my time, big lines ?

[mcatmcat]

Hi 

For my next cruise I wanted 8pm but it is full and I don't see the option to be waitlisted -weekend cruise Liberty-

 

I have never done my time  in my life but all of my friends tell me that they always experience a big line and a wait.

 

In my reservation,  I see that I can reserve a time for my time, so if I pick one of those available time will I have to wait in line or they will take it as if I had a reservation.

 

I always prefer a table of two, will that complicate things. 

 

Thanks in advance.

 

[Biker19]

3 minutes ago, mcatmcat said:

  I see that I can reserve a time for my time, so if I pick one of those available time will I have to wait in line or they will take it as if I had a reservation.

 

I always prefer a table of two, will that complicate things. 

The wait is likely to be shorter, but depending on when you go/reserve there’s still likely to be a wait - table size won’t matter much. 

[Mum2Mercury]

On our recent cruise (My Time Dining) we were seated within minutes every night but one.  On that night, we waited about five minutes.  

 

I have heard that the later you book, the faster you'll be seated.  Said differently, most people seem to want early reservations.  We were kinda mid-way with our times.

 

They seem to have mostly two-seater /four-seater tables.  

Edited November 13, 2022 by Mum2Mercury

[yogimax]

32 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

They seem to have mostly two-seater /four-seater tables.  

They will often convert the four seaters into two seaters.

[joeyancho]

MTD on Royal is a mess.  They do not do this well.  Early dining reservations will not be available.   You can try to make reservations on the app but only late times will be available.   You can just show up but you will wait.  Be prepared for dirty looks.  My time dining is anything but. 

Edited November 13, 2022 by joeyancho

[GTO-Girl]

We did MTD dining for many years but after they made changes it because a mess so several years ago we went back to traditional.

 

They are using the traditional dining room to seat MTD diners after the earlier fixed time people start leaving. This is why you cannot get an early reservation with MTD.

 

EVERY SINGLE NIGHT…. as we left our early traditional dining the lines waiting to get into MTD were backed around past the elevators on both sides!!!

 

No way would I ever go back to MTD…..

[BecciBoo]

2 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

On our recent cruise (My Time Dining) we were seated within minutes every night but one.  On that night, we waited about five minutes.  

We've done MTD on almost all of our cruises since about 2015 mostly the big ships, never had to wait longer than about 5 minutes at around 7ish.  Thats around maybe 15 cruises with no waiting to speak of.  What a difference to most of you.  These days because of dietary needs we re reverting back to early seating though.

[time4u2go]

2 hours ago, joeyancho said:

My time dining is anything but. 

Very true. 

[Mikew0805]

2 hours ago, joeyancho said:

MTD on Royal is a mess.  They do not do this well.  Early dining reservations will not be available.   You can try to make reservations on the app but only late times will be available.   You can just show up but you will wait.  Be prepared for dirty looks.  My time dining is anything but. 

50+ plus cruises with Royal, and I have never experienced a "mess" that you are describing. I just show up when ready, and have always been seated within 5 minutes or so. Granted, I am usually a party of one or two. So that may be easier than larger parties.

[happy cruzer]

If everyone wants to eat at the same time, there will be lines and a wait; the dining room is not big enough to hold everyone all at the same time.  In other words the most popular time to go to the dining room is from 6 to 7, that is when there could be a wait.  Wait until 8 or so and in you go.

[LeeW]

Yup.  Problem on last 4 Royal cruises has been mostly first night right at opening (6:45).  The early fixed seating isn't out until around then and lots of folks show up without reservations.  Takes a while for the dining room to clear and the people with early reservations may still have a wait.

 

After first night the dining room hosts would come out and check the line (especially non-reservation) to see if people were willing to sit now on another floor.  They did reservation line as well but lots of those folks wanted to sit at the same table.  Those that didn't were accommodated as well.  Did see some lines around 7:30 as well because the 6:45 people had filled the dining room and there was no space then.  Same deal - they took lots up to the other floors.

[Nilbog]

With My Time Dining the key is to make a reservation. At the dining room there will be two lines, one for those with reservations and one for those without. The “with reservation” line moves pretty quickly, while the “without reservation” line moves much slower. If you have MTD make sure to make reservations for each night you want to eat in the dining room. If you’re doing somewhere else for dinner, you don’t need the MTD reservation. Our first night the lines weren’t clearly marked, so make sure you make the reservation then look for that line at the dining room. 

[lcpagejr]

About 3 weeks out  the MTD reservations times became available on Cruise Planner for our upcoming Thanksgiving week cruise on Odyssey. I had no problem reserving 7/7:15 for each night.  

Edited November 13, 2022 by lcpagejr

[poocher]

Last week on Explorer with MTD for 6:45-7 each night.  No/short waits every night.  Hostess knew us and our table by night 3 and would either just wave us through or ask if we wanted a different table if ours was still in use.  We always waited for our table, never more than 10 minutes.  I have not experienced the lines spoken of here on either of my cruises this year.

