FTTF and Dining Times

[Florings]

Really! So it's just a gamble I guess. Seems to be kinda hard to say one way or another for certain. Well, I am glad that you had a great experience with ATD!

 

My family and I will be accompanied by a couple who is, out of my family, a friend of mine of whom will be having a family get-together cruise. Although we did book the trip on account of her invite I know we wont be planning all our events (on the ship or off the ship) together considering. I do want to be available in case we do all decide to dine together, however. It'll be my husband, sister, brother-in-law, and me dining together every night for sure.

 

My other concern is, perhaps if we had a set time dining option chosen would we have to miss out on an event we really want to attend of which might be scheduled at the same time.

 

It's tough. I am doing all the planning and I just want to make the best decision for us. I really appreciate your input!

 

With this in mind, if you want to make yourself available in the event you want to dine with the larger group, it would be best to choose ATD - that is, of course, if the larger group also has ATD.

 

That way, just the four of you can eat together at a table for 4 most nights - at whichever time you choose. And on those nights that you eat with the larger group, you will just meet at ATD for a larger table with your big group.

 

It will not be a long wait - if there is any wait at all, you can have a cocktail or cold drink while you wait and enjoy any music or activity that is close to the dining room.

[opensaysme]

With this in mind, if you want to make yourself available in the event you want to dine with the larger group, it would be best to choose ATD - that is, of course, if the larger group also has ATD.

 

That way, just the four of you can eat together at a table for 4 most nights - at whichever time you choose. And on those nights that you eat with the larger group, you will just meet at ATD for a larger table with your big group.

 

It will not be a long wait - if there is any wait at all, you can have a cocktail or cold drink while you wait and enjoy any music or activity that is close to the dining room.

 

That sounds brilliant! Thank you so much!

[KoalaWala]

When you book you choose which dining you want. Early, Late, or Anytime. In each they set aside a certain number for Diamond guests (and maybe others as well. I don't know their exact formula) right off the bat. That leaves "x" amount of space for everyone else.

 

They only allocate 40 reservations for each dining choice. Once they are all filled up and all three options are waitlisted, they will release another 40 for each dining time.

[firemanbobswife]

They only allocate 40 reservations for each dining choice. Once they are all filled up and all three options are waitlisted, they will release another 40 for each dining time.

 

 

Haven't seen or heard that before. 40 seats is such a small amount. I was wait listed for early for my last cruise so I had to pick late. Knew for sure I didn't want ATD. Also had FTTF. Kept checking it multiple times a day. The other 2 options remained open when I finally got wait list cleared for early. The other 2 never had wait list status so I'm not sure that theory is totally accurate.

[KoalaWala]

It's 40 reservations, not seats. Since reservations can be 2-5, once they fill up they do a head count to see how many more full reservations can be added. They also leave a big gap for guests doing 'travel with.' If there's one spot for early, someone gets it, and then 'travels with' 7 other cabins on early waitlist, those 7 will be given the spot.

 

They may have filled up in a day from group bookings and then they all got reopened and you were assigned your waitlisted time.

Edited March 23, 2016 by KoalaWala

[firemanbobswife]

I'm just saying that there were weeks in between the time I booked vs when I was waitlist cleared. And it was after final payment. Not once during that time were the other 2 wait listed. Who knows. Anyway, I believe the OPs question about FTTF and getting the assigned dining times has been answered.