Thread: MTD on RC prepaid gratuities

I just got off the Freedom and for the first time we got MTD. LOVED IT But we did not eat in the MTD dining room. We ate every meal in the windjammer. We made sure the waiters were getting the tips for all the meals and we were assured they were. We tipped extra as well. Now my problem and what do I do??? I just booked the Jewel out of Tampa for a 5 day cruise. MTD as well as first seating are waitlisted. We want MTD again and are waitlisted for it and have prepaid tips. We will still go to the Windjammer for all meals but will the tips go to them & if I am given 2nd seating we will not go. Do I have to tell someone?? The crew is very special to us and we do not want them stiffed by going to the wrong place. Thanks for any advice

If, by the time you go on the cruise, they still have not taken you off the waitlist for MTD, there's still a chance. Immediately when you get on the ship, go see the Matre'd in the main dining room. Most of the time, some space is withheld by the ship for just such requests and that's the best time to get it changed. Of all the clients that I've told to go see the Matre'd for a change, very few have ever not been able to get what they've wanted, including our daughter. Only once were we not able to get a change, but the ship was sold out and we just didn't get on the ship soon enough - all the space was already taken.

So if you don't get what you want, get on the ship as early as possible and go see the Matre'd. Hopefully, they'll be able to accommodate what you want.

Pete

Originally Posted by sue miller

I just got off the Freedom and for the first time we got MTD. LOVED IT But we did not eat in the MTD dining room. We ate every meal in the windjammer. We made sure the waiters were getting the tips for all the meals and we were assured they were. We tipped extra as well. Now my problem and what do I do??? I just booked the Jewel out of Tampa for a 5 day cruise. MTD as well as first seating are waitlisted. We want MTD again and are waitlisted for it and have prepaid tips. We will still go to the Windjammer for all meals but will the tips go to them & if I am given 2nd seating we will not go. Do I have to tell someone?? The crew is very special to us and we do not want them stiffed by going to the wrong place. Thanks for any advice

So - longtime cruiser - first time My Time Dining (MTD) user and you loved it?!

What was it about MTD that you liked so much? I know they'll be others that want to hear your opinions, especially.

Originally Posted by Cruise Planner

If, by the time you go on the cruise, they still have not taken you off the waitlist for MTD, there's still a chance. Immediately when you get on the ship, go see the Matre'd in the main dining room. Most of the time, some space is withheld by the ship for just such requests and that's the best time to get it changed. Of all the clients that I've told to go see the Matre'd for a change, very few have ever not been able to get what they've wanted, including our daughter. Only once were we not able to get a change, but the ship was sold out and we just didn't get on the ship soon enough - all the space was already taken.

So if you don't get what you want, get on the ship as early as possible and go see the Matre'd. Hopefully, they'll be able to accommodate what you want.

Pete

Great advice, Peter. Thanks for sharing your past experience with this exact issue. Cheers!

Originally Posted by timwilloughby

So - longtime cruiser - first time My Time Dining (MTD) user and you loved it?!

What was it about MTD that you liked so much? I know they'll be others that want to hear your opinions, especially.

Well we had a really tough summer and really just wanted quiet time and not have to worry about dressing up so we chose MTD. We ate at the buffet just to avoid the dining room, we were looking for total relaxation and we got it. We ate when we wanted to, chose exactly what we wanted from so many different choices and what was really special, not sure if it happens often, we had the same waiter every night. We went a 6 pm when it opened, had the same table & drinks were waiting for us. I would never expect that again in the buffet but we were very fortunate when we needed it so much. We were with family & we all got the same awesome service.. That said, it was such an awesome experience we want to do it again.

Originally Posted by Cruise Planner

If, by the time you go on the cruise, they still have not taken you off the waitlist for MTD, there's still a chance. Immediately when you get on the ship, go see the Matre'd in the main dining room. Most of the time, some space is withheld by the ship for just such requests and that's the best time to get it changed. Of all the clients that I've told to go see the Matre'd for a change, very few have ever not been able to get what they've wanted, including our daughter. Only once were we not able to get a change, but the ship was sold out and we just didn't get on the ship soon enough - all the space was already taken.

So if you don't get what you want, get on the ship as early as possible and go see the Matre'd. Hopefully, they'll be able to accommodate what you want.

Pete

Thanks Pete As we are not going to the MTD dining room, will go to the buffet for all meals so don't require a table, can I leave the tips as is & just pay our waiter in the buffet tips???

So it doesn't work like anytime dining in Princess? (I think on Princess the tips for those in AT will be pooled among the non-traditional waiters...as many of the waitstaff also works in the Horizon).

It seems the allotment of passengers in flexible dining on RC must be different too. We were on a waitlist for traditional dining. I was torn between heading for the maitre'd to plea for an assigned table that first afternoon, but also anxious to get to discovering the Golden Princess. And I figured that maybe hubby would like AT. As it turned out, we ate only half of the 14 nights in the anytime dining room and headed instead to the buffet. And that was because we found anytime dining a bit disorganized, rushed and not very special. And I didn't want to try to figure out on the fly a waitstaff we liked and then try to get a reservation to eat at their table every day as some others do. Nearing the end of the cruise, hubby said he didn't care for anytime dining at all, for all the reasons I figured I wouldn't like it.