DaisyL Posted June 30, 2013 #1 Share Posted June 30, 2013 I'm considering requesting My Time dining for our next cruise. How does it work and do you feel it meets your expectations? When we're cruising with a group we prefer Traditional dining but our next booking may be just DH and I. We have cruised NCL and love that option and it works well for us because if we're alone, we just want a table for 2. RCIs web page said you should make reservations prior. What's the point of this? Can we just show up when we want to dine without a reservation? Thanks ... I tried a search and did not get this information or experience from cruisers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarea Posted June 30, 2013 #2 Share Posted June 30, 2013 A table for two is easier to get when using My Time. They will encourage reservations, but it's up to you. You don't need a reservation and can show up whenever you like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcvt Posted June 30, 2013 #3 Share Posted June 30, 2013 No need to make reservations. We just showed up whenever we wanted and never waited more than a couple of minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaisyL Posted June 30, 2013 Author #4 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Thank you Bob and Greg! You both answered my questions. MTD here we come unless we get some family or friends to join us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goneclear Posted June 30, 2013 #5 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Since RCI introduced MTD a few years ago that's all we use. It works great. They do encourage you to book a time or different times for different days. NOTE the word encourage, it is absolutely NOT NECESSARY. You can just walk up and ask to be seated. The longest we have had to wait is 10 mins max. They only use part of one of the dining rooms for MTD so make sure you go to the the right one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langley Cruisers Posted June 30, 2013 #6 Share Posted June 30, 2013 They only use part of one of the dining rooms for MTD so make sure you go to the the right one. Yes, it says on your Sea Pass card where to go. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCI Cruisers 004 Posted June 30, 2013 #7 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Just reserved ours for our next cruise. 6:45 every night with a table for 2. We had to prepay our gratuities , but that just saved the charge at the end of the cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaisyL Posted June 30, 2013 Author #8 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Thanks to all the rest of you, too .... I think that's what we'll try. MTD without a reservation. OK, now to make Quantum reservations 2015... here we come! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ubiquitous Cruiser Posted June 30, 2013 #9 Share Posted June 30, 2013 One thing to consider with MTD is that if you want to keep the same wait staff then making reservations is best. The reservations need not be for the same time evry night, but they will attempt to place you with the same team & if you make reservations they will seat you with the same team. Without reservations, however, they will seat you in the next available ... At least that was our experience on FOS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edjny Posted June 30, 2013 #10 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Thanks to all the rest of you, too .... I think that's what we'll try. MTD without a reservation. OK, now to make Quantum reservations 2015... here we come! If you walk up for MTD, you may have to stand around and wait longer if they do not have any open tables available. The advantage of making reservations for MTD is that if you wanted to eat at a certain time on a certain day, there is little delay while they look up your cabin number to see what table will be yours. We make MTD reservations for sea-days when we know that we will be on the ship or want to see a certain show. If that morning/afternoon, we find that we would rather be doing something else at the reserved time, it is easy to either call or go to the MTD door to change/cancel the reservation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janetz Posted June 30, 2013 #11 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Thank you Bob and Greg! You both answered my questions. MTD here we come unless we get some family or friends to join us! No worries even if you have others. We never waited, went when we wanted and were a party of 6. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaisyL Posted June 30, 2013 Author #12 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Just booked Quantum for 2015 and requested My Time Dining! Thanks All for the advice ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janetz Posted June 30, 2013 #13 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Just booked Quantum for 2015 and requested My Time Dining! Thanks All for the advice ... Don't you just love not having to FLY to port? Enjoy! