Fashionably late ...or just plain rude!

[MakinGold]

That's the way it is on HAL. The doors are closed 15 minutes after the seating time.....just makes life easier, be there or pick room service or the buffet.

 

Yes, I think somehow Dremac was confused. Just because there may be some judgemental views on the thread, it doesn't mean that anyone is being judgemental in suggesting the dining room be closed a certain time after the seating time. It's just to allow the dining room to run efficiently. I don't see it as being harsh toward those who are late or inconsiderate of their reasons for being late.

[bethaniesmom]

we have cruised several times and can honestly say that we have never been more than five minutes late for dinner....guess i will never again fuss at my adult children for being five minutes late after a shore excursion! I didn't realize that this many people arrived this late for dinner! we have always been lucky, our tablemates have always been prompt...it is just the polite thing to do!

 

Beverly

[PantherFan]

We see it every cruise---just plain rude!!

 

If you want to eat in the dining room be on time otherwise eat somewhere else......vacation or not.......the servers probably would like to get picked up and out of the dining room at a reasonable hour after all they work the next day even if we don't. :rolleyes:

[Oville]

That's the way it is on HAL. The doors are closed 15 minutes after the seating time.....just makes life easier, be there or pick room service or the buffet.

 

Actually HAL is implementing flexible dining so I don't think they'll be closing doors anymore.

[Jeka]

This problem will disappear next year with flexible options in the dining rooms.

[caitycaity]

we've only been on one cruise (enchantment of the seas this past july), but the doors to the dining room were definitely shut about 20 mins into service. i'm kind of surprised to hear that this is not the norm on other rccl ships.

[megr1125]

We ALWAYS are on time.... sometimes the first to the table.

 

That said.....on our last cruise they had us change our watches when headed West from Tampa.....then change again when headed East from Cozumel. I had never had them change the ships time before.

 

Well we had a really nice time by the pool that day.....lots of foo-foo drinks and reggae dancing..... went back to the cabin and fell sound asleep. Didnt hear the announcement to change watches back - didnt hear nuttin'.

 

Anyway....we woke up - showered - dressed and walked out into the hall.... I said "Where is everybody ??" When we got to the dining room we realized what we had done :eek: :eek: :eek:

 

Well it was tip night. I had all my envelopes and vouchers and did not want them to think we were "stiffing" them HEAVEN FORBID. So we walked to the table....apologized and explained what happened. We were going to leave our tips and go to the Windjammer but OH NO..... waiters insisted we sit. Well then we said just bring us a dessert.....OH NO.....they insisted we get an entree..... needless to say I am glad I put extra in the tip envelope. :D

 

And I now plan to take a travel alarm and if I take a nap ....set it so I won't oversleep.;)

 

 

but you explained what happened and were nice about it.......and i have a travel alarm that i leave in the suitcase! gotta love it! (sure beats cutting back on foo foos!)

[megr1125]

I must ask - do Americans tend to wait until everyone has their course before they start eating? I thought it was always manners but no-one I have sat with in the past seems to do it?

 

i always do (unless i am sitting with people and they say-go ahead and eat while it's hot)...but we generally sit at a table for 2....i might start , say fixing my baked potato or something, but i'll wait until everyone is served.

[sarah_in_townsville]

Would you also consider it rude that i would have to leave my table to go to the Bathroom half way through a meal?

 

Just curious.

[RetireeWannabee]

No way. When nature calls, you heed it. I would rather you do that than have you sit there and suffer, wondering if you can make it thru the meal.

 

Politely excuse yourself, leave your napkin on your chair and go take care of business. No need to explain what you need to go do.

[RetireeWannabee]

sorry, double post, got trigger happy

[RetireeWannabee]

I had no idea this thread would become so contentious. But, that's the fun of this board - so many people from so many places with so many experiences. That said...

 

I don't care what anyone's reason for being late is - it doesn't matter. If dinner in the dining room were That Important to you, then you should have been on time. As another poster pointed out, it's unlikely that those missing their seating will starve.

