Is this the new trend?

[MLP12]

Just back from sailing on Harmony.   When I went to the dining room the first night, I stood at the entrance waiting to be seated.  No one ever did greet me or escort me to my table.  This was throughout the entire cruise.  The first night people had to walk around searching for their table.  I have been on 23 cruises and this is the first time ever that I was not greeted and shown to my table. I had traditional seating.   Is this the new trend?  Also, when did they do away with the dessert menu?  You are asked to order dessert at the same time you order your main course and the starter and the appetizers are delivered at the same time instead of separate courses.  I am beginning to miss the decorum of cruising in the past.  

[Norwich Cruiser]

3 minutes ago, MLP12 said:

Just back from sailing on Harmony.   When I went to the dining room the first night, I stood at the entrance waiting to be seated.  No one ever did greet me or escort me to my table.  This was throughout the entire cruise.  The first night people had to walk around searching for their table.  I have been on 23 cruises and this is the first time ever that I was not greeted and shown to my table. I had traditional seating.   Is this the new trend?  Also, when did they do away with the dessert menu?  You are asked to order dessert at the same time you order your main course and the starter and the appetizers are delivered at the same time instead of separate courses.  I am beginning to miss the decorum of cruising in the past.  

You’re asked to order your dessert with your main order now probably the past three or four years.

[cured]

3 minutes ago, MLP12 said:

Just back from sailing on Harmony.   When I went to the dining room the first night, I stood at the entrance waiting to be seated.  No one ever did greet me or escort me to my table.  This was throughout the entire cruise.  The first night people had to walk around searching for their table.  I have been on 23 cruises and this is the first time ever that I was not greeted and shown to my table. I had traditional seating.   Is this the new trend?  Also, when did they do away with the dessert menu?  You are asked to order dessert at the same time you order your main course and the starter and the appetizers are delivered at the same time instead of separate courses.  I am beginning to miss the decorum of cruising in the past.  

we had to order everything at once, including dessert, in the MDR at least a couple of years ore covid

[Biker19]

15 minutes ago, MLP12 said:

 Is this the new trend? 

During the short staffed COVID era, maybe. 

[shof515]

how easy is it to find your table? do they have a map?

Edited May 18, 2022 by shof515

[OCSC Mike]

13 minutes ago, shof515 said:

how easy is it to find your table? do they have a map?

I’ve never had a problem finding my table. You don’t need a map.

[mek]

Interesting.  My last Royal cruise was in 2018 and I don't recall ordering everything at once.  So is it possible to ask that your appetizer be served first and please come back for the dessert order?  Short staffed or not, I don't like my food served that way and I may or may not want dessert.

[BND]

We never have stood at the door and expected to be "escorted" to our table.  Most people have always gone and found their own table.   Sometimes, if someone really needs help, they are pointed in the right direction and then someone else along the way can point out the table.  

 

Also, ordering everything, including dessert started precovid.  In my 32 cruises, I've been able to find my own table.  

[broadwaybaby123]

I just got off my 23rd cruise as well.  We were greeted and shown our seats.  As far as the ordering, yes, they now have you order everything at the same time.  The dessert menu hasn't gone anywhere, it's combined with the main menu on the right hand side.

[MichaelCMTX]

On Adventure earlier this month, we had MTD and were escorted to a table whenever we chose the MDR.  Each time, we were asked for our dessert selection upon taking our order, responded that we'd like to wait on that until after the main course, and it was never a problem.

[la_croisiere_s'amuse]

2 minutes ago, mek said:

 is it possible to ask that your appetizer be served first and please come back for the dessert order?  Short staffed or not, I don't like my food served that way and I may or may not want dessert.

Well, nothing will prevent you from asking. 🙂 But like it or not, the entire cruise industry is short staffed right now. They may or may not be able to accommodate your request, but if so, it may mean you're kept waiting quite a bit longer.

 

Bottom line, this is probably not the best time to be cruising for passengers with a lower threshold for adapting, rolling with the punches and going with the flow.

[OCSC Mike]

Just now, la_croisiere_s'amuse said:

 

Bottom line, this is probably not the best time to be cruising for passengers with a lower threshold for adapting, rolling with the punches and going with the flow.

Well said.

[taglovestocruise]

34 minutes ago, shof515 said:

how easy is it to find your table? do they have a map?

One of the first things we do after boarding is to visit the MDR and find our table.  Easy to make a switch if we don't like the location or table size. After that you just walk in and seat yourself every night.  First stop is to make any Specialty reservations.

[smplybcause]

If you are not sure if you'd want dessert I think the best and most appropriate way to deal with it is to pick out a dessert and then once apps are served/eaten inform the waiter you no longer want dessert. 

 

Asking them to stop what they're doing, grab a menu again, wait for you to decide, and then go back in and place the order while they're also serving several other tables is rude. Let's not make these understaffed workers jobs more difficult if you don't need to. 

[J0Y0US]

14 minutes ago, la_croisiere_s'amuse said:

Well, nothing will prevent you from asking. 🙂 But like it or not, the entire cruise industry is short staffed right now. They may or may not be able to accommodate your request, but if so, it may mean you're kept waiting quite a bit longer.

 

Bottom line, this is probably not the best time to be cruising for passengers with a lower threshold for adapting, rolling with the punches and going with the flow.

