early seating time

[ronaldfelder]

question. i'm sailing on wonder of the seas on august 18. we have early seating for the main dining room/ i've seen both 5pm and 5:30pm for early seating time. what is the correct time for early seating? Plus how late will they let you in to the mdr if one is running late getting back from a tour?

thank you for any help.

[Markanddonna]

The reality is that the correct time may change just before you board the ship. We've seen that happen several times and it fluctuates for various, unknown reasons. 

 

It used to be that the doors closed 15 minutes after the scheduled time. Like so many things on today's cruises, you likely will be allowed in if you are running late. Much varies with that ship's policies and the temperament of the people in charge of seating. 

[firefly333]

1 hour ago, ronaldfelder said:

question. i'm sailing on wonder of the seas on august 18. we have early seating for the main dining room/ i've seen both 5pm and 5:30pm for early seating time. what is the correct time for early seating? Plus how late will they let you in to the mdr if one is running late getting back from a tour?

thank you for any help.

Imo dont rush back from your tour unless its lobster night. Try the buffet. It has a lot of the same thing and I can get less or more of what I like. I especially like the buffet on Caribbean night as I love plantains and beans and rice. 

[PhillyFan33579]

On my last half dozen or so RCI cruises, early dining has been 5 PM, which includes ships as large as Symphony and as small as Grandeur. 

[OCSC Mike]

Was on Wonder 3X since March and early seating has been 5pm.

[taglovestocruise]

3 hours ago, Markanddonna said:

The reality is that the correct time may change just before you board the ship. We've seen that happen several times and it fluctuates for various, unknown reasons. 

 

It used to be that the doors closed 15 minutes after the scheduled time. Like so many things on today's cruises, you likely will be allowed in if you are running late. Much varies with that ship's policies and the temperament of the people in charge of seating. 

Very iffy after the 15 minute mark. They fill the no show tables with MTD guests waiting in line for a early spot to open. 

[steveru621]

Please don't make other guests at your table wait for you to show up.

 

If you have a table for two, tip your waiter.

[fla33023]

1 hour ago, steveru621 said:

Please don't make other guests at your table wait for you to show up.

 

If you have a table for two, tip your waiter.

I don't understand the tip your waiter comment. Do you go tip the waiter if you miss dinner?

[ronaldfelder]

1 hour ago, steveru621 said:

Please don't make other guests at your table wait for you to show up.

 

If you have a table for two, tip your waiter.

it'll just be the three of us at our table. no more

[steveru621]

16 minutes ago, fla33023 said:

I don't understand the tip your waiter comment. Do you go tip the waiter if you miss dinner?

 

If you are late for your dining time, it puts extra stress on your waitstaff.

[steveru621]

12 minutes ago, ronaldfelder said:

it'll just be the three of us at our table. no more

 

I would check when you embark.  Multiple times, RCI dining did not seat us as we expected, ignoring our request.

[Tatka]

44 minutes ago, steveru621 said:

 

If you are late for your dining time, it puts extra stress on your waitstaff.

 

As long as auto-gratuities are not removed everything above is at own discretion.

[constable145]

2 hours ago, steveru621 said:

Please don't make other guests at your table wait for you to show up.

 

If you have a table for two, tip your waiter.

So tables of 4 don't have to tip? 

As long as everyone gets good service, shouldn't they all tip?

[pcur]

1 hour ago, fla33023 said:

I don't understand the tip your waiter comment. Do you go tip the waiter if you miss dinner?

Tipping the waiter when you are going to be late is polite. I recommend pre-ordering your dinner the night before AND tipping for being late.

[steveru621]

25 minutes ago, constable145 said:

So tables of 4 don't have to tip? 

As long as everyone gets good service, shouldn't they all tip?

 

That wasn't my point.

[pcur]

A suggestion (I did this in April on the Jewel Transatlantic):

 

Go in on day 1 around 1pm to the dining room you are assigned. In our case it was My Time Dining.

 

Always be polite, always calm, always reasonable.

 

Check out your table assignment. Talk to staff person at the podium about times and being late on port days. Tell him/her your name and cabin number.

 

Then, when you get there for dinner the first night, if things aren't as expected, go up to the podium immediately and quietly, and tell that same staff person that you and your party will be eating elsewhere, and you might want to say you are removing your dining tips for that evening. (I didn't have to say this, because with MTD, you don't show, they don't get that evening's tips for your party. He knew that.)

 

What I did was to tell the staff member at the podium (who I had talked to that afternoon) that "since we discussed this problem this afternoon, and the problem still exists, we have decided to eat elsewhere tonight".  

 

Where a passenger is assigned for dinner is where their dining tips are assigned. The dining room management does NOT want to lose the tips for 3+ people for that night. Plus, the understanding is you were not accommodated after talking to the staff person, and maybe won't be back........

[Cruise5life]

5 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

On my last half dozen or so RCI cruises, early dining has been 5 PM, which includes ships as large as Symphony and as small as Grandeur. 

On odyssey now.  Early dinner is 6pm.   

[reallyitsmema]

4 minutes ago, Cruise5life said:

On odyssey now.  Early dinner is 6pm.   

 

Odyssey isn't sailing from the US right now, so that makes a difference.  I am sailing Odyssey from Cape Liberty later this year and early seating is listed as starting at 5 pm.

[PhillyFan33579]

10 minutes ago, Cruise5life said:

On odyssey now.  Early dinner is 6pm.   

Odyssey is sailing overseas right now so not really relevant to dining times from US ports. 

[Tatka]

20 minutes ago, pcur said:

Where a passenger is assigned for dinner is where their dining tips are assigned. The dining room management does NOT want to lose the tips for 3+ people for that night. Plus, the understanding is you were not accommodated after talking to the staff person, and maybe won't be back........

 

Why would this happen? Most people give envelops with tips during last night.

[ONECRUISER]

5 hours ago, steveru621 said:

Please don't make other guests at your table wait for you to show up.

 

If you have a table for two, tip your waiter.

Agree, we have always let our Staff know if we are going to be late or not show a nite and this when we are only ones at our table

[loman]

I prepay the gratuities when i book the cruise and dont give any thought about where the tips go. 

[Cruise5life]

2 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

Odyssey is sailing overseas right now so not really relevant to dining times from US ports. 

Your post didn’t say all your sailing were in the US.    So it is relevant    
but ok.   

[Cruise5life]

3 hours ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

Odyssey isn't sailing from the US right now, so that makes a difference.  I am sailing Odyssey from Cape Liberty later this year and early seating is listed as starting at 5 pm.

I quoted a post that said he was on multiple sailings.  No distinction of from us or any other part of the world.   So….

Edited August 8 by Cruise5life

[reallyitsmema]

3 minutes ago, Cruise5life said:

I quoted a post that said he was on multiple sailings.  No distinction of from us or any other part of the world.   So….

 

I quoted your post and pointed out why your cruise has a later early dining time as you made no distinction as to what part of the world the ship is in.  So.....