My Time Dining - I don't like it

[CRUZBUDS]

I never considered dancing waiters a perk. I know a lot of people enjoy it. Once a cruise with the baked Alaska is about all I can stand ;)

 

Some of these descriptions of MTD sound interesting. We've always loved the traditional experience and never seriously considered anything else. Maybe we'll give it a try.

[dfishner]

We tried My Time Dining on Freedom, was not sure we would like it found we loved it, We dined each night between 7-7:30 never a wait had the same wait team every evening and now are big fans of it. Will be going on the NOS in March they are kicking off MTD this month and we will be booking it again. I really enjoyed the flexibility of it.

[njmomof2]

Don't tell me RCI is caving in to this dreadful trend! I would never even consider NCL for a cruise because of that dratted "freestyle" dining program they have (and started). I have always thoroughly enjoyed traditional dining on all of my various cruises but have begun to cool in my enthusiasm of late...for cruising in general. The ships are too big and too casual for my taste. I love to dress for dinner and have wonderful conversation with "new friends" I make at the table in the dining room for the entire voyage. I'll probably try RCI once more...and request (demand?) traditional dining. My last cruise on Celebrity over Christmas was an utter disaster...never so glad to get off a ship in my life (and the first time THAT ever happened). Cruise ships are now nothing more than floating resort hotels...if I want that sort of venue I'll just fly to an island and check in...geez.

 

I see that your Celebrity cruise was on Century over Christmas. My sister is booked on this cruise for 2009 (well, the one between Christmas and NYs) and I'm wondering what your issues were so that I can pass them on to her for consideration.

 

Thanks.

[akcruz]

I agree with what most have said here. We tried My Time Dining on Freedom last November and absolutely loved it. We will choose this again in the future whenever it is offered.

 

Unless you've tried it yourself don't know how you can say you don't like it.

[buzymom3]

Can someone clarify something for me please?

 

I had read, someplace on these boards, that during peak travel dates you are asked to eat during a specific range of times. Such as between 7 and 7:30pm.

 

Is this true? If I wanted to eat at 6pm one night, and then 7:30 pm the next, can I do that? Will I get a stern look for waitstaff?

 

We have 8 people in our party, will it be difficult to be accomodated when we show up?

 

We are sailing on Freedom on 3/22...peak Spring Break week. I like the idea, especially since we dock in San Juan at 4pm...

 

Has anyone heard or experienced what I read about? Is it really "ANY time?".

thanks so much!

janet

[Aubiecruiser]

Can someone clarify something for me please?

 

I had read, someplace on these boards, that during peak travel dates you are asked to eat during a specific range of times. Such as between 7 and 7:30pm.

 

Is this true? If I wanted to eat at 6pm one night, and then 7:30 pm the next, can I do that? Will I get a stern look for waitstaff?

 

We have 8 people in our party, will it be difficult to be accomodated when we show up?

 

We are sailing on Freedom on 3/22...peak Spring Break week. I like the idea, especially since we dock in San Juan at 4pm...

 

Has anyone heard or experienced what I read about? Is it really "ANY time?".

thanks so much!

janet

 

Just sign up for it before you board. You or your TA can do this and have all the others in your party do the same. When you board the ship, go to the MTD enterance into the dining room and make your reservation for that night. Each night when you are leaving, make your reservation for the next night. It's as simple as that. You can request a table for eight and probably be able to request the same table and wait staff each night as long as you make your dinner reservations for the same time each night. We had a group of eight for our Med cruise on the Brilliance and it worked out great.

Aubie

[Mark_K]

How someone can offer an opinion on something they have NEVER even tried is beyond me!!

Just based on knowing my general likes and dislikes, I can think of lots of things I've NEVER tried, that I don't care to ever try, and am pretty sure I wouldn't like.

[setsail]

I hear that RCI is now offering "My Time Dining"--lets you choose when you dine. I do not like the idea!!

We will be on the Jewel to Panama Canal 2/19/09, and I believe they will already have that dining feature then. We are very disappointed. If I wanted to have free-style dining, I would take Norwegian. You might end up sitting all alone at your required large table. We enjoy meeting our table mates at dinner and sharing the day's events.

Has anybody experienced this yet???

 

Take a good look at your wrist. See anybody from Rccl twisting it. Didn't think so.