 

It's not YOUR cruise, it's OUR cruise. We're all on the same ship, with the same dinner times, with the same wait staff and shows to get to, etc. If that time is inconvenient for any reason, you may avail yourself of one of the other options. Why is this unacceptable to anyone? Yes, I would deny entrance beyond a reasonable grace period. I'm that mean ;)

 

Doesn't matter how long you saved for your cruise, what excursions you took (but I would expect there would be an exception made if you were on a ship's tour running late - that's Their Call) or how you spent your day. Doesn't matter if you just had an emergency at home and were on the phone for an hour (in which case, why would you even WANT to go to the dining room and Put On a Happy Face and pretend nothing is wrong, or worse, dredge up your personal misery for everyone as dinner banter).

 

Dinner is at X time. In most cases, you chose that time from the available options ("most cases" because sometimes late-bookers don't get a choice).

 

Ever walk into a theater a half hour after the production has begun? In some houses, the actors Will Glare at late-comers. They have just been thrown off course. Not a great comparison, but, shows the Appointed Time importance. The waitstaff have a production run to complete and only so many minutes in which to do it.

 

I love the dining room experience and would ALWAYS rather eat there, but, sometimes, it's not possible. That part I understand. Being inconsiderate of so many other people, I do not understand.

[Cruising89143]

I haven't read all of the responses but to be late every night is rude and if I were over 15-20 minutes late then I would not show up at all. Also if I know that I will not be there a certain night I let the waiter know ahead of time.

 

Cruise lines used to close the doors about 15 minutes after the start of dinner. They should go back to that and if folks cannot make it then they can dine upstairs in the Windjammer or call room service.

[VAHockeymom]

I agree that being over 15-20 minutes late for dinner is just plain rude and inconsiderate to the servers and other diners at your table. Everytime we have been on a cruise where we have shared a larger table with other passengers, the waitstaff has always tried to wait to start serving until everyone is seated (as is proper manners). Unfortunately, most people don't understand this concept. If you have chosen an early / late seating based on your preferences, the very least you could do is show up on time.

 

One other observation on this subject, if you were to make reservations at an upscale restaurant in your local area and were 15 minutes late, most restaurants will give your reservation away. This is a common and accepted practice. Given that, I completely agree that the dinning room doors should be closed and anyone showing up 20 minutes after the agreed dining time should plan on making other arrangements for the evenings meal.

 

I haven't read every comment on this thread, but did notice that there were a couple of posts stating that this is "another reason for RCI to go to open seating" or freestyle dinning (like NCL has done). Just a word on this, if you are traveling with a large group or family, the freestyle thing doesn't work. Been there-done that and it stunk! Eating was a nightmare and really not a fun experience as it has always been on RCI ships with appointed dining times. Also, the freestyle experience doesn't allow passengers to get to know and enjoy the company of their daily waitstaff. Just MHO here.

[TravlGrl]

If a dinner seating is at 6 the doors should be shut at 6:15..no entrance after that.

 

It isn't fair to the waitstaff to have to rush to get service finished for rude passengers.

 

I love that idea!

[TravlGrl]

Ack! Double post!

[French_Fry]

I see that this has been another touchy subject for some of you and that is your right to express your thoughts on the subject but seriously folk denying a passenger entry due to lateness?? come on now...I myself have not been late for my reservation and don't plan on it for my future, but we don't really know what made SOME of these individual late, we don't know if they called ahead of time to inform any one on the wait staff and her we are ready to shuffle them to Windjammers cause we thing its rude. Now I know that some people have no regard for time and they are always late and thats bad, but who are we to say that those with legit reasons can't dine in the dining room???We cant honestly know who had an unexpected issue come up and who just did not care and then to make comments that "THOSE" are the types that don't tip well :eek: WOW..I hope that none of you that wish for dinning denial are never late and are forced to follow your words...I am sure glad that non of our employers denied us(those of us with legit explanations) entry into the office when late. Hope you ALL enjoy your cruise.

 

So "who" decides "what" is "legit" enough to allow lateness admission into the DR?

 

Will there be a time allotment of allowable lateness based on the type of "legit" reason the pax has?

 

Pax take advantage of the fact that the waitstaff are dependent on the pax tip money to earn the majority of thier living to pull these kind of stunts. As far as I am concerned it is rude, boorish and totally unfeeling toward the waitstaff who work so hard!

 

If I'm late to the DR I will go to the WJ or Johnny Rockets to eat, and I will survive the experience.

 

Just another example of the "ME" society that we have become!

