Your time dining or set dining?

[jenne252]

I may be a little confused but we did the 815 seating last time, it was just the 2 of us, and we got a table for 2. Is this not the norm? I chose this again for us, but since it's our honeymoon we certainly wouldn't want to be seated with strangers. How do I go about requesting a table for 2?

[A&Jfamily]

I may be a little confused but we did the 815 seating last time, it was just the 2 of us, and we got a table for 2. Is this not the norm? I chose this again for us, but since it's our honeymoon we certainly wouldn't want to be seated with strangers. How do I go about requesting a table for 2?

 

Go when you board to the dining room and they can tell you to which table you are assigned; if you aren't happy, they might/should be able to move you.

 

Congratulations....;:)

[sahm2alexis]

my husband and I are both introverts and very much look forward to the any time dining! I'm sure you're a very nice person, but I don't want to chitchat.

[jenne252]

Great, thanks. Another question, if we are booked for late dining, and cannot get a table for 2, are we able to just show up for the Anytime Dining room?

[kmarie30]

It sounds like I have made the right choice with choosing YTD this time around. It is only 4 of us and I don't mind waiting a little if need be. Besides that, I agree with it being a pain to try and get everyone ready at a specific time. Last year we ran into the kids being hungry before our scheduled dinner time. I chose the late seating because I was afraid if I picked the early time we would run into problems with having to rush back to the ship on port days. I also do not prefer to be seated with strangers and have to worry about having awkward conversation. Not sure why I did not look into this more last year. I am sure we will love the flexibility this time!

[funinthesun1964]

I have really enjoyed ATD for the last several cruises. On a few of the cruises, they automatically gave us the same staff on repeat nights, without us even asking. So it kind of seemed like assigned dining (we usually got the same table!).

 

On the last cruise on the Conquest, however, we had some bummer waiters. We had different ones each night and they all seemed to be slow, except maybe one night.

 

Because of that, we have selected early dining on our next cruise. If we get stuck with bummer waiters, though, we're kind of stuck with them. Unless we complain/ask for a change.

[amyh13]

Great, thanks. Another question, if we are booked for late dining, and cannot get a table for 2, are we able to just show up for the Anytime Dining room?

 

 

No unfortunately your dining assignment is on you card, which they check when you show up to eat. YTD is likely in a different dining room or on a different level.

 

 

 

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[RTRMom]

We like your time, because we never eat at the same time at home. Lol...but seriously...I don't like being on a schedule on vacation. Also, with having kids...it is just too unpredictable for a set time.

 

Your time, just makes it a lot easier for us.

[Yellowbird75]

Great, thanks. Another question, if we are booked for late dining, and cannot get a table for 2, are we able to just show up for the Anytime Dining room?

 

You can't just show up but you can go to the Maitre 'd before dinner on the first night and asked to be switched to ATD if you're not pleased with your table. We did this once when we booked later and ATD was "full."

[In2why]

Another any time dining fan. I prefer a short wait for a table over having to be in the Dining Room at a certain time. I am on a vacation and prefer eating when we are actually hungry, and the flexibility.

[dmdiver]

You can still request the same waitstaff with Your Time Dining.

[nybumpkin]

Funny, I was just having this conversation with a friend last week. We're both fans of set dining. He usually sails RCI or X, but his vision of the future is that most lines will move to YTD.

 

Having said that I like set dining times, the one time we did YTD was just fine. We booked it because we knew we wanted to be on deck for sailaway from NYC (too many times we've had to leave for dinner before reaching the Verazzano Bridge) and because we knew that one night we wanted to have dinner in the supper club. It worked fine - we were able to have the same wait staff every night except one, when a large group took over their station.

 

Last summer we booked early dining on Miracle in Alaska. After we booked, they changed the itinerary due to Miracle's propulsion problems. It meant more time in port and overlapped with early dining. Then they changed early dining from 6:00 to 5:30 - apparently they learned that people like to eat earlier on this itinerary. (Not sure where they learned that....:rolleyes:) I tried to switch to YTD but is was completely booked. Lesson learned: if your itinerary has longer port times, YTD may be right for you.

[sailor_jimc]

30 cruises under our belts. We were very anti YTD when they first brought it out. Swore up and down that we preferred set dinning. Well we tried it on a short cruise 3 cruises ago.. and we do like it. Of course dinning style is a personal thing, but most of what has been said here about the experience is on the money. But the best points about it are- you can choose to be seated with others or not.. if you like them you can sit together again.. if not, someone else. Same it true of the wait staff you get.

 

The drawback is that with set seating, the service is timed so that you should get to see the wait staff do there "show". We have found that with YTD you may be in and out before show time hits. Although I am sure there are those that would put that in the "good things" column....

