YTD 5:45-9:30 latest time to arrive?

[Conwaycruiser]

I didn't know if 9:30 meant you should be finished by 9:30 or you could go to be seated up until 9:30?

[snc_cam]

I didn't know if 9:30 meant you should be finished by 9:30 or you could go to be seated up until 9:30?

 

I would think it is to be seated and it may be 9:00 not 9:30. I know we were still sitting at a table at 10pm once.

[Shaded Lady]

Not my personal experience but I've heard of people going to the YTD dining room as late as 9:15 and getting served... I'm sure like a retail store, if you get in before closing they'll serve you, but don't expect them to be thrilled about it if you show up at 9:29 and decide to linger over a leisurely meal!

[KenMo]

From Carnival's FAQs:

 

How does “Your Time Dining” work?

 

Your Time dining allows you to dine in the main dining room, at your leisure, anytime between 5:45 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Guests are seated first-come, first-serve, depending on party size. In most cases, guests are accommodated within 20 minutes. However, pagers are provided if all tables are occupied so guests can relax elsewhere on the ship until their table is ready. Due to the limited number of large table availability, parties with greater than 10 guests may need to be accommodated at different tables and in different areas of the dining room.

 

The way I read it is that you dine between 5:45 and 9:30. Sounds like they don't want you to arrive at 9:30.

 

It is a little ambiguous though.

 

JMO, but I wouldn't feel right arriving at 9:30 and making the servers work later than maybe they were expecting to. They get precious little time off as it is.

 

Hopefully, someone who has arrived at 9:30 could tell you how it was for sure.

[Florings]

I wonder when the busiest time is? 6:00 - 7:00 maybe?

 

We usually do early dining, but trying ATD this cruise. Mainly because a) I want to do the afternoon tea, but it was just too close to the early dining on past cruises; and b) on port days, gives more time for a nap and relaxing before getting ready for dinner.

 

But I would like, if possible, to miss the busiest time....And I surely won't go past 8:00!

Edited August 17, 2014 by Florings

[Conwaycruiser]

Thanks for the replies! I just wasn't sure. I know around home I don't go to a restaurant after 8:30 if they are supposed to close at 9:00. I just want to enjoy the sunsets on deck for as long as possible before going to eat!

[snc_cam]

agree with this. I very rarely miss a sunset (or sunrise too) which is why we either eat the late seating or YTD.

[Marmarjudy]

We always do YTD and arrive anywhere between 8:45 and 9:15. People come in after us and are still there when we leave. Waiters set up tables, etc., but it is a great time to talk with them. We never feel rushed and usually find a team we like and request them the rest of the cruise.

[bar1068]

We were on the Sunshine earlier this year had ATD...For various reasons, one day after getting back from our excursion in St. Thomas, my wife and I along with another couple arrived at the MDR around 9:15...much busier at that time on that particular day than we had anticipated. Regardless, we had a quite a nice dinner..had a server group we''d not had previously on the cruise, did not get the sense AT ALL they were bothered by our "late arrival". Meal was good, and we had good interaction with the staff.But of course, YMMV.