Dine My Way & all new Dining questions since cruising restart!!

[Tedferg]

1 hour ago, pris993 said:

That may work.  I was commenting because some one mentioned they booked and were given credit for the promotion dinner.   System did not do that when we booked.  Thanks for the suggestion.

You are welcome - we now have a Promotion Dinner so I am going to try and book it ahead of time as you did 🙂

 

I notice Onboard Services states 'Delivery Feb 19 2022' which is first day of cruise. I assume that means a card will be delivered to cabin first day. I have also heard that it is set for first night but can be changed when on board.

 

So, is it first night and which restaurant if it is automatically selected? What would happen if we missed this and did not go on first night?

 

Edited November 22, 2021 by Tedferg

[capriccio]

23 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

I notice Onboard Services states 'Delivery Feb 19 2022' which is first day of cruise. I assume that means a card will be delivered to cabin first day. I have also heard that it is set for first night but can be changed when on board.

 

So, is it first night and which restaurant if it is automatically selected? What would happen if we missed this and did not go on first night?

 

I had no problem booking our promo dinner for another night.

 

I interpreted that date as just the first day of the cruise.  We also had a cabin category upgrade promo that had the same date.

 

I think that the specialty dinner perk for those in full suites is for the first night but have read that can be changed.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

3 hours ago, pris993 said:

My sister actually booked the dinners, she has club class so possibly that is the reason, she told me CC has priority.              

I do not have club class and I was able to book 3 different specialty dining reservations… 2 Crown Grill and 1 Harmony

[Steelers36]

14 hours ago, Tedferg said:

I notice Onboard Services states 'Delivery Feb 19 2022' which is first day of cruise. I assume that means a card will be delivered to cabin first day. I have also heard that it is set for first night but can be changed when on board.

The SD promo when booking is not for the first night - it is for anytime during the voyage.  Suite guests have the first night and if you get the Coupon Book, there used to be one of those for first night SD credit.

[Tedferg]

2 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

The SD promo when booking is not for the first night - it is for anytime during the voyage.  Suite guests have the first night and if you get the Coupon Book, there used to be one of those for first night SD credit.

Thanks for the clarification.

[billco]

Just booked a cruise on the Discovery Princess. Dining Room choices are Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway. Deck plan doesn't identify location.

[wowzz]

I'm trying to make some speciality reservations on our May cruise,  using the app, but with no joy.

Is it because I have not yet paid the final balance ? 

[jwattle]

33 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I'm trying to make some speciality reservations on our May cruise,  using the app, but with no joy.

Is it because I have not yet paid the final balance ? 

Yes. Unless you are Club Class, Platinum or Elite...

[wowzz]

8 minutes ago, jwattle said:

Yes. Unless you are Club Class, Platinum or Elite...

I am Elite. Looks like I need to make a phone call !

[Steelers36]

4 hours ago, billco said:

Just booked a cruise on the Discovery Princess. Dining Room choices are Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway. Deck plan doesn't identify location.

I wonder why some voyages have all DR's loaded to DMW, but others only have one of the three.  Perhaps it is ship-dependent as well.

[suzyed]

1 hour ago, Steelers36 said:

I wonder why some voyages have all DR's loaded to DMW, but others only have one of the three.  Perhaps it is ship-dependent as well.

We only have two of the three on our app.

[imalori]

Somewhat random question - if you are eating in a specialty restaurant, but you really, really love the MDR dessert, will they bring it to you in the specialty restaurant? Many thanks!

 

[NavyVeteran]

5 hours ago, imalori said:

Somewhat random question - if you are eating in a specialty restaurant, but you really, really love the MDR dessert, will they bring it to you in the specialty restaurant? Many thanks!

 

If they don't, you can always go to the MDR for dessert after you finish dinner.

[Purple Gallinule]

We sail on the Regal on December 13th - 8 days. Do you have any insight as to which nights will be formal nights? We have sea days on Tues and Wed and the on Sat we leave San Juan at 5pm, the earliest we leave any port. Monday is a sea day, but we disembark the next morning. I don't see them having a formal night when we have to pack and put out our bags, but I could be wrong. Any help would be appreciated.

