Why do you choose the dining option you do?

[BillOh]

My DH and I have selected Traditional Dining for our upcoming Jewel cruise, early seating. Now we are second guessing that decision.

 

Understanding that each option is subjective and has a pro and con (or perhaps not) that fits your needs. Why do you choose the dining option (Traditional, early or late seating and My Time Dining) that you do?

 

Thanks.

 

I'll look forward to reading your replies, and hope they remain civil :rolleyes: I may count the number of posts that occur before the predictable ones that always come and people think they are being original. For us, its tradition. We have immensely enjoyed our table mates on about all our cruises. There have been very few exceptions. Our Majesty 3 day cruise we were the only people at a table for 10. We got great service that cruise.

 

We pick the late dining because there as a rule of thumb, has less kids. (pausing to allow the IF YOU DON'T LIKE KIDS, DON'T CRUISE A FAMILY CRUISE LINE folks to loosen up their typing fingers. ) We also pick the late dining even though we usually eat dinner at 5-6pm at home, It's less rushed and if you are enjoying the company you can make it last a little while, but still get away if you need to.

[Sherri914]

Our last cruise we switched to MTD. We liked the option of dining at times that were convenient for the activities and shows we had planned. We enjoyed it very much.

 

I made all reservations on line within a relatively close window of time (all reservations were between 5:30 and 6:30). One month prior to cruise, I emailed RCL Dining and requested a table for two and told them where our preferred seating area was. First day aboard, they asked us to come to the dining room to confirm we liked the table location - which we did. Maitre' D then told us to bypass the MTD lines (both reservation and non-reservation) and go straight to "our" table every night. We had the same wait staff, same table every night of our cruise, and it was in a perfect spot.

Edited October 14, 2015 by Sherri914

[BillOh]

T

 

Always fits with shows.

 

..

 

Usually fits with shows. There have only been a few times when it didn't. I think it was the Welcome aboard show on Allure in 2011, there was only one show and it overlapped late seating by 20 minutes.

[dorisis]

Traditional. Zero wait time to get seated and automatic convenience for the show schedule.

 

Exactly!!!

[BillOh]

MTD.

I like to eat on an upper deck too. For all my MTD venues, it has been on the upper floor of the MDR..

 

Giving full respect to varying opinions, I found this one interesting. I prefer the main floor not the upper decks, and for all of my cruises since MTD came out the MTD deck was the 2nd or 3rd level. That was until Freedom where MTD had the main deck 3 and we were on deck 4. I'm told its currently the same on Oasis, my next cruise.

 

Deck 4 was ok except when ever some entertainment was going on below us, everyone from our dining room would rush the railing to see and prevent us from eating or talking.

[BillOh]

My husband does not like to eat in the Main Dining Room at night so we do MTD and eat dinner in the buffet. MTD means they do not keep chairs for us in the dining room.

 

We often eat breakfast or lunch in the MDR. We go against the flow since most passengers eat in the MDR at night and the buffets for Breakfast and Lunch.

 

That kind of logic is one of the reasons I say the Oasis class isn't as crowded as some people think. We learn to work the system to our advantage.

[BillOh]

[quote name=depplep;48006046

3. Tried MTD once' date=' it was a disaster, won't do it again.[/quote]

 

I have heard many stories and seen long lines of people getting into the dining room. After the first night, I prefer to walk in and sit right away. However, I've had some interesting conversations with people who swear by MTD and I respect their opinions. It seems the system is getting better run, though I have no personal experience. If they ever get it to the point that 99% of the people using it can walk in and be seated within a minute or two, I might consider it.

 

But for now, I don't mind a scheduled time for dinner. My 7 days cruises are usually 168 hours long and I have at least 140 of that to do what I want, when I want.

[Anita Latte]

Deck 4 was ok except when ever some entertainment was going on below us, everyone from our dining room would rush the railing to see and prevent us from eating or talking.

