True or False... MTD opens later post-Covid than it used to?

[CruiseMelissa]

We love eating early in MTD and have never had a problem doing so.  I have three cruises coming up, the earliest MTD reservation I could get on all of them were 6:30/6:45.  I thought maybe this was because others had scooped up the earlier times but was skeptical given that I know we're often in the minority wanting a 5:15/5:30 reservation.  

 

I saw people talking on FB groups about the fact that My Time Dining doesn't open as early as it used to post-Covid but others saying that's not the case.  

 

The next cruise we have is December 29 on Brilliance and the app shows the MTD dining room opens at 5:15, despite the fact that the earliest reservations available since I started checking months ago are 6:45.  I tend to think that the app opening time is right and we'll easily be able to slide into an early spot but it sounds like others are having a different experience.

 

Any experts on here that have cruised recently have any insight?

[Joseph2017China]

The ships have less staff.  So, early dining is seated, and depending on the tables being used, they start seating MDT within the same area as fixed dining.  So, in the dining room one table is reserved for fixed, and another is reserved for mtd.  Thus, they have the same reduced staff, handling all tables in a staggered way to cut down on congestion in the kitchen and on the dining floor.  When capacity increases (not a particular number, but rather how many people come out of hiding), they will most likely change the model of service

 

[CaroleC]

We’re currently on Anthem. MTD starts at 6:45 and finishes at 9:00 with Traditional Main Seating starting at 5:30.

[OACAggie]

It was getting later before the shutdown as well. We were on the last Oasis sailing in March 2020 and MTD didn't start until 6:30 or 6:45 if I recall correctly. I think all Oasis class ships were starting to move MTD to a later start then, not sure of the others.

[Anton]

I've done 5 cruises since June on Adventure, Freedom, and Oasis.  In every case MTD started at 6:45pm and shared the deck 3 dining room with early seating, which was at 5:30pm.  This is also the "vaccinated only" dining room on every ship I've been on, so that's another reason why MTD starts much later.  Non-vaccinated do not have the option of MTD so those parties have to eat on the other dining room decks for early and late seating only.  The idea is they can get enough early dining tables turned over by 6:45 so the MTD guests can then enter and eat. 

[ONECRUISER]

1 hour ago, CruiseMelissa said:

We love eating early in MTD and have never had a problem doing so.  I have three cruises coming up, the earliest MTD reservation I could get on all of them were 6:30/6:45.  I thought maybe this was because others had scooped up the earlier times but was skeptical given that I know we're often in the minority wanting a 5:15/5:30 reservation.  

 

I saw people talking on FB groups about the fact that My Time Dining doesn't open as early as it used to post-Covid but others saying that's not the case.  

 

The next cruise we have is December 29 on Brilliance and the app shows the MTD dining room opens at 5:15, despite the fact that the earliest reservations available since I started checking months ago are 6:45.  I tend to think that the app opening time is right and we'll easily be able to slide into an early spot but it sounds like others are having a different experience.

 

Any experts on here that have cruised recently have any insight?

Nope, seen earlier but late as 6, 615 and 630 preCV on Brilliance and Serenade. Even doing B2B seen different times on each Sailing

[AshleyDillo]

Yes, MTD starts later to accommodate for the vaccinated/unvaccinated traditional dining times split.  

[molly361]

It changed to later before COVID

[CHOPPERTESTER]

1 hour ago, AshleyDillo said:

Yes, MTD starts later to accommodate for the vaccinated/unvaccinated traditional dining times split.  

Always been my pet peeve. Not really My Time Dining if they do not let you go when the MDR is open. Messes timings up for shows later.

[davekathy]

We have MTD reservations for 6:00 PM (always our preference) each night of our March 2022 B2B Caribbean cruise on the Explorer. 

[HicksRA]

Recently, we were on a B2B on Independence and had MTD (we were in a suite). I asked the concierge to reserve a table for two by a window for 5:30 and that’s what we got. Not sure if it was still MTD or we were changed to early dining. 
I did notice the people around us were the same each night, so we may have been changed from MTD to early dining. 

[CruiseMelissa]

2 hours ago, ONECRUISER said:

Nope, seen earlier but late as 6, 615 and 630 preCV on Brilliance and Serenade. Even doing B2B seen different times on each Sailing

 

Are you saying you've seen earlier MTD reservations available on Brilliance? That's good news!  Which sailing are you on?  

