Carnival Your Time Dining

[ebronzo]

I just booked a cruise on the Carnival Vista 2 hours ago. When I booked it on the phone, we were offered the early dining time. That is what we wanted. Now, I went on the website and it was listed as waitlisted. I was extremely upset and called carnival again. After a 30 minute phone call, there's nothing they can do for me. Now I am set on your time dining. Will I have a problem getting seated around 6? We have a party of 9.

[mosaic_mom]

You will need to call Carnival to get Your Time Dining. You can’t just show up there. You won’t have any problem at that time. It may take them a few minutes to arrange the tables.

 

 

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[hftmrock]

for a party of 9 there is a potential that you will have to wait. once you board, go to the matre d and tell him your preference. My guess is he will probably accommodate you

[Saint Greg]

In the past when I've been waitlisted I've always ended up with what I wanted.

[my kids mama]

My personal opinion is that "your time dining" is so much better than a time that they pick for me. What if I have a port day and I don't want to be back early enough to shower and dress for dinner at that specific time? I would rather choose when I want to go to dinner. I am on vacation! We went with a group of 9 in May and never had an issue.

[ebronzo]

My personal opinion is that "your time dining" is so much better than a time that they pick for me. What if I have a port day and I don't want to be back early enough to shower and dress for dinner at that specific time? I would rather choose when I want to go to dinner. I am on vacation! We went with a group of 9 in May and never had an issue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[ebronzo]

Really? That makes me feel a little better. Thanks!

 

 

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[riffatsea]

Your Time Dining actually opens even earlier than 6PM.

You can line up at the dining room at about 5:30 and be seated by about 5:45.

There are not tons of tables for 9 but once the staff sees your group and gets to know your timing you'll probably end up with the same table each night and the same staff so it will be like "your" table.

I don't think you'll have a problem.

 

[dacsmom]

Your Time Dining actually opens even earlier than 6PM.

You can line up at the dining room at about 5:30 and be seated by about 5:45.

There are not tons of tables for 9 but once the staff sees your group and gets to know your timing you'll probably end up with the same table each night and the same staff so it will be like "your" table.

I don't think you'll have a problem.

 

 

But for the Vista, one person in your party check in on Deck 5 and you are assigned a table. Then you go to the dining room, you do not line up at the dining room.

 

In January, there was no wait around that time and the process was very quick and efficient. I tend to eat early and we had the same table and waitstaff each night. I definitely prefer YTD.

 

If you really have your mind set on early seating, you can probable get it switched when you board. Many people have been successful. I would suggest you give MTD a try, you might really like it.

[ebronzo]

But for the Vista, one person in your party check in on Deck 5 and you are assigned a table. Then you go to the dining room, you do not line up at the dining room.

 

 

 

In January, there was no wait around that time and the process was very quick and efficient. I tend to eat early and we had the same table and waitstaff each night. I definitely prefer YTD.

 

 

 

If you really have your mind set on early seating, you can probable get it switched when you board. Many people have been successful. I would suggest you give MTD a try, you might really like it.

 

 

 

Check in on the 5th floor? Where?

[TomCruise48]

Check in on the 5th floor? Where?

 

Check-in desk is on Deck 5 next to Internet Cafe. Diamond and Platinum guests do not need to check in and can proceed directly to MDR.

[mafiadon]

We have never done ATD until this cruise. My husband and I are platinum but our travel companions aren't if I don't have to check in can they come with us as we want to eat with them every night or should I just go check in to make sure they are seated with us

[SadieN]

Like a restaurant at home you could have a long wait for a table for 9.

 

When is the cruise? Many times dining assignments are waitlisted simply because the MD hasn't assigned the tables yet. Only Diamonds are guaranteed dining assignments. Everyone else is waitlisted at some point. We've been waitlisted being Platinum.

 

 

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[CA_Cruzing]

for a party of 9 there is a potential that you will have to wait. once you board, go to the matre d and tell him your preference. My guess is he will probably accommodate you

 

 

 

And shake his/her hand with a $20. Money talks and, you know the rest.

