Fixed Dining on Freedom 5:30 or 8:00 PM

[taylortime05]

Hi,

 

We normally prefer the fixed early dining when it's just me and hubby traveling. This time we are going with our 3 adult kids & their spouses. There will be 8 of us. I am thinking about going with the later dining time but having a hard time making a decision. I need to be more decisive.

 

What fixed time do you prefer and why?

 

Thanks for all your feedback. It really helps in planning a cruise. :)

[Clarea]

I prefer 6pm or 6:30pm. I think 5:30pm is too early and 8pm is too late. If I was in your situation, I would choose My Time Dining and try to get a standing reservation for 6:30pm.

[jakethecruiser]

I would definitely recommend the My Time Dining so all 8 of you can agree on a convenient time to have dinner all together. Also, you won't feel rushed to get there.

 

 

Sent From My iPhone using Forums App,

- Jake [emoji41]

[marys350]

I prefer 6pm or 6:30pm. I think 5:30pm is too early and 8pm is too late. If I was in your situation, I would choose My Time Dining and try to get a standing reservation for 6:30pm.

 

This is exactly what we have been doing since RCCL started offering My Time Dining, whether we were a party of 2 or a group of 10. We make a reservation for 6:30 on our cruise planner and have been able to have the same servers and table each night without standing in line. We are finished with dinner in time to see the shows and know that we can modify our reservations once onboard if needed.

[cruzgryphon]

Agree with others - go with My Time Dining. If that's not an option, then personally I would go with late seating. I find early dining times rushed when you get back from port and then you have to rush to get ready for dinner. With late dining I find I have time to unwind, lay down and enjoy a pre-dinner drink. Mind you I'm not that into the shows very much - so missing shows isn't an issue for me.

[firerecruit71295]

Agree with others - go with My Time Dining. If that's not an option, then personally I would go with late seating. I find early dining times rushed when you get back from port and then you have to rush to get ready for dinner. With late dining I find I have time to unwind, lay down and enjoy a pre-dinner drink. Mind you I'm not that into the shows very much - so missing shows isn't an issue for me.

 

 

My wife and I are RCL cruisers and have always had the late dining. It allows us to get back onboard from the port stop without feeling rushed. Gives us time to grab a small snack and get ready for the evening. Also, gives us time to get some photos taken before dinner. We did the early dining one time when we went with my family (6 adults and 4 kids ages 1-5) because we wanted to eat in the MDR but knew the kids would not be able to wait until 8 to eat.

 

After reading all of these positive experiences with my time dining I think we may have to give that a try down the road. We have always been timid to try it because of some of the horror stories you read about on here and because we are kind of set in our ways.

 

We are doing late dining for our upcoming cruise in October... We take our 2 year old to the winjammer for dinner around 530 and we also get a snack there. We let him run around in the room while we get ready for the night, and then he goes to the nursery from 8-11pm so my wife and I can have a nice relaxing dinner and show together. So the late dining time just seems to work better for us this way.

 

I love seeing all the positive feedback about my time dining though... RCL must be working out all the kinks.

[Janet524]

I prefer late fixed seating. Don't have to rush back from shore to get ready for dinner and the dining time is coordinated with show times. Frankly for us, eating at 5:00 or 5:30 is having lunch and we have been disappointed with the service on my time dining.

 

Sent from my Lenovo TAB 2 A10-70F using Forums mobile app

[taylortime05]

I prefer 6pm or 6:30pm. I think 5:30pm is too early and 8pm is too late. If I was in your situation, I would choose My Time Dining and try to get a standing reservation for 6:30pm.

 

When I go in My Time Dining the only times available are 5:15, 5:30 then goes straight to 7:30. I think I've read that they many open some of the times between closer to sailing. I have also read that they will not reserve between 6-7. We are on Freedom Jan 6 2018.

[leaveitallbehind]

When I go in My Time Dining the only times available are 5:15, 5:30 then goes straight to 7:30. I think I've read that they many open some of the times between closer to sailing. I have also read that they will not reserve between 6-7. We are on Freedom Jan 6 2018.

 

Often the on-line reservations book early and certain times are not available. Go see the maitre d when you board and see what reservation times might be available then. However, reservations are not required. You can also just show up and wait to be seated each night based on availability for your party. The issue you may have with this - or any reservation - is the size of your party.

 

But given that you are considering a later hour anyway and 7:30 is showing as available, I would confirm MTD and book the 7:30 to assure a reservation. This way you also still have the on board flexibility of MTD.

[molly361]

This is exactly what we have been doing since RCCL started offering My Time Dining, whether we were a party of 2 or a group of 10. We make a reservation for 6:30 on our cruise planner and have been able to have the same servers and table each night without standing in line. We are finished with dinner in time to see the shows and know that we can modify our reservations once onboard if needed.

