My Time Dining

[Scarlett Fever]

We are cruising with our 3 1/2 yr old and opted for some flexibility with "my time dining" on RCI Independence for our upcoming cruise (we leave Sunday!). I've read on RCI that you can pre-reserve a time for dining but when I try to do that on the web page I get the "this option is unavailable." Should I call RCI or can we make reservations once we board?

[alicam]

go see them when you get onboard

[uppitycats]

We are cruising with our 3 1/2 yr old and opted for some flexibility with "my time dining" on RCI Independence for our upcoming cruise (we leave Sunday!). I've read on RCI that you can pre-reserve a time for dining but when I try to do that on the web page I get the "this option is unavailable." Should I call RCI or can we make reservations once we board?

 

You can do that when you get on board. But...doesn't making a reservation just restrict you, when the whole point of the flexible dining is.. well... flexibility??? Usually you can just show up, and within a few minutes, be seated for dinner. So if your child is napping, or wakes hungry, or whatever..your family can just head to the dining room (assuming it's dinner time and it's open), and eat. :confused:

[marco]

Uppitycats makes a good point about the reason for the flextime is the fliexibility. However.....we use this option to kind of get the best of both options. We find the early sitting is too early and the late sitting is too late, but we do like having the same table, same waitstaff for the entire cruise, so....first night of the cruise we make a standing reservation for 7:30, everynight, same table. We've never been told this wasn't an option regardless of the different lines we've been on that call it "flextime" "anytime dining" "dine when you want" or whatever. We find 7:30 a perfect time to not have rush after afternoon activities, but not so late that by the time you finish dinner, the evening is winding down.

[Scarlett Fever]

Uppitycats makes a good point about the reason for the flextime is the fliexibility. However.....we use this option to kind of get the best of both options. We find the early sitting is too early and the late sitting is too late, but we do like having the same table, same waitstaff for the entire cruise, so....first night of the cruise we make a standing reservation for 7:30, everynight, same table. We've never been told this wasn't an option regardless of the different lines we've been on that call it "flextime" "anytime dining" "dine when you want" or whatever. We find 7:30 a perfect time to not have rush after afternoon activities, but not so late that by the time you finish dinner, the evening is winding down.

 

You are both right. My original post is contradicting.

I really just want reserved flexibility - if that makes sense. We chose the MTD because in the past 6:00pm was a mad dash from the port/excursion to get ready for dinner. But, if I waited until 8:30pm, I'd be eating my hand or asleep before my nightcap.

Thanks for the advice. I'll go check when we board and maybe make a reservation the first couple of nights to see how that works for our schedule. If not, we'll just default to the true flexibility of the MTD option and show up when we're ready.