My Time Dining vs. Standing Reservation

[Brandywine_101]

Hi. I'm trying to see what more experienced cruisers think about the two dinging options: MTD vs. SR. Obviously there are pros and cons to both. From what I can tell, the purpose for MTD is to do just that, go on my time. But that means I won't have a dedicated waitstaff or a table with my name on it each night. But it also means restrictions - I may not be hungry at 6 pm every night.

 

Please let me know what sways you to one way or the other. Thanks!

[Twickenham]

I really like the flexibility of open seating, and will only do fixed if I'm on a cruise that doesn't offer an open seating option (Cunard for instance). As you say, you're not necessarily going to be hungry at the same time every night, there might be a show/activity you want to attend, late port calls, etc. I just find it much less stressful.

[FTLcruisers]

you said it - both have pros and cons. We've done more than 60 cruises and prefer having the same waitstaff each night and also getting to know a small group of guests well by sharing dinner with them each evening. If that is what you like, than traditional dining is for you with the con being that you have to eat at the same time each night.

 

If you want the flexibility of eating at a different time each night, then my time dining is for you. From what I understand, you can request the same waiter each night. You can also ask to be seated with others if you prefer.

 

Really a personal decision.

 

Marianne

[Langley Cruisers]

Hi there, and welcome.

 

MTD is as you described - go to the dining room when you are hungry, and be seated as soon as possible (there may be a few minutes' wait on busy evenings). You may or may not have the same staff each night, even the same table. We have experienced both situations. IF you want to sit with just your party, that's where the wait may come into play; if you are fine sitting with others, you will be seated at a large table with others who have also just been seated, so as to accommodate everyone all at once. The choice is yours.

 

Reservations are "loose", I would say - you can absolutely change them, or have the same time each night, no worries.

 

Our last cruise, we ate in the Windjammer Buffet most evenings for dinner, but did go to MTD three times. We asked to be seated with others and ended up meeting the nicest people! It was wonderful. Of course, you absolutely may ask for a table for two, but in my experience, the tables are THISCLOSE together - you really don't have any privacy and may end up chatting with your neighbors, anyway. :)

 

I would also invite you to read and post on the specific Royal Caribbean board. Many of your questions will be answered there, just by reading through the threads. Here it is:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=83 <--click here

 

Have fun.

.

[Hlitner]

Guess we are "experienced" cruisers (about 4 years as passengers) and we think the OP has it right. There are pros and cons to the various dining schemes/options. Folks need to simply do what they think is best for themselves.

 

DW and I used to love fixed dining where we got to know our tablemates and waiters. We always enjoy being at large tables since making new friends is one reason we love cruising. But then about 10 years ago we were on a 7 day RCI cruise where we had a table of 8, and the other 6 did not come to dinner on a single night (we never even met these folks). Our seating was totally full so the maître d could not move us to another table. It was also the last time we did a fixed seating (except on very long HAL cruises where it is the only option). We now do the Anytime Dining option on every line and simply show-up when we please and ask to share a large table.

 

One interesting benefit of using the Anytime Dining (especially on longer cruises) is that after a few days we find that we often form our own tables with folks we have met on previous nights. Other times we will run into new friends during the day (or at pre dinner cocktails) and simply agree to dine together. We do sometimes miss having the same waiter every night, but we have also been at fixed tables where we had awful waiters...so it is something we can accept :).

 

Hank

[LHT28]

For us open dining works better

some lines will let you sit is the same section (if available ) each night so you do get the same wait staff

 

It is really a personal choice

 

Enjoy whatever you decide

[Floridiana]

But then about 10 years ago we were on a 7 day RCI cruise where we had a table of 8, and the other 6 did not come to dinner on a single night (we never even met these folks).

Hank

 

Same happened to us. I really did not appreciate it. We prefer anytime/your time, whatever it is called.

[crystalspin]

we have also been at fixed tables where we had awful waiters...

 

This^^^

 

My total ocean cruising experience is two cruises with fixed dining, one where we only ate in the buffet (Alaskan cruise where we did not want to bring even 1-2 presentable outfits!), and two cruises where we had AnyTime (or whatever it was called on the line). In that order.

