My time dining and tips

[Inde2008]

We wanted My Time but our TA told us we have to pay tips in advance.

 

Does that meam pay them now, or pay at the start of the cruise?

 

And can we opt to pay cash at the time that the cruise starts?

 

Anyone? And thanks.

[js]

We wanted My Time but our TA told us we have to pay tips in advance.

 

Does that meam pay them now, or pay at the start of the cruise?

 

And can we opt to pay cash at the time that the cruise starts?

 

Anyone? And thanks.

 

You pay your tips in advance. This means they are added to your cruise cost and when you have final payment, they will be paid.

 

 

I currently am also signed up for MTD on Oasis but rethinking since I do LOVE the idea but with so many different restaurant options how many nights will I really be in the Main Dining Room. Also, usually two nights out of the week, my children like to eat with the kids club (my younger one) and their friends (older). My daugther is brining her friends on this cruise as a birthday present so I will let them eat alone one night if they choose.

So, not sure if MTD and prepaid will work best for us. I really have to sit and figure it out.

 

Happy planning.

[Inde2008]

You pay your tips in advance. This means they are added to your cruise cost and when you have final payment, they will be paid.

 

 

I currently am also signed up for MTD on Oasis but rethinking since I do LOVE the idea but with so many different restaurant options how many nights will I really be in the Main Dining Room. Also, usually two nights out of the week, my children like to eat with the kids club (my younger one) and their friends (older). My daugther is brining her friends on this cruise as a birthday present so I will let them eat alone one night if they choose.

So, not sure if MTD and prepaid will work best for us. I really have to sit and figure it out.

 

Happy planning.

 

Thanks for that. It's a big cost up front and so I cant see a big take-up, not from tight-fisted Brits like me anyway.

 

We liked it on Princess since, when the kids didnt want to eat with us, we could get a small table for two or share and meet people. Also we could manage around the shows, eat earlier or later.

 

But I guess we never really got that staff continuity, and maybe laying down the law to the kids that they should be eating with us most of the time would be nice. And if they dont, another couple might join us - is that allowed?

 

Will we get a family table for 4 do you think, or will be have to share? I dont fancy getting stuck with anyone or anyone getting stuck with me!!!

[cruisePRN]

If you had the cancel (in penalty phase) or you miss your cruise you wouldn't get your tips back. I don't care to pre pay for services I have not received so it's not for me.

[printingchick]

MyTime Dining works like a typical restaurant. You show up when you want and you will be seated at a table sized for your party. Most tables are for two-four people. They have a couple of larger tables and will push tables together as needed for bigger groups - just like at a restaurant.

 

They will take your name/cabin number when you arrive at the dining room and you will normally be seated in the same section. I've heard some people got the exact same table every night. We did not. In seven nights we saw three waiters. We had the same assistant waiter the entire time. It's somewhat consistent, but certainly not as much as in traditional dining.

 

You can sit with whomever you choose, but you won't be seated with random passengers. For example, they won't seat another couple at a table for four, and add you to it. It's not like open seating at breakfast in the dining room. That does eliminate the opportunity to make new friends at dinner, but that's typically a hit and miss thing. Sometimes your assigned table mates are great, sometimes not so great, sometimes they don't even show up! The flexibility of being able to plan your meal around your activities, rather than vice-versa, is surprisingly relaxing!

 

I think they want you to pay your tips up front because you may not have the same waiter every night and it would be unfair to have the waitstaff you see on the last night of the cruise get ALL of your tip money.

 

How do you normally pay your gratuities? I've always charged them on my SeaPass card, to avoid having to dole out individual tips on my last night. So for me, there wasn't a whole lot of difference between adding them to my cruise cost or adding them to my on-line account. Since I book so far in advance, I'm more-or-less paying over time anyway.

 

I don't believe you can reserve MyTime Dining without paying your tips up-front. You can reserve traditional dining and switch to MTD when you board the ship, paying your gratuities at that time. However, as this type of seating gains popularity, you may find no more availability for MTD miss out on the opportunity. They host MTD in a specific area of the dining room and there is limited availability.

[OHCruisin]

You can sign up for MTD once on the ship, but they will add the prepaid grats to your onboard account at that time.

[cruisePRN]

You can sign up for MTD once on the ship, but they will add the prepaid grats to your onboard account at that time.

 

That would be okay with me but paying before I board the ship wouldn't sit right for me. If you miss your cruise for any reason I have read you forfeit those tips which is not right. If i am on board then obviously i didn't "miss the boat". You can always go to guest relations if you wanted to adjust your gratuity for any reason.

[moonltnite]

For those that have used MTD - have others seen the same thing where you can't sit with others if you have MTD? We are planning on using MTD on LOS in May - and sometimes we'd like to sit alone - sometimes we may want to sit with others.

[alicam]

For those that have used MTD - have others seen the same thing where you can't sit with others if you have MTD? We are planning on using MTD on LOS in May - and sometimes we'd like to sit alone - sometimes we may want to sit with others.

That choice is up to you...just tell them when you show up that you would either like a table for 2....or...you would like to be seated with others....you will be accommodated...at least we were when we sailed on Serenade last March and used MTD

[karena1]

That choice is up to you...just tell them when you show up that you would either like a table for 2....or...you would like to be seated with others....you will be accommodated...at least we were when we sailed on Serenade last March and used MTD

 

That's what we plan to do also when on Serenade in April. We will tell them to sit us with a larger table if available. If not, we will sit by ourselves, but I do think we are going to love MyTime, just b/c of the flexibility of eating when we want to.

[gekke henkie]

Just back from med.cruise.We also payed gratuities in advance.We did ask for a table for two,but most of the time we had a table of 6 and 8.

It did not bother us,but if you want to have a table for 2,make your reservations for the whole cruise in advance.