Cheaper price if you don't use dining room?

[brzymom]

Someone in my group was told this on our last cruise, and it just doesn't sound right to me. I am counting on my fellow cruisers to tell me if this is even possible or not:

A man with several young children told my friend that he told Carnival that he would not be using the dining room at all to eat meals, just the lido deck buffet and he negotiated a lower fare.

First off, I'd never want to do this personally. Secondly, I am thinking that perhaps he meant that he asked for the automatic $10 pp per day to be removed from his account. Am I off track? Or is this really possible? I cannot imagine any cruise line allowing this, besdies which he still should have paid the daily tip charge!!

[6rugrats]

Absolutely not true! Why anyone would say this and why anyone would believe this, I don't know.

 

Many people only eat in the Lido; they never enter the dining room. They are paying the same fare as anyone else.

[BaumD]

The only cruise line that would work on is EasyCruise where you pay for each meal you eat. They would never give a discount because someone said they wouldn't use the dining room. Chances are he saved money by stiffing the waitstaff.

[paul929207]

I hope the person wasn't just taking off the auto tips and saving $10 or so /person/day.

 

This money goes to his cabin steward and the people who served him at the buffet along with the people behind the scenes who helped make his cruise wonderful.

[slk230]

Besides, there is no way to know whether he used the dining room or not. They don't check your ID at the door.

[pms4104]

He and his family still were eating food shipboard, so I can't imagine any line negotiating lower prices based on one's chosen dining venue. If this guy thinks he actually negotiated a lower price for choosing the Lido ... imagine how much more he could have saved if he'd brought food on board to cover meals for his family for the entire cruise.

 

Either he was lying or he was so stupid that he didn't even know how much he paid and what that fare covered. JMHO

[Amlee]

Oh man!

 

I don't use the pools, hot tubs, disco, bingo, casino, many of the dance venus, sports equipment, or the gym.

 

I wonder how much I can get taken off???? :p

[CC Help Michell]

I call horse apples on this one. Whatever the OP heard, from whomever, NOBODY got a cruise fare discount because their party of 5-7 ("several young children" isn't real clear, but I figure it's at least 3 kids + 2 parents, and maybe up to 5 kids + 2 parents) didn't use the dining room on the ship. It's impossible to track, it's not based on actual expenditures on food on the ship, plus a bunch of other problems with such a notion.

 

When I read the original post I had the same thought as someone above me -- yes, on EZ Cruise you can save money by not eating in the dining room, because you are charged for meals eaten aboard.

 

And... if this was some horse's patoot who actually convinced the line to remove the autotip for him and his family of "several young children" so he didn't have to pay autotip for himself and those kids based on the "we won't eat in the dining room" thing.... well.... I think karma will be coming around to get him and his family for stiffing the staff that had to serve those kids and their needs in the cabin, at the buffet, etc.

 

But I really don't think that's what's involved here -- from the original post it looks like at least triple hearsay -- "I heard from X in our group, that Y (not in our group and I've never met 'em, but X did on a prior occasion) said "blah blah" about the fare. Courts of law wouldn't take that as "evidence," so don't do it here. Horse apples!

[PennyAgain]

Sounds to me like the person in question removed the auto tips from his bill and felt he saved money! For a group of 5 to 7 it certainly would add up.

 

Some people do that and willingly stiff their room stewards and other staff people.

 

Doing so is a very bad thing!

[c-legs]

:eek: After 67 years on this planet, I tought I had re-defined and re-spelled the word ''cheap'' in every possible way ....!!!! But, hey....one is never too old to learn !!!

 

:confused: :(

[lady_cruiser]

An Urban Cruiser's Legend strikes again :p Don't you just love them - makes me smile every time :p :p :p

[brzymom]

Thanks to those of you who basically confirmed what I had thought--it wasn't possible.

 

My original thought was that he had the $10 pp removed--again, in my original post I stated this was just wrong.

 

This was not multiple times removed. This man spoke to a member of my group. Forgive my vagueness, it was 4 children--all young (under 7). I only wish it had been me who spoke with him, because I surely would have figurged out how he "saved" all that money. (no he did not mention an amount).

 

Further, I would have had no problem telling him by removing the tips he was stiffing the entire crew including those serving them on lido, cabins, etc.

[dforeigner]

Thanks to those of you who basically confirmed what I had thought--it wasn't possible.

 

My original thought was that he had the $10 pp removed--again, in my original post I stated this was just wrong.

 

This was not multiple times removed. This man spoke to a member of my group. Forgive my vagueness, it was 4 children--all young (under 7). I only wish it had been me who spoke with him, because I surely would have figurged out how he "saved" all that money. (no he did not mention an amount).

 

Further, I would have had no problem telling him by removing the tips he was stiffing the entire crew including those serving them on lido, cabins, etc.

 

I am glad you checked rather than be had by this "source" of yours. Your intuition did not fail you. If it sounded too good, it probably is not true.

 

Now someone already mentioned Easy Cruise. This is a cruise line that charges everything extra. If you want your room made, it is extra. The food is extra. Fresh towel, got to pay for those as well.

[caviargal]

Secondly, I am thinking that perhaps he meant that he asked for the automatic $10 pp per day to be removed from his account. Am I off track? Or is this really possible? I cannot imagine any cruise line allowing this, besdies which he still should have paid the daily tip charge!!

 

Sounds like he is looking to save the auto tip which, IMO, is quite tacky.

[sail7seas]

I keep thinking we've heard of every cheapskates attempt at pinching the penny a little tighter and whammo, we hear of another.

 

Happy you asked here rather than believe that tighwad's tale. If someone can't afford the cruise, why don't they wait and save up a little more money so they can go and afford the trip. So much more fun doing something when you know you can afford it than to worry about every penny you are spending when you don't have enough. JMHO.

 

Hope you have a great cruise and enjoy the dining room.

 

[PennyAgain]

I used to have real trouble with my late MIL who was very elderly. She thought that a nickel was a fine tip for a lunch!

 

We solved this by telling her tips were included (very confusing in any case on HAL in those days) and doing the tipping ourselves.

 

Whenever we ate with her in restaurants on land, my d/h was always 'forgetting' something and having to go back to the table.

[ger_77]

This sounds like the same guy on another thread who said he "negotiated" the prices of drinks onboard. I don't believe either story.

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

[RetireeWannabee]

I wonder if a TA was dealing with the guy and he was, um, well, a PITA. So he's quibbling over this and that and brings out the "we'll skip the dining room" crap and the TA figured that was the last negotiating point and said, "Oh, well that's different! I've got great news, I can put you on this ship for (some amt lower than the previous amount, just to book the guy and be done with him)."

 

coulda happened that way