 

Sad, very, very sad.

[sarah_in_townsville]

I see it the same as if i was going to a friends house for a dinner party, or booked a table at any restuarant... i wouldnt turn up 40 minutes late and expect to be served!

 

Thats just down right bad manners!

[Jeka]

I agree that being over 15-20 minutes late for dinner is just plain rude and inconsiderate to the servers and other diners at your table. Everytime we have been on a cruise where we have shared a larger table with other passengers, the waitstaff has always tried to wait to start serving until everyone is seated (as is proper manners). Unfortunately, most people don't understand this concept. If you have chosen an early / late seating based on your preferences, the very least you could do is show up on time.

 

One other observation on this subject, if you were to make reservations at an upscale restaurant in your local area and were 15 minutes late, most restaurants will give your reservation away. This is a common and accepted practice. Given that, I completely agree that the dinning room doors should be closed and anyone showing up 20 minutes after the agreed dining time should plan on making other arrangements for the evenings meal.

 

I haven't read every comment on this thread, but did notice that there were a couple of posts stating that this is "another reason for RCI to go to open seating" or freestyle dinning (like NCL has done). Just a word on this, if you are traveling with a large group or family, the freestyle thing doesn't work. Been there-done that and it stunk! Eating was a nightmare and really not a fun experience as it has always been on RCI ships with appointed dining times. Also, the freestyle experience doesn't allow passengers to get to know and enjoy the company of their daily waitstaff. Just MHO here.[/quote]

 

But it's coming!!!!!!!

[PantherFan]

I was always taught to wait till everyone was served before eating each course.....piece of bread is okay.

 

I know some people dig right in, but we always wait.

 

Years ago I was a waitress and we were taught not to clear the main dinner plates at the table until everyone was done.

 

Anyway, if you are a slow eater like myself, it makes me uncomforatble when no one has a plate infront of them and I am still eating. Usually, I say take my plate so, I am not the center of attention still eating.

 

When I have a dinner party,the plates are not cleared until everyone is done. :)

[LadyRose]

I must ask - do Americans tend to wait until everyone has their course before they start eating? I thought it was always manners but no-one I have sat with in the past seems to do it?

 

 

I can't speak for everyone, but my DH and I were taught to wait until everyone was served before begining to eat. ^_^

[PEGLEG]

So "who" decides "what" is "legit" enough to allow lateness admission into the DR?

 

Will there be a time allotment of allowable lateness based on the type of "legit" reason the pax has?

 

Pax take advantage of the fact that the waitstaff are dependent on the pax tip money to earn the majority of thier living to pull these kind of stunts. As far as I am concerned it is rude, boorish and totally unfeeling toward the waitstaff who work so hard!

 

If I'm late to the DR I will go to the WJ or Johnny Rockets to eat, and I will survive the experience.

 

Just another example of the "ME" society that we have become!

 

Sad, very, very sad.

 

THIS is why RCI needs to adopt a "ZERO TOLERANCE" attitude regarding the rules. One person gets away with being late because the excursion was late, then the next one, who wasn't on the excursion, uses the same excuse.

 

It is sort of like the first night dinner....how many of you did not dress as per the dress code because "my luggage did not arrive, yet"? How many have used that excuse, even though their luggage was in the room?

[LadyRose]

Would you also consider it rude that i would have to leave my table to go to the Bathroom half way through a meal?

 

Just curious.

 

Not at all ^_^

 

That's where: "If you will please excuse me a moment? I'll be right back." comes in handy :D

 

Or if you are my DF: " Parden me, I just need to go wash my hands. Be right back."

[RetireeWannabee]

Anyway, if you are a slow eater like myself, it makes me uncomforatble when no one has a plate infront of them and I am still eating. Usually, I say take my plate so, I am not the center of attention still eating.

Me, too. It's embarrassing. I am usually enjoying, savoring, and feel compelled to have to say "Take it, I'm done" out of consideration for everyone else.

[cruise_lover]

I would love to start a poll asking how many people would love to have the maining dining room stop seating people 35-45 minutes after the scheduled starting time.

 

I vote - YES to having a stopping point.

 

Just remember this is "my opinion and my opinion only.":p We are all entitled to our opinions. So lets all play nice. :) I have enough black and blue marks from previous posts. :eek: