Dining and the Solo Cruiser

[Daruma]

Hello, folks. 

 

On a Western Caribbean cruise as a solo cruiser, regardless of set time dining or YTD, will I have to sit/eat with others... or can I always have my own table by myself, (which is my preference)? 

 

And actually, now that I'm thinking about it... if I were to choose the later, set time dining (8pm?), how does that stack up against show start times? 

 

If I really want to catch shows should I shoot for the earlier set times? 

 

Thank you so much for your help. 

[sgttami]

I cruise solo and always get my own table for early seating. Works for me.

 

 

 

[Daruma]

1 minute ago, sgttami said:

I cruise solo and always get my own table for early seating. Works for me.

 

 

 

 

Thank you... is that early set time dining or early YTD? 

[sgttami]

Just now, Daruma said:

 

Thank you... is that early set time dining or early YTD? 

I do set time.  Easier for me!

[Daruma]

Just now, sgttami said:

I do set time.  Easier for me!

 

Thank you. 

 

Yes, I'd prefer set time as well.

 

I'm probably going with early set time because I'm an early to rise, early to bed guy so I'm used to eating around 6/6:30pm... sitting down to eat at about 8pm holds little appeal to be honest. 

[staceyglow]

I don't think there is any guarantee that you will have your own table at set dining. You may get placed at a larger table with others. 

 

If you do YTD, you can request your own table. 

[sc4125]

I am also not sure how you can request a table for one with set time dining.  I've been doing YTD for a long time now so I may not remember how it works with set time, but I don't remember ever having an option when choosing set time in the past.  I normally sailed with other family members and I do know that when it was just a few of us (2 or 3), we were always assigned a table with others - typically those in the same age range.  One of the reasons I love YTD because each time you use the ap to check in, it asks if you want to share a table or not.

[Daruma]

10 minutes ago, staceyglow said:

I don't think there is any guarantee that you will have your own table at set dining. You may get placed at a larger table with others. 

 

If you do YTD, you can request your own table. 

 

Thank you.

 

This seems to be the majority of what I'm finding out there on the web... so I may choose YTD and try to get seated in the 5:30pm - 6:30pm time frame. 

[Daruma]

5 minutes ago, sc4125 said:

I am also not sure how you can request a table for one with set time dining.  I've been doing YTD for a long time now so I may not remember how it works with set time, but I don't remember ever having an option when choosing set time in the past.  I normally sailed with other family members and I do know that when it was just a few of us (2 or 3), we were always assigned a table with others - typically those in the same age range.  One of the reasons I love YTD because each time you use the ap to check in, it asks if you want to share a table or not.

 

Thank you.

 

This seems to be the majority of what I'm finding out there on the web... so I may choose YTD and try to get seated in the 5:30pm - 6:30pm time frame. 

[Elaine5715]

5 minutes ago, Daruma said:

 

Thank you.

 

This seems to be the majority of what I'm finding out there on the web... so I may choose YTD and try to get seated in the 5:30pm - 6:30pm time frame. 

Easy to be seated solo during that time.  When you check in, the app asks each time if you want to share.  Just don't check it.  

[firefly333]

29 minutes ago, staceyglow said:

I don't think there is any guarantee that you will have your own table at set dining. You may get placed at a larger table with others. 

 

If you do YTD, you can request your own table. 

This is also my answer. With anytime, just dont click shared table. You will get a solo table. 

 

Set time more likely to be sat with others. Would have to request change once onboard.

[jsglow]

I'm wondering if @sgttami meant 'early seating during YTD'. I'm not aware of any circumstances where one could guarantee a 'Table for 2 during Fixed' prior to the cruise. The only possible exception I could think of might be a Special Needs situation.

 

@Daruma, YTD is going to work perfectly for you. Just be careful not to adjust your App to 'Seated with Others'. Luckily, the default isn't set up like that. And a quick hint. Check-in right at 5:30. If you try at 6p you'll likely have to wait until that first wave clears.  In those cases, we often wait until after 6:30 and get seated by 7p. And we always do a Table for 2 via YTD. 

[Daruma]

9 minutes ago, jsglow said:

I'm wondering if @sgttami meant 'early seating during YTD'. I'm not aware of any circumstances where one could guarantee a 'Table for 2 during Fixed' prior to the cruise. The only possible exception I could think of might be a Special Needs situation.

 

@Daruma, YTD is going to work perfectly for you. Just be careful not to adjust your App to 'Seated with Others'. Luckily, the default isn't set up like that. And a quick hint. Check-in right at 5:30. If you try at 6p you'll likely have to wait until that first wave clears.  In those cases, we often wait until after 6:30 and get seated by 7p. And we always do a Table for 2 via YTD. 

 

Thank you... I asked and he/she said set time dining. 

 

  1 hour ago, Daruma said:

 

Thank you... is that early set time dining or early YTD? 

I do set time.  Easier for me!

[jsglow]

11 minutes ago, Daruma said:

 

Thank you... I asked and he/she said set time dining. 

 

  1 hour ago, Daruma said:

 

Thank you... is that early set time dining or early YTD? 

I do set time.  Easier for me!

I hear ya. I think lots of folks read that and said to themselves 'not that I've ever heard about'. Enjoy your cruise.

