My Time Dining

[CGBanks]

Am I correct in that with MTD you can eat at any time during dining hours ?  I’m trying to make a schedule for the week with dinner and show times and wanted to confirm the earliest we can start dinner. Thanks ! 

[Ourusualbeach]

1 minute ago, CGBanks said:

Am I correct in that with MTD you can eat at any time during dining hours ?  I’m trying to make a schedule for the week with dinner and show times and wanted to confirm the earliest we can start dinner. Thanks ! 

Not entirely

 

MTD now does not start until 6:30 or 6:45.  If yu want to eat earlier than that you need to select early dining for 5:00 (ish) depending on the ship.

[Diver2014]

4 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Not entirely

 

MTD now does not start until 6:30 or 6:45.  If yu want to eat earlier than that you need to select early dining for 5:00 (ish) depending on the ship.

You also need a reservation for MTD if you want to eat before 8pm.  We had traditional early seating in the MDR 2 weeks ago and the lines waiting go in for MTD every night were unbelievable and those people all had reservations.  You can't just wander if when you feel like eating.  There were enough repeats of the shows that we were able to see every show we wanted throughout the week.  (We were on Wonder of the Seas with some 6000 passengers).  

[Oxo]

When did RCI change MTD to 630pm?

 

We have always used MTD at 530pm.

 

 

 

How can they call it MTD if they open at 530 but MTD doesn't start until 630pm?

 

TIA

 

 

Edited January 31, 2023 by Oxo

[SilkySal]

Popular times for MTD are usually when they first open around 6:30 or 6:45 to around 7:15, then the lines are shorter after that. Getting a table for 2 may be easier to squeeze in earlier. If you want to keep MTD, try to make your reservations when you first board. If you have a show and don't want to eat later, maybe eat in the Windjammer buffet or a specialty restaurant. Being flexible is a plus! Hubby and I always eat MTD and never had to wait longer than 15 minutes max. Good luck and have fun!

[SilkySal]

3 minutes ago, Oxo said:

When did RCI change MTD to 630pm?

We have always used MTD at 530pm.

TIA

They started filling all of the dining rooms with some of the early traditional seating (popular for families), so as those diners finish, they begin seating the MTD people, which is the reason for the later start. This began a few weeks ago.

Edited January 31, 2023 by SilkySal
add

[BillB48]

3 minutes ago, Oxo said:

When did RCI change MTD to 630pm?

We have always used MTD at 530pm.

TIA

I don't know when the change went into effect, but at the beginning of January the first available time for my time was 6:45.  Extremely popular time.

[Oxo]

Thanks for the info.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apparently, they changed it without any prior warning. Guess we will go back to Traditional Early dining.

 

Hope Celebrity and NCL don't do this. 

 

2 minutes ago, BillB48 said:

I don't know when the change went into effect, but at the beginning of January the first available time for my time was 6:45. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ourusualbeach]

12 minutes ago, Oxo said:

When did RCI change MTD to 630pm?

 

We have always used MTD at 530pm.

 

 

 

How can they call it MTD if they open at 530 but MTD doesn't start until 630pm?

 

TIA

 

 

It changed after the restart.  All 3 dining rooms are now used for early seating so you have to wait for them to finish before MTD can start

[crzndeb]

It started quite a while ago. Possibly when the restart started, but maybe not on all ships. I know on my Ovation Oct/2021 it was already that way. Many, who like to eat early, have now switched to early Traditional. 
As posted above, MTD is now being seated when early traditional diners finish. 
 

[SilkySal]

If you are listed as MTD, you can't enter until it begins at 6:45 or whenever, so it means that you don't need a reservation to eat anytime after that. I know, it's ridiculous!

Edited January 31, 2023 by SilkySal

[mafig]

1 hour ago, SilkySal said:

 it's ridiculous!

Agree!

It used to work and work very well before.

[Tatka]

1 hour ago, Oxo said:

Hope Celebrity and NCL don't do this.

 

 

 NCL cannot do this. They only have MTD (Free style)

[Tatka]

Sometimes we showed up earlier... around 6:15 (on Anthem) and they would put us in traditional restaurants. Only 2 of us.

[neverbeenhere]

As there are only 4 members of the wait staff that cover all the dining rooms, MTD dining has changed a lot since the restart.

[Tatka]

2 minutes ago, neverbeenhere said:

As there are only 4 members of the wait staff that cover all the dining rooms, MTD dining has changed a lot since the restart.

 

What do you mean ... only 4 members?

[HicksRA]

It’s “Their Time Dining” now…

[moposh]

4 minutes ago, HicksRA said:

It’s “Their Time Dining” now…

Exactly.  Because 6:45 is not my time.

 

I went around 5 on my August cruise.  I have emailed RC dining to try to get some clarification.  I will have to switch to early seating if I can.  If not, I guess I'll be eating in the Windjammer, which isn't my first choice.

[Mum2Mercury]

You have the app on your phone, right? 

Check to see what MTD reservations are available on each evening for your specific sailing.  

[moposh]

3 hours ago, SilkySal said:

maybe eat in the Windjammer buffet or a specialty restaurant

I wonder if they are trying to get people to eat in their specialty restaurants and thus have to pay a fee.  I wouldn't put it past them.  👿

[moposh]

4 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

You have the app on your phone, right? 

Check to see what MTD reservations are available on each evening for your specific sailing.  

7:15.  That's the earliest.  👎  That's way too late.

 

The early dining time is 6:00 p.m. and late is 8:30 p.m.  I usually eat at 5:00 p.m.  I also like MTD because we ate and left.  Not that we rushed, but we didn't linger either.

Edited January 31, 2023 by moposh

[Oxo]

Remember when the cruse lines wanted us to go to MTD and many people didn't want to go?

 

Now, since people want to go, they are hosing us around. LOL

 

Most elderly people want early dining. 

 

European people normally eat late.

 

The rest of us, who ever we are, wanted MTD. 

Can't RCI make up their mind? SMH

[Mum2Mercury]

14 minutes ago, moposh said:

7:15.  That's the earliest.  👎  That's way too late.

 

The early dining time is 6:00 p.m. and late is 8:30 p.m.  I usually eat at 5:00 p.m.  I also like MTD because we ate and left.  Not that we rushed, but we didn't linger either.

I like MTD much better than traditional.  We had traditional on our last cruise, and I had forgotten how much I dislike a whole crowd of people gathering outside the doors waiting for early or late seating to begin.  The flexibility of MTD is better. 

 

However, if 7:15 is what's left for your specific cruise, you have to make a choice.  

Do check EVERY NIGHT of your cruise; one of the benefits of MTD is that you can eat at 6:00 one night, 8:00 the next night.  You might have something better available on some evenings.  

[davekathy]

We've switched back to early (6:PM) TD. 

[karena1]

4 hours ago, CGBanks said:

Am I correct in that with MTD you can eat at any time during dining hours ?  I’m trying to make a schedule for the week with dinner and show times and wanted to confirm the earliest we can start dinner. Thanks ! 

yes, but depending on the ship, MTD starts at different times.