My Time Dining vs Traditional Sitting

[bandt]

Hi folks

 

This is our first time on Royal Caribbean and we are really looking forward to the experience.

 

Our TA has requested traditional dining for the second sitting (we generally eat late). We prefer a table for two most evenings unless we wish to dine with newly made friends. Which, in your opinion, would be the best option for us ? "My time dining" or the traditional sitting? What are the pros and cons of each option? How does the timing of the shows in the theatre fit in?

 

Many thanks for your help and advice.

 

B & T

[cb at sea]

With MTD, you're likely to be eating alone everynight. If you enjoy others and tablemates, stick with the traditional seating. I think tablemates make dining ever so much more fun than eating alone. Most MTDer's prefer eating alone.

If you do choose MTD, you'll have to schedule your eating times around the shows. All shows are scheduled around the traditional dining times....if you keep late seating, your shows will be before dinner (except for the late-night "adult" shows that start at 10:30 pm)

Traditional dining gives you a set table and the same waitstaff every evening. With MTD, you can request the same waitstaff/table, or you can "do your own thing"...and switch it up every night, if you choose.

If you choose MTD, you will have to pre-pay all of your gratuities in advance.

[pcur]

Hi folks

 

This is our first time on Royal Caribbean and we are really looking forward to the experience.

 

Our TA has requested traditional dining for the second sitting (we generally eat late). We prefer a table for two most evenings unless we wish to dine with newly made friends. Which, in your opinion, would be the best option for us ? "My time dining" or the traditional sitting? What are the pros and cons of each option? How does the timing of the shows in the theatre fit in?

 

Many thanks for your help and advice.

 

B & T

 

It depends on your priorities. My Time Dining allows flexibility, you can get the table for 2 every night, BUT you may have a different waiter and assistant waiter. Your likes and dislikes are not known, which we really appreciate in traditional dining.

 

With MTD you can reschedule on any given night to suit your needs (late shore excursion, shows, casino, longer happy hour, etc.).

 

I've done both and enjoy both, but my husband is picky about wanting to be familiar with whomever is serving him. He likes the fact they know his preferences by the 2nd or 3rd night.

 

If you choose MTD you can schedule the same time every evening, which can cut down on any possible wait time. Go at the 15, half, or 45 minute time. Avoid the standard times of 6 or 8:30. The late seating at 8:30 is usually a zoo in the waiting area. I've seen this on two cruises.

 

The evening shows are timed around standard seatings, so you can go to a show and still have standard late seating if you wish.

 

Enjoy!!

[Shippy]

My hubby & I always ask for early dining, large table. We have met the nicest people & enjoy the conversation.

The other reason I REALLY like traditional is a type of service you cannot get with 'mtd'.

We order a bottle of wine every other night. We drink half the bottle on the first night. They cork it & the next night it is automatically on our table waiting for us. I explain that I like ice with my wine. Every night, there is a glass of ice on the table. I like herbal tea after dinner. It is automatically brought to me.

The wait staff caters to your likes automatically. We once sat with a gentleman that wanted a martini with 4 olives in it.............every night it was there.

 

Not that you will not get excellent service with my time dining but it it nice having your servers get to know you.

[rere827]

We have done both traditional, requesting a table for two, which we received. Not the best location but we did dine by ourselves. The next cruise we tried MTD. The first few nights we were at a table for 2, making a reservation a day in advance. The fourth night we showed up without a reservation and were put at a table for 8. By coincidence, it was with people we had met at the meet and mingle. It turned out that we had such a better dining experience at a large table!! But I think it really depends on what you are comfortable with. When we did traditional I emailed rccl a few weeks in advance and requested a table for two. They replied that they could not guaranty it but would note our request. Hope this helps!!

[Indydivecruiser]

I tried MTD on the Freedom & loved it! We had the same staff every night. Service was very prompt & enjoyable we were in and out in about an hour. In traditional dinning you're always waiting for someone to show up to order, then they start special ordering, the waiter gets in the weeds and before you know it they are throwing food at you as plates are crashing off of bus stands. After averaging two hours for dinner on many cruises I much prefer the efficiency of MTD.

[rubrrick]

It's interesting that this question is starting to rank up there with "how to smuggle".

 

The truth of the matter.........is how much you like to have non structured dining.

 

We personally love MTD.......and will never change, as long as the ship has it.

 

Some despise it........for various reasons that make no sense. Like "I want my same waiter every night". Well, guess what, with MTD, if you decide to choose the same table and time every night.........like 7:15.........and let your Head Waiter know about it..........you will have the same table and same waiters every night. Amazing!!

 

Let someone write to RCCL, and get the facts of the increase of MTD over the past two years, and it will floor you.........as to the increase of desire for MTD.

 

Whatever you decide.........enjoy!