[F355c5]

On 11/12/2022 at 7:52 PM, joeyancho said:

MTD on Royal is a mess.  They do not do this well.  Early dining reservations will not be available.   You can try to make reservations on the app but only late times will be available.   You can just show up but you will wait.  Be prepared for dirty looks.  My time dining is anything but. 

100% correct 

get a seating time early or late so you have something. To reply on.

my time is a zoo

[pcur]

After you get seated the first night, if you like the table and the wait staff, stop at the podium on the way out.  Tell the maitre 'd you want that table every night, and give him a hour range for the time.  He will advise you what time is best.  Show up at that time on day 2, and stand in the "have reservation" line.  Confirm/change the time a little, if needed.

 

After that you just walk in and go to your table.  If it's occupied, go back and ask the podium attendant quickly to let you know when it's ready.  

 

They get it straight usually by day 3.  You may have to take a different table, but you WILL end up with a confirmed table and time.

 

MUCH easier, and no waiting.  I've done this since MTD started.  Just be a little flexible with the time.  

[BirdTravels]

On 11/12/2022 at 6:56 PM, mcatmcat said:

I have never done my time  in my life but all of my friends tell me that they always experience a big line and a wait.

 

We only book MTD and have never had a long wait for a table. Even with reservations, you need to wait in line for a table. 

 

MTD is the way of the future. Most contemporary cruisers could not be bothered with traditional early/late seating. And you see more and more ships where entertainment is not aligned to dining times. Someday [soon], RCCL will come out of the dark ages and do away with fixed time dining. 

[taglovestocruise]

11 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

We only book MTD and have never had a long wait for a table. Even with reservations, you need to wait in line for a table. 

 

MTD is the way of the future. Most contemporary cruisers could not be bothered with traditional early/late seating. And you see more and more ships where entertainment is not aligned to dining times. Someday [soon], RCCL will come out of the dark ages and do away with fixed time dining. 

70% of Royal cruisers are traditional dinners. Just got off a Disney cruise yesterday, no such thing as my time . 

[msuspartabigten]

We did MTD in april on Odyssey and had zero issues. We always ate at about 7pm, made reservations each day for our time. There was one time we waited 20 minutes because we always wanted the same table and waitstaff and the family before us was still there, but that was our choosing. If we just wanted to eat, there would have been no wait. 

[pcur]

15 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

We only book MTD and have never had a long wait for a table. Even with reservations, you need to wait in line for a table. 

 

MTD is the way of the future. Most contemporary cruisers could not be bothered with traditional early/late seating. And you see more and more ships where entertainment is not aligned to dining times. Someday [soon], RCCL will come out of the dark ages and do away with fixed time dining. 

Next time you are assigned a table/time in MTD, ask at the podium if you need to get in line.  I have been told every time to just go to the table.

[happy cruzer]

33 minutes ago, pcur said:

Next time you are assigned a table/time in MTD, ask at the podium if you need to get in line.  I have been told every time to just go to the table.

We will have the 3 specialty dinner package.  Don't really want to hold a table those nights.  So I guess we will not be by-passing the line the other nights.  Hopefully it will be a short wait; app currently show that we have MYD reservation for 6:45 each night.

[loman]

If you dont care if you get the same table and waitstaff like me , then your wait time will be further reduced. I`ll take the first available table.

[pcur]

I was on the Enchantment from 10/20/22 to 10/29/22.  Our group of five had a table and time assigned to us that was near the door.  We ate at 6pm.  By 6:30 the whole exterior of the entrance was a mob scene with people waiting.  

 

I'm not talking about waiting for a table, I'm talking about waiting to get to the podium to check in.

 

Just advising everyone have a Plan B if they don't want to get an assigned table/time. It's called anyTIME dining, not walk up and sit down dining.

 

If you have an assigned table / time and aren't going to use the table on a given night, just stop at the podium the night before and tell them.  They will unblock your table/time for the next night.

[denamo]

The Oasis class ships usually has a wait, even with a reserved time.  Think many get in the reservations line when their reservation may be 8:00 and it's only 7:00.  Rather than tell that person they need to wait, the person at the podium goes ahead and seats them.  Truly think they need a person like they have at customer service screening those in line.  Have an electronic  tablet and asking for room numbers to check reservation time. Those who are there at their reserved time are pulled out and allowed to go ahead and go in.

 

Just don't quite understand why MTD has an unorganized feel.  We've even been in the reservation line, seen those walk up to the non reservation line and be led into the dining room long before we made it up to the podium.  And even when we've told them to seat us at the same table each night, it doesn't always happen.

 

 

 

 

[sandensea]

They know how to make the reservation...Anyone can take a reservation.🤪 Just returned from Independence and tried MTD for the first time and it was brutal. The non-reservation line actually moved quicker and the line was literally down the cabin rooms on 3rd floor for both res and non-res. This is for 715pm. We were moved in to the suite line on first night as they "checked us in" while standing in the line even though we weren't in a suite and we simply followed that model each night thereafter and only waited several minutes but if you weren't an angle shooter it was going to be very frustrating.

 

Going back to late seating in Dec with larger party.