My Time Dining

[descotes]

To be honest I'd rather pre pay my gratuities, plus extra paid during the cruise, but the only problem I can see is what if you are extremely unlucky and receive poor service, you've already paid and they can not be removed.

Ok so then that's my other question.... so from what I understand your choices for tipping are either prepay them or have $12pp added to your bill on the cruise each day.

 

So what you're saying is that if you pre-pay your gratuities you can't have them removed. So if you don't pre-pay you can? Do people do that? I'm assuming the $12 is split amongst many areas -- the dining room or restaurants, the servers at the pool or shows, the housekeeping staff, etc. Do people really downgrade or remove that $12 a day? I understand poor service but I'm assuming it's not everywhere. I just thought you had to pay it no matter what so I just figured I'd get it out of the way beforehand rather than add it to the bill on the cruise.

[Peachy59]

I agree with others who have said they want to be able to use any OBC for tips. I like the idea of having them added, makes it a lot easier than having to take a lot of extra cash, but definitely think you should be able to use OBC.

[Guest maddycat]

So I've just read this whole thread because I have just started to understand the whole MTD deal and am considering switching from Traditional early seating to MTD during my upcoming cruise in about a month.

 

I definitely agree with those that say it is unfair to be forced to tip for MTD ahead of time when everyone else essentially gets the option. I opted to do it before so I don't have as much of a bill at the end of my cruise. I definitely understand the OBC dilemma and if I had a substantial OBC I would be upset to not be able to use that because of that policy.

 

I know to each their own and I'm still trying to understand MTD but I've always done traditional dining and usually that works for us but on this upcoming trip on the Freedom the early seating is a bit early and the late seating is a bit late so I was thinking of changing. When I called RCCL they told me that I should wait to get on the ship and see what times they had available for dining before switching because the traditional dining times were on waitlist so she wouldn't want me to lose that if the times I did want weren't available. She did tell me that the reservations are like 15min apart... 7:00/7:15/7:30, etc.

 

So my question is - if you are told that only MTD is available (other than the tip reasons) and you really wanted traditional (early or late), couldn't you just make reservations every night in the MDR close to that time? And I thought that I read that you can always request the same section/waiters if possible.

 

Yes. You can make reservations for the same time every night close to traditional dining times. You can also request the same wait staff every night, in fact they encourage you to use the same servers.

I enjoy getting to know the waiter/waitress in the specific area and having the same seat every niight but I'm not sure (for me) that outweighs eating when I want to or not having to rush back to the ship to get ready at an early time for main seating. I am traveling with 2 teens and I'm wondering how MTD would impact what we are accustom to. I want to sit with just my family of 4, at the time I reserve, either wherever they want to put us or in the same waiter/waitress section in the MDR every night.

 

You can get a table for 4 every night. You do not have to sit with any other passengers.

 

Can that happen with MTD before I opt to switch when I get onboard? Just wondering why everyone wants Traditional Dining so much that there is a waitlist for it or is it just because of the prepaid tip thing?

 

Thanks

 

If you can switch to MTD now I'd recommend doing it. They might not have any openings once you get onboard.

[Guest maddycat]

Ok so then that's my other question.... so from what I understand your choices for tipping are either prepay them or have $12pp added to your bill on the cruise each day.

 

So what you're saying is that if you pre-pay your gratuities you can't have them removed. So if you don't pre-pay you can? Do people do that? I'm assuming the $12 is split amongst many areas -- the dining room or restaurants, the servers at the pool or shows, the housekeeping staff, etc. Do people really downgrade or remove that $12 a day? I understand poor service but I'm assuming it's not everywhere. I just thought you had to pay it no matter what so I just figured I'd get it out of the way beforehand rather than add it to the bill on the cruise.

 

If anyone does not provide acceptable service you should contact either guest services or their immediate supervisor. They will take care of the matter for you. In our 29 cruises we have never removed or reduced gratuities.

[Izzziee]

Ok so then that's my other question.... so from what I understand your choices for tipping are either prepay them or have $12pp added to your bill on the cruise each day.

 

So what you're saying is that if you pre-pay your gratuities you can't have them removed. So if you don't pre-pay you can? Do people do that? I'm assuming the $12 is split amongst many areas -- the dining room or restaurants, the servers at the pool or shows, the housekeeping staff, etc. Do people really downgrade or remove that $12 a day? I understand poor service but I'm assuming it's not everywhere. I just thought you had to pay it no matter what so I just figured I'd get it out of the way beforehand rather than add it to the bill on the cruise.

