of one like they have now.

 

Sounds like a plan

 

Bill

[NEW 2 CRUISIN]

Carnival DOES NOT require that gratuities be prepaid for the any time dining. Only RCCL and CEL do this, as stated by other people on this board.

 

Hmmm....I guess Carnival must offer prepaid gratutities during the booking process as an OPTION, then, because mine are marked prepaid on my invoice. I probably selected it somewhere along the way.

 

Either way, as I mentioned earlier, it's just one less thing to worry about after the cruise! :)

[LaurieHoffman]

It's popular! We did Chef's Table on the Imagination last month and I asked about Your Time. The head chef said they were going to be turning an entire dining room into Your Time instead of just part of one like they have now.

 

I know this is a older thread but just booked Imagination today for Dec 2011. We have anytime dining. What dining room is it in if you know? Is one dining room reserved for this like mentioned above? There is not much information on this ship or anytime dining on CC

[girlscruise2011]

I cruised on the Sensation in February 2010 and had anytime dining and was told by my TA that I needed to prepare my gratuities to get it. In November 2011, I used the same TA on the Imagination and requested anytime dining but this time she said I didn't have to pay the gratuities to get it. I think its just a TA not knowing the rules or they get paid commission on the total amount they collect.

[kroozers]

Absolutely the reason I book online. No TA needed. I'm the best TA I could possibly have - I know exactly what I want, I love doing cruise research, I am my only client, I can still reach me if I'm on vacation and I double check everything before I click "enter". There is no TA that can guarantee all that.

 

TA's are obsolete in my opinion.

[ChefSusan]

We have never had to prepay gratuities in order to book YTD. Your best bet would be to talk to the Maitre D' at 1:30pm (or whenever the appointed time is), and see if he can change you to YTD. Like others have said, it may take a couple of days to make this happen. If not, then there are two choices - one, your DS and BIL change to late dining, or two, you guys agree to dine together either at the buffet.

 

I would also talk to your TA's supervisor - you never should have to prepay gratuities in order to get a specific dining time, and your TA should have known that.

 

Hopefully things will work out for you!

[gazingm42]

I hate the games they (TA) play with customer. I got tired of not dealing direct

with ccl myself and this time went to booking direct on ccl site.

 

As for the waitlist... Don't worry about it. Chance are very high they will make

it work for you before you sail. If not just go see the MD and he/she will make

the necessary adjustments for your family.

 

I have never heard of the pre-paid of tips to get the sitting. It sounds like

the TA gets a % of the pre-paid to me.

[B and C Blake]

You got that right! We're toying with the idea of a repositioning cruise in the spring and will definately not use this TA. Will go with a PVP instead.

 

I just talked with someone else at Carnival who said the dining option was booked and the ONLY thing we could do was to go to MDR asap and plead our case. Maybe a big tip in hand when I walk in the door would help.

 

OP just a side note ... make sure your cruise documents are showing you pre-paid grats.

 

Just saying ... better to know now then have surprises later.

[stefndoug]

Just to note... travel agents do not make a commission on the prepaid tips. I agree with a number of people on here... I have only seen the prepaid tips option on Celebrity and RCL with anytime dining. Never on Carnival.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Didn't the OP take their cruise already? The last time she even posted on CC was 8 months ago.:confused:

 

Bill

[momof3cruisers]

Yes, SS. This is a very old thread.

[bguppies]

[quote name='gargoyle999']It's popular! We did Chef's Table on the Imagination last month and I asked about Your Time. The head chef said they were going to be turning an entire dining room into Your Time instead of just part of one like they have now.[/QUOTE]

That is great to hear.

The whole untruth about YTD not being very popular is total BS.
It gets furthered by the uninformed assigned dining snobs on this board stating made up figures.

All I know is that our last 3 cruises had ridiculous lines at the dining room entrance, with people BEGGING to be switched to YTD.

Our last cruise we went back to assigned dining, as we had MIL with us, who had dietary restrictions.
I then found out that they could still accommodate her in YTD.
So I tried to switch back to YTD 5 months before sailing and it was full already.
Our PVP tried to get us switched right up until sailing to no avail.
Went to the maitre 'd as soon as we boarded and he said there was no way.

I think Carnival does a poor job of offering this option.
(most of the people in line, wanting to switch, were not even aware of the option until boarding.)

If Carnival did make one dining room exclusively YTD and made sure people booking knew it was offered, that dining room would be packed with a waiting list still.

Bill