My Time Dining or My Choice of Tablemate

So which is it? Why do you choose My Time Dining, having the freedom of choosing your dining times or having the freedom to choose your tablemate(s)?

So which is it? Why do you choose My Time Dining, having the freedom of choosing your dining times or having the freedom to choose your tablemate(s)?

We choose Your Time Dining and a table for 2 because we've been apart for most of the day and I always share a table for breakfast and lunch in the MDR so I'm ready for more private time.

Also, I never know when I'll feel like having my evening meal so I like the nearly 4 hour window to choose from.

There are pros and cons to both dining methods. But for those who enjoy sharing a large table we think there some tremendous advantages to the "My Dining" type scheme. A few years ago we were on a week cruise on the Adventure of the Seas and were assigned to a large table of 8, as was our wish. But the other 6 at that table never showed-up for a single night. The maître d did check and found out that they were all eating in the Lido Buffet every night, but according to policy the Maitre d could not reassign anyone else to their table in case they changed their mind. Since our ship was full there was no other place where they could assign us....so we dined alone at a large table.

With "My Time" we simply show-up when we please and tell the maître's that we would like to share a large table. We always get a full table and meet lots of folks. On our longer cruises (and we have cruised up to 62 days) what usually happens is we find some desirable tablemates after a few days, and then form our own regular table. With fixed seating it is like rolling the dice as to whether everyone is compatible and enjoys each others company. While it is true that you can often get your fixed dining table changed, it is not always an easy process.

Hank

We choose Your Time Dining and a table for 2 because we've been apart for most of the day and I always share a table for breakfast and lunch in the MDR so I'm ready for more private time.

 

Also, I never know when I'll feel like having my evening meal so I like the nearly 4 hour window to choose from.

You sound like you choose MTD for both reasons.

I actually like to have a set time and choose my tablemates. Ideally to me I would be able to prebook both my time(s) according to port times and also the number of guests at my table. If I could only choose one then I would choose to keep MTD the way it is.

There are pros and cons to both dining methods. But for those who enjoy sharing a large table we think there some tremendous advantages to the "My Dining" type scheme. A few years ago we were on a week cruise on the Adventure of the Seas and were assigned to a large table of 8, as was our wish. But the other 6 at that table never showed-up for a single night. The maître d did check and found out that they were all eating in the Lido Buffet every night, but according to policy the Maitre d could not reassign anyone else to their table in case they changed their mind. Since our ship was full there was no other place where they could assign us....so we dined alone at a large table.

 

With "My Time" we simply show-up when we please and tell the maître's that we would like to share a large table. We always get a full table and meet lots of folks. On our longer cruises (and we have cruised up to 62 days) what usually happens is we find some desirable tablemates after a few days, and then form our own regular table. With fixed seating it is like rolling the dice as to whether everyone is compatible and enjoys each others company. While it is true that you can often get your fixed dining table changed, it is not always an easy process.

 

Hank

On a longer cruise or a good roll call I can see how you would easily meet compatible tablemates. I am no longer willing to roll the dice on this important matter. :)

We never know what time we want to eat. I don't really want to be tied to a schedule. We also like to be free to join other interesting people we've met during the day for dinner.

We don't mind tablemate lottery & will often ask for a table to share. We like meeting new people. If they are nice, great. If they aren't well. . . it's only 1 meal & we can eat fast if required. :p

We never know what time we want to eat. I don't really want to be tied to a schedule. We also like to be free to join other interesting people we've met during the day for dinner.

 

We don't mind tablemate lottery & will often ask for a table to share. We like meeting new people. If they are nice, great. If they aren't well. . . it's only 1 meal & we can eat fast if required. :p

Have you ever tried the lottery and got "stuck" with people you dined with a day or two before that you didn't like or have you been asked by said people to join you on another day? If so...do tell!:D

So which is it? Why do you choose My Time Dining, having the freedom of choosing your dining times or having the freedom to choose your tablemate(s)?

Both.

Also, both. We usually get a table for 2. It's not that I'm particularly antisocial, but I'm not big on dining with strangers. I find small talk awkward. Sometimes we'll share a table, but usually not.

