Confused about dining - Oasis of the Seas

[Clarea]

I recently booked Oasis and requested late dining but it is booked up so I will have to settle for mtd. My cruise is five months out and I was surprised that late dining was not available. I did get reservations for 8:30 mtd every evening, though.

I see traditional booked up a year in advance, routinely. However, I've been able to get on the waitlist, and usually clear the waitlist before final payment date.

[Artemus]

I have requested a table for two by the window mtd with the same waiter each evening through my ta (Club Royale) and am waiting to hear back from them. I prefer to be on the main level, so from what I am reading here now, mtd is on the main level, so I guess that would be perfect.

[h20skibum]

Not certain, but they may have been moving some of the MTD into the other two dining rooms to accommodate them. On our Oasis cruise in November, we saw different couples at a two top near our table in the main dining room almost every night. I think they waited until after a certain time to see if anyone would show, before releasing the table. Or, maybe Royal knew the table would not be in use.

[seguincruiser]

I was surprised when I booked our Oasis cruise in Nov 2015 for Oct 2016 that traditional dinning was full. They gave us MTD but put us on a wait list. I'm new to RCL so maybe someone can answer this: when I'm closer to my cruise I can make a reservation for a certain time under MTD?:confused:

[Clarea]

I was surprised when I booked our Oasis cruise in Nov 2015 for Oct 2016 that traditional dinning was full. They gave us MTD but put us on a wait list. I'm new to RCL so maybe someone can answer this: when I'm closer to my cruise I can make a reservation for a certain time under MTD?:confused:

Yes, at some point, reservations for MTD will be open on your cruise, and you can use Royal's wonderful website to reserve your times.

[molly361]

Not certain, but they may have been moving some of the MTD into the other two dining rooms to accommodate them. On our Oasis cruise in November, we saw different couples at a two top near our table in the main dining room almost every night. I think they waited until after a certain time to see if anyone would show, before releasing the table. Or, maybe Royal knew the table would not be in use.

 

We noticed the same thing on the Oasis on our November sailing as well. We had early seating and saw different couples sitting around us on different evenings.

Edited January 4, 2016 by molly361

[PrincessBelle39]

Thanks for all the information everyone. I was hopelessly confused. We've only cruised Disney in the past and that was so straight forward - only a choice between early/late dining. I see I need to get in early though. We are cruising in July next year so hopefully it wont be a problem.

[PrincessBelle39]

It certainly doesn't help that when you click the "Dining" page on Royal's homepage it takes you to a page about Dynamic Dining as opposed to this page on Dining Options

 

Even that confused me. Its talking about Silk as being a Pan-Asian restaurant and American Icon as being american comfort food. I didn't understand how the MDR menus fitted in.

[garnetpalmetto]

Even that confused me. Its talking about Silk as being a Pan-Asian restaurant and American Icon as being american comfort food. I didn't understand how the MDR menus fitted in.

 

That is what Silk and American Icon are on the Quantum class and what they would have been on the Oasis class had Dynamic Dining actually been implemented, complete with separate menus. However, they're just names now. A good comparison would be to the Freedom class, where each deck of the MDR has a different name. (On Freedom they're Leonardo, Isaac, and Galileo; on Independence they're Romeo & Juliet, MacBeth, and King Lear; on Liberty they're Rembrandt, Michelangelo, and Botticelli). Likewise, American Icon, Grande, and Silk are just names on Oasis and Allure without any particular significant attached to them beyond the decor of that deck of the MDR.

[cruisegal40]

We had to get late seating on our up coming Allure cruise. MTD was full. Not sure if I want to be wait listed or not, however, I don't want to sit with others as we have done MTD for years now between different cruise lines.

[mil76]

That is what Silk and American Icon are on the Quantum class and what they would have been on the Oasis class had Dynamic Dining actually been implemented, complete with separate menus. However, they're just names now. A good comparison would be to the Freedom class, where each deck of the MDR has a different name. (On Freedom they're Leonardo, Isaac, and Galileo; on Independence they're Romeo & Juliet, MacBeth, and King Lear; on Liberty they're Rembrandt, Michelangelo, and Botticelli). Likewise, American Icon, Grande, and Silk are just names on Oasis and Allure without any particular significant attached to them beyond the decor of that deck of the MDR.

