Not Dining with friends on the Allure

[sajat5]

This is my first cruise and we are travelling with another couple on the Allure in Feb. Our friends have received the early dining seating but our travel agent is telling me that we are still on My Time Dining. She says she is calling Royal Caribbean every week but we are still on the wait list. I thought that the travel agent would link our reservations together so we would be at least be dining together. Kind of strange to travel with someone and not be able to dine with them. Any suggestions? Like I said - first time on a cruise and really do not know how things operate. Thank you in advance.

[kc320]

Why not have your friends switch to MTD with you? You can then make reservations for the same time each night & be able to eat together...you can also request the same wait staff & table if you find one you really enjoy.

You can also link the reservations yourself...you don't need your TA to do that...just need the booking #

Edited November 26, 2015 by kc320

[sajat5]

Our friends have cruised before and they love the traditional dining (early seating). They want the same table and the same wait staff and to be able to pick their table. If they remain with this choice of dining I do not think we can join them because Royal Caribbean will have that table booked. I can ask to see if they would change to MTD. Maybe I will wait a little longer - still have a couple of months. I will get their reservation # and try to link. The threads I have been reading stated that the TA had to do it.

Edited November 26, 2015 by sajat5

[docd]

Our friends have cruised before and they love the traditional dining (early seating). They want the same table and the same wait staff and to be able to pick their table. If they remain with this choice of dining I do not think we can join them because Royal Caribbean will have that table booked. I can ask to see if they would change to MTD. Maybe I will wait a little longer - still have a couple of months. I will get their reservation # and try to link. The threads I have been reading stated that the TA had to do it.

 

We had MTD on the Freedom and had the same staff each night. We did try to eat around the same time each night though. Only once did we have to use a different table, but it was in the same section.

 

We are doing the same on our upcoming cruise.

[impatientlywaiting]

We did MTD in September and reserved the same time every night. We had the same table and same waiter every night. It was wonderful!

[cruisenfever]

Our friends have cruised before and they love the traditional dining (early seating). They want the same table and the same wait staff and to be able to pick their table. If they remain with this choice of dining I do not think we can join them because Royal Caribbean will have that table booked. I can ask to see if they would change to MTD. Maybe I will wait a little longer - still have a couple of months. I will get their reservation # and try to link. The threads I have been reading stated that the TA had to do it.

You can request a specific time with MTD before you even board the ship through your Cruise Planner on the RCI website. Once on board, you can then request the same table and wait staff by seeing the MTD Manager on embarkation day.

[bay guy]

We just did MTD on Splendour last month. As other posters have said, you can request the same table and servers each night. The staff will tell you that they can't guarantee that but if you eat around the same time each evening, it's fairly easy to do.

Also, you made the comment that your friends like the set dining time so they can pick their own table. It doesn't work that way. The dining room staff assigns everyone to a specific table in advance and your table number is printed on your cruise pass when you pick it up. If you don't like your table or, sometimes, servers, you may request another table but there may not be one and you can't request a specific table in that situation either.

The easiest solution to your issue is to link your reservation and get your friends to swith to MTD and then reserve the same dining time on line prior to your cruise.

[cb at sea]

Get your reservations linked...then get on the waitlist for your friends' seating...they will make it happen!

[cruisinfanatic]

Our friends have cruised before and they love the traditional dining (early seating). They want the same table and the same wait staff and to be able to pick their table. If they remain with this choice of dining I do not think we can join them because Royal Caribbean will have that table booked. I can ask to see if they would change to MTD. Maybe I will wait a little longer - still have a couple of months. I will get their reservation # and try to link. The threads I have been reading stated that the TA had to do it.

when is the cruise? Are you waitlisted for early? You can check yourself on Royal site. Just log in

[ehfl]

Just log on to your account, and link the reservations.

[Desert Cruizers]

We normally do main dining, but our last cruise, we chose MTD and even though I had reserved our time slot for #3, I was able to add two other couples on the first evening for the same time & wait staff. I merely spoke to the head waiter and arrange this. Most of the time we went in a few minutes early since we had the same table. I wasn't able to link the reservations possibly because the one couple was under a group booking but we made it work anyway. Should a couple be under a group booking, then you won't be able to link until you ask the TA for their individual booking #

Edited November 26, 2015 by Desert Cruizers

[steamboats]

They want the same table and the same wait staff and to be able to pick their table.

