My Time Dining - should expand to one more deck

[The Fun Researcher]

OP, what time were you showing up for your MTD dinners?  That makes a huge difference.  Show up between 6:30 and 7:30 and the place is swamped, which is a result of how MTD is setup  Folks seated earlier aren't done with their meals yet and folks keep showing up trying to find tables.

 

We don't necessarily enjoy starting our meals early, but we show up towards the earlier side of the dining window.  Last week on the Navigator that was around 5:45pm, deck 3,  and there never was much of a line at all.  We stayed with our same table and waiters.

 

For those asking why some pick the same time every meal for MTD, I can tell you why we prefer it.  Flexibility.   First, we see where our table location is our first evening.  If we don't care for the table, or the waiters, we ask for an alternate for the next evening when we are leaving dinner.  Once we settle in on a table and servers, we tend to stay with that.  In order to hold that table, we show up earlier in the dining window so as not to have that table sit empty before we show up.  We also don't want to risk another group grabbing it because we didn't show up on time.  If we decide we don't want to eat that early, we will let the dining room staff know, so that they aren't holding our table, and then we can show up later whenever we want without reservations and still get to eat in the dining room rather than be forced to the buffet.

 

Editing to add that we have always been a table of between 6, 7, or 10 so we take up an entire table just with our group. 

Dan

Edited March 28, 2019 by The Fun Researcher

[dizgal64]

4 hours ago, Joseph2017China said:

One of the reasons, I like cruises is that I never worried about waiting in lines to eat dinner.  Just walk in, sit at my table, just like at home.  I always wonder why people pick MTD and than want to eat at 6:00 every night.  I had MTD once, and just didn't understand why people want to wait in lines.  I know people have reasons, but are they really that important on a ship?  Especially when fixed dining is so easy and stress free?

 

Well, we would pick traditional if it weren't so early (many times we wouldn't have been able to make it back from excursions and be ready for dinner for 5:30) or so late (we would have missed nearly every show on Oasis) so that's why we pick MTD for 6:30 every night. Or somewhere around that time. 

 

I want the freedom to be able to keep touring if I want to until it's time to head back to the ship. If we want to head back early, fine. I just don't want to HAVE to head back because of a dinner reservation. 

 

Over 3 cruises, we've been able to have the same table, servers, everything you would if you chose traditional dining. And the last one was last summer on Oasis and they said 6800 passengers were on board! wow. So our good fortune wasn't because we didn't have a full ship.

 

What I don't understand, is how my family has been able to do this with no waiting in line. ?? Because we are doing the same thing this fall on Adventure. We've made ressies for 6:30 again, this time only 4 of us instead of 6 or 8 like we have had in the past. Here's hoping we don't have issues once again. 

[cruiseguy1016]

On ‎3‎/‎24‎/‎2019 at 6:41 PM, jetta8300 said:

We really would LOVE a set dining time if we could actually guarantee a table for two.  Or a table for just our party.  I would love the same time, table and server each night.  But Because we can't guarantee that, we have always done MTD, and there is usually a wait and much more of a demand on every cruise we have been on.   It's annoying. 

 

One cruise we went on there was probably 200 people in line for MTD at 5:30 each night.  It was insane.  It was an East Coast cruise though, and people from east coast ports tend to eat earlier.  

 

You CAN guarantee that! Send an email to rcldining@rccl.com and request the size table that you want. We have done this multiple times and have always been given the table we asked for. They will send a confirmation email so you know that your request has been honored.

[molole]

I was told by a royal rep that on Symphony MTD is on deck 5 and 4 and traditional dining only on deck 3. Sounds like they are doing exactly what op is hoping for.

[denamo]

On ‎3‎/‎21‎/‎2019 at 3:49 PM, StrikeEagle said:

Just got of Liberty of the Seas last week,  when I went to My Time Dinning on deck 3,  every night there were very long lines for both with reservations and without reservations. After the long line we got to the host which told us no table is available and we waited for a while for a table.  I did make reservation for MTD for the whole week at the same time.  Right now the only dinning room serve MTD is only on deck 3.   It seems more guests picked MTD instead of the traditional dining time which serves on both deck 4 and 5.    When MTD came out years ago,  I remember there were not long of a line to get a table the dinning room,  but for the last few cruises, I experience long line and waiting time for MTD even when I have reservations every evening.   

 

I just filled out the post-cruise survey and suggest RCI to expand the MTD dinning area to at least one more deck.   Does anyone here beside me felt that MTD is becoming more popular than traditional time dinning?

Have cruised on a Princess ship that turns one of their dining room into MTD after a certain time.  Believe it was after 7:00. Seems like Royal could do something along that line.  We thought it was a good solution to not having to go to late dining but also not wanting to eat at 5:30 either. 