 

I found on Oasis the branding is so much more in your face as opposed to the neutrality of the MDR decks on other ships, especially in Silk. It was strange to be surrounded by Asian decor with the Silk logo staring me in the face on a TV monitor every night as we ate our Italian/American/anything non-Asian food. It's a clear reminder of the epic fail that was someone's bright "bring DD to Oasis/Allure" idea.

[KiwiFunCruiser]

Correct, you can still choose traditional dining on Oasis class. However, traditional currently is on the top two decks. The lowest deck is being used by My Time.

 

Thank's also for that info, I was a bit confused myself.

[egh170]

Typical Royal B.S. Treat the rowdies like class and the class like rowdies. It used to be traditional on the lower deck. Not anymore. It's "MY CRUISE", "MY VACATION" get the preference. I am going on my last cruise with Royal. Crystal is my choice.

[kristinp36]

We still prefer traditional early dining and find it harder and harder to get.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

I found on Oasis the branding is so much more in your face as opposed to the neutrality of the MDR decks on other ships, especially in Silk. It was strange to be surrounded by Asian decor with the Silk logo staring me in the face on a TV monitor every night as we ate our Italian/American/anything non-Asian food. It's a clear reminder of the epic fail that was someone's bright "bring DD to Oasis/Allure" idea.

 

Yeah, the themes really need to be toned down. Don't ask me how, but it looks bad now. Maybe we'll see a change in a little less than 4 years when Oasis goes back to dry dock. I wonder what they're doing with Harmony's MDR. Hopefully keeping a classic style since DD is gone.

 

It's really amazing the difference between how corporate thought DD was going to work out, and how DD actually worked out. There was talk on these boards about rumors that they were even going to close up the floors in Freedom's MDR to make way for the new restaurants. Imagine if they went that route?! They honestly were going to get DD to as many ships as possible as fast as possible. That was until Quantum debuted last November...

 

I was about ready to ditch Royal Caribbean when that whole CF happened.

[Shell4624]

Possibly, but I am more inclined to think that more and more people are choosing MTD.

 

Makes me wonder. I booked our Allure cruise one year out (booked on 10/28/15) for the 10/23/16 sailing. We booked through a TA. We were told ONLY MTD was available. No traditional early or late seating available, which I found odd, since we were so far out.

 

I have never followed up or waitlisted, but we are a party of 8 and would like to sit together at least 4 out of the 7 nights on board.

 

Should I make a fuss? Is it typical for traditional seating to be unavailable so far out from sail date?

[Clarea]

Makes me wonder. I booked our Allure cruise one year out (booked on 10/28/15) for the 10/23/16 sailing. We booked through a TA. We were told ONLY MTD was available. No traditional early or late seating available, which I found odd, since we were so far out.

 

I have never followed up or waitlisted, but we are a party of 8 and would like to sit together at least 4 out of the 7 nights on board.

 

Should I make a fuss? Is it typical for traditional seating to be unavailable so far out from sail date?

I would at least ask the TA to put you on the waitlist, if possible.

 

Also, even if you get stuck in MTD, you can sit together. Just link your bookings so you can make reservations for the group.

[negc]

Makes me wonder. I booked our Allure cruise one year out (booked on 10/28/15) for the 10/23/16 sailing. We booked through a TA. We were told ONLY MTD was available. No traditional early or late seating available, which I found odd, since we were so far out.

 

I have never followed up or waitlisted, but we are a party of 8 and would like to sit together at least 4 out of the 7 nights on board.

 

Should I make a fuss? Is it typical for traditional seating to be unavailable so far out from sail date?

 

There shouldn't be a problem dining together in MTD as they make every effort to accommodate guests and there are tables that will seat 8 in My Time Dining. Just speak to the staff in the MTD section when you board and they can reserve a spot for your group. You can even dine at different times each evening if you so choose, and elect to dine in other venues on the nights when you don't want to eat in the main dining room.