My time dining

[poocher]

8 minutes ago, LobsterStalker said:

How long has it been since you cruised ?

Asking because since the restart there have been a huge number complaining about my time , and stories of wait times of 45 mins. plus.

After looking into this in the fall , I decided to change from my time to early. Origainally had gone with my Time for the same reason OP spoke of... 5 P.M. was too early

I have used MTD twice post covid and have had the same experience as icsys, same table, same waitstaff, waved in with little to no wait.  I have read the complaints too but have not experienced any of them.

[LobsterStalker]

8 minutes ago, poocher said:

I have used MTD twice post covid and have had the same experience as icsys, same table, same waitstaff, waved in with little to no wait.  I have read the complaints too but have not experienced any of them.

Good to hear.. I'm hoping they will work out the bugs.

I am going to be checking back on this subject in a few months , before back to backs in Oct.

I have early for both , one is 5:45 which is about perfect for us , the other is 5:15 which for us is a bit early. However the other issue I have run into on last 3 sailings is that MT only starts at 6:45. If it were earlier and I was confident we could get our desired slot , I would go with MT and try for about a 6PM reservation each night. But for now... A lot of variables

 

Cheers

 

[LobsterStalker]

23 hours ago, melbur said:

or try emailing rcldining@rccl.com with your request. the will forward to the ship

This is also not up to par yet !

On each of my lat 3 sailings , 2 last fall and 1 last month , We were confirmed 2 Top , and Early TD seating . All 3 times we arrived and I went directly to Main dining to check on my assignment as I always do and 3 for 3 we did not even have a table .

>>> And 2 of the 3 confirmations came directly from RCL Dining even telling me my table # .

The dining departments definitely have some bugs to work out .

 

Cheers

[poocher]

Yes, our reservation has been for 6:45 each time but that is good for us.  We like to hang poolside til around 5 so earlier would be a rush.

[Giantfan13]

We have been cruising for well over 25 years and have always done dining when we want to eat, on whatever cruise lines offer it.

In all those years, and lately the last 5-6 with RCCL, we have never waited 45 minutes for a table. We now do the reservation thing but we also monitor the nonreservation lines and at times they may be a bit long, the wait is usually, at the most 15-20 minutes and even that is not usual.

I really don't know where the stories of 45-minute waits are coming from unless you want a specific table with a specific waiter, then I can understand a bit longer wait.

 

MY Time Dining is still dining when you want and not being made to dine either early or late. If you want to dine at 7 then go there at 7, even without a reservation. You may have a line but things move along and you will be seated as soon as they can get you in. 

Years ago, pre-pandemic, sharing made it easier to get a table, now people don't really want to share a table anymore, so more tables for 2 and 4.

 

Cheers

Len

[ShillyShally]

40 minutes ago, Giantfan13 said:

MY Time Dining is still dining when you want and not being made to dine either early or late. If you want to dine at 7 then go there at 7, even without a reservation. You may have a line but things move along and you will be seated as soon as they can get you in. 

Years ago, pre-pandemic, sharing made it easier to get a table, now people don't really want to share a table anymore, so more tables for 2 and 4.

 

Cheers

Len

This is what I’m hoping, we’re excited for the flexibility of MTD which we hadn’t been able to do years ago since we’re vegan and often had to choose the night before and traditional just seemed smoother but early cause me to miss sunsets usually and late is too late, so on our last couple we just never did the MDR, but this time we figure with MTD it’s an option. I don’t mind waiting, I do mind missing sunsets 🙂

[cruiseboy89130]

6 minutes ago, ShillyShally said:

since we’re vegan

You can look forward to a set 2 course meal in the MDR!

Edited March 11, 2023 by cruiseboy89130

[IJustWantToGo36]

We are waitlisted for MTD on April TA Have 2nd seating

We are always among the last in MDR  8:45-9P

When should we email RCL an d ask them to make the change?

[Biker19]

9 hours ago, IJustWantToGo36 said:

When should we email RCL an d ask them to make the change?

About two weeks out.

[icsys]

On 3/11/2023 at 6:26 PM, LobsterStalker said:

How long has it been since you cruised ?

Asking because since the restart there have been a huge number complaining about my time , and stories of wait times of 45 mins. plus.

After looking into this in the fall , I decided to change from my time to early. Origainally had gone with my Time for the same reason OP spoke of... 5 P.M. was too early

 

Five months

Edited March 13, 2023 by icsys

[nferr]

On Anthem in December MTD didn't start till 6:45 I believe. I reserved 7:45 every day on the app way in advance. Longest I ever waited was maybe five minutes, most nights I walked right in. For my upcoming October cruise on Oasis I already reserved 7 for every night. Regular dining at 5 is way too early for me, I usually don't eat lunch till 1:30 and the late seating is just too late. 

[BirdTravels]

On 3/10/2023 at 12:41 PM, Oceansaway17 said:

Everyone deserves a 5-7 minute window.

if you are so hungry then ask for some bread and wait a few minutes. After all elevators can be busy or perhaps some other delay.

 

On 3/8/2023 at 7:36 AM, OBRN1 said:

Hello. We are going on odyssey end of April. We have early seating at 5pm how late can you be? I always thought early was 6pm. I would also like to know pro and cons of my time dining. My kids hated it on last cruise they went on they said line for the wait to get in was so long. Can you reserve a specific time would you still have to wait thank you all.

If you are assigned a 5 pm dining time, there is no arriving late. Show up on time or go to the windjammer. Don’t keep people waiting for you. 

[BirdTravels]

On 3/11/2023 at 1:26 PM, LobsterStalker said:

How long has it been since you cruised ?