[wowzz]

21 minutes ago, Purple Gallinule said:

We sail on the Regal on December 13th - 8 days. Do you have any insight as to which nights will be formal nights? We have sea days on Tues and Wed and the on Sat we leave San Juan at 5pm, the earliest we leave any port. Monday is a sea day, but we disembark the next morning. I don't see them having a formal night when we have to pack and put out our bags, but I could be wrong. Any help would be appreciated.

Formal night will never be on the last night.

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, Purple Gallinule said:

We sail on the Regal on December 13th - 8 days. Do you have any insight as to which nights will be formal nights? We have sea days on Tues and Wed and the on Sat we leave San Juan at 5pm, the earliest we leave any port. Monday is a sea day, but we disembark the next morning. I don't see them having a formal night when we have to pack and put out our bags, but I could be wrong. Any help would be appreciated.

TUE and SAT/SUN.  Your guess of SAT may be correct as IDK what your SUN is.  No way will it be MON.

 

[Purple Gallinule]

1 minute ago, Steelers36 said:

TUE and SAT/SUN.  Your guess of SAT may be correct as IDK what your SUN is.  No way will it be MON.

 

Thanks.

[Purple Gallinule]

4 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

TUE and SAT/SUN.  Your guess of SAT may be correct as IDK what your SUN is.  No way will it be MON.

 

The reason I thought it might be Sat rather than Sun is that we leave San Juan at 5pm, but we don't leave Grand Turk until 7pm.

[Steelers36]

11 minutes ago, Purple Gallinule said:

The reason I thought it might be Sat rather than Sun is that we leave San Juan at 5pm, but we don't leave Grand Turk until 7pm.

Then, it's a No Brainer.

[HaveDogWillTravel]

On 11/24/2021 at 1:25 PM, Steelers36 said:

I wonder why some voyages have all DR's loaded to DMW, but others only have one of the three.  Perhaps it is ship-dependent as well.

Hi @Steelers36. I’m currently on the Ruby & you will only have two dining rooms show up as the third Michelangelo is closed. While the ships are running at approximately 50% or less capacity not all MDR’ s will be open.  
 

Something else I’ve noticed as the ships got full is if you are not in CC those reservations really matter now. In July on the Majestic they didn’t. I just showed up and I got exactly what I wanted…… server….shared…..private….whatever ( I was in a regular balcony). 
 

Now I’m doing the second leg of a b2b on the Ruby. The first leg in CC and the second in a balcony. What a HUGE difference. Really shocking. CC was quiet and the servers while clearly busy they did have time to talk and accommodate.  We had reservations on the first night of the second leg in Da Vinci ( where the CC is tucked into a corner of).  Wow, just wow. The noise was so loud we could barely talk without shouting. The waiters were clearly doing their best but really struggling to keep up. The same food I just had in CC was not nearly as good….. overcooked fish…presentation lacking.  
 

The second night we changed to Botticelli.  It was much quieter, the waiters were less harried (again ALL wait staff have been amazing). But since we did not have a private table booked it was a bit of a process to get one. We simply are not comfortable sharing a 6 or 8 top ( and there are sooooo many of them) with a new variant emerging.  Tony the head waiter told us that we’d have to share the next night. 
 

I happen to make an acquaintance in the Sanctuary who joined us. However, Tony meant we’d have to sit at an 8 top. This was formal night. I told them we just aren’t comfortable with this….. the talking, laughing, projecting, it was just toooooo close for too long. It was early and the room was sparsely populated. There was plenty of room. 
 

After a bit we were taken to a 6 top that the 3 of us had for just us. Again great service but for me the event a bit ruined by the effort. 
 

Before the haters trash me and tell me to go to the buffet…… well the next night we did and it was ehhhhhhhh okay. Not going to starve but not going to write home about it. 
 

The next night we thought well let’s at least try to get a private table in MDR. None were available in DMY,  & dine line couldn’t help they said show up and we’d be accommodated, the head waiter can’t help in advance.  Went back to Da Vinci and was pleasantly surprised.  I asked for a private table and Emil put us in a nice quiet corner table. Lovely meal and again great service.  

 

Bottom line is if you want to share on the Ruby you will have no problem. If you want a private table on the Ruby you better book it in advance. 
 

 

Edited December 2, 2021 by HaveDogWillTravel

[Steelers36]

5 hours ago, HaveDogWillTravel said:

Hi @Steelers36. I’m currently on the Ruby & you will only have two dining rooms show up as the third Michelangelo is closed. While the ships are running at approximately 50% or less capacity not all MDR’ s will be open.  
 

Something else I’ve noticed as the ships got full is if you are not in CC those reservations really matter now. In July on the Majestic they didn’t. I just showed up and I got exactly what I wanted…… server….shared…..private….whatever ( I was in a regular balcony). 
 

Now I’m doing the second leg of a b2b on the Ruby. The first leg in CC and the second in a balcony. What a HUGE difference. Really shocking. CC was quiet and the servers while clearly busy they did have time to talk and accommodate.  We had reservations on the first night of the second leg in Da Vinci ( where the CC is tucked into a corner of).  Wow, just wow. The noise was so loud we could barely talk without shouting. The waiters were clearly doing their best but really struggling to keep up. The same food I just had in CC was not nearly as good….. overcooked fish…presentation lacking.  
 

The second night we changed to Botticelli.  It was much quieter, the waiters were less harried (again ALL wait staff have been amazing). But since we did not have a private table booked it was a bit of a process to get one. We simply are not comfortable sharing a 6 or 8 top ( and there are sooooo many of them) with a new variant emerging.  Tony the head waiter told us that we’d have to share the next night. 
 

I happen to make an acquaintance in the Sanctuary who joined us. However, Tony meant we’d have to sit at an 8 top. This was formal night. I told them we just aren’t comfortable with this….. the talking, laughing, projecting, it was just toooooo close for too long. It was early and the room was sparsely populated. There was plenty of room. 
 

After a bit we were taken to a 6 top that the 3 of us had for just us. Again great service but for me the event a bit ruined by the effort. 
 

Before the haters trash me and tell me to go to the buffet…… well the next night we did and it was ehhhhhhhh okay. Not going to starve but not going to write home about it. 
 

The next night we thought well let’s at least try to get a private table in MDR. None were available in DMY,  & dine line couldn’t help they said show up and we’d be accommodated, the head waiter can’t help in advance.  Went back to Da Vinci and was pleasantly surprised.  I asked for a private table and Emil put us in a nice quiet corner table. Lovely meal and again great service.  

 

Bottom line is if you want to share on the Ruby you will have no problem. If you want a private table on the Ruby you better book it in advance. 
 

 

 

I want to thank you for this detailed report which is insightful.  

 

First, I know most of the recent voyages are only using two DR's.  You didn't mention it, but we both now the third DR was being used for crew dining on some earlier voyages.  I can understand them not opening up all three DR's for dinner service if ship is about half full.  However, when looking out to Fall 2022, I should think they will be expecting to operate full, or near full.  (Truth be told, they probably were hoping to be operating full for this Winter season at the latest).  I have not surveyed cabin availability, but hopefully they are scarce.  Anyway, it would seem logical to me that they have at least two of the DR's available now - and then open third up a space becomes short.  What we have now is only one DR and a definite lack of space - unless one is sharing and using random table assignments.  So, IDK why and have no answers back and no info as to when more might be open.  I do check often on the situation in DMW.  No doubt, someday other DR space will be released and then have to be ready to move on it. 

 

One other note - it seems odd that the one DR open for our REGAL voyages is Concerto (Deck 6 Mid) since it contains the CC section and therefore less seating available for the folks like us in Steerage.  Deck 6 Mid is my preferred DR, but I will be ready to jump on something we really want if Symphony is opened up.  Allegro would be last choice, but I can see Deck 6 Aft being the second one active as they share galley space with Concerto.  (OTOH, they know they need to use Deck 6 Mid DR regardless of capacity sold).

