Why is Royal pushing "My Time Dining"?

[djjoe]

I was looking at the final Liberty of the Seas run from Bayonne to Galveston next November 1. There still seems to be plenty of rooms open, yet I am told that the only available dining is MTD with required prepaid gratuities. They say that main and second seating are filled with no wait lists available. Something about this just doesn't seem right. We are talking about a cruise almost nine months from now. If they insist on forcing prepaid gratuities, it becomes a built in fee as part of the cruise fare. Has anyone else encountered this problem?

[Aquahound]

Repositioning cruises are very popular. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if traditional seating is already filled.

[setsail]

Never had to pay tips till final payment with mtd

Edited February 9, 2015 by setsail

[yogimax]

IIf they insist on forcing prepaid gratuities, it becomes a built in fee as part of the cruise fare. Has anyone else encountered this problem?

 

Unless you intend to walk away from paying the tips, it makes no difference - pay them now or pay them later. Either way, it is part of the cruise fare.

[PORT ROYAL]

I was looking at the final Liberty of the Seas run from Bayonne to Galveston next November 1. There still seems to be plenty of rooms open, yet I am told that the only available dining is MTD with required prepaid gratuities. They say that main and second seating are filled with no wait lists available. Something about this just doesn't seem right. We are talking about a cruise almost nine months from now. If they insist on forcing prepaid gratuities, it becomes a built in fee as part of the cruise fare. Has anyone else encountered this problem?

 

First one must announce to have left RCI for many reasons, including this one.

 

MTD does not allow one to dine at 'my time', as one can wait for up to 1 hour to obtain a require table. Even though there were tables immediately free in fixed dining, one was declined entry. Peeved, we went to a speciality restaurant (tables available). Then a refund of the MTD fee for that evening was declined, same being requested on principle.

 

Feel MTD fees are used to increase revenue, which is used to top up the low wages of wait staff.

[Goodtime Cruizin]

I was looking at the final Liberty of the Seas run from Bayonne to Galveston next November 1. There still seems to be plenty of rooms open, yet I am told that the only available dining is MTD with required prepaid gratuities. They say that main and second seating are filled with no wait lists available. Something about this just doesn't seem right. We are talking about a cruise almost nine months from now. If they insist on forcing prepaid gratuities, it becomes a built in fee as part of the cruise fare. Has anyone else encountered this problem?

 

I suspect it is because the TAs gobble them up. We were on Liberty & cruised the Med last fall and MTD was the only thing available until we transfrred the reservation to our TA. Then we were given the opportunity to move to early or late. We decided to stay with MTD and we were happy.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[Aquahound]

Feel MTD fees are used to increase revenue, which is used to top up the low wages of wait staff.

 

Huh? :confused:

[Desert Cruizers]

We are doing MTD on our SOS cruise in Oct and the gratuities are built into the cruise cost. main dining could very well be full with 9 months to go since many prefer a set dining time.

[CookieDiva]

Repositioning cruises are very popular. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if traditional seating is already filled.

 

I suspect it is because the TAs gobble them up. We were on Liberty & cruised the Med last fall and MTD was the only thing available until we transfrred the reservation to our TA. Then we were given the opportunity to move to early or late.

 

I am completely new to RCI and cruising in general, but I have to believe that something else is at play here.

 

1. We booked our cruise 17 months in advance and was told the same thing as the OP - no MDR available and no wait lists.

2. We booked with a TA. She attempted to get a straight answer from RCI because, she too, could not believe that no MDR seats were available. She contacted RCI and pressed for an answer. The rep told our TA that she too did not understand, but could not change our reservations.

 

Don't know what it is, but I don't believe that both seatings of the MDR are filled on our cruise. (And I even did a search to see if there was a charter on our cruise, but found nothing.)

[Deptacon]

First one must announce to have left RCI for many reasons, including this one.

 

 

 

MTD does not allow one to dine at 'my time', as one can wait for up to 1 hour to obtain a require table. Even though there were tables immediately free in fixed dining, one was declined entry. Peeved, we went to a speciality restaurant (tables available). Then a refund of the MTD fee for that evening was declined, same being requested on principle.

 

 

 

Feel MTD fees are used to increase revenue, which is used to top up the low wages of wait staff.

 

 

I have never waited for a table for MTD.... During my reservation or showing up early or late unannounced.

 

Frankly, MTD is the only way to go in my opinion.

 

There is no MTD "fee" you are simply pre-paying the gratuities they already put on your card during the cruise everyday.

 

The reason gratuities are used instead of higher cruise fares is simple. TAXES. If the cruise fare is higher and they just pay the staff more, the income from your increased fare is taxed and the staff are taxes as income as well..... With gratuity system, its not taxed. Its a simple concept.

[akcruz]

We have found that dining assignments tend to be released in groups. Have heard different reasoning for it (release in small groups so regardless of when you book you have options, didn't happen here, big sections are held in case a large group books so they have space to keep them together, etc) but just keep watching and I bet traditional dining will open up for your cruise. Book MTD now and as long as it is before final that you make the move to traditional you should be able to remove the gratuities. But, as others have said, pay them now or pay them later. We always have found it is easiest to just pay them and have it out of the way.