If we have a server we like, we will ask to be seated in their section whenever possible.

Also, we don't like having to let someone know if we decide to eat elsewhere, so they don't assume we're running late and wait for us. I don't like rushing to get ready for early seating or waiting around for a later one.

We choose anytime because we like the flexibility of dining when we want, especially when it comes to long shore excursion days. Also, we generally like to dine by ourselves.

So far I am the only one who would like to prebook ( even on that particular day) MDT. That's interesting to me. Waiting in line is not my strong suit.:D

Have you ever tried the lottery and got "stuck" with people you dined with a day or two before that you didn't like or have you been asked by said people to join you on another day? If so...do tell!:D

Nobody we didn't want to socialize with ever sought us out. A few would say hi around ship.

We took my dad on a cruise shortly after my mom died. I needed the break & didn't want to leave dad home. We were seated with two ladies in his age bracket & they flirted with dad the rest of the cruise. One afternoon I saw him sitting in the buffet with them. I suspect he was eating & minding his own business when they asked to join him. He probably didn't know how to say no. Poor dad had such a panic stricken look on his face. I had to go rescue him. :)

So far I am the only one who would like to prebook ( even on that particular day) MDT. That's interesting to me. Waiting in line is not my strong suit.:D

We tend to eat late so there is never a line. The lines at peak times can be annoying but we use our time wisely at the nearest bar. ;)

So far I am the only one who would like to prebook ( even on that particular day) MDT. That's interesting to me. Waiting in line is not my strong suit.:D

In all the time I've done anytime or mytime I only had to wait 2x. Once on Elegant night on CCL and Once on Dress Up or Not night on NCL. Neither time was longer than 15 minutes and NCL gave us a glass of champagne to enjoy while we waited. I guess I just don't see the need for reservations with it.

We use MTD for both reasons. We pick the time we want to eat, usually making advance reservations for at least the 1st night or 2. We always start out with a table for 2, but as the cruise goes on, we may meet others that we enjoy (in lounges, sitting near each other in the dining room or in the buffet, in activities, etc.) and can then arrange to share a table for one or more nights for dinner, if we choose to. Almost always we find a waiter that we really enjoy within the 1st few days, and request their area for subsequent nights. For us, MTD is the best.

We always go with traditional dining. We tried anytime once and did not like it. One of the problems with it was to avoid long lines, we tended to go later in the evening. By the time we showed up at the dining room (as late as 9:30), no one else was asking to share a table. We ended up with a de facto table for two every night.

There are pros and cons to both dining methods. But for those who enjoy sharing a large table we think there some tremendous advantages to the "My Dining" type scheme. A few years ago we were on a week cruise on the Adventure of the Seas and were assigned to a large table of 8, as was our wish. But the other 6 at that table never showed-up for a single night. The maître d did check and found out that they were all eating in the Lido Buffet every night, but according to policy the Maitre d could not reassign anyone else to their table in case they changed their mind. Since our ship was full there was no other place where they could assign us....so we dined alone at a large table.

 

With "My Time" we simply show-up when we please and tell the maître's that we would like to share a large table. We always get a full table and meet lots of folks. On our longer cruises (and we have cruised up to 62 days) what usually happens is we find some desirable tablemates after a few days, and then form our own regular table. With fixed seating it is like rolling the dice as to whether everyone is compatible and enjoys each others company. While it is true that you can often get your fixed dining table changed, it is not always an easy process.

 

Hank

Never had an empty table on traditional dining, but far too often we've had gaps on the table. And occasionally a bore or two.

But some great tables too.

That's the lottery of shared trad. dining.

Like Hank, we prefer the lottery of sharing anytime dining, even though it can get quite tiresome going through the usual initial chat every time.

But we usually gel with some that we're thrown in with, and from then on go to dinner as a foursome / sixsome / eightsome.

For simplicity we then all book the same table, same time, same waiters for the rest of the cruise.

JB :)

We always go with traditional dining. We tried anytime once and did not like it. One of the problems with it was to avoid long lines, we tended to go later in the evening. By the time we showed up at the dining room (as late as 9:30), no one else was asking to share a table. We ended up with a de facto table for two every night.

