My time dining!

[Tinkerbell1030]

This november will be my first cruise! I was wondering, anyone on Royal Caribbean International knows how that works! I would greatly appreciate it the feedback!

[Diggerof4]

Will be going also with RC. Interested in this as well instead of late dinning.

[janetz]

With MTD you can dine when you want. No reservations needed. You do, under your cruise reservation have the option of picking a time also. We have had MTD and love it. Never made a reservation and never waited more then 5 minutes for a table. It really gives you more flexibilty and you do not have to worry about be at the dining room at a certain time. :)

[Tinkerbell1030]

Thank you so much I was very confused on that. SO you just go to the dining hall whenever you want and they will seat you!

[#1TravelMom]

You will be assigned a specific restaurant. You then have two options. Go to the restaurant at any time you choose each evening. You will be asked if you want to dine with other cruisers or with just your party. They will check you in.(Olive Garden-style) There may be no wait or there may be brief wait until you are seated. You will most likely have a different table and servers each night. OR If you know a specific time you'd like to dine on any or all nights, you may call or go to the restaurant and request a specific time, thus making a reservation and creating a set dining time of your own. Often, you can also request a specific table.

 

We always have my time dining and have never waited more than 10-15 minutes.(Usually around 7p-8p). Most nights, there is no wait to just a few minutes.

[chipq]

If you get a wait team that just really delivers above expectations you can requedt that team when you show up for dinner.

 

 

http://luv2cruise.blogspot.com

[sparky-elpaso]

Thank you so much I was very confused on that. SO you just go to the dining hall whenever you want and they will seat you!

 

Almost. The dining room isn't open all of the time - the hours will be posted in your daily schedule - which will be waiting for you in your cabin the night before. Also, most of the ships have 2 level dining rooms - the schedule will tell you which level is MTD and which is fixed.

[John Bull]

Wait times can vary a great deal, I've certainly known much longer wait times, on RCI & others, for those wanting a two-top. First night or formal nights are often the longest wait.

Even pre-booking a time isn't 100% guaranteed, but if you want a two-top I'd strongly suggest booking.

 

If you don't mind sharing, that can dramatically reduce/eliminate waiting, but I suggest you ask to share with english-speaking. We love sharing, but we know some prefer to dine by themselves.

If you get on well with another couple, you may want to share with them again - in which case book as a foursome or meet up ahead of dinner & go to the dining room as a foursome. We've done that a couple of times on RCI my-time & by mid-cruise were dining as a table of eight - just like fixed dining but with hand-picked tablemates.

 

JB :)

[Tinkerbell1030]

Wait times can vary a great deal, I've certainly known much longer wait times, on RCI & others, for those wanting a two-top. First night or formal nights are often the longest wait.

Even pre-booking a time isn't 100% guaranteed, but if you want a two-top I'd strongly suggest booking.

 

If you don't mind sharing, that can dramatically reduce/eliminate waiting, but I suggest you ask to share with english-speaking. We love sharing, but we know some prefer to dine by themselves.

If you get on well with another couple, you may want to share with them again - in which case book as a foursome or meet up ahead of dinner & go to the dining room as a foursome. We've done that a couple of times on RCI my-time & by mid-cruise were dining as a table of eight - just like fixed dining but with hand-picked tablemates.

 

JB :)

What is two-top?

[John Bull]

What is two-top?

 

Table for two.

 

JB :)

[cb140]

Sorry to come in late - just another view on MTD - we have done it several times (Oasis, Allure and P&O Ventura), and have resolved never to do it again. In my experience (YMMV) the lines if you don't book are quite long if you go at a popular time. And prebooking, for me, on Oasis and Allure was a pain - ringing up every day, being put on hold for ages while they answer other calls, then being told that the only available times at 5.30pm and 9.25pm. A lot of shows etc are geared to the fixed sittings (eg shows might be at 7pm and 9pm - first for the late sitters, second for the early sitters. So you can end up missing out unless you eat at approximately the "normal" times.

 

But more important that this, IME, is that I really did miss having the same waiter each day. Yes, you certainly can request it on MTD, and they will fulfil that request if they can, but there's no guarantee - all it takes is someone else five minutes ahead of you who also like that waiter (quite likely if it's a really good waiter) and they get the table. And I also found, having done both, that the service is better on regular dining. The MTD staff know they're getting their tips anyway (its compulsory) and so they don't seem to try as hard (on P&O at any rate - to be fair, the RCI service has always been exemplary, no matter what type of dining we've had).

 

We've just come off Jewel of the Seas, having returned to fixed dining after three cruises with MTD, and had a wonderful time on fixed sitting with two waiters who got to know everything we liked and all our little preferences, and we adored them. I would never go back to MTD.

[lady_cruiser]

Another good thing about MTD on Royal Caribbean is that if you like your table and wait staff before you leave can ask the head waiter or Maitre'd for the same table and wait staff for the following night. We've done this on our last three Royal Caribbean cruises.