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JYD Hawkeye Posted June 30, 2013 #14 Share Posted June 30, 2013 We had MTD w/o reservations. We would tell them after dinner the prior night or before breakfast that day what time we would be in the MDR, if we were going that night. Wife had just had major oral surgery, so they let her order custom dinners that were things that weren't even a normal item on the ship. She asked for Migas one night, and Pateer Maneer and Vegetable Korma one night. They were great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roboref Posted June 30, 2013 #15 Share Posted June 30, 2013 If you are going to make reservations every night so you can have the same wait staff, then why not do traditional? Not trying to change minds, just has always puzzled me. We did freestyle dining on NCL since that was all they had, but couldn't wait to get back to traditional dining times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JYD Hawkeye Posted June 30, 2013 #16 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Our waiter and Asst. were not in the same place all the time. We followed them around the boat wherever they happened to be working at. We ate with them 4 days and in the Windjammer 3 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Click Posted July 1, 2013 #17 Share Posted July 1, 2013 One little thing to consider if you are booking with a TA who provides pre-paid gratuities, if you sign up before you sail you will be charged for your gratuities before you sail so your TA paid gratuities won't have registered yet. We were advised by our TA to wait until we board and then switch to MTD. Just a little complication.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mm1251 Posted July 1, 2013 #18 Share Posted July 1, 2013 If you are going to make reservations every night so you can have the same wait staff, then why not do traditional? Not trying to change minds, just has always puzzled me. We did freestyle dining on NCL since that was all they had, but couldn't wait to get back to traditional dining times. Because 5:30 is too early and 8:30 is too late. Duh. :D:D:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gfd_2 Posted July 1, 2013 #19 Share Posted July 1, 2013 DW and I have done MTD on our last 3 cruises and love it. No need for reservations. The longest we waited was about 5 minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cb at sea Posted July 1, 2013 #20 Share Posted July 1, 2013 If you enjoy eating alone, then MTD it is....they seat you as if in a real restaurant. If you are social, and enjoy tablemates, then go with traditional dining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langley Cruisers Posted July 1, 2013 #21 Share Posted July 1, 2013 If you enjoy eating alone, then MTD it is....they seat you as if in a real restaurant. If you are social, and enjoy tablemates, then go with traditional dining. Have you ever done MTD? I think not, because you are very vocal about Traditional Dining and you seem to think that is the only way you can socialize with others. Just so you know, you absolutely can be seated with others in MTD if you want - we have done it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gfd_2 Posted July 1, 2013 #22 Share Posted July 1, 2013 If you enjoy eating alone, then MTD it is....they seat you as if in a real restaurant. If you are social, and enjoy tablemates, then go with traditional dining. Inaccurate statement. We've met some very nice folks who opted to use MTD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
varoo Posted July 1, 2013 #23 Share Posted July 1, 2013 ...... Just so you know, you absolutely can be seated with others in MTD if you want - we have done it. Absolutely.So have we. So have thousands of others. One of the advantages of MTD is that you can request whatever type of seating arrangement you want, as the mood strikes you. On nights when you are feeling sociable, you ask to share a table with others. Other nights when you want a private dinner for two, that is what you request. On nights when you don't care either way but just want to be seated quickly, you take first available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edjny Posted July 1, 2013 #24 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Absolutely.So have we. So have thousands of others. One of the advantages of MTD is that you can request whatever type of seating arrangement you want, as the mood strikes you. On nights when you are feeling sociable, you ask to share a table with others. Other nights when you want a private dinner for two, that is what you request. On nights when you don't care either way but just want to be seated quickly, you take first available. The only potential problem when asking to sit at a group table on MTD, is that usually the group at the large table is together. Depending on the group, you may be left out of the conversation since everybody else already knows each other. Just something to take into consideraton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langley Cruisers Posted July 1, 2013 #25 Share Posted July 1, 2013 The only potential problem when asking to sit at a group table on MTD, is that usually the group at the large table is together. Depending on the group, you may be left out of the conversation since everybody else already knows each other. Just something to take into consideraton. Yes but if this truly was the case, they would have asked for a table for 6 or whatever size their group was. If they were not open to receiving new people to the table, they would have told the Manager when they were seated, IMO. Anyway, it's only dinner. :) What's 75 minutes out of your life? :D;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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