[CruiseMelissa]

3 hours ago, Joseph2017China said:

The ships have less staff.  So, early dining is seated, and depending on the tables being used, they start seating MDT within the same area as fixed dining.  So, in the dining room one table is reserved for fixed, and another is reserved for mtd.  Thus, they have the same reduced staff, handling all tables in a staggered way to cut down on congestion in the kitchen and on the dining floor.  When capacity increases (not a particular number, but rather how many people come out of hiding), they will most likely change the model of service

 

 

Very interesting.  We've only ever done MTD... it sounds like we might want to switch to the 5:30 seating then if we want to eat early?  Is it better to do that and then switch to MTD if things normalize?  Or easier to stick with MTD and switch to regular dining room at 5:30?  Which is tougher to get?

[ONECRUISER]

26 minutes ago, CruiseMelissa said:

 

Are you saying you've seen earlier MTD reservations available on Brilliance? That's good news!  Which sailing are you on?  

Sorry, PRE-COVID, as said, "seen earlier but late as 6, 615 and 630 preCV on Brilliance and Serenade" ...though couple times have seen times changed after Boarding Ship 

[brillohead]

52 minutes ago, CruiseMelissa said:

 

Very interesting.  We've only ever done MTD... it sounds like we might want to switch to the 5:30 seating then if we want to eat early?  Is it better to do that and then switch to MTD if things normalize?  Or easier to stick with MTD and switch to regular dining room at 5:30?  Which is tougher to get?

Which is tougher to get depends on the cruise population. 

If you ALWAYS like to eat at 5:30, why don't you just get Early Seating and have it taken care of from the start?

[LeeW]

On Symphony they really didn't have MTD in August/September.  The 5th floor dining room was closed and 3rd floor was unvaxed.  People were seated as they arrived, even for "fixed seating" dining.  They didn't want people lining up all at the same time.  We had a 6:30 reservation but the Head Waiter just moved us to fixed-seating so she could get us the same table/wait staff for three cruises.

[PJL1973]

Have just been on Anthem and although on the app the earliest date you can have is 6.45pm, I was able to get a 6pm slot one day by asking at the restaurant earlier that day.

[CruisinCrow]

Someone currently on Serenade has been posting the Cruises Compasses.  For vaccinated guests there is main seating at 5:30 and MTD from 6:45 to 9 (no second seating).  For unvaccinated groups, there is main seating at 5:30 and second seating at 8 (no MTD).  The dinner times shouldn't mess with show times because there is only one show at 9:30.

 

6:45 is usually about the time we like to eat dinner anyway so that works out ok for us.  But the 9:30 shows, ugh.  Hopefully we can stay awake. 😄

[Bound4Bermuda]

Bumping this old thread now that we have 6 more months of MTD data to extrapolate. 😉 I signed up for MTD on Oasis based on the good old days of it truly being my chosen time to dine, but the app says the Oasis MTD hours are 6:45 to 9. I’m thinking I’ll need to switch to early seating and then the two port days where we don’t even disembark until the afternoon, we’ll just eat on land or in the Windjammer or elsewhere. It looks like I either need to call or wait until I’m onboard to switch? I don’t see a way to change on the site or app.

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, Bound4Bermuda said:

I don’t see a way to change on the site or app.

You can't - it has to be done by whoever booked your cruise or wait till on board (on space available basis in both cases).

[rbdavis3951]

3 hours ago, Biker19 said:

You can't - it has to be done by whoever booked your cruise or wait till on board (on space available basis in both cases).

 

I booked direct with Royal and was able to change from MTD to Early Dining by calling.

[cruisinfly]

I really like MTD but since I learned that it's essentially turned into a late seating since COVID, I called and changed my preference to fixed early seating. 

[tropical83]

This might be a silly question. I have the 5:30 early dining this time when in the past I have always done my time dining.  If you show up a bit later, like say 6:00pm, is that frowned upon? Not saying I would do this everyday, there are some days with excursions etc. where I doubt we would be able to make the 5:30.

[brillohead]

38 minutes ago, rbdavis3951 said:

 

I booked direct with Royal and was able to change from MTD to Early Dining by calling.

That's what he was saying -- if you booked with Royal, you have to call Royal.  If you booked with a TA, the TA has to handle it.

[brillohead]

4 minutes ago, tropical83 said:

This might be a silly question. I have the 5:30 early dining this time when in the past I have always done my time dining.  If you show up a bit later, like say 6:00pm, is that frowned upon? Not saying I would do this everyday, there are some days with excursions etc. where I doubt we would be able to make the 5:30.

If you know in advance you might be late on a certain day, let your servers know in advance so they don't give your table away to someone wanting it for MTD. And please hurry your meal along so they can turn over the table in time for the late seating people assigned to that table. (Check out the menu in advance so you know your order as soon as you arrive, and don't dawdle over each course.)

If you are at a table with others not in your party, it's best to eat in the buffet or other venue if you can't be on time.  It's not fair to throw off everyone else's meal because you can't get there at your chosen time.