Large Group on Mardi Gras: Set Dining or Your Time Dining?

[mrak]

Hello all, we are sailing on Mardi Gras with a group of about 22 people. Due to the greater number of included dining venues on MG vs other ships, I am trying to decide if we would be better off having everyone with YTD or if we should do a set dining. I see Pros and Cons to both (Please correct me if any of these are wrong):

 

Set Dining Pros:

Everyone knows where to be and when to be there every night if they want to dine together

Guaranteed to have timely access to enough tables for everyone to dine together (at least near each other)

 

Set Dining Cons:

Have to eat at the same time every night in MDR

Can't access Cucina, Pig & Anchor, Chibang until after 8pm

 

YTD Pros:

Can reserve tables at any dining venue at anytime through the app

Don't have have to wait at venue for tables

 

YTD Cons:

Possible long waits for large parties (?)

Have to coordinate time/place with everyone 

Not able to sit with/near each other due to large party (?)

 

 

Anyone have any experience on Mardi Gras with a large party? Which dining did you choose and would you do it any differently? Any tips/tricks?

 

Thanks! 

[kwokpot]

There's no way YTD will work with 22 people. It would be impossible you switch dining venues every night, that's just not going to work out. You're going to have to sit at least 2-3 tables and not necessarily adjacent. If you were to do YTD you would need to coordinate with the Maitre D, and for a set time for the whole cruise. I'm not sure with such a large group what's the point in eating all at the same place at the same time. The ship's dining rooms aren't set up like a private catering hall where you can get up during meal time and mingle with the other members of your group at other tables. It's nightly dinner not a wedding or birthday party setup. You would be seated at your table, order dinner, eat, and then leave. It won't be appropriate for people to get up after the appetizers to go talk to other members of your group at another table. 

Edited September 30, 2021 by kwokpot

[mrak]

17 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

There's no way YTD will work with 22 people. It would be impossible you switch dining venues every night, that's just not going to work out. You're going to have to sit at least 2-3 tables and not necessarily adjacent. If you were to do YTD you would need to coordinate with the Maitre D, and for a set time for the whole cruise. I'm not sure with such a large group what's the point in eating all at the same place at the same time. The ship's dining rooms aren't set up like a private catering hall where you can get up during meal time and mingle with the other members of your group at other tables. It's nightly dinner not a wedding or birthday party setup. You would be seated at your table, order dinner, eat, and then leave. It won't be appropriate for people to get up after the well,appetizers to go talk to other members of your group at another table. 

I didn't anticipate we would get up and mingle. I just didnt know what the maximum number of people you could request for a table is with YTD (I think 10 maybe?), and if your wait starts to increase significantly as you approach that maximum 

[Pellaz]

I'd go with set dining time, with 22 people.  You can notify the maitre'd by email (I think we can still do that pre-cruise?) and they MAY be able to have y'all sit together by pushing together tables.   

Some ships have a huge 20-top round table (I think the Vista-class does, for example), but unfortunately you have 22 pax and I don't know if Mardi Gras has one.  

 

If any of you want to try Cucina, Guy's Smokehouse or Chibang, you could still opt for it after, I believe, 7:30.