How NOT to behave in my time dining.

[legaljen1969]

On ‎11‎/‎4‎/‎2019 at 12:29 AM, pcur said:

We had EXACTLY this happen to us on the Jewel last March.  We always check out the tables on embarkation day, and request that table with the head waiter in the afternoon.  We arrived at our time (in My Time Dining), and were taken to our table to find another couple there!  Went back to the podium, and got another table nearby.

 

Same thing the next night, and the third night.  On night 3 the head waiter went over to the couple and told them they had checked in, taken to THAT table OVER THERE (pointing), and why had they moved without telling anyone.  He said this table is already reserved.  For some reason the wife thought if she didn't like the table assigned to them, she could just move to wherever she wanted.  The head waiter told them to please not do this again.  

 

So, if you have requested a specific table, and someone poaches it, go get the head waiter to talk to them.  

 

Reading your response, I am thinking you did have a reservation for a specific time in MTD with a requested table.   
I can't imagine if you didn't have a reserved time for each night that they would allow someone to request a table and reasonably expect it to stay unused for the entire night for someone to show up whenever they pleased- like say 6:30 one night, 8:30 the next and so on- just random with no reservations. 
Anyhow, I think it's great to be able to request a table and especially to request a specific server that really gets along with your family. 

[legaljen1969]

On ‎11‎/‎4‎/‎2019 at 5:27 AM, Biker19 said:

If you have a standing reservation after a few nights it becomes routine and it's not unusual to just sit at your usual table without bothering the MTD host.

I have never had that experience, to just go on in after the first few nights.   The only time I have walked on in and headed to "my table" is when I have traditional dining.   We were moved all over the place the last time we sailed on Allure. They were even seating people in dining rooms other than the MTD area.

[legaljen1969]

On ‎11‎/‎5‎/‎2019 at 6:09 AM, amzgirl said:

 

This was actually the first time we requested a specific server, only because she was so wonderful with Matthew.  I didn't really give a hoot about the table, as I kept telling the staff, it was the server I was after.

A great server can be invaluable with a small child or someone with special needs.  That can really make or break the dining experience.   I agree with you- the server is what you wanted. The table was incidental.

[davekathy]

2 hours ago, sjb317 said:

So what about the 4 Pinnacles who came into Jamie’s during our B2B lunch and, without waiting to be seated, not only plopped their butts down at the table next to us but pulled two 4 tops together to make space for 5. This threw our already over busy waiter into a tizzy. He told his manager who told them this was the B2B lunch ( they were not B2B)  and they told him their friend, a Pinnacle who was B2B , had said them it would be ok since there was no special lunch for Pinnacles😂.   Manager said he would have to call someone, next thing I knew waiters were buzzing around their table as, evidently, the Queen Bee Pinnacle arrived on her scooter. 🙄.  This made our service almost non existent,  we received many unasked for apologies from staff, including manager, as our lunch  took over 2 hours, but I noticed they got their food right away.

 

Should staff have stood up to them?  Do they have WJ mentality?😂

 

Sherri🙂

 

I totally agree with post # 49. So did you speak with the manger/head waiter about how this rude behavior was being allowed and effecting your dining experience? I would have in private and at that time also advised that person this incident would be noted on my PCS and spelling out his/her name. And then enjoyed the second leg of the cruise. On the same soap box, it's no different than a few of those in the upper three tier levels thinking it's ok to have their friends join them in the DL, CL and SL that aren't in the top three. 

Edited November 6, 2019 by davekathy

[pcur]

47 minutes ago, legaljen1969 said:

Reading your response, I am thinking you did have a reservation for a specific time in MTD with a requested table.   
I can't imagine if you didn't have a reserved time for each night that they would allow someone to request a table and reasonably expect it to stay unused for the entire night for someone to show up whenever they pleased- like say 6:30 one night, 8:30 the next and so on- just random with no reservations. 
Anyhow, I think it's great to be able to request a table and especially to request a specific server that really gets along with your family. 

Yes, we request a table for a specific time.  The “my time” is just that: we pick ou preferred time.

[voyager70]

57 minutes ago, legaljen1969 said:

A great server can be invaluable with a small child or someone with special needs.  That can really make or break the dining experience.   I agree with you- the server is what you wanted. The table was incidental.

 

How true.  We've had mostly great servers but have had a few duds and it really does take away from the whole experience.

