changing dinner seating time

[mirthmaiden]

I goofed when making our booking and selected "main seating" without really thinking through all the ramifications of that choice. I desperately want to change to later dining now, but there are already so many people on the waiting list they won't even add my name. Never being one to give up before the fat lady sings, I will keep trying.

 

Has anyone else ever been successful in changing to late dining - either before sailing or at check-in time? Any suggestions would be appreciated. We are on the Legend of the Seas 11/19.

[serene56]

hmmm, thats a rough call. You are sailing durin g a peak holiday sailing. The best you can do it head to the Matre de once onboard and get your name on that list.

 

Having early seating is not so bad-- at least youwill be hungry when the midnight buffet rolls around..

[Bonnie J.]

As soon as you get on board see the Matre'd. You can ask where he is. He has a BIG chart that shows what seats are available. Last New Years Eve we changed tables after the 1st night. (We were at a table of 10.- 8 famliy members who had more family at next table - they were from another country and spoke little Engliah.) WE asked to be moved right away and at end of night we were moved, for the next night, to the other dining room, another table. Also have your TA keep trying. This was on the Legend!

[mrg0433]

We often don't eat in the dining room, so perhaps you will find a table where people like us haven't shown up for a few days. I wish they had a few tables set up in the dining room for people who want to just eat there ocassionally without assigned dining time. Too bad there isn't a small amount of freestyle dining taking what's available each night. I hate having to be there at a specific time and keep others waiting on us.

[serene56]

Yes, I agree with you that if a person is only wanting to dine in the main place a few times then its sad to see that table go to waste when others can be using it

[mirthmaiden]

Thanks for the advice. I will go see the Maitre D' ASAP after boarding. I agree about the midnight buffet, but we're going to be hot 'n heavy on shore excursions so I'm not sure we'll last that long!

[love2cruiz]

We had main seating on our last cruise but changed it right when we got on board. We had Main seating the first night, then the head waiter came over and told us that unfortunately we would not be able to change to Late. So we were all "okay" with having main. We also had a great waiter at main. Well, the next morning we got a little note in our cabin saying we got changed to late, So that night we had late seating. None of us liked it! our waiter wasn't as entertaining as the other waiter, and also we seemed to be done eating SO late! (and in our past cruises all of us had always had late!) Plus our late night waiter was SO slow! So it was a nice change to do main seating (oh, we got to switch back to Main seating with our same waitter we had the first night)..We got to catch a lot of shows we might have missed, didn't feel so "full" at night. We seemed to enjoy a lot of the "night life" having main seating!

Sorry for the book! :o)

[mirthmaiden]

Well, I'm glad to hear that is sometimes possible to change. I agree with all the reasons you mentioned in favor of early seating. It's a tough choice when you want to do everything like me! If it were only the meal itself to consider, I certainly prefer eating earlier. I'm just thinking about trying to get 6 people showered and dressed for dinner by 6:15pm when we've been out doing shore excursions all day. We are planning to do the Chacchoben Mayan ruins in Costa Maya, cave tubing in Belize, and Xcaret/Dolphin Swim in Cozumel, and I have no real sense of what time we'll be getting back on board after all that. I hope it won't come down to choosing between getting thoroughly cleaned up or missing dinner. YIKES!

 

Oh, I just thought of something else to ask about this. When I go to see the maitre 'd, is this one of those deals where I'm expected to slip $$ to expedite my request?? Sorry... I'm from the boonies and unwise in the ways of the world :-)

[mymadel]

Main Dining CFM-means 8:30 pm dining ( which is late seating)...

[wrp96]

Main Dining CFM-means 8:30 pm dining ( which is late seating)...

 

Not on Royal Caribbean. Main seating is the early seating.

[Cotton]

On Carnival:

 

On the ships that have two dining rooms:

 

Main (Early) seating is 5:45pm in one dining room and 6:15pm in the other.

 

Late seating is 8:00pm in one, and 8:30pm in the other.

 

About changing your dining time - When you first get to your cabin, there will be a copy of the Capers (ship's newsletter). In there will be an announcement as to what time and where to see the Maitre d' if you need to request a change. Go as soon as possible. I've done this a coupla times, and have NOT felt that I needed to tip (bribe) him. :)

[mirthmaiden]

Royal Caribbean changed us to late dining today after three different TA phone calls over the past several weeks. If anybody else wants to change their dining time, it pays to be persistent!