Dining together

[jwh]

I am travelling with a group of 18 friends onboard Zaandam on 15th August. We've just noticed that our dining times are all different i.e. some early, some late and different table sizes. We've been told to sort it out when we get on board. Is there normally any problem doing this? Ideally I'd like 3 tables of 6 close together and for main seating. What do you think our chances are of this??? Your advice is much appreciated. Many thanks. Judith

[Krazy Kruizers]

When did you book the cruise? If it was recent, I doubt if you can all get the same dining time. Those who book early, get first choice in dining times. A group as large as yours will have problems getting 3 tables of 6 together at main dining time. That is a popular dining time for Alaska.

 

All you can do is see the maitre'd once you get on the ship. The time and place will be listed in your daily program.

[CroozeAddict]

I am travelling with a group of 18 friends onboard Zaandam on 15th August. We've just noticed that our dining times are all different i.e. some early, some late and different table sizes. We've been told to sort it out when we get on board. Is there normally any problem doing this? Ideally I'd like 3 tables of 6 close together and for main seating. What do you think our chances are of this??? Your advice is much appreciated. Many thanks. Judith

 

There's a few of us on our roll call that asked about dining together. I called the HAL reservation desk and they made the changes. It was very easy:D. All you need is the names of the guests. Not sure if they can have multi-tables close by ... but they can make a note of it and try to make it happen.

[grannynurse]

In the past we've been able to link our booking numbers through our TA and get the same table, or adjacent tables. I never called HAL directly but if it's worked for some I'd try that first.

GN

[Jade13]

I am travelling with a group of 18 friends onboard Zaandam on 15th August. We've just noticed that our dining times are all different i.e. some early, some late and different table sizes. We've been told to sort it out when we get on board. Is there normally any problem doing this? Ideally I'd like 3 tables of 6 close together and for main seating. What do you think our chances are of this??? Your advice is much appreciated. Many thanks. Judith

 

Call the Ship Coordinater in Seattle - right away.

[sail7seas]

Judith.....

 

As GN above said, have your Travel Agent link all of your booking numbers together and request exactly what you want. If you have different TA's, it is not a problem. One should communicate with the other TA's (or each member of your group should get the number from their own TA). Then one of the TA's should handle advising HAL of your group's request.

 

Also as stated above, the earlier you booked the higher your priority on the list to get what you want.

 

If you all booked different times, perhaps have the person who booked the earliest handle it.I think it very much better if you try to handle it before you board. It will be harder once you board the ship as everyone has received their assignments. On the other hand, if it does not work out for you before you board, definitely speak with the Maitre d' and request a change. If he can accomplish that for you, I am sure he would but it could be difficult for him to get 18 seats at the same dining time particularly for the tables to be beside each ther.

 

 

Good luck.

 

Have a great cruise.

[Juanita462]

Yes, phone customer service now and put in your request - it is much harder to get changes made once on board. They always tell you that you can only ask but I think it has more weight if you have taken the trouble to phone personally and ask. We don't always get what we ask for when it is through the TA but nearly always get what we want when we phone personally before the cruise.

[hammybee]

Judith.....

 

As GN above said, have your Travel Agent link all of your booking numbers together and request exactly what you want. If you have different TA's, it is not a problem. One should communicate with the other TA's (or each member of your group should get the number from their own TA). Then one of the TA's should handle advising HAL of your group's request.

 

Good advice here.

 

I am increasingly amased how many travel agents are referring their clients directly to the cruise line for special requests. The travel agent is the passenger's agent. It's their job to do this. This is what the cruise line pays them a commission to do. They should know who to call and how to do this. Instead, so many of us seem to be lulled into doing this job for ourselves. This is a case of the tail wagging the dog.

[MercedMike]

Good advice here.

 

I am increasingly amased how many travel agents are referring their clients directly to the cruise line for special requests. The travel agent is the passenger's agent. It's their job to do this. This is what the cruise line pays them a commission to do. They should know who to call and how to do this. Instead, so many of us seem to be lulled into doing this job for ourselves. This is a case of the tail wagging the dog.

 

ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!!

 

If your Travel Agent was aware that you were travelling together, she should already have tried to do this, and let you know what she was doing. If she didn't know, it would really have been wise to let her know as soon as possible. In any case it is the TA's job to do her very best to get you want you want. Do it NOW, because the information will be going to the ship very soon. Trying to call Customer Service yourself frequently turns out to be a very low calorie diet!

 

As others have said, if you booked very recently she may have done what she could. In that case you will indeed have to throw yourself on the mercy of the Maitre D' when you get aboard. Trying to find three tables for 6, much less close to each other, is going to be a pretty long shot, but they will try to do what they can.

 

The worst that can happen is that you will meet some nice people at your table and have a change from being with your group all the time!

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[hammybee]

Good advice here.

 

I am increasingly amased how many travel agents are referring their clients directly to the cruise line for special requests. The travel agent is the passenger's agent. It's their job to do this. This is what the cruise line pays them a commission to do. They should know who to call and how to do this. Instead, so many of us seem to be lulled into doing this job for ourselves. This is a case of the tail wagging the dog.

 

ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!!

 

If your Travel Agent was aware that you were travelling together, she should already have tried to do this, and let you know what she was doing. If she didn't know, it would really have been wise to let her know as soon as possible. In any case it is the TA's job to do her very best to get you want you want. Do it NOW, because the information will be going to the ship very soon. Trying to call Customer Service yourself frequently turns out to be a very low calorie diet!

