Recommendations for Booking the MDR

[space27]

How does the booking system work for the MDR? If you don't book for the main dining room, can you still go? Or would you recommend to book the same time everyday? I'm just concerned about booking the same time every day because there might be a show or something that my kids would like to go to. Are booking times very scarce? Like, will the 6-7:30 times usually be gone every day or can I just book a few minutes before and be okay? Would you recommend booking the same time every day, booking in the morning, right before we plan to go to the MDR, or just walk in and wait? 

Edited December 8, 2023 by space27

[Thrak]

The 6-7:30 times will fill up well in advance. We like to be able to go to the first show in the theater (my wife doesn't want to do the late show) so I book at 5:40 each night in the same dining room. I book my dining well in advance and, so far, haven't had an issue getting that time slot for all of my meals. This includes 2 cruises last year and a recent 6 segment multiple B2B.

 

If you want to "just show up" you may well be told to go to the aft dining room so it might be best to just plan on eating there if you want true "anytime" dining.

 

Edited December 8, 2023 by Thrak

[reedprincess]

You can walk up any time you like. You do not have to make reservations at all if you don't want to.

That said, there will likely be a short wait in the most popular times, which vary somewhat by itinerary, but are mainly from when MDR opens (5pm) til around 7/7:30.  There's generally line ups by 5, and by 6:30, turnover is happening all staggered as those with reservations show up, those who are at 5/5:30 are done and gone, etc. Like a land based restaurant, without a reservation, there can be a short wait. Sometimes, they'll actually give you a pager that'll light up and vibrate when your table is ready..  

 

Personally, I never make MDR reservations, as 1) no idea what I'll be doing on any particular day and 2) I eat late. As in, after 8 and closer to 8:45 if in the MDR.  I also eat at the buffet a lot as they do a different theme each night and some are quite good.. and most MDR items are also available in the buffet...

 

YMMV 

[space27]

How far in advance do you think I should book? Is the morning of the day okay or do you mean before the ship even sails?

35 minutes ago, Thrak said:

The 6-7:30 times will fill up well in advance. We like to be able to go to the first show in the theater (my wife doesn't want to do the late show) so I book at 5:40 each night in the same dining room. I book my dining well in advance and, so far, haven't had an issue getting that time slot for all of my meals. This includes 2 cruises last year and a recent 6 segment multiple B2B.

 

If you want to "just show up" you may well be told to go to the aft dining room so it might be best to just plan on eating there if you want true "anytime" dining.

 

 

[snoozecrooze]

14 minutes ago, space27 said:

How far in advance do you think I should book? Is the morning of the day okay or do you mean before the ship even sails?

Book ASAP after you book the cruise. The times fill up much faster than you think. Again, though, because it depends on the app, who knows what's going to happen when they launch the new app and I wouldn't be surprised if they just magically botched all the reservations for no reason.

[reedprincess]

18 minutes ago, space27 said:

How far in advance do you think I should book? Is the morning of the day okay or do you mean before the ship even sails?

 

If you're wanting times in that popular time frame - book sooner rather than later. 

 

If you're willing to wait a little for a table (and we're talking 10-20 minutes, not hours), then don't bother, just walk up, and be flexible in when you eat.  

There's either 2, 3 or 5 MDRs on Princess ships (depends which ship).  If one is busy, go check the others.. generally speaking, those with 3 or 5 dining rooms, the aft dining room on 6 is least busy. 

[Rick&Jeannie]

As others have stated...book as soon as you can.  Don't worry about whether you will have other activities in mind once you get to see the ship schedule.  You can easily cancel that evening's reservation should you make other plans...but in reality, I don't think very many people actually do that.  I think they just end up being a "no show".  The "Reservation Police" are NOT going to come looking for you, nor is anybody going to ask you about it.

[TM]

In my experience on the Crown recently, even if you had a reservation you had to wait in line for the first couple of nights.  If after the first or 2nd night you're lucky enough to get the same table and time assigned to you each evening you can just bypass the line and walk right in.

[Thrak]

5 hours ago, space27 said:

How far in advance do you think I should book? Is the morning of the day okay or do you mean before the ship even sails?

 

 

I book months in advance...

If you wait until that morning you will almost certainly find nothing available unless you maybe try for 5:00 PM. If you are willing to share a table with others you have an easier time getting what you want. On our recent cruise(s) we booked sharing and it was a breeze. Last year we booked with another couple and, after the first night, we had the same table each night.

 

For our upcoming cruise in April (the total eclipse cruise) we were booked with our son and his wife and daughter. I booked a private table for 5 every night in the same dining room. Unfortunately, our son and family have had to cancel. I still show a private table each night at the same time and, after having just finished 63 days sharing a table each night with a random selection of other passengers I think I will just leave it as a table for two. I'm not saying we had lousy table mates on the recent cruises. Out of 63 nights I think there were only maybe 4 nights dining with people I would gladly throw overboard. The other 59 nights were fine and we dined with some really nice folks and some of them were quite interesting to talk with.  I just think a little "time for us" would be fine on the next cruise.

Edited December 8, 2023 by Thrak

[MissP22]

Just realize that the 6 to 7:30 PM time slot is the busiest time and people with reservations will be seated first ahead of others without them.