 

Rick

[Jasperdo]

Hi folks

 

We prefer a table for two most evenings unless we wish to dine with newly made friends. Which, in your opinion, would be the best option for us ? "My time dining" or the traditional sitting?

 

B & T

It sounds like MTD would be your perfect option for this. My wife and I prefer a table for two, and put in a standing reservation for every night. We were seated at the same table with the same wait staff each evening. However, if you wish to dine with friends, you can very easily change to a table for however large your party is. The MTD Desk is usually manned every afternoon to make or change reservations. You can also just show up every night, either for 2, or a larger party, without a reservation. In that case you might have to wait a bit to be seated. But it's usually a short wait.

[esther e]

We will not cruise on a ship that does not offer open seating. It doesn't matter if our waiter knows our preferences or not. An open bottle of wine always "finds" us, no matter where we are. We always ask for a large table so we can meet new people every night. It is a wonderful experience for us.

[blueblock]

I like traditional dining because I travel alone and like making new friends at my table - but the people I know who do MTD tell me that their food arrives hotter because there aren't a thousand entrees all being prepared to appear at the same moment as theirs.

[griffy116]

I have a sister who had a history of being late when we did land based vacations as a family. She was late the first night on the cruise and saw that EVERYONE else at the table had to wait on her. She also loved the MDR and felt bad to make our waiters wait for her arrival. If we choose MDR, she is only 10 minutes late (her own personal record). If we tried MTD, she would be horribly late EVERY night and she would ask us to change the dining time every night. That's what works for us, but everyone has their own reason. Also the shows are scheduled around the MDR dining times and some of the family likes to see the shows. Those family members would never make it to a show if we use "options." There have to be clearly established times that are the same to get her to the table. :(

[QuickGold]

I prefer traditional dining because I like having the same servers each night. Having them learn my habits and likes/dislikes means a lot to me and is part of what makes cruising fun.

[aldewitt]

I like the traditional. You never know if you'll get great tablemates or not, but we've batted about 90% in that regard. If you like to eat late, you'll love second seating. With My Time you have to do a lot of finagling to get the seatings you want. I'm diabetic and I have to know with a degree of certitude what time I'm going to eat. I love second seating, and so does my wife. We pout if we get Mytime or First.

[NorbertsNiece]

With MTD, you're likely to be eating alone everynight. If you enjoy others and tablemates, stick with the traditional seating. I think tablemates make dining ever so much more fun than eating alone. Most MTDer's prefer eating alone.

If you do choose MTD, you'll have to schedule your eating times around the shows. All shows are scheduled around the traditional dining times....if you keep late seating, your shows will be before dinner (except for the late-night "adult" shows that start at 10:30 pm)

Traditional dining gives you a set table and the same waitstaff every evening. With MTD, you can request the same waitstaff/table, or you can "do your own thing"...and switch it up every night, if you choose.

If you choose MTD, you will have to pre-pay all of your gratuities in advance.

 

 

In my experience you can decide whether or not you want to share with others who are also willing to share when doing MTD.... and each night can be different. You are not confined to the same table necessarily, but can be if you want. We enjoy the flexibility which MTD affords.

[na44]

I much prefer traditional dining. Not only does your wait staff learn your likes/dislikes, but you get to know them. I still email some of my past waiters. I think it is one of my favorite parts of cruising. I love to get to know my wait staff and room attendants. They are always so nice and I think they really appreciate people who are also interested in who they are. Its really fun to learn about their families and home countries. I wouldn't miss it for the world. I was really disappointed when we did free-style cruising a couple of years ago. The whole experience was different.

[kyriecat]

I'm a traditionalist and pick late, fixed seating at a large table. I've tried open seating in the MDR during lunch and breakfast. Frankly, I don't like sitting with new people every meal. I am a reserved person so it takes me a meal or two before I get over my shyness. Once I get used to the others at the table, I usually have a good time. I've had many wonderful conversations with others at my table. Fixed seating works well for me. My husband and I prefer to eat breakfast and lunch by ourselves so are ready for some additional conversation during dinner.

[AFS1970]

For our first cruise MTD was not an option. We were with a group and we voted on early or late. We wanted late but the majority wanted early. I enjoyed the MDR, I enjoyed the company but it was just not the time I like to eat.

 

For our upcoming cruise, we are almost 100% set on MTD for a couple of reasons. First is we want the flexibility, depending on port day vs sea day or show schedules,m I can see eating at different times most days. Second is we are planning on at least two specialty restaurants maybe more and don't want to be rude to table mates by not showing up. We also like to meet new people and thought that we could meet many different people this way, although a table for two is certainly no problem.

[Jimnbigd]

I prefer traditional fixed time dining. With MTD you can sometimes have a wait, just like at a land restaurant. I like to know I'll have a table waiting for me rather than me waiting for a table. However, a previous post mentioned MTD getting hotter food -- I have never considered that.

