Booked MDR early seating, but will probably use the buffet,

[Ergates The Ant]

We usually use the buffet for dinner on cruises, but had to specify a choice on main dining when booking. I’ve booked a dining time, rather than anytime dining, because I want to pay the gratuities on board, ( I have a load of US dollars left over from a cancelled holiday and want to use those up)

Do I need to let anyone know I won’t be turning up? And if I did decide to eat in the MDR, how do I find out what table I may have been allocated? I would only be prepared to have a table for two, we rarely eat starters and usually go straight to the main course, which could be awkward and time wasting if sharing a table with others. 
Any advice?

[1025cruise]

Please switch to anytime dining. Many people want early dining and you holding seats will prevent people from getting it. 

 

In terms of tips, dining staff are included in the guest appreciation charge, and only tipped individually if you choose. But please read through the different tipping threads before deciding to remove them.

[Billy Baltic]

1 minute ago, 1025cruise said:

But please read through the different tipping threads

Have a large bottle of something strong at hand if you do this. 

[OCSC Mike]

16 minutes ago, Ergates The Ant said:

And if I did decide to eat in the MDR, how do I find out what table I may have been allocated?

Your table is listed on your sea pass card.

 

17 minutes ago, Ergates The Ant said:

Do I need to let anyone know I won’t be turning up?

No. We eat in the MDR about 3 nights per 7N cruise so we tell our servers at the 1st dinner what our plans are just to be nice but it’s not required.

[FionaMG]

1 hour ago, 1025cruise said:

Please switch to anytime dining. Many people want early dining and you holding seats will prevent people from getting it. 

 

In terms of tips, dining staff are included in the guest appreciation charge, and only tipped individually if you choose. But please read through the different tipping threads before deciding to remove them.

 

The problem is that the OP is in the UK and it looks like they've been told if they want My Time Dining they have to pre-pay grats, which they don't want to do. This definitey used to be a requirement in the past for UK bookings, then it went away. I'm not sure if it's back again or if the OP has been given out of date info.

[1025cruise]

I'm one of those people who have been at large tables alone at traditional dining due to my table mates taking the seats and never using them.

 

 

[marci22]

When you get onboard, go to the MDR podium and request anytime dining. When you show up for dinner, request a table for two. You can also book times at the podium when you request anytime dining and specify table for two. 

 

I definitely like a table for two as large tables move much more slowly. Many people show up late and it holds up the rest of the table.

[Rubyfisch]

5 hours ago, 1025cruise said:

I'm one of those people who have been at large tables alone at traditional dining due to my table mates taking the seats and never using them.

 

 

Same. On my last cruise, I was at a table for eight or ten alone, and some folks I met were at a table for two near by. The people at my table didn't show up repeatedly, so the head waiter checked in with them (so my cruise friends could move over), and they said they were coming that night. And they didn't. Or the next night.

 

In short, if you aren't using it, you may be impacting others as well.

[ARandomTraveler]

11 hours ago, 1025cruise said:

But please read through the different tipping threads before deciding to remove them.

 

11 hours ago, Billy Baltic said:

Have a large bottle of something strong at hand if you do this. 

I've never seen someone suggest reading a tipping thread, but I guess that's a much better option than starting a new one 😂

[snaefell]

56 minutes ago, ARandomTraveler said:

 

I've never seen someone suggest reading a tipping thread, but I guess that's a much better option than starting a new one 😂

Absolutely,they are so pointless as so many people have different views & opinions on the subject,not to mention the know all's who know exactly what the ramifications are while knowing nothing!😆

We were given the same advice for our recent TA on Anthem,we opted for early fixed dining which was really too early but the later option was too late but we didn't expect to use it as on our previous RCI cruise on Quantum in 2019 the MDR food & service had been abysmal so we ended up in the WJ for most of the cruise,we expected similar this time but on Anthem the MDR food & service was excellent so we ate there every night.

Enjoy your cruise!

[Ergates The Ant]

When booking this cruise, I clicked on Anytime dining, and the gratuities were added onto the final bill. I clicked instead on one of the fixed dining options, and the gratuities were taken off, so I didn’t have to pay them in advance with my credit card.

As I said, I have left over dollars, so I’d prefer to use this to settle my bill in cash on board, rather than have another exchange rate charge on my UK credit card. 
On my recent Celebrity cruise, I was allocated late dining as nothing else was left when I booked. However, when I got on board, there was a card in our room telling us that the fixed booking only applied to the first night, and thereafter to just turn up at an MDR when I felt like it! So we went to the buffet each night as planned.

However, I haven’t cruised with Royal Caribbean recently so I was wondering what the situation will be on the Anthem.

( I didn’t ask about tipping, just what the etiquette is re the dining allocation)

[Biker19]

4 hours ago, Ergates The Ant said:

However, I haven’t cruised with Royal Caribbean recently so I was wondering what the situation will be on the Anthem.

You are unlikely to get a choice as you did on Celebrity. 

[SquishTheWhale]

To give you a sensible answer to to your question, no you do not need to inform anyone. We cruised on Oasis in May and despite intentions to make our early dining slot we kept missing it as all aboard wasn't until 7.30 or 8pm and we didn't want to cut our port days short.

We used the MDR the first 2 nights and after missing it on the 3rd we recieved a call asking if the experience was OK and why we weren't attending so expect that. Someone on our sailing FB group said the MDR was very quiet all cruise, likely due to the port times.

 

Someone telling you to be forced to pre pay tips just to satisfy their idea you shouldn't be on fixed dining is silly. Ignore them. It's your cruise and there is alternate dining options for a reason, eat where you want each night.

