On the big ships, Oasis and Allure which dinning type is better?

[ssatterly]

Fixed time dinning or anytime dinning. Which is better and why on these big ships.

[Sugar*Magnolia]

We're thinking My Time Dining is better because of the timining of the shows. Hoping so anyway! We have always enjoyed late seating, but we switched to MTD for our Oasis cruise in June..Seems it will be much more relaxed as well as better timing for the shows.. (just hoping our dining experience is the same as classic dining where you have the same wait staff! )

cruisedivanj

[FLACRUISER99]

Fixed time dinning or anytime dinning. Which is better and why on these big ships.

The one that you personally prefer!

[ChickonRules]

I would like to know too :)

[ballonk]

Let me preface my comments by saying I went on this cruise (my 1st) with absolutely no expectations and I was just blown away by the experience.

 

It's a personal preference but based on my recent experiences onboard the Allure, in the future I think I'd prefer MTD. This was my 1st cruise and the group I was with (more experienced cruisers) decided we'd dine in the MDR at 8:30 PM. Their rationale was that there would be less kids at this time and we would have time to rest up between the days' activities and dinner. Based on that time, they had me book all of our shows late at night, after dinner. That really didn't work well for me as:

 

1) I don't like eating that late. I usually have my main meal at home between 4-5 PM.

2) In some cases I was too tired to go to the late night shows so I missed seeing 3 of the 6 shows available.

3) I prefer to have more of a selection of what I'm going to eat based on some health issues I have.

4) I didn't always feel like dressing up a bit for the MDR (personally, I would not be comfortable dining in the MDR in jeans, etc) although people do so.

 

So for me, I ended up dining in the Windjammer Cafe a lot (breakfast, lunch and dinner) as I had many more food options. Many more! And I thought the food was good. Again, I'm a 1st time cruiser so I really have no frame of reference for the food. I did enjoy the few nights I dined in the MDR with my group at 8:30 PM; the food and service was excellent. But in the future, I think I'd do MTD.

 

Kathy

[cruzkitty]

That is good to know because we have signed up for MTD for our Sept cruise on Oasis. I agree that 8:15-8:30 is a bit late to start dinner and then try to see the shows. I would like to dine around 7 pm (along with everybody else-lol). Anyway, thanks for posting your thoughts!!

[ChickonRules]

What if you get back on the ship at like 7PM? How do people who have 6:30 reservations eat?

[ballonk]

If you don't make it back to the ship in time for the 6:30 PM MDR seating, there are other dining options available. On the Allure, the Windjammer Cafe is open until around 9 PM. You can order room service or dine in one of the other no-charge restaurants on board. Or check with the Specialty restaurants (additional charges) for open reservations.

 

One of my favorite no-extra-charge spots that was hardly ever crowded was on Deck 5, the Promenade Cafe (right next to Guest Services):

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/experience/html.do?exCode=543&shipCode=AL

 

I usually stopped there for a quick snack in the afternoon of a chocolate chip scone and coffee. I really liked the coffee on the Allure but some of my group thought it was too strong. I'm a Starbucks girl and enjoyed a few drinks from Starbucks but I also enjoyed the "free" coffee on board the Allure.

 

FYI, I thought the Starbucks coffee prices would be a lot more than I pay at home but that was not the case. Mine was about the same and my friends' was actually a little cheaper than she pays at her Starbucks.

[ChickonRules]

When you choose MTD, do you still have to make reservations or can you just walk in anytime you want?

[cb at sea]

You can show up whenever you want...you don't HAVE to make advance reservations for MTD.

 

And as far as making it back to the ship....you generally have to BE onboard 1/2 hour prior to departure....so eating at an assigned time is quite easy to do, if you want to go with one of the traditional seatings.

[janetz]

MTD for us, was a winner. Walk in anytime. We booked all our shows and then dined around them. Most times, before the shows which we booked for the 8:30 to 10 time frame. We gave ourselves 1.5 hours before the shows to head to the dining room, and never waited. ( party of 6) Getting to the shows 20-25 minutes before, it always worked out perfect.

