MY Time Dining vs. Scheduled Dinner Time

[Laplayaperson]

Okay experts!  Give me your opinions!  My Time Dining vs. Scheduled Dinner Time?  

 

We will be bringing our kids on their 1st cruise (13 & 11 at time of sailing).  Trying to weigh out pros/cons of one vs. other.  Leaning toward My time which is what we currently have selected, but questioning my choice.  That's why we are turning to you ya'll.  Fire away and give us your best (as you always do)!  THank you!!

[CruisinWithDLS]

I love My time….eat when you’re hungry!  I like having same servers who get to know you in set dining time.  But I’ve learned that with my time I go night one and if I like the wait staff, I request them each night and it has the same affect!  I don’t see disadvantages of my time!!

[icft]

We also prefer My Time for the flexibility but also because the scheduled dining is in the aft dining room and at times the elevators are clogged with people trying to get there and at times the area outside the entrance is crowded with people trying to get in. We don't like feeling like cattle.

[ray98]

My time.  I don't eat at 6pm every night at home, I do so when hungry and depending on the flow of the day.  A cruise is no different.

[my kids mama]

We like my time as well.  We did early dining once.  It was nice to meet people and see them every night, but sometimes we felt really rushed.  We were always the last ones to arrive at the table, lol. I don't want to feel that way on vacation.  As someone else said, you can always request the same serving team as you had previously. 

[Oceansaway17]

I also like MY time because it is what the name says.   give various ports and activities, I do not want to eat at the same time.  Nor do I like 5:30 or 8pm.

I am more of a 6-6:30 person.

And, do not forget that the night buffets can be quieter and quite enjoyable.  Especially if you like salads a lot and can create your own.  Same thing with selections of bread and appitizers.

 

I always am concerned with set dining whom I will be assigned to eat with and perhaps not so enjoyable conversations.  I know some still like to schedule MY time for same time, but really just vary your times depending on ports and activities.  Also if you meet people who are also MY time, then you can sit with them

[csm5986142]

Another vote for "my time".  On vacation, I want very little to be scheduled/set time.

 

In regard to having the same dining room staff - they are starting to integrate this more and more w/the app.  On the Breeze last week, we not only had the exact same staff (with anytime dining) but we were seated at the exact same table each night.  And we never requested it (just checked in for a table like usual).

[Silent Penguin]

This thread has me considering switching to Any Time dining.  We've always had great tablemates with assigned dining and excellent serving teams, but it's always been stressful adhering to the time.

 

[Cruzmomma77]

I liked set when we were with a big group. We always were seated together. But the last time we did Anytime it was just two of us. We made some good friends aboard and actually ended up eating together each night. We all had Anytime. This time, with just DD and I and Covid, I would rather have a choice where and whom we are sitting with - call me a little paranoid. I also don’t eat too early or too late - more so around 6:30-7. I like choice. 🙂

Edited February 6, 2022 by Cruzmomma77

[Laplayaperson]

ALL wonderful feedback and great points! Sounds like My Time is the right choice for us!  Much appreciated guys!!  As always CC comes through... 🙂

[JimmyTheSaint]

Another vote here for My Time dining. The appeal for us is the flexibility to decide on a daily basis when we want to eat. It depends on what we've been doing during the day.

[DallasGuy75219]

Unless you have a large party, you're likely to be seated at a table with strangers with assigned dining vs. being able to request a private table at MTD.

 

I usually sail alone, and when assigned dining was the only option I didn't like the awkwardness and forced conversation of eating with strangers.  Now in the COVID era I especially don't like sitting unmasked with strangers for 1.5-2 hours at a time, so I much prefer being able to request a private table with MTD.

[Joe817]

Ok, I'll be the odd man out. We prefer assigned dining, at the early dining options. We've always enjoyed this venue, as we have the same wait staff, with no advance notice, the same wait staff, which we get to know, and know exactly knowing where we will be seated. We find it very enjoyable. But as always, YMMV. 

[jerseyjjs]

1 hour ago, Joe817 said:

Ok, I'll be the odd man out. We prefer assigned dining, at the early dining options. We've always enjoyed this venue, as we have the same wait staff, with no advance notice, the same wait staff, which we get to know, and know exactly knowing where we will be seated. We find it very enjoyable. But as always, YMMV. 

 

 

     You can request the same table after the first night for My Time dining if you like that particular wait staff.

[lennythenose]

My family has always preferred assigned dining. Even our kids. With the older kids it was always great that they knew when we would go to dinner and where our table was so they could meet us. We had my time once on a last minute cruise and the boys said “never again”. I did select my time on my solo cruise and it was ok. 

Edited February 6, 2022 by lennythenose

[Calnev1]

With anytime dining don't you sometimes have to wait for a table?  At least Pre-COVID.   

