What do you do - first night in dining room

[SargassoPirate]

9 hours ago, Ashland said:

We go to the WJ for dinner every night now as we're no longer interested in the dining room....No worries there and usually book MTD only because we have to make that option when booking our cruise. However even so we always get a call from the dining room asking where we've been about half way through our cruise.

 

We varied from MTD to TD on our last two cruises only because we thought the MTD was too late (just in case we decided to go) but once onboard we changed our mind and switched back...They still call looking for us it seems no matter what we book.

 

 

I'm with you.  I enjoy the MDR for breakfasts and lunches -alternating with the Foodjammer _ and trade  the whole MDR evening 'experience' for the buffet where the food is always hot, I'm not waiting for a slow eater in order to get my next course, there never seems to be an adjacent table of loud drunks. and I can spend more time enjoying the evening activities around the ship instead.

 

[DustFSU]

I mean just because you went down and found your table, don't let other people get to you.  They might be a new cruiser and didn't realize you could do that.  Just ignore and enjoy the cruise!!!

[poocher]

We had MTD and the same table every night.  Waited in what was a fairly short line (well short in FRONT of me!) the first 2 nights & had table 221.  After that, the maitre’d would smile at us and wave us through.  So you CAN have an assigned table with MTD.

[CGinMTL]

Interesting ethics question. Really not sure what I would do. I guess it all depends on the line. 

If too long, would not wait. If somebody complains,  say you were in the washroom :))

.

I can see both sides being ok 

[not-enough-cruising]

3 minutes ago, CGinMTL said:

Interesting ethics question. Really not sure what I would do. I guess it all depends on the line. 

If too long, would not wait. If somebody complains,  say you were in the washroom :))

.

I can see both sides being ok 

No ethics at all, the line is for those that require assistance finding their table, if you don't need help, no need to wait in line.

[Mapleleafforever]

32 minutes ago, SargassoPirate said:

 

I'm with you.  I enjoy the MDR for breakfasts and lunches -alternating with the Foodjammer _ and trade  the whole MDR evening 'experience' for the buffet where the food is always hot, I'm not waiting for a slow eater in order to get my next course, there never seems to be an adjacent table of loud drunks. and I can spend more time enjoying the evening activities around the ship instead.

 

Same here, WJ or specialty restaurants only for us for dinner. 

[molly361]

On my last cruise on the Mariner for the first time I did NOT scope out my table since it has been the same table (and number)  on the last 5 Mariner sailings.  Got to the MDR and what WAS my table was not the same one.  It was the one next to it.  They needed my table for someone with a walker since there is more room to maneuver around it.  No problem.  New table was closer to the other tables so there was a table for 8 next door that decided to befriend the single old lady next to them.   It was fun

[BND]

7 hours ago, Ashland said:

Curious...how do they know who has something in common with you ?

Pretty much they would seat people of the same age group together, couples usually with couples for example.  Now, it just seems they don't even try and just put people at a table.  

[Sarah1974]

21 minutes ago, BND said:

Pretty much they would seat people of the same age group together, couples usually with couples for example.  Now, it just seems they don't even try and just put people at a table.  

How long ago was this?  This has never been my experience but I've only been cruising since 2010 

[davekathy]

11 hours ago, BND said:

If you know where your table is why wait to be "escorted"?  Seriously, you can just go to your table as we do.

Maybe we are rookies. Seriously, no justification required as to what or why. 

[molly361]

I also find it odd that people who know where their table is wait  to be seated 

[Wineaux007]

We always go to the MDR on the first night.  They usually have prime rib on the menu.  If it is too noisy and near a serving station, we will switch to a different location.

[davekathy]

11 minutes ago, molly361 said:

I also find it odd that people who know where their table is wait  to be seated 

I also find it equally odd why others care why. 

[molly361]

2 minutes ago, davekathy said:

I also find it equally odd why others care why. 

Possibly for the same reason that folks care  who watches TV or movies while on a cruise😇

Edited September 5, 2022 by molly361

[davekathy]

1 minute ago, molly361 said:

Possibly for the same reason that folks care  who watches TV or movies while on a cruise😇

Or worry about what they wear or tip.😏

[thegashlycrumb]

It would never occur to me that the line is for people who need to be escorted vs people who already know where their table is. If I see a line going into the dining room, I just assume it's for everyone and wait on the line, even if I know where I'm going (although I will tell the crew an escort isn't needed so they're available to help the next person). I'll have to see whether I want to change my behavior going forward. Most of my cruises have been on Carnival, though, where the line has sort of doubled up at the double doors to the dining room allowing crew to escort from both sides. It might be tough to move ahead of the line in that situation.

