Your Choice Dining?

[2preschoolers]

Can anyone tell me about "Your Choice Dining"? Is it available on all ships or just specific ones? (We're thinking of either the Liberty or Legend)

 

In the past (it's been a good 10 yrs since I've cruised) it's just been either early or late dining. If you choose "Your Choice" you can just show up when you want? And if that's the case, does it mean you loose the personal touch of having the same wait staff each night? I loved (at assigned dining) that your waiter would have your fave drinks waiting at the table for you!

 

And what happens if you choose early dining but one or two nights don't want to go at that time - do you have the option of using "YOUR CHOICE" when you want to or once you pick one option you have to stick to it the entire week?

 

Thank you!

[firefly333]

No, you cant have both, its either early/late or anytime.

 

There have been complaints about anytime, that during certain times the wait staff seems over worked and cannot keep up so your dinner may take longer to get to you if you go during a really busy time. The wait staff rotates thru anytime and hates to get assigned to it. They also miss out on the extra tipping they often get for regular dining and the same folks each night.

 

I did anytime before and didnt like sitting with strangers each night that you dont really get to know ... or yes you can sit by yourselves. Carnival always matches us up well and we enjoy having the same waiters and the same tablemates and hearing what they did that day.

 

I dont think all ships have it yet, but we had it on Conquest.

[BlueJacketsFan1]

The last time I checked Carnival's website was listing all the ships that offered it at this time. The last I saw there were only five ships that did.

[tandemcruzr]

It's either/or not both. If you choose traditional dining, you will use for the entire cruise.

 

If you choose "Your Time Dining" (it available on the Legend and Liberty), you will use it all week.

 

They will designate a section of the dining room for Your Choice. You may be seated immediately, or you may have a wait. If that's the case, they give you a beeper.

[2preschoolers]

Ya I think we'll probably stick to assigned seating time. We have 4 kids traveling with us (age 2-6) so I think having it assigned and the wait staff "knowing" us is best. Now here's hoping they can get us into early dining b/c dinner at 815p with 2 and 3 yr olds wouldn't be fun! LOL

 

Brings me to another question - do they have tables large enough for 12 people? AND do they have HIGH CHAIRS? (We'll have 2 who need them!)

[martinchem]

I prefer the new program. we go to dinner right after sunset, doesn't matter what timezone or time it is, we get a table for our group, if it's just me and the wifey, or a couple people we know that we'd like to eat dinner with, and usually a couple nights into the cruise we find a waiting staff that;s exceptional and request them the rest of the cruise. works perfect!!

[salty dingo]

How far do the beepers reach? Do you need to remain near the dining room or can you wander all over the ship?

[KGF]

Ya I think we'll probably stick to assigned seating time. We have 4 kids traveling with us (age 2-6) so I think having it assigned and the wait staff "knowing" us is best. Now here's hoping they can get us into early dining b/c dinner at 815p with 2 and 3 yr olds wouldn't be fun! LOL

 

Brings me to another question - do they have tables large enough for 12 people? AND do they have HIGH CHAIRS? (We'll have 2 who need them!)

 

I was told that if you choose to do "your time" dining you can request to be seated in your waiter's section every night. You may have a to wait for a table to free up but it can be done..... So I'm told. :)

[becbec423]

Ya I think we'll probably stick to assigned seating time. We have 4 kids traveling with us (age 2-6) so I think having it assigned and the wait staff "knowing" us is best. Now here's hoping they can get us into early dining b/c dinner at 815p with 2 and 3 yr olds wouldn't be fun! LOL

 

Brings me to another question - do they have tables large enough for 12 people? AND do they have HIGH CHAIRS? (We'll have 2 who need them!)

 

 

Yes, I did notice high chairs on the Glory in the dining room. I never noticed them at the buffet though. I'm a mom, and though I didn't have my kids w/ me, I always take notice of those types of things!

 

There was a table a few down from us that the table was set every night w/ a high chair :)

[mom2two2]

Is it harder to get early dinner seating? We will also be travelling with kids and I would have thought late dinner was prefered by more...

[okgirl]

Ya I think we'll probably stick to assigned seating time. We have 4 kids traveling with us (age 2-6) so I think having it assigned and the wait staff "knowing" us is best. Now here's hoping they can get us into early dining b/c dinner at 815p with 2 and 3 yr olds wouldn't be fun! LOL

 

Brings me to another question - do they have tables large enough for 12 people? AND do they have HIGH CHAIRS? (We'll have 2 who need them!)

 

I believe the largest table on any Carnival ship is for 10. Yes they do have high chairs both in the MDR and the Buffet.

 

If you happen to get late seating, go the the MD in your dining room around 1:30 on embarkation day. They will most likely be able to change you to early seating as it's the least desirable seating.

[tandemcruzr]

How far do the beepers reach? Do you need to remain near the dining room or can you wander all over the ship?

 

Don't know the range of the beepers. With all the metal around, I expect it would be short. On all our cruises, there was usually a bar close by the dining room. If we were using Your Choice, that's where we would wait with a beeper. I've read posts that say the wait is not long.

[arpie05]

I think it is on almost all ships now. There is a concurrent thread about this and if you follow this link it shows when some ships will have it available and one person posted that they have it this fall and the link says it is not available on their ship until summer 2010.

Some have stated you can request the same server with anytime dining - as I had the same concern. For large groups, you need to make reservations ahead a time - I think you can each morning by phone. We are trying anytime this cruise. I would think if you have a cruise with lots of ports then anytime would be better but more seadays then not. Also, if traveling with a big group, I wouldn't.

 

http://www.bookccl.com/irman/bookccl/sections/shipboard/DiningOnboard_master.html

[arpie05]

Is it harder to get early dinner seating? We will also be travelling with kids and I would have thought late dinner was prefered by more...

 

Lots of threads about this - if you have kids - especially in Circle C and O2 age (12-17) there activities start at 8:30 or 9:00 which is during late dinner - so you need to have early dinner. My son would not skip dinner in the dining room - instead he ate quickly and took his two melting cakes to go.

[salty dingo]

Don't know the range of the beepers. With all the metal around, I expect it would be short. On all our cruises, there was usually a bar close by the dining room. If we were using Your Choice, that's where we would wait with a beeper. I've read posts that say the wait is not long.

Ok, thanks. The pagers are just like at restaurants on land, then. I was kind of hoping the range would be more but if the wait is not long there is no reason to leave the area.

[gnocchi_mommy]

If you happen to get late seating, go the the MD in your dining room around 1:30 on embarkation day. They will most likely be able to change you to early seating as it's the least desirable seating.

 

It's funny you say this, I just booked our cruise today for Nov. and she told me the early dining was waitlisted and all they could guarentee was late or anytime seating. We like doing to evening shows so we opt for earlier dining, this time we will try Anytime. If early is the least popular why do you think its already waitlisted?

[2preschoolers]

Regarding early dining - we booked 6 mos early and when I told the Carnival booking agent that we'd prefer early she said she would have ot check to see ifi t's available b/c it tends to fill up first. Kids or no kids, I honestly can't imagine eating a huge dinner at 815pm but I suppose if you like to stay up till the wee hours of the morning, maybe that works. Anyhow - we booked 6 mos early and we did get confirmed Early. Not sure if it's less than 6 mos how hard it'd be.