 

The entertainment in the MDR is one reason I like to avoid the main floor. ;) I don't enjoy it. And amazingly enough, after 5 cruises with MTD, I've only been in the dining room for 2 entertainments.

 

I also like being on the floor with the big open space in middle...IDK, I don't love the big huge floor with all the tables...I like the feeling of some breathing room that the upper deck gives.

 

I had heard that they changed the floor for MTD on Oasis/Allure...it was Deck 5 when I sailed Allure.

[living in vacationland]

Thank you for all the replies. It has given us much to consider how we cruise and what we want for this vacation.

 

MTD. We typically only eat in the MDR 2-3 times on a typical 7 day cruise. Sometimes only once. This way we don't have to worry about seats being saved for us with a group that chose Traditional Dining to have others at their table.

 

This is one of our concerns. We will most likely not eat in the Traditional Dining room at least two times, maybe three.

 

Traditional Early....We have eaten in Chops, but have gotten in the habit of ordering the Chops meal in the MDR at a much better price.

 

What? How do you do this? This sounds perfect!

[Clarea]

... I had heard that they changed the floor for MTD on Oasis/Allure...it was Deck 5 when I sailed Allure.

MTD was on deck 3 on our Oasis cruise last month.

 

I also like the upper deck because it is quieter. Deck 3 in the middle is just too loud.

[ptf2009]

We've begun opting for MTD. We prefer a table for two, and it seems easier to get this with MTD.

 

We agree about MTD. We like only a table for two, flexibility, and we've never had to wait! And we always have the same waiter.

[Anita Latte]

MTD was on deck 3 on our Oasis cruise last month.

 

I also like the upper deck because it is quieter. Deck 3 in the middle is just too loud.

I agree that the upper decks are also quieter. It was especially noticeable on one of our Celebrity cruises. We were seated down on the main floor instead of up in the MTD area one night...that one dinner was much, much louder than the others we had in MTD on the upper deck.

[ptf2009]

We agree about MTD. We like only a table for two, flexibility, and we've never had to wait! And we always have the same waiter.

 

Another thing...we never made reservations for MTD, but usually arrived around the same time (6:30-6:45p.m.) and made it to the early show if we wanted to go.

[living in vacationland]

MTD....may be dealing with allergy dining, which is a PITA so don't always do it and just risk the consequences (more digestive issues than anything else). When dining with table mates, it isn't comfortable to deal with the allergy thing and all the preordering and sometimes excessive waiting that accompanies the ordeal.

 

This is an issue for us. DH has a gluten allergy, not Celiac but if he is not careful can certainly ruin a vacation. On our last cruise (not on RCL) we ate in a small, specialty style dining room and they very quickly understood his diet restrictions without pre-ordering. It was perfect. He was able to order GF bread and maneuver through the menu with the GF icons. If there was extra wait time, we didn't notice. But if we were sitting in the Traditional Dining Room and tables around us were being served and we were waiting, that could be a pain.

[living in vacationland]

Another thing...we never made reservations for MTD, but usually arrived around the same time (6:30-6:45p.m.) and made it to the early show if we wanted to go.

 

Interesting! I thought you HAD to make a reservation. If we were to do MTD, we would want to dine around the 6:30- 6:45 time frame. Good to know. Thanks for sharing.

[PilotJeff30]

My wife and I have always done My Time Dining.

 

The biggest factor is that we prefer to sit alone for a nice dinner for two that we can tailor to the day (excursions, show times, how hungry we are, etc)

 

We've also found that more often than not early dining usually takes too long and doesn't finish in time for the evenings entertainment. The same goes for the late dining as it's not late enough and would force us to leave the show before it's over.

[Diplomacy]

I choose MTD because I think the idea of keeping to an assigned schedule while on vacation is ridiculous.

 

I will eat when I am hungry. The pretentiousness of the MDR and staff is already high enough without adding the fiction of exclusive reservations.

Edited October 14, 2015 by Diplomacy

[island lady]

Early...too early.

