Early or your time dining???

[celestekelly13]

I have done early dining plenty, we did your time dining last time on the Carnival Elation and only waited a few minutes here or there. We are trying to decide between 6pm early set time dining or your time dining. I like the freedom of eating when we want, BUT we dont want to wait long and were thinking we would like the same table/servers each night. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated....

[hftmrock]

you can have the same server every night if you want. depending on when you go and how big your group is will determine your wait.

 

small groups tend not to wait that long if at all. When I went, there was no wait and we got the same waitstaff every night with no issues

[KLD1019]

we had any time dining last month on ours. i'll always choose ATD because sometimes im not hungry at 6. and sometimes im STARVING by 8 LOL

 

we would usually be hungry and ready to eat around 7/730. i think the longest wait we had was 20 minutes.

[Celebrategoldens]

When we went on the Pride last year we did your time for the very first time. It was my husband and I and we only waited one time for a table and that was only for about 5 minutes. We asked for the same waitstaff each night and we loved it! The only thing I missed was getting to know 'your' table mates . We are leaving Sunday and have chosen your time again

[DONDON55]

We had the anytime dining last December on the Splendor. found that we luved our wait staff the very first night so we asked for them every night. if the tables were full, the hostess gave us a beeper, like in the restaurants and we went out to the lobby bar to have a drink and listen to the band playing......never a long wait. Well worth the few minutes to have our favorite team.

[uncleg]

I have done early and YTD, I prefer early..I have no use for the YTD. The service just is not as good IMO. Trying late seating for first time in FEB, will see how that goes, but definitely no more YTD for me.

[092306]

You can request the same wait staff each night to get that personalized service. If you think you will eat close to 6 most nights, you shouldn't have a wait for a table. We eat around that time and the few times we've gone closer to 7, we didn't wait then either. Love ATD and wouldn't go back to traditional.

[PinaColadaPlease]

I prefer late seating. Never hungry or dressed in time for early seating . Plus I like sitting with the same people each night.

 

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[Warm Breezes]

We prefer ATD. We have only waited a couple times on Elegant night for less than 15 minutes. You can ask to be seated in the same area if you find some wait staff that you like. If the tables are full there they will give you a beeper. We asked for the same area a couple of times, but if they were full we just asked to be seated anywhere. ATD gives you the flexiblity to eat when and with whom you want. It also allows you to be seated in a different area if you find yourself with a wait team that isn't up to your standards.

[T. Advisor King]

My opinion on this changed radically because of my experience on the Glory last month. We first tried YTD on the Inspiration a couple years ago and it was great. The longest wait was 5 minutes.

 

So we were expecting the same on the Glory last month. Our aggregate wait time after the first four days was well over two hours. It really isn't "YTD" if you can't actually eat at "your time".

 

As far as quality of service or having the same wait staff, I really don't care (and really don't understand why people do care). I'm not really that interested in wanting to develop a relationship with the wait staff. And if I'm ever so predictable that a waiter will know what I want "without me having to ask for it", then I think that's a problem.

 

I never found the service by the YTD staff to be of lesser quality. I think they do tend to be less chatty because they're not trying to develop a rapport that will bring them an extra gratuity at the end of the cruise. I generally found the YTD service was much faster. You can get in and get out without having to wait for everyone else to be on the same stage of the meal.

 

I would choose YTD, but I'd do some research to see whether the wait times on that particular ship are minimal like the Inspiration, or incredibly long like the Glory.

Edited August 26, 2014 by T. Advisor King