Arriving an hour late to MDR

[cindivan]

I was with you until this - they were 'trainable' and then spent the rest of the cruise not knowing that their table mates made bets about them? I'm now not convinced about who behaved the worst.

 

 

IMO foxgoodrich was making lemonade out of lemons. They were handed a bad situation, they weren't rude to the others, just didn't let them dictate their cruise. Would it have been better if there was no bet and their was only a disagreement within fox's group over whether the other couple would change their actions? I'm quite certain we have all done things that have made someone else unhappy and we were discussed behind our backs. Doesn't affect my life.

 

 

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[yukongold]

Many years ago - and I forget what ship I was on - the door to the dining room was closed 15 minutes after the seating was scheduled. If you were more than 15 minutes late you could get seated. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

[BillOh]

I agree. The door should be closed. They could easily send those folks up to MTD. The late comers really mess up the flow of everyone's meal in that section. It is just RUDE!

 

I don't think the doors should be closed, they just shouldn't be served the appetizer or entres. On an evening when we ate at Chops, we then joined our MDR tablemates for dessert.

[gerif]

Have a good laugh -- that's fine. These rude and inconsiderate cruisers who arrive an hour late and expect others to be kept waiting until 'they' arrive before being served, have probably never had someone stand up to them. I am sure if a fellow passenger did, they would 'fold up like a house of cards' -- they are exerting power that they don't have, and figure 'no one' will push the issue.

 

The minute someone stands up to these type of people, they cower and sink. They may not change for the long haul, as long as they get the message with me.

 

You are absolutely right. I have a real issue with self-centered people and would have no problem letting them know from the get go that their behavior was not going to be tolerated - with a sweet smile, of course. Actually, DH has often marveled at how I can cut an obnoxious person off at the knees without going above a whisper. Ah the joys of being over 60.

[babyher]

My daughter would be very upset to know this because she feels she is top of the line. :p. She refers to herself as queen instead of princess though. Hahaha

 

 

 

My daughter was upset that a friend referred to her as a princess.

 

I said well your mother is the queen and your grandmother is the dowager empress. I guess that does make you a princess *LOL*

[babyher]

Have a good laugh -- that's fine. These rude and inconsiderate cruisers who arrive an hour late and expect others to be kept waiting until 'they' arrive before being served, have probably never had someone stand up to them. I am sure if a fellow passenger did, they would 'fold up like a house of cards' -- they are exerting power that they don't have, and figure 'no one' will push the issue.

 

The minute someone stands up to these type of people, they cower and sink. They may not change for the long haul, as long as they get the message with me.

 

 

 

Very very true

 

You are describing my former mother in law to a tee . Its actually kind of sick..She pushes and pushes and pushes and if you stand up to her and tell her off, she actually has more respect for you than if you "Yes Maam " her and give in.

[Whitnee1]

You hit the nail on the head. I also work in a service industry and it's tough when a customer gets nasty, even about following the rules. So the staff is put into an extremely uncomfortable position of holding to a rule and risking a complaint against them. A complaint impacts future jobs etc. People should simply be more considerate of not only the staff, but fellow passengers.

 

 

It goes even further than that. We have been told by cabin stewards and waiters that the results of passenger surveys dictates the number of tables and cabins they get and the location which can greatly impact the money they can make. They are hard working people and do not deserve to be penalized for no reason.

[Whitnee1]

I have actually witnessed people showing up late at a shared table displaying obvious anger at those who showed up on time and had started their dinner. That is why we will always get a table only for two when traveling alone. Sharing a table can be a great thing or a nightmare.

[AtlFolks]

Many servers won't adjust their rhythm for latecomers - I've seen them take care of the current course and then circle back to take care of the late folks. Latecomers do however slow down the entire process at some point. The fleet is moving towards dynamic dining so this issue may become moot over time.

[Yorkvillain]

I have actually witnessed people showing up late at a shared table displaying obvious anger at those who showed up on time and had started their dinner. That is why we will always get a table only for two when traveling alone. Sharing a table can be a great thing or a nightmare.

 

wow

[Paulette3028]

I have actually witnessed people showing up late at a shared table displaying obvious anger at those who showed up on time and had started their dinner. That is why we will always get a table only for two when traveling alone. Sharing a table can be a great thing or a nightmare.

 

The best way to deal with those 'angry late arrivers' is simply with extra sweetness. We try to arrive within 5 minutes of the dinner time seating start time. If someone isn't there by 15 or 20 minutes after, we expect the staff to begin taking our orders. If someone arrives even later, I have politely said "Sorry, but we did not wait since we were unsure if you were coming at all and we were here. Nice to meet you (if it is the first night). My name is _____". They get the message.

 

I don't want a table for two; if I wanted to have dinner alone with my DH, I can do that ANY night at home.

[Folk Singer]

It makes it hard on all those waiters and cooks.

[Folk Singer]

wow

 

Wow is right. :eek::eek:

[SBNDers]

It goes even further than that. We have been told by cabin stewards and waiters that the results of passenger surveys dictates the number of tables and cabins they get and the location which can greatly impact the money they can make. They are hard working people and do not deserve to be penalized for no reason.

 

First I will say that I am a pain in the neck to my family when it comes to being on time somewhere, and I know emergencies happen, so that being said...