 

When I go in My Time Dining the only times available are 5:15, 5:30 then goes straight to 7:30. I think I've read that they many open some of the times between closer to sailing. I have also read that they will not reserve between 6-7. We are on Freedom Jan 6 2018.

 

Same here. The few times I have tried MTD it was 5 pm or 8:30 pm, never saw any other options

[trihawks1]

We prefer the traditional dining and at 6:00. However, when I booked the cruise in January, only MTD was available. I always watch the cruise planner and just happened to see MTD opened up last week for our December freedom cruise. The only times available were 5:30, 5:45, then it skipped to 7:30 which is too late for us. We have 6 traveling together and we decided on the 5:45 time. My DH and I prefer to eat early so we have the evening to relax and enjoy the ship. Our adult kids ages 28-38 prefer to also see a show or go to the casino or bars. The reason we prefer traditional is that you never worry about your table being ready for you or wait staff because the table is always open just for you and you have the same staff all week. This is our first time with MTD so it will be interesting.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[leaveitallbehind]

Same here. The few times I have tried MTD it was 5 pm or 8:30 pm, never saw any other options

 

I think it must a matter of timing as to when MTD opens for booking and the amount of reservation being made early in the booking cycle. We have done MTD in recent years as our only choice and have been able to secure times such as 6:30, etc., on line. Honestly in our experience, while a number of time slots will get booked limiting choices, we've never seen the limitations of 5:00 or 8:30 as you indicate.

 

And we have also had flexibility on board regarding different times on different days. But it unfortunately isn't "open" the way you might hope with anytime being available unless you just walk up and wait.

[cb at sea]

You will be unlikely to be able to "pre-book" your reservations for MTD, if you want a time between 6:30 and 7:45...that's the most popular time, and they hold back those times for onboard booking.

 

If you do fixed seating, then your table is waiting FOR YOU nightly....and everyone knows exactly when and where to go!!

[easyboy]

But given that you are considering a later hour anyway and 7:30 is showing as available, I would confirm MTD and book the 7:30 to assure a reservation. This way you also still have the on board flexibility of MTD.

 

 

I would also take this move. Not too rushed and assured of seat.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[taylortime05]

I moved all our reservations to late dining at 8 PM. It was available so we are not on the waitlist.

 

I appreciate everyone's feedback and I might change it back to MTD. I need to go back and review the Freedom daily schedules to see what time the shows are. I want to make sure whenever we have dinner that we have time to either see the show before or after dinner.

 

So 8 is late for us for dinner. But I thought the advantage would be we would not be rushed when returning from ports because I'm pretty sure the shows start about 7 so we'd have time to relax before getting ready for the show and then dinner.

 

Thanks again for all your valuable input. Everyone is so helpful.

[mcatmcat]

By the way, when are you sailing that the option is 8pm, because traditional dining for my upcoming cruise in the freedom is 9pm 🤣

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[taylortime05]

We are sailing Jan 6, 2018.

[GJustice]

Guess I'm too much a creature of habit! We've always done Traditional at 5:30 since that's about the same time we try to eat at home the other 51 weeks of the year when we're not cruising. I'm usually in bed by 8:30, so that's WAY too late to eat for me. I also usually do breakfast and lunch "early" to avoid the crowds in the WJ.

 

Ship's activities (at least on the non-megaships) tend to align with the MDR times, and we haven't felt rushed to be there. We do generally do the evening shows and the 5:30 seating gives us time to eat and still get there early enough to get good seats.

 

Obviously, people have different likes, so there are lots of options.

[Ccarroll1100]

We just booked MTD. We reserved 6pm for all sea days and 8pm for all port days. This allows us to still be available for all the shows and not be rushed on port days.

 

 

Chris Carroll

[davekathy]

We now book MTD table for two. We prefer 5:30. Usually close to 7:30 when we are done eating and leaving the MDR.

Edited June 1, 2017 by davekathy

[ColoradoGurl]

I like late dining for 2 reasons.

 

1) I like to stay on the island as long as possible, and when I come back to the ship I want to shower and relax before having to run off to a dinner where I'm expected to be dressed nicely. If I'm hungry I grab a snack at the promenade or windjammer to hold me over.

 

2) It takes my body a while to adjust to the time difference. I'm from Colorado (Mountain Standard Time) which is 2 hours behind Eastern, 3 hours behind some Caribbean ports, so having early dining means I'm eating dinner at 3 or 4 in the afternoon, whereas eating at 8 means my body is getting a big meal closer to it's normal time (5 or 6pm).

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Sweetsue5680]

By the way, when are you sailing that the option is 8pm, because traditional dining for my upcoming cruise in the freedom is 9pm 🤣

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I am on the October 5th sailing...how about you? Signed up for the late seating so have time to rest after a busy port day!