Set dining time

[DivaMI]

How much leeway does one have for getting to the MDR. I have a set 5:30 dining time which is ok except for sail away day. I would like to be on deck for the sail away but I am afraid that I will be late for dinner. I believe that theship sets sail at 4:00. Is there a 15 minute grace period or anything like that?

[Clarea]

How much leeway does one have for getting to the MDR. I have a set 5:30 dining time which is ok except for sail away day. I would like to be on deck for the sail away but I am afraid that I will be late for dinner. I believe that theship sets sail at 4:00. Is there a 15 minute grace period or anything like that?

If I was going to be more than about 5 minutes late for traditional dining, I'd make other arrangements for dinner that night.

[grapau27]

How much leeway does one have for getting to the MDR. I have a set 5:30 dining time which is ok except for sail away day. I would like to be on deck for the sail away but I am afraid that I will be late for dinner. I believe that theship sets sail at 4:00. Is there a 15 minute grace period or anything like that?

If you are on a table for 2 your probably okay but if you're on a bigger table you might not be popular with the other guests.

 

43 cruises and counting.

[cruzgryphon]

I travel solo and always sit with a group of people. For late seating we usually allow a few minutes (say about 10 minutes) for everyone to arrive before ordering - especially on the first day where people are finding their tables and stuff.

[grapau27]

If I was going to be more than about 5 minutes late for traditional dining, I'd make other arrangements for dinner that night.

Very commendable and respectful to your fellow diners but if we knew it was you and your wife we would not mind if you were late as you sound like fantastic company.

 

43 cruises and counting.

[Desert Cruizers]

If you can inform the dining room that you might miss the first evening, that might be best then you can plan on eating elsewhere. Our first cruise out of Sydney, Australia we chose to skip the first night but let the dining room know.

[tjsttng]

You should be able to make it. I am wonder if ok to be late for 5:30 when sail away is 5:30. [emoji51]. Have anybody experience that?

 

 

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[gerif]

Sometimes dinner is a bit later the first night to allow for sail away. But, no, it is not OK to be late - throws service off for everyone, not just your table.

[tjsttng]

I won't be very late, maybe no more than 20 mins for first night only. Just enough to pass the beach and wave bye and then dinner. [emoji51]

 

 

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[hapster85]

If I was going to be more than about 5 minutes late for traditional dining, I'd make other arrangements for dinner that night.

Curious if you notify the dining room you aren't coming, and if you do, I'd have to wonder if that information is ever relayed to your wait staff. Unless, of course, you have table mates who know you aren't coming, I'm guessing your staff is left wondering where you are.

 

On Liberty last fall, on our way into the Windjammer for lunch, we were approached about doing the murder mystery dinner that night. It sounded like a great idea, so we signed up on the spot. Never crossed our minds that our MDR staff would be looking for us, and the next night, they asked us why we weren't there. You'd think they'd have a procedure in place to alert staff when diners have booked another venue for the night.

[Grandma Dazzles]

I won't be very late, maybe no more than 20 mins for first night only. Just enough to pass the beach and wave bye and then dinner. [emoji51]

 

 

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Not a good idea! This is especially true if you have table mates. If you are going to be more than 5-10 minutes late, on any night, it really is rude to the other diners at your table. The staff tries to keep everyone on the same time frame so that the courses are served together, ending with dessert and coffee. If you are going to be late you should skip the MDR and eat at another venue.

 

Keep in mind that if first seating people are "running late" it also affects second seating guests.

[cruisinfanatic]

I won't be very late, maybe no more than 20 mins for first night only. Just enough to pass the beach and wave bye and then dinner. [emoji51]

 

 

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that's too late.

Do you expect your table mates to wait 20 minutes for you to show or do you want them to order on time and then have your servers drop what they are doing to feed you when you show up.

Very uncool!

[telecruiser]

My observation regarding first night: Don't be more than a few minutes late. It is better just not to show and then go ahead and come the next night. The servers seem perfectly understanding that the tables won't fill on the first night. On the second night, when they ask you where you were, they are just being polite. Pretending that they actually care.

That being said, I always notify the waiter if I know I won't be there the next night.

