Oddball fttf question

[Cruisegirl6]

Im just curious...my past experiences sitting with strangers in the MDR were not pleasant due to the fact both times we sat with people that did not speak enlist....question, if I have FTTF which I do, can i get priority with the maitre d' of changing my table to a table for 5?

[dettlja]

No fttf just gives you priority when choosing early, late or any time dining. If you want to sit by yourself get anytime dining.

[firemanbobswife]

No it doesn't. I wish you could choose your table size ahead of time like other cruise lines let you do.

[ferfoodle]

With FTTF, you will be on board sooner than most. You can go find out where your table is located right away and if not to your satisfaction, you can make a point to get in line early to see the maitre d in hopes of getting it changed.

[Cruisegirl6]

True...I can check out the table and if its not just us ask for a change, most likely won't get it then maybe can go to my time dining. Does my time dining ever book up? We normally dine at specialty restaurants each night so we not familiar with some things, this trip we planning going to the MDR half the time and the other half to the steakhouse.

[Drazil65]

We always like to sit by ourselves in MDR so I email the maitred of whatever ship I am sailing about 3 or 4 weeks out, give my cabin number and request. Last month they answered my request about a week before we left and confirmed out table for 3 in MDR. It is no guarantee but they have always accommodated us so it is worth a try.

 

Search for the thread regarding this here on the forums as it gives you a lot of good ideas regarding this issue and emails. Good Luck!!!

[LeisaH3067]

True...I can check out the table and if its not just us ask for a change, most likely won't get it then maybe can go to my time dining. Does my time dining ever book up? We normally dine at specialty restaurants each night so we not familiar with some things, this trip we planning going to the MDR half the time and the other half to the steakhouse.

 

MTD is pretty popular and does fill up. We are a family of 5 as well & were wait listed for it last year. We were not able to get it, though we sailed during spring break. If you think you may want that, I would try and change it now. You can always request to be seated with the same waitstaff each evening. No guarantee, but they will try and accommodate you.

[mitsugirly]

It took me YEARS to decide to book a Carnival cruise just because of this matter. I don't want to sit with strangers and dinner is usually the time that we relax and do "family" talk between us. It's like a special and private moment. But after I found out about the my time dining, I booked my first cruise and it worked out wonderful.

 

Now...I have some questions that have recently come up if you all could help me with (after reading this thread).

 

With an assigned dining, do you always get stuck with other people? I remember this "back in the day" when I cruised in the 80's and 90's. That's what turned me off from it. We ran across some very nasty table mates and I dreaded going to dinner and facing them every night. Can you not get a table just for your party?

 

I recently read about the "singing/dancing" they do in there and would like to see some of that (I know we didn't have anything like that in the my time dining area last time)...so is this only a thing they do if you have scheduled dining?

 

Last of all, if you do the scheduled dining and then decide to go to my time dining a few nights, do they have a problem with that? I mean what if you missed your dining time? We never eat at the same time and when we get the notion...we just want to be able to go and eat and not wait until a certain time.

 

I'm still torn about this entire situation and what to do.

 

Any help appreciated.

[kelkel2]

Anytime dining does typically book up before the cruise sets sail, so if you get on the ship and decide you don't like your table, the best thing you will be able to do is request a new table, typically it is highly unlikely you will be able to switch on embarkation day to anytime dining at that point.

If you think you may want anytime dining, I suggest you put in your request for it now. I know there are people on here all the time that are waitlisted for it and inquire if they will actually get it.

If all you are worried about is your table, like others have said, on your sign and sail card will be your table number, upon embarkation go to your dining room and find your table. You will know right then what your table situation is. Then if you aren't happy with it you can try to get it fixed.

[cruizinisthebest]

They do the singing and dancing once during ATD I believe, so you may miss it if you're not in there at the time.

 

You can request a table for just your party. That's what alot of people do when they email the maitre' d. To me it's best to do this ahead of time than go to dinner and then be asked to move later. And as far as I know, you have one dining time that you pick. Either early, late or anytime. You can't randomly go from one to the other each night.

 

For what it's worth, we always pick late dining. For several reasons. One I like knowing for fact that I will have the same waitstaff and table. I don't want to wait; especially if I go late - like AT ALL. Third, late seating allows us to relax and take our time getting back on port days. On sea days, the pools, jacuzzis, and everything Lido starts to clear out as early dining folks are off getting ready for dinner. That gives us time to enjoy a less crowded deck. There's plenty to snack on, and we are used to eating at home rather late with the type of schedules we keep. Not 8:30 late but the time still suits us. Even with kids who half the time prefer to eat in camp anyway.

[mitsugirly]

They do the singing and dancing once during ATD I believe, so you may miss it if you're not in there at the time.

 

You can request a table for just your party. That's what alot of people do when they email the maitre' d. To me it's best to do this ahead of time than go to dinner and then be asked to move later. And as far as I know, you have one dining time that you pick. Either early, late or anytime. You can't randomly go from one to the other each night.