[HMSDingy]

For what its worth, we have always had Anytime Dining on Princess and MTD on the Jewel and will do so on our next cruise on the Brilliance. With RCI as well as Princess we always ate between 7 and 7:30 and were fortunate enough to have the same wait staff. Which worked in our favour as we got to know them and they us.

[karena1]

Personally, I cannot wait for MyTime! I have changed every one of our reservations over to MyTime dining. First one will be on Serenade. My nephew just got back from Serenade and said the MyTime was fabulous, he loved it.

 

I called today and got all our 3 nighters on Monarch changed to MyTime, so now all the cruises I currently have book are set for MyTime. I know we will love having the option of going to dinner when we feel like it. Can't wait. We love meeting new people so won't bother us a bit if we sit with someone totally different every night.

[RevSmith]

I hear that RCI is now offering "My Time Dining"--lets you choose when you dine. I do not like the idea!!

We will be on the Jewel to Panama Canal 2/19/09, and I believe they will already have that dining feature then. We are very disappointed. If I wanted to have free-style dining, I would take Norwegian. You might end up sitting all alone at your required large table. We enjoy meeting our table mates at dinner and sharing the day's events.

Has anybody experienced this yet???

Yes, and I love it...

I'm sorry you don't love it too...but here is the good news...you still can do traditional dinning...

NO ONE is trying to take it away from you...and no one is complaining if you do it...so have a wonderful time with traditional dinning...I know you will enjoy your cruise what ever you chose:D

[Skip2MySue]

I hear that RCI is now offering "My Time Dining"--lets you choose when you dine. I do not like the idea!!

We will be on the Jewel to Panama Canal 2/19/09, and I believe they will already have that dining feature then. We are very disappointed. If I wanted to have free-style dining, I would take Norwegian. You might end up sitting all alone at your required large table. We enjoy meeting our table mates at dinner and sharing the day's events.

Has anybody experienced this yet???

 

I figured with all the comments you received regarding your post you didn't need anymore input:D. But we'll be on the same cruise with you, did you sign up for the Meet & Mingle? Come join our roll call, the group is growing daily.

Skip & Sue

[negc]

Just based on knowing my general likes and dislikes, I can think of lots of things I've NEVER tried, that I don't care to ever try, and am pretty sure I wouldn't like.

 

I know that plenty of people think as you do, but I also think that some folks are focusing on the "pretty sure" you wouldn't like it, and are encouraging you at least to try it. Sometimes things are not quite what they appear and what we are "pretty sure" we won't like end up being among our favorites. Before we went on our first cruise, I was "pretty sure" it would be our first AND last one, but that was nearly thirty years ago and countless cruises since then.;)

[Shipyard Cruiser]

Don't tell me RCI is caving in to this dreadful trend! I would never even consider NCL for a cruise because of that dratted "freestyle" dining program they have (and started). I have always thoroughly enjoyed traditional dining on all of my various cruises but have begun to cool in my enthusiasm of late...for cruising in general. The ships are too big and too casual for my taste. I love to dress for dinner and have wonderful conversation with "new friends" I make at the table in the dining room for the entire voyage. I'll probably try RCI once more...and request (demand?) traditional dining. My last cruise on Celebrity over Christmas was an utter disaster...never so glad to get off a ship in my life (and the first time THAT ever happened). Cruise ships are now nothing more than floating resort hotels...if I want that sort of venue I'll just fly to an island and check in...geez.

 

Enjoy your island vacation:)

[gdpups]

I switched to MTD several weeks ago for my March Serenade cruise and had to call back to ask why it still showed "main seating" online. The PVP told me their computer will not updated it for us to see online, but that it does show on hers and what she did was email me an updated invoice that confirmed I had MTD which was shown as open seating.

 

After 2 phone attempts I'm still trying to get changed over for our April Mariner cruise.................frustrating!!!

[buzymom3]

OK so let me get this straight...With MTD I can go to dinner ANYTIME I want to?

 

I can go at 5:30 on the first day and 7pm the next day? But everyday I hve to go to the dining room to make my reservation? What if the time I want is taken? Does that happen?

