"Any Time Dining" - getting the same table?

[Boo Boo]

After a lot of deliberation, I have just booked a week on the Freedom of the Seas in September... husband was keen to do the 4 day Independence of the Seas to Cork, but a week on Freedom wasn't that much more expensive. I know that Independence is sparkling new, BUT a week in the Caribbean trumps four days in the Irish Sea for me (I am British)!

 

So I have checked out which nights offer which menus in the main dining room (thanks to other people's posts) and we will go to Chops and Portifino on the first night (Sunday) and the Wednesday.

 

I have requested "Any Time Dining" (although my invoice is still showing "Waitlisted Main Seating"). We have done Personal Dining on Princess before: we liked being able to get a table for two at a reasonable time, but we didn't really like a different table or different waiters each night (we felt that we have had better relationships with servers on "traditional dining").

 

So, what I would like to do is to book the same table (with same servers) ach night (with the exception of Sunday and Wednesday). How would it be best to go about it? Speak to the Maitre'D on the second evening and ask for the same table for 2 (at a certain time) for each night except Wednesday? Or speak to the concierge and ask him to sort it out?

 

Also, what times of the shows on the Freedom: we want to option to go to the shows - so need to pick a rasonable dining time that doesn't clash.

 

Thanks,

Boo

[teajak]

You are asking to save your cake and eat it to. You want to eat when you choose and also want the same table. It doesn't work that way,either choose anytime dining with a different table each night or standard dining with an assigned table.Personally I want my same table every night of the cruise but to each his own.

[Boo Boo]

You are asking to save your cake and eat it to. You want to eat when you choose and also want the same table. It doesn't work that way,either choose anytime dining with a different table each night or standard dining with an assigned table.Personally I want my same table every night of the cruise but to each his own.

 

You can do it on Princess, I assume that you can do it on Royal Caribbean???

 

Boo

[39august]

Many people have posted here saying that you CAN do this, tho' I have not yet had the experience. I believe there is information about My Time dining on the RCI web site.

[Blue Darter]

You are asking to save your cake and eat it to. You want to eat when you choose and also want the same table. It doesn't work that way,either choose anytime dining with a different table each night or standard dining with an assigned table.Personally I want my same table every night of the cruise but to each his own.

 

Might want to do a little research before you post incorrect information! Apparently, you haven't experienced MyTime on RCI. Are you basing your comments on what others have said on CC....have you personally spoken with anyone that has done MyTime? Why do so many "traditionalists" feel it's their duty to knock MyTime...it's as if they want it to fail. Unbelievable! Guess it's too late for those dreams to come true...RCI has announced that they will implement MyTime fleetwide by year's end.

 

Essentially, MyTime is EXACTLY like traditional, except I get to choose when I eat and I might (emphasize MIGHT) have to wait 1-2 minutes for the Maitre D to seat me...the food, service, ambience are of the same quality I'd get if I chose traditional. In fact, MyTime offers a bonus unavailable with traditional. If you make your reservations ~90 minutes after main seating, you'll miss all of the "performances" by the wait staff. You can't beat that with a stick!!

 

Although RCI won't/can't guarantee the same table assignment every night (see link), odds are the OP will be able to do exactly as she proposes. We did MyTime on our 11-day Panama trip (Brilliance-Mar '08) and by the 3rd or 4th night it seemed that they same folks were at the same tables every evening.

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/contentWithHero.do?pagename=open_seating&topic=email&subTopic=openseatSerenade&requestor=arn

[Blue Darter]

After a lot of deliberation, I have just booked a week on the Freedom of the Seas in September... husband was keen to do the 4 day Independence of the Seas to Cork, but a week on Freedom wasn't that much more expensive. I know that Independence is sparkling new, BUT a week in the Caribbean trumps four days in the Irish Sea for me (I am British)!

 

So I have checked out which nights offer which menus in the main dining room (thanks to other people's posts) and we will go to Chops and Portifino on the first night (Sunday) and the Wednesday.

