Med Dinner Seating Times

[Deno1]

Can anyone confirm what the dinner seating times are on the med for early and late dinner. When I booked I was told late was 8:30 but I have read from some travelers that it is as late as 9:30.

 

We are booked May 5th & May 10th on Navigator - eastern and western Med.

 

Thanks!

[Lobbylin]

Can anyone confirm what the dinner seating times are on the med for early and late dinner. When I booked I was told late was 8:30 but I have read from some travelers that it is as late as 9:30.

 

We are booked May 5th & May 10th on Navigator - eastern and western Med.

 

Thanks!

 

I am booked on Navigator itinerary from Barcelona on 7th June, and have been advised from a person who rec'd their docs for Apr 23 sailing with the same itinerary that Main is 7pm and late is 9pm, but as you say, you could end up with 9.30pm.

 

I changed to main a few months back and am glad now that I did;) I note on our itinerary that we do not leave one port until 7pm, that may have a bearing on the dinner timings...

[JSR]

Darlene and Marty,

I do not know the answer to this question though I would like to. We are on the Nav May 29 and June 2. One member of our June 2 cruise thread said they were on the Voyager last year for the short cruises and the late seating was at 9 and 9:30.

After your cruise if you would post the dinner times I would appreciate it.

Thanks,

Jean

[stbogey]

We are cruising in the Med on the Legend in April and I found out that early seating is 6:45 and late is 9:00pm

 

Hope that helps.

[Broch]

We were on the navigator last year to the Med and we were not amused at the late seating as they had 8.30 and 9.00pm on the compass and what happened was that if everyone being served by a waiter was seated then our orders would be taken, but they had up to nine o'clock to appear. We found this very frustrating as we were always at our table for four with friends at 8.30 and we found we had to wait for other tables to appear, sometimes even later than 9.00 pm. We were on a 14 night cruise and by day 8 we told the waiter that if he did not get this sorted out we would not be coming back to the dining room because we felt it was too late for us to dine. We are booked on the Navigator this year again and if the same happens then we will definately have to re consider our cruiing options. A lot of nights it was taking 2 hours to get through dinner and to come out of the dining room at 11pm is not for us. BTW is was never sorted out and we never had a visit from the Head Waiter for the whole cruise and when we asked the waiter on the last night who our Head Waiter was, he said he did not know.

[JSR]

We will be on the Nav in May and I will post the dinner times when I return. At least you will have a heads up.

[Deno1]

We were on the navigator last year to the Med and we were not amused at the late seating as they had 8.30 and 9.00pm on the compass and what happened was that if everyone being served by a waiter was seated then our orders would be taken, but they had up to nine o'clock to appear. We found this very frustrating as we were always at our table for four with friends at 8.30 and we found we had to wait for other tables to appear, sometimes even later than 9.00 pm. We were on a 14 night cruise and by day 8 we told the waiter that if he did not get this sorted out we would not be coming back to the dining room because we felt it was too late for us to dine. We are booked on the Navigator this year again and if the same happens then we will definately have to re consider our cruiing options. A lot of nights it was taking 2 hours to get through dinner and to come out of the dining room at 11pm is not for us. BTW is was never sorted out and we never had a visit from the Head Waiter for the whole cruise and when we asked the waiter on the last night who our Head Waiter was, he said he did not know.

 

 

That's disappointing! I had hoped late seating would be at 8:30 like we were told when we booked it. But so many people have said it is actually 9:00 -9:30. That's late for us too.

[Deno1]

We will be on the Nav in May and I will post the dinner times when I return. At least you will have a heads up.

 

That would be great, thank you!

[egit]

When we were on Voyager last August the 8.30 sitting was 9.30. This was to late for us. We spoke to the MD and managed to get a 7.30 sitting. We could also have had an earlier time. They seemed to have kept these additional times in reserve for people wanting to make changes.

[JSR]

I really like 8:30. Oh well we will have to see how it all works out.

[Gritsgal]

Is it possible to change your dining time? Late seating sounded good at the start...more time to stay late in the port, but not finishing till 11:00? YUCK.:eek:

 

Grits

[Broch]

We will be on the Nav in May and I will post the dinner times when I return. At least you will have a heads up.

 

Wonderful, thanks. At least we will be prepared this time

[Casey2]

We will be on the Voyager in November. I called RCCL and asked them about the dining times. They told me that there are 2 times for each seating: early seating at 6:30 and 7:30 and late seating at 8:30 and 9:30. You have no say in which time you get- only early or late seating. I don't know if this information is accurate but this is what I was told. We always take late seating, but didn't want to chance a 9:30 seating, so we changed to early and am hoping for 7:30 but would rather eat at 6:30 than 9:30.