 

For what it's worth, we always pick late dining. For several reasons. One I like knowing for fact that I will have the same waitstaff and table. I don't want to wait; especially if I go late - like AT ALL. Third, late seating allows us to relax and take our time getting back on port days. On sea days, the pools, jacuzzis, and everything Lido starts to clear out as early dining folks are off getting ready for dinner. That gives us time to enjoy a less crowded deck. There's plenty to snack on, and we are used to eating at home rather late with the type of schedules we keep. Not 8:30 late but the time still suits us. Even with kids who half the time prefer to eat in camp anyway.

 

 

We are VERY late eaters...like 10:30-11pm late (which I know won't work for the MDR anyhow) and we normally only eat at the MDR maybe twice on a 7 day cruise.

 

We have already signed up for ATD, but just wondered about the singing and dancing. I would just like to see it once. I wonder if there's a way to find out what time they'll have it?

 

Now you just said that the kids prefer to eat in camp? They feed them in there? I'm confused.

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

Once you are assigned a "dining" venue for dinner whether early or late traditional or anytime dining that is your assignment and you can't change it or hop between the three. You can always "skip" the main dining room, though, and eat at the buffet any time you choose.

 

Once "assigned" a venue for dining you will rarely if ever have the ability to change it...though seating at the venue may be changed if the room isn't full. The dining rooms are set up with tables for 2, 4, 6, 8 or ten or long banquet style tables where individual groups are combined. Check your seating if you have assigned dining as soon as you board (the tables are numbered and the doors are unlocked). If you have a banquet table arrive very early the first night and sit at the outside edges. People tend to sit in the same seats every night. And remember, lots of people don't want to sit with you either.

[cruizinisthebest]

Mitsugirly ask around for the Pride. I wanna say they dance during around 7 but that's only based on comments I've read in reviews and such. I don't do anytime dining and have never been on the Pride. But someone can answer for sure what time they dance and sing, which I love by the way. Never gets old to me even though it's corny. :p

 

Yes Camp Carnival closes @ 5, then they have dinner @ 6. And then free camp activities until 10, then night owls after that. Both of our kids ate in camp every night except the first and the one elegant night during our cruise last year. They just prefer to be with their friends. There will be a designated spot to bring them. Usually somewhere around the buffet. And on both of our cruises with the kids, the area was sectioned off for camp dinner. There's also a menu that will be posted although once my son made a plate of his own from the buffet and then my husband took him to camp to eat with the kids. Wasn't a problem. Then they will escort the kids back to camp or wherever their next activity is planned after dinner.

[cutiepiefred]

we have chose atd on our last 3 of our last 4 cruises as we had a few people with us with diff staterooms and bookings. we have always just went in asked for a table with said number of seats they then ask us for the stateroom of the the other diners. On the other 2 cruises we had assigned dining and were set with others and it was actually a good placement both times. We also were able to see the waitstaff dance almost every night on all our cruises except ncl as they dont so that there, so i dont think it matters if you are atd or scheduled sdining regarding the wait staff entertainment

[serene56]

ILast of all, if you do the scheduled dining and then decide to go to my time dining a few nights, do they have a problem with that? I mean what if you missed your dining time? We never eat at the same time and when we get the notion...we just want to be able to go and eat and not wait until a certain time..

 

 

you can not switch between traditional and anytime. You have to use the dining room assigned so if you have traditional and miss your seating you go to the buffet and eat.

[Artemus]

One of the first things I do when I get onboard is go to the dining room and get in the usually short line and request a table for two and have always gotten it.

[RenoNanaOz]

Im just curious...my past experiences sitting with strangers in the MDR were not pleasant due to the fact both times we sat with people that did not speak enlist....question, if I have FTTF which I do, can i get priority with the maitre d' of changing my table to a table for 5?

I have emailed the Maitre'd a couple times with table requests and have always got them. It's worth a try.

[Cruisegirl6]

I will email the maitre d' how far in advance should I do it?

[jandjtexas]

With Any Time Dining you are able to go when you want, we usually go around when it opens. There will be a line, but it goes fast because the seats are empty and it is just a matter of filling them. We always request a table for our group alone, when I sailed solo I had a table for two to myself. I haven't tried the other dining times as I like the option of going later if I feel like it, although that has only happened a time or two.

[RenoNanaOz]

I will email the maitre d' how far in advance should I do it?

The earlier the better, you won't get a response but hopefully he will grant your request. Good Luck!

[RCmommy]

With any time diners, do they just seat us wherever there is room when we come in? I cannot imagine they keep "our" table open.

 

First time cruisers with Carnival and with NCL we only ate in the MDR one night so I am not aware of how things work.

[Karebear98]

It's a different table each time in my case and we always asked for a table for two only saw them seating multiple parties together for the tables by windows we don't care to sit by a window so no big deal there and yes singing and dacing every night around 7pm. I will always choose atd now on

 

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[Cruisegirl6]

Thank you I will email him four weeks prior.

[45014]

On our Dream cruise (mitsugirly was there, too) we had ATD and got the same table and waiter each night. We would just get a time when we were all there, seven of us, and maybe we would have to wait for a little while.

[hate2shop]

I haven't been assigned to sit with strangers since my first cruise on the Tropicale in 1990.

We've always been seated with our group of 6 or 8 people on linked reservations. On our last cruise on Valor in March I thought we might be assigned to a bigger table but were given a booth for 4. Actually I only saw one very large table in the dining room and that appeared to be for singles on ATD.