Late for dinner

[bvhboat]

How about just getting a earlier start to be sure your on time. It sounds like you know you going to be late. My sil is always late & its annoying. We tell her to be a our house for dinner an hour earlier just so shes on time & even then she is still late.If your not 5 minutes early your late.

[golfadj]

Serious question: why would anyone NOT do anytime dining? Other than large groups of course. I've never had to wait more than 2 minutes for a table.

 

Dont taze me, I really don't understand

 

Several reasons in our case

 

We like to get to know our tablemates.

Like to have same waitstaff.

DW has a number of unusual food allergies and better if the wait staffhas some idea of what they are so they can look in the galley and reject stuff she cannot have.

 

Also if we have dinner at 6 we are out at about 7 30 and have the whole evening entertainment ahead of us including family comedy shows starting at 7 30.

[Disneynutbsv]

Oh I never even thought about allergies... Shoot

[ScottsSweetie]

Well, not to do with cruising, but . . .

 

At our high school, we had the band director who started when the school opened stay there for 22 years, and now we have our 2nd band director. For all of these years, we have had a motto in band that our new band director has also adopted:

 

On time is late!!!

Meaning that if we say report at 6:00pm, that doesn't mean walking in the door, it means in your seat ready to start. Our kids have all learned this, and hopefully it will transfer to other aspects of their life as well. :)

[Quilting_Cruiser]

I love the feeling that I'm going to "my" table each dinner, and knowing who my server is going to be. I love when they anticipate what I want to drink, or have as a starter, etc. I realize it's possible to get this with anytime dining, but you're not guaranteed to have the same wait staff. We only did the anytime dining once, on NCL (that's all they offer) and it was the least enjoyable of our cruises - the staff was not nearly as friendly as the ones we've had on Carnival and RCI (I realize this might have been unique to our crew or ship; we're open to trying NCL again some day).

 

 

We've done Your Time Dining on our last three or four cruises and DD and I love it. We've had the same wait staff each evening (except three cruises ago when we didn't care of the head waiter we got the first night, but the second night we got a staff we requested for the rest of the cruise). We've had better experiences with YTD than traditional--in traditional, we've had a couple times where we just didn't care for the wait staff but I would never change with traditional (I know it's possible, but I just wouldn't want to offend them). It's very easy to change with YTD. We've gotten to know them as much as with traditional and we like being able to choose. In three or four cruises, we've had to wait only once for our requested wait staff.

 

I totally understand why people like traditional (when I heard about YTD, I didn't think we'd like either), but we're definitely YTD converts! :D

[quickrate]

Unfortunately we are always late, those dang photographers.Jk. Not more than 10 minutes but in hind sight we should do my time dining. But, I have to say the staff never acted as though it was an issue and were always very nice and accommodating. We just waited patiently until they were able to serve us and we did not hang out forever, usually we left before other diners. We dined at our own table of 4 so we didn't hold up anyone else at the table. There were people that walked in much later than us. But next we will do your time, so we don't feel we're being timed. A vacation is suppose to more relaxed but we do think its a good experience for our daughters to eat in the dining room.

10 minutes is not that big of an issue as it sometimes takes that long for everyone to get in the doors and seated. We usually find with an 8:15 seating, if we wait 5 minutes, we walk right in and go right to the table and avoid standing in line.

Pat

[rjackieb]

When elevators are really crowded sometimes it can help to go in the opposite direction.

We did try different banks of elevators on different nights, but there was always quite a wait for them.

[maggieworkman]

Unfortunately we are always late, those dang photographers.Jk. Not more than 10 minutes but in hind sight we should do my time dining. But, I have to say the staff never acted as though it was an issue and were always very nice and accommodating. We just waited patiently until they were able to serve us and we did not hang out forever, usually we left before other diners. We dined at our own table of 4 so we didn't hold up anyone else at the table. There were people that walked in much later than us. But next we will do your time, so we don't feel we're being timed. A vacation is suppose to more relaxed but we do think its a good experience for our daughters to eat in the dining room.

 

Just an FYI about Your Time Dining and pictures. We found on our last cruise that we had a hard time getting pictures! We had anytime dining and it seemed like everytime we were ready for dinner and some pictures before dinner, the photographers were closed up. They close for a period of time because they have to go to the dining room to take the dining room pictures (pirate, dining room, etc). So we were turned away many nights and only got a few pictures!

