Question regarding My Time Dining

[centralfloridacowgirl]

Ok I need clarification regarding My Time Dining because I got an email from RCL telling me that I need to go online and make my reservations before I sail in March. I thought with My Time Dining I could just show up in the MDR when we were ready for dinner without reservations. My question is will we be able to just show or do I have to make reservations because I really don't know at this time we want to eat dinner every night. Thanks again

[setsail]

Show up. Lots of people do. That's why the ones with no resi can have a line/wait

Edited January 22, 2016 by setsail

[Ashland]

Ok I need clarification regarding My Time Dining because I got an email from RCL telling me that I need to go online and make my reservations before I sail in March. I thought with My Time Dining I could just show up in the MDR when we were ready for dinner without reservations. My question is will we be able to just show or do I have to make reservations because I really don't know at this time we want to eat dinner every night. Thanks again

 

Ignore this...Sorry that you interpreted it as something you "need" to do...not true...Show up whenever "you're" ready to dine. We usually always request a table for 2 and have never had no more than a 5 min. wait if even that....enjoy MTD.

[tserface]

We typically make reservations for the time we'd like to eat if we know. If we change our mind or get hungry earlier we just go and they always have a seat. I think making reservations help them figure out how many people are going to come when. I think about it sort of like a restaurant. If I have a reservation they know that I am coming and about when. If I don't I just have to hope there are tables available.

 

As it turns out, if you go early there are typically no waits anyway.

 

The really weird thing is, unlike Princess, they don't have a line for reservations so even if you have a reservation you have to stand in the same line with everyone else. I always thought that was kind of a weird deal. I would think if you have a reservation you could go to a different line, but, it's never worked that way so far as I've seen.

 

So... if you want to help them schedule you could make a reservation, but it probably won't make you any difference.

 

Tom

[centralfloridacowgirl]

Thank you for answering my question and we don't mind waiting a few minutes for a table.

[ken_nyc]

Ok I need clarification regarding My Time Dining because I got an email from RCL telling me that I need to go online and make my reservations before I sail in March. I thought with My Time Dining I could just show up in the MDR when we were ready for dinner without reservations. My question is will we be able to just show or do I have to make reservations because I really don't know at this time we want to eat dinner every night. Thanks again

 

We made our reservations already for our June Harmony cruise, if we have to change any while on ship we will do so. I hear people do just show up but there can be a wait depending on the size of your party it could take longer.

[Russ Lomas]

Ok I need clarification regarding My Time Dining because I got an email from RCL telling me that I need to go online and make my reservations before I sail in March. I thought with My Time Dining I could just show up in the MDR when we were ready for dinner without reservations. My question is will we be able to just show or do I have to make reservations because I really don't know at this time we want to eat dinner every night. Thanks again

We got the exact same email for our upcoming March cruise. We HAVE already booked all our MTD dining times (although you do not have to). We did this a few weeks ago. Just a blanket email to all MTD cruisers I guess even if you have already made your reservations.

[Aus ATC]

We typically will make reservations before travel, but (unless I am mistaken) it doesn't seem to make any difference when it comes time to go to dinner. We just queue up with everyone else and seem to be seated in the same order - subject to preferred table size.

[spookwife]

Ok I need clarification regarding My Time Dining because I got an email from RCL telling me that I need to go online and make my reservations before I sail in March. I thought with My Time Dining I could just show up in the MDR when we were ready for dinner without reservations. My question is will we be able to just show or do I have to make reservations because I really don't know at this time we want to eat dinner every night. Thanks again

 

 

either or. however a very large party(more than 4) or at the most populalr time( 530-7 or so) may have waits.

 

this is what we do: we make ressies for the first night ONLY.

 

then once on board we make reservations early afternoon the rest of the week.

 

although in fairness the current menus are boring to us now so we tend to do specialty of just make do with what the Lounge serves.

