MTD and Main Dining...

[WideAwake428]

We just booked our first cruise, Monarch 11/23/09. We are very excited :) DH and I are 22 and 24 - Married May 07 it was cheaper for us to book a cruise seeing as we live here in Florida than to fly back up north to see family for Thanksgiving, especially since we will be up there 3 weeks later for Christmas. So a cruise it is!

 

Can someone explain the different experiences we would encounter depending on which we would do? We are currently booked for main dining, but I'm curious if maybe we should do MTD.

 

So if anyone could explain in detail how each works (atmosphere is mostly what I am looking for, but also things such as is the food the same?) that would be fantastic :)

 

Also if we do prepaid gratuities does that include the MTD gratuties, I assume it does, but I know that when you go to select MTD it says something about them being automatically added in.

[The Flying Pirate]

With my time dining you eat in the same dinning room, just you choose the time and you sit with who ever you show up with. With regular dinning you have an assigned table and get the chance to meet and get to know your tablemates. (Rookie cruisers always get worked up about eating with "Strangers" but it can be one of the more fun things about the cruise, getting to know the people at your table.)

 

The menu is exactly the same for both MTD and regular dining.

[cb at sea]

We like traditional dining, because of the tablemates...it's fun! But, with MTD, you can go to dinner pretty much when you feel like it, rather than having a dinner TIME everynight.

If you do MTD, you will have to pre-pay your tips....

[jogr]

I would say if you plan on going to the dining room every night for dinner, choose a seating time as opposed to my time dining. You will get a better table and better service. RCI has not even come close to getting MTD right.

[snausman]

Just tried MTD for the first time last week. It was wonderful!!! They did everything right. Never waited for a table, had same waiters all nights and they were Fantastic!! I would HIGHLY recommend MTD, we went to dinner when we wanted to go or when we were hungry. This is the best of all worlds to us, we will always book MTD from now on.

[WideAwake428]

Do they group you intentionally for the traditional seating? Such as by age, or group (couples, singles, family, ect)?

[davidkentholt]

Do they group you intentionally for the traditional seating? Such as by age, or group (couples, singles, family, ect)?

 

I can't swear it was officially done, but my wife and I are a couple in our late 20's and we were paired with two newlywed couples of similar ages so I think they match you up.

[boulders]

They won't admit it , but they do assign tables as best they can for age groups, presence/ages of children, solo vs couples vs families.

 

Our last cruise, we were assigned a table based on the ethnicity of my children's last names. Unfortunately, that ethnicity (of which my late husband was one and he would be the first to admit) is not known for being outgoing to people outside the ethnicity (of which I'm one). They were over half an hour late for dinner and did not look at or speak to us the entire time we were together at the table. I requested a table change. We ended up at a table by ourselves, which was disappointing to me. I really do enjoy getting to meet others on the ship.

[tip]

Just tried MTD for the first time last week. It was wonderful!!! They did everything right. Never waited for a table, had same waiters all nights and they were Fantastic!! I would HIGHLY recommend MTD, we went to dinner when we wanted to go or when we were hungry. This is the best of all worlds to us, we will always book MTD from now on.

 

 

 

I am in agreement here with the above. We tried MDT for the first time last February on the Independence and loved it.

• Never had to wait more than a minute or two for a table.
  
• Arrived at 6:15 the first night as we were tired from our flight to FLL. Arrived between 7 and 7:15 on all other nights.
  
• Always had table for two; this is why we cruise--to keep our marriage of 36 years strong!;)
  
• Requested and received the same wait staff each night. The service was the best ever of our 18 cruises.
  
• The food is the same as the traditional folks.
  
• None of the hooting and hollering and waving of napkins around where we sat although you could see it on the lower level
  
• A more subdued atmosphere
  
• We never felt rushed although the waitstaff would ask when we were seated if we needed to get out to a show and they would speed up service as needed
  
• Paid tips in advance and for the first time left more than the "recommended amount" for our wait staff on the last night due to exceptional service
  

If you have never tried MTD before, give it a chance!

[tneah]

I love MTD! I tried it in May.

 

I'm leaving in a few days for another cruise. I chose this option again. I did not have one single problem with service or anything. I never even had to wait in line. We we served by the same servers 6 night of the week (honestly, I don't care who serves my food as long as I'm happy with theservice provided).

 

I also liked that I could control how long I wanted my dining time to be.