 

Adapting? 

 

I have been on multiple cruises since covid and this is squarely a Royal "problem". NCL and Disney did not have this same issue.

 

Possibly Royal should go to ordering in the app for those who want to if wait staff is that short.

[J0Y0US]

15 minutes ago, smplybcause said:

If you are not sure if you'd want dessert I think the best and most appropriate way to deal with it is to pick out a dessert and then once apps are served/eaten inform the waiter you no longer want dessert. 

 

Asking them to stop what they're doing, grab a menu again, wait for you to decide, and then go back in and place the order while they're also serving several other tables is rude. Let's not make these understaffed workers jobs more difficult if you don't need to. 

 

You make it sounds like a huge ordeal. 

 

The menu is on the phone, when they stop by to clear the dishes you tell them the dressert you want. 

 

This has and is the case around the US to this day in resturants of all sizes and make.

[Jasukkie]

I do remember a long time ago being escorted to the table, forgot all about that. No big deal for me. I do miss coffee service with dessert. And drink service, lol. We have had some comically bad assistant waiters lately. 

[smplybcause]

9 minutes ago, J0Y0US said:

 

You make it sounds like a huge ordeal. 

 

The menu is on the phone, when they stop by to clear the dishes you tell them the dressert you want. 

 

This has and is the case around the US to this day in resturants of all sizes and make.

 

Restaurants never seat ALL the tables in a servers section at once. Never happens in the US, but that's what happens on a cruise ship every day. That's a completely different ballgame. 

 

My last cruise they were handing me a paper menu before I could even get my phone. Plus there was at least one night where the phone was wrong as we looked up the menu earlier in the day and our choices were not on the paper menu.

[ONECRUISER]

1 hour ago, OCSC Mike said:

I’ve never had a problem finding my table. You don’t need a map.

Agree, unlike few yrs ago Table Numbers were in order on my Cruises this yr

[Ashland]

Just now, ONECRUISER said:

Agree, unlike few yrs ago Table Numbers were in order on my Cruises this yr

Yep...easy to find with table numbers...Funny thing is on one of our recent Explorer B2B nights a single (self entitled obnoxious) cruiser switched table numbers...I guess he thought we wouldn't notice...we did and staff asked him to move and not do that again.

[ONECRUISER]

15 minutes ago, smplybcause said:

 

Restaurants never seat ALL the tables in a servers section at once. Never happens in the US, but that's what happens on a cruise ship every day. That's a completely different ballgame. 

 

My last cruise they were handing me a paper menu before I could even get my phone. Plus there was at least one night where the phone was wrong as we looked up the menu earlier in the day and our choices were not on the paper menu.

True, Managed Full Service Rest yrs ago... Then Royal, in past when Wait Sections were Larger come early or late they brought out each Course for all Tables at same time. As one who was first in MD didnt work well

[J0Y0US]

35 minutes ago, smplybcause said:

 

Restaurants never seat ALL the tables in a servers section at once. Never happens in the US, but that's what happens on a cruise ship every day. That's a completely different ballgame. 

 

My last cruise they were handing me a paper menu before I could even get my phone. Plus there was at least one night where the phone was wrong as we looked up the menu earlier in the day and our choices were not on the paper menu.

 

Everything you described is self inflicted by Royal. 

 

Also there are places that sit every seat in the place upon opening. You will find this occurring at places like dinner theater where everyone shows up for dinner prior to the show at the same time. 

 

You also find this every weekend at weddings and such. 

 

As an example with Disney they started doing 3 arrival times for both early and late dining. Royal could do that as well do spread out sittings. 

[CoolChange37]

I can tell you that we have been on three cruises in the last 6 months and many cruises lines have moved to the iPad mode where they take your card every time you do something - order a drink, show up for a meal, show up for a show, etc.   They know where you are every second so they know who you've been around in case someone gets Covid.  Unless they are doing the bracelet thing like MSC.   They know where you are, even if you don't know where they are.   😳

[ONECRUISER]

1 minute ago, Ashland said:

Yep...easy to find with table numbers...Funny thing is on one of our recent Explorer B2B nights a single (self entitled obnoxious) cruiser switched table numbers...I guess he thought we wouldn't notice...we did and staff asked him to move and not do that again.

Not Surprised, actually happened to me once. Almost always next to a Window by request. Was on a 3rd leg of a B5B all having same Table when on first nite a Family came in switching our numbers. Happened to be over Talking to Head Waiter and we both Witnessed it. Let him fix it, Family denied doing it, initially refused to give back my Table but finally did. Not sure where they ate after, wasnt anywhere near where our Tables were

[Ashland]

3 minutes ago, ONECRUISER said:

Not Surprised, actually happened to me once. Almost always next to a Window by request. Was on a 3rd leg of a B5B all having same Table when on first nite a Family came in switching our numbers. Happened to be over Talking to Head Waiter and we both Witnessed it. Let him fix it, Family denied doing it, initially refused to give back my Table but finally did. Not sure where they ate after, wasnt anywhere near where our Tables were

Unfortunately they sat him at the two top next to us (not sure what happened to the two ladies that were occupying that table)....Yes we had a great 4 Top by the window. He stared daggers at us during the whole meal but disappeared after that and the table stayed empty. MDR drama not what we're used to at all.