 

sorry to be dense! lol I am dealing with a multigenerational family and I just want to be sure when I make my decision.

janet

[RevSmith]

OK so let me get this straight...With MTD I can go to dinner ANYTIME I want to?

 

I can go at 5:30 on the first day and 7pm the next day? But everyday I hve to go to the dining room to make my reservation? What if the time I want is taken? Does that happen?

 

sorry to be dense! lol I am dealing with a multigenerational family and I just want to be sure when I make my decision.

janet

No hours are from 6:00 until 9:30...and yes you can go to dinner at any time between those times...I assume you would have to wait until a table opens up if the time you arrived has not opened up...but I have not heard of that happening yet...It's kind of like going to a regular restaurant...or the speciality restaurants...sometimes you do have to wait a few minutes until your table is ready...but most of the time you go right in.

[karena1]

No you do not have to make reservations, you can, but don't have to. My DH and I do not plan to make any reservations, we will just go down to the diningroom each night when we are ready to eat. If we have to wait a bit, no biggie to us. We will sit with another table or whatever, doesn't matter.

 

So yes, you can eat when you want b/t certain hours like maybe 6:30-9:30 or something like that, and no you don't have to make reservations unless you want to.

[alicam]

OK so let me get this straight...With MTD I can go to dinner ANYTIME I want to?

 

I can go at 5:30 on the first day and 7pm the next day? But everyday I hve to go to the dining room to make my reservation? What if the time I want is taken? Does that happen?

 

sorry to be dense! lol I am dealing with a multigenerational family and I just want to be sure when I make my decision.

janet

The Windjammer can accommodate you for 5:30

[BermudaPrincess]

I have not experienced Royal Caribbean's My Time Dining, but have sailed on NCL and Princess. I knew upfront about NCL, and we dealt with it. I was shocked and chagrined when Princess forced us - and many others - into their Anytime Dining. This was a TOTAL disaster on our cruise - everyone wanted to eat at the same time causing long lines and long waits - unless you wanted to dine early ( You could only get reservations on that Princess cruise before 6 and after 9! ). Part of my love of cruising is NOT having to deal with deciding things - like when to eat! And - having the same servers who get to know your likes and dislikes. MTD, ATD and freestyle destroy that charm!

 

Hopefully RCCL will not make the mistakes that Princess has made and allows EVERYONE who wants traditional to enjoy the traditional dining experience. This is the entire reason why our next cruise is on RCCL and not Princess.

[TrinaP1204]

It looks to me like it is a win win situation for several reasons. First off if you are out on shore excursions and return late (which will be the case on our Alaska cruise) you will not have to rush to clean up and get to the dining room on time. Also, if you go into the windjammer and do not like what is on the buffet that night, you still have the option of going into the dining room at the last minute.

[Gracie115]

MTD on the Jewel in November was great, I've said that countless times on these boards. It is beyond me why anyone would want to deny the "option" to those who want it. I plan to use it again, every time we cruise, but for those who want Traditional seating, well that's fine too...there's room for all of us in this world and to act as though RCCL has done something horrible for offering the option is pretty close minded. They have implemented it very well from what I can see, using small section of dining room, the program in NO WAY dominates the dining area, there were only 90 seats on the Jewel reserved for this option, which of course may grow if more want it, but really 90 seats in a dining room that seats, what over 1000? Not really a big deal I would think.

 

If you don't want to try it, well fine, but don't act as though it was a horrible thing for RCCL to try, it wasn't, it isn't and suspect it won't be in the future either.

[wrp96]

Hopefully RCCL will not make the mistakes that Princess has made and allows EVERYONE who wants traditional to enjoy the traditional dining experience. This is the entire reason why our next cruise is on RCCL and not Princess.

 

And RCCL seems to be doing it the right way. I have not heard yet of a single person that was forced into My Time Dining on RCCL unlike with Princess anytime dining.

[new2cruise]

We really like sitting at large tables so we get to meet a lot of new people. Is that possible with MTD?

[Gracie115]

new2cruise-

I believe it's possible to sit with new people if you want but the largest table I saw in MTD while on the Jewel was a table of 12, which was one large family group. Most of the tables were 2, 4 and 6 tops. I have read a few posts on other MTD threads that said they were able to join other tables, just don't know how big the table was. But this was the Jewel, it may well be different for Voyager or Freedom class ships....