Asking because since the restart there have been a huge number complaining about my time , and stories of wait times of 45 mins. plus.

After looking into this in the fall , I decided to change from my time to early. Origainally had gone with my Time for the same reason OP spoke of... 5 P.M. was too early

How many post COVID cruises have you been on? Is this based on your experience or fake news on the internet. 
 

 We have been on a half dozen and always have MTD and have never, ever waited 45 minutes. The longest thst we have ever waited is 15 min to dine with a specific waiter. 

[Livesteamer]

On 3/11/2023 at 12:26 PM, LobsterStalker said:

How long has it been since you cruised ?

Asking because since the restart there have been a huge number complaining about my time , and stories of wait times of 45 mins. plus.

After looking into this in the fall , I decided to change from my time to early. Originally had gone with my Time for the same reason OP spoke of... 5 P.M. was too early

We  last cruised in March 2022 on Celebrity Millennium.  But, we upgraded to the Blue Class Dining and the ship was only at 43% capacity at the time.

[Livesteamer]

I just now discovered that the Radiance of the Seas MyTime Dining is closed for reservations on 7 of the 15 nights we are on board from Panama Canal Transit sailing in April.  Just what does that mean for my group of 7 cruisers?

Edited March 13, 2023 by Livesteamer

[ahahn078]

If you are assigned to early seating, you are expected to be there. Otherwise, based on what I witnessed on the Anthem, your table will be given away.

[davekrnavek]

Hi everyone, we'll be on our first cruise this June and chose MTD because the early dining time would have been too tight for us (lots of ports and we'll definitely be running around). I found on the Trip Planner that you could reserve times for the various days, but all they had was starting at 7:45pm. I was hoping to check and see if there were any earlier times available after making those selections, but it would only let me make one dinner reservation per day and wouldn't let me look at what's available unless I cancelled my current reservations (which I did for one day, and had to grab a later 8pm time which was the earliest available). 

 

Are we just stuck with these times, or is there a better system when we're on the boat that will at least allow us to see what times are available without dropping our current reservation times?

[Ret MP]

Just one of many reasons I/we don't do the dinner time MDR, maybe once per cruise, is because of being locked into a specific time and/or the possibility of having to wait in long lines. There is usually, depending on the ship, too much going on and I'd hate to miss something just because of a dining time.   So, we go to a specialty restaurant, the WJ, or something like the "Dog House", "JRs", whatever.  

[Biker19]

32 minutes ago, davekrnavek said:

Are we just stuck with these times, or is there a better system when we're on the boat that will at least allow us to see what times are available without dropping our current reservation times?

Talk to the MDR host as soon as you board to see what's available.

[Oceansaway17]

On 3/13/2023 at 12:55 AM, BirdTravels said:

 

If you are assigned a 5 pm dining time, there is no arriving late. Show up on time or go to the windjammer. Don’t keep people waiting for you. 

sorry most cruises I am gone one folks arrive 5 mins after doors open.

If you are in hurry to stuff your face, then you go to the WJ.   

[Oceansaway17]

On 3/13/2023 at 11:58 AM, ahahn078 said:

If you are assigned to early seating, you are expected to be there. Otherwise, based on what I witnessed on the Anthem, your table will be given away.

hey it sometimes takes the wait staff 5 minutes to walk over anyways. They tell you in MDR anyone has a full 15 minutes to be seated.   

[Giantfan13]

On 3/13/2023 at 1:16 PM, davekrnavek said:

Hi everyone, we'll be on our first cruise this June and chose MTD because the early dining time would have been too tight for us (lots of ports and we'll definitely be running around). I found on the Trip Planner that you could reserve times for the various days, but all they had was starting at 7:45pm. I was hoping to check and see if there were any earlier times available after making those selections, but it would only let me make one dinner reservation per day and wouldn't let me look at what's available unless I cancelled my current reservations (which I did for one day, and had to grab a later 8pm time which was the earliest available). 

 

Are we just stuck with these times, or is there a better system when we're on the boat that will at least allow us to see what times are available without dropping our current reservation times?

As several have said, if you don't like what the times are left for reservations, just go down at the time you would like to dine, and if you have to wait a few minutes, you wait. No one said you must have a reservation to dine, it just makes things a bit easier. If you have a large party, then you must speak to some one as soon as you board to make sure they will have a tale that accommodates everyone. Or else, just show up and you will be seated.

 

Cheers

Len

Edited March 14, 2023 by Giantfan13

[taglovestocruise]

On 3/13/2023 at 10:16 AM, davekrnavek said:

Hi everyone, we'll be on our first cruise this June and chose MTD because the early dining time would have been too tight for us (lots of ports and we'll definitely be running around). I found on the Trip Planner that you could reserve times for the various days, but all they had was starting at 7:45pm. I was hoping to check and see if there were any earlier times available after making those selections, but it would only let me make one dinner reservation per day and wouldn't let me look at what's available unless I cancelled my current reservations (which I did for one day, and had to grab a later 8pm time which was the earliest available). 

 

Are we just stuck with these times, or is there a better system when we're on the boat that will at least allow us to see what times are available without dropping our current reservation times?

Most ships use one dining room for MTD.  All dining rooms are used for early traditional, once the early traditional diners have finished and left the MTD room opens. Some ships are now starting early traditional around 5pm in one dining room  to get MT started by 6:15/6:30. MTD is 1 dining room open from 6:45 to 9pm. Early and late traditional may have 3 dining rooms and 5 seatings.  WJ is also a pretty good place for dinner.  Quantum Class has four dining rooms on two decks.