When reserving dinner/show online, how much time required for dinner service?

[ccody4]

Taking an Alaskan cruise on the Bliss and 120 day booking window is not until January but thinking ahead.  If Jersey Boys/Havana show times are 7:30 and 10:00/10:30 (runtime of 1hr 15min - 1hr 45min) and restaurants close at 9:30 then I assume dinner will have to be booked prior to the show?? Does anyone know how much time is allotted for dinner service when reserving online?    For ex: if booking a 7:30 show and 2 hrs are required for dinner service, will the online reservation system force me to book my dinner at/before 5:30? Would I be able to make dinner reservations after the early show even though it's practically restaurant closing time?

[gambit57]

I dunno what the system forces you to do, but give yourself at least 2 hours.  I asked to rush the dishes twice even though I know none of my reservations were later than 5:30 (we normally eat at that time anyways).  Once in a specialty restaurant, once in a MDR.  I should have done it at the beginning of the specialty restaurant, but they did rush when I finally asked.  The MDR was still pretty slow even when I asked.  Had a crappy waitress in Le Bistro and I bet even if I did ask, she wouldn't have bothered to rush.

[Peachypooh]

We always budget 2 hours to be able to eat and then get to the show. Sometimes we have asked what

food comes out of the kitchen quicker (I think anything that has to be grilled like a steak takes the

longest and something like lasagne that is prepared already the shortest). We have also placed our dinner order

at the same time as our drink order but that doesn't always work if there are different servers doing

those functions.

[Aprille]

If you can make a 9:30 reservation for dinner then that would be arrival time. They won't close the restaurant down on you. You will be allowed to have dinner service. Otherwise they wouldn't take the reservation.

[FLAHAM]

I would make an MDR reservation for Tuesday evening if you want too see a show on Wednesday evening.  MDR dinners (which I enjoy) always seem to run 25% longer than my longest estimate.

[rtkenmore]

7 NCL cruises and we have never taken 2 hours to eat dinner...  And we're not rushing either...

[Mike_DeA]

One reason I dislike sharing tables in the MDR is the potential for 2 hr dinners.  I like to be in and out within 1hr 15min max.  If I'm dining solo I ask to be out in under an hour and to be served the appetizers and salads at the same time.

[BirdTravels]

On big ships where you can book entertainment, the system will block 2.5 hours on your calendar. For example, if you book a 5:30 dinner reservation, the earliest show you can book is 8:00. 

 

If if you inform your waiter of a time constraint, they will serve you and have you out by the time specified. 

Edited November 5, 2018 by BirdTravels

[zqvol]

On 11/1/2018 at 4:06 PM, ccody4 said:

Taking an Alaskan cruise on the Bliss and 120 day booking window is not until January but thinking ahead.  If Jersey Boys/Havana show times are 7:30 and 10:00/10:30 (runtime of 1hr 15min - 1hr 45min) and restaurants close at 9:30 then I assume dinner will have to be booked prior to the show?? Does anyone know how much time is allotted for dinner service when reserving online?    For ex: if booking a 7:30 show and 2 hrs are required for dinner service, will the online reservation system force me to book my dinner at/before 5:30? Would I be able to make dinner reservations after the early show even though it's practically restaurant closing time?

 

You don't have to book a dinner. Most people don't except in the specialty restaurants. Depending on how many are in your party you can be in and out in as little as an hour or as long as you want to drag out dinner.

[bonvoyagie]

Agreed, dinner can take as long or as short as you want in the MDR and since there are no arranged seating we usually try to arrive when they open - around 5-5:30 and that way we are ready for the early show. This has worked well on the Jewel class ships  - I am not sure how well it would work on the Away and above class ships where they have more show choices.