 

So you might want to plan a little around this if pictures are really important to you.

 

Maggie

[golfadj]

Well, not to do with cruising, but . . .

 

At our high school, we had the band director who started when the school opened stay there for 22 years, and now we have our 2nd band director. For all of these years, we have had a motto in band that our new band director has also adopted:

 

On time is late!!!

 

Meaning that if we say report at 6:00pm, that doesn't mean walking in the door, it means in your seat ready to start. Our kids have all learned this, and hopefully it will transfer to other aspects of their life as well. :)

 

Smart band director teaching his kids great life lessons

[ncshp955]

Serious question: why would anyone NOT do anytime dining? Other than large groups of course. I've never had to wait more than 2 minutes for a table.

 

Dont taze me, I really don't understand

I totally agree with Golfadj. We like getting to know our tablemates and feel like it is our table. To me ATD is like going to Chili's on a Friday night and waiting with a pager to be called. Gets very old after a while. I like having a set time and table and if for some reason we can't be on time then I just plan on something else. In that case now ATD is always a fall back plan. I fully understand those that like ATD but for me early sitting is just right.

[WhoDat2009]

I totally agree with Golfadj. We like getting to know our tablemates and feel like it is our table.

 

Makes sense. To each his own. But what if one of your tablemates just sucks? You're stuck with them the whole week...

 

I like meeting different people, and if we meet cool people we'll hang out with them later

 

We had a bad Ron Paul-related experience once. Lady was SO Ron Paul and wouldn't let up. I'm a democrat. But, like, no politics on vacation and all. She wouldn't agree to disagree. Just kept on and on about "obamacare" and the like. I finally just told her to shut up and then her husband had to pretty much drag her from the table before dessert. It was weird. And I'm glad I didn't have 6 more dinners with her

 

Also, I like breakfast and sometimes lunch in the dining rooms so I guess I'm used to the constant change in scenery

[emelvee]

Makes sense. To each his own. But what if one of your tablemates just sucks? You're stuck with them the whole week...

 

You can request a change...they'll oblige if there is room.

[golfadj]

Makes sense. To each his own. But what if one of your tablemates just sucks? You're stuck with them the whole week...

 

I like meeting different people, and if we meet cool people we'll hang out with them later

 

We had a bad Ron Paul-related experience once. Lady was SO Ron Paul and wouldn't let up. I'm a democrat. But, like, no politics on vacation and all. She wouldn't agree to disagree. Just kept on and on about "obamacare" and the like. I finally just told her to shut up and then her husband had to pretty much drag her from the table before dessert. It was weird. And I'm glad I didn't have 6 more dinners with her

 

Also, I like breakfast and sometimes lunch in the dining rooms so I guess I'm used to the constant change in scenery

 

On one or two occasions we were at a table for four and our tablemates were hard to spend time with.

 

Made up an excuse why we had to move and asked MD for a different table. My vacation and not going to sit with people we intensely dislike for 8 days.

 

BTW everytime the waiter brought a dish to me he asked that looks good and asked for the same one. He had been on a bunch of cruises and should have known better.

 

Than he started telling us about the trips he has been on and managed to tell us the same story over and over each time with changes.

[emelvee]

On one or two occasions we were at a table for four and our tablemates were hard to spend time with.

 

Made up an excuse why we had to move and asked MD for a different table. My vacation and not going to sit with people we intensely dislike for 8 days.

 

BTW everytime the waiter brought a dish to me he asked that looks good and asked for the same one. He had been on a bunch of cruises and should have known better.

 

Than he started telling us about the trips he has been on and managed to tell us the same story over and over each time with changes.

 

He (the waiter? your tablemate?) should have known better about what???

[Warm Breezes]

Back in the good old days, they shut the dining room doors after 15 minutes. I wish they would go back to that method.

 

If you can't be on time, choose Your Time Dining so you are not disrupting other passengers and making the staff's job even harder then it already is.