 

[sjb317]

2 hours ago, island lady said:

 

What you experienced were very rude people...I guarantee those people were rude even as Gold members and in all venues of life.  I still blame the staff for not pulling them aside to explain it to them and holding their ground.  And naturally if they were indeed all Pinnacles...they already knew what they were doing was wrong.  Those people should indeed have eaten in the WJ...where they belonged.  😉 

 

Unfortunately crew staff is so paranoid of getting survey black marks, that they cow down to the ones with bad manners (of any level).  How about chair hogs?  People cutting in line?  Boarding before your level is called? Abusing (sharing) the drink package? Smoking on the balconies?...etc...etc.   Of course the "me firsts"...are evident in all walks of life...not just cruising.  It's very sad what society has become.  The ones with manners have become the minority ....unfortunately.  😞 

They were “indeed all Pinnacles” as they all had their gold pins on.  And I recognized the “Queen” as being the top cruiser on the week before.😂

 

I felt sorry for the staff as I think they were thrown under the bus by whoever the manager called. 

 

Sherri🙂

 

 

[sjb317]

1 hour ago, davekathy said:

I totally agree with post # 49. So did you speak with the manger/head waiter about how this rude behavior was being allowed and effecting your dining experience? I would have in private and at that time also advised that person this incident would be noted on my PCS and spelling out his/her name. And then enjoyed the second leg of the cruise. On the same soap box, it's no different than a few of those in the upper three tier levels thinking it's ok to have their friends join them in the DL, CL and SL that aren't in the top three.

The manager, our waiter and a waiter who brought our entrees all apologized profusely to us and to other customers so I felt no need to speak with them further.  They were very unhappy with the behavior of the 5 but I think whoever the manager spoke with on the phone told him to make it happen. 
 

I did not mention names in my survey as I don’t feel like it was the staff’s fault, they were obviously told to pander to them. 
 

Sherri🙂

[island lady]

36 minutes ago, sjb317 said:

They were “indeed all Pinnacles” as they all had their gold pins on.  And I recognized the “Queen” as being the top cruiser on the week before.😂

 

I felt sorry for the staff as I think they were thrown under the bus by whoever the manager called. 

 

Sherri🙂

 

 

 

Such a shame.  We do indeed see it happening much to often.  The crew and even the managers are scared to enforce the rules.  Shame on that group that were so rude!  But again...they were probably like that in all levels, and in all venues of their lives. 

 

Not all Pinnacles are like that.  The majority I meet are gracious and helpful, willing to share their experiences.  

[grapau27]

4 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Such a shame.  We do indeed see it happening much to often.  The crew and even the managers are scared to enforce the rules.  Shame on that group that were so rude!  But again...they were probably like that in all levels, and in all venues of their lives. 

 

Not all Pinnacles are like that.  The majority I meet are gracious and helpful, willing to share their experiences.  

I agree these people are probably rude away from the ship too.

On Explorer the top and second top cruiser of the week were both in the CL and they were both female and very pleasant and friendly.

[davekathy]

27 minutes ago, sjb317 said:

The manager, our waiter and a waiter who brought our entrees all apologized profusely to us and to other customers so I felt no need to speak with them further.  They were very unhappy with the behavior of the 5 but I think whoever the manager spoke with on the phone told him to make it happen. 
 

I did not mention names in my survey as I don’t feel like it was the staff’s fault, they were obviously told to pander to them. 
 

Sherri🙂

I guess it's just me, but "if" RC did a follow up from your PCS to the persons name  you wrote down then I would hope that person would have told he/she was directed by so and so and that person would be held accountable for yours and others bad experience. OK, I'll take my rose colored glasses off now. 😀

Edited November 6, 2019 by davekathy

[SonicShip]

I had a similar issue. There was a couple at our table. What had happened is that they were at the right table but the wrong deck. So we got another table.

[SilkySal]

On 11/4/2019 at 2:27 PM, ash2bear said:

Our first cruise with MTD we had issues with our reservation on the first 2 nights.  3rd night, the head waiter found us a table and told us it would be ours for the rest of the cruise and we didn't need to check in at the podium.  So, it happens... 

DH and I went to MTD first thing on boarding day. The head waiter was there and we politely requested a table for 2, preferably by a window (but not a big deal if not) @ 6:30pm every night. But, again, stated that it was no big deal if not. He was sooooooo nice to us! He told us to bypass both (sometimes long) lines and head straight for him at the "inside" podium to check in with him, which we did every night and had a lovely table for 2 by the window! Excellent service and we were very grateful! We had gotten to know the two couples seated at a 4-top next to us and one made a comment about our "special" treatment of being able to bypass the lines. We were a little embarrassed but giggled and said, "oh, we're not anyone special, just polite!" Hmmm, maybe that would have been a good opportunity to invent a good story about ourselves! Haha! Just kidding! But I did meet a couple on a previous cruise, who would do just that. If they didn't know anyone on a certain cruise, they would invent themselves as different people, such as doctors, secret agents, etc. I don't think I have a very good poker face, so probably couldn't pull something like that off! Sorry, guess I kind of got off subject here! Cheers friends!

