Explain my time dining

[fragilek]

Sorry about these very basic questions- but it our first RCI cruise.

 

I have picked my time dining. I keep seeing ref to booking a time. If I book 7.30 - do I have to always go at that time or can we go early/late if it suits (DD is diabetic so a set time can be a bit difficult us to always manage).

 

Would 7.30 allow us to go to the 2nd showing of the show on the vision on a med cruise.

 

Would that time clash with the stuff that they put on in the atrium. When to the slots become available to book (we sail aug 2015).

 

I want to buy the drinks pack but want to use OBC for it - do I need to book on the ship for that.

 

Do I have to book it for all nights or can I book on Day 2. and get the price pro ratta. I have also seen info about booking for shows- Is that just for on the mega ships.

 

When are the fee restaurant available to book and again if I book in advance will OBC be used or will it get added to bill. If I leave it until we are on the ship - will I still get booked ok.

 

What days on the 12 night med are formal ones.

 

 

Thanks for any help

[Clarea]

You don't have to pick a time for MTD. You can just show up whenever you like. However, if you do pick a time, you should show up at that time so as not to cause a table to be unavailable for someone else.

 

Shows / events are timed to be convenient for traditional dining times.

 

Anything you book in advance must be paid by credit card immediately. You must book on the ship in order to use on board credit.

 

The drink packages must be booked for at least the last 4 (might be 3) days of the cruise. Whenever you book, it must be for the duration of the cruise. They will pro-rate the cost.

[FTLcruisers]

even though you'll keep getting reminders about booking a time for my time dining, just ignore them. Once you get on board, if you decide you would like the same time every night, you can always set that up.

 

Booking ahead for shows is just on the Oasis and Allure.

 

Formal nights are typically on sea days - obviously that doesn't always work depending on the itinerary.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Marianne

[ronandcarla]

I don't know how may persons are in your group, but in our case we are a party of two. My time dining for us is what it states, we show up around 7-7:45 show our card, etc., and never had waited more than 10 minutes and that was for the reason that we liked our servers so much on the first night; Again for us being a party of two we don't pay any attention to any suggestions on this board or by Royal Caribbean to make any reservations, etc., if we did that would sort of defeat the purpose of My Time Dining.

 

Have a wonderful trip.

 

Sincerely, Ron and Carla M

[willing292]

Your easy access to MTD depends somewhat on the size of your party. Just 2 people, usually no problem walking right in or having a brief wait. With just 2 people, you will most likely be dining alone. 4 or more, you need a reservation, otherwise you will be waiting forever.

 

 

Shirley, Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[Langley Cruisers]

With just 2 people, you will most likely be dining alone...

 

 

Actually, with the tables for two so close together, it's not my idea of dining alone. People can hear what you are saying, it's not private in any way. It's ridiculous, in my opinion. We'd rather just get a larger table and have the conversation with others. :D

.

[fragilek]

there are 4 of us.

[papcx]

Hi all.

 

Could someone clarify for me.

 

If we're (myself and my DW) doing anytime dining, I can either pre-book a time (can it be different times each evening) or just turn up and wait.

 

Will we always get a table for 2 (if crammed in) or may we be seated on a larger people with other anytimers?

[Sabnitron]

Booking ahead for shows is just on the Oasis and Allure.

 

Also on the Freedom and the Liberty

[Clarea]

Hi all.

 

Could someone clarify for me.

 

If we're (myself and my DW) doing anytime dining, I can either pre-book a time (can it be different times each evening) or just turn up and wait.

 

Will we always get a table for 2 (if crammed in) or may we be seated on a larger people with other anytimers?

Yes, you can pre-book the same time each evening, different times each evening, or no reservation and just show up. Or any combination thereof.

 

Your choice to sit alone or with others.

[papcx]

Yes, you can pre-book the same time each evening, different times each evening, or no reservation and just show up. Or any combination thereof.

 

Your choice to sit alone or with others.

 

 

Cheers.

[YadaYadaJodi]

Hi! I'm trying to understand this all too. I've only done MTD once and it was on Carnival.

 

If I make reservations for myself & DH does it ask at that time whether we would like to dine with others? If not, will that be arranged the first night we dine? Can we go back & forth - some nights with others, some just the 2 of us easily? Would it be best just to show up if we want a different arrangement on different nights?

 

This reservation thing is throwing me off. It sounds like Royal pushes reservations and trust me, I don't want to have to wait forever for a table if we happen to go at prime time, but in a way that seems to go against the flexibility of "my time dining".

 

I would like to be able to just show up every night whenever, but I'm worried that we are basically going to want to eat at "prime" time (close to early seating time) so we can still catch the shows afterwards. Guess if we show up and it's a long wait we could go to the early show and try to eat afterwards.