 

The fixed seating on two different lines both had us assigned to snooty waiters with no patience (for an elderly woman, my MIL) and mediocre to poor service -- until the last day or two when they turned on the charm to increase their tips. (This was before auto-gratuity, though.)

 

Our last two cruises (NCL and HAL) we had Anytime and would tell the hostess -- "Seat us wherever is easiest for you." It would be worth almost any price for the beaming countenance we would get from that person! We were most often seated as soon as a 'seater' returned to the station, at a table for 6 or 8. Conversing with new people each night apparently suits us! We will continue with this plan wherever possible in the future.

 

The two exceptions to the "seat us wherever" approach was one time I was feeling under the weather -- only wanted soup and didn't want to expose anyone else to whatever I might be coming down with -- we asked for a table-for-two, and one time we bumped into a solo cruiser we knew from the Sailaway and Cruise Critic M&G, and asked him if it wanted to make up a foursome. Luck have it we didn't wait overlong for either of those, either.

 

On the other side, we also did two river cruises in Russia with fixed seating where we were lucky to have pleasant table companions (tables for 6) each time. There was one time and no choice on those trips!

Edited February 6, 2015 by crystalspin

[geoherb]

We like traditional dining. If you know you're not going to want to eat at the same time every night, however, the anytime dining option will probably work better for you. Also if you're going to want to try the various specialty restaurants and will miss a lot of the meals in the main dining room, go with the anytime dining option unless you have a table to yourselves.

[rocking-m-cruiser]

It depends on the itinerary. If it is port intensive we usually do YTD if not we do early so we can see the shows and comedy.

[Jasalth]

I am one for a MTD also because while we eat at pretty much the same time everyday at home I found we don't do that as much on vacation.

 

In regards to having a different wait staff every night that doesn't have to be the case, at least on Carnival where we had MTD last. We found a great wait staff the first night and every night afterwards we asked to sit in their section. We were also an odd # with 3 of us which means we need a table for 4+ and we had a wait one time. That wait was over before we even walked 50 steps out onto the deck though.

 

Our upcoming cruise I thought about trying the set dining again because all our port times are really early (latest is 4:30pm). But then I remember the cruise we were on when we last had a set dining. It was the worst experience in our lives at any place eating. Though it was maybe because we were a big table of 7 with 2 kids (it was all our extended family) but after 2 nights of 4+ hour dinners, DH and I took the kids to the Windjammer every night. Nope, the 3 left still had 3 1/2 hour dinners for the rest of the trip.

 

To me if you get bad waitstaff and are on SD, you can't get away from them. But with MTD you can keep trying out new waitstaff until you find the ones for you!

[Cruisin' Chick]

We preferred assigned dining (traditional). We had anytime dining a couple of cruises ago and really disliked it. We missed not having the same waitstaff. We could do this type of dining at any restaurant at home and felt we were missing out on an unique cruising experience.

[pris993]

We have well over 50 cruises on 9 different lines... for us traditional late dining is best - like a table for 2, we like to special order every night, works best in the MDR working with the same head waiter every night.

[LuCruise]

We will be doing MTD (unless Allure switches to Dynamic Dining by then). On Allure, the show times are all over the place including times like 5:30pm, 7:30pm, 9pm, etc. We have young kids so can't just pick first seating on traditional if we want to book shows. It only works if you plan on late shows every night . So MTD lets us be flexible with dinner to work around show times.

[spookwife]

Hi. I'm trying to see what more experienced cruisers think about the two dinging options: MTD vs. SR. Obviously there are pros and cons to both. From what I can tell, the purpose for MTD is to do just that, go on my time. But that means I won't have a dedicated waitstaff or a table with my name on it each night. But it also means restrictions - I may not be hungry at 6 pm every night.

 

Please let me know what sways you to one way or the other. Thanks!