[Eldaph]

6 hours ago, Joseph2017China said:

One of the reasons, I like cruises is that I never worried about waiting in lines to eat dinner.  Just walk in, sit at my table, just like at home.  I always wonder why people pick MTD and than want to eat at 6:00 every night.  I had MTD once, and just didn't understand why people want to wait in lines.  I know people have reasons, but are they really that important on a ship?  Especially when fixed dining is so easy and stress free?

We had no choice, the early seating was already full so I now have reservations for every evening on MTD.  I like having that option instead of being forced to sit down to eat at 8pm in the dining room.  I hope we don't have long waits every evening.  

[Biker19]

4 hours ago, denamo said:

Have cruised on a Princess ship that turns one of their dining room into MTD after a certain time.  Believe it was after 7:00. Seems like Royal could do something along that line.  We thought it was a good solution to not having to go to late dining but also not wanting to eat at 5:30 either. 

RCI didn't fare well last time they tried making a change to the traditional dining scheme (Dynamic Dining).

[John&LaLa]

11 hours ago, sellwingri said:

With the exception of Jewel, all of my recent cruises have MTD on the main floor and set dining time upstairs.  Sounds like it’s just me but I’m not a fan of MTD and have only done it once.  I like the set dining time and getting to know the people at my table.  

 

We gave up on traditional dining several years ago because we got tired of sitting alone at an 8 top. 

 

FWIW, being Pinnacle or Suite is really nice for MTD. You can walk up and get a 2 top immediately 

[Clarea]

4 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

We gave up on traditional dining several years ago because we got tired of sitting alone at an 8 top.

 

Same here.

[Mikew0805]

1 hour ago, John&LaLa said:

 

We gave up on traditional dining several years ago because we got tired of sitting alone at an 8 top. 

 

FWIW, being Pinnacle or Suite is really nice for MTD. You can walk up and get a 2 top immediately 

We are not Pinnacle, and we do not stay in suites, and we still walk up and get a 2 top immediately sometimes, almost immediately the rest of the time. 😉 I will no longer sit at a table with others. Too many bad experiences.

Edited March 29, 2019 by Mikew0805

[John&LaLa]

5 minutes ago, Mikew0805 said:

We are not Pinnacle, and we do not stay in suites, and we still walk up and get a 2 top immediately sometimes, almost immediately the rest of the time. 😉 I will no longer sit at a table with others. Too many bad experiences.

 

Pinnacle/Suite skips the line on Oasis class. And there's always a line. 😉

[denamo]

2 hours ago, Biker19 said:

RCI didn't fare well last time they tried making a change to the traditional dining scheme (Dynamic Dining).

Yes, never had the opportunity to try Dynamic Dining.  Princess didn't really change the traditional dining scheme. They figured a way to utilize their dining rooms to better fit the needs of cruisers.  More cruisers wanted MTD rather than a later dining time. And MTD patrons had the option to go to any dining room offering MTD with or without a reservation.  

[Mikew0805]

Just now, John&LaLa said:

 

Pinnacle/Suite skips the line on Oasis class. And there's always a line. 😉

True we do not get to skip the line. As a nurse that "always" comment makes me cringe. No line on Harmony the 4 nights I went between 6p-7p. However, let me be clear, there were two queues and the one that was for reservations was lined up, and the one for no reservations was open. Seems to be how it always (hehe) is for us. 

[Mikew0805]

4 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Pinnacle/Suite skips the line on Oasis class. And there's always a line. 😉

oh.. and I think that is cool that there is a way around the line for P's and suites. That much time, and/or that much money should have those kind of perks.

Edited March 29, 2019 by Mikew0805

[John&LaLa]

1 minute ago, Mikew0805 said:

True we do not get to skip the line. As a nurse that "always" comment makes me cringe. No line on Harmony the 4 nights I went between 6p-7p. However, let me be clear, there were two queues and the one that was for reservations was lined up, and the one for no reservations was open. Seems to be how it always (hehe) is for us. 

 

Apologies for the always. I feel the same way

[Mikew0805]

Just now, John&LaLa said:

 

Apologies for the always. I feel the same way

It's cool.. I was just teasing. 🙂

[John&LaLa]

1 minute ago, Mikew0805 said:

oh.. and I think that is cool that there is a way around the line for P's and suites. That much time, and/or that much money should have those kind of perks.

 

There are 4 podiums, we go to the second one on the right.

[Mikew0805]

2 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

There are 4 podiums, we go to the second one on the right.

I did not realize that is was what it was for. That is nice, and I do not think I have ever seen a line there. I still think the idea of Coastal Kitchen sounds better, but I guess once you have done that for a while, you may want a change to the MDR every so often... or to sit with friends.