 

Help anyone? Do I really need reservations each night?

[i'm thinking at a minimum I will make reservations for the 2 formal nights.]

[Langley Cruisers]

This reservation thing is throwing me off. It sounds like Royal pushes reservations and trust me, I don't want to have to wait forever for a table if we happen to go at prime time, but in a way that seems to go against the flexibility of "my time dining".... I would like to be able to just show up every night whenever, but I'm worried that we are basically going to want to eat at "prime" time...

 

Understood. Yes Royal pushes the reservations for MTD; I guess it helps them plan better but in my opinion, if the MTD on a particular ship has a good and effective manager, it can be a wonderful thing. We have taken MTD on several cruises, and have never made a reservation. The longest we waited for a table was 2 minutes.

 

To help avoid a wait, I suggest the following: show up at "off-peak" peak times - odd times - such as 6:49 or 7:22 - that type of thing. That way, you will not get into the crowd of people who are showing up for 7 or 7:30 walk-ins (as an example) and you may experience little to no wait at all. Try it, anyway.

 

Have fun. :)

.

[YadaYadaJodi]

Understood. Yes Royal pushes the reservations for MTD; I guess it helps them plan better but in my opinion, if the MTD on a particular ship has a good and effective manager, it can be a wonderful thing. We have taken MTD on several cruises, and have never made a reservation. The longest we waited for a table was 2 minutes.

 

To help avoid a wait, I suggest the following: show up at "off-peak" peak times - odd times - such as 6:49 or 7:22 - that type of thing. That way, you will not get into the crowd of people who are showing up for 7 or 7:30 walk-ins (as an example) and you may experience little to no wait at all. Try it, anyway.

 

Have fun. :)

.

 

Thanks that makes me feel better. I think I will still make reservations for the formal nights - especially "lobster" night at least. Thanks for the info and the advice! :)

[Boston lab girl]

I have my time dining and wondering if you make a reservation can you always get the time you want or are sometimes full? Do you know ahead of time or does it only come up after you chose your time? Same question with specialty are they sometimes fill and how do you know? I know on my last cruise I had early and the line for my time the first evening I was told took over an hour. Never saw a line after though. I was thinking night one I would do speciaty and then maybe just show up after that.

[Langley Cruisers]

I think I will still make reservations for the formal nights - especially "lobster" night at least.

 

Yes, have read here that Formal Night has the longest line for walk-ins (no reservations). Good plan. :)

[soak01]

We, as a group of 3 did MTD on Rhapsody in Nov 2012. While we did pre-reserve times there was no problem changing times on a day by day basis. In fact, we were so impressed with our table staff on night 2 that we asked to be seated in their section from that point on which was accommodated despite our varied time selection.

 

I also liked that when we made our bookings for Chef's Table and Premium Dining, our MTD reservation was automatically cancelled for us.

 

Another word of advice, I don't know about other ships, but on Rhapsody there were entry points to the MDR on both sides of the ship. We found that by always using the same entry point, the maitre'd got to know us and we never had to wait for a table and were always warmly welcomed. MTD certainly seemed to provide the flexibility that we wanted. Also, looking over the balcony into the lower MDR (where fixed time dining is held) we noticed that quite often large tables, set for 8 or 10 people had only 2 or 4 people seated due I guess to other table members using the other dining facilities.

[roboref]

Jus off navigator of th seas, we booked last minute and were assigned mtd. We prefer late seating but thought this was an opportunity to give it a try. Before anyone flames me, let me say I realize this is not everyone's experience, but it was mine.

We made a reservation for 8pm on the first night and was seated almost immediately,hey this might not be so bad. Loved our server so on the way out made a reservation for 8 the next evening. The 2nd evening was an issue, realizing it was formal evening, arrived about 10 minutes early waited in line about 10 minutes then was told it would be maybe a 10-15 minute wait for our table/server. Ok well we can wait, 15 minutes th hostess comes back and says might be another 15 minutes or she could seat us at another table, so at this point we take another table in a different server's section. W didn't see a server for another 10 minutes. Well mtd isn't working out so great. A head waiter comes by to ask how we are doing. After explaining our delays almost an hour now, he jumped in and took our orders and waited on us. Great job from him. Another reservation the next night but not as much a delay.

Then we went to 2 speciality restaurants which were wonderful. Back to mtd the last 2 evening's, went ok, never did get out preferred server and one evening was waited on by the head waiter and the other by an assistant waiter.

So for us it was very similar to ncl freestyle which was not our favorite. So from now on I will either get late seating or not go. I t bought it w a s that bad.