Help!

Hi Girls,

I'm looking for help from previous RCCL brides.

I know some of you have made group reservations for Chops or Portafino's. I currently tried to do this today for my May wedding and was told each person had to make individual reservations. Well doesn't that defeat the whole purpose? What I'm trying to do is make a group reservation with us picking up the tab for the $20 so we can all have a nice dinner after our wedding.

Also I'm being told I can not bring my cake knife set on board? They're trying to tell me that I can have it as long as it doesn't have ridges.

Our group is directly though RCCL, so I'm dealing with them, not a TA. Can anyone make any recommendations on what I should do. The woman I spoke to had me on hold more then not, so its leaving me to believe she has no clue. Should I just try and call back after the new year and hope for the best? And that I get someone with a little more knowledge? This is the first time its been an issue dealing with them.

Thanks all, hope someone can help!!

Hi,

Try cruisecritic and post the question on the RCCL portion of the board. I think I heard you have to reserve the entire restaurant and not just a portion of it? Maybe that's why they are telling you each person needs to reserve individually? And make sure you don't mention the word "wedding" otherwise they won't help you and will instead refer you to TWE. TWE won't help either if you aren't using them for your wedding. Tell them it's a group function.

Good luck!

Andrea

Hi Cattie!

We are sailing to Bermuda in June and my TA told me we can book at the restaurant because we were thinking of treating our guests to a goodbye dinner the night before we arrive home. I will call and ask him about it tomorrow. Also, are you getting points to use on the cruise for extras for your guests? I think he had told me 4-6 points if we booked in May. Since we are doing June, we only get 2 points. Points = shipboard credits for guests, a 2 hour cocktail party etc. I would inquire when you speak to RC again. Will let you know what I find out from him. How many guests are you having?

Yes, we have the points and the free berth. We're going to go with the $50 room credit. Any info you could give me would help!

First my friendly warning girls (& guys)....please be careful on that cruisecritic site. I cringe when my clients mention that they read things over there. Let's just say...don't believe everything you read!

Now on to the issue at hand here...your request has to be approved by the ship. I've never had a problem doing this for my groups. I don't know who you're dealing with (TA or RCCL direct), but we're a Top Account with RCCL and like I said, have never had a problem. Of course it's based upon availability and up to the ship in the end but it's doable. More than 20 ppl though and you'll probably have a set menu. And they may not move tables around for you either. Unless you're buying the venue out, they need to keep the atmosphere consistent for the other diners.

The knife thing..don't know what to tell you. Rules are rules. In this day and age you just have to do what they say you have to do.

Hope that helps.

Thanks Dina. I'm dealing directly with RCCL. As of right now, including ourselves, we have 17. Of course between now and May that could always change. I'm giving people a cut off on February to make up there minds and so I can get all final head counts for my wedding planner and my wallet!!

And I totally agree with you about CC. I try not to ask to many questions there, but the sad part is, we're the minority over here with having our weddings with our cruise. So far on both boards I've found nothing but overly helpful brides to be and thank you all!!

Hopefully the next time I call back I'll get someone with a little more common sense on the other end!!

Sorry but I have to disagree with your statements regarding CruiseCritic. I actually spend more time on there than here because there is not really too much info on cruise weddings on this site. As with any (including this one) forum, there is going to be some mis-information given in posts but I have found CruiseCritic to be VERY reliable and there is alot of good information and reviews provided on that site---certainly nothing that I would cringe about! I will say that it is not really a very TA friendly forum though.....most experienced cruisers rather deal directly with the cruiselines themselves than with a TA!

Barbie