 

This...I think it is extremely rude, not only to your fellow dining guests but to the servers, to show up more than 15 minutes late. The last time we had traditional dining, the family at the table next to us always had the 2 teenage boys show up on time, but the parents were consistantly 30 minutes plus late. The boys would apologize to the waiters and a couple times when they were extremely late started eating without them. When the couple showed up it always seemed to throw the waiters off with all of the other tables they had. I found that to be extremely inconsiderate on the part of the parents. If you are an habitually late person, please choose anytime or consider the buffet if you are running late. It is the polite thing to do.

[WhoDat2009]

BTW everytime the waiter brought a dish to me he asked that looks good and asked for the same one. He had been on a bunch of cruises and should have known better.

 

I don't understand

[Warm Breezes]

Yes, there is always the Lido buffet.

 

I do have to ask though, is this an excursion booked through Carnival or independently? From my stops in Cozumel, we're usually sailing or close to it by early seating. If you have an independent booking and you're getting back after 6pm, I think you're going to be running too late.

 

When we stopped at Cozumel on our Destiny cruise it didn't leave until quite late. We had anytime dining so it wasn't an issue for us.

[rrraydon]

We love anytime dining. I've only had to wait one time and that's only because I requested a specific set of waiters. We ask to seated with a group if possible so we can meet others. Anytime dining is perfect for the port days...no rushing around and I no longer have to rush to be on time. :D

[rjackieb]

When we stopped at Cozumel on our Destiny cruise it didn't leave until quite late. We had anytime dining so it wasn't an issue for us.

Thanks for the clarification. :)

I realized as soon as I posted that other cruises stay later in Cozumel than any of mine did and added a comment apologizing for my misunderstanding.

[bplazo]

On my December cruise, one woman showed up 40-45 minutes late EVERY night! She never said anything about it, but by the 3rd night in a row that it happened, the rest of us at the table grew to expect her to show up late. Since no one knew if she was coming or not, we all just ordered our food without her. The amazing part was that even though she got there so late, the wait staff was able to put in her orders and serve her food so quickly that she caught up to us and was served dessert at the same time we were! I guess it helped that we were all ordering multiple items for each course (3 appetizers, 2 entrees, etc.) and she just got one thing for each course ;)

 

Wow, I bet the server loved this table!

[katiel53]

I guess my opinion equates to going to a fine restaurant. (I do know that dining on a ship isn't up to those standards, but --) Would you show up half an hour late or more for your reservation and expect to have your table available? Doubful, so why do it on a ship?

[gelo7]

If you have assigned seating, you are assigned a table for the duration.

 

They will not give it away.

 

If you're going to be late, there are other places to eat.

 

The waitstaff are serving many people. They have it down to a science. When people are real late, it throws off the service for others.

 

Ditto...

[golfadj]

I don't understand

 

Appears English is not my first language today.

 

Everytime my tablemate saw what our waiter put in front of me he said that looks good and asked for one.

 

Did this about 5x during our first dinner. After the first one told him it made the waiters job much more difficult but didnt bother this guy at all.

 

Than started telling stories of his travels. He would tell us about the same trip over and over and each version had changes.

 

After one meal we had to switch tables.

[Pellaz]

We were a bit late boarding after a fun day at Grand Turk last October, especially since the port-call had been lengthened by an hour, and we were running late for the second cruise-elegant night. My mom, who NEVER misses formal nights and seldom eats elsewhere than MDR early seating, sadly made the call: "We can't be there by 6:15 now, so we won't go." (We were secretly relieved.)

Then she added "But we're going to dress up at least a little bit for the buffet anyway!" :)

 

Back in the good old days, they shut the dining room doors after 15 minutes. I wish they would go back to that method.

If you can't be on time, choose Your Time Dining so you are not disrupting other passengers and making the staff's job even harder then it already is.

 

I might make that after 20 minutes instead, but that's the limit.

My reasoning: on a larger ship, 20 minutes allows a bit of time for someone to go back to their cabin if they forgot something, or -- as other posters have stated -- time to negotiate a wheelchair through the treacherous shoals of elevator-hell.

 

After twenty minutes it would be like that scene from Wargames: "Once that giant door is closed, NO-ONE gets in or out." To the Lido buffet with ya, slowpokes! :)

[ncshp955]

Ok, I have not sailed since ATD was started maybe someone can tell me this, can you go to the ATD if you know that you would be very late for your early seating time? Is that an option or do you have to be assigned ATD to use it?