 

With classic dining you are assigned to a table and can´t pick it yourself. The only thing you can do is request another table on the first day (afternoon) at the Maitre but there´s no guarantee you will get another one.

 

steamboats

[SamFritz]

Get your reservations linked...then get on the waitlist for your friends' seating...they will make it happen!

 

 

That's what I was going to say. We have done it in the past. Link reservations.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[joelr]

Tried linking MTD reservations with another couple (received their booking #) and got error message saying that the reservations could not be combined. Anyone else have the same problem?

[Clarea]

Tried linking MTD reservations with another couple (received their booking #) and got error message saying that the reservations could not be combined. Anyone else have the same problem?

I believe that two reservations first have to be on the same dining before they can be linked for dining.

[schusterj]

The same thing happened to us on our November cruise on Freedom. Our reservations were linked with my brother and his wife but we were assigned different levels of the dining rooms. I went directly to the dining room and spoke to the maitre d as soon as I got on the ship and the maitre d assigned us a table together. It was easy and the maitre d was very agreeable.

[Lionesss]

The same thing happened to us on our November cruise on Freedom. Our reservations were linked with my brother and his wife but we were assigned different levels of the dining rooms. I went directly to the dining room and spoke to the maitre d as soon as I got on the ship and the maitre d assigned us a table together. It was easy and the maitre d was very agreeable.

 

 

 

How true.

 

It seems that some of the cruisers (do not know exact number) committed to an early dinner often book specialty restuarants, thus leaving spaces available to those in first dinner.

 

Definetly talk to the Maitre D to see how he can help you.

 

Good luck, let us know how it turns out.

 

Safe travels.

[davekathy]

We did MTD in September and reserved the same time every night. We had the same table and same waiter every night. It was wonderful!

 

You can request a specific time with MTD before you even board the ship through your Cruise Planner on the RCI website. Once on board, you can then request the same table and wait staff by seeing the MTD Manager on embarkation day.

 

Good to know.

[CRUISEFAN0001]

I believe that two reservations first have to be on the same dining before they can be linked for dining.

Yup.

 

We have 3 couples altogether on our cruise next April...and the reservations are linked for the same main dining room time. That also will result in putting us at the same table (we've done it before).

[cruisinfanatic]

How true.

 

It seems that some of the cruisers (do not know exact number) committed to an early dinner often book specialty restuarants, thus leaving spaces available to those in first dinner.

 

Definetly talk to the Maitre D to see how he can help you.

 

Good luck, let us know how it turns out.

 

Safe travels.

no one knows when they book specialty or not any particular night. Those seats are not given away

[cruceriantes]

Hi Sajat5.......We wanted a table for two on early dinner and sent an email to rcldining@rccl.com with our booking number and sailing day with this request.

We received an email from them with an attachment showing the ship granting our request,confirming table for two, and even providing the Dinning Room and table number.

May this could work for you too. Just email them all the details, yours and your friends and they may be able to make it happen.

Good Luck and Happy Sailing!!!!!!

[mollyeilis]

Also, you made the comment that your friends like the set dining time so they can pick their own table. It doesn't work that way. The dining room staff assigns everyone to a specific table in advance and your table number is printed on your cruise pass when you pick it up. If you don't like your table or, sometimes, servers, you may request another table but there may not be one and you can't request a specific table in that situation either.

The easiest solution to your issue is to link your reservation and get your friends to swith to MTD and then reserve the same dining time on line prior to your cruise.

 

Agreed.

 

 

We did MTD and didn't make any arrangements until embarkation day. Set something up for that first night, then later went back and set up the rest of the cruise. Kept the same basic area from first night to rest of the cruise, and we had the same servers. Worked just like normal dining, except we were actually hungry LOL.

[KansasK]

I believe that two reservations first have to be on the same dining before they can be linked for dining.

 

This has been our experience, too. If both are on a waitlist for the same dining time, they can be linked. Once one of the linked reservations gets the dining time and the other doesn't, they unlink them.

 

I called and the customer service person offered to e-mail dining. Against all odds since early dining was closed, my brother got early dining and our reservations were linked again.