 

I do wonder if a lot of people on the line see people skipping the line, will they just go in and wander around looking for their tables, causing more confusion and delay?

 

 

[BND]

3 minutes ago, molly361 said:

Possibly for the same reason that folks care  who watches TV or movies while on a cruise😇

Or maybe because there really are "rookies" onboard who don't know you can look for your table anytime on boarding day so you don't have to wait to be escorted.  I've also watched waitstaff wandering around looking for a table.  They don't have the table numbers memorized.  

[slyster]

Interesting reading the responses.  We have usually waited 10 min past TD start time.  That way there is no line by the time we get there.  This was just unusual for us because my brother joined us on this cruise.  He has a lot of cruises under his belt.  Well, he got in line (probably 20-30 people in front of us).  I told him we don’t have to wait in line because we know where we are going. His husband said are you sure?  I think everyone has to get in line.  I said that’s for people who need an escort to find their table.

 

My brother strolled right past everyone but as I got towards the front, I turned around to make sure my wife and brother in law were following me.  That’s when a group of passengers told us “there’s a line…you are cutting”.  I said no…I already know where my table is.  “Doesn’t matter!” I pointed to our table which was probably 30 steps inside the dining room and said, “my table is right there”.  The guy was rude and said, “you are still cutting in line”.  I turned around and kept going.  My brother in law didn’t look too happy as he felt we broke some kind of rule.  He followed me in though.

 

I knew when I got back home I would ask cruise critic.

[five.]

12 hours ago, BND said:

I will say table assignments are not what they used to be.  The second leg of our b2b and our subsequent assignment in July was horrible.  They used to at least seat you with people who had something in common with you.

Totally unrelated to the topic at hand, but this made me remember my honeymoon cruise. We got sat with two other young couples on a carnival cruise and really had an enjoyable week. This was before specialty dining really existed so all three couples were in the MDR the entire week and got to know each other a little bit.

 

One of the other women was a Victoria Secret swimsuit model! That was something else. One day my fair skinned wife got burned out at port and the model, gave us her cabin number to stop by for her remedy that would take care of it in no time. So we get to their cabin and knock on the door, she answers the door topless. This newly married dude has never been so slack jawed in my life. My face turned so red, I was looking straight at the ceiling. She just laughed and brought my wife in and got her squared away, while I stayed in the hallway.

[Georgeny]

5 hours ago, CGinMTL said:

Interesting ethics question. Really not sure what I would do. I guess it all depends on the line. 

If too long, would not wait. If somebody complains,  say you were in the washroom :))

.

I can see both sides being ok 

 

We normally take our time first night MDR knowing the line and confusion, arrive 10 minutes after opening generally.  Just a thought, some cruises I had to show escort where the table was.

 

George in NY

[drjohn4]

On our last cruise we had the Key and at the lunch the head waiter showed me where my dinner table was and specifically told me to just go right in and sit down at the table when dinner time came.  So I think the dining room staff expects and appreciates it when you just go to your table if you know where it is.  This makes the line shorter for anyone who does need assistance finding their table.

[gumby_ng]

Just got off Visions where on the first night, everyone in line told everyone else that if they were ok with their table assignment to walk in. Everyone in line was requiring a change or additional help.

[taglovestocruise]

16 hours ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

We haven't done traditional dining since the inception of my time dining but have switched to it for our upcoming cruise due to the 6:45 start of MTD.  Do they still put your table number on your sea pass account as they did years ago?  We are also doing specialty dining the first night so don't want our table given away if we don't show up the first night.

 

If we have first night Specialty I always go the dining room and let our table mates know we will be there tomorrow. With a table for two I let the dining staff know we will see them tomorrow.  As a side note we never wait in line to be escorted to our table. Why cause a delay if you know where you are going.

[Wineaux007]

42 minutes ago, gumby_ng said:

Just got off Visions where on the first night, everyone in line told everyone else that if they were ok with their table assignment to walk in. Everyone in line was requiring a change or additional help.

We always check out our table when we first board, and if we don't like it, immediately see the Maitre'd to get it changed.  Why wait until it is time to dine?

[gumby_ng]

2 minutes ago, Wineaux007 said:

We always check out our table when we first board, and if we don't like it, immediately see the Maitre'd to get it changed.  Why wait until it is time to dine?

True, I wasn't one of those in the line.