Getting Early Dining time

[artvlay]

tWe cruise almost all the time on Royal Caribbean. We always request early dining because of my wife's digestive issues. If there are occasions where early is not available we contact the special needs department and they will move it due to health issues.

We are thinking about booking the Venezia but the Your Time dining was the only thing available. Does Carnival have a department that I can contact to get an  early assignment?

If not, how does "Your Time" work?

Can we get an early assignment for every night prior to boarding?

Thanks for any advice that you might have.

[Hoosierpop]

We get our time dining every time but never have an issue going to dinner early (6:00 or so) if we want. You just use the Hub app to queue up for dinner and it lets you know when the table is ready. 
 

If you want to try and switch to early, go to the dining room on embarkation day and talk to the matre d to see if you can switch

Edited April 22, 2023 by Hoosierpop

[mz-s]

You can just request a table at the MDR when your wife is able to eat every night, but if you really do need the assigned table then yes waitlist early dining, contact special needs, or speak to the maitre'd on embarkation day (they make themselves available in the MDR for a few hours to handle special requests like this).

[Elaine5715]

Usually ATD can eat before assigned time dining starts

[sid_9169]

I don't understand? You already have anytime dining, which means you can eat as soon as the restaurant opens... 

[artvlay]

Thanks for info. Does anyone have special needs email address?

[BlerkOne]

2 minutes ago, artvlay said:

Thanks for info. Does anyone have special needs email address?

If you need general information about accessibility before you cruise, or have an ADA complaint, please call our Guest Access team at 1-800-438-6744 ext.70025, or 1800 072 670 ext. 70025 if calling from Australia. You can also email us at access@carnival.com. Carnival's designated ADA Responsibility Officer is Clarisa Stollenwerck, Vice President, Guest Operations.

[BlerkOne]

1 hour ago, artvlay said:

Can we get an early assignment for every night prior to boarding?

 

There should be a waitlist for Early Dining that you can sign up for and maybe it will clear before the sailing.

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

Add yourself to the waitlist, but also email special needs with your booking info and request.  I have found them to be very helpful in the past. 

 

If you have any other dietary needs in addition to the dining time, include that as well. The MDR team will have the info when you sit at your table. 

[cellfree]

2 hours ago, sid_9169 said:

I don't understand? You already have anytime dining, which means you can eat as soon as the restaurant opens... 

And we have observed anytime dining often opens 15 minutes before first/early seating. 

[BlerkOne]

6 hours ago, sid_9169 said:

I don't understand? You already have anytime dining, which means you can eat as soon as the restaurant opens... 

You (and 1000 other people) can try to be seated but there are no guarantees in the free for all app melee.

[ChinaShrek]

2 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

You (and 1000 other people) can try to be seated but there are no guarantees in the free for all app melee.

And you will be assigned a different table and waiter every night.

[kelkel2]

I think you’d be ok with any time dining since you can still eat early with that, but not knowing your wife’s specific needs, it’s hard to say. But you’re welcome to call the special needs department and discuss it with them. I can’t imagine they wouldn’t accommodate that. 

 

https://www.carnivalcruiseline.de/en/vacation-carnival/general-information/special-needs

[Elaine5715]

1 hour ago, ChinaShrek said:

And you will be assigned a different table and waiter every night.

You can request the same team

[staceyglow]

18 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

You can request the same team

It has been my recent experience that we have usually been seated in the same section (with the same wait team) during ATD even without requesting it.  It was especially true if we checked in at about the same time every night. 

[staceyglow]

1 hour ago, BlerkOne said:

You (and 1000 other people) can try to be seated but there are no guarantees in the free for all app melee.

We like to eat early. They usually open up seating requests about ten minutes ahead of the dining room opening. With the exception of one Journeys cruises which had a very high percentage of older cruisers, we have never had to wait more than 15 or 20 minutes for a table, and it's usually 10 minutes or fewer. 

[BlerkOne]

48 minutes ago, kelkel2 said:

I think you’d be ok with any time dining since you can still eat early with that, but not knowing your wife’s specific needs, it’s hard to say. But you’re welcome to call the special needs department and discuss it with them. I can’t imagine they wouldn’t accommodate that. 

 

https://www.carnivalcruiseline.de/en/vacation-carnival/general-information/special-needs

I can see where it could be easily abused by some.

[BlerkOne]

1 minute ago, staceyglow said:

We like to eat early. They usually open up seating requests about ten minutes ahead of the dining room opening. With the exception of one Journeys cruises which had a very high percentage of older cruisers, we have never had to wait more than 15 or 20 minutes for a table, and it's usually 10 minutes or fewer. 

I think that is likely the case, but still not guaranteed like traditional dining.

[staceyglow]

Just now, BlerkOne said:

I think that is likely the case, but still not guaranteed like traditional dining.

But it is certainly not the 1000 people that you claimed in your earlier post. 😊

[Elaine5715]

5 minutes ago, staceyglow said:

We like to eat early. They usually open up seating requests about ten minutes ahead of the dining room opening. With the exception of one Journeys cruises which had a very high percentage of older cruisers, we have never had to wait more than 15 or 20 minutes for a table, and it's usually 10 minutes or fewer. 

Same

[BlerkOne]

2 minutes ago, staceyglow said:

But it is certainly not the 1000 people that you claimed in your earlier post. 😊

I wouldn't know about eating that early and who knows what Venezia will be like?

[CruizinSusan70]

10 hours ago, sid_9169 said:

I don't understand? You already have anytime dining, which means you can eat as soon as the restaurant opens... 

The problem is that the OP has previously cruised on Royal, whose anytime dining these days doesn't officially start until 645 pm.  You can sometimes sneak in earlier.

Of course as you know, on Carnival anytime starts at 530 most nights and 500 on elegant nights.

[kelkel2]

I personally haven’t had much of a problem with ATD. We were just on the MG in January and we checked in for dinner right when the option to check in opened up. We were always able to get a table right away or I believe on elegant night it was maybe a 10 minute wait. But it was short enough that we hardly had time to walk from our cabin and get a before dinner drink.  We prefer to eat early too, but I don’t like assigned seating, and especially on the MG where you don’t have the options of the other restaurants until later. My point is,  I really think you’ll be fine. Just get the carnival app and check in when it opens and you should be good to go! 

[Drazil65]

We have had YTD on last 3 cruises (post covid) in the last year.  We like to eat early wherever we are (land or sea) and check-in for a table as soon as app allows.  Like a previous poster indicated, we have never had an issue getting in when venue was ready to accept people.  

 

They have been efficient and accommodating with our requests for a certain table, booth or wait staff.  The service has been excellent for the most part and we have been able to plan out our evening without worry about getting to our first activity once dinner is over.   We also have several venue choices for our early dinner and that alone is worth YTD.  

Edited April 23, 2023 by Drazil65

[Thenagers]

12 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

The problem is that the OP has previously cruised on Royal, whose anytime dining these days doesn't officially start until 645 pm.  You can sometimes sneak in earlier.

Of course as you know, on Carnival anytime starts at 530 most nights and 500 on elegant nights.

I did not like Any time dining on Royal.  Switched to Early with the Martre D.  Loved it on Carnival last month!  Checking in on the App is super easy and the wait times were never more than 10 mins when we checked in before 6.   I do think they get busier around 6;30-7:00?  Personally i do not eat that late! Also easy to get a table if a small group.

Edited April 23, 2023 by Thenagers