What happens if you miss your 5:00 dinner reservation?

[cc418]

I am new to cruising so forgive me if this is a lame question but we have booked a shore excursion on Nassau on our three day cruise on Enchantment of the Sea. It looks like the ship is docked 12 to midnight (if I read that right) but we probably won't be back on the ship before 5. Will they let you change the reservation to a later time for the one night or are they strict about the times?

Thanks

[LMaxwell]

Do you have traditional fixed dining time (early) or are you on mytime dining?

[Clarea]

I am new to cruising so forgive me if this is a lame question but we have booked a shore excursion on Nassau on our three day cruise on Enchantment of the Sea. It looks like the ship is docked 12 to midnight (if I read that right) but we probably won't be back on the ship before 5. Will they let you change the reservation to a later time for the one night or are they strict about the times?

Thanks

 

If you are in traditional dining (fixed), then you cannot change your dining time. Your options would be Windjammer (buffet), Park Cafe, or a specialty restaurant.

 

If you are in My Time Dining, there's no problem, you can show up when you like.

[cc418]

We have the 5:00 dining (fixed) and I think it is the formal night so we didn't want to miss. Thanks!

[cc418]

Thanks for the info. I believe it is the formal night so we didn't want to miss - sounds like we will just have to leave Atlantis early or skip dinner :) Thanks for the info

Christina

[Clarea]

We have the 5:00 dining (fixed) and I think it is the formal night so we didn't want to miss. Thanks!

I would guess you have 5:30pm dining. If you are going to be 5-10 minutes late, it's not a big deal.

[cc418]

I would guess you have 5:30pm dining. If you are going to be 5-10 minutes late, it's not a big deal.

 

Ah, you are right! 5:30.

But in general what do most people do if you are on the island from 12-midnight. Do they come back? Maybe a few hours is all you need at Atlantis? We booked the dolphin and water park.

Thanks

[Clarea]

Ah, you are right! 5:30.

But in general what do most people do if you are on the island from 12-midnight. Do they come back? Maybe a few hours is all you need at Atlantis? We booked the dolphin and water park.

Thanks

I would expect that folks going to Atlantis would stay as long as possible, as it is an expensive admission, and the kids would probably not want to leave.

[Biker19]

Ah, you are right! 5:30.

But in general what do most people do if you are on the island from 12-midnight. Do they come back? Maybe a few hours is all you need at Atlantis? We booked the dolphin and water park.

Thanks

 

You could always ask to see if the MDR will accommodate you either at late seating (8PM) or at MTD.

[knittinggirl]

We've missed dinner a few times, and simply visit the Windjammer.

 

In Le Harve, we had a an open seating at dinner because of the late sailing.

[cb at sea]

You always have the option of eating ashore! You don't HAVE to eat on the ship!

[Grandma Dazzles]

You could always ask to see if the MDR will accommodate you either at late seating (8PM) or at MTD.

 

Have always understood that switching is definitely not allowed. It is too much work, and complicates things for the staff. Too many people would be wanting to switch - that's why it is better to book MTD if you are not sure of your plans. You can't even switch between MTD and traditional. Unless things have changed would say this is a no.

[Kellydollblue]

Most cruise lines do not have formal night while still in a port.

Most cruises under 4 days don't do formal nights

Edited April 3, 2016 by Kellydollblue

[Stormy15]

They had formal night when we were docked late in Aruba but we enjoyed ourselves too much to go back on the ship early. Our tablemates told us lots of people had missed formal night that night. It was the 2nd formal night so it was lobster night.

 

 

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[LMaxwell]

Subpar dinner, hamburger, fries, pizza, etc. can easily run $100 for family of four at Atlantis. Whole place is a giant ripoff...

[spookwife]

I am new to cruising so forgive me if this is a lame question but we have booked a shore excursion on Nassau on our three day cruise on Enchantment of the Sea. It looks like the ship is docked 12 to midnight (if I read that right) but we probably won't be back on the ship before 5. Will they let you change the reservation to a later time for the one night or are they strict about the times?

Thanks

 

if you are on traditional dining you need to be there on schedule or choose to dine elsewhere( buffet, specialty restaurant, room service, etc)

 

if you have MTD you can choose to show up later but may have to wait.

[gerif]

Most cruise lines do not have formal night while still in a port.

Most cruises under 4 days don't do formal nights

 

But the cruise line and cruise that OP has chosen does. Don't get your response.

 

I'd hit the WJ that night.

[handbellplayer]

Have always understood that switching is definitely not allowed. It is too much work, and complicates things for the staff. Too many people would be wanting to switch - that's why it is better to book MTD if you are not sure of your plans. You can't even switch between MTD and traditional. Unless things have changed would say this is a no.

 

This may be true now, but back when we did traditional late dining (have done MTD since it has been available), a couple sat at our table one night that were booked in early dining. They had a late excursion and made prior arrangements to attend late dining. So it wouldn't hurt to ask.

[Merion_Mom]

Most cruise lines do not have formal night while still in a port.

Most cruises under 4 days don't do formal nights

 

But the cruise line and cruise that OP has chosen does. Don't get your response.

 

I'd hit the WJ that night.

 

I agree with gerif. Royal Caribbean DOES have a formal night on a four night cruise. It is night #2. And that is sometimes on the late-night-in-Nassau day.

[Alter Ego]

I don't know if they would do this, but I had an experience in Italy. We commented to our waiter the night before that we wouldn't be eating there the next night as our tour got back late. They told us to come anyways - that they were used to this and could accommodate us.

 

So, I would just ask them what you can do - maybe they are aware that many people historically eat off ship and your late return won't effect anything (although I say this without knowing how late you intend to be - we may have been less than an hour late.)

[nelblu]

I would expect that folks going to Atlantis would stay as long as possible, as it is an expensive admission, and the kids would probably not want to leave.

 

I've seen diners walk in 30 minutes late and were admitted with no problems. The worst was our first Serenade Med. cruise some years ago, as some diners waltzed in up to 1 hour late, and this was before the intro of MTD.

[green105]

Are we not allow to walk in and wait for a table just like a my time dining person would if we miss our fix time? Do they keep track of who's a fix dinner or mytime dinner?

[Ken at the beach]

Are we not allow to walk in and wait for a table just like a my time dining person would if we miss our fix time? Do they keep track of who's a fix dinner or mytime dinner?

 

Yes they keep track of who is assigned a fixed time and who is on My time. Fixed time have assigned seats at an assigned time. If you miss that there are other venues that you can eat at but not in the dining room.

[dahirsh]

a few years back, on my Explorer cruise I had traditional late seating. I had requested a large table but we never had more than 5 people total show up. One night people from early seating joined us, they had mentioned to their server the night before that they would probably miss dinner due to a late excursion. They were told to show up in time for late seating and they would be accomodated.

[Grandma Dazzles]

Are we not allow to walk in and wait for a table just like a my time dining person would if we miss our fix time? Do they keep track of who's a fix dinner or mytime dinner?

 

As posted previously, you cannot alternate between Traditional Fixed Dining and My Time Dining - you have to choose one or the other. If you miss your time, you should plan to eat at the buffet or a specialty restaurant (you might be able to make a reservation for later seating at a specialty restaurant, but you would have to pay for that.)