Best Table Location in MDR

We are on My Time Dining, but I've heard that you can email RCL a few weeks before your cruise to request a table (assuming your meals are booked same or similar time).

Where is the best location? e.g. near the centre? near the window?

Would love to hear feedback.

I may be wrong, but my understanding was that table reservations were for traditional dining.

We are on My Time Dining, but I've heard that you can email RCL a few weeks before your cruise to request a table (assuming your meals are booked same or similar time).

 

Where is the best location? e.g. near the centre? near the window?

 

Would love to hear feedback.

When using MTD, you can not request a specific table prior to boarding. What we do is once on board we go to the Deck that has MTD and talk with the MTD Manager. We take a quick look around and select a table for 2 that we would like for the entire cruise, since we eat at the same time each night. They will then assign this table to us. We usually select a table by the railing looking down since there are very few 2-tops located by the window.

On those nights where we have other plans, as a courtesy, we always let them know that we won't be dining so that they can release the table to someone else.

Either way, what tables do people prefer and why. We have traditional dining on a cruise coming up. I plan on requesting shortly a table by a window. We (5 total) like the view, and it is a little out of all the action.

Either way, what tables do people prefer and why. We have traditional dining on a cruise coming up. I plan on requesting shortly a table by a window. We (5 total) like the view, and it is a little out of all the action.

I also like sitting by the window. The view is great to have, and as you said, it's more "out of the way".

Just a reminder to those who request a table by the window. If you are sailing in the winter, or even for late seating at other times of the year, it may be dark when you dine and the curtains may be closed. Not much to see except your own reflection in the window.

EXCEPTION - Alaska cruises! We had daylight till 10PM.

enjoy

M

If you are at a table by the window on a ship that has unblocking curtains that are all controlled by the same switch, when someone whines that the sunset is bothering their eyes, all views may be shut out by the throw of the switch. :mad::mad:

We are on My Time Dining, but I've heard that you can email RCL a few weeks before your cruise to request a table (assuming your meals are booked same or similar time).

 

Where is the best location? e.g. near the centre? near the window?

 

Would love to hear feedback.

I thought MTD was for freestyle people who don't like to be tied down to a specific table, and time

Traditional dining is for those that want specific items such as requesting specific locations for tables, type of table etc. I usually send in a request, and it usually is honored.

When using MTD, you can not request a specific table prior to boarding. What we do is once on board we go to the Deck that has MTD and talk with the MTD Manager. We take a quick look around and select a table for 2 that we would like for the entire cruise, since we eat at the same time each night. They will then assign this table to us. We usually select a table by the railing looking down since there are very few 2-tops located by the window.

 

On those nights where we have other plans, as a courtesy, we always let them know that we won't be dining so that they can release the table to someone else.

This is what I thought someone had mentioned on here...even for MTD. I would think that your dinner time though would have to be the same or very close for this to work (e.g always 6pm or 6:30pm).

We aren't doing any specialty but of course would let them know if we were grabbing something elsewhere.

We'll be sailing Eastern Caribbean in April so does it get dark early?

Just a reminder to those who request a table by the window. If you are sailing in the winter, or even for late seating at other times of the year, it may be dark when you dine and the curtains may be closed. Not much to see except your own reflection in the window.

 

EXCEPTION - Alaska cruises! We had daylight till 10PM.

 

enjoy

M

even in the summer-- when the sunset is bright the curtains will be closed.

The best time for a window is at breakfast or lunch.

We love sitting by the window at main seating. We sail in summer so it's light through dinner. Love watching the water (and people walking on the promenade).

I thought MTD was for freestyle people who don't like to be tied down to a specific table, and time

 

.....

Not always. We selected MTD on Allure so we can coordinate dinner with show times. On some nights , the shows will be at say 5pm, other nights 7pm, some nights 8 or 8:30pm. (We'll skip later shows since we're coming with our 'youngish' kids). So we'll book dinner in the range of 5:30pm - 6:30pm.

I thought MTD was for freestyle people who don't like to be tied down to a specific table, and time

 

Traditional dining is for those that want specific items such as requesting specific locations for tables, type of table etc. I usually send in a request, and it usually is honored.

MTD offers more 2-tops, which is our preference. We need to eat early, so selecting a table for the entire cruise upon boarding guarantees us the same wait staff each night. It's just a matter of personal preference.

We usually select a table by the railing looking down.

If you are at a table by the window on a ship that has unblocking curtains that are all controlled by the same switch, when someone whines that the sunset is bothering their eyes, all views may be shut out by the throw of the switch. :mad::mad:

I really hate when this happens too!!! :mad::p

Another vote here for the railing :D

I really hate when this happens too!!! :mad::p

Another vote here for the railing :D

Thanks. This is good advice. We can people watch and get a nice view of the dining room. Having said that, I guess we'd be looking up since I think MTD is in American Icon Grill , which is the bottom level (I could be wrong)

This is what I thought someone had mentioned on here...even for MTD. I would think that your dinner time though would have to be the same or very close for this to work (e.g always 6pm or 6:30pm).

 

We aren't doing any specialty but of course would let them know if we were grabbing something elsewhere.

 

We'll be sailing Eastern Caribbean in April so does it get dark early?

Since we stick to a particular time, we have always gotten the same table. Our experience has been that they will hold your table for about 15 minutes, and then if you are not there, they will give it to someone else.

We try to pick 5:30 with MTD and have been able to be seated as early as 5:15 when they open. It's something that works for us, but may not for others.

Really, the location isn't as important as the company at your table! Good tablemates mean fun conversation...you won't notice where you are, you'll be having so much fun!!!

Really, the location isn't as important

Sigh. Knowing good and well you wont reply, I have to ask anyway :rolleyes: How in the world can you possibly know what IS and is NOT important to other people? Are you some kind of psychic?

How do you even know the OP even wants tablemates?

If you are at a table by the window on a ship that has unblocking curtains that are all controlled by the same switch, when someone whines that the sunset is bothering their eyes, all views may be shut out by the throw of the switch. :mad::mad:

Our MDR experience on Oasis in 2012 was different. One of the couples who sailed with us included a wife who had a bit of motion sickness, not extreme, and periodically would ask if the shades could be slightly drawn on our window. While it didn't make the rest of us at the table too happy, the Dining Room Attendant was able to adjust the curtains on our window without affecting other window tables. Maybe it just depends on the ship.