 

A few years back my wife and I had to endure horrible service due to our waiter having a table of 10 who showed up late - all at different intervals and up to 45 minutes late. They were clearly a group who all came on board together - all adults and no children.

 

We tolerated it the first night, then it occurred the second night. We are definitely not complainers, but after dinner we went to the Maitre D' and asked to be switched to a different table. We stressed the fact that our waiter was being put in a bad situation and had no reflection on him.

 

He told us that it would be taken care of and to show up at our normal table the next night. I wasn't happy about this, but we complied. Of course the same scenario started out the third night - straggling late comers for our waiter to handle. This time (much to our embarrassment) the Maitre D' and one of his staff served us. They were on us like gnats at a picnic - always asking how everything was and bringing extra dishes to try. Like I said, we didn't expect this type of service, but they definitely got to see first hand that we were not exaggerating or over embellishing what was happening.

 

We went on the Explorer a few years back with my mother-in-law and her sister. My mother-in-laws sister has been late for every family function in the 30+ years I've been around. Do you think she was late for one dinner when we went - NO. I told her before we even sailed that dinner was at 6PM and if she wanted to eat with us in the "fancy dining room" then she had to be ready when we were or she would need to find another place to dine.

 

Unfortunately those who constantly come late for dinner don't think anything is wrong with that and will keep on doing it. People are people and the cruise staff can't scold passengers or they would never hear the end of it.

[Folk Singer]

It can ruin the Cruise experience, I am sorry that it happened to you. :(:(

Edited December 8, 2014 by Folk Singer

[John&LaLa]

 

Does anyone else remember first and second seating for breakfast and lunch?!

 

Yep, it made you think twice about requesting early dinner. HAL may have been the last cruise we took with that set-up. I think 1st and 2nd lunch were only on sea days though

 

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[LMaxwell]

Yep, it made you think twice about requesting early dinner. HAL may have been the last cruise we took with that set-up. I think 1st and 2nd lunch were only on sea days though

 

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Being that regimented is not something I want to return to! But I do think if you have traditional dining time they should close the MDR doors 15 minutes after the start of service and NOT allow you to just jump over to MTD.

 

Princess allows those that get fixed timing dining to jump to Anytime dining. Sure ticks off those in Anytime dining that get stuck in long lines every night...

[WhiteSoxFan]

Unfortunately those who constantly come late for dinner don't think anything is wrong with that and will keep on doing it. People are people and the cruise staff can't scold passengers or they would never hear the end of it.

 

Exactly, the waiters, not wanting to affect their tips, tell these people everything is good and take care of them, thus reinforcing their bad behavior.

[davekathy]

Exactly, the waiters, not wanting to affect their tips, tell these people everything is good and take care of them, thus reinforcing their bad behavior.

 

True that.

[Rala]

Unfortunately, everyone is so afraid of "offending" the offenders nowadays.....what ever happened to common courtesy?

 

For once cb you hit the nail on the head !!!;)

[Rala]

People are "worked up" because in traditional dining it IS a big deal. Latecomers upset the flow of a meal for everyone in their section because the wait staff has to interrupt service to all their tables while they take the latecomers' orders and get their food from another galley. To me, consistently showing up over an hour late for traditional dining is rude and inconsiderate.

 

If someone wants a standing dinner time of 7:00, that's MTD, not traditional. I think these people should have been directed to another venue. The cruise lines are so worried about offending discourteous passengers that they don't enforce their own policies.:(

 

People, don't waste your breath on Matty...he knows perfectly well what's what. He's out there now waving his big spoon and celebrating because he was able to stir the pot yet again. Pathetic. :rolleyes:

[Thetrail]

I don't know everyone is so worked up.

 

It is not a big deal.

 

The next seating isn't until 8:30.

 

They can order everything quickly, eat, and be out within 45 min or so.

 

There will probably be others "camping out" who came in at 5:30.

 

I doubt the servers even care......

It without a doubt affects the waiters in a very big way....K.O.

[Paulette3028]

Very very true

 

You are describing my former mother in law to a tee . Its actually kind of sick..She pushes and pushes and pushes and if you stand up to her and tell her off, she actually has more respect for you than if you "Yes Maam " her and give in.

 

You must have had the same mother in law that I had.....so we must be sisters in law....(LOL) -- yet when I stood up to her (at the age of 22) she got the message about me. It was difficult because I was raised to respect my elders, but I was also raised to respect myself. It did not change her very much, her habits had been formed and most people 'cowered to her', she just knew not to expect it from me.

[katrina915]

If this concerns so many people, you might want to put it on the survey.

 

On more than one occasion, I have told the waiter the night before that I would not be eating in the MDR due to a show or excursion and they ENCOURAGED me to come anyways even if I would be more than 30 minutes late. And they weren't doing it to placate me but they truly wanted me to come to the MDR. Didn't disrupt anyone else, but the point is that the waiter encouraged and accomodated. The waiters should only wait a few minutes after designated eating time before taking everyone's order though.

[LetsGetWet!]

If this concerns so many people, you might want to put it on the survey.

That brings up another question. I have read that the post-cruise surveys have been switched from written forms handed out before you disembark, to email surveys sent after the cruise.

 

We never got either after our cruise last month. I was really looking forward to filling it out too, since our cabin steward was one of the best we've ever experienced.

 

How does one get these surveys? Another example of RCI IT subpar performance?