 

Since non-status guests are supposedly unable to book dining until fully-paid, perhaps someone was thinking of holding off most of the DR space until just after FP Date.  I am also wondering lately if those folks are getting access to DMW anyway since the space disappeared relatively quickly for Private Tables.  (But I am just guessing at this point).

 

As to TD experience, I have been told that "a team" is doing the actual table assignments closer to cruise date and the DMW System is not actually allocating guest to a table number ahead of cruise date.  As an IT guy - and my own natural curiosity about the new dining process and experience - I wish I knew the DMW spec's and what is supposed to be happening in the System and then exactly what this back-room team is doing.  I am still mystified why the ship DORO and Ass't could not do the TD assignments as they used to (but now based on the requests from DMW bookings). 

 

When I mentioned single DR only loaded to DMW, I have zero insight as to how prevalent this is and potential voyage date range.  I can only speak to OCT 2022 and two ships. 

 

Based on the limited access we have for OCT 2022, I would agree that dining at a Shared table is fairly easy to get (BUT there is NO indication of the size of table you are getting and that is important to many who do want to share.  Some like a bug crowd and others do not like the naturally slower pace that occurs as the table size increases.  I have zero concerns about health and such sharing - we just prefer to eat alone and don't like to be slowed down at a larger table. 

 

Actually, we have been cruising with best friends of late and we dine together at a 4-top.  And there is another strange "feature" in the newer DMW - a SPLIT table can be assigned when the System cannot find a table to fit guest's Dining Party.  Now, who wants to sit split up when you purposely put a dining party together?  Again, no idea when we do have a Private table, whether it is a 4-top or a 6-top with two empty seats.  

 

Actually, it has always been much easier to get dining space at a shared table than a private table, so I don't see much change there from a general viewpoint.

 

I think things will be better and clearer with DMW by next fall (optimistically), but I still will expect to be seeing the DORO on Day 1 and making sure we are setup with a "good" table for the 25 nights of the B2B2B.  (We have no issue on the following 14 nights on ISLAND).

 

[paradiselivin1]

Just off the Regal this past Monday on a 5 night cruise to Mexico from FLL. DMW worked as expected & had no issue getting a 2 top in Concerto. There were only 1300 pax on a ship w/3600+ capacity and was a bit miffed that we were always shuttled to the inside area (referred to as the "Dance Floor") as the entire "outer rim" was being used for suite and CC mini-suite guests. The area was always only 1/2 full. As an elite in a deluxe balcony I was more than a little put-out. I saw one couple refuse to be seated in the cattle-class section and the woman simply sashayed her way to a window table and sat down. BTW, there were only 130 elites on board...most were new cruisers.

[Steelers36]

55 minutes ago, paradiselivin1 said:

Just off the Regal this past Monday on a 5 night cruise to Mexico from FLL. DMW worked as expected & had no issue getting a 2 top in Concerto. There were only 1300 pax on a ship w/3600+ capacity and was a bit miffed that we were always shuttled to the inside area (referred to as the "Dance Floor") as the entire "outer rim" was being used for suite and CC mini-suite guests. The area was always only 1/2 full. As an elite in a deluxe balcony I was more than a little put-out. I saw one couple refuse to be seated in the cattle-class section and the woman simply sashayed her way to a window table and sat down. BTW, there were only 130 elites on board...most were new cruisers.

Well, I wouldn't sashay, but I would likely ask nicely.  I wonder why they were going outside the boundary of the normal CC section according to your observations.  And wasn't there a second DR in use?

 

I don't think there is much issue with AT functionality in DMW.  Any issues are with faithfully reproducing the TD experience.

 

Edited December 4, 2021 by Steelers36

[rabin1]

1 hour ago, paradiselivin1 said:

Just off the Regal this past Monday on a 5 night cruise to Mexico from FLL. DMW worked as expected & had no issue getting a 2 top in Concerto. There were only 1300 pax on a ship w/3600+ capacity and was a bit miffed that we were always shuttled to the inside area (referred to as the "Dance Floor") as the entire "outer rim" was being used for suite and CC mini-suite guests. The area was always only 1/2 full. As an elite in a deluxe balcony I was more than a little put-out. I saw one couple refuse to be seated in the cattle-class section and the woman simply sashayed her way to a window table and sat down. BTW, there were only 130 elites on board...most were new cruisers.