 

 

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[Cyber Kat]

Did anyone at Carnival mention that you need to link all the bookings together? If not some of your party may get your requested early time while others might still have YTD/MTD. You can’t mix the 2. Generally they are in different dining rooms (if there’s more than 1 or different sections of the main dining room.

 

You might want to give Carnival a call to make sure you all have the same thing

 

 

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[JaniceB]

Agree with making sure your bookings are linked and we had a large group, more than 9 that had anytime dining and we were always seated together.

[coevan]

We have never done ATD until this cruise. My husband and I are platinum but our travel companions aren't if I don't have to check in can they come with us as we want to eat with them every night or should I just go check in to make sure they are seated with us

 

 

Not quite sure I am following. Your friends must have YTD also and you all go out to dinner when you want. Platinum has nothing to do with YTD.

[riffatsea]

This checking in procedure seems to be special on the Vista.

It is not that way on the other smaller ships.

For Anytime Dining you do NOT need to link reservations as you just need to come to dinner together to be seated together.

You only need to be linked if you want to be at one table in set time dining.

[Qchell]

I have always done YTD with groups from 2-11 people. We have never had to wait more than a few minutes for our table. If you want to ensure you are all seated at the same table, you do need to link your reservations (Carnival can help you with that), otherwise you may get seated at separate tables at dinner. You do need to all be present when you check in to ensure you are seated together. If you check in and arrive at different times, you very easily could be seated separately.

 

 

It sounds like the Vista is similar to the Sunshine in that you check in for YTD on one deck (on Sunshine it was next to the Alchemy Bar), they either send you directly down if a table is available or give you one of those flashy things most restaurants have and it lights up when a table is available.

 

I've never run into anything that suggests your color status has anything to do with where/with whom you are seated, however I think Platinum and Diamond do have priority reservations in the specialty restaurants.

 

If you want to ensure you are all seated together in YTD, I would highly recommend you contact Carnival prior to your cruise to ensure all your reservations are linked. One less thing to have to deal with when you get on board and more time off having fun!

[TomCruise48]

We have never done ATD until this cruise. My husband and I are platinum but our travel companions aren't if I don't have to check in can they come with us as we want to eat with them every night or should I just go check in to make sure they are seated with us

 

Platinum and Diamond status applies to YTD on the Vista and possibly a couple of other ships such as the Sunshine. On all of the other ships, it does not apply. This VIFP status allows you to skip the check-in process and proceed directly to the MDR to be seated. I think that if you are Platinum there will be no issue with your entire party skipping the check-in process on the Vista. Just make certain that all of your party is present when you enter the MDR. Also, everyone in your party needs to have selected YTD.

 

Linking your bookings is only necessary if you wish to be seated together for assigned dining. It has no bearing on seating arrangements for YTD.

[aheverly]

We waited like 45 mins every night. If you don’t get there first you wait until diners finish their meal so like 1-1 1/2 hrs

 

 

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[coevan]

we never waited one night, never even saw a beeper

[Quilcruisers]

We had YTD for the first time ever. I will always ask for this. With that being said we weren't given a pager on elegant night but had to get one and wait ten minutes on the last night of the cruise. We are booked for November, party of 10, in three cabins and originally got early dining but I wait listed us for YTD and was emailed two weeks ago that is was granted. So happy for that. We went a couple of times this week around 630 and got seated right away, it was only two of us, but I fully expect the 6pm time frame to not be extremely crowded so you should get your table with no problem. We requested and got the same wait staff after he first night as we are accustomed to having late dining and enjoy having the same team working with us. Keep checking and hopefully you will get the dining you want. We were on the valor and all the YTD people are in one dining room, and everyone else with assigned dining times is in another, so you couldn't just go with them. I don't know if that is the same on every ship. That was not the case on the freedom last year as we had two of our large party with YTD that sat with us a couple of nights.

 

 

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[mafiadon]

Not quite sure I am following. Your friends must have YTD also and you all go out to dinner when you want. Platinum has nothing to do with YTD.

 

I know we all have to have ATD but read an earlier post on here that if you were platinum you didn't need to go to the desk to check in, just go to the dinning room to be seated. I have never done ATD and was just asking if this was true and if yes can our travel companions go with us. No big deal I can go and check in, just wanted to know if we could skip this process every night