Why a line at dinner

[1sttimerrt]

I've read comments about needing to go to the dining room early because there is a line at  5:45.  I didn't experience line when I cruised on SS.  So I  am concerned about booking a Viking cruise.   Is it true that we would have to  "line-up" for dinner?  If so,  why is that done?

[CCWineLover]

32 minutes ago, 1sttimerrt said:

I've read comments about needing to go to the dining room early because there is a line at  5:45.  I didn't experience line when I cruised on SS.  So I  am concerned about booking a Viking cruise.   Is it true that we would have to  "line-up" for dinner?  If so,  why is that done?

In 13 cruises, we only encountered that twice.   This was at Main Dining Room.

THose cruises, whether or not a coincidence, were the 2 where the median age was the oldest (like 80).  The Ft Lauderdale cruise and the Iceland cruise.

Many theories.  Some told us its because the Florida people are used to early dinner and used to lining up for dinner.  Who knows?

 

I wouldn't worry at all about it.

[May B]

I believe I answered this concern recently. The line at The Restaurant, when it existed at all, was the fastest-moving line I ever recall. It disappeared as quickly as a quote from Shawshank.

Edited July 13, 2023 by May B

[Peregrina651]

I'm with CCWineLover on this one. Every cruise has a different vibe. Morever, it is possible to find a line in front of you at any point during the dinner hours; once the doors open, it moves quickly.

 

Everyone of those people rushing to line up for dinner before the dining room is open has a different reason for why they do it (some are dietary reasons, some are health, some are habit). 

 

Regardless, the main dining room is dining room is open from 6-9pm and there is nothing that says you have to be seated at 6pm. You can show up at anytime you want. (DH and I like a sushi appetizer at 6pm in the World Cafe and dinner at 7, 7:30).

 

On the other hand, Manfredi's and Chef's Table require timed reservations; they are not open seating. They also do walk up seating, which is hit or miss. Some nights they have last minute openings and other nights they don't.

 

 

[OneSixtyToOne]

46 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

Some told us its because the Florida people are used to early dinner and used to lining up for dinner.  Who knows?

You never saw that Seinfeld episode when Jerry visits his parents in Florida?

[CILCIANRQTS]

On the Orion now.

A line does form at 5:45 because the Restaurant opens at 6 and many may want to go to early evening activities.

The line does clear very quickly, and we have never encountered a line at any other time.

There are always more than enough tables every night, so it’s not a capacity concern.

[Haqdeluxe]

A line outside a restaurant waiting for it to open is typically a good thing, isn't it 🤔 

[Fieldofdreams]

1 hour ago, 1sttimerrt said:

I've read comments about needing to go to the dining room early because there is a line at  5:45.  I didn't experience line when I cruised on SS.  So I  am concerned about booking a Viking cruise.   Is it true that we would have to  "line-up" for dinner?  If so,  why is that done?

 

1 hour ago, 1sttimerrt said:

I've read comments about needing to go to the dining room early because there is a line at  5:45.  I didn't experience line when I cruised on SS.  So I  am concerned about booking a Viking cruise.   Is it true that we would have to  "line-up" for dinner?  If so,  why is that done?

On our last Viking cruise we only experienced that once when 60 or so folks left the early show at the theatre and went right to the MDR. The great part was that Viking had everyone seated within 5-10 minutes, quite impressive actually. They do a really good job at getting you seated as quickly as possible.

[1sttimerrt]

Thank you everyone for your comments.  They help to relieve my concerns.  I'll give Viking a try.

[Heidi13]

In 100 days on Viking, we have seen a queue outside the MDR a few nights. On the worst night it was probably back to the fire doors. MDR opens at 18:00, queue gone by about 18:05.

Edited July 13, 2023 by Heidi13

[May B]

To be more specific, we encountered lines a few times at 7:15. I have no idea if there was also a line at 6 pm.

 

On two evenings, we did as Pergrina651 did, going to the World Cafe at 6 pm for sushi and seafood. That works perfectly with a 6:30 lecture.

[Mich3554]

The only time I ever saw a line more than a few people, it was a night with a 6:30 show and everyone who went to the show went directly to the restaurant…..so the line was 7:15-7:30ish.  