 

Anyone remember when breakfast and lunch was also fixed time in the MDR? It was on my first three cruises.

[bandt]

Many thanks to everyone for your helpful advice.

 

If we decide on MTD should we contact or TA regarding the prepayment of gratuities or is this something we can fix up on board? Does the prepayment of gratuities concern only the dining room staff or does it include the other gratuities (cabin steward etc)?

 

Sorry if these questions are simplistic but we are used to gratuities automatically being charged to our onboard account or included in the fare - a lot less hassle and you can always add extra hand to hand.

 

Finally, is it possible to change the dining option during the cruise?

 

All the best

 

B&T

[UandMe4Ever]

I much prefer traditional dining. Not only does your wait staff learn your likes/dislikes, but you get to know them. I still email some of my past waiters. I think it is one of my favorite parts of cruising. I love to get to know my wait staff and room attendants. They are always so nice and I think they really appreciate people who are also interested in who they are. Its really fun to learn about their families and home countries. I wouldn't miss it for the world. I was really disappointed when we did free-style cruising a couple of years ago. The whole experience was different.

Hi: We were on the Explorer in Nov. '08 with late traditional dining. We had a table for 2 which we wanted. It wasn't the best location, but did nicely. We had the same wait staff. On the 11th night of the 12 night cruise, she actually remembered I like lemon for my water and extra bread on the table, without being asked to refill the basket!!!

 

So much for the same waitstaff. They never came back till the end of the entree, to see if we wanted or needed anything. We could never get their attention. Glad it wasn't a large table or we'd be there till after show time. Most nights for the 2 of us it took more than 1 1/2 hours for dinner!

 

I don't like rushing dinner, because it is a relaxing time for us, but....almost two hours some nights....My DH finally said he'd appreciate it if they could check back periodically in case we want something else....They did that occasionally!

 

We tried Freestyle on NCL Jewel this past Nov. for 2 weeks. We had different wait staff almost every night and different locations in the Tsars dining room! We could not have had nice people serving us! Always stopped by 'en route' to see if we wanted or needed anything else! I don't care what anyone says about having the same waiters knowing what you like. It isn't difficult to order a cocktail, as they come around as soon as you are seated! I'll take polite, courteous waiters at anytime. Doesn't matter where I sit in a dining room. The food is your choice. We got it promptly, hot or cold (depending on what choices). They always had a nice smile and charming manner.

 

No more traditional dining ever again for us. This time on 11/7/10, 12 Nights on the Explorer again, it is MTD! Probably have faster service, table for 2 and nice waiters, since they know they won't be stiffed on tipping as its already "prepaid".

 

I've made my speech and I hope it taken only in a good way. These were our personal experiences.

 

Safe sails always!!

[Jasperdo]

Many thanks to everyone for your helpful advice.

 

If we decide on MTD should we contact or TA regarding the prepayment of gratuities or is this something we can fix up on board? Does the prepayment of gratuities concern only the dining room staff or does it include the other gratuities (cabin steward etc)?

 

Sorry if these questions are simplistic but we are used to gratuities automatically being charged to our onboard account or included in the fare - a lot less hassle and you can always add extra hand to hand.

 

Finally, is it possible to change the dining option during the cruise?

 

All the best

 

B&T

If you decide to go with MTD just let your TA know about it. They'll set it up for you and the tip money will be charged immediately. And yes, the gratuities include all the staff, including your cabin steward.

[Indydivecruiser]

Yes, I agree with MTD the food was "fresher". It wasn't sitting standby somewhere with steamer covers on.

 

If you haven't booked MTD yet. I did it when we boarded. Not landside but, on the ship. Find the deck for MTD. There is usually someone working the hostess stand. Ask to switch if they have availability. They will put a MTD sticker on your seapass card over your table #.

[madelinerose]

We absolutely prefer MTD/open seating and spontaneity on any cruise.

 

For us, it's a non-issue if the waitstaff knows our preferences. ;)

[househunter]

We don't eat at exactly the same time at home for dinner and on vacation we really don't like having to stick to a precise schedule ecpecially for dinner! We won't cruise on a ship that doesn't have some form of MTD. That was the only thing we didn't care for on our first few cruises.

 

With MTD you can eat alone (our preference, we like to spend time together!) or you can join others. You can make a reservation or just show up when you are hungry and ready to eat. Not sure how anyone will automatically know they will be hungry for dinner at exactly 6:00 or 8:30? You can schedule around the shows that you want to see. It is up to you!:)

 

Enjoy!

[Bookish Angel]

We don't care for "traditional" fixed dining times as the early is to early and the late is too late. The flexibility and faster service of MTD is a huge plus.