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

 

I just bounced back to the active thread about Customer Service and am getting pissy. :eek: This is not being directed at the OP of this thread. It's a general rant.

 

It's certainly no secret that some online booking engines can sometimes save you $$$ on the cost of a cruise. Most of them employ often part time travel agents too. Their job description is to sell a cruise. They are often the least likely to step in and handle a special request or advocate the passenger when the unexpected happens. It seems to me they are often the first to point the finger at the cruise line and abdicate responsibility for further interaction, should it become necessary.

 

We consumers destroyed the experience of flying for ourselves. We tend to choose the carrier by price. This forced the big guns to compete or die. And now we resent the result, a diminished experience, as we are treated like the cattle we allowed ourselves to become, when we chose price over service.

 

To save a few bucks, we are increasinly buying cruises from internet based companies or other sources we know nothing about. Often the sellers have no interest in Customer Service, other than the yak-yak.

 

When we do this , we send a clear message, we want the lowest price and do not care about Customer Service cause it's impossible to have the best price and the best Customer Service. And we usually get what we pay for.

 

Cruise lines pay a portion of their sale revenue to the travel agency who sold the cruise. In exchange, this is supposed to take the substantial burden of end consumer care off the cruise line's back. Yet, it seems to me that the more cruises that are sold by bare bones agencies, the greater the burden on the cruise lines' Customer Service areas and their cost basis for doing business. Then we complain about the lack of Customer Service from the cruise line. The entire business model is hosed.

 

If the travel agent is trying to weasel out of being a tenacious advocate on your behalf, I think it time to take your business elsewhere.

[CroozeAddict]

Good advice here.

 

I am increasingly amased how many travel agents are referring their clients directly to the cruise line for special requests. The travel agent is the passenger's agent. It's their job to do this. This is what the cruise line pays them a commission to do. They should know who to call and how to do this. Instead, so many of us seem to be lulled into doing this job for ourselves. This is a case of the tail wagging the dog.

 

Good advice and logic ... but ... when you have multiple parties involved, AND multiple TA's involved, there's bound to be a SNAFU ... I almost guarantee it. Besides, if you want something done right, you usually have to do it yourself.

 

It took me a total of 5 minutes to make our arrangements.

[kryos]

I am travelling with a group of 18 friends onboard Zaandam on 15th August. We've just noticed that our dining times are all different i.e. some early, some late and different table sizes. We've been told to sort it out when we get on board. Is there normally any problem doing this? Ideally I'd like 3 tables of 6 close together and for main seating. What do you think our chances are of this??? Your advice is much appreciated. Many thanks. Judith

You should do it before getting onboard. Assuming you are going the traditional dining route ... as it sounds from your post ... get everyone together on a dining time and then have your TA link everyone's reservations together. Of course, you won't be able to get a table that will accommodate 18 people, but they could seat you at two or three adjoining tables. But, I certainly wouldn't wait until I got onboard. It's gonna be very hard at that point for the matri 'd to get you all in at the same time at adjoining tables.

 

The other option is ... have you thought about As You Wish Dining. This way your times would be flexible and you could make reservations each night for your preferred time and adjoining tables. It's a thought.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

Good advice and logic ... but ... when you have multiple parties involved, AND multiple TA's involved, there's bound to be a SNAFU ... I almost guarantee it. Besides, if you want something done right, you usually have to do it yourself.

Multiple TA's is fine. If the parties get together in advance and swap booking numbers, and agree on a dining time ... that one TA can link everyone together ... even if others in the group have their reservations booked through another TA. I've arranged to get my dining linked with others many times in the past ... and those others had their own TA's.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

IWe consumers destroyed the experience of flying for ourselves. We tend to choose the carrier by price. This forced the big guns to compete or die. And now we resent the result, a diminished experience, as we are treated like the cattle we allowed ourselves to become, when we chose price over service.

 

Your flight example, though, does not correlate with the cruise one. We can still get great service and ammenities on a flight ... whether we book it through a high-priced TA in the city, or go online and book it at one of the large consolidators' sites. The question is, do we want to pay for those ammenities. If you have no problem with that, then just book and pay for first class. Trust me, no matter where you book that flight, you'll get great service. But, the problem is that most of us don't want to pay for great service on a flight, especially if it's a rather short one. So, we lock in at the best price, and accept the fact that we get what we pay for ... cattle car conditions, pay as you go for all ammenities, etc.

 

But the cruise is different. If you really want to save money, you give up customer service. You'll get a great deal, so long as nothing goes wrong. But if something does, good luck getting it resolved cause you'll have to do it yourself. You'll probably never even be able to get that customer service person at the big online discounter agency on the telephone to begin with.

 

So, that's why I would have no hesitation whatsoever booking a short flight through a big online discounter. But I would hesitate to book a cruise through one. Little is gonna go wrong on a flight, and if it does ... everyone is screwed, no matter who they booked through. If the flight is cancelled, or delayed, we are all in the same "boat," so to speak. But if something goes wrong on a cruise ... the cabin is not what I ordered or whatever, there is a good chance that because I booked through a large discounter, I will be the last in line to get my problem rectified. Were the same thing to have happened to someone who booked through a high power TA who does lots of business with that cruise line, chances are they will get much more attention paid to their problem, and a far speedier resolution, than I would. That TA making more in commissions would see to it.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita