How long should dinner service take ?

[CourtneyLovesCruising]

Well "Doll", If I only work 40 hours I will get behind because they have cut back on hiring people and expect fewer of us to get our job done plus that of the people they are not replacing. It's called doing your job!

 

Sorry you chose that as your career path, it sounds dreadful.

[quickrate]

Timing can also depend on how many courses you want to eat :) By the end of the cruise our table frequently ordered 2-3 appetizers per person before the entree, then lingered over cappachino and espresso with dessert. With late seating we were never rushed, and enjoyed conversation with our dinner companions. Not sure if I will ever return to early dinner on a 2 top. Different strokes for different folks.

This is the way we always dine on our cruises. I never understand the hurry to get dinner over with. We make it into an event and really enjoy our evening.

Pat

[hbrote]

I agree on leaving early if you run into folks you can't stand, I just try not to be the type of person.

[Kevin Hort]

We do ATD. Just DW and I and we always have a 2 top. It's a rare night we're there for more than an hour. Usually 45-50 minutes. Love ATD. If you want to sit around for 2 hours listening to stories from your servers homeland and watching the table magician, more power to you. I'm all set:).

 

Yes, ATD is the way to go for shorter dining times. I wouldn't do it any other way!

[gogetter]

Depemds on how long the servers want to sing and dance!

[Transatlantic Dvoika]

Sorry you chose that as your career path, it sounds dreadful.

 

That's a tactless comment if I ever read one.

[babyher]

That's a tactless comment if I ever read one.

 

 

Who knows what her "dream job" is she is bragging about . Maybe "Husband 31" has a big trust fund. Which is a pretty good gig , until she starts looking 42.

[FlaParrotHead]

This is the way we always dine on our cruises. I never understand the hurry to get dinner over with. We make it into an event and really enjoy our evening.

Pat

 

Ditto ... Us too. I can't see hurrying anywhere when cruising except maybe to get back on the ship when in ports and "cutting it close"...

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[CourtneyLovesCruising]

Who knows what her "dream job" is she is bragging about . Maybe "Husband 31" has a big trust fund. Which is a pretty good gig , until she starts looking 42.

 

No, we have happily chosen to not saddle our lives with unnecessary expenses or rigid employment. I pay $500 a month for my mortgage and I owe less than $15/K on it. I have no credit cards, no car payment, no children and grow most of our own food. I chose that life because the last thing I ever wanted to do was to grow old as a complainer. I saw my parents do it and it seemed miserable. They were complaining about working to support a life of stuff that wasn't really needed in the first place. We all have a choice in our destinies.

[CourtneyLovesCruising]

That's a tactless comment if I ever read one.

 

Okay.. I should say, "I am so sorry you work so hard, that is unfair"

 

 

How about this.. "I can't understand, but I empathize with you regardless"

That is probably better.

[wanman]

Sorry you chose that as your career path, it sounds dreadful.

 

Nothing to be sorry about, I chose that as my career and guess what, I love what I do and the people I work with. Sure I would love to "only work" 40 hours, but I have no complaints. Just resent being judged by someone who obvisouly is out of touch with the real world!

[askimdog]

Waiters/servers singing and dancing! Don't get me started. I could not believe a poll here that most like this foolishness. They are NOT entertainers, don't subject us to this. Truly one of the things I hate most in the MDR, I'd rather have a crying kid next to me. Wait on me, if I want entertainment I'll go to a show. To much FUN is not a good thing for me.

 

Again, personal feeling, but flame away if ya want

[nessz79]

We always use ATD. When it's just DH and I, we are often in and out in an hour. When we have kids and in-laws with us, it is usually 90 minutes. We have had 2 hours before, but that was really pushing it with the kids. They are well-behaved but they start slumping and looking really tired by the end of a long dinner.

[babyher]

Waiters/servers singing and dancing! Don't get me started. I could not believe a poll here that most like this foolishness. They are NOT entertainers, don't subject us to this. Truly one of the things I hate most in the MDR, I'd rather have a crying kid next to me. Wait on me, if I want entertainment I'll go to a show. To much FUN is not a good thing for me.

 

Again, personal feeling, but flame away if ya want

 

 

 

No flames here . I am no fan either . Even at land based places when it's someones birthday and the parade of waitstaff sing some dopey made up birthday song (and for a while my DD was one of those waitstaff )

[SMSACE6]

Getting back to OP's original question; people differ in their preferences, so I will say that if you take fixed early dining, you will get fairly quick service, as the wait staff are going to want you out of there on time to prepare for the late seating, and it should not take more than an hour and a half. Two hours would be pushing it close to the next seating. I have found with fixed late dinner seating, that the wait staff is less rushed, but they still dont want you sitting around the dining table for more than 2 hours. For me I have had dinner service from app to main and then dessert and coffee take as little as 1 hour, and up to 1 and a half hours. When I tried anytime dining, I was not rushed at all, and on a couple of nights was there for two to two and a quarter hours. Now this is just my experience. Others will have had others experiences. :)