[Milwaukee Eight]

2 hours ago, sjb317 said:

They were “indeed all Pinnacles” as they all had their gold pins on.  And I recognized the “Queen” as being the top cruiser on the week before.😂

 

I felt sorry for the staff as I think they were thrown under the bus by whoever the manager called. 

 

Sherri🙂

 

 

I think this scooter P has history in the CK too

Edited November 6, 2019 by Milwaukee Eight

[cruisegirl1]

sorry - wrong thread 

Edited November 6, 2019 by cruisegirl1

[Tulsacoker]

1 hour ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

I think this scooter P has history in the CK too

does this person have a dog with them at times? think i've seem her in the CK /SL 

Edited November 6, 2019 by Tulsacoker

[HBE4]

3 hours ago, sjb317 said:

The manager, our waiter and a waiter who brought our entrees all apologized profusely to us and to other customers so I felt no need to speak with them further.  They were very unhappy with the behavior of the 5 but I think whoever the manager spoke with on the phone told him to make it happen. 

 

Apologies are nice. A complimentary lunch/dinner would have been better, especially if it took 2 hours to serve you. 

 

I'm guessing that not only is the Queen a Pinnacle but also a regular that knows half the crew by first name which is why they pandered to her. Which is fine, if she is elderly, who knows how much longer she'll be cruising.  But it shouldn't come at the expense of everyone else in the restaurant.  I'd be okay if my 45 minute lunch dragged out to an hour.....but 2 hours is unacceptable.

[Paulette3028]

On 11/4/2019 at 5:27 AM, Biker19 said:

If you have a standing reservation after a few nights it becomes routine and it's not unusual to just sit at your usual table without bothering the MTD host.

NO....not right.  It is 'bothering the MTD host' --- the host is there to do THEIR JOB.

[Milwaukee Eight]

1 hour ago, Tulsacoker said:

does this person have a dog with them at times? think i've seem her in the CK /SL 

That I do not know

[SRF]

People need to start marking staff down for letting these things occur.

 

If they will not enforce the rules due to worrying about being marked down, they SHOULD be marked down for not enforcing the rules.

 

HQ will then have to change the rules, or discounting bad marks from customers who broke the rules are and being nasty because they were called on it.

[LMaxwell]

15 hours ago, HBE4 said:

 

Apologies are nice. A complimentary lunch/dinner would have been better, especially if it took 2 hours to serve you. 

 

I'm guessing that not only is the Queen a Pinnacle but also a regular that knows half the crew by first name which is why they pandered to her. Which is fine, if she is elderly, who knows how much longer she'll be cruising.  But it shouldn't come at the expense of everyone else in the restaurant.  I'd be okay if my 45 minute lunch dragged out to an hour.....but 2 hours is unacceptable.

Agreed.  

 

Pandering to customers reached a tipping point couple years back.  More companies are willing to "fire" bad customers now.  

[rusty nut]

Nice story, glad things worked out so well for you. I, myself, after 11 cruises with RCI have never had an issue with any crew member. No Sir, the only issue I've has has been with other passengers. Cruising used to be a classy affair, not anymore. These days, ships are filled with all kinds of classless, rude and disrespectful people. Most of these people are spending money they don't have and have a serious sense of entitlement.

[legaljen1969]

23 hours ago, pcur said:

Yes, we request a table for a specific time.  The “my time” is just that: we pick ou preferred time.

Well, judging from some of the more "interesting" responses to this thread- apparently some people think they can just take any table they want or expect a table to be held and/or waiting for them to show up whenever they please WITHOUT a reservation.  LOL 

People just have a lot of nerve sometimes. 

[mayleeman]

On 11/6/2019 at 2:06 PM, sjb317 said:

I did not mention names in my survey as I don’t feel like it was the staff’s fault, they were obviously told to pander to them. 
 

Sherri🙂

 

6 hours ago, rusty nut said:

the only issue I've has has been with other passengers. Cruising used to be a classy affair, not anymore. These days, ships are filled with all kinds of classless, rude and disrespectful people.

 

Well, the solution is obvious. Clearly, we need to have surveys and Comment Cards about other passengers, not just crew. 

[legaljen1969]

On ‎11‎/‎6‎/‎2019 at 2:20 PM, island lady said:

Not all Pinnacles are like that.  The majority I meet are gracious and helpful, willing to share their experiences.  

All of the Pinnacles I have met to date are incredibly gracious and fun people.