 

We have only done assigned dining post-COVID, but my guess is that until the ships come back up near capacity maybe your  party can get seated right away with anytime dining.

[icft]

6 minutes ago, Calnev1 said:

With anytime dining don't you sometimes have to wait for a table?  At least Pre-COVID.   

 

We have only done assigned dining post-COVID, but my guess is that until the ships come back up near capacity maybe your  party can get seated right away with anytime dining.

I think you are correct. There was waiting pre-covid and when ships come back to near capacity I expect there the be a wait again. But with the app you won't be standing there at the door waiting. I didn't like the app at first, but because of things like this I have come to appreciate it.

[ray98]

2 hours ago, Calnev1 said:

With anytime dining don't you sometimes have to wait for a table?  At least Pre-COVID.   

 

We have only done assigned dining post-COVID, but my guess is that until the ships come back up near capacity maybe your  party can get seated right away with anytime dining.

 

Very rarely.  It was usually never more than 5 or 10 minutes.  We did have a 20 min wait a couple of times when when attempted to go during the peak on elegant night.  Now that the check-in is through the Hub app you can start the process when you leave the cabin or while you relax at a nearby bar.

[colhutch]

Hi, could I jump on and ask if you can change set dining to mytime ?

We booked via a travel agent, first time cruise and I've seen on the booking set dining time, I'd prefer dinner when I was hungry and thought set dining was a thing of the past, as well as set table guests.

 

My daughter and I like to talk about the excitement of the day, plan our next day etc and don't fancy enforced table guests, happy to chat in the bar but dining with strangers a little too rigid for us, can we ask for a separate table ? If so how, on board or in advance ? 

 

We are on Carnival Elation to the Bahams, was a last minute decision and maybe we chose the wrong itinerary as Elation and Nassau aren't getting good reviews but we had limited flexibility on dates etc. Thanks 

[WhiteOptima]

We stopped doing the scheduled dining years ago.  I didn’t want to eat early because what if we ate a late lunch or was enjoying the pool.  I noticed IF we ate in the dining room which is rare anymore(usually just eat what is on the buffet or look there first before making the decision because soups and apps are our favorites) we went around 7:00-7:30pm and never waited more than 15 minutes.  Once we waited longer and I ran up to buffet and put a small plate together of cheeses and meats and we had a drink while waiting. 
 

if we liked our wait staff on the first meal we would request that area every night.

 

 

[phoneman69]

10 hours ago, Joe817 said:

Ok, I'll be the odd man out. We prefer assigned dining, at the early dining options. We've always enjoyed this venue, as we have the same wait staff, with no advance notice, the same wait staff, which we get to know, and know exactly knowing where we will be seated. We find it very enjoyable. But as always, YMMV. 

I am with Joe we prefer assigned dining in the MDR. When we cruised with our children it gave them a FIX time that they had to be there and ready for. Made life easier. Enjoy your cruise

[mdin]

3 hours ago, colhutch said:

Hi, could I jump on and ask if you can change set dining to mytime ?

We booked via a travel agent, first time cruise and I've seen on the booking set dining time, I'd prefer dinner when I was hungry and thought set dining was a thing of the past, as well as set table guests.

 

My daughter and I like to talk about the excitement of the day, plan our next day etc and don't fancy enforced table guests, happy to chat in the bar but dining with strangers a little too rigid for us, can we ask for a separate table ? If so how, on board or in advance ? 

 

We are on Carnival Elation to the Bahams, was a last minute decision and maybe we chose the wrong itinerary as Elation and Nassau aren't getting good reviews but we had limited flexibility on dates etc. Thanks 

I changed mine recently to anytime dining, but had to go through my PVP to do it. 

[teknoge3k]

31 minutes ago, mdin said:

I changed mine recently to anytime dining, but had to go through my PVP to do it. 

 

If you used a PVP or booked directly through Carnival, you can change this in your cruise manager easily. 

[teknoge3k]

We only do Anytime Dining. Like others said, we don't eat at the exact same time at home each night, so I don't want to do that on a ship. I don't want to rush back to the ship to eat dinner if the port time forces that, or I don't want to miss a certain show because of dinner. We eat at our leisure. We use the same wait staff each night, and get a table with just our family. The whole sitting with strangers thing is the strangest concept to me. Plus if we're traveling with friends, we get a table together one or 2 nights during the cruise but don't do that every night. It's easy to sit with whoever you want to, if that's something you wish to do. 

[Drazil65]

Anytime...we typically get to dinning room when opens, night one we usually request window seating (depending on time of year) and table for 3 of us only (advantage to getting there when dinning room opens first night you can usually have your pick). 

 

If we like the seating and the wait staff we will request this setup each night.  We are not late eaters to begin with but we also do dinner around the shows or things we want to do from about 7 on, being able to eat when we want is our preference.  

Edited February 6, 2022 by Drazil65