New 3rd dining time for traditional dining

[pyrateslife4me84]

25 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

We’ve been seeing that for quite awhile too. The poster was asking about a Med cruise and routinely they mostly still did the later dinners, but things changed …

I’ll be curious to see how this plays out. If they really want 3 main dining times, they’ll need to move times up in Europe, too. I don’t think they’ll want the third seating to start at 9:30 pm. 

[c-leg5]

1 minute ago, pyrateslife4me84 said:

I’ll be curious to see how this plays out. If they really want 3 main dining times, they’ll need to move times up in Europe, too. I don’t think they’ll want the third seating to start at 9:30 pm. 

It was reported earlier that already happened with two sittings on occasions.

[SquishTheWhale]

6 minutes ago, pyrateslife4me84 said:

I’ll be curious to see how this plays out. If they really want 3 main dining times, they’ll need to move times up in Europe, too. I don’t think they’ll want the third seating to start at 9:30 pm. 

You'd be surprised how many Europeans enjoy eating that late. The UK not being included in that- we prefer around 6-7!

[c-leg5]

4 minutes ago, SquishTheWhale said:

NCL MTD works seamlessly and we've never waited for a table so I don't know why Royal can't handle it. I realise the whole ship is on MTD with NCL but the core principles should be the same.

It worked just fine pre-shut down. I don’t know why they haven’t resolved this by now if it is still a problem. They KNOW what worked before.

 

We only witnessed it on our first sailing back and took evasive action as I have no intention of standing in line for a prolonged length of time when I have a reservation. Waiting 5-10 minutes, no problem; waiting 30+ minutes, no way.
 

Subsequent sailings were fine for us but I think it depends largely on size of group and, those needing to eat the minute they open or earlier, if they  can. 

[island lady]

1 hour ago, Starry Eyes said:

Actually I cannot read your mind and I did not know what the blazes you were thinking when you replied my post with a complaint about false information.  I don’t think you’d like it if someone said that to you, Pat.

 

Yikes...what a thought.  Reading my mind...you really would not want to go there for sure. 😄 

[RFerrington]

1 hour ago, c-leg5 said:

 I don’t know why they haven’t resolved this by now if it is still a problem. They KNOW what worked before.

It’s a staffing issue.  They just don’t have the staff to service they way they did before.

[andrew611]

There is already a third dining time slot. It's mainly for my time dining. My time dining is usually 6:45pm to 7:45pm.

[lovesthebeach2]

1 hour ago, SquishTheWhale said:

You'd be surprised how many Europeans enjoy eating that late. The UK not being included in that- we prefer around 6-7!

We prefer 6 too

[LobsterStalker]

23 hours ago, doghog said:

We'd like to see RC got back to 6:PM and 8:30 PM TD and same times for MTD. We hate the later start time for MTD and not thrilled with the 5:30 start time for early TD. But we've gone back to early TD. We don't cruise on the huge ships. Freedom class is the biggest we've been on. 

...Exactly my position

1 Thing to add is that it is not always 5:30 , but sometimes much worse at 5:00

 

Cheers

[doghog]

12 minutes ago, LobsterStalker said:

...Exactly my position

1 Thing to add is that it is not always 5:30 , but sometimes much worse at 5:00

 

Cheers

Currently for our future B2B cruise we have 5:30 in the MDR for both legs. Two top for both legs. Hopefully that sticks or we maybe we'll fashionably late each evening. 🍺😉

[LobsterStalker]

22 hours ago, Starry Eyes said:

When I read that blog article, I thought they planned to squeeze in three faster seating (trying to get diners out in 75 minutes, and leaving a bit for leeway and cleaning) and push back late a bit.  For example on ships in earlier dining cultures: early at 5:00, middle at 6:45, and at late at 8:30.  Or on other ships maybe early at 5:30, middle at 7:15, late at 9:00.

Sooooo , This is 1 area where I think the geniouses at the helm need some help . How about with 3 dining rooms , have 3 separate dining schedules ...??

Deck 3 : Early 5 P.M , Mid 6:45 , Late 8:30 ....More relaxed , Traditional

Deck 4 : Early 5 P.M. ,2nd 6:15 , 3rd 7:30, Late 8:45 -- 2 and 4 tops only to allow for shorter dining times 

Deck 5 : True MTD ! 

So many possible variations to fix the current system which many believe is broken . 

Personally don't feel 3 times set at 5:00 , 6:45 , and 8:30 would fix most peoples complaint .

 

Cheers

 

 

[cruiseboy89130]

9 hours ago, sowhat said:

And end up with more tables like this in MTD

We like this - you can have a conversation but you don't have to!

Undecided on the new dining time as we don't like to be seated with others....

I think we will create our own "OTD" (Our time dining) select the new dining time and show up sometime between 6.45 and 7.30pm but have an assigned table...