 

I have requested "Any Time Dining" (although my invoice is still showing "Waitlisted Main Seating"). We have done Personal Dining on Princess before: we liked being able to get a table for two at a reasonable time, but we didn't really like a different table or different waiters each night (we felt that we have had better relationships with servers on "traditional dining").

 

So, what I would like to do is to book the same table (with same servers) ach night (with the exception of Sunday and Wednesday). How would it be best to go about it? Speak to the Maitre'D on the second evening and ask for the same table for 2 (at a certain time) for each night except Wednesday? Or speak to the concierge and ask him to sort it out?

 

Also, what times of the shows on the Freedom: we want to option to go to the shows - so need to pick a rasonable dining time that doesn't clash.

 

Thanks,

Boo

 

Boo....see link on my post above for general information.

 

Observations from our MyTime experience on Brilliance (11 night Panama Canal) earlier this year that addresses your main questions:

 

1)Proportionally, there are more tables for two available in MyTime than in traditional. I'd say it's a good bet you'll be able to dine alone (as a couple) each evening.

 

2)You'll increase your chances at having the same wait staff if you settle on the same (or about the same) time for dinner each night.

 

3)The showtimes are still scheduled around traditional dining times. If you're really hard over to see certain shows, you may have to alter the timing of your meals accordingly.

 

Some general comments/recommendations:

 

1)The MyTime reservations desk/Maitre D station will be open during embarkation. Even though you plan to do a specialty restaurant the first evening, stop by the station to confirm you're signed up for MyTime (on our Brilliance trip they had me registered but not my wife...strange!) as well as to address some of your questions directly with the MyTime staff. I've read on CC that folks were able to make reservations for the entire week, you may want to inquire during this visit.

 

2)Reservations aren't required, but I'd strongly suggest you make them for each meal. You can sign up (for the next evening's meal) as you depart each night or (if you're unsure of when you'd like to dine) wait until the next day and call the reservations desk. On our Brilliance trip, there seemed to be a stubborn group (not all together) of about 12-15 folks who just showed each night (i.e. no reservations). Sometimes they were seated within a few minutes, other nights they waited for a spell.

 

3)We were able to make all the shows that we wanted to see. You can pace your meals (especially at a table for two) easier with MyTime than traditional (i.e. eat a bit faster if you want). Not to suggest you need (or want to) wolf down the entire four courses in 30 minutes, but you can comfortably finish in an hour as opposed to the 1.5-2 hours in traditional.

 

You'll thoroughly enjoy MyTime...we found that it made our entire cruise experience better. Main seating is always too early (it was 5:30 on the Panama trip...ugh!) and who wants to wait 'til 8:30 (I know, I know...some of you Brits and others on the continent traditionally eat later than we Yanks!).

 

Anyway, enjoy your trip! If you've got any more questions regarding MyTime, fire away and I'll try to address them.

 

Andy

[Boo Boo]

Thank you so much both Blue Darter and 39August for your constructive replies :)

 

Thanks Blue Darter for your incredibly detailed and helpful reply - just what I was looking for and more :) :) :)

 

Thanks for the link too - I looked at it with interest.

 

It sounds spot on and we will take your advice and stop at the Maitre'd/"MyTime" desk on embarkation day. I will try to confirm a table for two (and see if they can assign us the same waiters if possible) for the 5 days that we will dine in the main dining room.

 

I am sure that "MyTime" will be great. To be honest we love traditional dining on RCCL too - have had some great waiters and dining experiences and, so far, have always got a table for two (although with we did have to request a change from a larger table to a table for two once). But I figure that MyTime dining will take the worry out of whether we wil be assigned a table for two or not, AND will allow us to eat ever so slightly later (about 7pm would be good).

 

We eat quite late at home, but much earlier when we are in the US - we don't bother completely reseting our body clock (and get up early and go to bed earlier) when in the US. 5.30pm for dinner - on your Panama Canal trip - sounds WAY too early!

 

Thanks again for sharing your experiences and advice - really appreciated :)

 

Boo