Edited July 4 by SquishTheWhale

[Mom*3]

18 hours ago, Ergates The Ant said:

Do I need to let anyone know I won’t be turning up? And if I did decide to eat in the MDR, how do I find out what table I may have been allocated? I would only be prepared to have a table for two, we rarely eat starters and usually go straight to the main course, which could be awkward and time wasting if sharing a table with others. 
Any advice?

 

18 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

Your table is listed on your sea pass card.

 

As Mike mentioned your table is listed on your Sea Pass. I would go to the dining room on the first day when you board. If you’ve been assigned a table for 2, then I would do nothing else, but show up whichever evening you choose. You may or may not receive a call asking why you are not showing up to the dining room. (They are trying to be preemptive and fix any problems you are encountering. Even when we tell our waiters that we have Specialty dining booked, we still get calls about why we didn’t show up to the Main Dining Room.)

If you’ve been assigned a larger table, then I would check in at the Maitre d’ station and ask to be switched to a table for 2. That way, that process will have already been started by whichever night you may show up in the Main Dining Room. 
I would ignore any tipping threads. You stated that you want to tip, but just with the US cash you have, which sounds very logical to me.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Edited July 4 by Mom*3

[island lady]

Since the failure (IMHO) of the whole MTD program, we have been booking first traditional dining for years now.  

 

If for some reason we will not be at our table on any given night, I always inform the dining host that our table is available for others.  We had Chops one night, and told the host in advance that  we will not be there that one night, but will keep the others.  

 

The next night after Chops, we simply walked straight to our table as usual.  A woman came up to us and told us we were at "her" table.  I told her that was not true.  She dragged one of the head waiters over who demanded to know why we sat ourselves at that table.  I kept my cool, and pulled out my sea pass card...showed him the table assignment on my card, then pointed to the table number on the table.  Said "What do you know.....we seem to have a match"!!  

 

Some crow was eaten at that point, as he told us the pax from our Chops night insisted they receive that table for the rest of the week.  They were MTD pax.  😉 

[S.A.M.J.R.]

I think it's the polite and nice thing to do to notify them you won't be needing the table.  That frees it up for someone on the waitlist or someone w/MTD.  If you want to do that once you're on board (to avoid pre paying grats), I get it, but I think it should be done. 

 

 

[PhillyFan33579]

I have thought for a while passengers should be able to select Windjammer as a dining option. I have a few friends I cruise with occasionally who eat every meal in the Windjammer. I also know from reading online and watching videos that they are far from the only ones who only eat in the Windjammer. Allowing passengers to do this would keep people from being assigned to a table in the MDR that they will never use. 

[S.A.M.J.R.]

11 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

I have thought for a while passengers should be able to select Windjammer as a dining option. I have a few friends I cruise with occasionally who eat every meal in the Windjammer. I also know from reading online and watching videos that they are far from the only ones who only eat in the Windjammer. Allowing passengers to do this would keep people from being assigned to a table in the MDR that they will never use. 

Or, allow them to select MTD and not require pre-paid grats.  Then, MTD = "any venue, with no specific time".  Truly "MY time Dining". 

[1025cruise]

I agree. With all of the other options, there should be an option of no mdr. That way you aren't taking a spot in a seating that someone who wants it can't take. And yes, there is a cap on mtd.

[FionaMG]

8 hours ago, 1025cruise said:

I agree. With all of the other options, there should be an option of no mdr. That way you aren't taking a spot in a seating that someone who wants it can't take. And yes, there is a cap on mtd.

 

Yes! I have been saying this for years, ever since the concept of speciality dining became a thing.

[Ergates The Ant]

Thanks for all the comments. I will probably find out if the table we are assigned to meets our needs, and if it does, will ring through nightly to advise the maitre’d when we won’t be needing it. If it’s a big table, I’ll let them know we won’t be needing it at all. 
I’d much prefer to pay the gratuities in advance and get that out of the way, but I’ve already paid an exchange fee when I bought the dollars, and I don’t want to have to pay more dollars on my UK credit card, and get hit with another fee when it is converted to sterling. I’d be even happier if the ‘gratuities’ ( I refuse to call them tips as they are not) were included in the fare and I wouldn’t even notice them.

[Ken at the beach]

On 7/4/2024 at 12:07 PM, S.A.M.J.R. said:

MTD and not require pre-paid grats

MTD has not required pre paid gratuities for the last 5 years or close to that

[FionaMG]

32 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

MTD has not required pre paid gratuities for the last 5 years or close to that

 

I thought it had gone away too but I seem to remember reading some UK posters (somewhere) saying it was back.

It looks as though the OP booked direct on Royal's UK website and it was adding them on when MTD was selected and then removing them when a traditional dining time was chosen.

Who knows with Royal and its IT system? 🤷‍♀️

[Ken at the beach]

20 minutes ago, FionaMG said:

 

I thought it had gone away too but I seem to remember reading some UK posters (somewhere) saying it was back.

It looks as though the OP booked direct on Royal's UK website and it was adding them on when MTD was selected and then removing them when a traditional dining time was chosen.

Who knows with Royal and its IT system? 🤷‍♀️

UK cruisers follow different guidelines.  I only post NA policies.

[Ergates The Ant]

I booked on the RC UK website. Gratuities added on for My Time dining, taken off for fixed dining. No idea why, but that was definitely the case on the UK website. 

For my recent Celebrity cruise, we booked late and the only availability  was for fixed late dining. I could tick the option to prepay the gratuities but it wasn’t required.
It doesn’t matter to me usually, as I can’t remember the last time we ate in the MDR. I’d usually just select MTD if available, and pay the gratuities in advance for convenience, but as I’ve explained, there are financial reasons for me wanting to settle my on board bill in cash. So it’s really about whether I’m inconveniencing anyone by just not showing up. Probably the best thing to do would be to approach the Maitre d’ on boarding and get transferred to MTD if they have capacity. And then we’ll eat in the buffet!