Well I've never done it, nor will I, but I know of people who have, it just seems odd that if you don't pre pay you can adjust them but if you do prepay you can't, or that is my understanding, I could be wrong of course :)

[schlimazel_traveler]

So I've just read this whole thread because I have just started to understand the whole MTD deal and am considering switching from Traditional early seating to MTD during my upcoming cruise in about a month.

 

...

 

I know to each their own and I'm still trying to understand MTD but I've always done traditional dining and usually that works for us but on this upcoming trip on the Freedom the early seating is a bit early and the late seating is a bit late so I was thinking of changing. When I called RCCL they told me that I should wait to get on the ship and see what times they had available for dining before switching because the traditional dining times were on waitlist so she wouldn't want me to lose that if the times I did want weren't available. She did tell me that the reservations are like 15min apart... 7:00/7:15/7:30, etc.

 

So my question is - if you are told that only MTD is available (other than the tip reasons) and you really wanted traditional (early or late), couldn't you just make reservations every night in the MDR close to that time? And I thought that I read that you can always request the same section/waiters if possible.

 

Yes and no. It wouldn't be exactly the same because (at least on the ships I've sailed on) the MTD diners are on the "balcony" overlooking the main dining room. So, for example, when the waiters perform, you might not be able to see them. Depending on where you're seated, you might be able to look down into the main dining room, but you might not.

 

We also were not seated at the same table each night. We had the same waiters twice, and a different team of waiters three times (only at in MDR 5 nights). We may have been seated at the same table once, but it might have been a different one--in the same general location--each time.

 

I enjoy getting to know the waiter/waitress in the specific area and having the same seat every niight but I'm not sure (for me) that outweighs eating when I want to or not having to rush back to the ship to get ready at an early time for main seating. I am traveling with 2 teens and I'm wondering how MTD would impact what we are accustom to. I want to sit with just my family of 4, at the time I reserve, either wherever they want to put us or in the same waiter/waitress section in the MDR every night.

 

That, we got. Just the four of us, at the time we reserved. Just not the same table/waiters. (The two waiters we had were right next to each other, though.)

 

Can that happen with MTD before I opt to switch when I get onboard? Just wondering why everyone wants Traditional Dining so much that there is a waitlist for it or is it just because of the prepaid tip thing?

 

Thanks

 

One of the other things we kind of liked about traditional dining was that the other people around us were the same--good for people-watching, you know? But we did think that the convenience of picking our own time was worth it and I would do that again. I'm frustrated over the pre-paid gratuities situation, though. I would sign up for traditional dining and try to switch to MTD on board, except that a mom we met our first day of our last cruise tried to switch when she found out how late the late seating was, and was told MTD was "full." (The balcony is smaller than the main dining room--I could see how it could get full--although I imagine they can move people through there more quickly. I don't think our meals took anywhere near as long as I remember them taking in traditional late dining.)

 

If you weren't planning to use OBC for gratuities, go ahead and do MTD. You'll like it.

[sjam613]

Reading through this and understand the frustration of prepaid gratuity but it is something that personally doesn't bother me.

 

Oddly when booking only MTD was available or the late seating for our cruise 10 months out. With two kids, 8:30 is not an option. After switching my room to a junior suite, all of a sudden an option to be put on the wait list appeared for the earlier seating. Even weirder the Family Time option says full with wait list only but there isn't an option to be placed on the wait list for it.

 

I have never used MTD before and my main concern from not fully understanding it is reservation time. Since my family tends to eat earlier do I have to worry about not being able to get an earlier reservation time?

[LMaxwell]

 

I have never used MTD before and my main concern from not fully understanding it is reservation time. Since my family tends to eat earlier do I have to worry about not being able to get an earlier reservation time?

 

You can make reservations for whatever times you wish; same times, different times each day, OR, you do not need to make a timed reservation at all and just show up. There is a separate line for reservations vs no reservation.

[sjam613]

You can make reservations for whatever times you wish; same times, different times each day, OR, you do not need to make a timed reservation at all and just show up. There is a separate line for reservations vs no reservation.

 

Thank you, so there isn't an issue of "that time is full"?