Traditional dining full?

[minerva78]

I've been looking at some possible Royal itineraries in December 2015, and I'm curious to get some opinions as to why so many of them have traditional dining times full this far out? I have several cruises that have traditional dining booked already, particularly the early seating, and that just seems so odd 11 months out.

 

So then I wonder if this has to do with other people doing what I'm trying to do. I've only done anytime dining on Carnival, and I really like it. But you don't have to prepay gratuities like you do on Royal. Since I have a chance to get quite a bit of OBC through Royal and my TA, I would much rather book traditional dining simply so I can use OBC for gratuities. For example, one cruise I keep coming back to I can get 2 connecting balcony cabins for my family of 4 cheaper than 1 quad balcony. So that's $400 OBC from Royal, plus an additional $300 OBC from my TA. There is no way we would spend that much onboard, so there is really no point to prepaying gratuities! Is this why it's so hard to get traditional dining, or is this just a fluke?

 

This cruise I'm looking at currently has 8:00 dining waitlisted, early dining waitlist isn't even an option. I do not want 8:00 dining though, because my kids never eat that late. If I were to book this cruise being waitlisted for 8:00 dining, when do you actually find out your dining time, is it not until you're onboard? Or can they inform you there is no room for 8:00 dining beforehand and still make you prepay gratuities? Sorry if that's a stupid question, I've never dealt with waitlisted dining. I'd actually prefer not to have a set dining, but I'd also prefer to use OBC towards gratuities. Don't know if it's possible to have both. :) I might be willing to try to waitlist for 8:00 dining, and then just hope I don't get it.

[gi_pam]

I had a cruise booked for Nov 2014, booked in March. Traditional dining was full when we booked, so we were on MTD. No waitlists. We wanted early, there might have been a waitlist for late, though.

 

I looked online in July, and all of a sudden early fixed was available. I switched, and the pre-paid gratuities went away. You just need to switch before final payment. Once the prepaid gratuities are paid, they won't give them back if you switch to fixed, I understand.

 

So it pays to keep checking. I don't know whether it's just a factor of people switching or if their system just doesn't keep up. It was weird that there wasn't even a waiting list option, then it was available.

 

(ended up cancelling the cruise, but that's another story)

[PSCruiser]

Might be completely wrong on this, but its my theory that RC allows TAs to put holds on blocks of rooms, along with fixed dining to go with the rooms.

Later, when the TAs have not sold the rooms, they are released, and the corresponding fixed dining is available.

If this is the case, wish they wouldn't do this.

[KansasK]

Might be completely wrong on this, but its my theory that RC allows TAs to put holds on blocks of rooms, along with fixed dining to go with the rooms.

Later, when the TAs have not sold the rooms, they are released, and the corresponding fixed dining is available.

If this is the case, wish they wouldn't do this.

 

I believe this is true, too. We are always waitlisted for early dining and later, so far, we have gotten it.

 

I believe something else has changed, also. On our Oasis cruise, my brother could not even get waitlisted for early dining. Our last few cruises have been like this. Getting early traditional dining is a hassle. Royal needs to fix this.

 

This did not happen on Carnival when we booked 11 months out, or even 6 months to the cruise. We have traditional early dining from the reservation date. It used to be this way on Royal, but not anymore. Royal seems to adopt dining policies that work against their passengers.

[grandgeezer]

I've been looking at some possible Royal itineraries in December 2015, and I'm curious to get some opinions as to why so many of them have traditional dining times full this far out? I have several cruises that have traditional dining booked already, particularly the early seating, and that just seems so odd 11 months out.

 

So then I wonder if this has to do with other people doing what I'm trying to do. I've only done anytime dining on Carnival, and I really like it. But you don't have to prepay gratuities like you do on Royal. Since I have a chance to get quite a bit of OBC through Royal and my TA, I would much rather book traditional dining simply so I can use OBC for gratuities. For example, one cruise I keep coming back to I can get 2 connecting balcony cabins for my family of 4 cheaper than 1 quad balcony. So that's $400 OBC from Royal, plus an additional $300 OBC from my TA. There is no way we would spend that much onboard, so there is really no point to prepaying gratuities! Is this why it's so hard to get traditional dining, or is this just a fluke?