[grannybarrister]

My TA was told the same thing when I booked in July for a Mar. 30th cruise.

[nitlioner]

We booked the Freedom for next January while on the Navigator last month. The Loyalty Ambassador told us that MTD was the only dining option available and that was what RCI was doing for all the larger ships. I don't know if that is actually true, but that is what she said.

[leyla]

My next cruise was booked on board another RCI ship back in March of last year. Already they were telling me that MDR had no choice showing as available except for MTD. This happens quite often. The dining room choice seem to open up much later. I am now at two months before my next cruise and if I wanted to change from MTD to MDR all are showing as available.

[KKMurphy2]

I only buy a drink or two for the week. I go on my own excursions. Therefore, the on board credit that I have pays the gratuities. That is why we have always chosen early seating.

[ryano]

We booked the Freedom for next January while on the Navigator last month. The Loyalty Ambassador told us that MTD was the only dining option available and that was what RCI was doing for all the larger ships. I don't know if that is actually true, but that is what she said.

 

Yet I booked Freedom over the phone back in August for this coming April and was only offered first or late seating :) She never even made mention of MTD.

 

Fast forward to a couple weeks ago in January, I booked a good friend of mine as solo on the same sailing. Once again, she said first seating was still available and asked me if I wanted the reservations linked.

 

I linked them but have full intentions of going to the dining room to be put on MTD for everyone. The only reason I didnt sign up for MTD at booking is because i have OBC that I want to cover the gratuities instead of paying them at final payment date.

Edited February 9, 2015 by ryano

[squadron]

I have a cruise booked for end of Feb 2016 - and no traditional dining available!! When questioning this - explanation - just that MTD is all I can get. Not happy - don't believe that MDR is filled this early.

[Deptacon]

I have a cruise booked for end of Feb 2016 - and no traditional dining available!! When questioning this - explanation - just that MTD is all I can get. Not happy - don't believe that MDR is filled this early.

 

 

Its not, it just hasnt been released for booking yet.

[kruzerci]

Unless you intend to walk away from paying the tips, it makes no difference - pay them now or pay them later. Either way, it is part of the cruise fare.

 

This excuse drives me nuts because it does make a difference in some instances.

The most important reason is that many times, people have substantial OBC that can be used for tips onboard.

 

Additionally, why do I need to fork over $336, for a family of four, two and a half months before I even take the cruise? It's just a terrible policy. Now that tips are automatically added to the Seapass anyways, theres absolutely no reason for pre-paying tips for MTD to be mandatory. It's just a way of them granting themselves access to passengers money months before they would otherwise have it.

[KansasK]

I suspect it is because the TAs gobble them up. We were on Liberty & cruised the Med last fall and MTD was the only thing available until we transfrred the reservation to our TA. Then we were given the opportunity to move to early or late. We decided to stay with MTD and we were happy.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

We were also told TA's are promised a large part of the dining room. When they return the cabins they did not sell, that's when I think we were moved from MTD to traditional early dining. I think the policy works against their guests who book directly with RCI.

 

I wonder if this is unique to RCI. With Carnival, when 11 months out, they put you in traditional dining when you make the reservation. This does not seem hard for them to do, but is impossible for RCI to do.

 

Being put in MTD when making the reservation and later being moved to traditional dining started for us about two years ago with RCI.

Edited February 9, 2015 by KansasK

[TravelerThom]

Traditionally ships had a dedicated seat in either early or late traditional dining for each and every passenger. The cruise line therefore had to have a specific complimentary dining seat for at least 50% of their SOLAS maximum passenger count in their dining room. Quantum had barely over 35% of their SOLAS maximum passenger count in their complimentary dining rooms (increased somewhat with moving Devinely Decadent to complimentary dining), none of which were dedicated to a specific passenger. They hoped to save money on waiters and dining space by trying to get three turns on tables, or making passengers frustrated enough that they went to a pay venue or Windjammer. Almost everytime a ship is refurbished they add rooms and often delete complimentary dining seats. The only way they can make this work is to force people into MTD. Please don't shot me - I am only the messenger; I don't like it either.

 

Thom

[LMaxwell]

It's just a way of them granting themselves access to passengers money months before they would otherwise have it.

 

Winner winner

Edited February 9, 2015 by LMaxwell

[Pumbaamd]

Here is another view. On the early/late seatings, the staff seats two parties for dinner, one early, one late. On MTD, the same staff can serve maybe up to 4 parties (or maybe 5) at the same table if the guests are quick in and out diners. Same wait staff, serving more guests. $$$ for RCCL.

R&D

[xpcdoojk]

Huh? :confused:

 

Paul, spot on. A thread by someone with barely a minimal understanding of RCi and the dinner process.

 

egads...

 

jc

[ram42953]

Unless you intend to walk away from paying the tips, it makes no difference - pay them now or pay them later. Either way, it is part of the cruise fare.

 

 

I have always handed out tips equal to or above the recommended amount per day but sometimes I would give more to someone who did extra well and less to someone who didn't measure up. Now they trying to take that discretion away and then what incentive is there for any staff to go the extra mile if they are going to get the same either way? And as soon as they make tips mandatory they can raise them to what ever they want and you have to go along. When that happens it isn't a tip anymore.

Edited February 10, 2015 by ram42953