This. If you know you’ll be late due to an excursion let your waiter now the night before. They will usually want to accommodate and make you happy. Being late just because you didn’t get ready in time is different.
DH has a food allergy and pre orders every night. We have been late due to a ship excursion more then once. They have given him his food to go and we’ve taken it to the WJ. But usually they insist that we sit down and eat at an empty table. If we do that, we eat quickly and usually skip dessert so we can get out of their way for the next seating. On bigger ships, different maitre d, YMMV but it doesn’t hurt to ask. If it wasn’t for his allergy we’d just go to the WJ.