I wonder if most cruisers know that you can ask to share a large table at MTD?

Never had an empty table on traditional dining, but far too often we've had gaps on the table. And occasionally a bore or two.

But some great tables too.

That's the lottery of shared trad. dining.

 

Like Hank, we prefer the lottery of sharing anytime dining, even though it can get quite tiresome going through the usual initial chat every time.

But we usually gel with some that we're thrown in with, and from then on go to dinner as a foursome / sixsome / eightsome.

For simplicity we then all book the same table, same time, same waiters for the rest of the cruise.

 

JB :)

Which cruise line allows guests to prebook MTD? Avoiding a wait is appealing to me.

In all the time I've done anytime or mytime I only had to wait 2x. Once on Elegant night on CCL and Once on Dress Up or Not night on NCL. Neither time was longer than 15 minutes and NCL gave us a glass of champagne to enjoy while we waited. I guess I just don't see the need for reservations with it.

Do you usually eat before 7:00 or after 8:30? I find that during the time that we would like to eat the line-ups can be long. We actually chose a specialty restaurant one night and the next day mentioned to the hostess that they were busy last night. She said that for an hour they had a 40 minute or longer wait time for a table that night.

Which cruise line allows guests to prebook MTD? Avoiding a wait is appealing to me.

Quite a few of them I think, though it may vary from ship to ship.

A specific occasion I was thinking of was Vision of the Seas - we booked while aboard, each evening booking for the next evening.

We've got no brand loyalties, we've sailed a number of other ships & cruise lines and memory plays tricks. But we've done it a few times, large table each time, and on other ships we've also seen others arrive at a separate short line in the MDR for a pre-booked tables.

JB :)

Quite a few of them I think, though it may vary from ship to ship.

A specific occasion I was thinking of was Vision of the Seas - we booked while aboard, each evening booking for the next evening.

We've got no brand loyalties, we've sailed a number of other ships & cruise lines and memory plays tricks. But we've done it a few times, large table each time, and on other ships we've also seen others arrive at a separate short line in the MDR for a pre-booked tables.

 

JB :)

Do you know if Celebrity takes reservations for their version of MTD? We will be on the Soltice and have a balcony with conceirge (what ever that entails ( first time for us) ).

Do you know if Celebrity takes reservations for their version of MTD? We will be on the Soltice and have a balcony with conceirge (what ever that entails ( first time for us) ).

Sorry, can't help with Celebrity, we've only dined traditional.

But hopefully others might know.

And never had a concierge, but I'd have thought that the better prospects of him booking a twin-top for you would be an advantage.

JB :)

We HATE Free style/any time dining!!!! We just got off NCL's Sun with only free style. We have eaten together for many years so like to meet other people and get to know them. They have 5 pay restaurants so we never had to wait (7:30-8pm). Once we had to wait 40 minutes for a table on NCL and have been given beepers as the wait can be long. We always asked to share a table but 4 times we ate by ourselves, no one joined us. We also had people from England, who talked about England, a couple from Scotland -twice- and we could not understand what he said, people from Toronto & Newfoundland. We asked to sit with Americans so we had something in common but only had one American couple once.

We like having the same waiter with traditional dining so my husband doesn't have to remember to ask for milk each night, they know I want ice tea and no coffee and we get to know them as they get to know us.

We met our cruise buddies in 2006. We were tablemates and we have cruised together every year (many B2B's) since then. But this year they couldn't go for medical reasons. Three times they have driven from Flint, MI to house right on the NC coast. Then we drive together to our ship. We have also visited tablemates in Windsor, Canada, Clearwater FL and Lancaster, PA. If we had only eaten with them one night we wouldn't have gotten to know and enjoy each other!

We prefer open dining

We will share & sometime we prefer to eat alone

If we meet people that we do not click with it is only 1 meal & we will survive

We have met some lovely people & still friends after many years

If you are at assigned dining you have to rush to get there on time eat with people you may not get along with for 10 or 14 days of the cruise or try to avoid them by eating in the buffet ..which I dislike

Some cruise lines do open dining better than others

The only big line up we had was on Princess....some people from the set dining missed their time slot & got in the anytime dining line taking spots away from others :(