Best time for table for two

[Seniorsailors]

I will take any hour, traditional dining times or my time dining, to secure a table for two on the Rhapsody (or any ship, I guess.) When the best time to get a table for two?

[Clarea]

I will take any hour, traditional dining times or my time dining, to secure a table for two on the Rhapsody (or any ship, I guess.) When the best time to get a table for two?

With MTD, any time should have little or no wait.

[molly361]

With My Time Dining you are assured that you will get a table for 2

[davekathy]

I will take any hour, traditional dining times or my time dining, to secure a table for two on the Rhapsody (or any ship, I guess.) When the best time to get a table for two?

 

We always do early traditional dining in the MDR and always request and receive a table for two. The tables for two we have had have been in great locations. I request a table for two through this link, rcldining@rccl.com about two to three weeks prior to our sailing date. If you elect to do this include in your Email your sail date, name of the ship, table size, and preferred dining time. I also include our C&A numbers.

Edited December 12, 2015 by davekathy

[cb at sea]

If you do MTD, they seat you with ONLY your own party, just like in any restaurant.

[3CatsInMA]

Maybe we've just been lucky, but we have never had a problem in having our request for a 2 top fulfilled. We always have the late seating, and I contact rcldining as mentioned in davekathy's post above.

[mcatmcat]

I always do traditional with a table for 2, but you have to make the request at least a month before sailing

[cruisegal40]

Was searching this same type of question. Now my question is... If I have a TA can I still e-mail RCCL the request or does it have to come from the TA?

[Clarea]

Was searching this same type of question. Now my question is... If I have a TA can I still e-mail RCCL the request or does it have to come from the TA?

If you are in traditional dining and want to request a table preference, you can do that yourself via the rcldining@rccl.com email address. However, if you want to switch between traditional and MTD, then your TA must request that.

[cruisegal40]

Thanks for the info. I did e-mail them. We have late dining. Surprisingly MTD on this cruise is booked and we would of had to have been wait listed. One of the reasons we like MTD is we can have a table for two. This solution will work out too if we can get the request approved.

 

Thanks for the help!

[jdbmga]

I always do traditional with a table for 2, but you have to make the request at least a month before sailing

 

We have made the request a week b4 the cruise and had our requested granted.

[Biker19]

I always do traditional with a table for 2, but you have to make the request at least a month before sailing

 

In my experience it doesn't help to request a specific table arrangement more than 2 weeks out. It would make sense that the folks assigning tables work mostly on the next sailing (and delay requests for more distant sailings).

 

While a bit unethical, one could simply switch table numbers within a section of the MDR where a bunch similar 2 tops are located. :cool:

[MommaBear55]

 

While a bit unethical, one could simply switch table numbers within a section of the MDR where a bunch similar 2 tops are located. :cool:

 

Switching the numbers might make it difficult for the wait staff who write their orders based on the table number.

[Biker19]

Switching the numbers might make it difficult for the wait staff who write their orders based on the table number.

If one is in the early seating and physically switches the table number block on the table on the first day, the wait staff will likely just leave the switch as is (assuming the move is not between different areas) for the remainder of that sailing - no issue with orders.:cool:

[TravelerThom]

If you do MTD, they seat you with ONLY your own party, just like in any restaurant.

They generally ask if you are willing to share. Not sure what restaurants you eat in, but that is not standard practice in any restaurant I eat in in the US.

[TravelerThom]

If one is in the early seating and physically switches the table number block on the table on the first day, the wait staff will likely just leave the switch as is (assuming the move is not between different areas) for the remainder of that sailing - no issue with orders.:cool:

But there is an issue if the other diners know what they are doing and where they were supposed to be. I had no qualms going straight back to the Maitre d' and having him evict the people who had done this to my table. Quite frankly I didn't care that he made a scene and she was embarrassed; served them right for pulling this stunt.

[Biker19]

But there is an issue if the other diners know what they are doing and where they were supposed to be.

 

How would you know where your table is supposed to be if the people who switched the table numbers did it before you ever got to the MDR the first time?:cool:

[TravelerThom]

How would you know where your table is supposed to be if the people who switched the table numbers did it before you ever got to the MDR the first time?:cool:

1) Because there are Dining Room maps where tables are shown by number. Hard copy maps are hard to come by, but you can easily see them on the screen of the Maitre d's computer.

2) Because (as we usually do when we have traditional dining) we had checked the table location early in the afternoon (Lyn has a low fat dining request, and we always confirm it with the Maitre d', and check the table location at the same time).

 

It was amusing in a morbid sort of way watching the guy alternately bluster ("I'm not moving") and deny any involvement ("But that's where I found the number"), while his wife through her tears is totally undermining his credibility ("I told you not to switch the numbers"). Pretty much like watching a car wreck. I felt sorry for her, but certainly not for him.

 

Another time, traveling with a group B2B, we had requested and gotten confirmed the same table at the rail for the second leg. Pretty easy to notice that suddenly the table was not at the rail.

Edited January 7, 2016 by TravelerThom