[TheDawg79]

I’m booked for my MDR dinners 18 months in advance. So if I’m doing it this far out so are others. How many will book between now and the next 18 months? See how quickly the prime dinner reservation times will be gone if you wait until you board to make yours?

[Hlitner]

An amazing thing happens around 7:45.  The lines for the MDRs magically disappear, there are plenty of empty tables, the waiters are under less pressure and the atmosphere is also laid back.  But most folks are stuck with their habits and prefer to deal with the prime time crowds.  
 

DW and I used to joke (it is no joke) that we practice “queue avoidance.”  Many folks spend lots of time, every day, waiting in queues where they can be heard complaining about waiting in queues.  But that is their personal choice and their whining about queues is only heard by others who also like to wait in queues (and whine about it).

 

Even on a big ship it is possible to avoid much of the crowds and waiting by simply modifying one’s habits.  But fortunately for some of us. most folks stick to their normal ways. 

 

Hank

[memoak]

4 hours ago, MissP22 said:

Just realize that the 6 to 7:30 PM time slot is the busiest time and people with reservations will be seated first ahead of others without them.

Also remember that a 6:00 to 7:00 reservation may well be held up because the mobs who line up before the rooms even open will not be done with their meals. I have often seen people with reservations told they would have a wait during busy times

 

[SargassoPirate]

4 hours ago, Hlitner said:

An amazing thing happens around 7:45.  The lines for the MDRs magically disappear, there are plenty of empty tables, the waiters are under less pressure and the atmosphere is also laid back.  But most folks are stuck with their habits and prefer to deal with the prime time crowds.  
 

DW and I used to joke (it is no joke) that we practice “queue avoidance.”  Many folks spend lots of time, every day, waiting in queues where they can be heard complaining about waiting in queues.  But that is their personal choice and their whining about queues is only heard by others who also like to wait in queues (and whine about it).

 

Even on a big ship it is possible to avoid much of the crowds and waiting by simply modifying one’s habits.  But fortunately for some of us. most folks stick to their normal ways. 

 

Hank

When SWMBO cruises with me, she insists on the MDR for dinner but she is flexible on the time, so practicing your "queue avoidance" we  booked a 7:40 time on our most recent cruise.  After we were seated the room started to empty out as time went on and it got more and more quiet.  Overall, a more pleasant dining experience.

[MissP22]

24 minutes ago, memoak said:

Also remember that a 6:00 to 7:00 reservation may well be held up because the mobs who line up before the rooms even open will not be done with their meals. I have often seen people with reservations told they would have a wait during busy times

 

We always arrive at 5 PM and almost finished at 6:30. If the waiter was quicker we would be done and out by that time.

[Hlitner]

15 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

We always arrive at 5 PM and almost finished at 6:30. If the waiter was quicker we would be done and out by that time.

I guess some like fast food, but others prefer dining.

[MissP22]

15 hours ago, Hlitner said:

I guess some like fast food, but others prefer dining.

No fast food in the DR, only on deck 16. 

[memoak]

6 hours ago, MissP22 said:

No fast food in the DR, only on deck 16. 

I think they are referring to the speed you said you could gobble down a meal in the MDR

[MissP22]

4 hours ago, memoak said:

I think they are referring to the speed you said you could gobble down a meal in the MDR

No fast food for me on a cruise but we do like our food fast. 

[MacMadame]

On 12/9/2023 at 7:05 AM, Hlitner said:

DW and I used to joke (it is no joke) that we practice “queue avoidance.” 

We do that at Disneyland (DLR). We have it down to a science and you can do it without a lot of inconvenience too.

 

On 12/9/2023 at 7:05 AM, Hlitner said:

Even on a big ship it is possible to avoid much of the crowds and waiting by simply modifying one’s habits.  But fortunately for some of us. most folks stick to their normal ways. 

That's the only reason half our DLR tricks work. LOL

I can see I need to come up with some Princess tricks. That's part of why I hang out here even though our cruise isn't until 2025.

[Hlitner]

31 minutes ago, MacMadame said:

We do that at Disneyland (DLR). We have it down to a science and you can do it without a lot of inconvenience too.

 

That's the only reason half our DLR tricks work. LOL

I can see I need to come up with some Princess tricks. That's part of why I hang out here even though our cruise isn't until 2025.

One Princess trick is to dine in the MDRs after 8.  There are generally lines of zero folks.

[dmcfad2]

I always book for the same time every night and then cancel if I find it interferes with things I want to do. At least I have a reservation that way and it is easily canceled on the princess app if I can't make it. I cancel as early in the day as possible so someone else can get my spot.

[MissP22]

14 hours ago, dmcfad2 said:

I always book for the same time every night and then cancel if I find it interferes with things I want to do. At least I have a reservation that way and it is easily canceled on the princess app if I can't make it. I cancel as early in the day as possible so someone else can get my spot.

We do likewise but I really wonder if that releases you reservation or not?       

[dmcfad2]

3 hours ago, MissP22 said:

We do likewise but I really wonder if that releases you reservation or not?       

Well, I would think so or it wouldn’t give you the option to cancel the reservation. But, who knows?

[MissP22]

2 hours ago, dmcfad2 said:

Well, I would think so or it wouldn’t give you the option to cancel the reservation. But, who knows?

I'd have guess maybe 1 out of a hundred take the time to cancel a reservation if there's no charge involved. Most people just go about eating where they please and forget all about it.