Dinner times

[funnyfarm9988]

What is your opinion of the early dining vs. choose your time dining?

[Ellusionz]

What is your opinion of the early dining vs. choose your time dining?

 

I've never done choose your own. But I like the late myself and sitting with a big group of people to make new friends with fellow cruisers and the waitstaff. Choose your own I believe its always different staff, don't know if they even seat you with other people.

[funnyfarm9988]

I figure 6 is too early and 8:15 is a little late and figured choose your own time will be better. I am just throwing this around. Thanks for your response.

[reerun25]

I have never tried the YTD, but I feel 6 is too early to have to get ready for dinner, so 8:15 works for us..

[JawjaFatBoy]

We've always done YTD. More flexibility; you can request same waitstaff if you want, you can sit at a table for only your group or you can request to sit with others, and you can eat around shows or activities.

[DallasGuy75219]

I figure 6 is too early and 8:15 is a little late and figured choose your own time will be better.

 

Same for me; 6:00 is too early and 8:15 is too late. I usually wond up going in the 7:00 hour or so. But it seems that service has declined and wait tmes have increased since ATD came out. I would suggest trying it for one cruise, and if it's not to your liking, choose assigned seting next time.

[funnyfarm9988]

I think I may try it this time. This is our first cruise. So excited. May 29-June 2 on Victory.

[Micahs Grandad]

We like to have the same waitstaff and dinner companions each night

[Savlamara]

We like to have the same waitstaff and dinner companions each night

 

Same, plus by the time you get your food its about 6:30 anyway so it works perfect for us. Its a little of a rush on port days but we deal with it.

[tandemcruzr]

I have never tried the YTD, but I feel 6 is too early to have to get ready for dinner, so 8:15 works for us..

 

This for us also. We like to go to a favorite bar about 7:30 and enjoy a before dinner drink. :D

[MarcelLucSell]

We would catch the early show, then late dining, then comedy club, then piano bar, to round out our nights.

[rudechuck]

I like walking into the dining room and not having to wait to be seated. We do late dining, which gives us lots of time to get ready and grab a snack if we get hungry before. However, we also rarely attend the shows (we talk about it, but usually end up "stuck" in the casino).

 

I've only done YTD twice and have had good and "less than good" (can't really say it was bad) experiences with both. On the Miracle last year we had to wait 20-30 minutes each night for a table. On the Freedom in 2011, we only had to wait on "cruise elegant" night.

 

I still prefer traditional dining, especially if there's more than just the two of us.

[funnyfarm9988]

Oh, maybe we will do the 6:00 one. Ill get with the people in the party and see. Heck me and mom may do 6:15 and my daughter and her boyfriend may do 8:15. I would like to catch some shows. It would be nice to meet with other people. I like that idea.

[cb at sea]

There is usually a before dinner show for late seating...no one needs to miss shows because of dinner!

[Cruise, J.D.]

We eat early at home, so YTD works well for us as it begins at 5:45. We are usually there when the doors open. On those days we are running behind, it allows us to show up later. Win win.

[riffatsea]

We LOVE Anytime Dining!

We prefer choosing our dinner companions so do not want to be seated with strangers!

We love having our own table. If we meet folks we like on the ship we can arrange to meet them at dinner and sit with them if they also have Anytime Dining.

We have always been able to find wait staff we like and then each night we just ask to be seated at the same table! On some ships it has become "our table" no matter what time we go in to dinner!

[Florings]

Have had early 6:00 dining on previous cruises and YTD on the last 2 cruises.

 

The YTD is good for being able to eat when you are ready, regardless of the time - especially on late port days, it is a great option.

The downside to YTD - the tables for 2 are so close together, you might as well be sitting with a group. There is always a wait, sometimes long enough to require a "pager". You don't necessarily get the same wait staff, unless you ask - and if they are good, sometimes there is a wait to sit in their area.

 

The scheduled dining is great for the relationship you develop with the wait staff. They entertain you, know your drinks, and call you by name.

The downside to scheduled dining (early dining for me) is you don't really get to enjoy the Taste Bar because it is too close to dinner time (I think opens at 5:30). I like going to tea time, but eating the little cakes and treats takes away my appetite for dinner at 6pm.

 

So it just depends on what you want to do during your days. Either way, enjoy!

[Yellowbird75]

We LOVE Anytime Dining!

We prefer choosing our dinner companions so do not want to be seated with strangers!

We love having our own table. If we meet folks we like on the ship we can arrange to meet them at dinner and sit with them if they also have Anytime Dining.

We have always been able to find wait staff we like and then each night we just ask to be seated at the same table! On some ships it has become "our table" no matter what time we go in to dinner!

 

Same here. We meet other people and join up for dinner or many times, it's just a lot more romantic for it to be only me and DH at dinner. We noticed a decline in service as well on our last cruise but I'm not sure that it's due to YTD because we had it on our 3 previous cruises and had no issues. DH had cruised before me with set dining but I've never tried it.

[LandlockedCruiser01]

I always did late seating (8:15 PM), and don't plan to change that anyone soon. Because I always stay up late on a cruise, sometimes until 3:00 AM, so the early seating would leave me hungry just when I'm dancing up a storm in the nightclub.

[1midsun]

We usually do the 6pm assigned dining time.

 

This is close to the time that we eat at home, and we enjoy the same wait staff, as well as meeting new people.

 

We ask for a large table. (I can dine with my husband anytime :) )

[SummerXU]

I'm debating this same thing right now. I've always done late dining so it won't interfere with ports and also so I can make sure I'm good and hungry. Sometimes, though, I feel like I end up waiting around for dinner time to arrive.

 

We are considering trying early dining on the Valor in September, but I worry about A. not being hungry at 6pm and B. having to rush back to get ready on port days. The upside is that we would then have the rest of the evening to enjoy the piano bar, comedy shows, etc.

 

We've also considered YTD for the flexibility and just to try something new, but I hate the possibility of having to wait for a table. I also enjoy getting to know my tablemates and waitstaff.

 

Decisions, decisions....

[fitoldguyinspeedo]

So.... couple questions. 1.) No matter if you choose early, late or anytime pre cruise, can you change if you dont like the times or situation after the cruise has begun? 2.) No offense but I dont like meeting new people. I'm only there for the sun, the sand, the water and my wife. So, which of the three, early, late or anytime are you able to get a table for two. In case the ship matters, it's the Fascination.

[doneinne]

We get a table for 2 all the time with anytime

[glassman352]

Always early dining for us. Enjoy sitting with others, having the same wait staff, NEVER have to wait for a table, then we end the night at Alchemy bar, theater show, or casino. :p

[stephkd]

We chose the anytime dining because we weren't sure when we'll want to eat on the cruise since this is our first time.

 

At home we typically eat pretty early, but we didn't want early seating because on the cruise ship we may get distracted with so much to do that don't want to get ready for dinner until 6pm, or we might want a nap first, or we may just not even be very hungry due to a filling lunch.

 

However I don't want to do the late dining because if my son is very hungry at 6pm we can either make him wait and be hungry and uncomfortable/bad mood on vacation or let him have a snack and then he won't be interested in dinner at all (food is really not a priority for him until his tummy is growling lol)...so anytime dining lets us have the flexibility.

 

If we find that we tend to eat early still or always go later, we'll probably do the set dining times on the next cruise because I think it would be an enjoyable way to meet other cruisers.