 

You can reserve, but we liked to just go when we wanted. :)

[negc]

What if you get back on the ship at like 7PM? How do people who have 6:30 reservations eat?

 

They either arrange to be back on the ship before the 6:30 seating or they elect to dine elsewhere. One of the advantages to My Time Dining is that it allows you to eat in the main dining room but to adjust your dining time to fit each day's particular schedule.

Life is full of choices and in this instance, people have to decide on their priorities: eating at the designated time or staying later in the port.

[ChickonRules]

Is MTD only for the main dining room or does it apply to all the restaurants (including speciality)?

[janetz]

Is MTD only for the main dining room or does it apply to all the restaurants (including speciality)?

 

 

Main only

[negc]

Is MTD only for the main dining room or does it apply to all the restaurants (including speciality)?

 

MTD refers only to dinner in the main dining room. All specialty restaurants are on a reservation basis and the hours of availability are posted in the daily Cruise Compass. Dinner in the Windjammer is available without reservations and the hours of operation are also posted.

[abhb]

When we started cruising we did early dining. We tried late and loved it. We are trying MTD in two weeks. I have a feeling we will stick with late or MTD in the future.

[ChickonRules]

For dinner, what time do restaurants usually close?

[Palmetto Pilot]

No matter what ship you are on I think set dining times are a thing of the past. My past cruise, just off the Liberty yesterday sort of reinforced this. Depending on your day plans it hard to get hungry or ready everyday at 6 or 8. In the future I will always choose MTD, the buffet or specialty restraunts.

[ChickonRules]

You can show up whenever you want...you don't HAVE to make advance reservations for MTD.

 

And as far as making it back to the ship....you generally have to BE onboard 1/2 hour prior to departure....so eating at an assigned time is quite easy to do, if you want to go with one of the traditional seatings.

 

If you can show up whenever you want, why does on the Royal Caribbean website ask you to make reservation times for each day?

[barbgazz]

Carnival Dream March 2011 (free cruise from playing BINGO)

Carnival Fantasy March 2011

Carnival Legend Aug 2010

Carnival Destiny Dec 2009

Rccl Liberty of the Seas 2007

Rccl Explorer of the seas 2005

Rccl Radiance of the seas 2004

Carnival Ecstasy 1997

Carnival Celebration 1994

 

 

You would think that someone with all these cruises under their belt, would already know the answers to mostly everybody's questions about cruising.

[hgmizzou]

If you can show up whenever you want, why does on the Royal Caribbean website ask you to make reservation times for each day?

That's a great question. I wondered that myself. Any experienced people out there know the answer?

[CleoPat]

That's a great question. I wondered that myself. Any experienced people out there know the answer?

 

Maybe because they don't want everyone to show up at the same time and wait on line for an hour. There is only one floor for MTD seating.

[cruzin76]

If you can show up whenever you want, why does on the Royal Caribbean website ask you to make reservation times for each day?

They ask because, the more info they have the better they can serve us. By asking they allow us to plan, which allows them. Passengers that know what time they would like eat in the MDR can make advanced reservations. Last cruise I reserved a early seating the first day (2 weeks prior) and left the rest open to be flexible. Prior to the cruise some people get ahold of the compass, so they can plan all meals around activities.

[ChickonRules]

Do we have to reserve? I mean it's hard to know what time we will be hungry since each day will be different for us.

[The Big Booper]

On all of our cruises, the MDR staff starts to set up for the next day's meals after 10:15 PM, a good hint that it is time for the stragglers to finish their dessert and coffee and vamoose.

 

Royal is still primarily a TD ship and most shows , even on the two big boys, are still geared towards TD times.

 

On our B2B on the Allure we made all our show reservations for the two weeks and had no trouble dovetailing around Late Trad, our choice.

 

Dining is only one of many activities we do on a ship.