[sgttami]

1 hour ago, Daruma said:

 

Thank you... I asked and he/she said set time dining. 

 

  1 hour ago, Daruma said:

 

Thank you... is that early set time dining or early YTD? 

I do set time.  Easier for me!

If you want to do set time with your own table, see the Maitre D when you board. They will accommodate. I have never done YTD.

[Saint Greg]

4 hours ago, Daruma said:

 

Thank you... is that early set time dining or early YTD? 

 

You can also do it YTD. In the app there is a toggle switch at the bottom for a shared table. I always have it off. Occasionally...especially at sea day brunch they will still put me at a shared table. I always tell them I don't want a shared table and they fix it. Magic in particular did it to me every time.

[Daruma]

4 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

 

You can also do it YTD. In the app there is a toggle switch at the bottom for a shared table. I always have it off. Occasionally...especially at sea day brunch they will still put me at a shared table. I always tell them I don't want a shared table and they fix it. Magic in particular did it to me every time.

 

If they do that to me, I'll cut my finger, squeeze some blood onto the table, and start shrieking about some highly contagious blood disease I have 🤣😂

[bdeluca03]

10 hours ago, Daruma said:

Hello, folks. 

 

On a Western Caribbean cruise as a solo cruiser, regardless of set time dining or YTD, will I have to sit/eat with others... or can I always have my own table by myself, (which is my preference)? 

 

And actually, now that I'm thinking about it... if I were to choose the later, set time dining (8pm?), how does that stack up against show start times? 

 

If I really want to catch shows should I shoot for the earlier set times? 

 

Thank you so much for your help. 

I'd go with the 6 PM early seating or YTD so you can choose when to dine - and have plenty of time to attend the Comedy Shows & Production Shows.

[salty dingo]

I recently did two solo Carnival cruises and tried different seating options. The first cruise (actually 2 B2B sailings for 14 total nights) I had the early seating. Carnival made sure the tables I had for each cruise was full of other solo travelers. It was really fun to meet other people and to have someone to talk to at dinner.

 

The most recent cruise I had the Your Time Dining and always had a table by myself. This was also fine, as I brought something to read and entertained myself. The only downside is that there is likely to be a wait for a table.

 

After trying both, I'd prefer to be at a shared table with other solo travelers.

[mz-s]

If you go to the MDR for breakfast or brunch you will be seated at a shared table, they typically don't do individual tables for breakfast or brunch. I'm sure you can request an individual table but I don't know if they can accommodate it.

Edited March 7 by mz-s

[Daruma]

47 minutes ago, mz-s said:

If you go to the MDR for breakfast or brunch you will be seated at a shared table, they typically don't do individual tables for breakfast or brunch. I'm sure you can request an individual table but I don't know if they can accommodate it.

 

Good to know, thank you. 

 

Looks like it's the buffet, Pizza, Guy's, etc for me then for breakfast and lunch... though I rarely eat breakfast actually. 

[sgttami]

2 hours ago, Daruma said:

 

Good to know, thank you. 

 

Looks like it's the buffet, Pizza, Guy's, etc for me then for breakfast and lunch... though I rarely eat breakfast actually. 

I'll grab a sandwich at the Deli and can still sit solo in the Lido area, inside or out.  I've done the seaday brunch with others but only after I knew them from other areas on the ship (casino, bars etc.) and got along with them...(LOL) 

[dacsmom]

I sail solo and do YTD only. If I like the waitstaff and the table, I stop by on the way out and get the same waitstaff and table for the rest of the cruise. I love sailing solo.

[salty dingo]

On 3/7/2024 at 9:36 AM, mz-s said:

If you go to the MDR for breakfast or brunch you will be seated at a shared table, they typically don't do individual tables for breakfast or brunch.

This is not what I experienced in my last two cruises, in October and last month.

 

In the Hub App, you check in during the times the dining room is open. Pro tip: the app starts accepting reservations exactly 10 minutes before opening time.

 

While there is an option to request a shared table, it's turned off by default. I ate in the MDR for every breakfast and brunch and was never seated at a shared table - always was sat at a 2-top.

 

The one time that a shared table was possibly required was for the afternoon tea. I witnessed a couple who asked to be seated at a table for two, and the waiter replied all the tables for two were already occupied, and they left.

[mz-s]

2 hours ago, salty dingo said:

This is not what I experienced in my last two cruises, in October and last month.

 

In the Hub App, you check in during the times the dining room is open. Pro tip: the app starts accepting reservations exactly 10 minutes before opening time.

 

While there is an option to request a shared table, it's turned off by default. I ate in the MDR for every breakfast and brunch and was never seated at a shared table - always was sat at a 2-top.

 

The one time that a shared table was possibly required was for the afternoon tea. I witnessed a couple who asked to be seated at a table for two, and the waiter replied all the tables for two were already occupied, and they left.

 

I've only been seated at a 2-top for brunch or breakfast perhaps once or twice in all my cruises. Granted we usually do breakfast or brunch at the buffet, so not a huge sample size. But every time we eat in the MDR, or nearly every time, we are seated at a large table along with other small groups of folks who checked in at around the same time.