How Long for MDR Dinner?

With talk of 5 courses, etc, how long does a traditional MDR dinner take? An hour? Hour and a half?

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This depends on ship and how many at the table. When I traveled solo I could have a 5 course meal in less than 30 minutes. At a table of 6, it could take 90 minutes.

Don

About an hour and a half ... sometimes less, very seldom more. :)

About an hour and a half ... sometimes less, very seldom more. :)

Agree. And the one thing that can add time is if you are sharing a table with others (which is typical) and your table mates are late, the servers may wait until they arrive to start service. It is always courteous to be on time.

No ship has 5 courses anymore. You will have 3...and unless you're at a large table, or have a waiter who is serving you AND a large table, you can do it in about an hour. But...what's your rush? You're on vacation! Sit, talk, and enjoy!

No ship has 5 courses anymore. You will have 3...and unless you're at a large table, or have a waiter who is serving you AND a large table, you can do it in about an hour. But...what's your rush? You're on vacation! Sit, talk, and enjoy!

I'll split the difference and suggest 4 courses soup/salad, appetizer, main, dessert. Obviously it varies with your table mates and your choices, but 90'minutes with a good group to share stories with is not uncommon.

With talk of 5 courses, etc, how long does a traditional MDR dinner take? An hour? Hour and a half?

 

 

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Depending on your table size but usually 1.5 hours for the five course evening meal.

Appetizers

Soup

Salad

Entree

Dessert

No ship has 5 courses anymore. You will have 3...and unless you're at a large table, or have a waiter who is serving you AND a large table, you can do it in about an hour. But...what's your rush? You're on vacation! Sit, talk, and enjoy!

After an hour, I'll be more interested in counting the number of doors on the ship. It doesn't take me 2 hours to watch 60 minutes so I'm not interested in watching someone else's food spoil while they take forever to eat it.

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One can make it a 6-course dinner: Insert cheese course between the main plate and dessert.

If you wish to dine quickly, book a table for two(or number in your party),or anytime dining, dine early, telling wait staff you wish quick service. Also, you may not want every available course.

If you wish to dine quickly, book a table for two(or number in your party),or anytime dining, dine early, telling wait staff you wish quick service. Also, you may not want every available course.

I've got any time dining but in another thread, a poster mentioned still sharing tables with any time. I know I don't have to but I became curious of how long a typical seating was.

All but 1 of my days are port days and a minimum of 8:00-5:00pm. I'll be up at 6:00am and don't want to spend what few available hours I have sitting at a table forever.

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No ship has 5 courses anymore. You will have 3...and unless you're at a large table, or have a waiter who is serving you AND a large table, you can do it in about an hour. But...what's your rush? You're on vacation! Sit, talk, and enjoy!

Clearly the Marco Polo has changed its menu since July. No ships at all, you say? :)

You can get a pretty good guide from the length of time between sittings, if there are two sittings. Take the difference in start times and knock off half an hour. (Doesn't work for flexible dining.)

Insist that you get a deuce when you arrive at MDR. Should be no problem on any line. If turned down ask for Maitre D who is in charge of any dining problems.

No ship has 5 courses anymore. You will have 3...and unless you're at a large table, or have a waiter who is serving you AND a large table, you can do it in about an hour. But...what's your rush? You're on vacation! Sit, talk, and enjoy!

That is a rather sweeping over generalization. And inaccurate. If you prefer only 3 courses, then certainly you can order only 3. If you prefer 4 or 5 (or even 6), the server will not refuse.

We have found that traditional seating dinners, especially with larger tables, tend to run closer to 1.5 hours.

If you don't care to dine; if you just want to eat your food and move on, then I'd suggest a table for only your party, either in traditional or anytime dining . Or hit the buffet. You can get in, scarf down your food and be out in under an hour.

We prefer to dine at dinner. To enjoy each course without being rushed, to engage in interesting conversation, and relax amongst convivial table mates. That's usually 1.5 hours. Closer to 2 if the company is particularly good.

No ship has 5 courses anymore. You will have 3...and unless you're at a large table, or have a waiter who is serving you AND a large table, you can do it in about an hour. But...what's your rush? You're on vacation! Sit, talk, and enjoy!

HAL offers:

A) Choice of appetizers

B) At least two soups

C) Usually two or more salads

D) Choice of several main courses

E) Choice of dessert - possibly followed by a cheese plate

That makes five, possibly six.

No one has to order all - but they are there.

I believe the same applies on Celebrity.

HAL offers:

A) Choice of appetizers

B) At least two soups

C) Usually two or more salads

D) Choice of several main courses

E) Choice of dessert - possibly followed by a cheese plate

 

That makes five, possibly six.

 

No one has to order all - but they are there.

 

I believe the same applies on Celebrity.

Correct, both Celebrity and Royal.

With talk of 5 courses, etc, how long does a traditional MDR dinner take? An hour? Hour and a half?

 

 

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If it is just your party, you control the speed, but you do need to let your wait staff know how quickly you want them to circle back and present the next course. If there are others, the staff will wait until the person arrives before taking orders and once food starts coming, waits until the last person finishes a course before the next one is brought out. Get a couple of talkers, and it can drag out.

We generally eat alone and only order 3 courses and can be done in 45 minutes, as long as they are not overworked with too many other tables that they cannot keep to our eating speed. Since they get all their tables at once food wise, we have had to wait while everyone else got their second course even though we never ordered one.

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No ship has 5 courses anymore. You will have 3...and unless you're at a large table, or have a waiter who is serving you AND a large table, you can do it in about an hour. But...what's your rush? You're on vacation! Sit, talk, and enjoy!

Umm no. 5 courses listed is still standard. And most people order all five

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It takes us an hour, including coffee and dessert.

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Correct, both Celebrity and Royal.

So does Carnival. But the appetizers, soups and salads are lumped together. Making it look like there's less choice.

We've eaten in an hour when it's just us, more than two because we've ended up at a great table.

After an hour, I'll be more interested in counting the number of doors on the ship. It doesn't take me 2 hours to watch 60 minutes so I'm not interested in watching someone else's food spoil while they take forever to eat it.

I sugest strongly, that you plan on S..L..O..W..I..N..G.... D..O..W..N. You will enjoy your cruise significantly more.

Scott & Karen

We just came home from a two week cruise on the Eurodam. There were six of us dining during the first week, late seating. It took at least an hour and a half most nights. For the second week, there were four of us and we moved to a different table in the dining room. On the first night, we informed the servers that we wanted to be out in time for the 9:30 show and we were finished in a little over an hour.

I sugest strongly, that you plan on S..L..O..W..I..N..G.... D..O..W..N. You will enjoy your cruise significantly more.

 

 

 

Scott & Karen

I'm way too ADHD to sit at a table for an hour and a half when I'd be spending a majority of the time waiting on everyone else to finish their courses.

Some of you guys need to go to infantry basic training where you get 4 minutes to eat. LOL

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With talk of 5 courses, etc, how long does a traditional MDR dinner take? An hour? Hour and a half?

 

 

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I would allow 2 hours for a nice dinner with 5 courses, if only two people it may be done in 1.5 hours and may go out to 2.5 or 3 hours if you are at a table of 8 or ten.

No ship has 5 courses anymore. You will have 3...and unless you're at a large table, or have a waiter who is serving you AND a large table, you can do it in about an hour. But...what's your rush? You're on vacation! Sit, talk, and enjoy!

I cannot agree, I haven't been on a ship or cruise line yet that only offers 3 courses.