[Hobson1754]

6 hours ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

You never saw that Seinfeld episode when Jerry visits his parents in Florida?

Brilliant😂😂

[TiiiSailor]

We just finished a two-week cruise on Venus.  Saw a line to The Restaurant twice.  Once when an event in The Living Room let out at 5:50 and we all walked to dinner at the same time.  The second time there was a line at 5:55 on a port day.  Both times the line moved very quickly, allowing for some short conversations with those around us in line.  Once in The Restaurant it looked like the only delay was sitting each group in a different area of the restaurant to spread out the workload for the servers.  

 

When we ate in The Restaurant there were always empty tables, so no one in line was waiting for an empty table, unless they wanted a specific table.  That appeared to be the same at the Chef's Table and Manfredies each time we were there, twice at 6 PM and once at 8 PM.  Although I heard from several people onboard and in post cruise reviews that they couldn't get a table before 8 PM.  Guess some guests forgot to go or didn't cancel their reservations.

 

Biggest line I saw where people were actually held up due to availability of service, was at the gelato station in the World Cafe.

[biggerbearmom]

If you wait to go to dinner about 15 minutes until after the doors open,

you won’t encounter a long line and will only need to wait a few minutes. Also, if you let your wait staff know that you are trying to make the show, they will attempt to speed up the dinner service. 

[Lexus550]

On 7/12/2023 at 7:09 PM, 1sttimerrt said:

I've read comments about needing to go to the dining room early because there is a line at  5:45.  I didn't experience line when I cruised on SS.  So I  am concerned about booking a Viking cruise.   Is it true that we would have to  "line-up" for dinner?  If so,  why is that done?

On our last cruise we experienced this.  The line was very long and even though they said it would only be 20 minutes, it took about 45 minutes.  The manager of Chef's Table came up and said there were free tables there.  We would have gone with him, but we didn't like that night's menu.  We didn't mind standing in line.  It was a way to chat with fellow cruisers and it was fun.  When we were finally seated it was at a very nice table by the window.

[rbslos18]

On 7/12/2023 at 7:09 PM, 1sttimerrt said:

I've read comments about needing to go to the dining room early because there is a line at  5:45.  I didn't experience line when I cruised on SS.  So I  am concerned about booking a Viking cruise.   Is it true that we would have to  "line-up" for dinner?  If so,  why is that done?

As a rule there usually is not a wait. It’s not a regular occurrence. We had to wait twice on the Neptune last week. The first time was due to six couples all wanting to have a table for two by a window. There were plenty of other tables available.  The wait was 7 minutes. 
The second time was a long line following a popular lecture. The line went fast. So 90%+ we walked in with no wait. 

The norm is to show up and be seated right away. The system used works well. 
 

[Redtravel]

If the port talk or entertainment ends close to the time the restaurant opens, you often will find a line.  On riverboats, it happens daily.  There is one seating.  If you want dinner, you should be there when it opens. There is a mad dash to get into the dining room to get a table..no maitr’d . On river, the only option beside the restaurant is the forward lounge area.  Nice for breakfast or a small meal.  At dinner, most people eat in the restaurant. Miss dinner time, you may be hungry. On ocean, you are seated by a maitr’d .  There is more seating and the dinner time is extended.  On ocean, there are options…buffet, restaurant, room service, and specialty dining. 

[amtatom]

There was always a short line at 5:55 on the Mars during our AZ & NZ in February. Back to the small “Viking” exhibit. As others said, it moved very quickly when the restaurant opened. As a plus: DH and I took turns getting out of line to read the exhibit placards/look at the artifacts, so we saw the whole thing by the end of the cruise.

[CCWineLover]

As you can see by the many different experiences, you results may vary.

It truly does change from ship to ship and itinerary to itinerary - just like the personality of the passenger set changes dramatically.  One cannot predict what it will be.

Good news is - if you want to avoid crowds on the Ocean ships (versus river), it is easy to do.  Also, as others have said, if there are lines, they do tend to move quickly.

 

We've been on Viking cruises where everyone lined up for everything, from dinners to shows, to excursions (and up to 30 minutes to an hour ahead!) and we've been on some where it was quite mild and no one was in a rush for anything.  So it all depends.  If you can figure out, more power to you!