Q about My Time Dining

[Greenpea2]

I have a cruise booked with RCI for next May. It's been a few years since I cruised with Royal, but I am familiar with MTD--at least how it worked a few years ago. I went ahead and reserved MTD at 6:30 each night. We will want to do Specialty two nights. My question is this: On those nights we eat elsewhere do we need to notify the MDR that we won't be there on those 2 nights or do we just not show up? Not sure how that works. Thanks in advance. 

[davekathy]

1 minute ago, Greenpea2 said:

I have a cruise booked with RCI for next May. It's been a few years since I cruised with Royal, but I am familiar with MTD--at least how it worked a few years ago. I went ahead and reserved MTD at 6:30 each night. We will want to do Specialty two nights. My question is this: On those nights we eat elsewhere do we need to notify the MDR that we won't be there on those 2 nights or do we just not show up? Not sure how that works. Thanks in advance. 

We would just out of courtesy. 

[Biker19]

5 minutes ago, Greenpea2 said:

On those nights we eat elsewhere do we need to notify the MDR that we won't be there on those 2 nights or do we just not show up?

Be kind and cancel the MTD reservations for the those two nights - you can do it up to 30 minutes before scheduled time on the RCI app.

 

Biker, who assumes the RCI app will be available on all ships by next May.

Edited May 20, 2020 by Biker19

[Greenpea2]

Ok, thanks. I just wasn’t sure what they prefer or if they hold a table or what they do. I will of course notify them. 

[LeeW]

If you made MTD reservations for the same time every night they will seat you at the same table with same wait staff every night unless you ask to be seated at different tables.  We let both the waiters and checkin folks know if we won't be there the next night (or if we might be late so they will keep the table for us).

 

If you buy a specialty meal and the time conflicts with a MTD reservation the system will let you pick one or the other.  If you buy a package of multiple meals you generally only make the first night reservations and it SHOULD tell you there is a conflict.  Once onboard you make the rest of the reservations at any dining room or the dining desk and they will see your MTD reservations that conflict and help you cancel them.

[lenquixote66]

1 hour ago, Greenpea2 said:

I have a cruise booked with RCI for next May. It's been a few years since I cruised with Royal, but I am familiar with MTD--at least how it worked a few years ago. I went ahead and reserved MTD at 6:30 each night. We will want to do Specialty two nights. My question is this: On those nights we eat elsewhere do we need to notify the MDR that we won't be there on those 2 nights or do we just not show up? Not sure how that works. Thanks in advance. 

We eat at the same table every evening and notify our waiter in advance if we will not be there on a specific night just to be polite.When we have dined at tables just for the two of us and we’re not going to be there we never had the need to tell anyone.

[Greenpea2]

35 minutes ago, LeeW said:

If you made MTD reservations for the same time every night they will seat you at the same table with same wait staff every night unless you ask to be seated at different tables.  We let both the waiters and checkin folks know if we won't be there the next night (or if we might be late so they will keep the table for us).

 

If you buy a specialty meal and the time conflicts with a MTD reservation the system will let you pick one or the other.  If you buy a package of multiple meals you generally only make the first night reservations and it SHOULD tell you there is a conflict.  Once onboard you make the rest of the reservations at any dining room or the dining desk and they will see your MTD reservations that conflict and help you cancel them.

Good info. We won’t be buying a package, I don’t think. But would like to eat at the Steak place one night, and the Italian place another night. So if I reserve those two online, as long as I don’t reserve for the same time as our MTD, it will go through ok?

[Greenpea2]

16 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

We eat at the same table every evening and notify our waiter in advance if we will not be there on a specific night just to be polite.When we have dined at tables just for the two of us and we’re not going to be there we never had the need to tell anyone.

That makes sense. Thank you.

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, Greenpea2 said:

So if I reserve those two online, as long as I don’t reserve for the same time as our MTD, it will go through ok?

You can have both MTD and Specialty reserved, the Planner will give you a reminder that you already have something, but you can book them.

[Greenpea2]

7 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

You can have both MTD and Specialty reserved, the Planner will give you a reminder that you already have something, but you can book them.

OK, I get it now. Appreciate all the help. 🙂