[Lobbylin]

Thanks Casey

 

Is this because the RCCL ships are so big that they have to stagger their dinner seating times to fit everyone in?

 

It is a ridiculous situation as 9.30pm is just too late for a lot of people to eat, yet RCCl don't openly advertise these late dining times anywhere.

 

They would be better off advertising the 4 different times on a first come first served basis and you get to chose the one you want when you book...:rolleyes:

[BaumD]

I believe the issue is that Americans tend to eat much earlier than Europeans. For many Europeans, eating at 8:30 would be considered early. RCCL is trying to satisfy both Americans and Europeans with up to 4 dining times.

[Lobbylin]

If that is the case, they would keep a lot of people happier if they would just advertise it and allow you to chose.:)

 

My UK version of the RCCL Europe and the Med brochure states Main @ 6.15pm and Late @ 8.30pm but it does say in brackets alongside: "usually later on European sailings".;) :)

[Mim Lloyd]

The 'early' dining is slightly TOO early and the 'late' dining is slightly too late for us. I wish RCCI would just do away with set dining times and introduce Anytime dining. You also wouldn't have to worry about who you had to sit with if you couldn't get a table to yourself as you could be sitting with someone different every night if you couldn't get a table for two.

[sddsddean]

I phoned RCI UK yesterday to check up on this for the Navigator. The girl said that according to her computer dining times were 6.15 and 8.30 between April and Nov 2008, but she could not double check as the admin team were not in (yesterday was a Bank Holiday in the UK). So the wife phoned the admin team this morning. The dining times are 6.30 and 9.00, but both early and late times are split into 2 sittings; 6.30 and 7.00; 9.00 and 9.30. Whichever time you opt for you will be allocated the first or second sitting for early or late. You CANNOT choose which of the 2 sittings you have, just early or late. These will be allocated by the ship and a note will be left in your cabin as to whether you are in the first 1/2 hour period or the second. The girl at RCI didn't know how this allocation was made (ie by deck or whatever). If you don't like the sitting you've got (eg you wanted 6.30, but have got 7.00), you can try to change this in the normal way by either seeing the maitre d' or visiting Guest Relations. Hope this explains the situation and I also hope this is what is happening on the ship, though I would have preferred the usual 8.30. We have changed to early today and hope to get the 7.00 sitting.

 

Simon

[gedam]

This seems so crazy that you can't choose, I accept some Europeans eat late but with a port intensive cruise 9.30 is far too late. In fact on a past holiday to Portugal - all the restaurants closed very early. I think RCI need to stipulate the dining times and if split give people the choice

[sddsddean]

Totally agree. I can't see the reason for doing this either and I will certainly be making some comments on the 'Satisfaction survey' at the end of each cruise! The sooner 'anytime dining' comes, the better.

 

Simon

 

PS Just spoke to a friend who is going a week before us. I got her to phone RCI UK as well and she was told dining times are 6, 6.30, 9 & 9.30, so who knows whats going to happen!

[missty]

Guess I am glad I am going on NCL - so we have "anytime dining". Those are some very late dinners!

 

missty

[Carol4158]

We first experienced these dining times in 2005 and complained heartily. However, three years on nothing has changed. I can appreciate the Europeans like to dine later (because I am one!). But I don't fully understand why they have to split the dining time. Two seatings at 7.00 and 9.00 (or there-abouts) would be great.

 

Seems like most people choose not to complain or things would have changed by now.

 

We are on Voyager again in October and hoping that we don't get 9.30!

[gedam]

I agree. What I really don't understand is why there are four sittings instead of two, which was how the experience was on the Voyager when we went to the Caribbean.

[Moondawgie]

I can't help but think there is too much being said about dining times. Who cares? You are on vacation. I am in bed by 9 p.m. at home because I get up early. On my med cruise, I ate at 9 p.m. and got used to it. I would take a nap after the excursions and then get up, dressed, make my way to dinner and thoroughly enjoy it. Afterwards I would walk outside a little and then off to bed. It can be done and dining time should NOT ruin your cruise. Nothing should - especially things we have no control over.

 

I will enjoy whatever time we dine ... you don't have to shop for it, cook it or clean up after ... so get on with it!

[Deno1]

It is frustrating that RCCL gives different answers to the same question - I called one last time trying to get a correct answer to what time late seating is and if there is a 9:00 or 9:30 option. We were told there is not a choice and late seating is only at 9:30.

 

My documents came today and late seating is listed as 9:30 on them.

 

We may change to early - being in the dining room until 10:30 or 11:00 is just to late for us - and we have early excursions booked almost everyday.