[cruiseboy89130]

4 hours ago, pyrateslife4me84 said:

. I don’t think they’ll want the third seating to start at 9:30 pm. 

Why not?

[pyrateslife4me84]

11 minutes ago, cruiseboy89130 said:

Why not?

Because their staff now starts service earlier and probably cannot reasonably be serving guests until midnight. Eventually they need people gone so they can clean up for breakfast the next day. 

[cruiseboy89130]

2 minutes ago, pyrateslife4me84 said:

Because their staff now starts service earlier and probably cannot reasonably be serving guests until midnight. Eventually they need people gone so they can clean up for breakfast the next day. 

They were doing it a lot of 9.30 pm  in the past! They will again do it!

[kirtihk]

4 hours ago, SquishTheWhale said:

You'd be surprised how many Europeans enjoy eating that late. The UK not being included in that- we prefer around 6-7!

On our Transatlantic Barcelona - Rio De Janeiro crossing most cruisers were from Brazil - the second sitting was at 10 pm.

[CruiseMelissa]

I tried scanning this thread and don't think this has been addressed... from what I understand, they'll be rolling this out slowly, ship by ship.  Anyone have any guesses/knowledge from test ships how they'll move people around to get this started?  I assume they'll be a chunk of people in both the late and early time that want to move to the middle time, will they send out an email asking if you want to move? Or will we just be surprised when we board? I'm in the minority in that I love an early dinner time and currently have 5:15 on my next cruise, might I show up and have the middle time assigned to me?  (I know if that's the case there will probably be plenty of people that would be willing to swap, I just hate first-day-hassles, as do many).

[FionaMG]

2 hours ago, cruiseboy89130 said:

We like this - you can have a conversation but you don't have to!

We like it too. Since DH and I talk to each other in Portuguese it can be a bit awkward sharing a table with others who don't speak it, and a bit tiring for DH trying to keep up with conversing in English.

That little gap gives us the ability to interact with our close neighbours but with no obligation to do so throughout the entire meal.

[SquishTheWhale]

1 hour ago, kirtihk said:

On our Transatlantic Barcelona - Rio De Janeiro crossing most cruisers were from Brazil - the second sitting was at 10 pm.

That's bed time not dinner time 😂

[Starry Eyes]

3 hours ago, doghog said:

Currently for our future B2B cruise we have 5:30 in the MDR for both legs. Two top for both legs. Hopefully that sticks or we maybe we'll fashionably late each evening. 🍺😉

Reservations (specialty and MDR) only have a 15 minute grace period.  Don’t be more than 15 minutes late or you may find your table has been given to another party.  We’ve watched this MDR “comedy show” a few times recently.  Dinner is scheduled at 5:00.  A table near us is empty.  At 5:20 to 5:30 or even later, hostess seats people at the vacant table (MTD guests or some issue being sorted).  Afterward the early dining guests stroll in and stop in their tracks when “their” table is occupied.  The various reactions are, um, interesting.

Edited February 29 by Starry Eyes

[Starry Eyes]

35 minutes ago, FionaMG said:

We like it too. Since DH and I talk to each other in Portuguese it can be a bit awkward sharing a table with others who don't speak it, and a bit tiring for DH trying to keep up with conversing in English.

That little gap gives us the ability to interact with our close neighbours but with no obligation to do so throughout the entire meal.

Yes, plus each table can proceed at its own pace.  If that was a four top, the waiter will generally serve everyone the same course at the same time.  With two separate two tops, one couple can go at a more leisurely pace while the other couple can hurrying to make a show.

[LobsterStalker]

On 2/28/2024 at 4:59 PM, smokeybandit said:

Some ships have that.

Most all ships now have that !

[LobsterStalker]

7 hours ago, pyrateslife4me84 said:

This is almost every cruise, now. Even the app will list a time and then a week out, that time will move up 30 minutes. Not sure why they still tell people at booking that early dining will be at 5:30 or 6 pm when they know it’ll be 5 pm. 

Because they would rather disappoint people after they board instead of when they are making their vacation decisions 

JMHO

[LobsterStalker]

3 hours ago, doghog said:

Currently for our future B2B cruise we have 5:30 in the MDR for both legs. Two top for both legs. Hopefully that sticks or we maybe we'll fashionably late each evening. 🍺😉

I am ALWAYS fashionably late since they changed the early times to 5-5:15 as common starts. We just returned this week from a 5:15 advertised at booking . On night 1 they welcomed us over the PA and informed us that they would be accomodating us with the dining room opening at 5PM nightly . We arrived at 5:30 each night

 

Cheers

 

[pyrateslife4me84]

10 minutes ago, LobsterStalker said:

Because they would rather disappoint people after they board instead of when they are making their vacation decisions 

JMHO

I wouldn’t be disappointed if, at booking, I could pick 5 pm, 6:45, or 8:30. I’d pick what I want and be happy when that actually happens.