[cgolf1]

New to RCCL and really curious as to how this is going to work. We don't do late dining so had to take the my time dining so we could eat early. The interesting part for me is being GF how it will work out with always having to preorder my meals. Our TA is going to watch for early dining for us, so hope we officially snag a spot. Switching lines is like we have never cruised, so much to learn.

[cb at sea]

You do NOT need reservations for MTD...show up, get seated, like in any restaurant!

[goneclear]

When you arrive at the MTD dining room entrance there will be two desks, one on the left and one on the right. One desk will be for people who have had a reservation time set and the other will be for walk ups with no reservations. We have done it both ways. With a reservation the longest we have had to wait for a table for two is 5 minutes. Without a reservation the longest may have been 15 minutes max.

[villager70]

There are not always two desk for my time dinning. On serenade you enter on either side of the dinning rooms but only one line for no reservations/ and reservations in Nov. Two weeks ago on Allure used two desk system and had twenty five chairs in center for non reservations to wait for open table. Bob

[Goodtime Cruizin]

It's sort of like 'call ahead seating'. Those with reservations will have priority seating, those that do not are filled as quickly as possible. If you plan to dine between 6 & 7:30pm I suggest a reservation as this 'prime time' and it can get a bit hectic. But it is not an absolute need to make a reservation.

[Aulanis]

Just as an aside we are thinking of booking our first RCI Cruise so have been researching a few things including MTD and the unusual idea of having to pay gratuities up front.

First question is can these gratuities be adjusted?

on other cruises they always have been. We normally just go with the flow but on one occasion we did feel the service was poor and had it reduced. Not by a lot, but just to make a point.

In doing my "research" I came across this on Cruisefever.net

bill from roswell,ga says

October 1, 2015 at 4:53 pm

spoke with royal Carib rep today who said prepaid grats are now out if you are using My Time Dining

 

Reply

- See more at: http://cruisefever.net/how-does-royal-caribbeans-my-time-dining-work/#sthash.gndVkAAU.dpuf

 

Can anyone comment on that as it looks like 3month on its still something

often queried.

Edited January 27, 2016 by Help@

[Elva]

I would echo the advice to make a reservation for the first night. My son and I showed up at MTD around 6:00 PM on the first night of our Med cruise last summer and they said they wouldn't be able to seat us until around 8:30. We opted to eat in the windjammer that first night but made a standing reservation for the rest of the week for around 6:15. I would stop by in the afternoon (or call) to cancel if I saw that we weren't going to use the reservation on a particular day.

[yogi]

They like you to make reservations so that you are with the same waiters

all week . We had a 6:30 reservation each night. The last night people with a later time showed up at 6:30 and were seated at out table.{Which was their table at another time} We had made plans with the waiter for a birthday celebration. We were asked to return in 20 minutes. Which we did.. Still no table.

We went to the windjammer. Our waiter, assistant and head waiter found us there after hearing what happened. They had a delicious cake and sang HB.

So, reservations help not only the staff but other passengers that have reservations but no table because people just show up.

[Aulanis]

Sorry my post above was so messy I have asked CC to tidy it up:o

 

Anyway have now booked LOTS and agent suggested there was no

alternative but to take MTD so that is what we got.

[LaShelle2]

We'll be sailing the Adventure out or San Juan and the ship leaves port 8pm. We have late seating dinner, but enjoy being on deck for sail away festivities. Will they allow us to eat early the first day even if we don't have my time dining?

[Clarea]

We'll be sailing the Adventure out or San Juan and the ship leaves port 8pm. We have late seating dinner, but enjoy being on deck for sail away festivities. Will they allow us to eat early the first day even if we don't have my time dining?

No, you cannot change your traditional time for one day. An alternative would be Windjammer or a specialty restaurant.

[FSRoberts]

When you arrive at the MTD dining room entrance there will be two desks, one on the left and one on the right. One desk will be for people who have had a reservation time set and the other will be for walk ups with no reservations. We have done it both ways. With a reservation the longest we have had to wait for a table for two is 5 minutes. Without a reservation the longest may have been 15 minutes max.