Did they let her stay there?

[CruisinGrandpa]

20 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

 

I want to thank you for this detailed report which is insightful.  

 

First, I know most of the recent voyages are only using two DR's.  You didn't mention it, but we both now the third DR was being used for crew dining on some earlier voyages.  I can understand them not opening up all three DR's for dinner service if ship is about half full.  However, when looking out to Fall 2022, I should think they will be expecting to operate full, or near full.  (Truth be told, they probably were hoping to be operating full for this Winter season at the latest).  I have not surveyed cabin availability, but hopefully they are scarce.  Anyway, it would seem logical to me that they have at least two of the DR's available now - and then open third up a space becomes short.  What we have now is only one DR and a definite lack of space - unless one is sharing and using random table assignments.  So, IDK why and have no answers back and no info as to when more might be open.  I do check often on the situation in DMW.  No doubt, someday other DR space will be released and then have to be ready to move on it. 

 

One other note - it seems odd that the one DR open for our REGAL voyages is Concerto (Deck 6 Mid) since it contains the CC section and therefore less seating available for the folks like us in Steerage.  Deck 6 Mid is my preferred DR, but I will be ready to jump on something we really want if Symphony is opened up.  Allegro would be last choice, but I can see Deck 6 Aft being the second one active as they share galley space with Concerto.  (OTOH, they know they need to use Deck 6 Mid DR regardless of capacity sold).

 

Since non-status guests are supposedly unable to book dining until fully-paid, perhaps someone was thinking of holding off most of the DR space until just after FP Date.  I am also wondering lately if those folks are getting access to DMW anyway since the space disappeared relatively quickly for Private Tables.  (But I am just guessing at this point).

 

As to TD experience, I have been told that "a team" is doing the actual table assignments closer to cruise date and the DMW System is not actually allocating guest to a table number ahead of cruise date.  As an IT guy - and my own natural curiosity about the new dining process and experience - I wish I knew the DMW spec's and what is supposed to be happening in the System and then exactly what this back-room team is doing.  I am still mystified why the ship DORO and Ass't could not do the TD assignments as they used to (but now based on the requests from DMW bookings). 

 

When I mentioned single DR only loaded to DMW, I have zero insight as to how prevalent this is and potential voyage date range.  I can only speak to OCT 2022 and two ships. 

 

Based on the limited access we have for OCT 2022, I would agree that dining at a Shared table is fairly easy to get (BUT there is NO indication of the size of table you are getting and that is important to many who do want to share.  Some like a bug crowd and others do not like the naturally slower pace that occurs as the table size increases.  I have zero concerns about health and such sharing - we just prefer to eat alone and don't like to be slowed down at a larger table. 

 

Actually, we have been cruising with best friends of late and we dine together at a 4-top.  And there is another strange "feature" in the newer DMW - a SPLIT table can be assigned when the System cannot find a table to fit guest's Dining Party.  Now, who wants to sit split up when you purposely put a dining party together?  Again, no idea when we do have a Private table, whether it is a 4-top or a 6-top with two empty seats.  

 

Actually, it has always been much easier to get dining space at a shared table than a private table, so I don't see much change there from a general viewpoint.

 

I think things will be better and clearer with DMW by next fall (optimistically), but I still will expect to be seeing the DORO on Day 1 and making sure we are setup with a "good" table for the 25 nights of the B2B2B.  (We have no issue on the following 14 nights on ISLAND).

 

Regarding the 'split table' issue - we had a party of 7 on the Regal T/A in November. We wanted to book Crown Grill for the group. DMW only gave us a 'split' assignment for the 7, but a single table if I changed it to 6. To get around this we went directly to the venue and were able to book a table 

for 7 for our group. We needed to be a bit flexible re: day and time, but she made it work for us.