 

This cruise I'm looking at currently has 8:00 dining waitlisted, early dining waitlist isn't even an option. I do not want 8:00 dining though, because my kids never eat that late. If I were to book this cruise being waitlisted for 8:00 dining, when do you actually find out your dining time, is it not until you're onboard? Or can they inform you there is no room for 8:00 dining beforehand and still make you prepay gratuities? Sorry if that's a stupid question, I've never dealt with waitlisted dining. I'd actually prefer not to have a set dining, but I'd also prefer to use OBC towards gratuities. Don't know if it's possible to have both. :) I might be willing to try to waitlist for 8:00 dining, and then just hope I don't get it.

 

Do MTD. Go eat whenever you feel like it. Every time I had an obc from the travel agent, it was refundable so whatever was left was transferred back to my credit card. The obc from the cruise line is use it or lose it, although you can get cash in the casino, but you pay a 5% fee.

[LuCruise]

I was automatically assigned My Time (dynamic dining is still up in the air)...but have not been asks to pre pay gratuities yet. Haven't tried but I did see an option to change dining under my profile.

[nitlioner]

We booked the Freedom for Jan 2016 while onboard our last cruise a week ago and we were told that only MTD was being offered for all future cruises.

Edited January 24, 2015 by nitlioner

[davekathy]

We booked the Freedom for Jan 2016 while onboard our last cruise a week ago and we were told that only MTD was being offered for all future cruises.

 

I thought MTD was always offered for all Cruises as is TD.

[nitlioner]

I thought MTD was always offered for all Cruises as is TD.

 

So did we, but the C&A Loyalty person told us only MTD.

[davekathy]

So did we, but the C&A Loyalty person told us only MTD.

 

Maybe it's a Freedom thing or a 2016 thing. Hope not. We have a B2B Cruise booked on the Adventure March/April 2015 and both legs of the Cruise are confirmed early traditional (6:PM) non waitlisted. We are also Cruising on the Jewel September 2015 and confirmed early traditional (6: PM) non waitlisted.

Edited January 25, 2015 by davekathy

[CookieDiva]

We booked FOS for April 2016 back in October. Was told at that time that MDR dining was not available. Our TA pursued that matter with a RCI rep who questioned it as well. The RCI rep couldn't book us for MDR nor could she put us on a wait list.

Being that this is our first cruise, we have no experience or expectations. We'll just go with the flow.

 

 

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[Gardeneroflove]

Uh. I didn't know not getting traditional dinning was possible. Husband booked on 12/6 for last week. Once on board I went to dinning to get switched to early, they had us for late, not acceptable, I was there 245, cut off time was 3PM, but girl told me no, told me come back at 8PM. Ummm I have a 3 yr old, the compass says till 3, it's 245. She still wouldn't let me talk.

 

Went back at 5PM, huge line, gave up, back down 530. ton of people, a mess! Anyway on que 3 year old who had been perfect all day, started kicking screaming crying. We waited in card room. Were seated at a tablet for someone who was in specialty dining that night, then before dinner was over we had a tablet created for us, by the phone, but that was fine.

 

We didn't prepay tips. I was told had to prepay for my time dining. Idk if true, but on sos, we did mdr, switched to early at dinner, and didn't prepay tips.

 

We paid tips on last day. I wasn't at all impressed with service, not worth 12pp a day, but since we were an extra table, we didn't decrease tips.

 

In the passed, when waitlisted, either it's printed on our cards when we check in, or we go to mdr after boarding and have it changed. We've done early dining, table for 2/3 every time.

[JVilleGal]

The pre paid tips are not just for dining, they are for your cabin attendant !

 

 

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[nitlioner]

Maybe it's a Freedom thing or a 2016 thing. Hope not. We have a B2B Cruise booked on the Adventure March/April 2015 and both legs of the Cruise are confirmed early traditional (6:PM) non waitlisted. We are also Cruising on the Jewel September 2015 and confirmed early traditional (6: PM) non waitlisted.

 

Entirely possible although she made it sound like it was more than just the Freedom. In any case I think there may be some kind of changes coming.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

We booked the Freedom for Jan 2016 while onboard our last cruise a week ago and we were told that only MTD was being offered for all future cruises.

 

I have a hard time believing that..

 

Do MTD. Go eat whenever you feel like it. Every time I had an obc from the travel agent, it was refundable so whatever was left was transferred back to my credit card. The obc from the cruise line is use it or lose it, although you can get cash in the casino, but you pay a 5% fee.

 

Obviously, the OP doesn't want to do MTD.