Dine My Way - only being offered late reservations

[Odonpeg]

Our cruise is about 58 days out. Tonight I tried to make main room dining dinner reservations for our party of 4 (2 couples/2 booking numbers).

If I try to make dinner reservations just for my husband and me we can get anytime from 5pm onward. If I add the other couple and make us a group of 4, the dinner reservation availability changes to 7:30pm or later. We don't really want to eat that late. 

I have a few thoughts but would like to hear if anyone else has any advice.

1) I'm thinking each couple should make separate dinner reservations (5pm) and just go together and ask to sit near each other. The tables for 2 are so close together that it's like you're eating together anyway.

OR

2) Leave the reservations as is for now and just go to the dining room at the time we want to eat and take our chances. 

Any advice is appreciated.

[Ombud]

What about making the reservations 1 at a time instead of the entire voyage? That usually works for me. If you can not get preferred time 1 night try an alternative restaurant 

 

Or go at 5. That's an unpopular time for many cruises (except Florida)

Edited October 23, 2023 by Ombud

[Torfamm]

I agree that trying to make reservations one night at a time is worth a try. 
 

Alternatively, I would go at my preferred time without a reservation. Making 2 reservations for tables for two won’t guarantee that you won’t wait anyway if you want to sit together.
 

You can also ask about reservations at the MDR on the first night.

[IndyKid]

I made our reservations 1 day at a time, had no problem whatsoever getting the 6 PM seating we wanted. 

 

The only problem I had was getting our 2nd specialty meal scheduled on the 2nd sea day - trying to avoid potential formal nights in the MDR.

 

You might try going to guest services as soon as you get aboard.

[MissP22]

You can always arrive at 5 PM but if there are many others with reservations, you'll be waiting at then end of that line to be seated. As others have said I would make individual reservations & then tell them at the door you want to be seated together. 

[Rick&Jeannie]

It seems to be getting very difficult to make reservations for the entire cruise with a group larger than 2 people. We almost always travel with another family couple and for whatever reason the making of the dining reservations always seems to fall to me. (I don't really mind.) I never try to make a "cruise-length" dining plan. It takes a few minutes extra to go one night at a time but we generally like to bounce around between all the MDRs. You can't do that if you try to book the "dining plan" method.