Embarkation Dinner in MDR

[FlaMariner]

We always have early fixed sitting, table for two.

 

One of our embarkation afternoon rituals is going to the MDR to find our table.

 

When it is time for dinner on embarkation evening, we skip the long line and go directly to our table. The waiters are waiting for us and off we go.......

 

Is that appropriate?  Or should we wait to be checked in and shown our table?  

 

(I think the folks in the line are lined up because they do not know where their table is located and need a crew member to escort them to their table....and on day 2, everybody goes directly to their table...so why not on day 1?)

 

 

 

 

Edited February 26, 2023 by FlaMariner

[REOVA]

They need to check you in so they know the table is occupied. (Otherwise they may seat another party 😉). But since you have fixed seating you may let the wait staff or Matre D' know you are at/going to the table so they can notate the system. It frees up crew to seat others by not having to escort you if you don't want to be. 

[OlsSalt]

HalFacts website has dining room maps for many ships - so you can find your table ahead of time before you show up at the dining room.

 

But we do the same thing first when we board, find our late-fixed table and see if we can arrange another one if we don't particularly like the location, if possible We also avoid the first night line and just go directly to the table.  I think that helps the dining staff, and everyone else waiting in line too who are waiting to be be escorted to their table. 

 

Often the table numbers are missing or hard to read when we go exploring before dinner, and no one is in the dining room at the time. Nor do they even make numerical sense. Table  70 may maybe right next to Table 34.   So the dining room map up front is a great help. 

[kazu]

3 hours ago, REOVA said:

They need to check you in so they know the table is occupied. (Otherwise they may seat another party 😉).

 

Seat another party?  For fixed dining?  I think not as long as you are on time.   When we walked in we just said we knew where out table was thanks and proceeded to it.  The waiters would have reported pretty fast if their table was empty and they know who is scheduled to occupy it.

 

Fixed dining is very different from open 😜 

 

From my perspective, the OP is just fine.

[aliaschief]

Totally agree with @kazu if you know what table is yours just go to it.

[jdub99]

How far in advance is the table assigned?  Will we be able to see it on the website/in the app before we board?  (With fixed dining.)

[FlaMariner]

We first see our assigned table number when we get our key card onboard.

[tuolumne couple]

We always check our table location earlier in the day, just to make sure of the location is to our liking. We have second seating and just let the staff know.    

[terrydtx]

All above are good reasons why we always take anytime dinning, no wasting time to find our table and if we don't like the location we just ask to change to another location.

[OlsSalt]

We love fixed dining, and we choose if we want to fuss finding the table in the beginning or or not. Once.

 

Then we have a wonderful time with the wait staff getting getting know and anticipate what we want, like and don't like - please no more carrots! I wouldn't have it any other way. Love avoiding the hassle  of anytime dining - which is the way we see it. 

[FlaMariner]

9 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

We love fixed dining, and we choose if we want to fuss finding the table in the beginning or or not. Once.

 

Exactly. 

 

For us, it is the most efficient and fun way to enjoy dinner.....I realize YMMV but for us, fixed dinner seating is one of the highlights of the cruise for us.......

 

• no waiting ever (just go to your table and start reading the delicious menu)
• no worry if "they are backed up" and we need to be paged/wait whatever when we arrive
• waiters get to know us for ease of setting up the table (Iced tea is waiting, wife orders last because she cannot decide, extra salad dressing, decaf coffee w/dessert etc, etc)
• wine bottle from yesterday is already waiting
• fun times with "our" waiters

[1ANGELCAT]

FYI, halfacts. com has dining room layout listed under the individual ships

[Florida_gal_50]

15 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

We love fixed dining, and we choose if we want to fuss finding the table in the beginning or or not. Once.

 

Then we have a wonderful time with the wait staff getting getting know and anticipate what we want, like and don't like - please no more carrots! I wouldn't have it any other way. Love avoiding the hassle  of anytime dining - which is the way we see it. 

Have you actually tried open dining?  The only way I'll ever do fixed is if there is no other choice. I don't want to be stuck night after night with the same people.  I have very few requests so it's not an issue for me.

[OlsSalt]

9 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Have you actually tried open dining?  The only way I'll ever do fixed is if there is no other choice. I don't want to be stuck night after night with the same people.  I have very few requests so it's not an issue for me.

 

Yes, never again. Done it several times on different ships, Hated it. Fixed does not work for you; it does for us. 

[FlaMariner]

Same.  Got "anytime" once and we quickly turned it in to "fixed" as they let us have the same table/same waiters anyway.....but we did have to visit the podium every evening. 

 

46 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I don't want to be stuck night after night with the same people.

 

That would be a deal killer for us also.......I could not handle sitting with the same fellow passengers (or even new passengers in anytime dining) every night.  That was fun back in the day but not anymore.  

 

My version of "fixed dining" is a table for Her Majesty and I only or family or friends based on how we are cruising...at the same time, at the same table, with the same waitstaff every evening.  Love it!

 

(Also, when we go to the MDR for breakfast or lunch, we request our own table just like in a shore side restaurant)