 

Late...too late.

 

Have used MTD since the program first came out, and loved it in the beginning. Now it seems, as it is getting more popular,

the problems of wait time is getting worse. Used to never have to reserve for My Time, now they treat you like low class citizens

if you arrive without a reservation and constantly push you to make reservations.

 

On the Freedom you cannot reserve MTD between the hours of 5:45 and 7:30. They won't seat you unless "your table and wait staff"

is ready. Then you usually have to wait anyway, even when you arrive at your reserved time. Started with MTD because we like to

eat at 6-6:30. Can't do that now.

 

I don't see MTD as being "my time" any longer. They are running it like extended late or early traditional seating now.

More time than not we seem to be just giving up and going to the WJ or one of the pay restaurants. Maybe that is what

RCI is trying to push us towards now anyway. :(

Edited October 14, 2015 by island lady

[sealeggs]

We choose Traditional Late also. We like to leisurely get ready and go to DL as said before, it empties out around 5:30 or so.

[DonnaK]

We choose early traditional. It's closest to the time we eat at home, and we like having a few hours afterwards to digest the food before bedtime because we hate going to bed feeling full. We go to the shows every night, and find that traditional dining works best with the show schedule. We also like having the same waiters and tablemates throughout the cruise.

 

We actually find it freeing to have an evening schedule, and not have to think about reservations or figuring out where/when to eat in order to be able to attend evening activities.

[CaribbeanCrush]

Traditional late seating large table. (We love to meet new people)

 

I want to schedule once!

 

Always fits with shows.

 

I can relax after getting back from an excursion.

 

My wife ;) doesn't have to start getting ready for formal night @ 4PM.

 

DL or CL empties out at 5:30.

 

Late seating just feels less rushed...

 

Our choice as well. When in port we like to do as much as we can, so we are often just back on board minutes before departure. The idea of rushing back to the cabin to get ready for dinner (especially formal nights) would ruin things for us.

[slyster]

Traditional early. Although it's a little earlier than we usually eat at home, I quickly realize that by the time my main course comes out it's right around my dinner time at home. I can't imagine eating dinner at 9pm since I'm usually getting into bed at that time LOL! That's at home though. We also like the same wait staff.

 

My wife is deaf and so the communication thing is always a little awkward for a day or two until they get used to her and realize how friendly and helpful she is to teach them things. So having to start over every night would not be fun.

[Diplomacy]

Have used MTD since the program first came out, and loved it in the beginning. Now it seems, as it is getting more popular,

the problems of wait time is getting worse.

 

Has nothing to do with MTD. The MDR staff treat everyone that way. Standards are falling and I believe it is more related to the rise of the prepaid gratuity than MTD, though the two programs are linked. RCCL pays out grats as if they are part of the employees salaries. Nobody tips cash at the end of a meal, nobody tips the day-3 server on day 8. Very few people deviate from the requested gratuity, up or down, so they have no incentive to treat you well. Especially if their bosses don't monitor and correct 'undesirable' behavior... which they don't, since their bosses often display the same rude behavior.

Edited October 14, 2015 by Diplomacy

[Anita Latte]

This is an issue for us. DH has a gluten allergy, not Celiac but if he is not careful can certainly ruin a vacation. On our last cruise (not on RCL) we ate in a small, specialty style dining room and they very quickly understood his diet restrictions without pre-ordering. It was perfect. He was able to order GF bread and maneuver through the menu with the GF icons. If there was extra wait time, we didn't notice. But if we were sitting in the Traditional Dining Room and tables around us were being served and we were waiting, that could be a pain.

 

Please excuse this tangent, I'm not trying to hijack this thread...

 

On Royal, if you REALLY want to avoid a food allergen (i.e. gluten), then you need to PREORDER your food. You will preorder any food that you care to eat for the next day at dinner service. This includes breakfast items in the MDR, lunch (if a Sea Day) and dinner. You will have the menus for the next day to look at to make your selections.

