5:15 Dinner is too early!

[rockmom]

21 hours ago, cb at sea said:

If you have MTD, they don't allow you to book IN ADVANCE the "popular" times.  So...just go to the dining room when you board the ship, and request the time you want.    EVERYONE wants to eat between 6:45-7:30 or so....

Not true at all.  For my cruise last summer, I booked our times (all between 6 and 6:30 pm) as soon as the Cruise Planner opened up for MTD.  Same for my cruise on Allure 8 weeks from now.  I was able to book 6 pm or 6:30 each night as soon as the planner allowed.  It's like others have said, those times fill up very, very quickly.  I know we don't need reservations, but we do know, for the most part, what time we want to eat and I will cancel or adjust if needed, but like to lock in our preferred time as soon as they open up.  

 

I looked and I booked literally 11 months before sailing. I might be a person who plans ahead......I am now watching for my June 2020 cruise planner to open up the MTD times.  

 

[ILCTCRUISER]

On ‎3‎/‎20‎/‎2019 at 9:57 PM, Host Clarea said:

 

No way to waitlist MTD times.  Visit the MTD desk as soon as you board and try to make reservations there.  Otherwise, just show up when you want to eat.

Just show up.  We will reserve a time.  Rarely do we ever show up then.  Yes, sometimes you may have to wait, but in the end it truly is MTD, dining when you want to dine.

 

[myn]

11 hours ago, sellwingri said:

You’re correct.  It started at 5:30 on my Jewel Cruise 2 weeks ago and in November and on my Adventure Cruise in January.  Start time must have changed in the past year.

 

Actually (said in my best bítch voice), you're all wrong. My Time dining (at least on Allure) starts at 5:15pm according to this compass from just over a month ago. 

 

Oh and Jewel and Adventure are hardly considered "larger ships".  More like "Dumpy old ships".

Edited March 22, 2019 by myn

[CruiseMelissa]

On 3/21/2019 at 9:42 AM, sellwingri said:

I just booked Harmony in September and requested early MDR seating.  My document says it’s at 5:15.  I wouldn’t be surprised if it actually turned out to be 5:30 when we sail.  On our recent Jewel 16 day cruise, our document said 6pm but it actually was 5:30.  All our recent cruises ended up being 5:30 regardless of what our document said. 

 

We enjoy early seating because it allows us to spend more time at evening events on board.  On most days, we skip lunch or just eat a light one.  Just our preference...

You've got my attention 😂 I'm actually on the opposite side of this thread in every way possible, sailing the Jewel in June, doing MTD and was disappointed that it doesn't open until 6:00.  We have a 6 and 8 year old and eat on the early side when we're on vacation.  You said the first seating for the MDR moved to 5:30, any chance this also means MTD opened up at 5:30? 

[myn]

35 minutes ago, CruiseMelissa said:

You've got my attention 😂 I'm actually on the opposite side of this thread in every way possible, sailing the Jewel in June, doing MTD and was disappointed that it doesn't open until 6:00.  We have a 6 and 8 year old and eat on the early side when we're on vacation.  You said the first seating for the MDR moved to 5:30, any chance this also means MTD opened up at 5:30? 

 

Please scroll up and/or search.  This question has been discussed and answered ad nauseam...

 

Yes it opens at 5:30PM however it can open as early as 5:15PM.

 

 

 

Edited March 23, 2019 by myn

[travelplus]

Is 6:30 PM a good time for MTD on Brilliance for our 7 day and 14 day cruise to make the 8:00 PM show and the late night entertainment and gameshows? Thanks 

 

I think 5:15 is too early especially if you want to go to the Diamond Happy Hour 

[myn]

1 minute ago, travelplus said:

Is 6:30 PM a good time for MTD on Brilliance for our 7 day and 14 day cruise to make the 8:00 PM show and the late night entertainment and gameshows? Thanks 

 

I think 5:15 is too early especially if you want to go to the Diamond Happy Hour 

Yes, usually 1.5 hours before a show is ample time for dinner and to get to your show.

 

Just let your waiter know that you have a show at 8 and they will accommodate you.

 

 

[travelplus]

Just now, myn said:

Yes, usually 1.5 hours before a show is ample time for dinner and to get to your show.

 

Just let your waiter know that you have a show at 8 and they will accommodate you.

Thanks I always let the waiter know about the show!  For me 5:15 is too early because of when you arrive back from port. I like to have some appetizers and before dinner drinks etc.

Just now, myn said:

 

 

[CruiseMelissa]

39 minutes ago, myn said:

 

Please scroll up and/or search.  This question has been discussed and answered ad nauseam...

 

Yes it opens at 5:30PM however it can open as early as 5:15PM.

 

 

 

You're a clever one 🙂 So you're going on record that the Royal Caribbean Jewel of the Seas has permanently changed the MTD room to open at 5:30?  I saw your earlier post mentioning the Allure, but given that all of the resources I've found say the Jewel MTD room opens at 6:00 and that's the earliest reservation possible in the Cruise Planner, I'm shocked and excited about this news and was hoping a recent cruiser could confirm.  While previous posts in this thread danced around different ships and dining times I was hoping to nail down an answer to my specific Jewel question.  

Edited March 23, 2019 by CruiseMelissa

[CrusingRuthing]

1 hour ago, myn said:

Oh and Jewel and Adventure are hardly considered "larger ships".  More like "Dumpy old ships".