 

Just off the Serenade and that is not how it worked AT ALL. There was one line for everyone, reservations or not. We waited 20 minutes for a table the first night we went (night 2 after Chops night 1). Our reservations were meaningless. We gave up on the dining room after 2 bad dinners and stuck with the Windjammer.

[Aulanis]

Well a step in the right direction as far as I am concerned

Quote:

"Are the cruise lines listening to their customers about tipping?

That’s what we were left wondering this weekend after it was announced that Celebrity Cruises will no longer require guests to pre-pay gratuities when booking for Select Dining on-board their ships.

Celebrity Select Dining is what’s known as Freedom Dining by other cruise lines. Whilst you still dine in the main dining room you can vary the time you dine at and your table size each night depending on what you fancy.

In the past, customers have had to pre-pay all of their gratuities in advance if they want to select what time they eat (and these are between $11-$15 per person per day depending on their chosen room).

Many of our customers had complained in the past that they do not wish to pre-pay gratuities as they liked to pay them on-board if they deem the service good enough. If select dining was the only option available to them at the time of booking they’d have no choice but to pre-pay gratuities with no say in the matter.

However, Celebrity Cruises have now said: “Gratuities will no longer automatically be added to bookings with Celebrity Select Dining. Similar to bookings with Traditional Dining, pre-paid gratuities can still be added to bookings if the guest desires, but they will no longer be required as they have been in the past.”“This change is effective for all new bookings made for any open deployment.” - See more at: http://www.cruise.co.uk/news/cruise-line-reverses-its-position-on-compulsory-tipping/?utm_campaign=BULLETIN260116&utm_medium=email&utm_source=BULLETIN260116&email=celdor@tiscali.co.uk&eb_position=1&utm_campaign=toparticleone#sthash.uh7bHXkm.dpuf

Edited January 27, 2016 by Aulanis
added quotes

[In_Steerage]

Sometimes cruise lines listen to customers, but it may take a while.

 

I complained on this message board years ago about the fuel surcharge, as well as the policy of forcing one to pay tips up front based on your "non-choice" of dining (see below). Nice to see both policies have been dropped, although I've been flamed by several posters for taking this position. :confused:

 

No other vacation / travel / or pre-paid order of any kind that I'm aware of has had these policies in place. Probably because no other industry has a ticket contract like that of a cruise!

 

I believe the My Time Dining / Prepaid tips policy was a sham anyway just to help the cruise lines cash flow. We always opt for late dining, and anybody who's ever cruised on any ship knows that there are always a sea of empty tables for late seating - it NEVER fills up. Yet time and again I've been told that I must opt for My Time Dining because Late Dining was full, and there was no waitlist!

 

BTW - this policy was not only reversed on Celebrity as a previous poster indicated, but also on RC. :D

[Aulanis]

 

BTW - this policy was not only reversed on Celebrity as a previous poster indicated, but also on RC. :D

 

Hi - where did you see that? I asked above in post 15

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=48864903&postcount=15

 

Not getting any replies and wanting to get booked I went ahead but our agent said we could not have traditional dining and had to have MTD.

I dont yet know if we will have to pay tips up front - at least he didnt ask for them with the deposit- we dont go til October..

[stowite]

Hi - where did you see that? I asked above in post 15

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=48864903&postcount=15

 

Not getting any replies and wanting to get booked I went ahead but our agent said we could not have traditional dining and had to have MTD.

I dont yet know if we will have to pay tips up front - at least he didnt ask for them with the deposit- we dont go til October..

 

We are booked for Allure this summer and were only able to get MTD. I had read that pre-paid gratuities are no longer required for MTD but that often times the online booking system will still automatically charge the prepaid gratuities. That is exactly what happened to us but I was easily able to call and have the pre-paid gratuities removed. The only reason I even bothered is because I want to use our OBC to pay for the gratuities.