 

This is one reason that I think the system is a PITA...because you have to figure out what you want to eat all day, the next day. To try to help that process, we requested to at least order our next day's food before we ate dinner so that we had some appetite and could actually feel attracted to ordering something. The norm, however, is to take your order AFTER your meal (which can prolong the meal as you wait for to be able to place your order).

 

The food is then prepared in a separate kitchen area where they are stringent about the possibility of cross contamination AND making sure that the dish prepared has been prepared with the GF option ordered. The cruise line is pretty clear...they can only be held responsible for food being contaminant free in the MDR (for the complementary options). The other complementary options may not be well equipped with a "clean" area of the kitchen where they control for potential cross contamination.

 

Royal does indicate that there are preparations for the menu dishes that CAN BE gluten-free, lactose-free, etc., BUT the dishes themselves are NOT necessarily gluten-free in their normal presentation UNLESS you order them to be that way. You can order them with that option on the night of, BUT they will not be prepared in the OTHER kitchen area where they are concerned with cross contamination. Ordering the GF version of a dish will just mean that any items that contain gluten will be left off that plate in the regular kitchen prep area. (So, for example, if the mashed potatoes that night have flour added, you will get a baked potato on your plate instead when you order the GF option dish).

 

Service with allergy dining doesn't have to take longer. Not if you are aware of the program and the service staff is also on the ball.

 

Key notes...it can be easier to have the same service staff for every meal BUT what is more important is just to know who the HEAD WAITER is for your section. I'm not talking about the head server for your table, I'm talking about the more senior, manager type person that oversees the section of waitstaff/tables in which you are seated and specifically, where you are seated when you make your preorder.

 

The head waiter is the person that is reasonable for submitting all pre-orders and special requests to the chef the night before they should be prepared. They have a whole system in place, which when I last participated included physical menu tags/orders (think old time diner) that will be in the allergen kitchen area. If your wait staff follows through with the system that I learned last April/May, your current waiter for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, will go track down that tag and verify your order with you when the rest of your table will be making their orders. And you should be able to be served when everyone else is.

 

We learned that a key to helping your current server (especially at times like breakfast and lunch when there isn't assigned seating) locate your order ticket is to know who the head waiter was that placed the order the previous night. Maybe they call it up on a computer and then print them out...IDK...it is also associated with your stateroom number somehow.

 

NOTE: the key here is that the wait staff themselves are familiar with this program...if you get servers that haven't dealt with allergy dining before, then you get to be their learning experience and that is one contributing factor to waiting.

 

We have also had issues with "lost orders" which is not necessarily the lost ticket. Literally, a very special dish crashed to the ground and thus there was no dish to serve my Mom, who was dealing with needing food with no soy, no eggs, and no gluten. OMG. NIGHTMARE.

 

As I wrote at the beginning...please excuse this tangent...just trying to pass along personal experience/knowledge.

[negc]

Has nothing to do with MTD. The MDR staff treat everyone that way. Standards are falling and I believe it is more related to the rise of the prepaid gratuity than MTD, though the two programs are linked. RCCL pays out grats as if they are part of the employees salaries. Nobody tips cash at the end of a meal, nobody tips the day-3 server on day 8. Very few people deviate from the requested gratuity, up or down, so they have no incentive to treat you well. Especially if their bosses don't monitor and correct 'undesirable' behavior... which they don't, since their bosses often display the same rude behavior.

 

Rude behavior has never been the case in the vast majority of our cruise experiences and we have never been treated differently by the staff if we arrived at MTD with OR without reservations. Perhaps the way some people arrive and treat the staff influences the way they are treated and gratuities are distributed to the wait staff in a manner which seems to satisfy, even please, them in our experience. Prepaid gratuities are no longer a requirement of MTD but when they were, we never noted a diminution in the quality of the service we received. In fact it has been our impression that the best servers were assigned to MTD. Should we encounter "undesirable behavior" a quick word to a supervisor seems to do the trick.