Time seated dining - what if we eat in the buffet?

[Rheba]

This will be the first time we've done 6pm dining (instead of Your Time) and I am curious what happens if we chose not to eat in the dining room. Do we need to tell someone we won't be there? We rarely know what we're doing for dinner ahead of time. I just don't want to be discourteous and have a table full of people waiting for us. Thanks!

[JWGrayson]

This will be the first time we've done 6pm dining (instead of Your Time) and I am curious what happens if we chose not to eat in the dining room. Do we need to tell someone we won't be there? We rarely know what we're doing for dinner ahead of time. I just don't want to be discourteous and have a table full of people waiting for us. Thanks!

 

Nope, there is no need to let anyone know. BUT, we have done 6:00 PM dinning when we were the only ones at the table. We had no idea where our table-mates were. So, if you don't plan to eat in the MDR very often, then it might be better to switch to YTD. John

[Rheba]

So, if you don't plan to eat in the MDR very often, then it might be better to switch to YTD. John

 

Surprisingly YTD was wait listed and 6 pm was not, so we just took it. Kinda want to try out having the same waiter every time anyway. : )

[plk40atmc]

I would tell someone. One year we had a table for just my family and didn't think it was a big deal that we went to the buffet. Our sister was at the table next to ours and she said the Head Waiter was questioning our server asking him if he thought we weren't happy with his service. He was great, I felt really bad like we had gotten him in trouble or something.

[bills blasters]

We have never told anyone if we were not going to be eating in the MDR.

Claudia

[SadieN]

If we know we will be somewhere else we will mention it. We will not go to the MDR just to say we won't be eating there.

[JaxGuy]

If I'm sharing a table and know I'll not be there the following night, as a courtesy I'll let the staff know (and usually my table mates) so they do not hold up the start of service for everyone else. If I decide during the day or last minute that I’ll not be attending, I don’t worry about it.

[Ehpride]

I would just tell them that you aren't sure if you'll be there for dinner every night so don't hold service for you.

[okgirl]

I would just tell them that you aren't sure if you'll be there for dinner every night so don't hold service for you.

 

That's how we handled it when we did traditional dining. We also tell our servers that we're not big dessert people and may not stay for very long after our entree course so they won't be surprised when we disappear.

[WetToes]

I would just tell them that you aren't sure if you'll be there for dinner every night so don't hold service for you.

 

 

That's a good idea.

[Elaine5715]

Actually I think it is more of an issue with people are late. You don't know if they are eating elsewhere or will show up at any time. Some tablemates think it is polite to wait. In that situation, when folks show up, they really should announce that it is unnecessary for the others to wait on them.

[cathyz]

We always tell our server and/or table mates we won't be there the next night (we only miss the MDR for the steakhouse), so they know not to wait for us or that our whole group won't be there. We've been at larger tables with folks who don't say anything and/or are late alot of the time and it really holds up the servers.

[NCTribeFan]

I always do regular MDR for dinner. Because I'd read on these boards how many of the same dishes are offered at the buffet, I decided a couple of nights to stop by and have just a bite of some of the things that I've often wanted to try but didn't.

 

What I ended up doing instead was having a few bites of my usual favorites with the intention of trying something different when I went to dinner.

 

My impression was while they may be labeled as the same thing, they most definitely are NOT prepared the same way. It was very disappointing.

 

So I wonder how many of the people who return from a cruise and complain about the food are eating in the buffet instead of the MDR?

 

Anyway, it convinced me to just stick with MDR.

 

And I also let my wait staff and fellow diners know if I know I won't be at dinner the next night. It only takes a few seconds to be courteous.

[serene56]

I tell the head server that we are not late people-- if we are not here by 6:10 do not expect us as we are dining elsewhere. We do that the first night

[golfadj]

I would just tell them that you aren't sure if you'll be there for dinner every night so don't hold service for you.

 

Good advise. If we know we will not be in the DR for dinner will always say so they dont hold up others for us.

[Rheba]

Thank you for your excellent answers. I'll tell our waiter not to hold service for us, that we won't be there every night.

[beachbum53]

If we know the evening before that we won't be dining in the MDR, we'll let our tablemates and our waiter know, as a courtesy, so they won't be expecting us. If it's the same day, we'll stop by the MDR before dinner time to let our waiter (or the Maitre D') know.

[Runaway Parent]

 

My impression was while they may be labeled as the same thing, they most definitely are NOT prepared the same way. It was very disappointing.

 

Agreed- the buffet versions are not the same quality as the MDR. The soups are good, but other items do not compare well.

[katiel53]

We are usually on time for dinner. The first night we tell our waiter and table mates that if we are not there by 6:10, we will not be there.

 

That way we aren't holding up everyone else by waiting for us to show up or not. On the nights we plan to go to the steakhouse, we do tell the waitstaff the night before that we won't be there the next night.

 

Just use a little common courtesy and it will work out well. Enjoy1

[cwestbrook]

The first night our table mates showed up 15 minutes late. They did not hold dinner for them. They let us go ahead and order and eat and they served them as if they were at a different table. After the first night our table mates never showed up again but it never held us up.

 

I do think it is a courtesy to let the MDR know you aren't coming.