[tjsttng]

I won't be very late, maybe no more than 20 mins for first night only. Just enough to pass the beach and wave bye and then dinner. [emoji51]

 

 

 

 

 

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Not a good idea! This is especially true if you have table mates. If you are going to be more than 5-10 minutes late, on any night, it really is rude to the other diners at your table. The staff tries to keep everyone on the same time frame so that the courses are served together, ending with dessert and coffee. If you are going to be late you should skip the MDR and eat at another venue.

 

 

 

Keep in mind that if first seating people are "running late" it also affects second seating guests.

 

 

Most likely I will have a table to myself and I have been late on first day but no fault of mine. Steward mess up something and needed resolve fast when someone tried to trade room with me and it was a downgrade. Had to go to guest service to tell them and they told him no and I was right and was late but I had my own table whew!

 

 

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[hapster85]

My observation regarding first night: Don't be more than a few minutes late. It is better just not to show and then go ahead and come the next night. The servers seem perfectly understanding that the tables won't fill on the first night. On the second night, when they ask you where you were, they are just being polite. Pretending that they actually care.

That being said, I always notify the waiter if I know I won't be there the next night.

 

How is it better to just not show up? Wait staff, and possibly table mates, are then left hanging, to guess if you are late or not coming. Staff just being polite or not, in asking the next night, they were still left hanging.

 

In my opinion, if you're there within 15 minutes of seating time, you're fine. Especially if your table mates are family and friends that know you're coming. I'd certainly never hold a few minutes against someone in that situation. Things happen.

[toras]

If I were you, I'd go to the dining room first thing and check if we would be sitting with other people. If not then I'd just let the staff know I would be late.

 

This last cruise we had a table to ourselves. Found 5:30 was just a bit too early and starting day 3 I let the server know we would be there more like 6 pm. I have see other diners (with tables to themselves) coming in after us too.

[Retired LEO]

If I were you, I'd go to the dining room first thing and check if we would be sitting with other people. If not then I'd just let the staff know I would be late.

 

This last cruise we had a table to ourselves. Found 5:30 was just a bit too early and starting day 3 I let the server know we would be there more like 6 pm. I have see other diners (with tables to themselves) coming in after us too.

MTD would be more for you.

 

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[gerif]

MTD would be more for you.

 

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Agreed - even if you advise the waiter and s/he says it's fine, they really don't mean it and it's terribly rude. They have a routine to follow. If you come in that late, they need to drop whatever they are doing to get your order and your food and get you out of there in time to set up for the next seating, thus interrupting the service to all the other tables for which they are responsible. Just because others might do it doesn't make it any more right.

[Clarea]

Curious if you notify the dining room you aren't coming, and if you do, I'd have to wonder if that information is ever relayed to your wait staff.... .

If we are not going to dinner, and we have not told our wait staff the day before, then I'll go down to the dining room and tell our waiter or assistant waiter in person.

[hapster85]

If we are not going to dinner, and we have not told our wait staff the day before, then I'll go down to the dining room and tell our waiter or assistant waiter in person.

You, sir, are a rare breed indeed. I don't think most would bother calling, much less going on person. Very commendable of you to do so.

[cb at sea]

There really is no defined start and stop time for "sail away"....

 

If you are 5 mins. late, that's not awful, but it's not polite to be late at all. Just so you know.

[shippmates]

No it is not polite to be that late for dinner. On our last cruise we had a couple that were maybe 10 minutes or so late every night and it really did disrupt our waitstaff. They had to stop what they were doing and get that one couple taken care of. I feel if people have a tendency to be "fashionably" late they should do MTM. This only my opinion. I know there are some people even on land that are late for everything they do, so we usually tell them to be someplace 15 minutes before we want them there and they are on time. Enjoy your sailaway.

[grapau27]

The last time which was many years ago when we did set dining a table next to us of 4 people turned up 20 minutes late every night.

The waiters were diplomatic to them but told me quietly it really upset the set dining for them.

 

43 cruises and counting.

[DivaMI]

Thanks everyone. I requested a table for 2 so I will just play it by ear and if it looks like we are going to be more than 5 minutes late we will just skip the MDR. This is for only one night and I am sure that night is very unorganized anyway.

[toras]

Ok ok, won't do it again!:o