Changing Dining Time?

[yogimax]

This will be our first cruise on MSC and I understand we have been assigned early dining with exact dining time assigned once onboard.  As D+ on RCCL, I find this somewhat annoying and ridiculous.  Is there any way to change this before sailing to a later time?  Can we also request a table for two?  For what it's worth we received a "Status Match" to Gold which seems to mean very little.

[BazingAu]

I matched to Diamond on MSC and struggled with table assignment and times. We were assigned 5 pm at Waves in a long rectangular table for our party. Before dinner, we asked if we can switch to 6 pm and a circular table (it was very hard to hear across the long table because the tables are very tightly spaced with many people). Was lectured that they needed to find tables for families that got split before our "preference" can be met. Second night, we were late getting back from the port because we were late arriving to port. Was told that we had to go eat in the buffet. They could not accommodate us in the dining room. (Other people said they were able to eat in the dining room, space available, so YYMV.) Third night, we were assigned 5 pm (no change) at Olive to a long oval shaped table with the same issue were one end of the table couldn't hear the other. (Although a plus was that it was next to a window.) Asked again to be moved to a later time and a circle table. Fourth night, we were assigned 5 pm (no change) at Olive (no change) but at a circle table. Hallelujah. But now over half the cruise was already over.

 

So TLDR: It's extremely difficult to get times changed and we were unsuccessful in doing so. Table changes may be easier.

[JamieLogical]

If you are unhappy with your assigned table, you should go to the area specified in the welcome aboard flyer for your sailing as soon as possible upon boarding. This is usually a deal or table outside of one of the MDRs. Seating assignment is not based on loyalty level, it is based on the experience you booked. If you booked Fantastica, you get a higher priority for your preferred dining time than if you booked Bella.

[yogimax]

11 minutes ago, BazingAu said:

I matched to Diamond on MSC and struggled with table assignment and times.

 

 

Now, I'm beginning to worry.  As an RCCL Diamond, we're you disappointed with the service and cruise?

[JamieLogical]

2 minutes ago, yogimax said:

Now, I'm beginning to worry.  As an RCCL Diamond, we're you disappointed with the service and cruise?

 

I think they very clearly stated they were disappointed in their dining table assignment and the lack of accommodation in trying to get it changed.

[BazingAu]

44 minutes ago, yogimax said:

Now, I'm beginning to worry.  As an RCCL Diamond, we're you disappointed with the service and cruise?

I'll try to stay on topic here, but it was definitely a lot of time spent trying to get things changed/fixed/done on the entire cruise, and the dining piece was no exception. 

 

I did the process as stated by @JamieLogical (that's exactly where I went and I was booked in Fantastica), but it was just a lot waiting in lines - and multiple days I had to do this. It was all done on a paper notebook where they wrote down info - name, stateroom, preferred time, notes, etc. And the lists were pages long, so I think it's quite a tedious process for the crew as well. A bit shocked that this was all on paper and not some sort of optimization software.

[JamieLogical]

2 hours ago, BazingAu said:

I'll try to stay on topic here, but it was definitely a lot of time spent trying to get things changed/fixed/done on the entire cruise, and the dining piece was no exception. 

 

I did the process as stated by @JamieLogical (that's exactly where I went and I was booked in Fantastica), but it was just a lot waiting in lines - and multiple days I had to do this. It was all done on a paper notebook where they wrote down info - name, stateroom, preferred time, notes, etc. And the lists were pages long, so I think it's quite a tedious process for the crew as well. A bit shocked that this was all on paper and not some sort of optimization software.

 

What ship were you on? When I was on the Meraviglia and changed dining times/tables a couple of times, it was definitely on a computer.

[BazingAu]

4 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

What ship were you on? When I was on the Meraviglia and changed dining times/tables a couple of times, it was definitely on a computer.

Meraviglia. They wrote the requests down in a notebook. The layout was on a computer, but it looked like they manually entered it into the computer once they figured where to put people.

[Eglesbrech]

We were on Virtuosa at the beginning of June and the story from most folks we spoke to was that the chances of changing was slim to none. The ship was busy and no one wanted 5.30 or 9.30.

 

Now these people may not be particularly representative of the reality, perhaps just those who were annoyed enough to mention it to everyone they spoke with (lots of whinging people on that particular cruise). People who have managed to get what they want are less likely to mention it.

 

A lot of it will be down to how full the ship is, demographics and nationalities as preferences are different.

[GA Dave]

I never worry about my dining assignment when sailing gen pop as I very rarely eat in the MDR. I prefer the flexibility, both food wise and schedule wise, of the buffet, and the variety of food there is much more than I have ever seen in anyone's home kitchen. As a Diamond member with MSC (earned with actual $$$ spent, not matched from another line), I always do at least my Diamond dinner in a specialty, and on longer cruises, will pay for a second specialty dinner as well. Maybe someday they will change to everyone having anytime dining like NCL, but then people will just complain about having to wait for a table.