 

The only way you will know if to try it. We tried it on a short cruise so if we didn't like it, we would only have to deal with it for a few days. We still like both but since trying it we have done more YTD cruises than set time cruises.

[carribbeanmic]

I was researching dining options. This time I will be traveling in a group of 7. I'm curious about any time dining? On the Dream do they place you in a specific dining room for ATD. I am Platinum and I usually prefer early dining, I don't like to miss the shows and the games shows. But my problem is one cabin is platinum and the other is not. Early dining is full on our cruise. So has anyone out there done the Dream recently using ATD with a larger group, how long was the wait times?

[marshhawk]

We've done both-and prefer ATD. We go to the restaurant before we start starving, We don't mind being seated with others, the reason we don't like assigned is that if one person is late or has decided not to dine then it screws up the service. The waiter holds out the service until the person shows up.

 

hint-if you know you are going to be eating at the steak house, or specialty restaurant one night, tell the server, or people at your table so that they know not to wait for you. (it's called being considerate)

 

we did have to wait for 20 plus minutes on our last cruise-it was formal night, and the next day, the restaurant sent us chocolate cover strawberries and candy to apologize-a very nice surprise as we have often waited that long at a land restaurant, and never been given an apology. why should they. They didn't tell us to show up then.:)

[sweetsixteencruisers]

We tried ATD once, never again! The worst service! Felt like we were forgotten about. Service is slow with people coming in at all different times, the staff can't get the timing down. The staff is overwhelmed in the ATD.

 

We will stick with traditional seating.

 

Good luck! It seems many people like it!

[kelkel2]

What type of dining do you prefer and why? Last year we chose set dining but this year I have us down for your time dining. I know with this dining option we will not be seated with the same people or have the same waiter every night, but are there any other drawbacks?

 

We prefer anytime. We are just not people that like a set schedule on vacation and just prefer to go to dinner whenever we get ready and decide it's time. Especially on this upcoming cruise with all kinds of different port times, anytime just seemed to make more sense. We have some late port days, one port day not departing until 10:30pm. I would just have no idea of what time we would be back on the ship to be able to predict what time we would want to go to dinner. I just like the go with the flow feel of anytime.

[Vigorosity]

I've tried both and I think I prefer set dining. Anytime was fine and I don't have complaints, but my memories from set dining are so fun! I love the same waitstaff nightly and it helps me plan my day to meet up with people I'm sailing with. :)

Edited December 21, 2015 by Vigorosity

[jillinmn]

Prefer set seating, then we really get to know our table mates and servers.

[SadieN]

I was researching dining options. This time I will be traveling in a group of 7. I'm curious about any time dining? On the Dream do they place you in a specific dining room for ATD. I am Platinum and I usually prefer early dining, I don't like to miss the shows and the games shows. But my problem is one cabin is platinum and the other is not. Early dining is full on our cruise. So has anyone out there done the Dream recently using ATD with a larger group, how long was the wait times?

 

 

It's going ot depend on how many other large groups there are on your sailing.

[notyours75]

I really prefer set dining. I really like having that relationship with the dining staff and seeing the same faces at the table. ATD seems to be an invitation to wait in a line like a restaurant whereas set dining is more like you have a reservation. I get a kick out of reading all the complaints about ATD people having to wait in line because everyone on ATD seems to have the same dining time in mind. I enjoy walking past all those people in line and being greeted by name by our wait staff and having a leisurely meal.

 

We always eat in the MDR for diner so that helps us greatly. If you were just going to eat one or two nights there then ATD is probably fine as long as you don't mind waiting in line for a bit.

[nwo4life]

Set dining for us, I would rather walk straight in and sit at our table than have to wait in line and possible have to wait again to be seated.

[tkportersat]

We chose anytime dining for the time being so we can work around our 5 year old and port days. Last cruise on the Magic was the first time we tried it and worked pretty well. We never waited to be seated and didn't find service to be lacking. We also ate at the steak house twice. Some folks don't like anytime because they want to get to know their waiters and the waiters to get to know them but we didn't mind this. I enjoyed the flexibility and not having to rush to make a time.

 

What type of dining do you prefer and why? Last year we chose set dining but this year I have us down for your time dining. I know with this dining option we will not be seated with the same people or have the same waiter every night, but are there any other drawbacks?

[crusinpsychRN]

I travel solo and now use open seating. Never can tell if I'll want to go to MDR, Steakhouse or buffet depending on what's on the menu. I don't eat dessert for the most part so I leave after the entree. If I want to go see a show I can time it right. A lot of people would get an attitude if I didn't stay for dessert and coffee or leave to go to a show. On the Spirit class ships there is an area where the tables are not on top of each other.

[fam2cruise]

We sail with small children and enjoy the early set dining (usually 6pm). This is about the time we eat dinner at home so this works with keeping my kids on their normal schedule. We request a table for 4 just for our family.