Some of us prefer those “dumpy old ships”. You can read that in MY best ***** voice

[myn]

49 minutes ago, CruiseMelissa said:

You're a clever one 🙂 So you're going on record that the Royal Caribbean Jewel of the Seas has permanently changed the MTD room to open at 5:30?  I saw your earlier post mentioning the Allure, but given that all of the resources I've found say the Jewel MTD room opens at 6:00 and that's the earliest reservation possible in the Cruise Planner, I'm shocked and excited about this news and was hoping a recent cruiser could confirm.  While previous posts in this thread danced around different ships and dining times I was hoping to nail down an answer to my specific Jewel question.  

 

I'm not clever at all. I just can read..

 

As Sellwingri who got off of Jewel 2 weeks ago reported in post #19,  Jewel's MTD starts at 5:30pm.  

[sellwingri]

12 hours ago, CrusingRuthing said:

Some of us prefer those “dumpy old ships”. You can read that in MY best ***** voice

I’m one of those.  I absolutely love the “dumpy old ships”.  I’m not a fan of the mega, impersonal, crowded, etc, ships.

 

its really a shame that there’s so much negativity on Cruise Critic.  It didn’t used to be this way.  

Edited March 23, 2019 by sellwingri

[fringemonkey123]

On 3/21/2019 at 4:05 PM, 5thgirl said:

Thanks everyone! Sorry if my post was confusing to some. I was trying to get a 6pm MTD time to give myself more time to do things and yet still catch the 8pm show. If I chose the 8pm, I'm stuck with a 10pm show which is too late for me. I'll be stuck with 5:15 for now, but it's not the end of the world. I'll try and talk to the folks when I get onboard.

I just reserved 6pm for all nights today, so maybe you need to try again? Looked like all times were available except maybe 7ish.

[renza]

They changed the times for My Time on Oasis. They do not even open MTD till 6:45. Way to late to get to the 8:30 shows. I had to change to early traditional for 5:30-5:45.   
That’s more like their time dining now

[dayzees13]

30 minutes ago, renza said:

They changed the times for My Time on Oasis. They do not even open MTD till 6:45. Way to late to get to the 8:30 shows. I had to change to early traditional for 5:30-5:45.   
That’s more like their time dining now

I saw the same thing and wish I had known that MTD dining begin until 645 when we first booked. I chose MTD because we typically like to eat around 6-630. Had I know that MTD has a new start time of 645, we would have chosen the early dinner. 

[renza]

2 minutes ago, dayzees13 said:

I saw the same thing and wish I had known that MTD dining begin until 645 when we first booked. I chose MTD because we typically like to eat around 6-630. Had I know that MTD has a new start time of 645, we would have chosen the early dinner. 

I just changed a few weeks ago. Call and try to change it. Or when u get on board they can probably accommodate you. We usually go around 6 as well, but with the new time it would cut it close for the 8:30 shows. We like to get to shows around 25 min early

[blueridgemama]

When I reserved MTD on my Oasis cruise in 2 weeks they allowed me to reserve 6:30 slots each night. Now the recent cruise compasses list MTD starting at 6:45  

My calender still shows my 6:30 reservations.

I hope they allow us in at 6:30 

 

 

Edited February 7, 2020 by blueridgemama

[renza]

9 hours ago, blueridgemama said:

When I reserved MTD on my Oasis cruise in 2 weeks they allowed me to reserve 6:30 slots each night. Now the recent cruise compasses list MTD starting at 6:45  

My calender still shows my 6:30 reservations.

I hope they allow us in at 6:30 

 

 

I had reserved a 6:30 time slot as well. When our neighbors came back a few weeks ago they said that it didn’t open till 6:45 pm. Didn’t seat anyone before so that’s when I changed to early seating. 

[Diver2014]

We were on Harmony last month with 'fixed' dining time of 5pm (our 'at home' dining time).  The dining room was full already when we arrived at 5pm so they must open the doors earlier.  There was a roped off waiting area for MTD diners in the foyer of the dining room we were in - one area for people with reservations for a specific time and the other for people with no reservations.  Best to check at the dining room when you get on the ship if you want a specific time. 

[pink845]

I guess different strokes for different folks.  We LOVE early 5:15 dining.  We were on a ship once and dining started at 4:45 pm.  Even better.  The whole evening is ours after dinner.  We can usually be done dinner by 6:30 pm and as I said the whole evening is ours.    We can even see a show twice if we really enjoy it.   Also early dining prevents weight gain!!!     The key is to get up early, have a jog around the ship, early breakfast, early lunch, and early dinner.  For us, that has always been the way to go!!!   You can get the formal pictures done after dinner.  Just apply some more lipstick and pull in one's belly!!!!

[island visitor]

On 3/21/2019 at 5:05 PM, 5thgirl said:

Thanks everyone! Sorry if my post was confusing to some. I was trying to get a 6pm MTD time to give myself more time to do things and yet still catch the 8pm show. If I chose the 8pm, I'm stuck with a 10pm show which is too late for me. I'll be stuck with 5:15 for now, but it's not the end of the world. I'll try and talk to the folks when I get onboard.

We recently sailed on the Oasis and had selected MTD but failed to set up reservations until closer to sailing time, which was a mistake.  The only times available for us were 8:15, which was later than we wanted to eat.  So we changed our dining to the early time which was 5:30.  We were so glad we made the change because when we left the dining room after eating the line to get into the dining room with MTD was extremely long.  I know some say to just walk up and get a table and you shouldn't have a very long wait but that wasn't the case on this sailing.  We were thrilled that we didn't have that wait every night.  I like the ideal of doing MTD but so does a lot of other people and seems like with everyone doing reservations the wait is longer.