 

don't be so sure. One, you can make reservations for MTD. same time every night, different times , whichever. also you can and do end up with the same wait staff( not necessarily the same table, but in their area)

 

hell our last night, we were brought down to the same general area but began to be seated at a table belonging to a different wait staff and 'our' waiter quickly called the hostess over and told them we had been sitting in their section all week. I suppose if we had TOLD her we did not want to sit with them again we would have been sent elsewhere.

 

the one big difference, and this will either make or break it for you: MTD you will almost always be seated at a table for just your party unless you specifically ask to be seated with others. now on occasion, we had met people out and about and decided to have dinner together so when we show up we ask to be seated at one table( and in one case we were already past our appetizer when another couple their stablemates had bail don them and could they please join us?)

 

with Traditional seating, you can be seated with another group of like demographics( family with kids, all adult couples, etc) and you have to request to be seated alone.

[KKB]

If it is just us 2, we prefer either standing dining time, or going to specialty restaurants. We did anytime dining as a couple once & HATED it. The 2 tops are very close together, we had different servers each night so that personal touch is gone. (the specialty servers still give that even if you eat their only once).

 

With another couple or 2, anytime dining could be OK.

[vacation luvver]

But then about 10 years ago we were on a 7 day RCI cruise where we had a table of 8, and the other 6 did not come to dinner on a single night (we never even met these folks).

They must have preferred eating at the buffet or getting room service or eating at surcharge restaurants (if Royal had surcharge restaurants 10 years ago).

 

My traveling companion and I prefer MyTime Dining because sometimes all we want is the entree. No soup or salad or appetizer. We don't see the point in having to wait for other people at our table to finish eating their soup, salad, and appetizers before we get our entrees.

 

I don't know how long waiters tend to wait for people who are late. They don't always know ahead of time that they will be late and therefore are unable to tell the dining room staff not to wait for them. One time, my traveling companion planned to go on a ship's excursion to a tender port. When I called the cruiseline ahead of time (before we boarded the ship), I asked what time we should make our dinner reservation for that night. I was told that I should book for 7:30 PM or later.

 

I booked us for 7:30 PM, but even though we got on line for the tender at 6:45 PM, at 7:30 PM, we were still waiting for a tender. By the time we got back to the ship, dinner service was over. At least no one had to wait and wait for us in the dining room, because we were unable to call to say that we would be late.

[Brandywine_101]

you said it - both have pros and cons. We've done more than 60 cruises and prefer having the same waitstaff each night and also getting to know a small group of guests well by sharing dinner with them each evening. If that is what you like, than traditional dining is for you with the con being that you have to eat at the same time each night.

 

If you want the flexibility of eating at a different time each night, then my time dining is for you. From what I understand, you can request the same waiter each night. You can also ask to be seated with others if you prefer.

 

Really a personal decision.

 

Marianne

I like the idea of a dedicated waiter as well as sitting with others each night. I just don't know that we'll want to eat at the same place at the same time each night. I'll see. For now we're booked as MTD. Thanks!

[Brandywine_101]

They must have preferred eating at the buffet or getting room service or eating at surcharge restaurants (if Royal had surcharge restaurants 10 years ago).

 

My traveling companion and I prefer MyTime Dining because sometimes all we want is the entree. No soup or salad or appetizer. We don't see the point in having to wait for other people at our table to finish eating their soup, salad, and appetizers before we get our entrees.

 

I don't know how long waiters tend to wait for people who are late. They don't always know ahead of time that they will be late and therefore are unable to tell the dining room staff not to wait for them. One time, my traveling companion planned to go on a ship's excursion to a tender port. When I called the cruiseline ahead of time (before we boarded the ship), I asked what time we should make our dinner reservation for that night. I was told that I should book for 7:30 PM or later.

 

I booked us for 7:30 PM, but even though we got on line for the tender at 6:45 PM, at 7:30 PM, we were still waiting for a tender. By the time we got back to the ship, dinner service was over. At least no one had to wait and wait for us in the dining room, because we were unable to call to say that we would be late.

Wow, I didn't know having dinner with others meant you had "family style" dinning. I too would not want to wait for anyone, or have anyone waiting on me. We're going on the cruise so we can do what we want, when we want. No schedules no deadlines. I think MTD is the way to go for us. Thanks!